Help & Guide
Everything you need to know about booking charters, logging catches, and making the most of Okinawa Fishing.
🎣Getting Started
What is Okinawa Fishing?
Okinawa Fishing connects anglers with local fishing captains offering chartered fishing trips around Okinawa, Japan. You can browse captain profiles, check availability, book a charter, and log your catches — all in one place.
Do I need an account?
You can browse captains, catches, and gear reviews without an account. To book a charter, log catches, or message a captain, you'll need to sign up — it's free and takes less than a minute.
How do I create an account?
Click "Get Started" or "Sign In" in the top navigation, then follow the sign-up flow. You'll need a valid email address. After signing up, you can complete your profile from the Profile page.
⚓Finding & Booking a Charter
How do I find a fishing trip?
Use the "Find a Trip" page to search for available charters. Filter by date, trip type (reef fishing, deep sea, etc.), group size, and price range. Results show available time slots on the captain's calendar. You can also filter by broker if you'd like to book through a specific agent.
What's the difference between browsing Captains and using Find a Trip?
"Find a Trip" filters by real-time availability — great when you have a specific date in mind. The "Captains" page shows all captains on the platform with their full profiles and services, letting you compare before checking availability.
How do I book a charter?
Once you find a trip you like, select an available time slot from the captain's calendar and click "Book Now." You'll be taken to a checkout page to confirm the details, select any optional add-ons (equipment, guides, catering, etc.), and complete payment. You'll receive a booking confirmation with your reference number.
What are add-ons during checkout?
Some captains and brokers offer optional add-ons you can select when booking — such as extra equipment, bait packages, or special services. These appear on the checkout page before you confirm your booking.
Can I cancel or change my booking?
Cancellation and change policies are set by each captain and shown on their profile and during checkout. View your current bookings under the Dashboard page — each booking will show its cancellation window and contact options.
🧭Captains
How are captains vetted?
Captains apply through the platform and are reviewed by our admin team before being listed. Each captain profile includes their bio, services offered, photos, pricing, and verified reviews from past guests.
What information is on a captain's profile?
Each captain profile shows their experience, available trip types, pricing, upcoming availability on a calendar, their boat details, reviews from previous customers, and contact/social links. Profiles also include a map pin showing the captain's port or home base location.
How do I search for captains?
Visit the Captains page to browse all listed captains. You can search by name, location, or trip type. Each captain has a clean, shareable URL you can bookmark or send to others.
Can I contact a captain before booking?
Yes. Captain profiles include contact information and links to their social profiles. For specific questions about gear, language support, or custom trips, reach out before booking.
🤝Brokers
What is a broker?
Brokers are agents who can book charters on behalf of groups or clients — useful for tour operators, hotels, or anyone organizing fishing trips at scale. Brokers have access to a dedicated broker portal with fleet management, calendar, pricing, and financial tools.
How do I become a broker?
If you're signed in, you'll see a "Register as a Broker" link in the navigation (if you're not already a captain or broker). Submit your application and the admin team will review it.
What does the broker dashboard include?
The broker dashboard has several sections: Fleet (manage your roster of captains and deckhands), Calendar (view and manage upcoming trips), Pricing (set commission rates and service pricing), Bookings (review all bookings made through your broker account), and Financials (track revenue, payouts, and fees).
Can brokers be booked directly?
Yes. Broker profiles are publicly accessible via a clean URL (e.g., /brokers/your-broker-slug) and show your logo, company description, contact details, and social links. Customers can search and filter trips by broker on the Find a Trip page.
How does broker checkout work?
When a customer books through a broker, the checkout flow includes broker-specific add-ons and pricing. The broker's commission is automatically applied, and the booking appears in both the broker and captain dashboards.
🐠Logging Catches
How do I log a catch?
Go to the Catches page and click "Log a Catch." You can record the species, weight, location, date, tackle used, and add photos. Your catches appear on your public profile and in the community catch feed.
Can I see other people's catches?
Yes — the Catches page is a public feed of catches from the community. Click any catch card to open the full catch detail page, which shows photos, gear used, location notes, and more.
Can I edit or delete a catch I logged?
Yes. Go to your Dashboard, find the catch under "My Catches," and select Edit or Delete. You can update any details including photos, species, weight, and notes.
🎯Gear Reviews
What are Gear Reviews?
The Gear Reviews section lets the community share honest reviews of fishing equipment — rods, reels, lures, line, and more. Useful for both beginners and seasoned anglers trying to decide what to bring to Okinawa.
How do I write a review?
Navigate to Gear Reviews and click "Write a Review." You'll need to be signed in. Select the equipment type, add your rating and comments, and submit.
👤Your Profile
How do I update my profile?
Click "Profile" in the top navigation. From there you can update your display name, avatar, bio, and fishing preferences. Your profile is visible to captains you book with.
How do I register as a captain?
If you're a licensed fishing captain in Okinawa, click "Register as a Captain" in the navigation bar. Fill out the application form including your experience, boat details, and services. The admin team will review your application.
📊Dashboard
What's on my dashboard?
Your dashboard shows your upcoming bookings, recent catches, and account activity at a glance. Captains and brokers see additional tools relevant to their role.
What tools do captains have in the dashboard?
Captains access the Availability page to manage their calendar. You can publish availability slots with specific services, pricing, and group size limits. Slots are color-coded by service type for easy scanning. You can also delete or cancel slots — cancelling a slot with existing bookings prompts you to acknowledge any refund implications before confirming.
What tools do brokers have in the dashboard?
Brokers have a dedicated broker dashboard with tabs for Fleet (captains and deckhands), Calendar (upcoming trips), Pricing, Bookings, and Financials. From there you can manage your entire operation — roster, schedule, revenue, and payouts — in one place.
Ready to fish?
Browse available charters and find your next Okinawa adventure.