-
August 2023 by Averly Cox
Shared 8 hour sport fishing charter with Timster and Derek was awesome!!! We caught 21 mahis and a shark that was tagged and released. I think booking the 8 hour charter is the way to go. We had plenty of time to fish the school of mahis (I caught 5) and troll for bigger fish also. Timster and Derek were so helpful and fun, definitely veterans of their trade.
-
July 2023 by Josh Hellman
What a pleasure to fish with Start Me Up Sport Fishing. Tim Putnam flat out know’s how to fish. He and Derek made our experience everything you could ask for. They put us on fish and worked incredibly hard the entire time to make it easy for us to enjoy the trip. I would encourage anyone to book the longest trip possible. The day lasted the entirety of our booked experience and more. From the time we stepped on the boat until our return arrival at the dock they kept us on the water fishing. We showed up at the dock early in the morning and Tim and Derek were ready to greet us and leave the dock. They were well prepared and had a plan in place for a successful day. They provided us all the information we needed to be informed, aware, and safe. Safety was never a concern as their knowledge of the water, boat, and fishing was always in control. The boat was clean and even with the nonstop fishing action, they maintained cleanliness and safety on the deck. Once we returned to the dock, they cleaned and prepared the fish as we asked, making it easy to cook on our own. There is nothing more rewarding than providing delicious fish to the family to enjoy. They provided more fish than we could have needed for our week vacation and more. Throughout the entire day they were personable, enjoyable, funny, and just all around great people. We will without a doubt be fishing and making more memories with Tim and Derek in the future. Thanks again Tim and Derek for making my first ocean fishing experience one I will always remember. I’ll see you at the dock again some day!
-
July 2023 by Dylan Zinio
What an awesome trip, by far the best day I’ve had fishing and the best charter I’ve been on. Timster and Derek knew what they were doing and made the trip what it was. I wish that we could have gone on a longer trip, 8 hours almost wasn’t enough and it seems the longer you’re out there the better opportunity to catch some big ones! I’ll definitely be back
-
July 2023 by Erin Berger
My family did the 6 hour fishing trip with Captain Timster and Derek. We had an absolute blast!!! Captain Timster asked us to leave earlier (400 am) than what we had originally planned (500 am) to increase our chances of catching some fish. When the captain wants to leave early…you leave early and we are so thankful we did. He and Derek had went out the night before and caught live bait to use on our trip and that made allllll of the difference. We were able to get out before a lot of boats and caught 12 Mahi Mahi with the live bait. My husband, son (17) and daughter (15) took turns reeling them in. I sat up by Timster and took pictures and videos and had great conversation. Derek and Timster worked together like a well oiled machine baiting the hooks and juggling the lines when we got a fish on. Derek was awesome with the kids and knew exactly what he was doing getting the fish on the deck and into the cold bag. We ended our trip by catching a yellow fin tuna which was on my husbands bucket list. I can’t say enough good things about Captain Timster and Derek. I would go on another trip with them in a heartbeat!
-
June 2023 by Kevin Weldon
Captain Tim and deck hand Ryan did an outstanding job on a recent 6 hour fishing trip. My friend Larry caught a beautiful ono. We would definitely recommend this charter for sport fishing on Maui.
-
May 2023 by Jamie Black
We did the 4 hour private charter with Captain Timster and Derrick. A great time was had by all. We caught 3 Ono. They were very accommodating to my husband who is in a wheelchair. The atmosphere was fun, the crew was very informative and answered all my questions,Would definitely book with them again.
-
April 2023 by Codi Austreim
Definitely recommend chartering a trip with Captain Timster and his first mate Ryan bright and early this morning. Within minutes of reaching the fishing grounds, we had action and it didn’t let up until we had reeled in 13 mahi mahi! After that, they rigged up lines for us to try a different method and we caught 3 tuna! They were friendly, informative, and knew what they were doing!
