May Marie Charters
+11At 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.
Charter Operator
May Marie Charters
Highlights
Plan your trip
In demand! Last booked: 2 days ago
Customer reviews
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (109)
+106Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
97%
Appropriate for children
87%
Friendly captain
98%
Satisfied with the boat
99%
Recommend this charter
98%
Caught fish
91%
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Excellent day out on the water
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) on July 1, 2025
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.
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...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
EPIC DAY
9 Hour Trip on January 29, 2025
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!
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...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Fun trip in the beautiful Bay of Isles
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on March 12, 2025
We had a great trip out for a fun morning of fishing. Experienced and helpful crew who kept us entertained and our hooks continually baited. Fish were a little fickle but the boys kept moving for us to get the best chance of catching some good sized snapper. We all came home with a nice bag for dinner. Great value for money. Highly recommend
We had a great trip out for a fun morning of fishing. Experienced and helpful crew who kept us entertained and our hooks continually baited. Fish were a little fickle but the boys kept moving for us to get the best chance of catching some good sized snapper. We all came home with a nice bag for dinner. Great value for money. Highly recommend
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Highly recommend
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on February 19, 2025
I had a fabulous trip with May Marie Charters. Captain was friendly and relaxed, chatted about local landmarks on the journey. When fishing was slow in one spot we moved onto another where fish were biting. We all caught and landed fish. It was my first time fishing on a charter boat and I intent to return I enjoyed my day so much. Lorraine
I had a fabulous trip with May Marie Charters. Captain was friendly and relaxed, chatted about local landmarks on the journey. When fishing was slow in one spot we moved onto another where fish were biting. We all caught and landed fish. It was my first time fishing on a charter boat and I intent to return I enjoyed my day so much. Lorraine
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Great day out
5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared on December 31, 2024
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
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
FAQs about May Marie Charters
What are the trip rates for May Marie Charters?
May Marie Charters offers the following trips to customers:
- NZ $165 per person - 5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (5 hours)
- NZ $165 per person - 5 Hour Trip – Snapper Shared (PM) (5 hours)
- NZ $320 per person - 7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Shared) (7 hours)
- NZ $1,980 per group - 5 Hour Snapper Trip (Private) (5 hours)
- NZ $1,990 per group, additional NZ $220 per person after 6 guests - 7 Hour Kingfish Trip (Private) (7 hours)
- NZ $2,500 per group - 9 Hour Trip (9 hours)
Which amenities are available onboard with May Marie Charters?
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
What's included in the trip price with May Marie Charters?
Trips booked with May Marie Charters include:
- Rods, reels & tackle
- Live Bait
- Catch cleaning & filleting
- Drinks (Water, tea, coffee)
- Fishing License
What types of fishing does May Marie Charters offer?
May Marie Charters offers the following types of fishing:
- Inshore Fishing
- Nearshore Fishing
- Reef Fishing
What fishing techniques does May Marie Charters offer?
May Marie Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
- Light Tackle
- Heavy Tackle
- Bottom Fishing
- Drift Fishing
Which fish species can I catch with May Marie Charters?
Top targeted fish species with May Marie Charters include:
- John Dory
- Kahawai
- King Mackerel (Kingfish)
- Snapper (Pink)
Meet your operator
Paihia, New Zealand
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!
Fish you can target
Your boat
Where you can fish
Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Reef Fishing
How you can fish
Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Drift Fishing
What's on board
Toilet
GPS
Fishfinder
Live Bait Well
Refrigerator
Outriggers
Ice Box
Radar
Included in the price
Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
Catch cleaning & filleting
Drinks
Water, tea, coffee
Fishing License
How cancellations work
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
How to pay
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.
What’s biting in Paihia right now
John Dory
Kahawai
Snapper (Pink)