Aloha!  Your website is just awesome.  Through your website, I have come to know Capt. Lee Severs.  He is a great fisherman and captain.  I have fished with him 3 or 4 times, once during the King Kam tournament.  I also had the pleasure of meeting Kathy (Mike was busy tallying the day's catch--good fishing day, that's what).  Throughout my short stay of a few months here in Hawaii, I have made it a point to visit your website regularly.  What I do miss for more than a month now are the weekly fishing reports.  Are you planning to put it up again or is it in the website and I just can't find it.  If you do have the time, please reply.  Thank you for a great job.  And thanks for maintaining my address in your mailing list.

Yes, fishing adventure was fun, everyone in our party (4) enjoyed the event...  Great family entertainment.

The service that was provided to me was wonderful. Please give the crew and boat a five in all areas. We didn't catch a fish, but that is why they call it fishing and not catching. Terry and Adam were both awesome. I will be back early next July and would love to go out again. I would book it now if I had the date I was coming. I really appreciate everything you did for me and hope to continue our relationship for many years to come. See you next July.

I have to tell you that everything was superb the boat "MEDUSA" the gear, I would have to give 5's all across the board, we did not catch a Marlin but that was not the fault of the crew. If the fish are not biting there not biting. And to go along with the slow bite we chose to fish strictly for Marlin. We could have caught Ahi, Mahi Mahi but that is not what this trip was about. We did not fish any other species.

I have to say that Steve Kaiser and Steve Roney were awsome in every aspect so awsome in fact that they will be fishing with me this fall in the Bisbees Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot Tournemant in Cabo San Lucas. Steve Kaiser is skippering with Steve Roney on the wire. I put the team together with my self and three others that have fished on the Medusa and everybody was very pleased that both Steve's will be there to help us WIN.

I hope to be back in Hawaii this year but with Bisbees this fall it will make it almost impossible. When I fish Hawaii next, I would use your service again and yes I will refer you to anybody I know who is looking for a company to set them up with a charter.  Thank You again for all your help with the "Medusa"

We had a great trip and as far as I could see when we came in (5:00pm) we had more fish than any other boat at the dock at that point. Chris and Bill were great and very helpful.

Service and friendliness 5
Boat condition 5
Gear condition 5
Fishing effort by crew 5
Overall rating of boat 4 (wider is better)
Sport Fish referal service 5 (easy and painless)
Would you fish Hawaii again 5 (great time!!!)
If fish Hawaii would you use us again 5 (with out a doubt)
Recommend us to others 5

Thanks for the help.  We caught 12 dorrado and 1 wahoo!!

We had a fun trip, Captain and crew were very accomodating and helpful. Your service was particularly helpful: being on line made you easy to find, easy to communicate with, solving the problem of the time zone difference between Hawaii and the east coast.

Thank you for your message. We had a great time on Marlin Mischief. The Rick and Greg were a pleasure to fish with. The boat was in pretty good shape and the gear was A-1. We would use the boat and your service again as well as referring you to others. The fishing on the other hand was non-existent. That was very disappointing. We do not feel however, that it was for lack of trying on the part of the crew. We enjoyed meeting you and having breakfast.

William, Beverly's nephew, sent us a copy of your email. If you remember, we were the wild bunch on the Wild Bunch on 7/9/00. The group was Papa, William, Beverly, and Darlene. We had a GREAT time on the boat...even if the fish elluded us. We'd like to address a few of the questions on the survey. The captain and deck hand were most accommodating. Christian did his best to put us on to the fish....perhaps they just weren't hungry that day.

Even though the fish weren't biting, the ride on the boat was exceptional....beautiful, breath-taking scenery, and all. Wish we were at the hood ornament position on your boat on the beautiful waters of Hawaii, rather than sitting at our desks at school! We had a great time and would rate the boat, crew, service, and the friendliness a 5+++! Thanks for a great time.  We hope to get back to Hawaii in the near future and want to catch a big one! Hang loose!

