Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, send us a message. We would rather answer it than have you guess.
How booking works · Choosing a trip · Weather and cancellations · On the day · Fishing · Who can come · Booking and payment
How booking works here
The weather decides. Rather than selling dates months ahead and cancelling half of them, we set the week’s operating days on the Sunday before and open bookings then.
Send us your dates and who is coming. We will add you to that week’s list, and on the Sunday you will get an email with the trips running, the times, and a link to book and pay.
If you are already on the island, tell us at any point and we will include you in the next week’s email.
It means a little less certainty in advance. It also means when we say a trip is running, it is running.
Choosing a trip
Which trip should we book?
Offshore Fishing if you came here to fish. Eight hours, the far grounds and the outer reefs, heavier gear. The whole boat, $3,300.
Day Fishing if you want a proper go at it without giving up the whole day. Six hours, closer in, $660 a seat with a minimum of three.
Scenic Cruises if you want time on the water rather than a rod in your hand. Two hours, the easiest of the three, $275 a seat or $1,100 for the whole boat.
Still not sure? Tell us who is coming and how you go on boats, and we will give you an honest answer.
Seats or the whole boat?
On the scenic, two or three of you should book seats. Four or more, take the whole boat, because it works out the same or less and you have it to yourselves.
Day Fishing sells only by the seat. Offshore is only sold as the whole boat, because it takes the whole day.
Why is the whole boat the same price for two people as for six?
Because the cost of running the boat does not change with the number of people on it. Same fuel, same skipper, same day. When you book the whole boat you are booking the boat, not a seat on it.
When is the best time of year?
For kingfish, winter. That runs against the main visitor season, which suits anyone willing to come outside summer.
For calm water and long evenings, summer. Sunset is around 7pm in December and around 5pm in June, which changes what fits into a day.
For birds, it depends which ones. Providence petrels are here March to November. Sooty terns run August to March. Red-tailed tropicbirds are around September to May. Masked boobies and grey ternlets are here every month of the year, so there is no dead month, only different ones.
Weather and cancellations
What happens if the weather turns after we have booked?
Setting the week on the Sunday takes most of this out of it, but the weather here can still change inside a week. Scott makes the final call on the morning. If it is not on, we will offer you another day that week. If nothing works, you get a full refund.
What are the actual limits?
We do not head out on fishing trips in more than 20 knots, or in swell over 2.5 metres. Fin cannot get out of the lagoon on a tide below about 0.3 metres, whatever the weather is doing. Those are our own limits and they sit alongside anything the survey or the marine park permit requires, whichever is tighter.
How often does that happen?
Often enough that you should plan for it. This is an island in the middle of the Tasman and the weather does what it likes. Scenic cruises run in conditions that stop the fishing, because they stay in the lee.
What if our flight is delayed?
Tell us as soon as you know and we will move you to another day within your stay if we have one. Flights here are weather affected more often than most, because of the mountainous terrain and the short runway, and we would rather sort it out than hold you to a time you cannot make. If we cannot move you, the cancellation terms below apply, and for that reason we do recommend travel insurance.
If we cancel
We will offer you another date within your stay if we can. If nothing works, or you would rather not reschedule, you get a full refund.
If we cut a trip short
Sometimes conditions change once we are out. If we come in early because of weather or a safety issue, we will work out a partial refund with you based on the time you had on the water.
If you cancel
More than 14 days before your trip, full refund. Between 14 days and 48 hours, we will refund you less a 20% booking fee. Inside 48 hours, no refund, although we will always try to move you to another date if we have one.
If you do not arrive
We wait 30 minutes past the departure time. After that the trip is treated as a cancellation inside 48 hours.
What if the minimum numbers are not reached?
Scenic runs with two or more, Day Fishing with three or more. If we do not get there we will tell you as early as we can, and you can move to another day that week or have a full refund. On the scenic you can also take the whole boat at the charter price.
On the day
Where do we meet, and what time?
The Lord Howe Island jetty. The time moves through the week, because Fin cannot get out of the lagoon on a low tide, so it is set against the tides rather than sitting at a fixed hour. Your departure time comes with the Sunday email. If you are working around a flight or another booking, tell us and we will flag anything tight before you commit.
Will I get seasick?
Some people do. If you are prone to it, take your usual remedy the night before rather than on the morning, because most of them need time to work.
Eat something before you come. Stay out in the air rather than in the cabin, and keep your eyes on the horizon. Tell Scott early if you are feeling off, because there is more he can do about it early than late.
