Tom Mattusch

Fishing out of the Half Moon Bay area picked up, along with the water temperature. As Capt.Tom Mattusch said, "We were glad to see the first schoolies bite in numbers this week. This coincides with the increase in water temperature in the nearshore. Water temps have been around 54 to 55 degrees. This is just what we needed to put some of these fish on the bite." The Huli Cat has been fishing for rockcod in the Three Rocks area. Rockcod limits were the norm this week and a good number of lingcod are also coming in. This week, the rockfish bit better on shrimp flies tipped with squid, while the lings came in on lead heads and tails. Some folks used whlle herring and whole anchovy, dirted mooching style. That caught a few fish, not as many and the shrimp flies with squid. The two good lings were caught on a homemeade lead head with a home made tail. Mostof today's catch was brown rockfish, china cod, some yellowtail, lincod, blues and vermillions.

Fish Species: Rockfish & Lingcod
Bait Used: Dead squid, herring and anchovy
Tackle Used: Shrimp flies, bars, lead heads
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 110 feet
Water Temperature: 55 degrees F
Wind Direction: NW
Wind Speed: 5 kts
Sarah Strong, of Indiana, with a nice double
Sarah Strong, of Indiana, with a nice double

Darren Seiji limits on lings with homemade lures
Darren Seiji limits on lings with homemade lures


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Tom Mattusch

About The Author: Captain Tom Mattusch

Company: Huli Cat Sportfishing

Area Reporting: Central California, San Francisco Bay area

Bio: Tom Mattusch is currently the owner/operator of the Huli Cat, a 53 foot charter boat operating out of Pillar Point Harbor and has fished the West Coast since 1967. Tom holds positions on the Salmon Stamp Committee for California, the California Department of Fish and Game License Agent Advisory Committee and NOAA's California Sportfishing Action Team. He's an IGFA Certified Captain. In an effort to contribute to research, Tom works with NOAA's PFEL tagging chinook salmon. He also worked with NOAA's Santa Cruz field office gathering stomachs and beaks of Humboldt squid. He recently completed a study with the Point Reyes Bird Observatory collecting lingcod, salmon and halibut stomachs and is currently involved in a study with Scripps to gather albacore stomachs. Tom holds Board of Director positions with the Golden Gate Fishermens Association, Coastside Fishing Club and Fishery Enhancement and Research Foundation. He can be heard on four radio stations giving fish reports or discussing fishing politics. He has worked closely with the Recreational Fishing Alliance, PCFFA, the Half Moon Bay Fishermans Marketing Association, United Anglers of Southern California and United Anglers. Tom ran the first trip out of Half Moon Bay to take anglers to catch Humboldt squid and the first white shark viewing trip to the Farallon Islands. He is the first charter boat Captain out of Half Moon Bay to get certified to marry people and has married people on the Huli Cat. Tom ran the first albacore trip out of Half Moon Bay to demonstrate the albacore were again reachable by boat off the Central California coast in the mid 1990's. Tom held a seat on the California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative as a Central Coast Regional Stakeholder group Member.

650-726-2926
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Tom Mattusch