Kona Fishing with Sea Strike on Hawaii Island's Kona Coast

Kona Fishing on the charter boat Sea Strike

The island of Hawaii is one of the world's best marlin and big-game fishing destinations. The Big Island's Kona Coast is uniquely situated on the sheltered, leeward side of the island. This coast is protected from heavy seas and Pacific trade winds by mountains nearly 14,000 feet tall. (Click here for a map.) 

Nowhere else in the world is such successful big-game fishing found in such calm waters. Sea conditions off the Kona coast are typically calm and sunny, and the island's steep bottom puts big-game fishing just 1/4-mile offshore. Most of Kona's 1,000-pound marlin have been caught only 2 to 5 miles from shore! 

Six species of billfish roam the Kona coast: blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin, shortnose spearfish, Pacific sailfish, and broadbill swordfish. 

Fishing styles vary depending on target fish and season. Marlin are caught on trolled lures or on live bait -- typically using aku (skipjack tuna) between 2 and 20 pounds. Boat speed, rigging techniques, depth of bait, and skirt color are some of the variables that we employ. Mahi mahi, spearfish and ono can hit at any time, with ono caught closest to shore.

Bottom fishing and night-time fishing for tuna and broadbill swordfish requires different techniques and gear. 

Ono (wahoo) and mahi mahi (dolphin/dorado) are caught any time of year and are exceptional fighting fish. There are several species of shark (the world-record mako was caught here) and a wide variety of prized bottom fish, including snapper, grouper and ulua (giant trevally) over 100 pounds.

Many times a variety of fish may be caught in one fishing trip, whether it is intended or not. In a half day trip aboard the Sea Strike, Sal and Anthony Navarra, from San Francisco, got more than they bargained for. It was a slow day, but fishing is always slow right up until it isn't. After no action for most of the 4-hour trip, we got a strike from a spearfish on the way back to Honokohau Harbor. Sal brought it in fairly fast and we noticed the tail had been bitten off. Captain Dale gaffed the spearfish and put it in the boat, removed the hooks and tossed the lure back in the water. Then Sal says "I got another one on"! It was a Mako shark, the same one that had just bit the spearfish. Apparently, he was still hungry! You never know what is going to happen out here.

The Pacific blue marlin is our most prized and abundant game fish. Marlin season runs all year -- summer is best, but striped marlin and spearfish make strong appearances throughout the year, along with black marlin and Pacific sailfish in other seasons. 

Kona also offers a wide variety of other game fish. There are several species of tuna, including yellowfin tuna over 200 pounds, albacore, bigeye, and skipjack tuna.

Click here for a detailed description of Hawaii's game fish, fishing seasons and a link to Hawaii Fishing Reports.