We booked a 5 hour fishing excursion with Cpt. Craig, with three of us in attendance. The boat was roomy enough for us without tripping over each other. We enjoyed our trip tremendously and Cpt. Craig was very informative about local history if inclined to ask. All equipment and bait was provided, and included in the overall cost. Although there are no guarantees you would catch fish, when fishing, we were fortunate enough to do so. We each landed a yellow fin tuna. We had never used the gear necessary to hook up and land these delectable fish, but Cpt. Craig was patient and informative on how to do so. At the tail end of our trip he filleted our catch and bagged it up for us. We were provided beverages and snacks, if interested. There was great communication before and up to our charter. I/we highly recommend this charter! Should we ever return to the Big Island we will do this charter again, no doubt. I may, if the others were inclined, charter it for the whole day. Thank you, Cpt. Craig, for an outstanding adventure. For me, personally, it was the funnest part of our week stay on the island. Here are a couple of tips. (1) Keep in mind - there is not a restroom on this boat. So, you should plan to flush the pipes before launching unless you want to waste valuable time returning to the launch ramp. (2) You can get some of your catch through the TSA and Ag checkpoints at the airport if desired. We froze some of our fillets and had them in zip bags, placed within our carry-on luggage. read more

See all

My husband and I visited Kona for the first time and.went.out.with the C Hawk to fish. Craig was very knowledgeable and friendly. He works hard for his guests. He made sure we were comfortable on the boat. My husband and I were a little rusty and he explained everything to us. We laughed when my husband and I caught tuna but by the time we reeled them in the dolphins surrounding us got to the fish before we did. We relocated and ended our day each catching Wahoo. I was able to catch some sun lounging in front of his boat. We made a friend and the next time we visit we will definitely be on Craig's boat again. Highly recommend. I wish I could give him a 10 star!!! Craig, thank you for making our visit that much prefer special. Alpha! read more

C. Hawk Hawaii - Fishing Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

June 1, 2016: We has spectacular morning with Craig. After heading north past the airport, we jumped into the gorgeous water and swam with 100+ dolphins for about an hour - the most special time of this trip...to swim in the ocean with these beautiful, intelligent creatures was a gift. Afterwards, the Craig took us south and we got back in the ocean to float above a manta ray. Before we headed back to the harbor, we fished for a couple of hours and line-caught 2 skipjack tuna. June 3, 2016: we didn't get enough ocean time with Craig, so we were thrilled to get another day in with him. This time we went south and snorkeled in a beautiful cove all by ourselves (just north of Captain Cook). Fish everywhere, crystal clear water and the perfect temperature. I could have stayed another hour! However, we pressed onward to fish and search for whales. Well, no whales - instead we caught a 149 pound tuna!!! It was epic and it took my guy and Craig 1 hour and 20 minutes to bring it In. Holy tuna, Batman! This was our 3rd and 4th time out with Craig - we HIGHLY RECOMMEND C HAWK! Skip the "big guys" and go private. Craig is a fantastic guide and takes you to do what YOU want to do...snorkel, fish, swim with the dolphins, hang with the manta rays...the day is yours...no worries. read more

We have gone out with Captain Craig several times for fishing, snorkeling and whale watching and were successful every time. Today we went whale watching and saw plenty. Captain Craig runs a clean and professional operation, and is a knowledgeable, pleasant and easy going guide. He knows the ocean, and where the spots are to enjoy your activity thoroughly. We went snorkeling in places only accessible by boat, and saw interesting caves and live coral. We are local and Captain Craig is the best we've found. read more

Captain Craig keeps a clean boat, is an excellent fisherman, and all around great guy. You can't go wrong with this crew!

