Kona Fishing is quite possibly the best in the world when it comes to Big Game. The sheer number of trophy pelagics that can be found here is staggering. On any given day, you may encounter Blue and Striped Marlin, Mahi Mahi, Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi), Wahoo (Ono), and Shortbilled Spearfish. And when we say on any given day, we mean it. The thing which makes Kona such a dream location is that all these species are present all year round.
Kona Marlin Fishing produces an average of two granders per year, where most top locations are proud to get one. The island chain’s only problem is the strong trade winds which can make the afternoons unfishable. Not so in Kona, though! Big Island’s mountains shield it from the worst of the winds, making for calm waters pretty much all the time. This makes it arguably the best Hawaiian island for fishing. The best of the best for big game sport fishing? Sign us up!
Known For
The thing that makes Kona deep sea fishing so productive is the fact that the sea floor drops so deep so quickly. Within ten minutes of leaving the dock you are fishing in 100 fathoms of water. This makes half day trips a viable option, and a very common one. Compare this to the mainland, where you need to travel 30 miles or more for even a glimpse of Billfish, and you start to see what all the buzz is about.
Kona fishing charters usually start trolling as soon as they leave the dock, with spots like Kaiwi Point allowing for what can only be called inshore Marlin fishing. It isn’t all just blind luck, though. Most local charter captains have been honing their skills for decades, and their boats are loaded with a serious amount of equipment. Fighting chairs, Tuna tubes, and custom tackle come as standard in this part of the world
If you are thinking of wintering in Hawaii this year, then lucky you! Striped Marlin peak in the depths of winter, as do Bigeye Tuna. February can be a particularly rewarding time to fish, with Striped Marlin, Shortbilled Spearfish, and Mahi Mahi all in their prime. The best time to target Blue Marlin in Kona is during the summer months of July and August. This is also peak time for Ahi and Ono, making for nothing short of an angler’s dream.
Unsurprisingly, the start of summer also kicks off tournament season. If you are thinking of signing up to a Kona fishing Tournament like the Kona Throwdown, you should expect some serious competition. Anglers from across the globe fly in to compete, and the prizes in some can be life-changing. Just deciding which one to take part in can be hard enough, with over a dozen Billfishing tournaments over the course of the summer.
Rules & Regulations
You do not need a license to fish in Hawaii, even when striking out on your own. All billfish can be kept, although most Kona charter boats prefer to tag and release. The sale of Billfish is also allowed in Hawaii, so some captains may want to keep even healthy fish to sell. The wisest policy is to talk to your captain before the charter, and agree on what will happen to your catch.
Types of Fishing
Unsurprisingly for a remote island chain, fishing has always been a massive part of the local culture. Many of the techniques used worldwide were first pioneered here. Jet head lures were created by a Kona angler drilling holes in some metal to tempt in Tuna. The world laughed when Hawaiians started making lures for Marlin, thinking live bait the only option. Nowadays, targeting Billfish on lures or flies is all the rage, and nowhere will you find it mastered better than in Kona.
The most common method of big game fishing in Kona is using a wide trolling spread of artificials. This allows you to vary your lures if you don’t mind what you catch, or focus on one species to really draw them in. Specialist Marlin, Ahi, and Ono lures are discussed at length in the Kona fishing scene, and you will usually find plenty of each onboard. Using live Skipjack is also a common option, although smaller, pre-caught bait is very rare.
Heavy tackle is the go-to option for Billfish on most charters, and somewhere in the 80 to 130-pound range is the most common. The best Kona fishing charters will have a range of light and fly tackle available too, though. Bait and switch is very common here for ambitious record-setters - Kona has produced IGFA records for Spearfish on tackle as light as four pounds in recent years!