Hawaiian Charters this Christmas

[thereefgeek]

Hey all,
We're taking a "family" vacation to Maui this christmas and I'm looking to book a hook & line charter for myself, the bro-in-law & father-in-law. I'm the only diver of the group and was wondering if anyone knows of a fishing boat that might let me slip into the water with a gun while the others are busy with the rods & reels? Rental guns, or should I pack my own rig?
Thanks,

[thecrab87]

Hey all,
We're taking a "family" vacation to Maui this christmas and I'm looking to book a hook & line charter for myself, the bro-in-law & father-in-law. I'm the only diver of the group and was wondering if anyone knows of a fishing boat that might let me slip into the water with a gun while the others are busy with the rods & reels? Rental guns, or should I pack my own rig?
Thanks,

None of the H&L charter boats will let you jump out into the water at the buoys. They'll give you the "too much liability" line. They do have a point... you are in 3,000 to 8,000 feet of water as much as 30 miles from shore. The oceans around Hawaii are notoriously rough, and it can be easy to lose a diver. Plus there are the sharks. Most of the captains think that we are nuts.

On top of that, there isn't anybody on Maui that does spearfishing charters. There were two young guys that had a website that advertised guided shore spearing, but I don't know them and their website is now down.

Sorry, I wish that I had some good news to tell you. :(
There is however a lot of coast line and lots of shore diving to be had.

[thereefgeek]

Yeah, that's sort of what I thought. Wishful thinking at best. I also just read that most of the Maui fishing charter boats usually keep whatever their customers catch to sell to the restaurants. Seems like their making money on the front AND back end of the deal!

[thecrab87]

Yeah, that's sort of what I thought. Wishful thinking at best. I also just read that most of the Maui fishing charter boats usually keep whatever their customers catch to sell to the restaurants. Seems like their making money on the front AND back end of the deal!

Yep. There are some "keep what you catch" boats (mostly bottom fishing). The deep sea trollers will often cut you a slab if you request it.

[Thomas Magnum]

www.mauispearfishing.com

I think these are the guys that Willie was talking about. Pretty expensive, but I think they do deep water spearfishing trips. Good luck!

[thereefgeek]

Thanks for the link Thomas Magnum (Magnum P.I.?)
Spendy, yes, but for a vacationing Nor Cali Ling shooter/Ab yanker.....
I might be looking into these guys.

What a gig they have going. Taking wannabe Bluewater spearos out for a 2 hr. trip for some Mahi & Wahoo.....

What's the credit card comercial say? Priceless?
Nope.
$750

Visa, it's almost everywhere you want to be....

[thecrab87]

God, they ARE pricey. I've paid $400 for 8 hours of charted bluewater bliss in Kona.

I'm concerned about their map of "dive spots." They show only one spot on the north shore, the most productive ground that we have. A lot of their spots on the south side, IMO, suck ass.

Just my opinion of course.

[thereefgeek]

thecrab87, I want to go where ever you shoot those Mahi's you keep posting!
Absolutely beautiful fish man. Nice work.

[MauiFreeDiver]

Those guys are a joke, they take you to easily accessible shore dive spots (which are pounded out spots) and charge you for that, the boat makes more sense, but even that is a rip off. Not to mention these guys are taking advantage our sacred natural resources which are already highly depleated, and making money off of it, how greedy can you be, its obvious these guys are not real spearfishermen, and what I mean by that is that they are not local spearfishermen, because they wouldnt participate in depleting our stock for a profit......What I would suggest if you want to dive Maui, then post on the hawaiiskindiver.net forums and im sure someone will take you for free (hawaiian style), good luck and dive safe, and always remember know what fish you are shooting and their legal size limits, and malama the ocean and respect the locals....Aloha

[C-Trout]

Shoots give Maui Sporting Goods a call for some advice too!

[thecrab87]

thecrab87, I want to go where ever you shoot those Mahi's you keep posting!
Absolutely beautiful fish man. Nice work.

