Worst experience I've ever had fishing. I realize it's called "fishing not catching" , as they'll remind you several times, but we all paid good money and burned half a day to spend our time here. It was a total bust, no live bait, not a single bite, they didn't switch out baits or change tactics for 6-hours! The boat is small and one of the poor folks from Canada had to stay in the cabin the whole time. I was hoping that they would give options to abandon the sport fish and at least let us reel something small in. But it was crickets coming from Adam and Kill. Not a single person touched a reel. Save your time and money because Hinatea lll just doesn't have the goods. read more

Amazing experience with Killer and Adam, got 2 Wahoo and a Mahi. Good boat, and a good, smooth day on the water read more

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Unfortunately, this was the worst fishing charter I've ever been on. I feel for the people whom this was their first experience with deep sea fishing. I've been on several fishing charters from Florida to Mexico and it was obvious to me that there wasn't any real plans to catch fish aboard the Hinatea. This was a scam. Trolling five lines with artificial bait randomly for 6 hours is not fishing. There was no attempt to catch live bait off shore, and the route taken by the boat to move toward shore at noon, was an obvious giveaway to me that they aren't experienced in catching fish and this was a boat ride. The other boats from harbor took different routes and we were the only boat in our area. The captain, deckhand and boat did not appear to be equipped to do anything with fish if they ever got one on the boat. The deck was dry , no signs of previous catch nor did they have tools to clean. They were on top deck for 4 straight hours doing nothing. They did not speak to us on bottom deck during this entire time. It was also very apparent that the deck hand, Andy, has had a significant 'personal' problem. I work in healthcare and the signs were obvious. I should've known when the captain is saying he is the one saying he wants to catch fish more than the passengers paying for the day. I do not appreciate someone calling it fishing and not catching. And I don't need somebody to tell me how we need to generate 'positive vibes' to catch a fish. All of these things present an obvious lack of knowledge and skill level capable of finding and catching fish. read more

Thank you so much to Killer and Adam. We caught an Ono and was shared by everyon. The experience was awesome. Even if we hadn't caught anything the ride out around Lanai was gorgeous. We had a great time and would most certainly do it again. read more

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Fish Maui View all Fish Maui 4.1 (56) Fishing charter in Lahaina, HawaiiOpen Overview Reviews Photos About Google review summary 5 4 3 2 1 4.1 (56) Reviews Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Emily Eblin 11 reviews·2 photos The Hinatea III was a waste of time and money. The deckhand Adam spent 3 and a half hours of the charter up top with captain Killer. A told over the phone when booking they just caught a marlin 2 days ago. The deckhand said they hadn't ... More Daniel Ochoa Local Guide·137 reviews·229 photos 3 years ago Seriously the best fishing experience you can get in Maui. Mom & pop owned. No corp experience with them. The crew is amazing. They were funny, memorable, and everyone had a great trip. Don't bother with any other company if you want a good fishing experience. Photo 1 in review by Daniel Ochoa Photo 2 in review by Daniel Ochoa Photo 3 in review by Daniel Ochoa Fish Maui (Owner) 3 years ago Mahalo Danny, your comments are appreciated. I'll be sure to share this with the crew. And just so everyone knows, you went fishing with Strike Zone! Thom Hadley 10 reviews·4 photos a year ago No better place to go than Fish Maui! A lifetime of experiences in one outing as we caught Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, and a 400+lb Blue Marlin!! Captain Jeff knows where to find the fish and Marlin did such a great job of helping us land them! ... More Photo 1 in review by Thom Hadley Photo 2 in review by Thom Hadley Photo 3 in review by Thom Hadley Fish Maui (Owner) a year ago I'm thrilled you had such a successful day on the water, Thom. The captain never mentioned getting mahi or ono today. But then again, to Jeff and Marlin, anything under 60lbs is just bait! Mahalo for sharing your comments. Lili Pat Kelly 5 reviews·4 photos 3 years ago Fish Maui was a great experience. I was admittedly late in booking our private charter and reluctant to use a third party. However, Lili removed all doubt in just the first few minutes our call. She was kind, patient, and overall just ... More Photo 1 in review by Pat Kelly Photo 2 in review by Pat Kelly 1 Fish Maui (Owner) 3 years ago Mahalo for the 5-star review, Pat. I'm pleased you enjoyed yourselves out there. And thanks for the photos! Emily Eblin 11 reviews·2 photos 18 minutes ago New The Hinatea III was a waste of time and money. The deckhand Adam spent 3 and a half hours of the charter up top with captain Killer. A told over the phone when booking they just caught a marlin 2 days ago. The deckhand said they hadn't been out in over a week. We left an hour late and still came back at the original time. Deckhand completely ignored us and never changed out lures or tried to help! We've done lots of charters from the carolinas to new york and never had this awful experience. I know it's fishing not catching but they were lazy and cheated us! read more

