Wanting to take my three son-in-laws on a deep sea fishing excursion while we were in Kauai, I researched many of the local charters and settled on Apex Kauai Charters. We were not disappointed!
Short Version: Comparable pricing, good communications, Large new 47’ boat, Captain Mark and Kyle were awsome, and brought in 3 Mahi and 3 Tuna, including one approx. 150lb. Would definitely recommend and use again.
Long Version: I researched 6-hr (3/4 day) private fishing charter for 4 adults. Prices amongst the various top rated charters ranged from $950-$1200 (without taxes and fees), with Apex Kuai falling closer to the lower end. I went with a private instead of a shared charter because reviews (of various charters) showed a shared charter can get bumped by a private. Another positive factor for Apex was the boat. They were offering a 45’ boat where most of the others were in the 31-35ft range. Knowing Hawaiian seas in December are known to be rough, I went for the bigger boat. Apex also has a liberal catch policy of 100lb, where others range from 25-50lb. Meaning the Captain can keep any fish over that weight. Booked the charter through their online page in October and received confirmation. Only negative is getting charged immediately where some others only put a CC on hold.
I emailed a week prior to confirm the charter and get an update on sea conditions. Received an email the next day with confirmation and there have been high seas. They did ask if we were flexible on our dates, which we could be. Received an email reminder the day prior with port and slip locations. I immediately noticed the boat changed from 45’ to 47’ Sport Fisher with AC and bathroom. Guess we are going in style! Also received a Text with some additional information with more specific directions, and a warning about potential for rough seas. I have been monitoring the weather and there were small craft advisories with the charter day as the first without one.
Arrived at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor, found the Captain and he gave us a rundown on the weather. He said would be rough for the first couple hours and then gets better. He gave us the option to push the charter to another day. We all decided to Go so we jumped onboard and off we went. We were the only boat leaving the harbor and the Captain mentioned no one has been out for over a week.
This a new boat that was put into service in October. They still have their 45 footer, but that was down for maintenance. The rear deck has a new fighting chair and only a couple places to sit. The cabin is huge with couches along both sides and stairs down to a small bathroom. Yes, the cabin was Air Conditioned. There is a ladder to the next level where the Captain sits. There is seating towards the bow with nice views. There is also a spotting tower if you keep going up. Because the seas were so rough we didn’t stay indoors too much, since it was smoother in the rear. They provide water and you can bring food and other beverages (preferably canned instead of bottles)
Dropped 6 lines within 15 minutes of setting out and fought 6-8’ swells with some 12’ thrown in for fun. The boat handled them well and the Captain did a great job getting through it. About 2hrs into the charter, we hook the first fish. 45 minutes later we finally landed a 150lb+ Ahi Tuna. A little over an hour later we had two bites at the same time resulting in two more Ahi Tuna (15lb & 35lb). 15 minutes later, we had 3 bites at once. This netted us three Mahi Mahi. Nothing else for the rest of the charter.
Back to the harbor and laid out the catch. The Captain quickly cut up one of the Mahi and the mid-size Tuna. He was nice enough to trim and de-skin the filets. We got the whole Mahi and we only wanted half of the Tuna (we were realistic on what we would be able to eat within a couple days).
Overall, we had a great time, enjoyed two nights of fresh fish and I highly recommend Apex Kauai if you are looking for a charter.