Call us biased, but we love Maui.  Plenty of sunshine, teal waters, sky high sea cliffs, coastline as far as the eye can see and lots of delicious game fish.  And to confirm our opinion, the US News and World Report recently ranked Maui #4 in the top 16 “best adventure vacations in the USA.”

The report mentions Maui’s “plethora of heart-pounding options from sea kayaking to mule riding.”  Well if ever there was a can’t miss, heart pounding adventure on Maui it’s deep sea fishing with Start Me Up!

Whether you’re an avid fisherman (or woman), a novice or a family of four, we have a Maui fishing trip to suit your needs.  Just be prepared for when those fish start biting!  Typically here in Lahaina we catch Pacific blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and ono.  These fish are constantly swimming and are caught by trolling (or trailing the fishing line behind the boat) Maui’s vast waters.  We’ve caught some amazing fish this summer including an 884-pound blue marlin and seven other marlin weighing over 500-pounds each.  When that happens we make a $300 donation to a local charity and give the lucky angler his/her trip for free.  We also caught the largest striped marlin in Lahaina this year at 138-pounds (shown above).  So what are you waiting for?  Book your trip with Start Me Up today and stop wishin’ and go fishin’!  We promise you’ll have more fun than riding a mule.

By the way, Maui was also ranked #1 for the best beaches in the U.S. in case you need to relax after hunting for the fish of a lifetime.

Over the past year, Adam Daniels of Oklahoma has fished with Start Me Up Sport Fishing 18 times! Talk about some serious dedication and passion for Maui fishing! Adam – along with his wife Tracy – first fished with Start Me Up in September of 2010 and has been “hooked” ever since.

On his most recent trip to Maui Adam decided to “mark” his biggest catch and one that he’s most proud of – a 137-pound blue marlin. For many anglers, catching an elusive blue marlin is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I had to go out 16 times before I caught her, but it was worth it,” remembers Adam. “You have to be willing to put the time and work in.” While we agree with Adam, a little bit of luck doesn’t hurt either.

After all that fishing, Adam “relaxed” for nearly four hours at Mid-Pacific Tattoo in Lahaina last week for a more permanent memory of his big catch. Shop owner Tommy Tingle helped Adam design the marlin that now adorns his left calf – a definite conversation piece.

In between fishing trips, Start Me Up Captain Tim “Timster” Putnam stopped by Mid-Pacific to check on his friend’s progress. Timster had the pleasure of meeting the Daniels last September and has been their captain every time since – developing a relationship far beyond Maui’s fishing.

“They’re just great people,” said Timster.

Adam and Tracy are already planning their next trip to Maui in a few months and of course, their next fishing trip. We wonder how Adam will mark his next big catch…

In a mere 40-minutes, friends John Phillips and John Tyrrell of Florida reeled in an 884-pound blue marlin marking the largest blue marlin caught in Lahaina this year.

“I’ve caught my first blue marlin,” said Tyrell who has been on many sport fishing charters in Florida.  His seven-year-old son Reese joined him on this trip.

“This is actually my first deep sea fishing trip,” said Phillips.  “It is just an unbelievable experience.”  Daughter Carter also shared in the exhilarating experience, which was made possible by Captain Denny Putnam of Start Me Up Sport Fishing.

Even more unbelievable, the marlin bit two lures surprising even deckhand Randy Evans.

“This doesn’t happen often,” said Evans.  “The marlin bit the first lure – a nine-inch junior purple softhead – then jumped up and over the line to bite the second lure – a nine-inch disco ball. 

The marlin was caught about four miles outside of Lahaina Harbor during a four-hour afternoon fishing trip debunking the myth that morning is the best time to fish in Maui.

“Everything about this catch is remarkable,” said Doug Armfield, owner of Start Me Up Sport Fishing.  “I always tell my customers that they don’t have to wake up at 2 A.M. to catch the fish of a lifetime.”