Captain Craig got us on the fish. Great day on the water. Super chill vibes. Lots of life in the water. My son caught a 46 pound ahi after 1:30 hours of battling it. Pulled in some ono too. Can't go wrong with this outfit. Highly recommend! read more

C. Hawk Hawaii - Fishing Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

My son and I had an excellent time fishing with Craig. He made sure we caught plenty of fish. If the fish weren't biting he would promptly change spots and approach. He is exactly what you want out of a Captain for a fishing trip. My son really enjoyed this trip, he liked the captain and ship mate. Definitely good for a young kids first time deep sea fishing. Thann you Craig! read more

C. Hawk Hawaii - 32 lbs Wahoo- Caught by Jason 11 years old. - Fishing Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I had a wonderful time fishing aboard The C. Hawk. I was slightly apprehensive about the boat being smaller than some of the other charter boats, but it handled and moved with the waves really well and I never got sea sick, even when drifting to fly line bait. The Captain is very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. He even picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel in Kona. On a day when I believe many other charters got skunked, I caught two yellowfin tuna. Though the largest tuna was around 10-12 pounds, it was fun to fight it on the relatively light tackle. The price was a bargain compared to many of the other boats, though the boat is smaller and lacks some of the amenities the larger and more expensive boats offer. Though I only wanted to fish, the Captain offers combination trips you can customize, which would be great for a couple or small group where not everyone was serious about fishing. read more

We had a blast with Captain Craig! We said we wanted to see some whales, snorkel a little and catch fish. He warned us that the current was not going, so fishing was going to be iffy at best. But we had a blast, saw tons of whales, a huge pod of dolphins and was able to get in the water and snorkel a bit. Tried with the fishing throughout, but no luck this time. HIGHLY RECOMMEND CHAWK! Will definitely be going back again! read more

C. Hawk Hawaii - Fishing Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

See all

If I could give more than 5 stars to Craig, I definitely would. Since it was our last day in Hawaii, we decided to do Ocean fishing and found Craig on yelp. We called him and he was very nice on the phone and gave us instruction for our Ocean fishing the next day. We met him by the harbor the next day. We did swimming with the dolphin and then fishing. He definitely knows his stuff about ocean fishing. I couldn't be happier that we booked our ocean fishing with him. A very friendly guy with a sense of humor. I would definitely recommend him to everyone I know who wants to experience a great ocean fishing. Would definitely book our next adventure with him if we go back here at Kona. read more

C. Hawk Hawaii - Fishing Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

We have been out with Captain Craig twice. Once 5 years ago, and again last week. He never disappoints! Joel is knowledgeable and friendly. Everyone caught at least one fish. They are great about tailoring the trip to what you want. You can snorkel, see fish, and swim with dolphins. We would never go with anyone else! We will see you next time. read more

These guys were great! We went out on a beautiful day. Fishing hadn't been very good, however Captain and Joel, his partner, still made it a great day! Each of us got a fish on, and we managed to bring in 2 that were great sashimi later that evening! The boat was great, roomy enough for our party of 5, snacks, and all the works! They kept our lines in the water, and were excellent hosts! read more

We can not say enough great things about Craig. He took us out fishing and my whole family had such a great time. Craig was so nice and patient with us, teaching us about the fish and the proper way to fish. We were lucky enough to see whale shark while fishing. Craig was so kind to my nephew and really allowed us to be so hands on. What a great experience. Would definitely recommend Craig and C. Hawk to anyone. You will not be disappointed read more

See all

Craig rocks.. simple as that. I'm a long time, freshly water fisherman but I don't know a thing about salt water, sea fishing. That said, I can tell if someone else does... yup, Craig knows his stuff. Very personable and kind. Professional, the man knows his vessel, and equally important,. knows people. We went out to the bouy, about 5 miles off the coast, and he "surgically" dissected the area about an 1/8 of a mile radius around it until we started getting hits. He utilized a technique I've used many times fishing. He had me in shallower water than my brother in-law who he had deeper. Chumed then baited similarly to what he tossed. All bases were covered. Oh yeah... the fish.. . We weren't interested in trophies, we wanted fish we could take back and eat. Check! Once he found the spot, we hauled in 10 fish, 6 of which we kept. (big family this trip) Ahi... all about 5 to 8 or 9 pounds. Craig baited the hooks, told me how much line to let out then showed me how to operate the gear correctly. I hauled in fish, he snagged them, threw them in the well and I was back in the water in minutes. Crazy affordable as well. The next time we go back, we will see Craig again, no question. Disclaimer: No matter how well a guy knows the water/area, if the fish aren't biting you're not going to catch fish. It's something uncontrollable. That said, if the fish are there, Craig will find them. As always, regarding the fish, ymmv. As others have pointed out, Craig will take you out for whatever your looking for... he's not just a fishing guy. Call him! You won't be disappointed! read more