C Buoy outside of Kona.

[ddsea]

hell yes

[Mauiinfinity]

I am the owner of mauispearfishing.com my business is completly legitimate and I do not take you to fished out shore dives. I am the only guy here on Maui supporting spearfishing as far as guides or charters. Yes my prices are expensive but I am the only company that will arrange and provide the service. There is many people in the industry here in Maui locally and oustide the islands that support it, Including Daryl Wong, Brian from Maui sporting goods. I am very respectful of conservation of the reefs here in maui and if we needed to look at a problem with why the fish are being depleted we should look at the charter fishing boats which we can do nothing about anyway. So why look down on a company that shares and promotes the same passion Palangikillah? Aloha

[MauiFreeDiver]

I am very respectful of conservation of the reefs here in maui and if we needed to look at a problem with why the fish are being depleted we should look at the charter fishing boats which we can do nothing about anyway. So why look down on a company that shares and promotes the same passion Palangikillah? Aloha

How exactly are you different then charter fishing boats, do you not charge people big dollars and then take them out to gather fish????? I really dont see what you are seeing.....So not only are the charter boats depleting our pelagic fish stock, we got you guys depleting our reef fish stock for a profit.....yeah you really seem like your concerned about conservation...give me a break......

[Mauiinfinity]

I teach spearfishing, and I am a guide for other experienced spearos. I am not doing anything but providing service for those that want to do it. I am not a rednek hillbilly that just hands someone a shotgun and says go shoot some fish in fact lets blast em with dynamite!!! Yehaw. I mean come on..

[MauiFreeDiver]

Just admit it you are a DIVE CHARTER!!!!!!

These fishing charters can say the same bull...t you said " I teach fishing, and I am a guide for other experienced fishermen".....it dont matter how you explain what you do, you are a part of the problem and not the solution! So just like how you bring up fishing charters as the problem, people can start bringing up you guys as the problem too "diving charters", you are not giving this so called "sport" a good name, you are giving them more reasons to shut the sport down.

What you dont understand about Hawaii is that when people dont right their wrongs our amakuas and na kupuna will make sure its taken care of.....Like I said before Malama the ocean.

[thecrab87]

Well, I was going to stay out of this, but the fresh pineapple plant is running smoothly, I've got 5 hours left on my shift, I already ate dinner, and I'm bored.

:D

Anyway, I've been diving on Maui for almost 30 years, ever since I was a little kid. I was also born and raised here, and other than 6 years on Oahu for school, I've lived on Maui my entire life. I only say these things to put my comments in perspective.

Like everyone that has dived Maui for decades, I've seen reef fish populations decline, in some areas at a dramatic rate. And like everyone else, I'm concerned.

I'm not going to go into the reasons why, or who's to blame. Right now, I just want to give my thoughts on chartered spearfishing.

I have, over the years, taken a few people from the mainland diving. Most of them were guys that I knew through the Freedive List, and more recently, through Spearboard. As a whole, they have all been very respectful and grateful just to be out at some of the "local" spots.

I have also had a lot of guys that I don't know contact me about doing a charter or working as a guide. I considered doing bluewater charters since, quite frankly, the success rate for bluewater diving is such that any fish taken are less than a drop in the bucket that the H&L guys catch. And yes, I've been on some local boats that do VERY well. One day's mahi catch is often more than I've speared in my entire life.

Doing reef charters was different. Although I believe the commercial lay netters are the primary reason for the fish population decline, we spearfisherman cannot say that we do not have an impact. I chose not to do it.

(Let me also add that the main reason for not doing charters was that I realized that if I had the time to go diving, I was going to diving for myself :D )

I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. However, if I had to guess, I would say that I've probably poked WAY more pounds of fish this year than all the spearfishing charters combined.

-----------

Separate note: I'm pretty disgusted to see speared reef fish (uhu) for sale in Costco. The uhu populations cannot support this kind of take. I sure wish we had some decent fishery management in Hawaii.