I hate having to write a bad review but my experience was awful. I had booked a private 8 hr months in advance, but it ended up being cancelled because of an insurance issue?! The biggest problem I had with this is that I found this out literally the day before we were scheduled to go on. Craziest part, I was the one who called to confirm when I found this info out. They didnt bother to call me when they were having these issues so that I could try to make other accommodations. Instead, I got a "so happy you called, saved me from a phone call"... WHAT?! How lazy are you that you can't even inform me of my own 1700 fishing trip being cancelled. FishMaui and these guys are a complete joke. read more

What a great trip with the crew at Hinatea! We had such an unforgettable trip and will always come back when we visit Maui. We booked this trip last minute and we are so thrilled we did. We arrived at 5:00am and the crew was ready to go and was super knowledgeable about fishing the deep seas of Hawaii. Once we arrived they were super informative with regards to catching fish on the trip and even what happens in the event of not catching anything. We all know fishing isn't a guarantee but since this was our first time we thought we would give it a shot. We headed out to sea and threw in the lines. After a few hours in the trip we got a bite. We thought this was going to be a quick one but turned out we caught a 12' 470lb Blue Marlin! We were so thrilled and exhausted! This thing was a monster! It took all of us to reel her in. If Chris and Dylan weren't as experienced as they were, I'm sure we wouldn't have caught what we did. We headed back not only with a great story but now a few more friends. Once we arrived they hoisted the fish from a crane, snapped some pics for the local newspaper and interacted with the people standing near in aww with how big this fish really was. One of the best parts to this experience is when people asked the captain and crew how caught the fish they pointed to us and gave us full credit. That speaks volumes for people like us and shows us their true character! Hands down these guys love their jobs. When it came down to a taxidermy they had everything planned out and were ready to help get this thing ordered so we could hang on our wall at home. Can't thank you guys enough and we will see you again once we come back soon. Curtis & Brandi 1/12/21 read more

Hinatea Sportfishing - Boat Charters Near Me

I was told that this was the company to choose for Marlin. In reality, I knew it was a long shot. How many times will I have a chance to catch a Marlin in my life? For me, few. I did my research, and this is where I landed. I don't understand how anyone could not love Chris, Kihei, and Jake. Did I get my Marlin? You bet! 156lbs and almost 8 feet of Marlin. I was so excited. These guys worked their tails off. They changed up strategies, lures, stopped and used live bait at a hot spot for some extra fish. We ended up with 5 Mahi Mahi and 1 amazing Marlin. I ended up with two trophy's and another friend with me got one for herself. What an amazing experience. I've deep sea fished 9 times so I've seen the good and the bad but these guys are real professionals. They were fun to talk to, super accommodating, and cut up some Mahi Mahi for dinner for us. Honestly the best fishing experience ever and though I had 5 fishing trips in a row in other places "skunked" as my first 5 efforts, my last 4 have been fantastic and becoming increasingly better! What a highlight of my trip. Do the all day charter - they will be able to go out far enough to get deep and hit the best spots. read more

