Unreliable. Do not book! captain cancelled the morning of the booking because of rain. It barely…read morerained for a short time. Pavement was dry. His response was "These things happen." Also did not pay attention to what we wanted to fish for and did not communicate with us clearly. Extremely disappointed.

Great day on the water. The captain was amazing, worked hard to put me on this magnificent Ahi…read more Rich was very personable which made the experience even better for my wife and myself. The boat was well equipped and fast; quick on the fishing grounds. Definitely going with him again!

"Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish." Today we were fishing... then BAM we were…read moreCATCHING! Finally seen a blue Marlin up close and personal. What a fantastic operation. I'm telling you I have been fishing out of Kona 4 times and have done a little catching but it mostly turns out to be a nice boat ride. Expecting another nice boat ride.... I was super impressed when Captain and his deck hand. Started our adventure with almost towing in a boat on fire. Right there I thought it showed great character in them. Then we went out off the shore a ways and they fished for live bait. We then tried for Ono but one got away. After that we headed out for big fish. The captain kept in contact with other boats to see what was happening. He did not give up and sure enough we caught a Marlin. What a great day! They didn't even blink an eye when I cracked a beer at 9am lol. Great captain & crew I will be back and use the

We went out with High Noon yesterday on a half day fishing charter. Just Mike and I. Great boat,…read moreclean and well kept. We have been out with them twice before. We moved to Kona in January and it was our first trip out with this whole lockdown. So thankful to Tara and Dozer (not sure on spelling). We weren't successful on the catching end but not for lack of their efforts. Best crew we have been out with yet. Completely enjoyed being out on the water and the let up of rain for the day. Loved hearing all of their knowledge of fishing in the area and more about this beautiful island we call home. Looking forward to going out with them again soon.

This was one of the best experiences ever. Brent and Mark were great hosts, making everyone on the…read moreboat feel confident and excited for the experience ahead. We had an INCREDIBLE night of manta ray sightings! They came up to the lights for the entire time we were out in the water. At no point did anyone in the group feel unsafe with the rays or in the water, which goes to show how well Brent prepared us because one person had never even snorkeled and was not a good swimmer. Another thing I really enjoyed and would make me choose Salty Squid Charters over another company was that there were only 6 guests on the boat which made it feel like a private charter. This really was a lot of fun, plus you get to see a beautiful sunset on the water on the way out. You will never get to see anything like this anywhere else, these manta rays are incredible! If you're on the fence about doing this, just do it :)

Must do in Kona!! We went on the manta ray night snorkel with Mark and Brett and it was amazing…read more They took care of us since some of us weren't strong swimmers and even when we got a little nauseous. We were on a charter of 6, so we got to move around the bay with Brett towing us along and got to see a ton of mantas. Plus we got to see a beautiful sunset before we even got in the water. Totally recommend. Tip: Weaker swimmers should try to be at the front of the board so that no one runs into you.

An Amazing Day Fishing with Captain Al & First Mate John!…read more We had an absolutely wonderful 8-hour fishing trip with Captain Al and First Mate John aboard TOPSHAPE in Kona, and we cannot recommend them highly enough! First of all, the yacht is beautiful, incredibly comfortable, and very well maintained. There is a restroom, galley, and plenty of seating. You can relax inside in the air conditioning with lots of windows and great views, or head topside where there are amazing panoramic views with both shaded and sunny areas. It truly is a very comfortable way to spend a full day on the water. One of our favorite parts of the trip was having Captain Al explain his radar and electronics to us. We actually got to watch Blue Marlin appear on the screen looking like little yellow bananas! We could also see schools of baitfish as we passed them. It was incredibly high-tech and so much fun to learn how they use the equipment to find fish. And then--we hooked a Blue Marlin! I fought that fish hard while my husband watched and took photos. Sadly, it eventually got away, but honestly, the excitement of hooking it and fighting it was an experience I will never forget! We strongly recommend committing to the full 8-hour charter. It gives you the time to really enjoy the experience and gives Captain Al and John more opportunity to find the fish. Captain Al and John were both wonderful to spend the day with. They were friendly, easy to talk to, and incredibly informative about the ocean, fishing trends, marine life, and even Kona itself. We learned so much just chatting with them throughout the day. We even came home with an unexpected souvenir thanks to John! He told us about his titanium wedding ring, and we loved it so much that we tracked down the jeweler afterward and purchased one for my husband. Now we have a little piece of Kona--and our fishing trip--with us every day. A few tips for anyone booking: Bring your own lunch, but the boat provides all the water you need. Sunscreen is definitely a must. You can even go barefoot on the boat if you like! I brought plenty of sun-protection clothing expecting to need it, but because there are so many shaded areas on the boat, I really didn't need much of it. This was truly one of the highlights of our Kona trip. We will absolutely be fishing with Captain Al and John again when we return to the Big Island. Thank you, Captain Al and John, for such a memorable day on the water. We HIGHLY recommend TOPSHAPE Kona Fishing!

