Aloha from Lahaina Harbor, where the fishing is excellent right now. As one of the Start Me Up captains put it, the fishing is “going off.” The striped marlin are still here in full force and the mahi bite is as consistent as ever. If anyone has questions about fishing, feel free to call Start Me Up’s Lahaina Harbor booth at 808-667-7879 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Hawaii time or email startmeupfish@gmail.com. For those who want to know how the fishing has been recently, the report below is a good indicator.


In accordance with normal Start Me Up protocol, Weston Foster and Mark Hodges discussed the fate of any fish they might catch with their captain before leaving the harbor. The discussion turned out to be a worthy preparation when Weston and Mark each caught a striped marlin while trolling in the Manele Bay area off Lanai. As dictated by Weston and Mark’s prior decision, both of the striped marlin were released.

Both Kendall Black and Jessica Maddox caught their first ocean fish with team Start Me Up. The pair of nice mahis was a great catch for Kendall and Jessica. Even the deckhand Ed was excited, especially about the big cow mahi.

Judy Wood and Marcus Hanes proved that the early bird isn’t the only one that catches a worm. Judy and Marcus landed a nice bull mahi in addition to a cow mahi after the fish bit simultaneously. The double bite came while trolling the inside ledge on a four hour afternoon trip.

Jared Custer described his twentieth birthday as a great experience. Jared celebrated his birthday by catching and releasing a striped marlin in the company of his sisters and dad.

Andy Nagy demonstrated his skills as an angler when he brought this mahi to the boat. Andy then took the fish whole so that he could display his skills as a chef. Mahis can be filleted for their steaks and the leftover meat can be used to make soup.

The Cain party had a fun trip catching these mahis on a combination of bait and Maui Fishin lures. They also tagged and released a striped marlin to add to the enjoyment.

Although this mahi was not a big one, the fish was large enough to provide an appetizing meal for the angler.

Carlin and Camille Graff were all smiles after catching a mahi mahi. The fish added some excitement to their day.

The area surrounding the Lanai lighthouse produced some fish for Lee Jensen, Louis Schwengler, and Chad Roberts. They caught and released a striped marlin and kept a mahi for the dinner table.

These anglers were in high spirits after an enjoyable day on the water. They caught a few nice mahis and also caught and released a striped marlin.

Allen Lancaster had a great fiftieth birthday. His girlfriend surprised him with a fishing trip and a very nice bull mahi surprised him just minutes from the harbor. The extreme freshness of the mahi can be verified by observing the fish’s wonderful retention of color.

Greg Allen and Courtney broke the trend of catching striped marlin and mahi mahi. Greg did catch a mahi, but Courtney caught an ono. Hopefully some more onos will begin trickling into the harbor as the start of ono season approaches.

The Crabtree family was very proud of catching a striped marlin, which they tagged and released. They also caught a mahi that was cut up in preparation for dinner.

Ryan Magaw got in on the striped marlin action by catching and releasing one. The striped marlin hit a lure running behind a bird in the long gone position, which is a common striking position for these fish.

This mahi was an awesome catch for Jake and his sisters Allison and Samantha. They came across the fish in the LA buoy area on an afternoon trip. Those smiles mean that Jake, Allison, and Samantha will want to fish every time they come back to Hawaii.

The Mage party experienced a trip that cannot be summarized by the final photograph. They had several striped marlin flurries that did not result in a successful catch. The anglers did make a comeback though and boated two mahis that were perfect for the barbeque.

The Atwood family had a very pleasant four hour afternoon trip. They landed a nice bull mahi as well as a cow mahi while fishing in the Manele bay area off Lanai.

Ron Ruddick took advantage of the late afternoon bite and picked up this mahi while fishing the inside ledge off Olowalu.

Drew, Josh, and Scott Christianson made their four hour afternoon trip a family affair. They went out and got the job done, catching a couple of mahis. Fishing is definitely a great way to spend time with family and friends.

Thanks for taking a look at yet another Start Me Up fishing report. Remember to call our Lahaina Harbor booth at 808-667-7879 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Hawaii time or email startmeupfish@gmail.com with any questions. Many of the fish to be included in the next report have already been caught, so the next report should be up relatively soon. Until then, tight lines.

Aloha,
Jonny