We are going to Maui at the end of March for a vacation. Does anyone know of a good charter to go fishing with in Maui? There is just two of us so it would have to be a "share" type charter. Price is also a consideration. We would pay a couple of hundred apeace for a good charter. Do you guys have any ideas? Thanks in advance, Zug Bug.
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I took a charter mainly targeting billfish in June a few years back on my honeymoon and it sucked. There were probably over 20 other charter boats that went out the day we went out and one billfish was caught and two dorado for all of the boats. And any fish you catch is the property of the captain, just an FYI. You are catching fish for them to sell. I think out of all of the islands, Maui is the worst to take a charter out on. It is expensive and has the least productive catching compared to the other island for large gamefish. It ain't no Kona, that's for sure. It was a nice scenic boat ride though.
Just my two cents, I am sure that others have caught fish there. Shore fishing would probably be a lot more productive and a lot less expensive. Plus you don't need a license. There may be inshore fishing options like party boats that would be more productive than offshore.
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Are you planning on staying at a condo there? The last two times I have been there, they had a day at the beginning of each week where they had a bunch of folks come in that told you about all the activities they had on the island. The fishing was one of the things that caught my eye and I had a good experience both times. Hopefully one of the guys can recommend a good one for you but for me I've had good trips just by picking the ones that the resorts recommend. Good luck, I hope you have a good trip. WH2
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I spend quite a bit of time on maui, The first thing to understand is it's the least productive of the hawaiian islands due to the long trip out to the fishing grounds. For a real good time I would advise you to fish from shore. Go to wk-mart there and pick up an inexpensive surf rod (7-8' with a large sixe open face reel ) Pick up large floats (they look like small 3-4" floats on a swimming pool float line) Then get some flies that immitate shrimp . use 15-20lb line tie on the fly 7-9' behind your float. wade out in the water to waste deep , cast as far as you can, retrieve as fast as you can while jerking the pole to make the float and fly skip across the surf. You will catch mostly a silver/white fish called opio , and there a blast. I prefer this method to the party boats there. They are also excellant table fare and no licences are required in hawaii. A small fish 10-12" will feel like a large wiper but they can go to 25lbs (remember they swim faster than you can reel and jerk. ) You may catch a few baracudas this way also, but watch the teeth. first light and last light are the best times. If you still want deep sea, I would recomend a short flight to kona on the big island for the most productive boats. But you'll find the early morning surf fishing is alot of fun, and it gives you the rest of the day for site seeing. Make sure you rent a car and take a day to drive to hana and go to 7 sacred pools (coolest sites on the island are on the Hana hyway, but it's along drive time wise) Let me know if you have questions Lonnie
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If you are driving the Hana Highway and want to visit the pools, make sure it is a high water year. I have driven to them a few times, only to find the "7 Sacred Holes."
Good fishing advice! I will try it next time.
Of all the islands, Maui is my favorite, because there are still places on the island that are quiet! Try finding an open spot on one of the beaches in Oahu (without a tsunami warning). [
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I agree , Maui is my favorite island also. And your right about the 7 pools sometimes being dry. However the dec-march time is generally the wet season and most of the water falls are still flowing until late spring. In fact in the winter early spring you can get monsoonal rains and have the other effect, flash floods and fast water currants in the streams. Just hope their timing works out
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I agree the seven pools are a must see. And across the street from the seven pools is a hiking trail (Pipiwai) that takes you through the rain forest and ends at a 400 ft waterfall called Waimoku. That is an unbeliavable hike and a site to see.
And another strong recommendation is to bike down Haleakala. There are a number of companies that can set you up for this but I recommended the following [url "http://bikemaui.com/"]http://bikemaui.com/[/url] because it is self guided. Most other tour companies make you bike with a group and the self guided trips allow you to stop whereever you want on the way down (You start at 6500 ft and it is downhill almost the entire way).
I guess we got off track of the fishing.
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Does Maui have Peacock bass? Thats what I would be doing.
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no peacock because there is not any fresh water lakes on maui.
