Skillet Sportfishing 

I took my dad on a 6-hour fishing trip with Captain John Burke and his deckhand, Shawn, and it was an outstanding experience. I would definitely recommend booking a 6- or 8-hour trip, as the additional time significantly increases your chances of hooking into more fish. For anyone prone to seasickness, bringing Dramamine is a good idea, although the ride itself was quite comfortable and not rough at all. During our trip, we fought four fish in total—a wahoo, a spearfish, a striped marlin, and one fish that unfortunately came off after an impressive jump and head shake before we could identify it. We successfully landed two fish and released one. Captain John and Shawn did an excellent job throughout the day. They thoroughly explained the fishing process, demonstrated how to use the equipment, shared techniques, and taught us what to watch for while trolling. Everything was organized, prepared, and ready to go from the moment we stepped aboard. The crew was professional, knowledgeable, well-prepared, and personable. They made the trip both productive and enjoyable. Great people and great company. As a bonus, I even learned a new phrase from Shawn: “cuddle and release” instead of “catch and release”—which definitely gave us a good laugh! Highly recommended.

i have done nearly 20 guided fishing tours over the last several years and have generally always had a great experience….but this captain and first mate top them all. Captain John was great with me and my kids and worked hard to find us fish and made sure everyone was having a great time. And then there is his first mate Shawn, who worked harder than anyone i have been out fishing with trying everything under the sun to help us land a fish. He never stopped working, swapping things out, keeping the boat clean, trying something new, it was impressive. All while having fun, being very friendly, teaching me and my boys along the way. At the end of the day we were only able to land one Wahoo but that was not because of a lack of effort on the crew. And despite the slow day of fish, me and my boys had a wonderful day and really enjoyed being on the water with Captain John and Shawn.

Excellent charter with experienced and professional crew. I’ve done a lot of offshore fishing on my own boat and charters, but the kids and family have not and this crew went out of their way to make the experience perfect for everyone. We’ve been on a Kona charter that has been nothing more than a boat ride, but Skillet was different in that they worked hard to get us on fish. We found some beautiful ahi to round out an exceptional day on the water. Don’t hesitate booking with Skillet.

Captain John is a heck of nice guy and we had the pleasure of meeting his son Mike today. The boat was clean and in excellent order. I recommend this captain to anyone looking to catch fish.

Captain John and Deckhand Ryan were the perfect crew. My son & I prefer a chill experience and do it more for the "ride." Catching fish is bonus. Next time, we'll try to be there during Mahi season and hopefully, we run across some Ono, too. Boat was immaculate, conversations were engaging, and the experience was exhilarating. Hana hou!

I've gone out on Skillet with Capt John a number of times and highly recommend him. He's a great person who has like kind people crewing with him. Top notch equipment and John's experience gives you the best chance to catch fish. This time we came home with 3 big beautiful tunas! Last time, Marlins Just do it!

Amazing experience. Highly recommend. Captain John was knowledgeable & helped us catch a 750lb Marlin. We also caught 2 spearfish. Deion was a fantastic deck hand and very supportive. This was a great trip for both experienced & novices. They were so funny, and kept us laughing throughout the trip. The weather wasn’t cooperating with the original date we booked, Captain John was wonderful about working with us to find another time during our stay in Hawaii.

We caught 4 tunas. These guys are non stop when looking for fish. Book the 8 hours, gives you more time to go to different spots to get more fish. They cut the fish for us, took photos and kept us entertained. Definitely will be coming back!

My son desperately wanted to go fishing during our first trip to Hawaii. Captain John and Sean did not disappoint! They were kind, knowledgeable, and very skilled! My son brought in a Marlin and two Ono. 10/10, no notes, would do again!

We loved Captain John and Dave. Unfortunately, the fishing was slow. No one‘s fault, but we still had a great time. We’d definitely go with Captain John and Dave again.