In early January 2020, the crew of Sportfishing Television traveled to the town of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii to explore this unique fishery and share their story through the pictures and videos they captured above and below the surface. During their week fishing in Kona, the crew of the Humdinger was able to share their 50 plus years of local knowledge and experience with them. The result was a production that tells a story of the beauty and uniqueness of the Big Island and how this world renowned fishery came into existence and became to be known as one of the top destinations in the world for anglers seeking to do battle with a giant blue marlin.
The Big Island of Hawaii began to take shape about a half a million years ago and grew from a series of active volcanoes that eventually formed the lava mountain that rises over 30,000 feet from the ocean floor. Due to the steep rise of the island off of the ocean floor, the productive, deep blue ocean waters that lie just off the Kona coast are home the Blue Marlin year-round in Hawaii are easily accessible in 10-15 minutes from the Honokohau Harbor located just a few miles north of Kona.
The steep mountains that peak at over 13,000 feet above sea level, provide protection from the prevailing trade winds and make the fishing in Kona a comfortable experience and suitable for just about anyone. While Blue Marlin are resident year-round in the waters off the Kona coast, anglers also enjoy variety of other species of fish including Striped Marlin, Shortbilled Spearfish, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Mahi Mahi (Dorado), Ono (Wahoo), Ahi (Yellowfin Tuna), Albacore Tuna (Tomba), Skipjack Tuna (Aku / Otaru) and Kampachi (Amberjack / Hawaiian Yellowtail). Due to the close proximity to productive fishing grounds off the Kona Coast, it is not uncommon to catch a mixed bag of edible fish on virtually any length of Kona fishing charter. Anglers are not required to purchase a fishing license and can keep their catch to enjoy on their vacation to the island, or ship home to the mainland. Before booking your Kona fishing charter, be sure to check the Kona fishing calendar to see which species you will most likely encounter.
