Sweet Sadie Kona Fishing Charters

Sweet Sadie is one of the most iconic sportfishing boats ever to grace the water – a custom 43-foot Merritt Sportfisher built by and for IGFA Hall of Fame Captain Alan Merritt. Indeed, Saltwater Sportsman ranked the 43′ Merritt the top sportfishing boat of all time!. She is a fully restored classic, absolutely perfect for fishing the calm waters of Kona. We know you will love our boat … and you may even set the next in the long line of Merritt world records! Meticulously maintained her entire life, Sweet Sadie has been extensively refit to include new clean running, odor-free Cummins diesel engines, a state-of-the-art Release Marine fighting chair, new interior soft goods, paint and varnish, and an air-conditioning system that will keep you in comfort all day long.

We are all avid fly fishermen and love to chase bluewater fish with fly rods. We target short bill spearfish (probably our most sought after fish on a fly rod), blue marlin (mostly in the 150 – 200 lb. range, where anglers have a more realistic chance of landing their fish – but feel free to go bigger if you’re feeling brave), and striped marlin; and can even try for mahi-mahi and tuna. Our captain and crew are experienced with catching and landing these fish on fly gear and can give you a great chance at doing the same.

Part of our fly fishing emphasis is reflected in our boat choice. Sweet Sadie is exceptionally maneuverable and swift, allowing the captain to fight fish in ways many other boats simply cannot effectively. In large measure, this makes the difference between landing and losing fish – we land fish! Likewise, we fish only the highest quality fly gear: new Orvis H3D and TFO fly rods (16 wt., 14 wt, 12 wt. and 10 wt.), Hatch saltwater reels and Scientific Anglers and RIO fly lines. We also provide all the flies you’ll need. Just show up, and you’ll be good to go.