We had a great time on the GS. As I mentioned, we were looking for a solid experience and that we got. Larry and Bob are two very pleasant men.  Missed a couple of Mahis, p/u'd a 39lb Ono and a 242lb Blue. Personally, this was my fourth charter I'v been on and the only one I'll do a repeat. We really appreciated the way they treated us. True gentlemen!

Hi from Minnesota where the weather feels like Hawaii. It's been very hot lately and tropical low 90's and humid, but no tradewinds. The fishing has been outstanding this summer so far. I'm excited for the winter though so I can go back to Hawaii for a fishing trip. I love the sun, the friendly people, and the aloha spirit. I appreciate the e-mail from you and keeping me updated on the fishing. I look forward to your messages. Thank you.
 

Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for getting me hooked up on The Wild Bunch Monday, July 10th. Christian and Pete were great hosts and fishermen. Had a great laugh about me showing up a day early. Guess I was just too excited to get out there. Although I did not catch any Marlin, the Yellow Fin was just as nice. I am glad we were able to hook one up and boat him. I was wondering, they mentioned they would go have it weighed and e-mail me with the results but have not heard anything yet. Do you know if they got the chance to do that? I know we estimated it to be between 110-115 lbs. Good fight it was!

I definetely have plans to return in the future and try to get that Marlin of my dreams that has been elusive to me so far. I can only hope to get two excellent mates as Christian and Pete were. Hopefully it will be them again. Thank you again and I will be in touch in the future.

The trip went great. We really enjoyed ourselves. While we did not get any Marlin, after some begging to the captain, he did take us out to a net where several boats convened to catch Mahi-Mahi. We brought in a dozen or so and it was a lot of fun.

Special props go to Steve Sahines who was outstanding. I was a little concerned at Mike's lack of desire to go after the Mahi-Mahi despite requests but I guess that goes with him owning the boat. There was obvious displeasure in these small fish from him but Steve was great in encouraging me to ask again for us to go after the Mahi-Mahi. I do not know if it was the burden of switching over to light gear or just lack of interest in non-remunerative catches. All in all we had a good time. I would definitely use your service again and would recommend you to my friends. I guess I would just try another captain next time. I sure wish Steve had a boat!!

Specifically as you requested

Service & Friendliness: 4, Condition of Boat: Excellent 5, Condition of Gear: Excellent 5, Fishing Effort by Crew: Steve 5 / Mike 3, Overall rating of boat 4 ½

Thank you again for a great effort and for keeping in touch with me. It gave me good comfort knowing you folks were taking care of me and I really felt like you were working for me. That was a breath of fresh air.

I just got back from a week in Oahu. What a great trip. I chartered the Sea Verse for my wife, my parents and me. We had a pleasant trip, but as the day went on it developed the smell of skunk. We finally caught a small tuna just before we got back to the harbor. Capt Lee and Mike the mate were very appolegetic. They encouraged me to join them for another trip. Thank goodness I did. I joined a party charter. Lee located a net and the action was on. We totaled 2 ono, 28 mahi-mahi and a 170 lb ahi. I can't speak highly enough of Lee and Mike and will definitely go out with them again on my next trip to Hawaii.

I would give both boats a five. The Maggie Joe's crew (Rick,Mike and Mike) were very helpful and tried there hardest to get us fish. We went the first four and half hours without a strike, then we hooked a 166 pound Ahi. It took my buddy 40 mins to get it in. Adding to the excitement was the fish diving under the boat and we almost lost it in the prop. The crew worked fast to get it loose and got it into the boat. 20 mins after that my son caught a 15 pound Mahi-mahi. That was our supper that night and it was great. That was all the action we had that day, but the crew tried there best to get us a few more. We chased dolphins around(my friends 12 year old daughter thought that was better than cathing fish). We had a great time on the Maggie Joe.

We had just as good of a time on the Lahela. Things happened a little quicker with our first strike coming at about 3 hours into the charter. My friend's son brought in a 129 pound Ahi. Another great start. Captain Scott stayed right next to him and coached him as he reeled it to the boat. 20 mins later we had another strike but lost the fish. Scott turned the boat back over the same spot and I brought in a 30 pound ono. Later we brought in a 10 pound Aku. It was a good day of fishing we had six strikes and three fish.

