May Marie Charters 

4.8/5 (179 reviews)
 Paihia Wharf, Paihia, 0200, New Zealand

May Marie Charters 

4.8/5 (179 reviews)
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Paihia Wharf
Paihia, New Zealand

At May Marie Charters, they love taking guests out for an awesome day of charter fishing in the Bay of Islands! No matter what your expectations are, the crew will work hard every time to exceed them and make this trip an adventure you’ll never forget. Our Skippers are highly experienced, fun and avid fishermen.

You’ll be fishing on a 44’ McManaway boat, named May Marie. This spacious vessel accommodates up to 12 anglers for Snapper fishing or 6 anglers for Kingfish trips. May Marie offers a comfortable ride, even on rougher days, as she’s super stable. There’s plenty of shade to get out of the sun, a closed cabin area, and the kettle will be on if you would like to make a cuppa.  There's also plenty of seating both inside and out.

The Bay of Islands is simply beautiful and the scenery as we head to our secret spots won’t disappoint. The friendly crew will welcome you on board, bait your hook and entertain you with a yarn or two. Choose between shared charters targeting Snapper or Kingfish, or private ones that can be tailored to your needs.

At the end of the day, the crew will fillet your catch and make it ready to take home with you. They provide all fishing equipment, tea/coffee/water, and you’re most welcome to bring snacks, lunch, or other beverages.

Join May Marie Charters for an epic day out fishing in the beautiful Bay of Islands!

NOTE:  Unfortunately our trips do not coincide with guests arriving by cruise ships.  By the time guests disembark and get into Paihia, we are already out fishing and our afternoon trips do not return until after cruise passengers are usually required to be back on board the ships.

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Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.8/5
out of 5 stars from 179 reviews
Boat
4.7/5
Crew
4.8/5
Experience
4.8/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (117)

Great Excursion!
It was a misty misty morn ..
Captain Trent , and deckkie Max were excellent , couldn’t have helped more to get us on to fish , in hard windy conditions
+114

Angler rating

146
29
3
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

96%

Appropriate for children

88%

Friendly captain

98%

Satisfied with the boat

99%

Recommend this charter

97%

Caught fish

90%

Showing 1 - 5 of 179 reviews
Showing: 5 of 179 reviews
Doug Ashley-Miller
Doug Ashley-Miller
5.0
Verified
Excellent day out on the water
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on July 1, 20252 adults2 children
Even though fishing in winter promised to be more challenging than in summer, we were not disappointed with this trip. Captain Trent knew exactly where to find the fish and, despite being a crew member down, gave everyone on board his full attention. Very knowledgeable, personable and great with both kids and adults alike. We caught over 9 different varieties of fish, some of which I'd never seen before, including decent kingfish and snapper. My kids and I loved this experience and I couldn't recommend it highly enough.
Review media 0
Review media 0
Review media 1
Review media 2
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
1
Ron McCrorie
Ron McCrorie
5.0
Verified
Hint
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on October 26, 20252 adults
Hi guys a tip from an old marketing/sales man . This is not a criticism, please don't take offence. But cleanliness as far as kitchen area . Just the railing . I know you guys are busy. Maybe hire someone to maintain it for you . Presentation is important. Great trip, great crew . Keep up the good work.
Translated by AI:
Show original
Response from Captain
October 28, 2025
Thanks Ron - the guys have already been down to rectify. Appreciate the heads up. Glad you enjoyed your trip and hope to see you again next time! Thanks!
0
Rebecca Bartlett
Rebecca Bartlett
5.0
Verified
Great day out
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on December 31, 20242 adults
Loved our fishing trip, unfortunately we only had one staff member doing everything for our fully booked trip, but he did a wonderful job and took care of all of us. We did possibly miss out on a hot drink - he was very busy baiting, taking fish off hooks, replacing hooks for all of us, so that may have just been as his crew had called in sick that day. We caught a huge amount of fish - still under the limit and thoroughly enjoyed our day, thank you
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
0
Lisa Ward
Lisa Ward
4.7
Verified
EPIC DAY
9 Hour Trip on January 29, 202512 adults
May Marie Charters is a must for those that just want a chill unique day on the water. The skippers were amazing and just rolled with what we wanted to do. Loved their genuine excitement when we pulled in a Mahmahi, a first for their charter. Being able to stop in a beautiful bay to do manus off the boat was the icing on the cake. Feel like we ticked off every tourist attraction in Paihia, the skipper was even a bit of a tour guide with his knowledge of the area. 100% recommend and we will be back for sure!
Review media 0
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Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
0
Jon Stevenson
Jon Stevenson
5.0
Verified
Snapper Galore
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on December 31, 20242 adults1 child
The trip lived up to our expectations even though weather threatened to dampen our spirits. We were given options to change days thanks to good communication with management the day before. Decided to go ahead and we caught lots of fish. On board equipment found the fish. Crew helped with baiting hooks and filleting the catch. We were given the option of staying out longer and everyone decided to.
Translated by AI:
Show original
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
0

