Tom Mattusch

What was to have been a rockfish crab combo, switched to a crab only. To salvage a trip and show the anglers a good time, we opted to pull crab pots. Fishing had been marginal, only three anglers showed instead of 20, so we couldn't run a 54 foot boat 24 miles south to try to catch fish off the bite. Pulled up to the first crab pot and got limtis for all on board immediately, 5 passengers and crew. Got back too early for the shop that cooks, cracks and cleans the crab, so I took it home and cooked it, cleaned it and cracked it myself.

Fish Species: Dungeness Crab
Bait Used: squid
Tackle Used: crab pots and hydraulics
Method Used: Deadliest Catch: Crabbing on the Huli Cat
Water Depth: 165
Water Temperature: 56
Wind Direction: NW
Wind Speed: 9 knots

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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