6 Hour Fishing Charter

We had an absolutely incredible experience on the Kona Cowboy fishing boat. I took my son out for a trip, and it turned into one of those memories we’ll both keep forever. From the moment we stepped on board, the crew made us feel welcome and taken care of. The boat itself is one of the best I’ve ever been on—clean, comfortable, and equipped with air-conditioning, which makes a huge difference out on the water. What really sets this experience apart, though, is the crew—especially Bo. He is hands down one of the best fishermen I’ve ever met. His knowledge, skill, and passion for what he does are on another level, and he made the entire trip both exciting and successful. If you’re looking for a first-class fishing experience in Kona, this is it. Highly recommend—whether you’re a seasoned angler or just looking to create a special day with family.

It was a great day on the water. Capt. and Mate were fantastic with my kids. It was a slow day fishing wise. It was not a lack of effort! We had 3 marlin bites. Would have gone great to epic if one bit right. Boat and equipment top notch! We will be back given the great crew experience with my family.

Was an excellent day of fishing. Gaige is a super chill captain who has all the experience and gear to put you on some big fish. The boat is lovely and supremely comfortable. So comfortable in fact that we took some some nice naps in-between fish. We caught two Blue Marlin and a nice Ono/Wahoo that was excellent eating.

Awesome time with the Kona Cowboy. Our two boys had a blast and was able to hook with some good fish! Would recommend 10/10!

We didn’t catch any fish but we had a great day on the water. Captain Gaige and 1st Mate, Bo went out of their way to keep us entertained and educated while they scoured the sea for fish. When all that failed, Bo mentioned his trick for hooking up stubborn fish… Dunk-a-Roos! Sticking your head in a bucket of ice water and shotgunning beers sounds like the kind of escapades that young people pursue. So when my wife and I agreed to try it, Bo and Gaige got a pretty good chuckle out of it. We were pretty bad at it but Bo showed us how it’s done by the professionals… Well done Bo! Only now am I realizing he may have just been messing with us. Either that or I just couldn’t shotgun an IPA correctly. (I don’t recommend this but it was all we brought.) We may have gone home empty handed but we had a great time. Bo and Captain Gaige are great at what they do and I highly recommend you book your next charter on the Kona Cowboy!

Kona Cowboy Sport Fishing gave us the experience of a lifetime. Captain Gaige put us on marlins and shipmates Bo and Gordon managed the controlled chaos, instructing and helping, while making it a blast! They also have a great house to rent, which is within 10 minutes of everything you need, plus a great view. I’d give them 6 stars if it was available!

We booked a 3/4 day with Kona cowboy for my family of 4. Ryan and Gaige were great to deal with right from the start. Professional and hard working clearly working to give us the best experience possible. They got us on some Ono right out of the harbour. We each got a chance to reel one in then we headed out for marlin. They were great with the kids kept them engaged and both Ryan and Gaige were friendly and easy to hold a conversation with. The kids loved the tuna tower and asking all sorts of questions to the guys. Unfortunately the marlin bite was slow but I’m positive they gave us the best opportunity possible to get hooked up. They even extended our trip without question in hopes to give us a chance at a big marlin! Professional guys that clearly know what they are doing! If your looking for a great charter that is there for you and the experience these are the guys! Thanks again and we hope to be back soon!!

The first mate was great - always trying to cheer us up and talk about his fishing experiences and the great catches others have had on their boat. He could not have been nicer. The captain said hi and bye and nothing else and came down twice only to get snacks. Did not discuss the boat, his experience, where we would go, etc. I have gone on many private fishing charters in Hawaii and elsewhere and I appreciate that there is no guarantee of catching fish. But in 25 years of going, I have never had a trip where I did not even have a chance to fish - not sit in the attack chair or reel in any line - nothing. No bites for 6+ hours is not something that I ever want to repeat. Moreover, we only trolled, there were no individual poles and reels for us to use as we have had on every other deep sea fishing experience we have done in HI and FL so that we can past the time and at least feel like we are fishing. That made the trip monotonous and a bad experience for my teen daughters, who has been with me four times and is always the big angler typically catching the largest fish and most fish, including in Oahu last year. The boat needs upkeep as I am used to riding in a vessel that is spotless and not in need of repair. Not a big deal, but at this price point, one expects a spotless vessel and a captain that can find the best fishing spots. In other trips like this, the captain goes to different hot areas and we try that for a while and then move on if no bites. This usually results in success. This time, we just went up and down the coast with not ONE bite. Beautiful weather and spending time with my daughter was great, but her disappointment made me regret not looking at some of the reviews who had similar comments. Again, the first mate (Ryan, I believe) was stellar and he was the highlight of the trip. I do not write flippant reviews and I thought long and hard about submitting this, but my daughter still talks about her disappointment and therefore, I do not want others to have the same experience.