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I would take a quick Trip to Kauai and go for peacocks!
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We are not going to fish everyday all day so keep telling us what things are a must to see and do while in Maui. Also let us know about things not to do. Thanks, Zug Bug
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You should get a trail map of maui. There are some awsome hikes all along the hana hyway. Find the one that goes through the bamboo forest , It's pretty cool. There is over 200 water falls on maui. You'll be there on the tail end of the humpback whale season , so check with the whale watching boats, it's not very expensive , and worth the trip if the whales have'nt headed north. You should also rent snorkel gear from frog rentals (arround $10 a day) Don't waste your money going out on the diving boats. There's a bay about 7-10 miles from lahaina that starts with an H (I believe it's Hanaka bay), I don't recall the exact name. But the snorkeling there is fantastic, Lots of sealife ,and it's free. There is also a hike to a blow hole near there. Sunset on haliaukala is great. But be prepaired for the cold , it's 11000 ft. You should hit atleast one of the luau's but there pricey ($70-80 per person) But they are good shows and dinners. Save money on your food by shopping at costco near the airport in kahalui. We always eat hot dogs there for lunch. Their prices are compairable to the mainland. Hope this helps
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Hey Zugbug,
Two things not to do in Maui are pick up leptospirosis or Dengue. Leptospirosis is a bacteria found in fresh water (not ocean) in much of the tropics including in Maui. It penetrates the skin on contact. Many cases are mild flu-like but a few cases can be severe and it can be fatal. Almost any antibiotic treats it but doxycycline or azithromycin are usually used. There is a preventive weekly dosing with doxycycline if fresh water contact is unavoidable. Many places in Hawaii warn about it's presence but don't assume it's not there if you don't see a warning by a stream or waterfall. Dengue is from the bite of a mosquito that feeds in the afternoon. Most first time cases are also mild but repeat infections can be severe. It is very common along the road to Hana so pick up your insect repellent back in town before driving out.
Have a safe trip
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I stayed in a house in Kihei when I went had the caretaker of the place take us out in his boat. We just drove around out by Molokini and slammed the Wahoo. It was about this time of year too. I'll see if I can find his contact info.
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when I was in maui I did some fishing from the surf though I didnt catch anything. The cool places that I liked were lahina and north of there was a place by kapalua that was a marine sanctuary that was really good snorkleing.
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Maui is a fantastic place and I would echo several of the things people have said. I would have to say that a dive trip over to Molokini is a great time. We went out with Trilogy and they like to try and sail out if they can and that is a blast. Also if you are there during whale season it is not uncommon to see whales pretty close as you are sailing out. They also stop at a place besides molokini called Turtle Town or Turtle Arches. That is a very fun place to dive and snorkel as well. Great place to see alot of turtles. The Road to Hana is definately worth it and make sure you go all the way to the 7 sacred pools, but also take some of the hikes off the road. As far a fishing goes I went out with a boat called Strike Zone and had a great time. They knew what they were doing. Caught alot of different stuff.
One other thing that was absolutely awesome is Warren and Annabelles in Lahaina. It is a dinner and magic show. The food is good but Warren's magic show is not only good but he is hilarious. My wife and I laughed so hard it hurt. This is definately one of my top recomendations. If you do decide to do this you will want to book online early. warrenandannabelles.com.
One final thing that is amust when you go over is getting a hold of a book. It is a blue book and it is a Guide to the Island. Each island has its own but it will tell you all sorts of things to do and rates them. It is great tool driving to Hana to find out about some of the less known hikes and waterfalls as well as many other items. Sorry I don't remember the name of the book, hopefully someone else on here knows what it is called. It is definately a must have.
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Just a follow up. I found the book I was talking about. It is called the Ultimate guide to Maui. You can go to wizardpublications.com to see what it looks like or even order it. Have a great time!!!
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I agree with fishhunter on the book. I have the book and it is an excellant self guide book. Thats where we found info on hikes like the bamboo forest I mentioned earlier. I got mine at Borders book store
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