[thecrab87]

I am the owner of mauispearfishing.com my business is completly legitimate and I do not take you to fished out shore dives. I am the only guy here on Maui supporting spearfishing as far as guides or charters.

Silas-

My first thought when I saw your dive map was, "Why dive at those fished out spots?" Not only that, but some of the spots listed are preserves, others are notorious cig hot spots, and all already have a fair amount of spear pressure. I can understand wanting to stick to the south side, though, as the north shore is just to frigging rough. I've taken a couple of visitors out and had them just refuse to get in when they saw the conditions.

Look, I know palangikillah has been busting your chops, but there are certainly things on your website that could better portray what you are doing. Personally, if you take some visitors to Maui out and they are willing to poke some palanis and happy for it... I don't have much of a problem with that.

You have been promoting your service pretty hard on Spearboard, so here goes with some constructive criticism.

[thecrab87]

I'm sure this is a stringer hole, but I'd take this picture off, since I wouldn't anyone to think that this lobster was illegally speared.

[thecrab87]

Do you really target kahala (amberjack)? 99% of the time they are so full of worms as to be worthless.

[thecrab87]

Opakapaka? Are you serious? Being that most paka fishing is done in 50 fathoms at the shallowest, even the best freedivers in the world couldn't be expected to spear these fish.

[thecrab87]

Anyway, I hope you don't think that I'm giving you diaper rash.... I do wish you luck and hope that you become the model of conservation and healthy use of our resources.

You've picked a difficult business... :D The diving on Maui is hard. Poking a fish over 10 pounds on Maui isn't that easy anymore. I've taken guys out that were fresh from spearing a 50# white sea bass that couldn't poke an uhu to save their life. Hopefully you are focusing on the experience as a whole, with an emphasis on the cultural aspect, rather than just on the results (dead fish). I'd be afraid of disappointed customers if it was just about the size of the dead fish.

[Mauiinfinity]

Thanks Crab I appreaciate th constructive critisim, and I do need to redo the whole website. Half of the material is for content. Like the Map is just a scuba map I think someone elose made. Has nothing to do with where I go. The fish yes were picked out radomly and put up. It all needs to change and I have had no time to cause I work two sometimes three other jobs......Anyways thanks and I will probaly just take the website down till I fix it.

[float 'n stalk]

Willie,
I do not know you, nor do I know Palangi.... But having read this thread (and the other one in which Palangi hammered on these guys) i have to say that I think your approach is much more constructive and professional..... Which is what I thought the entire point of this board was.......

Ryan

[MauiFreeDiver]

Willie,
i have to say that I think your approach is much more constructive and professional..... Which is what I thought the entire point of this board was.......

Ryan

I agree as well, Willies was more professional, but without putting words in Willies mouth I feel with him diving and growing up around the ocean all his life he more than likely feels the same way I do, he expressed it a little differently than i did, which I somewhat apologize for, but just because my approach was not sugar coated and a lot more blunt that doesnt mean it is not effective in getting my point across to certain people. Now with the board having an open and public forum, I would imagine that the "point" of this board is for people to express there concerns and opinions on certain subject matters, which is exactly what I did, and will continue to do.

Mahalos Willie for posting pix of what I was talking about, everything you posted is what I saw and was pretty shocked by, I couldnt believe what I was seeing, and one of the big things was seeing a dive map of Maui on a spearfishing charter website, showing fishing reserves. To the uneducated person, they would assume that they could spear in those places, since they saw it on a spearfishing charter site.

[thecrab87]

Thanks Crab I appreaciate th constructive critisim, and I do need to redo the whole website. Half of the material is for content. Like the Map is just a scuba map I think someone elose made. Has nothing to do with where I go. The fish yes were picked out radomly and put up. It all needs to change and I have had no time to cause I work two sometimes three other jobs......Anyways thanks and I will probaly just take the website down till I fix it.

Silas-

I may be wrong, but my impression is that you want to do things right. Like I said before, you've picked a hard business, if only because the diving on Maui is hard.