Playtime Sportfishing 

We had an awesome time on our 8-hour charter today! The captain worked hard all day to put us on fish, and we ended up catching 4 bonito and a bunch of akule. Even when the bite slowed down, he kept moving and trying different spots to give us the best chance of success. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole trip enjoyable. The boat was comfortable, and we learned a lot along the way. We had a great day on the water and came home with fresh fish for dinner. We’d definitely book again and highly recommend this charter to anyone looking for a fun day fishing on the Big Island! 🎣🌊

Wow! Shawn and Joe are such a dynamic duo. My buddy and I decided to try out a fishing charter and were not disappointed! My buddy and I both caught an Ono a piece and it was exciting and FUN coming from a first time fisherman! Shawn the cool, calm and collected OG captain. Along with Joe, the talkative, informative and full of whimsy first mate! These two explained step by step what to do when a fish was “on” and made us comfortable providing us with space to learn! Shawn and Joe, we will be back go tackle some more fish!! If you are in doubt, book it! These two are awesome!!!

If you’re thinking about booking a charter—just do it, and ask for Shawn. We had a little unexpected hiccup (no one’s fault, just the ocean doing ocean things), but honestly it turned into part of the adventure. And somehow… we still landed a Skipper Jack tuna like absolute legends. On top of that, we saw pilot whales AND black tip sharks just casually living their best lives out there. Basically felt like we were in a nature documentary, but with better snacks and a cooler captain. Shawn is the real deal—super laid back, knows his stuff, and genuinely wants you to have the experience you came for. He even butchered our fish for us like a pro, which was above and beyond. 10/10 would trust this man with my fishing destiny again. We’ll definitely be back—Mahalo, Shawn

We enjoyed our 1/2 day with Captain Sean and 1st Mate Tara. 4 of us went along and the weather was great. Cpt Sean and Tara were very helpful at showing us about the boat and setting up all the gear. They answered all our many questions about what to expect as we had little previous experience deep sea fishing. They however have many years experience which we enjoyed hearing about. Despite continued trolling we only got 2 bites but were able to real in a ? 30 lb tuna which was a memorable experience. Cpt Sean was adept at fileting our catch and we took home as much as we could use while on the island. Overall rating of 4 above due to not catching more fish which was not due to lack of trying!

My fiancé and I decided to go for a half day trip on short notice. The Captain Shawn and the first mate Joe, were very accommodating. On our way out, they were giving us information about the island, and the need of marine species, felt like a private tour. we tried different places to fish, saw dolphins, pilot whales, really awesome experience will come back again. Very professional, this charter is a great family owned charter.

We had a tough day of fishing. Nobody was seeing any action. They did a wonderful job and being out on the water was just fun. just as we were on our way in, we hooked a Mahi-Mahi. literally, we were reeling in the lines outside the harbor when it occurred! i highly recommend the guys. smaller family run boat but super stable and the team made it fun. finally, my complements to the Harbor Master. The facilities were clean, functioning and professional. i don't always see that and i fish in North Carolina, Maine, California and Florida. i would heartily recommend Playtime Sportfishing. 👌

i have been on over 20 guided trips with most being in the ocean in Hawaii, CA, and Oregon. Capt Joe was one of the most responsive and hardest working Captains i have ever met. the name of the game is fishing, not catching. Capt joe and Shawn busted their asses to put us on fish. We were included in every step. They worked hard to keep us engaged and laughing. The real tell for me was that the communication was incredible from the beginning. i told him what we hoped for. He told me what to expect, conditions, and tactics. Capt. Joe seemed truly excited to talk about the upcoming trip every time and did not seem bothered or preoccupied. Many Captains i have messaged would either not reply or would give one or 2 word answers. Shawn was great. He engaged my wife and I start to finish. He was friendly, fast, and always looki g for ways to make the trip better. I truly appreciated his candid conversations and humor. We busted our asses and were on fish most of the day. Missed several, but I did land a great eater mahi. If you are not about hype or fish stories, want to really ecperience a day of real honest fishing, and have a crew that outworks everyone on the Island, go out with Capt Joe.

Shawn and Joe are very knowledgeable. While the fishing was slow, we did leave with two Moano and directions on how to prepare them. Delicious.

We caught only one fish but a great one ... roughly a 100 pound yellowfin tuna. The experience of the fight was great. unfortunately I didnt get to keep any of the fish as it is policy the boat keeps any tuna over 60 pounds. A little disappointing but thats the policy that is clearly stated before booking with them so it is what it is. The captain and his deckhand did a great job. Thanks.

My wife and I and another couple chose a 3 hour trip and it was very worth it. We caught 2 nice Ono and just missed a skip jack Tuna. Shawn and Joe were great captains and I would recommend using Playtime Sportfishing to anyone.