Kona Fishing Charter Boats Capt. Kent Mongreig of the Fish Wish

Skipper: Kent Mongreig Click here for short video of Capt. Kent
Boat: 1985 Silverton 40
Power: (2) Cummins B -T 300 HP (new in December 1998)
Top Speed: 25 knots
Cruising Speed: 21 knots
Largest fish to Date: 775 pounds (caught on a big Coggin lure, which Sportfish Hawaii also sells)
Amenities: GPS, GPS Plotter, Sounder, TV, VCR, Stereo, 2 helms, large fish hold, 6' 6" headroom in salon, large bridge and cockpit areas, large sliding windows for comfortable ventilation, clean and comfortable salon.
Fishing Gear: Full complement of Penn Internationals from 20 lb to 130 lb. Single speed and 2 speed reels on mostly Penn International II rods. Multiple stick gaffs, flying gaffs, nets, lures, baits, etc. All gear is kept in tournament ready condition, and the area that most people would refer to as the owner’s berth or master stateroom is Kent’s tackle room.

Fishing knowledge, and a historian too. Kent is well versed on the biology of fishing as well as the ideas and theories behind catching them. He speaks of feeding patterns and strike analysis comfortably and confidently, and has a little extra tidbit to add on to most subjects discussed concerning fishing in Hawaii. He’s also a pretty good historian on Hawaii, especially the story of Captain Cook’s arrival and ultimate demise in Kealakekua Bay just south of Kona. His demeanor and style allow the flow of this information in an educational manner, never obtrusive, and his style entices people to ask him more.

It was Mom’s fault. Kent got his captain’s license in 1976, and is rated for 100 ton instead of just the required 6-pack. Many years ago, Kent’s mother told him to stop spending so much time hunting and fishing at their home in Alaska, because she said he would never be able to earn a living doing that. He didn’t listen to Mom, however, and when he got his first check from the fishing industry, he photocopied it and sent it home with the words "ta-daaaah," proving he could in fact manage it. And after several years of fishing as a deckhand and skipper for others and working himself to the point where he could run his own company and boat, he has earned the respect of many anglers in the harbor.

An office with a view. Like many skippers involved in fishing, Kent’s attraction to running a charter boats wasn’t the prospect of becoming rich and famous. What lured him in was the idea of spending time on the water with no walls around a desk, and earning a living doing something enjoyable. The ever-smiling Kent says "it’s about doing what you love and loving what you do. It’s that simple." And while the charter guests typically only see the fun part of fishing, i.e. the time on the water when the bite is happening, Kent remains cheerful and optimistic about the other aspects of running a boat such as maintenance, major repairs, haulouts, and days when the fish don’t bite. "This is the kind of job that you can’t be on the fence about, because if you don’t love it, you’ll just see it as a ton of work." He further explains that fishing in Hawaii as the place to go if you are looking for a big pelagic, so naturally, there will some who walk away empty-handed. He quite readily admits that sometimes nothing is going to strike the lures no matter what is done, and when that happens, he says it’s the most difficult thing in the world to explain to passengers. However, Kent says most of his customers understand that, and his charisma and personable nature makes most trips enjoyable anyway.

Give ‘em what they want. Kent likes to run a giant lure that resembles an Aku (skipjack) behind a daisy chain as his primary teaser. He says it gives the appearance of a feeding Aku chasing bait and tends to draw more fish into the pattern. On a general charter where the target is a mixture of species, he usually runs a good sized lure (usually darker colored like purple) on the short corner, a couple of mid-range baits further back, then something a little smaller out on the stinger. Of course, when he’s in a tournament and going for Billfish, it’s big lures all the way.

Four of the five lures run in the basic pattern are up on the outriggers to spread the pattern just outside the wake, with the stinger well past the grouping. Then if a situation arises where live or dead baiting is called for, the lures are in and the baits are out and on the rigger in the shake of a tail. While he has a full compliment of gear, Kent prefers running 50 and 80 pound class tackle. He says in so doing they may run the risk of losing a fish if it is particularly agressive, however, he says 95% of his charters prefer the feel of a fight on gear that is lighter than the 130 class run by many boats.

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Angler Rich had a great day boating an assortment of fish

Committed to conservation. At many times during the course of the year, Kent has crew from New Zealand or other parts of the world. Drawing from crew habits as well as customer requests and his own personal experience, Kent believes the health of the fishery is of primary importance, and will ask every customer if they prefer releasing Billfish as opposed to taking them. He also explains that no matter what is done to try and save a fish, sometimes they die, but fortunately there is a facility that can accommodate the fish for sale so there is no waste.

Commitment to total customer satisfaction. Fish Wish is one of the least expensive charter boats in Kona, yet Kent stays out longer than most and allows anglers to keep a good share of the fish. He educates customers, works with families, and he loves teaching kids how to fish. He chalks these anomalies up to the cost of doing business and says he prefers a happy customer over a few extra dollars. And it pays off quite nicely, too. Kent runs an average of 5 days a week over the course of the entire year, and as he says, he "makes hay when the sun shines," meaning when the heat is on and people want to take a trip, he’ll run every day he has a booking.

Sportfish Hawaii is proud to represent Fish Wish in our fleet of high class charter boats. Please call or email us to book your trip.