Hinatea Sportfishing - Blue Marlin - Boat Charters Near Me

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I booked this trip for my boyfriend and his two sons (10 and 12). The 10 year old couldn't have cared less about fishing, but everyone else was super excited. We didn't know what to expect so we just went with the flow. We were with Captain Gary, and Chris was helping us fish. The second we left the harbor Chris had 8 lines in the water and we were trolling while we were just going to the "spot". We all got to reel in a fish, and the 10 year old reeled in the marlin. To say we were all hooked is an understatement. So.... we booked again for a few days later. Our second trip out we had Jason driving the boat and Chris fishing with us again. They called the night before to see if we wanted to get out an hour earlier and go farther out, past Lanai, and try for some mahi mahi. We were up for anything and trusted their judgment after our last trip was so successful. The kids fell asleep in the cabin of the boat, we watched the lights of Lahaina disappear as we headed out in the darkness for another adventure. Before we could get too relaxed, and before the sun came over the horizon, the action started. We caught 9 mahi mahi within a couple hours. We had 3 fish on all at once, Chris kept everyone safe, and we managed to get all 3 in the boat. To say it was exciting is an understatement. The kids will never forget that! After that excitement died down and we were basking in our glory, we decided to fish for tuna, caught 4. Got to see the beautiful cliffs on Lanai while spinner dolphins put on a show for us all around the boat. On the way back to the harbor I caught one last ono. To say we got lucky isn't fair to the crew. They knew what they were doing. They put us in spots where our chances were high, knew what bait to use, taught us everything they could while we were reeling, and gave us the trip of a lifetime. We even got to see the harbor sharks when we docked. Oh, and gave me a recipe for my ono on the bbq. Hinatea for the win!! Thanks guys! read more

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I booked my family fishing trip in March and the day before we were supposed to go out received an email saying they were having issues with there insurance and canceled my trip. Why would Fishmaui book customers to a boat that was having insurance issues. I am very upset and left with no options. All other boats are booked this week. read more

I have chartered this boat twice (Summer 2016 and 2019), and on both occasions we have caught Marlins, tuna, Ono, and more. Although a different caption/deckhand on both trips, both sets of guys were kind, entertaining, and most of all experienced! There was a line in the water at all times... we caught two fish around 5:30am before going over safety/instructions on our most recent trip! read more

Hinatea Sportfishing - 1 Marlin, 2 Ono, 3 Skipjack/Tuna (1 barracuda not pictured). July 2019. - Boat Charters Near Me

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After much research about all of the many options for sport fishing on Maui, we decided on the Hinatea. We were not disappointed! Chris, the captain and Pono the deckhand were an awesome team! From the tour of the boat, the safety speech to the expert way they set their lines.....it was all AMAZING. Chris was very intent on getting FISH ON and he delivered. These guys are TRUE PROFESSIONALS. It was my husbands birthday and he reeled in a tuna and a blue marlin. Great day with an even better crew! You have a lot of options, but if you want the best....Hinatea should always be your choice! Thanks again Chris and Pono for helping to make our stay on Maui EPIC! read more

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I had an amazing day fishing with Capt Chris and Dylan. Beautiful day on the water. These guys know what they are doing and you won't be disappointed. I would go back fishing with them anytime!! Thanks again guys. Mahalo!! read more

Great job by Greg and Shane getting us on the fish. Would recommend them to anyone. Great day fishing!! read more

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This team is extraordinarily knowledgeable and very committed to exceeding expectations, which they did!! Fishing with live bait is their specialty, and their approach and knowledge of the fish patterns in the channel between Maui & Lanai produced amazing results!! With their very patient guidance, they put us in position to land 4 large Mahi Mahi and 2 large Snapper, the biggest of which was 17 pounds! They achieved all this in just 6 hours!! 75 Lbs of wonderful fresh fish!! The crew could not have been more helpful, and provided a lot of useful information, including the best cooking options for preparing our upcoming feasts!! If you are looking for an outstanding Sport-fishing experience, look no further than the Hinatea!! read more

Very knowledgable staff and a great boat. Very personable and really seemed to care that we caught fish. Used both live and lure bait. Ultimately we were successful and had a great time. I highly recommend these guys for your next fishing adventure in Maui. read more

