Captain Mark and the boat hand Ky (sp?) were great. The problem is they thought taking us out during Small Craft Warnings and 10 foot seas was ok. It was not. Three out of the four people aboard were throwing up the whole trip. Additionally, we did not catch a thing. Can't exactly blame the Captain, as we did fined several bait balls, but I suspect the roughness of the water did not make the lures too attractive. Considering we paid a $1,000 to fish I was very disappointed and with their eight day cancellation policy, we had now way to get out of the trip. Impossible to predict the weather, I know, but really? Were they that booked or starving for customers that they didn't offer a refund or opportunity to reschedule? Buyer beware read more

We showed up on time but had to wait at least 30 minutes waiting for two people who never showed up therefore getting a late start. We were told ahead of time that if we caught fish the boat would get them and we would each gate a lb and a half each to take home. We were cool with this. For all three of us it was our first and probably only time that we would be getting a chance to fish in Kauai. We trolled for a total of 6 hours only getting 1 bump. We asked if we could bottom fish just so we could hook up with a fish and he said no & went back to chatting on his cell phone. So we trolled for another 2 hours with no action. I have fished on allot of charter boats and this was the first time that we encountered a attitude like this. I actually felt bad for one of the guys on the boat because it was his first charter and probably his only one. You're basically paying them to fish for them.....it's not about you experiencing catching a fish while on your vacation . This would not be a good boat to bring younger kids on . Two stars because I enjoyed being out on the water and enjoyed the scenery. read more

Really looking forward to Fishing with them after booking this on our second day on the island through our concierge for a 6-hour shared trip. It was booked for Monday and said to be at the dock by 6:00 am check-in. We got up early and had breakfast and headed out to the dock. We arrived at the dock around 5:35 am and walked to the rest rooms before heading over to the dock. We saw the boat and thought "This is going to be so fun and such a beautiful day for this" as the winds were low this morning. We then walked back to the dock and saw the captain and first hand getting it ready for the day. The captain had walked away and the first hand was walked back up to the boat. He asked if he could help us and we told him we were here for the fishing trip. He had a puzzled look on his face and when the captain returned he asked him if they were sending their other boat out today? The captain said no, why? He told him we were here for the fishing trip. The captain looked puzzled and said that he was going to have to call and see what was going on. The captain was telling us that it was a private boot tour with three guys that came by yesterday looking to rent the whole boat. He got a hold of the office and talked to Gina. Not sure what she was telling him but we got bumped off the boat. He said that she was up and to go ahead and call her and see what the deal was. We tried calling Gina and it went to voice mail. She then called back about 45 minutes to an hour later and she was saying that she called our concierge two nights ago and told them that they had to cancel us. She then said we can schedule you for tomorrow, we told her that is not going to work as we already have another trip planned for tomorrow. We asked if we could just have a refund and she said we would have to talk to the concierge about getting that. We returned to the resort we were staying at and went and asked our concierge if they ever got a message and she said they did not have any. The concierge tried calling Gina as well for conformation about the refund and received the voice mail as we did. She left a message asking if she could please return a call to her. We were able to get our refund and book with another company to go out Friday. I did go and talk to the concierge a few days later to see if Gina ever called back and she had not so she tried calling her again. This time she was able to get her on the phone and just wanted to make sure the refund was OK to complete. Gina told her that their website was hacked and someone was double booking and that is why we were bumped. The concierge proceeds to tell her that they do not use the website to book and that it was done over the phone, as we were present when it was booked through them. Guess they wanted a private boat rate and not worrying about the others who want to share the boat. Ended up going Friday with the other company and had a great experience and caught some fish with them. I would look at all the options the island has to offer and find a different boat to go fishing with as you might be disappointed as we were and that is not good when you are trying to have a good time. read more

Although we didn't catch any fish the other day it was fun until I got queasy. Ha ha. The weather improved and it was later clear with blue skies. We were aboard " The Grander " and depending on who you talk to you'll get a different story as to the weight of this vessel. They do use quality tackle and be prepared to lay out some good money for the experience. Capt. Darren and Anthony " Amp " were friendly and helpful. Definitely a nice experience to say you've been fishing in Hawaii. If I had caught some fish I would of you given them a higher rating. Unfortunately Bonine didn't work for me as an anti motion sickness medication. I would stick with Dramamine. read more

A really great experience going for the big fish. My wife and I had a great time and learned so much and also enjoyed cooking and eating some of the fish we caught. Ahi ahi and yellow fin Tuna read more

