Finest Kind Sportfishing is the oldest name in Maui sportfishing, running since 1972 and now in its third generation under Captain Dave Hudson. It is also a story of recovery: the August 2023 Lahaina fire that destroyed Lahaina Harbor took three of its boats, the Reel Hooker, the Exact, and the Exact II, and the operation has rebuilt from Maalaea Harbor with a new fleet, the Finest Kind and the Aukai. The legacy is genuine, the crew is experienced, and the boats run both private charters and shared seats. What lands it in our mixed band is the reset: a fresh fleet, prices at the top of the harbor, and a review record built largely on boats that are gone.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 6.8 Finest Kind is a mixed result and ranks fifth in our Maui field. The captain and crew are its strongest factor: Captain Dave Hudson’s family has fished Maui for three generations, the operation holds a Lahaina fleet record blue marlin of 1,118 pounds, and named crew draw professional, hardworking reviews. The caveats are real and specific. The current boats are new since the fire, so the deep review history attached to the name describes vessels that no longer exist. The prices sit at the very top of the Maui range, and some reviews flag a high cost against limited fishing. And the move from Lahaina to Maalaea puts it farther from the West Maui resorts it used to serve. Book it for the experience and the crew, with the price and the post-fire reset in mind. For a more proven boat at a lower price, Rod Bender and Steady Pressure rank higher in the same harbor.
The boats
Finest Kind runs two new sportfishers out of Maalaea, the Finest Kind and the Aukai, replacing the three boats lost in the fire. The operation does not post detailed specs for the current hulls, which is itself worth noting: the brand’s reputation was built on the Reel Hooker and the Exact, and the new boats are still building their own record. They carry up to six anglers each and are rigged for Maui’s billfish and pelagic trolling. Treat the fleet as capable but fresh rather than proven, and ask which boat you are booked on.
The fishing and what you target
Finest Kind fishes Maui’s full billfish and pelagic spread. Pacific blue marlin are the headline, caught year-round with the biggest fish in the summer run from June through September, and the cooler months bring striped marlin and shortbill spearfish, the winter billfish. Ahi (yellowfin tuna), ono (wahoo), and mahi mahi fill out the season. The operation’s pedigree shows in its record book, including that 1,118 pound blue marlin, and the captains know the deep water off the island and Lanai. As on most Hawaii boats, the crew keeps the marlin and large tuna, with smaller pelagics more often shared.
Trips and prices
Finest Kind sells private and shared. Private charters for the whole boat run $2,500 for 6 hours, $2,800 for 8 hours, and $3,500 for 10 hours, for one to six anglers, before tax. Shared seats are $400 per person for 6 hours, $450 for 8 hours, and $500 for 10 hours. Those are the highest posted prices among the boats we rank on Maui, which the legacy and the crew partly justify but which some reviewers found steep against the fishing they got. On top sit the Hawaii nonresident license, about $20 for the day, and a gratuity. Our cost guide compares the shared and private math, and the party boat versus private charter guide covers the choice.
The crew
The crew is the steadiest part of the picture. Captain Dave Hudson and named deckhands draw reviews praising clear communication, professionalism, and hard work, with beautiful catches of blue marlin and mahi mahi on the better days. The honest qualifier is that much of the review record predates both the fire and the current boats, so it speaks to a long-running operation more than to the specific Finest Kind and Aukai you would board today. Recent reports are fewer, which is why the track record score is cautious despite the long history.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or by phone, and confirm the boat, the captain, and the rate for your date, since the operation is still settling into Maalaea. The harbor is in South Maui, about 20 minutes from Kihei and farther from Kaanapali and Kapalua than the old Lahaina base. Buy your Hawaii license online before the trip, bring sun protection and motion sickness medication for the channel, and confirm the catch policy. Note that Lahaina Harbor itself only began a limited reopening in December 2025, so most Maui fishing, Finest Kind included, now sails from Maalaea.
How we scored it
Finest Kind scores 6.8, fifth in the port. Captain and crew is its best factor, on the strength of a three-generation operation and an experienced skipper. It is held in the mixed band by track record, where the current boats are new and recent sentiment is thin, by boat and equipment, where the fresh, unproven fleet and the lack of posted specs weigh, and by value, where the prices sit at the top of the harbor. The post-fire reset is the through line. See how we scored this boat for the rubric, and compare it against the rest of our Maui rankings.