They were super professional and polite. We are a family that is comfortable being outside and they were super mellow about us all being up top. Ryan, the deck hand, was almost more excited about us ALMOST snagging a huge blue marlin. He was very excited about our catch, the meat quality and size, which made it super fun! I have done other fishing guides who shuffle you off to get your catch cut up for a big price. I was a little surprised and happy that they simply tossed it on the table and began cutting it up. We also chatted about recipes and other things to do on the island. The boat was super clean, easy to move around and the captain and deck hand MOVED when we snagged fish. We got 2 bites in a few hours and they tried hard to get us other fish. They were determined and got us a sweet striped marlin. Even if no fish, it was a great day on the water.

We went out with Captain Gaige and can’t say enough good things! From the moment we stepped on the boat we felt right at home. We were greeted with breakfast pastries and smiles and he gave us a rundown on safety stuff. We started fishing right away and his passion for fishing and being out on the water became obvious as soon as we started talking and we were very impressed. We had a group of 5- 3 of us who are fishing enthusiasts and a couple who were basically just along for the ride- everyone had an equally enjoyable experience. I have done at least 5 charters out of Kona, all on different boats with different captains, and am happy to say that I will only be using Kona Cowboy in the future. Can’t wait to get back to the island and get on the water with Gaige!

The captain and deck hand were super nice. Very friendly. Other than that, we were Disappointed. We let them know we wanted to try and catch some Mahi mahi, possibly for dinner that night, as well as my husband was really wanting a blue marlin. We went up the coast, did a couple turns, then went down the coast. They did change the color if a couple of the lures, but no other changes were made. We were told that all they were fishing for was Marlin. I get it, not every day is a good day for fishing, but it was a very expensive boat ride.

Great day with Gaige and Ryan, pros who know their fishing, appreciate their clients and are great guys to spend a day on the boat with. We were lucky enough to catch a blue marlin!

The only thing that would have made it 5 stars is if we had caught more than one fish. It was not for lack of trying that we only caught dinner. Thanks for a great day!

What a trip! From the boat, gear, Capt. Gaiges knowledge and of course the fishing was all 2nd to none! All the fishing was amazing and also got put on some nice AHI’s. Definitely a trip to remember and highly recommend the Kona Cowboy and Capt. Gaige.

Really fun experience cuaght one in a life time fish. Crew really friendly and nice. Massive blue marlin over 500 pound 12footer

Amazing from start to end! Right out of the harbor we hooked a Omilu! (very rare) It wasn’t long before we hooked and landed a beautiful Ono! We had the freshest fish for dinner, breakfast, and lunch! Chilling up top with Captain Shawn is definitely the way to see the coast. My wife and I had a great time getting to know him and we got a lot of inside knowledge of the Big Island. Our deckhand Si was as good as they come. He made sure everything was set perfect and paid close attention to detail. I live in a fishing community in Southeast Alaska and I can’t recommend Kona Cowboy fishing charters enough!

We chartered the boat for the four of us for a half day. Captain Shawn and Sawyer were fully prepared and we on our way right on time. Lines were in the water in no time. Lures were changed constantly to optimize. We were fortunate to land a sizeable mahi-mahi on live bait. Sawyer filleted it for us and even suggested an ideal preparation. We enjoyed ceviche made from our catch. Thank you Shawn and Sawyer for a great day of fishing!

Had the pleasure of fishing with this team, and I can honestly say that the Captain and crew do a fantastic job of tending to their customers. Very encouraging, fun to be around, and providing you with anything you could think of. A very respectable team that will put you on fish! Definitely the recommended "go to" charter when in Kona.

Had a great time today with Captain Shawn and first mate Cy. Caught Mahi Mahi for dinner which was fantastic. Capt. Shawn let’s you keep some for your table. Don’t get greedy. Trolling back after catching dinner we hooked up with a 150lb marlin but lost it as it wasn’t mouth hooked. Then hooked up with 500+lb Marlin. Epic!! Highly recommend Capt. Shawn. Very professional and knows his stuff! Would absolutely recommend the Kona Cowboy. He wants to catch fish just like you do. We will be back fishing with him.

