Hawaii Fishing News

What Hawaii Fishing News does

Hawaii Fishing News LLC is a privately held Honolulu-based fishing media company operating since 1977 as the recognized official state record-keeper for the biggest fish caught in Hawaii. The company publishes a monthly magazine (12 issues per year including an almanac issue), an annual fishing almanac with moon-phase, tide, and FAD data, and a backlist of instructional books including Jim Rizzuto's three-volume 'Fishing Hawaii Style' series and 'Hawaii's Offshore Hunters.' It maintains exclusive recognition clubs—the 100-Plus Club for giant trevally over 100 lbs and the Hawaii Granders for 1,000+ lb marlin—a free charter boat directory spanning all major Hawaiian islands, and a tournament calendar. A commercial mobile application is offered on iOS and Android in addition to the hawaiifishingnews.com website and hfnpublishing.com storefront.

The business is bootstrapped with no institutional funding, parent company, or subsidiaries, and operates with a small editorial team led by editor Monica King and publisher Chuck, supported by a roster of named contributing writers. Revenue comes from recurring annual subscriptions priced by geography (Hawaii $85, U.S. mainland $105, Canada $136, International on request), one-time almanac sales ($12), and book sales ($28–$58). Distribution combines direct mail, the company's own e-commerce storefront, and over 30 retail carrier locations across the Hawaiian islands, with community engagement driven through Facebook and Instagram.

There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is a traditional print-media and content publication augmented by a basic website and a mobile app. The company explicitly warns subscribers about fraudulent third-party subscription sellers, directing all legitimate purchases through hfnpublishing.com or mail. Customer base is a long tail of individual hobbyist anglers concentrated in Hawaii, with no disclosed enterprise or institutional accounts.

Name

Hawaii Fishing News

Legal name

Hawaii Fishing News LLC

Website

https://hawaiifishingnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hawaii Fishing News is a Honolulu-based fishing media company, founded in 1977 and designated the official state record-keeper for Hawaii's largest catches. It publishes a monthly magazine, annual almanac, and instructional books for Hawaii's saltwater sportfishing community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Annual magazine subscriptions with varying rates by geographic region (Hawaii in-state, U.S. mainland VIP airmail, Canada, International). 12 issues per year including almanac.
2. Book Sales: Sale of fishing instructional books including Hawaii's Offshore Hunters, Fresh Catch of the Day cookbook, and three-volume Fishing Hawaii Style series by Jim Rizzuto.
3. Almanac Sales: Annual fishing almanac and tide calendar sold separately for $12.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hawaii Fishing News publishes a monthly saltwater sportfishing magazine and annual tide almanac serving as the official state record-keeper for the biggest fish caught in Hawaii. The company also sells instructional fishing books, maintains free charter boat and tournament directories, and operates two elite recognition clubs (the 100-Plus Club for giant trevally and the Hawaii Granders for 1,000+ lb marlin).

Product overview

Hawaii Fishing News operates as a multi-platform fishing media company offering a monthly magazine, annual almanac, and digital services for Hawaii's fishing community. The core product is the monthly Hawaii Fishing News Magazine featuring fishing reports, state records, and tournament coverage. Supporting offerings include the annual Hawaii Fishing Almanac with tide calendars and FAD locations, the State Records Program recognizing record catches across all fish categories, the 100-Plus Club for giant trevally over 100 lbs, and the Hawaii Granders club for 1,000+ lb marlin. Additional services include a free Charter Boat Listings directory organized by island and a Tournament Calendar. The company also publishes fishing books including Jim Rizzuto's 'Fishing Hawaii Style' three-volume series and maintains a mobile application for iOS and Android devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hawaii Fishing News Magazine Monthly saltwater sportfishing magazine covering fishing reports, state records, tournament coverage, charter boat listings, tide calendars, and instructional techniques for anglers across the Hawaiian Islands. Sold via annual subscription with regional pricing tiers.
• Hawaii Fishing Almanac Annual almanac and tide calendar providing essential Hawaii-specific information including moon rise/set times, tide predictions, FAD locations, marine recreational fishing regulations, and fishing forecasts. Sold separately for $12 U.S.
• State Records Program Official state record-keeping service verifying the biggest fish caught in Hawaii across multiple categories including tuna, billfish, pelagics, bottom fish, and freshwater fish, regardless of capture method.
• 100-Plus Club

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Big Game Lures HawaiiminorOthersFeatured link partner offering new and vintage lures for big game fishing with over 40 different lure makers.
• Kona Charter DeskminorOthersComprehensive resource for charter boat information in the Kona area.
• Takeo GyotakuminorOthersArtist creating original fish prints from catches in Hawaiian waters, linked as special interest partner.
• National Weather Service / NOAAminorOthersTidal information sourced from NOAA Tides and Currents website for almanac data.
• HIFISHGEAR.COMminorOthersListed sponsor on the Links page.
• DAR (Division of Aquatic Resources)minorOthersHawaii state fishing regulations sourced from DAR website.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Field & Stream: Iconic American outdoor media brand covering fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation. Broad incumbent with overlap in sportfishing editorial and audience but vastly larger scale.
• Outdoor Life: Established national outdoor recreation media brand covering hunting, fishing, and conservation. Broader portfolio than HFN but overlapping subscriber base and editorial category.

Direct peers

• Sport Fishing Magazine: Sportfishing-focused magazine covering big game and offshore techniques, gear, and destinations. Closely comparable audience (serious saltwater anglers) and editorial format to Hawaii Fishing News.
• Bassmaster Magazine: Flagship media property of competitive bass fishing with magazine, digital, and tournament ecosystem. Comparable fishing-media-plus-events business model even though HFN is saltwater-focused.
• Pacific Fishing: Regional Pacific-focused fisheries trade and sport publication. Comparable regional fishing-media business serving Pacific coast/island fishing communities.
• Marlin Magazine: Magazine dedicated to offshore big game fishing (marlin, tuna, sailfish). Direct peer given HFN's heavy focus on marlin records, the Hawaii Granders club, and offshore hunting content.
• Salt Water Sportsman: Long-running national saltwater sportfishing magazine covering offshore and inshore fishing. Directly comparable to Hawaii Fishing News as a regional/niche saltwater fishing publication with subscription-based print and digital content.
• In-Fisherman: Long-established fishing publication covering techniques, tackle, and destinations across multiple species. Comparable subscription-driven media business targeting serious recreational anglers.

Regional players

• Florida Sportsman: Regional sportfishing publication serving Florida anglers with print, digital, and broadcast media. Highly comparable model to HFN: state/region-focused fishing content with charter directory, records, and editorial authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hawaiifishingnewsholoholo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawaii Fishing News