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Very unimpressed after a 6 hour trip. The crew was great After almost 20 minutes on the phone with Gina the day before and explaining to her the fishing expectations of my group she must have not listened to a thing I said. We arrived at 6am this morning to go fishing with live bait and no one in the boat knew anything about it. Gina really misled me. If she couldn't do what I have asked then all She had to say was that this isn't possible. I would avoid this company at all costs since the main person doesn't listen to her customers. read more

After spending a good amount of time talking to the hotel concierge and calling captains on my own I decided to go with Kai Bear on a 4 hour trip thinking if the fishing was good/great we would continue. On the phone I negotiated with the owner on the rate and when I arrived on the boat the rate had changed and as anticipated the captain wasn't there. I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot but a deal is a deal and I stood firm and he accepted. We'll, one fish jumped and the mate missed him, besides that we circled and circled and nothing hit. If you want to fish go to the docs yourself. You will see who is bringing in fish and who isn't and you can get a better feel for it. read more

On October 11 I booked a semi private 4 hour charter for 2 people on Dec. 30. The charter was confirmed by email by the owner Gina. On Dec. 29 I contacted Gina by phone and the charter was reconfirmed by email. My daughter and I arrived at the dock at the agreed to time on Dec. 30 and learned that Gina had overbooked the charter and there was no space on the boat for us. After speaking to Gina by phone she claimed gave us a very insincere apology and said it was an "unintentional" overbook. She did offer us 50% off to fish the next day, but at that point she had ruined my daughters birthday fishing outing so we decided not to take her offer. I cannot understand how you can overbook a 6 person fishing charter. Whether unintentional or not the result was the same. No fishing. If you want a confirmed charter without worry that you will either get intentionally or unintentionally overbooked I suggest you book with another charter company. Don't risk it with Kai Bear. read more

I took my family on a private 8 hour charter this week with Capt Mark and John. We were aboard the Grander which is the larger of the 2 boats. We had a fantastic day and really enjoyed fishing. My wife caught a huge Mahi which they filleted for us for dinner. Very professional captain and crew that put us on the fish. We can't wait to go back out with them. read more

Kai Bear Sportfishing - Fishing Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Cool people didn't get any fish but hey that's the luck of the draw. Paid 1k for a slab of fish they caught earlier. Pretty easy going person never write Reviews but something doesn't sit well with me about this. Also if your not a boat pro bring nausea meds it was rough getting out there. All in all does make you appreciate these people who go out and catch our good seafood. Hope other people get a fish or two for the price you pay. read more

We had a great time fishing. Captain Howard and Joe were great. They answered all the questions that were asked and helped coach the people reeling in fish. We only caught 2 fish, one skipjack and one yellowfin. But, it is fishing, sometimes you just don't get anything. I've learned that over many years of fishing. It was still a great time. Can't wait to book again and give it another go. read more

This was basically a boat ride with the ship hands telling us stories about marlin they'd caught on prior trips. When we got to the buoy, one of the hands threw in some lines and he reeled in one fish. That was the only fish we caught all day. Guys were nice enough but we didn't catch anything other than that one fish. On arrival back at the dock, they put on the hard sell for big tips read more

Completely terrible communication and customer service. Having booked a shared trip and receiving a vague email stating that it was canceled. Made multiple attempts to contact and get a refund issued but no answers whatsoever. So I've had to dispute the charge. Perhaps they're great fisherman. But as a business? Piss poor, lack luster, and completely unimpressive. Suggestion to all... Cast your lines elsewhere. Happy Fishing! read more

I think your experience totally depends on what boat and what crew you get. One boat is nice and the other isn't. Like you literally wonder if it's sea worthy...dry rot, spongy deck, and screws popping out. I'm not giving this a low score because we didn't catch fish, fishing is fishing. I am giving it a low score for the crew who didn't care about anything and the sub-par boat and equipment. read more

Really disappointed in this outfit. Certainly not what I would call a "customer oriented" business. They booked us on a morning trip, changed it to an afternoon trip then on the day we arrived for our special vacation, they cancelled and wanted us to change our plans AGAIN to accommodate them. They prefer to jerk costumers around rather than honor their obligations. read more

When talking with Kip on the phone, he sounded like a very experiences captain and with a good reputation. I signed up for what I thought could be some really awesome fishing... He said his boat is like a mercedes compared to the other boats docked, so I took his word for it. The end of the day, I dont care about what the boat looks like, since that doesnt catch fish, but the boat could of been a mercedes but that must of been 20 years ago. Its far from prestine today. Long story short, we had a really expensive boat ride. 3 hours of trolling and after zero bites I would of guessed that we try to stay out for a little longer, but nope... It was pretty disappointing, would probably check out some of the other boats next time. read more