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Days:
Group Size:
Select date to see availability
December 2025
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
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Number of days
1
Group Size
2 adults • 0 children
Change
Almost there...
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
5 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
US $190
Shared tour: 2 people
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM)
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
5 Hour Trip
starts at 1:00 PM
US $190
Shared tour: 2 people
7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Shared)
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
7 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
US $369
Shared tour: 2 people
5 Hour Snapper Trip (Private)
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
5 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
US $1,142
Entire boat: 2 people
7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Private)
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
7 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
US $1,148
Entire boat: up to 6 people
9 Hour Trip
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
9 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
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US $1,442
Entire boat: 2 people
There are 23 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.8/5
out of 5 stars from 179 reviews
Boat
4.7/5
Crew
4.8/5
Experience
4.8/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (117)

Great Excursion!
It was a misty misty morn ..
Captain Trent , and deckkie Max were excellent , couldn’t have helped more to get us on to fish , in hard windy conditions
+114

Angler rating

146
29
3
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

96%

Appropriate for children

88%

Friendly captain

98%

Satisfied with the boat

99%

Recommend this charter

97%

Caught fish

90%

Showing 1 - 5 of 179 reviews
Showing: 5 of 179 reviews
Doug Ashley-Miller
Doug Ashley-Miller
5.0
Verified
Excellent day out on the water
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on July 1, 20252 adults2 children
Even though fishing in winter promised to be more challenging than in summer, we were not disappointed with this trip. Captain Trent knew exactly where to find the fish and, despite being a crew member down, gave everyone on board his full attention. Very knowledgeable, personable and great with both kids and adults alike. We caught over 9 different varieties of fish, some of which I'd never seen before, including decent kingfish and snapper. My kids and I loved this experience and I couldn't recommend it highly enough.
Review media 0
Review media 0
Review media 1
Review media 2
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
1
Ron McCrorie
Ron McCrorie
5.0
Verified
Hint
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on October 26, 20252 adults
Hi guys a tip from an old marketing/sales man . This is not a criticism, please don't take offence. But cleanliness as far as kitchen area . Just the railing . I know you guys are busy. Maybe hire someone to maintain it for you . Presentation is important. Great trip, great crew . Keep up the good work.
Translated by AI:
Show original
Response from Captain
October 28, 2025
Thanks Ron - the guys have already been down to rectify. Appreciate the heads up. Glad you enjoyed your trip and hope to see you again next time! Thanks!
0
Rebecca Bartlett
Rebecca Bartlett
5.0
Verified
Great day out
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on December 31, 20242 adults
Loved our fishing trip, unfortunately we only had one staff member doing everything for our fully booked trip, but he did a wonderful job and took care of all of us. We did possibly miss out on a hot drink - he was very busy baiting, taking fish off hooks, replacing hooks for all of us, so that may have just been as his crew had called in sick that day. We caught a huge amount of fish - still under the limit and thoroughly enjoyed our day, thank you
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
0
Lisa Ward
Lisa Ward
4.7
Verified
EPIC DAY
9 Hour Trip on January 29, 202512 adults
May Marie Charters is a must for those that just want a chill unique day on the water. The skippers were amazing and just rolled with what we wanted to do. Loved their genuine excitement when we pulled in a Mahmahi, a first for their charter. Being able to stop in a beautiful bay to do manus off the boat was the icing on the cake. Feel like we ticked off every tourist attraction in Paihia, the skipper was even a bit of a tour guide with his knowledge of the area. 100% recommend and we will be back for sure!
Review media 0
Review media 1
Review media 2
Review media 3
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
0
Jon Stevenson
Jon Stevenson
5.0
Verified
Snapper Galore
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on December 31, 20242 adults1 child
The trip lived up to our expectations even though weather threatened to dampen our spirits. We were given options to change days thanks to good communication with management the day before. Decided to go ahead and we caught lots of fish. On board equipment found the fish. Crew helped with baiting hooks and filleting the catch. We were given the option of staying out longer and everyone decided to.
Translated by AI:
Show original
Reported catch:
Pink Snapper
0

FAQs about May Marie Charters

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The fish you can target

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What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Headboats
Capacity
12 persons
Boat length
44 ft
Year built
1993
Boat manufacturer
McManaway
Boat type
Headboat

Engine model
Detroit
Powered by
1 x 45HP
Max cruising speed
9 knots
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