Fishing HNL?
 

Wife and I will be staying at the Hilton resort this June 1st-7th 2020 in HNL. I was looking at shared fishing charters. Not interested in marlin or big game fish but some kind of fishing that has some nice keepers closer to shore. Looking at something like a 4-6 or 6-8 hour trip? Anyone have any suggestions on something like this? Everything I have looked up seems to be big game fish way offshore, but the prices are decent for a shared trip if enough people join. Would also like recommendations on if there is a public park/place to cook your catch on a grill? TIA.

EDIT To Add: I would even be happy if there is maybe a public/private pier to fish from for half a day close by(imagine I would need to purchase an out of state license).. I need to get my fishing fix in while in Hawaii.

No personal experience with this company, but Sashimi II looks like it meets some of your criteria. Looks like they could offer you a few hours of bottom fishing for reef fish and snapper. In general, I would recommend the boats operating from Kewalo Basin, which is just on the other side of Ala Moana Park from the Hilton. The deep sea guys will also target ono (wahoo), mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna (ahi) and skipjack tuna (aku), all of which can be a blast if you match the tackle appropriately. Do note the following:

• Unless specifically agreed-upon before departing, anything caught "belongs to the boat" so if you want to catch dinner, please make sure there's a clear understanding with the captain.
• Hawaii does not requite a license for recreational shore or deep-sea fishing; only for freshwater fishing.
• IIRC, there used to be a few public grills at Ala Moana Park; not sure if they are still there. One of the locals who post here can probably confirm if they were removed or not.
• Shore fishing using light spinning tackle can be done on the Diamond Head side of Waikiki on even-numbered years (like 2020). https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing/...areas-on-oahu/

Wow! Thank you! That was very helpful information. Much appreciated!

My go-to shore rig was a 7’ Ugly Stik with 12 lb. mono on a Penn 450ss. Obviously, the tech has come a long way since then. Most of my deep sea trips were on a pair of Bertram 33s out of Honolulu captained by friends and family. Let me know if you have any other questions.

The best references I used growing up were books authored by Jim Rizzuto and Mike Sakamoto (both gents has sadly passed, but their later works may still be in print).

There's this guy but it is catch and release.
https://www.alohafishinghawaii.com/

I usually bring my own grill so I don't really pay attention. But if I remember correctly the grills at Ala Moana are gone.
Also, if you do go shore fishing check out the DLNR site already mentioned. If they bother to regulate the fish then generally they are ok/good to eat.