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We went for a nice boat ride. The crew was friendly and all but they just through in the lures while we were a little way off of shore. We then went for a 6 hour boat ride and we did not have a single bite between all of us on the boat. The crew did not bother to make another effort to change out the lures or to try live bait. We did see some dolphins but that was about as exciting as it got. I saw some good reviews on this boat so we were excited to go on it but will never go on it again and definitely will not refer them any new customers. I know there will always be some days of fishing and some days of catching....but at least pretend that you are trying to get your customers onto some fish. read more

Fantastic day stuffing the cooler on the Hinatea! Greg (Captain) and Chris (first mate) were outstanding and made every effort to make our trip enjoyable. I highly recommend this boat and crew if you ever want to go sport fishing on Maui. read more

Hinatea Sportfishing - Great day stuffing the cooler on the Hinatea! Greg (Captain) and Chris (first mate) were simply outstanding and I highly recommend them!! - Boat Charters Near Me

My boyfriend and I had the best time ever on our fishing charter on the Hinatea. We went out with Chris and Jason, and I can't say enough great things about them and the whole experience. They were laid-back in the sense that they knew how to have fun, and I never felt worried about getting yelled at for doing something wrong (not in the slightest), which can unfortunately happen with some fishing guides. As a female, it's not the easiest to reel in some of those fish, but I appreciated that they let me do it on my own, without stepping in to take over. They were extremely knowledgeable and ran the whole process like a machine. They really know what they are doing, and I was very appreciative of the fact that I felt like there was not a minute wasted on the trip. They really worked hard the entire time to help each of us bring in a fish (which luckily, we did... and many more). I love to fish, but the fishing charter was really on my boyfriend's bucket list for our Maui trip, as he has always been an avid fisherman. However, after the experience, I would add it to my list of must-dos, if we ever come back to Maui. We didn't just troll the entire time. We spent the early hours catching bait fish (wahoo and tuna), and throughout the day, we also caught multiple large Mahi Mahi, which was awesome, as I'd never seen one before. They stayed on the lookout the entire time for spots to fish, and it was just clear that they wanted to give everyone an awesome experience, which is exactly what they did. Added bonus- whale-watching from the boat! At the end of the trip, they gave us all a nice cut of fish to take home with us, and we were able to cook it up from our Airbnb, and it was delicious. I highly recommend booking your trip on the Hinatea, and hopefully you can get both Chris and Jason. We had the best time ever! read more

Hinatea Sportfishing - Boat Charters Near Me

So I Know fishing is fishing, not catching - but - we got there on time, Chris was an hour late. While my six person private charter was waiting at the doc, the young deck hand was almost silent and never made facial expressions the whole trip. The first thing Chris did when he finally arrived was ask how we are paying for the trip. He barely spoke the whole trip - we caught nothing, we used tackle that we had to pry information out of the deck hand about - every time a question was asked his response was monotone and brief - Chris never told us when we were heading in - we just arrived back - we did pass a few other charters - one of which we were told had caught 6 and that they were using live bait. Our party read that the whole point of arriving early was to catch and use live bait - all in all a very disappointing experience where we felt like they were going through the motions for a paycheck. read more

Had an amazing day of fishing on the Hinatea with Captain Chris and first hand Dana. First, would I go out with these guys again? Second, would I recommend this boat/experience to friends? Answers: Absolutely, Yes and Yes! The crew was excited about the day, excited to have us on board, and always calm/patient with us novice fishermen. The crew was happy to explain and answer any questions we had as they were very experienced, enthusiastic, and informed teachers. It was my wife's first time deep sea fishing, and she learned a lot. My wife and I both agree it was worth a full day of our vacation, 8-hours fishing in Maui on the Hinatea! Regardless of how many fish were caught we had a great experience seeing the beautiful north ends of Maui and Molokai, white tip sharks, and large pilot whales. We ended up pulling in three Mahi and one Ono for the day with a few other strikes. The crew worked hard all day long and had a plan of attach for the day based on what was previously caught by other boats in the days leading up to our trip. The plan included trolling the deep waters and shelves-- where the seafloor drops off 10,000ft below sea level, scoping out buoys and the rock formations off of Molokai where larger predator fish feed on smaller prey, and they were prepared with lots live bait to properly fish in these areas. Yes, we caught fish. If we had not, which we knew was a possibility as that is how fishing goes, we still would have had a spectacular experience that was worth the time and money. My wife-who even was sea sick-agrees. Captain Chris prepared fillets of the fish we caught and sent us home with more than we could have hoped for. Both Chris and Dana provided good cooking tips for the fish we caught as well. Also worth mentioning we had a great experience finding this boat, and booking this reservation with Lili through FishMaui.com read more

