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 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 would rebook without hesitation! We’ve been deep-sea fishing in Costa Rica and Bermuda, but this charter has them beat. Captain John and Sean were incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, and we truly enjoyed getting to know them.

The fish weren’t biting until the very end, despite their best efforts, but they never gave up—and we still managed to catch a great-sized yellowfin tuna! We enjoyed every minute of the trip and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.