C. Hawk Hawaii - Ahi sashimi was amazing! - Fishing Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

We went on the C. Hawk for fishing only, although you can mix and match your experience with whatever pleases the group you are bringing. First we had a difficult time finding the boat because we were looking for his sign on the water. Nope. He doesn't park his boat in the water. So we finally saw his boat in the parking lot after driving around a few times. Craig is very hospitable with getting stuff in the boat, he had lots of space for coolers, towels, and whatever else you plan on bringing. Then you take off your shoes and get in the boat. Shoes are returned after the boat ride to keep the boat cleaner. Craig values cleanliness. He takes good care of his boat and the whole operation is a well oiled machine. Craig was very knowledgable about the area and knew the best bait to use and where to go. We ended up catching two tuna yellowfin fish. He let us keep what we could eat. Craig does all the work. You just sit back relax and pull in the fish when it's time! The one downfall is there is no bathroom so you either go in the ocean or hold it for 5 hours. Though that is such a small issue for the great time you are sure to have and how intimate the whole experience is! read more

Craig took my family of five out on the water to see how many items on our "Hawaii bucket list" we could cover in one, 5 hour trip. Here's the amazing things we did: My five year old daughter and I snuggled on the couch at the front of the boat while the warm ocean water sprayed over our feet and we scanned the ocean for whales. Watching a pair of humpback whales play in the water, and one of them breach all the way out of the water. Listening to the whales sing through Craig's water microphone as whales played 100 yards from the boat. Watching a pod of over a dozen spinner dolphins within 10 yards of the boat, jump into the air and do 720's before landing back in the water. Jumping into the water with Craig's snorkel gear and swimming amongst the same dolphins, who swam around and under us over and over. I got to see dolphins at arm's length repeatedly. Knowing the dolphins were comfortable in the experience was important, as we were in the open ocean and they wouldn't have kept returning if they felt threatened. (This is much better than the captive Dolphin Quest experiences they sell in the resorts.) I don't even know how you could possibly put a price on this experience but for a family of five this was a very sensibly priced adventure. When it started pouring down rain in hour 4, we headed back because we didn't know how much more fun was even possible. We had done amazing, once in a lifetime things. Craig is very laid back, and easy to talk to. I don't know how you could do better for your time on the water at the Big Island. read more

Fantastic Day on the water... Early May fishing... My girlfriend and I had a great day and actually hooked-up (LOL) !!!!! Caught: two 22 pound Ono's and a 25 pound Yellow Tail (Tuna) on a smooth day on the ocean. Do not hesitate contacting Captain Craig for an awesome adventure on the seas! read more

Went out with Craig this morning with no expectations of catching anything with my luck on past charters, man was I wrong! Graig delivered way beyond my expectations, we were on the fish in less than an hour. The best part was he asked me what I wanted, and I just wanted to catch a fish any size fish didn't have to be a trophy fish. So he put me on one of his spots and dropped some bait, fish on in no time. Great time with Craig caught 4 with 2 keeper and was even sent off with some meat. I would recommend Craig over the big boys any day! read more

See all

Craig is an excellent captain and very easy to work with. He is kind and patient and at the beginning fisherman but I really enjoyed my experience and caught two big fish for me We went out early in the morning and stayed out till about one I think that there was a great opportunity and finding the right environment. I would recommend this beginner or experienced fishermen. read more

Craig was awesome. As a business owner he had the opportunity to take us out on a less than stellar day. With high winds he delayed our trip, and even cancelled it because he wasn't sure he would be able to get us out to fish based on the rough seas so he offered to refund us. The weather cleared up and we were able to great out at the last minute to swim with dolphins, see some whales, and catch some fish. Would definitely recommend C Hawk! read more

We went with Craig to go Dolphin Swimming, and were not disappointed! He found a pod of 20-30 spinner dolphins almost immediately and we followed them the entire morning. Craig gave us great tips on how to interact with the dolphins and we had a fantastic day with him. If you are thinking about doing this trip, I highly recommend it! read more

My husband and I decided to try something new while visiting the Kona. We found Craig and had and amazing time!! We had never fished in Hawaii before so we were excited to get out to sea!! His deck hand Joel was awesome too!! Not only did we go fishing, we went snorkeling too and swam with a wild pod of spinner dolphins!! Needless to say we had an amazing experience with really awesome people!! Thank you, Craig and Joel!! Next time we come out, we will be doing this again!! read more

