Hawaii game fishing is best on the Big Island, although game fishing on all islands is excellent year-round. The prized catches are the Marlin or Billfish as they are known here, with a few each year coming in at over 450kg (1000lbs). The largest on record, back in 1984, came in at 740kg (1649 lbs). The only low season tends to be January to February although at this time, the stripped Marlin bite at their best.
The Big Island game fishing industry is centred around the picturesque Honokohau Marina just outside the seaside town of Kailua on the west coast of the Big Island. Here, the sea drops deeply just offshore yet the waters remain very calm protected from the trade winds by the towering Mauna Lea mountain. The small harbour is packed with game fishing charters, from light tackle specialists to fully equipped charters for the prized Blue Marlin. Tournaments are held at Kona throughout the yea with the Big one held at Kailua in August.
Kauai game-fishing is excellent all year round and is good off all coasts around the island. Like the rest of Hawaii, the blue waters on the calmer Leeward sides of the island are most popular with tourist game fishing charters which troll along ledges between 1000 and 2000 fathoms for Marlin which is fished year round. Tuna and Mahimahi are other smaller but extremely vigorous game fish caught at lower depths than the Marlin and can be found year round and are good for eating. The best months for deep sea game fishing are from March to October.
Maui game fishing is excellent off the West Coast of the island with large fleets of game fishing charters at Maalaea Harbour and a smaller fleet at Lahaina harbour. There is no fresh water fishing on Maui.
Numerous deep sea fishing charters operate from Honolulu Harbour and fish the calmer leeward seas of Oahu. Billfish are the popular game, with Blue Marlin coming in at a massive 1000 pounds and Sailfish and Stripped Marlin at 200 pounds. Tuna and Mahimahi are also a popular catch averaging 50 pounds. Game fishing around Oahu is year round although the winter months of January and February are the quiet seasons.
Light tackle fishing is possible in the many small streams around Kauai, but best of all are the trout and bass found in the Wailua River on the east coast and at the Koke'e Public Reservoir Licenses are required for certain fresh water fishing and are available at a small cost from local sporting goods shops or the Division of Conservation and Resources in Lihue Town.
Most charters sponsor tag and release but a few allow you to keep your catch for supper. Charters start from about US$50 per person for four hours or about US$500-700 for private charters for the day. For the serious game fishing enthusiast, tournaments are held off the Kona shore on the Big Island throughout the year. For more information about each island, please select the destination at the top.
The following chart applies to all islands:
| species |
top weight |
best months |
worst months |
| Blue Marlin |
450kg |
Jun-Aug |
Nov-May |
| Black Marlin |
|
Apr-May
Nov-Dec |
Aug-Oct
Jan-Mar |
| Stripped Marlin |
100kg |
Jan-Jun |
Aug-Nov |
| Yellowfin Tuna |
50kg |
May-Jun |
Sep-Mar |
| Mahi Mahi |
35kg |
Nov-Apr |
May-Sep |
| Swordfish |
100kg |
Jun-July |
Aug-May |
| Wahoo |
|
May-Aug |
Oct-Apr |
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Cook Islands Game Fishing
Fiji Game Fishing
Samoa Game Fishing
Tonga Game Fishing
Tahiti Game Fishing
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