Tom Mattusch

All was beautiful on Lake Pacific. It was difficult to imagine how it could have been better than yesterday, but it was. Huli Cat start out for Dungeness crab. After 13 limits, I headed out for Sand dabs. The first spot off San Gregorio in 240 ft produced kingfish, but no sand dabs. It seems like when the sand dabs are there, you get them rather readily. Moved up about six miles, off Martins Beach in 210 feet of water. Many times it was a dab on every hook. Second try of the Ahi SB-700 Sand dab rig. Needs a few more tries, but preliminary results, it did not outfish smaller sabiki rigs and was more difficult to handle and considerably more expensive.

No set schedule. If I have close to ten, I will run either crab or crab combo. Whale watching is an option this time of year as well.

Fish Species: Dungeness Crab & Sanddabs
Bait Used: Squid & smelt
Tackle Used: Sabiki rigs and crab pots
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 210-240
Water Temperature: 53
Wind Direction: S then NW
Wind Speed:
Aden Burch, Seward Alaska, 7 y.o.
Aden Burch, Seward Alaska, 7 y.o.


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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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Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Tom Mattusch