Amazing day out on the ocean. We didn't anticipate much but nature cooperated in a big way!! Hoped to see whales even though it is early in the season, saw 5, and caught 3 delicious Skip Jack (Aku). Captain Richard & Joel were kind, patient & made sure trip was memorable. I will make a point of not only recommending this charter but will be a repeat customer!! My grandkids are still talking about what a great time we had. I highly recommend this adventure, small, intimate & personalized!! read more

Craig was sooo nice. We brought our kids (ages 8,5 and 1). I was concerned that things would be too rough for the baby but as soon as we took off, he fell asleep. As we were leaving the harbor, we saw a big pod of dolphins and we were able to watch them for a while. The water and sun were beautiful. Then we saw a mother whale and her calf. We followed them for almost an hour and saw them both surface multiple times. There was a whale-watching tour that was also following them and my husband commented that the whale watching tour wasnt as close as we were. We had a private tour LOL. About halfway through, Craig cut up some apples and pineapples for us and the kids. I eat apples and pineapples all the time but they tasted better on a boat. My 8yr old got sea-sick and threw up on the boat and Craig cleaned this up and went on. I definately appreciate that we were able to "plan our own adventure" as it suited us at the time. Everyone with kids knows that sometimes you just have to go with it and he was able to do that. We had a great time! read more

We chartered with C Hawk with just the 6 of us from our family to swim with dolphins and it was fantastic! We saw so many spinner dolphins and got close to them. We also got to go snorkeling too and saw a lot of fish. Highly recommend it. read more

Fisrt chartered fishing trip for our family ever. Captain Craig and Joel made it so memorable and fun. Captain Craig provide us with safety info which was so helpful, as this was our first time. And followed up patiently answering all my "why" questions about fishing. Joel provided so much fun conversation while on the boat that I almost forgot how long it took me to get the ahi in the boat. We understand that fish are not guaranteed, but we could see Craig and Joel really wanted us to land something and we really appreciated that. Thanks Craig and Joel! We returned home with an ahi and aku that we made poke and sashimi that night...and the night after.... Never felt the need to post before but C hawk made our trip. Thanks C Hawk for some lifetime memories read more

Our time on the C Hawk was amazing with Craig. He customized the trip so that we were looking for Wahoo, Ahi and rainbow runners. All fish that my son who is 9 could reel in. You don't always catch fish, but we got lucky and pulled in 2 30-35 lb Tina's and 1 rainbow runner. It was an amazing day! We would definitely go again read more

Captain Craig and Joel were amazing! We went out to catch some fish and we were not let down. We landed 2 yellow fin tuna and had a couple rainbow runners and a Mahi. Very knowledgable and either tell you what to do or if you want they will let you take the reigns and bring it in with your style. They provided snorkel gear and flippers but we ended up catching and not snorkeling at all. 5 stars and would give more if I could. Really laid back and great sense of humor. Will definitely recommend to anyone. Thank you so much! read more

Went out with Craig this morning and had a great time. From the get-go he had a plan to go out to location that had some floating debris (a broken pipe from the Natural Energy Lab). I mention this because I doubt most captains would not know of this and miss the opportunity. But, since Craig goes out a lot, he is very knowledgeable about where the fish are biting and how to give his guests the best opportunity to do some fishing and catching. Captain Craig is a very patient, mellow captain--a great personality for someone to spend five hours on the water with. He took care of all lures and bait and provided great advice when we had fish on the line. Fun, relaxing and just a nice time on the water. We did end up with several fish today: six ahi (yellow fin tuna) and one aku (skipjack tuna). We had some great National Geographic moments, too, with an ono chomping on one of our catches and a shark taking another. Well worth the price of admission, as they say! If you want to go chase big Marlin, this is probably not your boat, but if you want to go out and catch some of the smaller fish, and much better eating fish--mahi mahi and tunas--this is a good boat and a great captain. read more

Skip the bigger (crowded) boats and go with Captain Craig! We had a fantastic day on the C Hawk today- We fished, snorkeled, and fished some more, all while taking in the sights of the Kona coastline. Craig made sure we had a great time, cut our catch down to size for us, and wrangled every question we threw at him. Knowledgeable, friendly, courteous, and knows his way around the waters off of Kona. If we ever make it back to the Big Island we'll make sure to charter the C Hawk again! read more

