I can't even begin to tell you how many fishing charters there are on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. Suffice it to say there are dozens, because the Kona Coast is one of the prime areas in the world for fishing the biggest fish of all: the billfish, of which the marlins are the most well-known. You can also catch some of the best-eating fish in the world: tuna, mahi mahi, jack fish, snapper and ono (wahoo or mackerel). Even if you don't fish, never pass up an invitation to go on a fishing boat if you like being on the water. You will likely see dolphins spiralling out of the water, dancing in the wake of the boat, or humpback whales in the winter season, or flying fish lightly skimming over the seas. I once even saw a school of hammerhead shark. A fishing day can often be a lazy day with nothing to do but gaze at the island, the sealife, or off along the horizon.

There is nothing like watching the sun come up over the volcano from a boat at sea off the Kona Coast.

Marlin fishing is serious business. The lines must be out and the angler must be ready.