Start Me Up also makes a $300 donation to a local charity whenever a marlin over 500-pounds is caught.  In honor of this catch a donation will be made to the Maui chapter of the American Cancer Society.”

“We chose the American Cancer Society because nearly everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer,” said Armfield.  “In fact, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 4,700 people in the Hawaiian Islands will be diagnosed with cancer, so donations are very important.”

Start Me Up Sport Fishing is the largest sport fishing company in Lahaina Harbor on the island of Maui. Combined, the captains and crew have more than 10 decades of experience fishing in Hawaii and around the world frequently catching marlin, mahi mai, ono, spearfish and aku.  You can follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and BD Outdoors.

Planning a Maui fishing trip?  Every day we hear about the “morning myth” from people looking to book a trip with us.  An avid fisher or not, you’ve heard the story before– that the only way to catch a fish is to hop on a boat during prime sleeping hours.  Yes, we offer 2:30 a.m. fishing trips that will cause you to get up before the sun, but if you’re not a morning person don’t sweat it – the fish will still be there in the afternoon (keep breathing, we’re serious).

If you want to get technical, you can begin studying the solar and lunar influences to determine when the best time to fish is, or you can constantly monitor the weather and water temperature of the Pacific Ocean.  Our suggestion though is to put your trust in the captains and deckhands who have been fishing Maui’s waters for decades.

In fact, our fishing has been red hot…in the afternoon!  In June alone, Start Me Up reeled in six blue marlins each weighing over 500-pounds, which means free trips for the anglers and $300 donations to local charities.  Guess when we caught all of those massive fish?  Yep, in the afternoon.

What’s also nice about taking an afternoon Maui fishing trip is having the morning fishermen do the work for you.  For example, if the fishing was hot in a certain area earlier in the morning, you can immediately head in that direction saving you time and possibly, frustration (due to another myth of thinking fish just jump in the boat all day long).

Now don’t get us wrong – we’re not saying morning fishing isn’t worth it.  Many fishermen love hitting the water before all of the activity begins and enjoy the peace and quiet under the stars.  But if you are trying to wake the kids at two in the morning, book an afternoon trip instead.  Didn’t you ever hear the story that crying scares the fish away?

A special thanks to Lisa Berkshire for allowing us to use her beautiful artwork – you can check out more of her work at www.lisaberkshire.co.uk.

Nick from Morris Lures in Pearl City, Hawaii sent our deckhand “Jonny Red ” a lure last week that he was finally able to put it into action during an afternoon Maui fishing trip. Here’s Jonny’s take on how the lure only lived to see one day of action. 

The lure was blue with a slanted head and red and yellow eyes. I ran the lure in the long rigger position and as soon as I put it out I noticed that the lure made a lot of noise in the pattern. The lure put out some big splashes and left a continuous trail of bubbles.

The first action we had on the Morris lure was actually a bird. The bird dive-bombed the lure and tried to eat it at least five or six times. Eventually the bird got in front of the lure and got hit. After that the bird learned its lesson and lost interest. I figured that the lure must look pretty convincing because the bird simply did not want to give up. That was actually pretty entertaining.

The next bite we had on the Morris lure occurred later in the afternoon. A big marlin grabbed the lure and took off. The fish started coming at the boat and chased us long enough for me to get the other lines out of the water. To be honest, the bite was the best one that I have ever seen in Maui’s waters. Fifty minutes later the fish was at leader and I had a wrap. I was applying pressure and I felt the tension give. I knew right then that the fish had come off. The rig came apart near the fish’s mouth and I ended up losing the Morris lure on its first day out. Thankfully, we saw the fish, got a full fight out of it, and saw it swim away in a healthy state. The marlin was definitely over 700 lbs. and possibly over 800 lbs. Even though the marlin got away, just seeing that fish was a great experience.

Thanks is due to Nick from Morris lures for sending me the lucky lure; I really appreciate the aloha. There is no doubt that Morris Lures can bring up fish and entice a strike. In this case, the fish was big and the strike was ferocious.