Have to attend a wedding in Maui next week. I will have a couple days to kill. Want to go Charter fishing with some friends. I don't need to catch one large fish. I would prefer to have more continuous action. Any suggestions ??

Am in Maui right now. Wouldn't try deep sea fishing and am skeptical for beach and flats fishing later this week. Wind to 30 mph daily; today gusts to 50. Might say it's blowin' like a sumbitch. Canceled surfing this morning, maybe gonna' try snorkeling in a bit if we can find a leeward cove. Talked with a local vendor at the farmer's market this morning, and he said it's the rainiest windiest winter/spring in the 30 years he's been here. Enjoy the wedding!

Sg

I wouldn't pay to fish on Maui.

If it is windy, Maliko or South Side downwind run with a guide, would be very exciting.

www.paddlewithriggs.com

Salmo go up to Honolua or Kapalua bays, you can get out of the wind a bit.

I just got back a few weeks ago myself. A lot of cloudy days and a lot of wind. Not what i was expecting but better than here.

+1

Just got back last Tuesday, spent 14 days. I would not go out on one of the deep sea boats on Maui. The fishing isn't great by any means. I've done a few of them, and all at different times of the year. With that being said, the best time we had was with Start Me Up, but that was three years ago.

There are waterfalls and streams on Maui this year, where there have never been before. It rained very hard, and was very windy during our stay from April 1st - 14th. One night it rained probably the hardest I've ever seen. The run off from all the rains into the ocean is making snorkeling very hard in some areas, and I can imagine beach fishing is tough in those areas too. The water is very murky and brown where there is runoff from the upcountry. As was mentioned already, Honolua Bay is on the leeward side, but there are always lots of snorkelers there, so you may have to walk the rocky cliffs away from snorkelers. But there are tons of fish there to be caught. Good luck and have fun.

Stop by Nacho's (yep, its a dive bar) in Honokowai, the bartender there Mike Carroll makes some pretty damn strong drinks, and its the only bar in West Maui open after 10:00pm. At least that I could find.

Maui No Ka Oi!

You would have better luck hiring the local shore fishing guide in honokowai. He has been catching some very nice GT and omilu lately right here in the neighborhood.

I have been catching some nice bonefish lately and seeing some nice omilu while on dives as well. No worries on the mentioned rain run off.

Salmo if you can lower your standards far enough we can probably plunk ya up a bonefish while smoking joints on the beach. It involves bait fyi.

I was down there in april a few years ago. Went on a fishing trip for rockfish and was disappointed. Going down to the docks in Lahaina everyday, saw the boats at start me up sportfishing bringing in more fish than everyone else. Booked with them and went out and caught 24 mahi and 4 ahi tuna for 6 people on the boat. They are a little more expensive than most but they were worth it! If you have never fished on charter boats down there, be aware that the fish you catch belong to the boat as they sell them at the fish markets. Don't expect to be taking all the fish you catch back to where you are staying.

they look good, thanks for the charter name SS

Yep. Just can't get myself to pay big bucks for the opportunity to catch fish for a boat that they keep and in turn sell. No thanks.

Why would I want to pay a guy for the privilege of paying his boat expenses so that we can go and catch fish and then him being able to sell the catch? If I want to eat some of the fish I just caught, I have to buy those fish from him. Nothing like paying double. Sounds like fun. No thanks

I've heard that keeping fish in Hawaii depends on who you go with and how you act. If you are a dickhead, your fish WILL go to market. If you are cool and connected, you can have all the fish you want provided you also share. As life should be.

X2 This guy knows how to catch fish! His deckhands are also full of information and quite entertaining. He allows you to keep the fish you want. If a trophy or very large fish is kept it gets sold because 6 clients can't keep 100's of pounds of fish.

Returned from Hana today and went snorkeling. Going to Hana is kinda' like fly fishing. It's more about the journey than the destination. Many waterfalls along the way, cliff diving (and jumping) that scares the bejeezus out of this hoele. But Hana is mostly for the locals; they like your money, but don't really want to share much of the east end of the island. Nigh on impossible to even use the public beach due to lack of parking.

Kap,

Thank you for the offer, and I don't expect you to understand, but I'd as soon catch a bonefish plunking with bait as have a colonoscopy. In the end, the only thing to do when you catch a bonefish, is unhook it and put it back. Now if you have an in on catching some Ono or Mahi Mahi, then different rules apply. Have eaten both the last few days, and fish doesn't get more delicious than those.

The weather has taken a decided turn for the better, but it still rained a bit while snorkeling this afternoon. Wind is down, but I still wouldn't book a deep sea charter yet.

Sg

Have driven the road to Hana twice, the first time was great, the second time sucked, too many Haoles on the road, slowed by construction and a group of drunk locals that were trying to charge money to cross on of the bridges, held traffic up for a long time. When we were done at the so called Sacred Pools I said fawk it and drove out the back side. A whole new experience, no traffic, totally different geography than the road to Hana. I know the rental companies don't like you to take that route. Never have done any fishing there but my uncle used to go out with one of the maintenance workers at his condo and managed a 680lb marlin in an 18ft boat.

My input, just like the mainland do you cross the bar when its howling gust or do you wait to fish another day. Same goes here lots of locals charge(fish) no matter what the weather but it is not fun, so my suggestion is do the same here relax enjoy and if their is a weather window enjoy you usually catch and actually fishing has been great as of late, both Start me up and the diehard boats are as good as it gets and if their are fish to be caught thats more better!!!PEACE

What did he say?

He said everything that needs to be said. He lives on Maui and lives the life.

I'll translate:
It gets really, really windy and you will get your mainland arse kicked hard. The local boys fish anyway (they charge really, really hard). Mainlanders puke. So pick and choose your days. Chill on da' beach when its windy. Start Me Up is a good charter boat out of Lahaina (hint - hint). SMU and the local boys are currently doing well.

Mahalo...................10-4