Oahu Fishing Seasons

There are no set “fishing seasons” in Hawaii. Ultimately, it depends on several factors including water temperature, wind and the tide. In essence, the best time to fish in Hawaii is anytime!

To get the BEST idea of what we catch during any given month, look at our GALLERY, the tab for Gallery is on our Home Page!  We’ve been taking fish photos of our catches since 2002, look at the previous year, find the month that you plan to fish with us and check out what was caught!  The photos are file named by date, and there are pages upon pages of fish pics. Photos for each year begin with the last day of December and are arranged in descending order, so if you want to fish in January, go to the last page (arrows at bottom will take you there quickly)!

From January to February, the Marlin/Billfish season is typically a bit slower. While some truly large Blue Marlin are caught every year at this time, this is more of an exception than a rule. The Striped Marlin (Stripers, Stripies, or Nairagi) can be caught with some consistency, but only in certain areas. The Skipjack Tuna (Aku) and smaller school-size Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi) can be caught as well. Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) can be found but are few and far between. However, finding some flotsam in the water can change the rules on the availability and numbers off all the fish we target instantly. The Humpback Whale season starts in January and they remain in Hawaii until the end of April. Whales sightings are a daily occurrence at this time of year.

March, April and May all mark the start of the fist Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) run of the year. More often than not, Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) are a daily occurrence and on exceptional days 20 or or more can be caught in a full day’s trip. In March, the Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) are on the small side, averaging only about 15 pounds. As the season progresses, they become larger and weigh up to 50 lbs. Spring is also a good time to spend a day looking for a large to extra large Blue Marlin. School-size Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi) are in the 15-40 pound range and are also common as we move into spring and summer seasons. The Humpback Whales are around, but decreasing numbers at this time.

June, July and August are prime time for catching big Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi). The average fish is usually 100 lbs with many fish topping the 200 pound mark. Considered the best time to fish in Hawaii by most, the summer months are the tournament season for the entire state. The North Shore hosts the Hanapa’a Jackpot Fishing Tournament held at the Haleiwa harbor in the third week of June. The Wahoo (Ono) becomes more abundant throughout the summer and Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) are still common as well. Summer is also typically BIG PACIFIC BLUE MARLIN (A’u) season with several fish tipping the scales at over 1,000 pounds being caught each year.

In September, October and November, all of Hawaii’s species of Marlin and Billfish become more abundant around Oahu and especially on the North Shore. The Striped Marlin (Nairagi) will school up in small “packs” and attack anything you have behind the boat. This ultimately makes for some very exciting fishing. When the Marlin schools show up, the average size of these are 120 to 180 lbs. Big Blue Marlin are still around with the average fish being over 500 pounds. The rare Shortbill Marlin (Hebi) or Spearfish become more abundant allowing anglers looking for a very unique and coveted trophy, a good opportunity to catch the rarest of the Billfish. The 20-60 pound Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi) are still hanging around providing plenty of consistent action for the avid tuna fisherman. And Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) are still common as well.

December is considered by many as one of the most challenging times of years to fish in Hawaii. Generally numbers of all the species of offshore fish are down, but this is not an exact science and everyday is different. On occasion, huge schools of Big Eye Tuna will make a showing in our waters, these are the more aggressive and reckless cousin of the Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi). When a school of Big Eye Tuna is feeding, anything in its path becomes prey. Watching a full speed, wide open Big Eye bite is a sight to behold.

Food quality:
Everything we catch tastes excellent! There really are not any trash fish. All the game fish we catch are of high quality.

Regulations:
None and no license is required