Went on vacation to Kauai in March and my boyfriend and I had to get a day of fishing in! After seeing Kai Bear in our Kauai Guide Book and speaking directly with the owner we decided, Kai Bear it was! They let us go out just the two of us which is relatively unheard of for a fishing charter. Captain Mark and his deckhand Austin were great from the beginning to the end of our trip. We caught some skip jack and a few yellow fin tuna that day. No luck on any Mahi or Marlin but that's why they call it FISHING not CATCHING! ;) The whole experience was wonderful and the ahi we had for dinner that night could not have been fresher! Hats off to the Kai Bear Crew. read more

Not an expert fisherman by any means but have always enjoyed fishing- whether that be lakes in the Midwest or the ocean off the coast of Mexico or Florida. In any case, these guys were great. Clearly experts at what they do but also extremely friendly and care more about leaving their customers happy than other fishing guides I have used. On our trip, we hooked seven fish including a 250 lb marlin. If you make it to Kauai and are looking for a great experience, check these guys out! read more

Kai Bear is under new management and in my opinion is the best fishing option on Kauai. The service was excellent, the boat is very comfortable with lots of places to sit, and the overall experience was amazing! I will definitely choose Kai Bear for my next fishing adventure! read more

4 hour trip for $375 as a couple 6 people on board, caught one large tuna. They wouldn't cut us any after telling us they would. Take your money and sell your fish then ban you from commenting on facebook. Crew has no personality, also never told us about basic boat safety like life jackets or if they had any. read more

If you were wondering which company to book a charter with you can stop looking! These guys are awesome! We were a small group of anglers looking for a deep sea experience here in Kauai and Kai Bear delivered! The Captain, Billy and the 1st Mate, Austin got us on the fish straight away and showed us the sites along the way. I'll be booking this trip again soon! read more

Fished the Kai Bear ''Grander". They have two Bertrams. Bertram has its reputation as one of the premier "big water" boats worldwide. Kauai is pretty exposed and the day we went out it was blowing with heavy rain. Since I only had one day to fish in a scheduled tournament backing out due to weather was not an option. Boy was I glad to be on such a big comfortable boat. We fished the "Grander" the larger 42 "wide body". No air conditioning and no ice makers these are fishing boats. Don't expect a yacht quality interior, they are stripped down to hard core fishing machines. Comfortable easy chair to nap and a small sleeping area for the lazy fisherman is all I need. We got "lucky" and had hookups all day long, lost a marlin and a huge ahi right at the boat, it looked like a volkswagon under us. Still managed an 85 lb ahi and an ono for eating. John self diagnosed with Ocfd obsessive compulsive fishing disorder, was working the deck all day long and kept swapping out lures endlessly until he found just the right combination. read more

We booked a shared charter and had a few glitches.... the reservation was lost and we had to leave a bit late. Gina, the owner, was very apologetic.... and we ended up with a private charter as a result of the mix up. The deck hand Alii and Captain Mark were called in on their day off... (and they handled that so professionally). On top of that, we didn't catch anything! This sounds like a bad review, but I'm choosing to leave this because my family was still very happy with the trip. Captain Mark stayed out on the water longer to get us more chances, he felt bad that our son didn't have a catch yet. Alii was super nice and chatted with our son. You could tell they really loved their jobs. And while you can't control what you catch, you can definitely control the people and atmosphere of a small business, and I think KaiBear did that very well. Thank you for the experience. read more

First, Ive owned many boats that i have captained and maintained. So, iwas pretty disappointed in the condition of this 38' Bertram. The boat was literally falling apart to the point of loose moldings, cracked beams, etc. The cosmetics of a boats tells me IF the boat is mechanically maintained...and safe. Had i discovered the decrepid condition prior to heading out i would have walked away. The reason for the 4stars is the deckhand Longhy. This guy is easily the best, most experienced and professional fisherman ive ever met! His great demeanor, and mastery of the back deck made the trip. When i come back to Kauia, ill seek him out. read more

Kai Bear Sports Fishing cost $740.00 for a 4 hour tour in a worn boat that had a dirty couch and torn leather chair to sit on, a dirty bathroom with no running water to wash hands, and no fish. As fishing is fishing there is no control over catching, but to pay that amount of money for an unpleasant, low quality, 4 hour tour was ridiculous! Our money went much farther at Holo Holo Charter snorkel tour: $700.00 7 hours, breakfast and lunch, and a clean boat!!! I would have much rather gone fishing with them!! read more