-
April 2023 by Briana
Would absolutely recommend Start Me Up Sportfishing. We booked a 6 hour trip and it was awesome! We went in with realistic expectations and understand that not every fishing trip will be successful, but still a great time on the water with good friends and beautiful views!Caught 2 Mahi Mahi and were lucky enough to catch a Marlin! Steve and Jamison changed lures a few times as we progressed into more shallow water—and back into deeper water to allow us the best chance at catching fish. After reeling in the Marlin we were nearing the end of our allotted time. Instead of just hurrying back to the harbor, Steve insisted on setting lines again and trolling back to the harbor. Enjoyed watching whales and dolphins right next to the boat. Thankful for the friendly crew and comfortable boat!
-
March 2023 by James C.
Booked a 6 hour private charter with Start Me Up for myself and two sisters in March 2023. None of us had ever been sport fishing. Captain Tim called to tell me to be at the dock at 4:15am, he wanted to be a little earlier than the 6:30am departure orginally booked. Believe me, it was a great decision. The moonlight cruise to the fishing spot was beautiful, and at dawn we dropped our first casts and had fish on the deck in 5 minutes. Over the span of 2 hours we landed more than 12 Mahi Mahi. Great fun! Exhausting, exhilarating. Time and Derrick were fantastic guides, especially with us newbies. Add in some closeup whale sightings, and it could not have been a better day. Thank you Tim and Derrick, definitely a bucket list memory.
-
February 2023 by Bentley K.
Phenomenal experience! Our family of four had an amazing time on the water with Captain “Timster” & First Crew Ryan! The crew members were very conversational, and made sure everyone on the boat got a fair share of fun reeling in fish. They also made sure to make it easy, and painless for us beginners. Such a fun and memorable experience! Would definitely do this again, and only with Start Me Up!!
-
February 2023 by Amanda Maes
This was our third or fourth time fishing with this company and it was AMAZING! Timster was a great captain and Ryan was amazing at teaching us how to handle the equipment and ensuring we were safe. They were both so friendly and helpful.We did the four hour trip, and are looking forward to an even longer trip next time because we had so much fun. We rode out for hours, and did not stop to ensure the most options/chances to catch fish. We saw tons of WHALES because the fish were chasing them! We caught tuna, and we now have lots of memories. We even caught out bait!!I saw some previous reviews complaining about seating and air conditioning, but you are on a private boat!! It is clear some of these people have never been fishing. If you want a yacht with AC without the fishing experience BUY ONE!! There is enough seating upstairs, outside and inside for about 6-7 people. If you are wanting a day without a fun experience stay at your resort.We will be back ASAP!! We love this company!!
-
February 2023 by Ko Xiong
We had a great time with Captain Tim and his crewmate Derrick. They were super friendly and fun to hang around with. We caught a bunch of mackerels and a bonus Kawa Kawa fish. Watched whales up close and saw a double rainbow! I definitely recommend booking with them!
-
February 2023 by Tiffany Kirby
We went out with Captain Steve and Ryan. We had a great time! Despite the 2.9 stars on google, my husband gave them a call and had an awesome experience from the start. They were professional, super kind, went out of their way to make sure our kids were having a good time and we’re comfortable on the boat. We were never pressured about money nor was tipping ever mentioned (we absolutely did tip them!) Our son caught one tuna right off the bat, and thought that was our only bite for the 6hr trip, we still had fun. The kids ended up getting nauseous (2 of them did end up puking over the edge) and the crew checked on them, never made them or us feel bad. They made it a point to slow down and point out whales nearby so the kids would have a memorable experience. We are so glad we went out with them!! Thank you Steve and Ryan!!
-
February 2023 by Nicole K.
What a fabulous experience! Our family of 4 had so much fun on the water with Captain Timster & his first mate Ryan. We had never been before, so we didn't know what to expect. They took their time to teach us boat/fishing safety & protocol. Then we got to the fun stuff-sport fishing. We all caught something & made lasting memories doing it. I would recommend this company for your sport fishing adventures.
-
December 2022 by Joel Weigle
Great experience! We got there a little early and they allowed us to get started earlier so we were the only ones on the water.They gave briefing while on the waters and showed us everything we needed to know.Caught some Mahi Mahi and they filleted it for us, was hoping for a Marlin, but we knew it would be extremely lucky to be able to get one!Great to have conversations with Matt and Steve, if we ever come back, we'll book another trip here.
