We went out on a charter in Kona, Hawaii on December 29, 2025, with Captain Momi (M-O-M-I) and deckhand Brad. Our trip was scheduled to depart at 6:30 a.m. Around 6:00 a.m., we received a message stating the charter would be delayed by about an hour due to fueling issues and long fuel lines.
However, we had arrived early and were already at the dock. We observed the boat and could clearly see the deckhand preparing for the day’s charter, not waiting in a fuel line as explained. Captain Momi arrived approximately an hour late, and we departed after the delay. She stated we would fish later in the day to make up for the lost time.
Unfortunately, fishing later in the day—especially trolling top-water lures—is not very productive due to fish moving deeper as waters warm. As expected, fishing conditions were not ideal. While we did manage to catch one mahi-mahi, which was appreciated, the delay clearly impacted the overall experience.
When we returned to the dock, Captain Momi strongly recommended her boyfriend’s restaurant for a “hook and cook,” stating it was the only restaurant on the island that would accept and prepare freshly caught fish. After later researching on our own, we found this was not accurate.
During the fish cleaning process, I was with my children looking at fish and sea turtles in the water. Captain Momi gave my wife only half of the mahi-mahi and stated that would be enough for us. She kept the other half of the fish, which we later assumed was for use at her boyfriend’s restaurant as part of their catch-of-the-day menu. I was not made aware of this until afterward.
We took the fish we were given to the recommended restaurant, which was a Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, the service was poor, the amount of fish we received back was noticeably less than what we brought in, and the food quality was disappointing overall.
I do want to note that Brad, the deckhand, was excellent. He worked hard throughout the trip, consistently changed lures, and made repeated efforts to get fish on the line for us.
That said, between the captain arriving late, paying full price for a shortened and less productive trip, and only receiving half of the fish we caught, the overall experience was very disappointing. Based on this experience, I would rate this charter 2 out of 5 stars and would not recommend it.