About an hour after we were done fishing Scott brought us a big chunk of Ahi to our resort room for our supper. Scott and his crew were very friendly and helpful, and worked very hard to get us fish. I would recommend the Maggie Joe (out of Honululu), and the Lahela(out of Lihue,Kauai) to everyone.The boats were in great shape, with very good equipment. Both boats did a great job!

In spite of the fact that the fish did not want to co-operate, that seems to happen to me a lot when I go fishing, we had a very enjoyable outing. The captain and mate were very professional, they tried hard to get us in fish but I understand some times it just does'nt always happen. The boat was spotless, Eric our mate was more than helpful, plenty of food and drinks. I should be returning next summer and plan on making resevations for some time either in July or August of 2001. I figure I'll give the fish another year to get a little bigger!

Thanks for checking back. See you next year.

Thank you very much for asking how our trip went. Many people these days just don't care. The fishing wasn't the best (No fault of the skipper and crew.) When there not biting there not biting. However, my daughter did catch one dorado just before coming back to port. This was her first time fishing. She's hooked now and wants to go again. The most important part is that my kids had a good time. I have a very demanding job. Fishing is a great way for me to spend quality time with my son and daughter.

The Skipper and crew were great. We learned a lot about the island's history and about fishing the area. The boat and tackle was in very good condition. The trip would have been better if we caught more fish. However, no one can control that. The skipper and crew worked their butt's off. Nobody was catching fish! I've been fishing enough to know you get these days.

My family loved the island. We are planning a trip back and we may even buy property on the island. We will use the same boat and crew the next time we come. I have recommended the boat to one of my friends who is planning a trip in the near future.

See ya next time. Thanks for the memories.

P.S. I give Skipper and crew a 5. (good people)

In response to your survey: We all had a wonderful time....I would rate each area a 5, as would the others that fished with us. Capt. Scott and the Lahela were excellent......if and when we get back to Kauai, we would love to be able to do this again. Everything went without a hitch.....the boat was spotlessly clean and comfortable, the fishing tackle was in great condition and we were able to have a wonderful dinner with some of our catch....one of the best meals we had! Thanks again for helping to make our Anniversary trip very memorable.

Scott & I had a great time on the boat Wild Bunch.  For all of the categories in your questionnaire we would rate them a 5. The captain, Chris (substitute for Timmy), was great and so was Clint (crew). We will definately be in touch with you when we return to Hawaii. Please thank them for us. Mahalo.

I want to say that we had a great time fishing on the Eclipse. The fishing was fun but the bad thing is that we caught two great fish but that was within the first 45 minutes and we were skunked from then on out. We had a 1/2 day tour. The skipper (Billy Ross) and crew were very friendly and informative. They knew what they were doing.   The boat was very nice and I would recommend to others. The setup was very professional, There were four of us going out and they had six lines running. The boat was great and it was a beautiful day. The water was calm.  I think the crew did a great job looking for fish. we tried following dolphins, looking at where other boats were and scoping the water out. My overall rating is 4...would have been five if all of us would have had a chance in the hot seat.  We caught a shortnose spearfish and an ONO.

I want to say that I am glad that I used you guys as my referral service and if I ever come to Hawaii again, I will fish!!

(Note: Check the Fishing Tales section under Photos Stories and Links for Ian and Krista's tale)

The reclycing chairs on the Start Me Up was a nice touch! The boats were clean and sharp looking. The equipment was top notch and very impressive.  The crew continually tried changing lures to see what colors would work and constantly looked out for any floaters that might attract some fish.

The fishing was very slow. There was a storm moving in over the island and the sea was a little rough but it was a great trip.  Scott provided the best service to my wife and I (it was a private charter).  He made the trip worth it. Scott was helpful in every way and was a great tour guide also. My wife got sick and he turned the boat around and dropped her off at the dock (I wanted to use her for bait at that point) and we went back out and caught fish. When the trolling was not working, Scott switched to light tackle in a school of Mahi-Mahi and was that fun. I caught two Mahi-Mahi (boated two) and lost one. What a blast that was trying to land those fish in 6 ft. swells. Scott pointed out dolphins.  My next trip to Hawaii will be fishing with Scott on the Lahela!!

