Kona deep sea fishing has it all: awesome fish, all-year round, within minutes of leaving the dock. Where else in the world could you target six different billfish in one day? Where else could you catch Blue Marlin on a half day trip? Throw in great weather, stunning scenery, famous hospitality, and a harbor full of cutting-edge cruisers and you start to wonder why people fish anywhere else.
What can I expect from a deep sea fishing trip?
One of the best things about Kona’s deep sea fishing scene is that you can start trolling pretty much as soon as you’re out of the harbor. Black and even Blue Marlin have been caught so close to land you could practically wade for them. This means that even on a half day trip you will have plenty of time to get some good hits and land at least one of the insanely long list of big game species on the cards.
Blue, Black, and Striped Marlin, Shortbilled Spearfish, Wahoo (Ono), Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi), Mahi Mahi, Swordfish - if it sounds like we’re just listing every big game species out there, it’s because we basically are. The bite is just that good. For three solid months starting in June, you can theoretically catch all these species in one day. Even if you’re not around then, it’s only really the Swordfish who leave the party early.
Admittedly, wouldn’t be targeting Swordfish alongside the rest anyway, these are mainly caught on traditional “ika-shibi” handline trips. The main style of sportfishing perfected in Kona is using a wide trolling spread of artificial lures, with loud jets for Ahi and long skirts for Marlin. Kona anglers pioneered the use of loud and colorful lures to target billfish and were getting strong hits years before mainland anglers realized it was even possible. If that’s not your style, you will still be well catered for, with tuna tubes a standard feature on most boats.
How much will it cost?
Take a walk down to Honokohau Harbor and you may be slightly intimidated by the size of the boats. We’ll let you in on a little secret though, they’re not as expensive as you might think. There may not be many boats under 40’ long, but the low fuel burn really drives prices down. A half day cost around $600 and a full day is often under $1000, Split that six ways and it’s a steal for the amount of action you’ll get!