Could not be happier with the experience. Fishing, whale watching, dolphins and just a great time. Craig is the guy to go with. Can't go wrong with C.hawk. read more

This is my first yelp review ever, and I wanted to personally go out of my way to provide insight on Captain Craig and my day out in the ocean. A couple buddies and I wanted to go fishing and decided to book Captain Craig and his boat. What we ended up with was something only experience can explain. The amount of knowledge and insight Craig provided us on the ocean and fishing really open doors to a new hobby. We caught fish, saw a group of dolphins and ultimately had a great experience with an absolutely fabulous guy. I would recommend you book captain Craig as his professionalism and expertise is one you won't find anywhere else. I will definitely be back to fish on this boat again as this was the highlight of my trip! Can't wait to return! read more

Don't bother getting on a big boat with 30 other people. There is no way they can beat the experience that Craig and C Hawk Sea Service provides. A private boat for 5 hours and no set route. We were able to get away from the crowded tourist boats and swim with almost a hundred Dolphins, at least 5 huge manta rays and had an amazing whale watching experience. This is due, in large part, to Captain Craig's willingness to take us out to areas where no other boats were and where he thought we were most likely to see the action. And we did! Craig's was knowledgeable and friendly and provided drinks and fresh fruit snacks, but you can bring whatever you want. I can't imaging loading up on a big tourist boat again. This will definitely be part of future trips to the Big Island. read more

Captain Craig - thank you for an absolutely fantastic fishing experience during the Christmas break 2015! We went with Craig twice, once we got 3 rainbow runners and a kawa-kawa tuna, and another tuna and a 7-8 pound snapper for the New year's eve table. Delicious! There was literally no bait in the bay, so we couldn't get mackerel to live-bait the hooks but going after the bottom fish was the perfect choice and made both times for an unforgettable experience for my family and I. You are the best and we will be back for more! read more

Cap. Craig is the guy!!! We are suppose to have a tropical storm coming but Craig fulfilled his promise and took us to the ocean anyway! The condition was rough and the bite was slow but his magic still works' we landed two tunas and one bug ono, I will be back! read more

This is my second trip with Captain Craig and the C Hawk. Both times I've caught fish and this time my wife came along and caught a 20+lb Ahi. He helped her land the fish by herself and was extremely relaxed and having fun watching and working with her. We tried several different methods of fishing. I've fished in Brazil, Spain, Cancun, Cozumel, Los Angeles, Cabo San Lucas, Thailand, Florida Keys and this is the best. I've seen dolphins and whales and he is willing to spend as much time as you would like to get pictures. This is a private company not a large commercial operation. Captain Craig teaches surfing, snorkeling, fishing, dolphin and whale watching. If you want to get in the water he makes it happen. He can put together any type of trip you want. He truly embodies the Hawaiian Spirt we come to Hawaii to experience. I would recommend contacting him for any water endeavor you have in mind and with his 25+ years on the island if he can't do it for you, he knows someone that will at a fair price. Craig, Thanks for sharing the home grown pineapple, it was the icing on the cake. Steve 562 347 8320 read more

I don't know how many times we've gone out with Craig, but we keep coming back. Plan your own half day on the water... fishing, swimming with dolphins, shark watching, spying on mantas, and having a relaxing visit with Craig and his deckhand Joel. They know a lot about fishing, and if the currents are right they will find fish. The C .Hawk has a covered cabin to get relief from hot ocean sun, cushioned benches, top notch fishing gear, cold water, and fresh pineapple. Sign on! read more

You cannot go wrong with Captain Craig. Great guy. Great service. We came across some dolphins while swimming. You cannot ask for more. This was our third trip with C Hawk Sea Service. We will continue to use them on our future trips for sure! read more

Craig is awesome. He took us out to a really great snorkelling spot inaccessible with out a boat. Great spot that at times has mantra rays although they weren't in residence at the time. Then we went trawling for tuna / we had two big hits. Great afternoon. read more

My husband, sons and nephews went out on the boat with Craig last week during our vacation to the Big Island. They had a terrific time watching dolphins, fishing, & snorkeling. They learned a lot about the local waters and his trips are very kid friendly! read more