Got back this morning to San Antonio, TX. Just wanted to update you on last Monday's trip with "Start Me Up". No sooner did we get to the site to start droping lines I hooked up with a 34 - 37 lb. bull Mahi Mahi.  Later that day we did hooh up wiyh an approx. 100 lb. Blue Marlin but he threw the hook. Great to see that fish jump though. Thanks again for all your help in making that trip possible.

The trip on Lahela was alot of fun. Captain Scott was knowledgeble and friendly. We caught 3 Mahi-Mahi from 26 - 33lbs. We lost one larger Mahi Mahi and followed a school of tuna around for a while. The only real drawback was that there was no mate, the Capt. did everything himself....

Everything promised was delivered. The boat and crew were excellent, booking the trip was very simple, and MOST OF ALL, your response to my request for a return phone call was almost immediate. From a first impression standpoint, that sold me right away.

Wanted to let you know that the trip went great!!!!!  The hotels were great especially the King Kam, that place is a real kick.  We were in adjoining rooms at all hotels, the cars were ready and clean. We were glad we rented a convertible.  The weather wasn't great but we were very lucky. No matter what we planned the weather worked out fine. If we went to the beach the sun was out. If we went other places it might be cloudy, but who cares.  We hadn't been to the big Island. Couldn't get over how different it is than the other Islands.

The fishing trip was great. The weather was perfect. We had a Marlin on but we lost him. Kent was really upset!!!! He is a great guy, and Mark his mate was very good.  So all in all everything went really well. We would have no problem sending some business your way if we get the chance. Hope to see you again in a couple of years.

Take care and Thanks Again.

Keep sending me this stuff and you'll have a new neighbor. I love it keep it coming ...Aloha

It's been a fast and furious week since I returned from Hawaii.  This is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and express my gratitude for setting up the March 30th fishing trip on The Wild Bunch.  Tim and Clint did a great job finding fish and providing us the opportunity to bring in many mahi that day - 15 to be exact.  As an example there was a point during the run when my son Gaetan was in the chair fighting one mahi, and Tim had an additonal two mahi hooked up ready .  We had a 2-3 hour non stop mahi run!

This is exactly what I was looking for since this was the first time Gaetan had been sport fishing.  It really made the day especially when you consider we didn't have one strike on the way to and from the "p" marker.  I knew the day was a complete success when on our drive back to my sister's residence Gaetan asked me when could he go again and when could he go on a long range (3-4 day) trip with his grandfather.

I was very pleased with the Wild Bunch and would highly recommend Tim Gray to anyone.   I also want to thank you very much for the service and attention you provided arranging for The Wild Bunch when Magic went in for repairs at the last moment.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip with Larry Hite and his mate for the two days, Mitch. Although we only caught 1 Blue Marlin, but thats fishing. We gave it a real try. We did better than some of the teams fishing the ITOC. Our crew was far superior to some of the boats used in the tournament. I was not overly impressed with some of the Kona fleet. We lucked out with Larry being free those two days. Mahalo.

Mike please let tim know that the fishing trip was the hi-light of our vacation.  The wife and I splurged and booked the trip with out any body else. The action was non-stop.  We caught one stripped marlin and 9 mahi mahi.  We were both sore as heck the next two days.   Peter fillet 2 of the mahi mahi for us to bring back to the mainland.  We have already enjoyed one mess with our family.  One of the mahi mahi was a 59 inch bull which was foul hooked. He fought even harder than the marlin. Tim made arrangements to have it mounted for me.  Thanks to all for a great memory.

From JW, who chartered Grand Slam

We were pleased with the connection you made for us with Larry and Grand Slam.  We were disappointed in the fact that we did not catch any fish, but it wasn't because Larry and the crew didn't try.  I think he was more disappointed than we were that he couldn't put us in fish.  He said that he had only one strike in the last 3 trips.  It wasn't only him, there only 2 fish caught out of the marnia that we knew of that day.   That is why it is still a sport, and not a sure thing.  Larry said that you were going to fish with him last week, did you do any good?