If you are unsure how you go, the two hour scenic is a better place to find out than a full day offshore.
What should I bring?
Sun protection, a hat, sunglasses, and a layer for the wind. It is cooler on the water than on land, and noticeably cooler at sunset. Soft-soled shoes or bare feet. Water and something to eat on the longer trips. Your camera.
Do you supply lunch?
No. Bring what you would like. There is room to keep it cool on board.
Can we bring alcohol?
On sunset scenic departures only, and not before 2pm. Two drinks a person, and no glass on board. Not on fishing trips.
Is there a toilet on board?
Yes.
Can we go snorkelling?
Not with us. We do not offer snorkelling, swimming or any in-water activities on our charters. There are other operators on the island who do.
What wildlife might we see?
Seabirds year round, changing through the seasons. Turtles, dolphins and rays come up often. Wildlife is wild, so we do not promise anything, but these are abundant waters.
Is there phone reception or wifi on board?
Not reliably, and not at all once you are offshore. Tell anyone who needs to know that you will be out of contact for the day.
Fishing
I have never fished. Will I be out of my depth?
No. Scott will rig you up and talk you through it, and plenty of people who book have not fished before. Tell us when you enquire so the day gets planned for it.
I fish a lot. Is this worth my time?
Scott fishes these waters commercially, rod and reel, year round, and has taken part in Project Kingfish, satellite tagging kingfish here for research. He jigs, pops, live baits, deep drops and trolls. Offshore is the trip for you, and you are welcome to bring your own gear.
Can we keep what we catch?
Yes, within bag and size limits. Plenty of people take dinner back to where they are staying.
What might we catch?
Kingfish are the main event here. Wahoo, yellowfin tuna, trevally and deep water species off the drop-offs come into it depending on the season and the day.
What if we do not catch anything?
It happens, and we will not pretend otherwise. Conditions decide the day and sharks take hooked fish here more often than they used to. What we can tell you is that Scott puts you in the best water available.
Can some of us fish and some just come along?
On Offshore, yes. The boat takes six with four fishing, so nobody has to hold a rod.
Day Fishing sells four angler seats. If someone in your group wants to come without fishing, ask us — whether there is room depends on who else is booked that day.
Who can come
Can we bring children?
Yes, with a parent or guardian aboard. The two hour scenic suits most kids. A full offshore day is long and a fair way from shore, so tell us their ages and we will give you an honest answer.
Children need to be at least four years old and at least 15 kg. That is the smallest lifejacket we carry, and it has to fit properly before we leave the jetty — it is a safety rule, not a preference, so there is no way around it on the day. We can take up to four children on a trip.
Tell us ages and rough weights when you enquire, so this is sorted before you pay rather than at the jetty.
Is it suitable for older guests?
The scenic cruise usually is. It is short, close in, and there is nothing to do but sit and watch the island go past.
Getting aboard is the part worth checking. It is a step of about 200mm down from the jetty onto the deck, with a handrail and a hand from the crew.
What if someone has limited mobility?
We can bring people aboard through the side door rather than over the gunwale, but that depends on the tide being high enough for the step down to be safe. Tell us when you enquire and we will work out whether your time slot suits.
If the tide will not allow it on the day, Scott will not board you. That is a safety call rather than a judgement one, and you will be moved to another trip or refunded.
Do we need to be fit?
No. You need to be able to get aboard and to stay steady on a moving deck. Fishing offshore for a full day is more tiring than people expect, but there is nowhere you have to walk to.
Booking and payment
Can I book a specific date months ahead?
Not a locked date, no. Send us your travel dates whenever you like and we will hold you on the list for that week. The trips and times are confirmed on the Sunday before, and that is when payment links go out.
When do I pay?
When you book, from the link in the Sunday email. Nothing is charged before then.
Do prices include GST?
Yes. Every price on this site is in Australian dollars and includes GST.
If I book a seat, who else will be on board?
On the scenic, up to five others, and sometimes nobody else. On Day Fishing, up to three other anglers. If you would rather not share the scenic, you can take the whole boat.
What do you need from us before the trip?
Full names, an emergency contact, and anything medical, mobility related or allergy related we should know about. Ages and weights for any children. It goes on the manifest that stays ashore while you are out, which is a condition of how we operate rather than paperwork for its own sake.
Still have a question?
Send us your dates and who is coming, and we will tell you what suits.