Shawn and Sawyer gave us an awesome day on the water. The boat is setup well and is in great condition. They were fast and efficient and as soon as our feet hit the boat we were pulling away from the dock. They were great at teaching us how to use the equipment and shared their strategy for the day in detail. Sawyer even showed us the different lures they use and how he makes them. The morning was slow, but Captain Shawn is not one to accept that and he was continuously scanning the horizon and looking for his next move. They are very knowledgeable too and during the whole trip they were talking to us and telling us about the Hawaiian Islands and fishing stories and that was nice when we were waiting for a bite. Finally, Captain Shawn found the hot spot after he noticed some activity on the horizon and confirmed it through his fishing friend network. Despite being over our charter length he was determined to get us some bites. In short succession it became wild with doubles at one point. We got all of our fish in the boat which was 3 mahi-mahi and 3 yellowfin tuna. They filleted up a large amount of fish for us to eat, and took the big tuna to market. It was the biggest fish I’ve ever caught, and is a highlight of my Hawaii trip! Thank you for the great experience and working so hard to put us on the fish! Not any Captain would go this much out of his way for us.

My husband and I are in Kona celebrating our six-year anniversary. The main reason why we chose Hawaii was because my husband and I enjoy fishing and he had been wanting to do Marlin fishing for years now. We were supposed to be on a cruise that ended up getting cancelled and we chose to still visit Hawaii. We had so many charter options but chose Kona Cowboy Sportfishing due to the great reviews…I gotta say those reviews weren’t wrong! Shawn called me the night before to ask if we could come in earlier to do live bait fishing with them. We arrived a little bit earlier and he was telling us of some boat maintenance that he had been working on days before to ensure everything ran smoothly for us. We weren’t having much luck while we were catching the live bait but Shawn stuck around longer until we got something good for bait and it was worth it! Needless to say, they take pride in what they do and want to make sure you’re having the trip of a lifetime! 1000% would recommend to anyone wanting to do sport fishing.

Best experience ever! Captain Shawn was so informative on where the fish were! Showed us so much and caught excellent sized tunas. Will be back in June again with our kids. My wife gave this for our 25th wedding gift. Best gift for me ever! Thanks Kona cowboy

We had an amazing day with Shawn & Sawyer. My husband and I were with our 3 college age children and they did a great job of making it fun for everyone.

Great day fishing with Kona Cowboy. We were off and running about a minute after we stepped on the boat which was before our scheduled time. There were 5 of us with 3 kids. Shawn and Bo were great with the kids teaching them how all of the gear worked and making sure they were ready. They worked to make sure each of the kids caught a fish. They ended up with 5 smaller yellow fin which were great for them. We then trolled for some bigger fish. We were really lucky to land a blue marlin. Even in the chaos of fighting the fish they made sure all of the curious kids were safe but also got to see and understand exactly what was going on. I would definitely recommend them for anyone with kids. I will also be sure to book them again in a few years when the kids are older to go after more trophy fish. They are serious about fishing and also great at teaching and making it fun. The gear was great and everything from booking online to communication was easy.

Today was a perfect day. Captain Logan to the mate Seth the day was just right. Soon after getting underway, I caught a nice Marlin. Fun to catch and release. The weather was perfect. The boat is big and handles easily in the water. The crew did it all. A clean bathroom for my wife. I highly endorse the Kona Cowboy fishing trip. When we return I will be back to try again. Easy to book and easy to confirm.

We had a wonderful two days fishing with Captain Shawn and his crew. Captain Shawn is the consummate fishing guy…a fishing lifer! He can’t get enough, works hard to get into fish and is a pleasure to be around. Terrific boat and crew. Book early because he’s always full. Well done, Shawn. We’ll be back asa soon as we can.

Excellent day on the water with my boys! Capt Shawn and Cy put us on the Ono! Cpt Shawn and Cy answered my boys million questions about fishing - so nice. Highly recommended!!

Excellent day with excellent crew! A couple of Wahoos in the boat and great with my two boys! Put us on the fish - highly recommend

Visited some family in Kona and decided to do some sport fishing for the first time! Kona Cowboy is AWESOME! Professional, informative, friendly, provided everything we could have asked for, and had an amazing time. You get what you pay for folks!!!! Make sure to reserve your charter at least a couple months ahead of time!

What a beautiful and eventful day on the water with Captain Shawn and Bo. We went 1 for 2 on blues!! Shawn and Bo are just fantastic to converse with and really go out of their way to make sure their client is informed and having a good time. The boat and tackle were great and well maintained. You can tell that Captain Shawn puts a lot of care into his boat. And to top it off he is really knowledgeable and experienced. I do not hesitate to recommend them and will be visiting them again in the future.

Yesterday we went on a 3/4 day fishing trip with Capt. Shawn and deck hand Bo. We have always been skunked before but Shawn was able to get us on the fish and we were able to land a beautiful Short-billed Spearfish. They were fun to chat to and also had lots of great ideas about other adventures to try on the Big Island. We would highly recommend choosing these guys for your Hawaii fishing trip of a lifetime! Adam & Heidi, Ketchikan, Alaska.