After looking around the harbor I was very impressed with Grand Slam, it's equipment and upkeep.   The boat was cleaner than my living room at home! Larry seem to be very concerned about his reputation and wanted to do everything possible to please us.  The fish just did not cooperate.  I have refered your service to some friends already and will continue to do so.  I know that I could have found cheaper boats in the harbor, but not knowing anything about them is a crap shoot.  Your service takes that guess work out of it.  On our next trip to the islands I am sure that I will fish again and I will contact you.  You may use my name as an unsuccessful reference if you would like.  I know some people like to talk to people who didn't catch fish also.

The fishing trip was great, although a bit rough for some of us flat landers.  The answer to your questions are very simple they all rate a 5. Although, one concerning point would be about the crew keeping the fish. From what I have been told this is customary in Hawaii, however being a paying customer for crew and boat I feel it should be the customers choice to keep it, sell the fish or let the crew have the bounty.

All this aside, I even told the captain that without your service we probably would not have found his charter. I do hope you do this for all the Islands.  Your business and suggestions made our fishing trip a wonderful experience, and would recommend your services again. Once again thanks for your help.

Would we fish Hawaii again, Yes, would we use your service, Yes, would we recommend you to others, you're darned right we would! Thanks for everything and let us know where we can send pictures to Tim and Clint. We know that Opy is in Midway for awhile.

Thanks for the treat, just woke up this morn to a couple of inches of snow so reading your story makes the cold weather here a little more bearable, I can fantasize about a nice warm place and catching a grand marlin, anyway thanks for the treat and dont hesitate to send me more.
Allen in cold nevada.

Would definitely like to book the trip through Sportfish Hawaii with the Maka Hou and Tim Hale. You guys have put together a great program that takes away a lot of reservations about trying to book a trip six thousand miles away.....

Sounds like great fishing once again their in Hawaii.  Sure wish I could fish their some time with you, think it would be great to do so.  We too have some great fishing right now, the sails are all over the place up to 150 pounds.   Heard of three caught over 125 about a week and a half ago.  Sounds like some great fishing as well........

Thanks for sending me the report and sure hope you keep them coming and sure hope you have a great year fishing...........

I just had to share this with you (especially in light of the "Dreams come true" story). I just had 2 fillings done at the dentist and, in order calm myself, I closed my eyes and imagined the screaming drill was a screaming reel and replayed the fight with my marlin. It worked! The procedure was quick and (relatively) painless thanks to this distraction technique. I just have to come back and catch another marlin before I get the crown the dentist says I need!

Thanks for the continued updates. I will plan a trip sometime soon. Thanks for keeping me in the communication loop.

This is a great web site. I have been searching for something that would keep me up to date on the Island fishing. I love all kinds of fishing but there is NOTHING like big game. Keep up the good work and please know that you have a devoted reader. We will be making our annual trip in Feb. and of course we will be fishing. Big scores the last two years. See favorite (fishing) tale.

You have a great website! I was in Hawaii 2 weeks ago for a family celebration. My husband asked me to pick up info on fishing as his 50th birthday is coming up and his dream is to catch a Marlin in Kona. I checked with several people and really couldn't find any good information. I happened to be reading the local paper one day and saw an article on your website. Needless to say my husband has spent hours looking at your website and I think we will be booking something soon. If I can ever get him off your website!! We've passed the website onto several other friends and all think it's great. Just wanted to let you know.

As I think you can guess, I rate all aspects of this trip and your service a 5+. And, despite my unbridled enthusiasm (and extraordinary luck), I have done more than enough fishing to know that the results that we had were better than we had any right to expect. Nevertheless, your service, and the information you provide on the website are wonderful for anglers who are not well aquatinted with the nuances of big game fishing in Hawaii. 

