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. Skipper Jason is known for his enthusiasm, experience, and excellent fishing skills.

You’ll be fishing on a 44’ McManaway boat, named May Marie. This spacious vessel accommodates up to 14 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.

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!



Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Shared trip
    5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $178
    Join the crew on an epic 5-hour Snapper adventure! Enjoy cruising the beautiful Bay of Islands as the crew takes you to one of its favourite spots. Catch some bait along the way and then it's lines over and let the fun begin! At the end of the day, the crew will fillet and bag your fish ready to take home with you. Note: This is a shared trip with a minimum number of 4. If we have less than 4 people booked on, we will contact you to switch dates or make alternative arrangements.
  • Shared trip
    5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM)
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 1:00 PM
    US $178
    Join the crew on an epic 5-hour Snapper adventure! Enjoy cruising the beautiful Bay of Islands as the crew takes you to one of its favourite spots. Catch some bait along the way and then it's lines over and let the fun begin! At the end of the day, the crew will fillet and bag your fish ready to take home with you. Note: This is a shared trip with a minimum of 4 needed to operate. If we have less than 4 booked on, we will contact you to switch dates or make alternative arrangements.
  • Shared trip
    7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Shared)
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    7 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $356
    Maximum 6 anglers per trip. Get ready for a sensational day out hunting Kingfish in the beautiful Bay of Islands! Your Skipper has some secret spots lined up to give you the best chance of hooking one of these beauties. There's nothing quite like hitting the water as the sun comes up over the Bay and feeling that hit on your line as the battle begins! If you've fished for Kingfish before, you'll know you need plenty of room and the May Marie is perfect for up to 6 fishing.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour Snapper Trip (Private)
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $1,068
    Step aboard for a fantastic day out with a private half day Snapper charter. You and up to 13 of your friends will have the boat to yourselves as you head out into the Bay ready for a great day out on the water. Our Skipper knows the best spots and where the snapper lurk! There's plenty of room on board to find your spot as well as a covered area to keep the sun (or rain) at bay.
  • Private trip
    7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Private)
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    7 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $1,068
    Step aboard for a fantastic day out with a Private Kingfish Charter. You and up to 5 of your mates will have the boat to yourselves as you head out into the Bay ready for a great day out on the water. Skipper will search out the best spots then try your luck at hooking and landing one of these guys. There's plenty of room to find your spot and a covered deck area to keep the sun at bay. The crew provides tea/coffee/water and you're welcome to bring lunch and other beverages.
  • Private trip
    9 Hour Trip
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    9 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $1,365
    Join us for a full day (8-9 hours) out on the water! Get your friends together and we'll head out for a spot of bait fishing, then spend the day targeting a variety of fish – kingfish, snapper, kahawai, and more. The 9-hour charter can be tailored to your requirements and we can be flexible with departure times to suit your schedule. Make yourself at home, put your music on and enjoy having the boat to yourselves! The price is for up to 14 people. Additional people are permitted at an extra charge.
    Targeted fish
    King Mackerel (Kingfish)
    King Mackerel (Kingfish)
    Snapper (Pink)
    Pink Snapper
    John Dory
    John Dory
    Kahawai
    Kahawai
There are 8 people looking at this charter.

FAQs about May Marie Charters

May Marie Charters offers the following trips to customers:
  • NZ $150 per person - 5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (5 hours)
  • NZ $150 per person - 5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) (5 hours)
  • NZ $300 per person - 7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Shared) (7 hours)
  • NZ $1,800 per group - 5 Hour Snapper Trip (Private) (5 hours)
  • NZ $1,800 per group - 7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Private) (7 hours)
  • NZ $2,300 per group - 9 Hour Trip (9 hours)

When you book a trip with May Marie Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Toilet
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Live Bait Well
  • Refrigerator
  • Outriggers
  • Ice Box
  • Radar

Trips booked with May Marie Charters include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Live Bait
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Drinks (Water, tea, coffee)
  • Fishing License

May Marie Charters offers the following types of fishing:
  • Inshore Fishing
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Reef Fishing

May Marie Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Heavy Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Drift Fishing

Top targeted fish species with May Marie Charters include:
  • John Dory
  • Kahawai
  • King Mackerel (Kingfish)
  • Snapper (Pink)

Meet the Charter Operator

May Marie Charters
Paihia, New Zealand
ID & license verified
131 Customer reviews
Response time 4 hours
Member since August 2021
We're a family owned business with a love of fishing. Our Skipper, Jason, is a very skilled and experienced fisherman. He loves getting out on the water with guests, teaching them some tricks of the trade and the excitement as guests reel in their catch. Jason is down-to-earth and is sure to provide you with plenty of laughs. You're hard pressed to find a more enthusiastic or experienced fisho than Jason!
Our Team
Jason R.
Captain
Trent M.
First mate

About this listing

Targeted species

John Dory John Dory
Kahawai Kahawai
King Mackerel (Kingfish) King Mackerel (Kingfish)
Snapper (Pink) Pink Snapper

Boat specs

McManaway (Headboat) originally built in 1993. Powered by a 45HP Detroit engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 9 knots.

Length
44 ft
Capacity
12 persons

Types of fishing

Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Reef Fishing

Fishing techniques

Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Drift Fishing

Amenities

Toilet
GPS
Fishfinder
Live Bait Well
Refrigerator
Outriggers

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
Catch cleaning & filleting
Drinks
Water, tea, coffee
Fishing License

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 3 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 3 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

Listing policies

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
No Smoking
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed
Disabled Accessible
The bathroom is not wheelchair accessible

Payment

Book with 15% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 15% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Bank Transfer
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 1.5% charge will apply.

Paihia Fishing Calendar

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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.8 / 5
out of 5 stars from 131 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (92)
Great day on the water
Great day on the water
Great day on the water
+89
Angler rating
110
20
1
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
98%
Friendly captain
98%
Recommend this charter
98%
Appropriate for children
89%
Satisfied with the boat
99%
Caught fish
91%
Sort by:
Featured  
Showing:
5 of 131 reviews
Ben W.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

The BEST day

VERIFIED   NEW  7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Private) on April 19, 2024
We had a fantastic day on the May Marie, mostly due to our skippers. Kerry and Trent are incredibly experienced and taught...
Ben W. recommends May Marie Charters
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Ben W. recommends May Marie Charters
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Sal K.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Awesome experience

VERIFIED   5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on January 3, 2024
Absolutely appreciate both Jas and Trent working so hard on our charter to try to make our experience the best. Unfortunately...
Sal K. recommends May Marie Charters
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Sal K. recommends May Marie Charters
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Dean P.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Absolutely legendary crew

VERIFIED   7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Shared) on March 14, 2024
Absolutely legendary and amazing crew Trent and Jeff. Myself and my 9 year old son had an absolute blast on board the May Marie....
Dean P. recommends May Marie Charters
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  May Marie Charters Charter Operator replied

Hannah F.
Whangarei, New Zealand
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Afternoon trip on May Marie

VERIFIED   5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on August 12, 2023
Fantastic fishing trip! Super knowledgeable crew, friendly and experienced. Our 5 hour afternoon excursion turned into six...
Hannah F. recommends May Marie Charters
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1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful
  May Marie Charters Charter Operator replied

Steve T.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall
Great service from Trent (Skipper) and Kerry (deckhand). Almost like ‘glamping’ fishing. They were just ‘there’ to...
Steve T. recommends May Marie Charters
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Steve T. recommends May Marie Charters
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