What a great experience. We booked an 8 hour shared trip and had a great time. The crew Jason and Chris were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable. We did several hours of trolling without much luck, although ALMOST hooked a blue marlin so got some very brief action, and then switched over to some bottom fishing. The crew seemed to actually care if we caught fish, they kept us out for over an extra hour to make sure we all had the opportunity to reel in multiple fish. We ended up with a pretty decent cooler full of fish. They filleted the fish right on the boat for any of us who wanted to take some of our catch home. I would recommend this charter to anyone coming to Maui!! read more

I'm not the person that leaves reviews, this is probably my 3rd review but felt I needed to. I based my decision for this fishing trip because of all the great reviews that I now believe are mostly fake. This was a very expensive boat ride/nap for all 7 guests that were in attendance. Not one of us that paid $225.00 per person got to touch a fishing pole. We trolled for 5 hours and not once did they try to switch to the live bait. the captain and the deck hand barely conversed with us the whole time, we had to ask questions to get them to interact with us. Everyone fell asleep while the captain and the deck hand sat up top and smoked all day. When I called to talk to them about this I was told that one of them just had a baby and maybe that's why he was smoking (WTH)...I'm a smoker and I don't have a problem with smoke, I have a problem with the way this company handled this situation. I understand that you don't always catch fish but this trip was an absolute disappointment. At the very least they should have offered half back. When the day came to an end the Captain came down from the top and said "Well sorry guys, that's the way it goes." Really...you didn't speak to us one bit and that's the way you treat us at the end. Don't believe all the 4 and 5 star reviews, I'm out $700.00 because I brought my kids intending for them to have the time of their lives. Turned out to be the most expensive nap I ever took. read more

By far the best fishing crew and boat in Maui!

Great crew. Captain very knowledgeable. Got us in the fish. They were on time. Top if the line rid and reels. Very accommodating.

I had a great time fishing with Chris and Dana. We caught 7 fish that trip and a triple bite with it . Chris is all about the fishing and making the experience memorable . Would definitely go again ! read more

What a wonderful trip! The crew is the best! The fishing trip was given to me by my wife, as a wedding and retirement gift. And it was one of the best days of my life! The crew is amazing The entire company is a joy to deal with. I landed a great snapper in a bluefin something or other I cannot remember the name. Refried the snapper today after catching it yesterday. What a delicious treat. I met some amazing people on the boat I cannot wait to do this trip again we come back in two years. What a great way to spend the day. The service was absolutely 10 stars. The boat is clean comfortable and a great platform to fish off. read more

Such a wonderful experience. Sport fishing is truly that a sport some times you win sometimes you don't. The fact the we had so much fun and the bites where few and far between says a lot in my mind. The guys were funny nice and knew what they where doing. Great boat great crew All in all I recommend the Hinatea and will be chartering again with them my next trip to Maui 8-)). read more

Wow! What an amazing experience with Chris and Greg out on the water! They were extremely personable and social! They know their way around the waters and super knowledgeable about the fish! Highly recommend booking with them; you won't regret it! read more

If I could give this zero stars I would. Terrible experience. These people showed no hospitality and were rude. Didn't catch a single fish and when we got back to the harbor every other boat had caught multitudes of fish in the same area. The next few days we were down at the same harbor and the same happened to the next few groups of people coming off the same boat. They shouldn't feel comfortable taking all that money and not catching a single fish. I feel this could be a scam and not somewhere I wish to spend my money again. read more

We had a good trip with Chris and Peter. They went all out to find us some fish. We caught 3 Yellowfin and a 200 pound Marlin. Thanks fellas. Scott, Joan, Carlin and Sam. read more