I will relate a little story. As we left Manele Bay marina, I was talking with Jimmy Brasher about where we would fish today. I asked if we would be going to "K" buoy.  He answered "yes" and then looked at me. "How do you know about "K" buoy?"  "I've been doing my homework." For an avid fisherman, nothing beats the ability to join into the local conversation. It's why people who live in Pittsburgh (and who don't do as much big game fishing as they would like) subscribe to magazines like Saltwater Sportsman or Big Game Journal. Thanks to your website, I knew where we would probably be fishing and how, I knew about the fish disposition policy on the boat, and I knew to request "stand-up" equipment and IGFA rules (no, I didn't take "the beast" stand-up, but I did transfer the rod myself- with some coaching from Jimmy). That knowledge makes me feel like I'm part of the game, and not just some lump in the chair. Of course, the down side would be (and I'm sure there are clients like this) the folks who come in from wherever and try to tell the crew how to do their job. 

As for using your service again- Just tell me when I can go. Actually, I have already recommended you to 2 "adventure" travel agents I know. I realize that this may be a form of competition, but I trust them not abuse the information. I have already started planning for when I can get back to fish a tournament. We're probably talking about several years away (10 hours flying is a bit of a pain), but it will reside at or near the very top of my fishing fantasies (1 of which just came true!).

Which brings me to the most important thing I want to say which is "THANK YOU." I have little doubt that, had I not found your website, I would not have gone big game fishing while in Hawaii (especially after seeing the boat that the hotel offered-yech!). That would have been the biggest missed opportunity in my fishing life. Many many thanks to Kathy as well, for all of her help and enthusiasm (Sportfish Hawaii printed special shirts for their trip), and please pass along my (our) sincere thanks to Doug (hope his back is on the mend- been there), Alan (absolutely a first rate skipper- not a stand-in) and Jimmy (the "glue"- the guy that makes the trip fun for the passengers- and one hell of a mate, too)).

I will return. I don't think I could keep my wife away even if I tried. It is very is to see why people from the mainland become so enamored of the islands that they never leave. Thanks again!

I wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much I enjoyed the fishing trip aboard the Maka Hou ll.  Tim and Ryan did a fantastic job. I do not know if they told you but we got 2 mahi mahi in the boat. It was quite the thrill. I go on at least 2 private charter fishing trips a year, and plan on being back in Kauai next year in December.

Well, I don't know if you've spoken to Doug Armfield yet, but we had a pretty successful trip. We (I) tagged a 350-400 lb. Blue out at MC buoy and hit a school of Stripers at K on the way back in (tagged 1, had at least 3 others in the pattern, but no other hook-ups). Everything you said about the boat, the crew and the fishing was 100% true. I plan to send you some pix (and maybe even a little movie) for your site, along with a glowing review. And, the icing on the cake, the shirts (Why Fish for Bass? logo shirts) were a HUGE hit! Thanks for everything. I can't wait to get back!

As much as I hate to say it, the fishing was nothing but a long boat ride. We did not have one bite the entire day. But...that's what makes fishing interesting. The boat was very nice and the crew was friendly. The deckhand seemed to try just about every lure on the boat in attempt to get us a fish hooked up. I really appreciate all the help that you gave me setting up this trip. The boat that I was scheduled to go out on went down the day prior. You gave me a call to give me all of the information I needed to get on to a different boat. Overall, I had a great experience.  The only thing missing was the fish. I guess it just wasn't my turn yet!  Thanks again.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!! Thank you for starting my year off with more fish stories...after reading the reports I think I better call my travel agent !!! Does Y2K mean a 2000 lb. fish ????

Thanks for the message. I had quite an enjoyable trip with Lee & Chris, we hooked 5 mahi (landed 4) and caught a nice 100lb black-tip shark. The Sea Verse rode well considering the wind and swells (no other boats out at the "P" buoy that day). Thanks again for setting up the trip and the all info.

The guys from NJ say thanks to Capt. Lee and Chris for a memorable day on the water [we're the ones on 11/15, a marlin and 3 mahi] I just read the report, over here we put the charters names in there, it makes it all the better!  Any way were gonna come back next Nov and look forward to another day of f-'in.  Thanks.

We had a blast thanks, I like to get mail from you guys, keep us posted.

All the tips that I learned from you guys finally paid off. We finally been catching some fish! It really is worth reading all the details. Thank you.....