My wife and I had a great time on the kona cowboy, went out for 3/4 of a day and we managed to reel in 2 blue marlin and a spearfish. The deck hand was great help and fun to talk with. Captain Shawn was knowledgeable about each species of fish we were fishing for. He was a big help with tips on places to go and do around the island.

Every member of the crew was super knowledgeable and super friendly, especially Captain Shawn. They've got all the right gear and know exactly where to go to get some fish, and they will teach you what you want to know if you ask. This is worth every penny that you'll pay. I recommend trying to go out with them for as long as you can. If you like fishing, hire captain shawn, you won't regret it. If you don't like fishing, this trip will make you like fishing.

Shawn put us on the fish! I caught a massive Mahi Mahi and a great yellow fin tuna! Logan and Bo knew what they were doing too explained everything so well and are amazing fishermen. We shuffled through people reeling in fish so I sat and talked with Shawn for a while we jammed to some country music and he gave me a lot of ideas for the island! So grateful we choose Kona cowboys there really isn’t a better charter out there! I have been on Amy fishing trips and this trip was one of my favorites!

Awesome time fishing with the Kona Cowboy! Captain Shawn made it his mission to put us on the fish. We got 2 mahi-mahi and a ono.

Unbelievable day in the water. Sunrise with humpback whales, nice hit from a Marlin, whale shark and 3 species of fish! Such a knowledgable crew. I’ve fished up and down the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska to Canada, to Oregon and California. Always dreamed of fishing in Hawaii, especially with my kids. Could not have been a better day. Thanks Capt Shawn, Logan, and Bo! Logan went the extra mile diving in after the Rainbow Runner who was extra slippery and needed a semi deep water rescue to make it back in the boat.

Was super awesome!! We had 2 deckcrew and they were super helpful put us on the fish. Very kind also

After leaving the harbor and watching a beautiful sunrise we saw several humpback whales jumping. We had a hit for a blue Marlin. We hammered the fish at the fishing grounds. Cool whale shark charm followed us too. Logan and Beau are amazing deckhands and never stopped working. Shawn was such a great captain. Put us on the fish and was so nice and funny even tho he is a bama fan. And I’m going to auburn!!! Everyone are friends when you’re catching fish!

Great crew. Great time. Fished all day. Had a sick guy took him in. Fished hard the whole day. Highly recommend

This was my 7th fishing charter, 4th on the Hawaiian islands, and I can honestly say that Captain Shawn of the Kona Cowboy was the most classy and knowledgeable of them all, which made for a great day on the water. Both Shawn and deckhand Judah were great, genuine people. Along for the ride were my wife, 2 year old daughter and 3 friends- Captain Shawn was 100% accommodating in giving us full access to the entire boat, including washroom and sleeping quarters below deck. When some of our party had fallen seasick, Captain Shawn let us know that at any time we could take them back to the dock and still come back out to finish our time on the water (and this was while we were over 2 hours into our trip - luckily we didn’t need to go back, but this gave us the confidence in knowing that we were in charge of our time and that the captain was willing to work around our needs). Boat itself was immaculately clean and comfortable showing me that the captain takes much pride in his boat and operation. During our trip we hooked into an estimated 300+ lbs blue marlin, which unfortunately ended up throwing the hook as was not hooked well - nothing we could do about that. Unfortunately that was our sole opportunity of the day, but passing time was made easy as both Shawn and Judah are very personable people sharing their recommended spots on the big island. Captain Shawn was also very intuitive- noticing we had an affinity for wildlife, he made extra efforts to give us close up views of pilot whales, dolphins, and humpback whales (he didn’t even allow Judah to shoo off a sea bird that had landed on the boat, knowing its presence would please my daughter!). To top it off, even though we didn’t take any fish away from our charter, Captain Shawn texted me the next day and invited me back onto his boat to share a generous portion of the striped marlin he had caught earlier that day- pure class. I’ve fished around the world so I can genuinely say that this is a world-class operation. When I return to the big island, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be booking with the Kona Cowboy again! Thanks for the experience Captain Shawn!

I called Shawn on short notice. I was really looking to do two days of fishing. Shawn had room in his schedule for one day. I eagerly booked the date thinking I better book it or I might not be fishing at all! I really wanted to go out for two days so I called around and found someone that could do the two days that worked best with my schedule. I called Shawn back and asked him if he would have any heartburn if I canceled on him and booked with they guys that could do the two day trip for me. Shawn was a true professional and he didn't give me any grief at all. I'll be back to the island in the future and wouldn't hesitate to book with Shawn and you shouldn't either!