Tom Mattusch

The Ocean treated us well today. Really, really well! The Chilipepper rockfish climbed on the gear, when we found them. It took a couple spots, but when we found them, the Chili's cooperated. I had the NOAA Squid scientist on board, we did a little drop in 800 feet in a spot I had never hit before and BAM! Fresh one! Two hangin'! The squid kept coming until we had enough. The Huli Cat did get several for the Squids for Kids Program, where schools may requests a specimen for dissection. We headed into shallower water and structure, and lit up the rockfish. Needed 15 yellowtail, got that and then a few. Some other nice fish, even a canary or two. A few blues, some rosies, a couple vermillions, a copper or three, great old fashioned rockcod fishing. We released the lingcod as they would survive the descent back to the bottom. Ran in to try for Dungeness crab, and the pots treated us well. That and the weather was tremendous, flat calm, no swell, very little drift. This was definitely one of those, "You should have been here on this trip, definitely one to remember!"

Fish Species: Chili[pepper, squid, rockfish, crab
Bait Used: squid
Tackle Used: Shrimp flies, squid jigs, shrimp flies
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 560-800
Water Temperature: 53
Wind Direction: E
Wind Speed:

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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.

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