What a beautiful day out in the ocean. Captain Al and shipmate John are incredible! The love they…read moreboth have for the sea and fishing is so palpable! Two incredible guys who showed us an amazing time! And what a gorgeous luxurious boat. It is the Cadillac of fishing boats! If you are ever in Kona, this is a Must-do!!!

We had a great day with Capt Shawn and Bo. They welcomed us made sure we had everything we needed…read more Very knowledgeable tins of experience

Booked a 1/2 day fishing trip early September 2021. Capt and first mate were awesome, had several…read morebites and landed/released a blue marlin! Exceeded expectations and would definitely go again!!

We booked a 5 hour fishing excursion with Cpt. Craig, with three of us in attendance. The boat was…read moreroomy 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.

My husband and I visited Kona for the first time and.went.out.with the C Hawk to fish. Craig was…read morevery 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!

Thank you so much to Captain Arthur and Sawyer. My family and I were visiting to fulfill my dad's…read morelifelong dream of catching an Ono. We ended up catching 4! Arthur and Sawyer were the perfect team to help us, and my dad would be so proud. Arthur was very polite and communicative throughout, and Sawyer was so informative and friendly. They taught us a lot about the island, their homemade lures, and fishing. After catching our last (and biggest) ono, we dropped a lei in the water and Arthur circled it in a marine send off. Thank you so much for helping us fulfill my dad's dream and making it a lasting memory for my family!!

Once again, we had an awesome 2 days (Wednesday and Saturday) fishing with Night Runner Sport…read moreFishing. From my previous review in 2019, I raved about the awesome experience my husband and I had. This time (February 2024), I can say my husband, myself and our 9 year old daughter all had an epic time. On Wednesday we fished with Capt. Shawn, Sawyer and "Pops," and on Saturday we fished with Capt. Shawn, Arthur and "Pops." Both days, the crew worked HARD to get us on fish. They were focused, efficient, tenacious and determined. Even though Wednesday was all fishing and no catching (it just wasn't in the cards for anyone on the water that day), we still had a great time. The crew was engaged, friendly, helpful, knowledgable and courteous. Sawyer even gave us a bunch of great tips for visiting the Big Island, which we used on our exploration day on Friday, and we had a blast thanks to his suggestions. Then Saturday, the crew had the same level of awesome focused determination, and the bite was HOT! We good-sized hooked 2 Mahi almost instantly, then it was tuna town the whole day. Our daughter had SO much fun reeling in and fighting tuna for the first time. The guys did not stop working to get us bit. Once we were comfortable with the process, we asked if we could hook up, and they were more than happy to oblige and gave us some great instruction. Shawn - your jigging technique is enviable and could not be duplicated! Haha. Once our full 8 hour day started coming to a close, the guys kept working hard and trolled for marlin on the way back to the harbor, and it paid off: we hooked a SpearFish (short-billed Marlin), which was a fun way to end our day. We charter fishing guides all over the country, and appreciate and recognize authentic fisherman and their methods. Both days, the guys were so sweet with our daughter. They kept everything fun and engaging. Everytime the hooked on a fish, you'd hear, "Parker! (our daughter's name), This one is for you!" And then they would help her reel it in, hholding the rod, encouraging her, and coaching her all the way. Then lots of cheers and "way to go!" once the fish was landed. For the negative reviews (I've had the pleasure of reading over and laughing at): ignore them. Any true fisherman is going to set the departure date EARLY in the morning. That's how you set yourself up for the BEST opportunity to catch fish. Especially if you need to catch bait. That's your one shot: early. Any good charter is going to handle the gear themselves (then hand it over once a fish is hooked for you to reel in) to make sure you have the highest opportunity to catch fish. They just met you, they have no idea what kind of fisherman you are. Be respectful, show common sense and experience, and they'll be more than happy to hand over the gear if you want to cast and hook as well. Bottom line: the Captain and crew at Night Runner Sport Fishing are top-notch, professional, hard-working, personable, friendly, great with kids, and just all-around awesome.

Had the most amazing time out fishing with Captain Tony and deckhand Carlton! Super professional,…read morefun, and knowledgeable, these guys showed me a great time and taught me so much! I Even caught an ono fish! These guys come highly recommended

The comfort of the boat and the professionalism of the captain & crew made our catch-less cruise a…read morepleasurable experience. First class boat had all the necessities and we were treated like royalty. If only the fish were cooperating! None of the other morning excursions did any better that day. So cudos to the Ihu Nui team for giving us a great day on the ocean off Kona.