Big Island Fishing Charters Out of Kona

Private Big Island Fishing Charters

Welcome aboard. If you are coming to the Big Island and want a day chasing big fish in blue water, you are in the right place. Skillet Sportfishing runs private deep sea charters out of Honokohau Harbor in Kailua-Kona, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, where some of the best offshore fishing in Hawaii sits just minutes from the dock.

Why the Big Island Is Hawaii's Fishing Capital

Of all the Hawaiian islands, the Big Island is the one anglers circle on the map. The Kona Coast on the west side sits in the wind shadow of the island's volcanoes, so the water is often calm and fishable when other islands are blown out. And the bottom drops off fast. Within a few miles of Honokohau you are over water thousands of feet deep, including the 1,000 fathom ledge where bait stacks up and big predators hunt. That deep water close to shore is why Kona earned the name the Billfish Capital of the World, and why you spend more of your day fishing and less of it running.

What You Can Chase Out Here

The Big Island gives you a shot at some of the most sought after fish in the Pacific. Blue marlin are the headliner, and Kona is known for the giants, but there is plenty more swimming out there: black and striped marlin, shortbill spearfish, mahi mahi, ono, and yellowfin and bigeye tuna. What is biting comes down to the season. We cannot promise any one fish on any given day, that is fishing, but we can put you on the grounds where they live and give you a real shot. For a month by month look at what tends to bite when, see our Kona fishing calendar.

Pick the length that fits your day, the 4, 6, or 8 hour charter, and we will match the plan to the season and the conditions. See all three on our Kona fishing charters page.

Why Fish With Skillet

Captain John Burke has fished for over 50 years, more than 35 of them in Hawaii, and has run charters out of Kona since 1989. He is US Coast Guard licensed, he treats every guest with respect whether it is your first trip or your hundredth, and he runs the kind of day where you get your hands on the gear and actually learn something. The boat is rigged with quality tackle including 130 class Shimano reels, a fighting chair, outriggers, and a fish finder, plus an air conditioned cabin and a clean head for the comfortable stuff. For every guest aboard, we put a dollar toward the Aloha i ke Kai ocean stewardship program. Meet Captain John and the boat.

Where We Leave From

We depart from Honokohau Harbor, I Dock, Slip 10, in Kailua-Kona on the west side of the Big Island, a short drive from the Kona airport and the resorts along the Kona Coast. Plan to be at the harbor by 6am.
Directions to the boat.

Don't Forget Your Fishing License

Hawaii now requires nonresident visitors 15 and older to carry a Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License, even on a guided charter. It is quick and inexpensive and you buy it online before your trip.
Here is everything you need to know.

Big Island Fishing FAQs

Ready to Fish the Big Island?

Pick the 4, 6, or 8 hour charter that fits your day, grab your dates and we will see you at the dock.