Tom Mattusch

11/7 marked the first day to offer a rockfish crab combo. Do semantics indicate that would, should, could happen? The swell was too rough, the wind not favorable, the fish were not intersted in coming out of their little rockpiles. One yellowtail rockfish, 1 starry (rosy?). After a few hours where the fish did not bite shrimpflies, flies with bait, bars, rubber squids, we pulled to gear to run back up towards the crab gear. By then the wind machine was starting to operate in earnest. Ran the outside string, ended with 87. By now more wanted to go home than wanted to stay. I asked for a faint effort to check the inside string, picked up the last few we needed for 20 limits of Dungeness. Low and slow was the order of the day. Pacific Hooker ran the block. Largest haul was 9 per pot that were legal, some pots had none. Based on what I saw, this may not be the greatest season, but we will have some crab.

Fish Species: Dungeness Crab & Rockfish
Bait Used: Squid
Tackle Used: Shrimpflies, bars, rubber squid
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 145 to 170'
Water Temperature: 54
Wind Direction: NW
Wind Speed: 12 - 25 knots
Capt Mike Velasquez on the block
Capt Mike Velasquez on the block


Do you want to leave a comment? Login or register now to leave a comment.


No comments so far

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