Tom Mattusch

For anyone needing crab bait, the squid are being extremely cooperative. Went out today with a crew of three and a passenger count of one. Almost immediately, all four of us were hooked up. Huli Cat started in a little less than 600 feet and it was almost non stop. The red devils attacked the boat with regularity. The one client got to see a blue shark ravage a squid on the surfce, and I mean ravage. It was questionable to even use for bait after Mr. Sharky had hors d'oeuvres. The wind cranked up to about 12 knots, when everyone was too tired to drop the jigs in, we ran for crab. Guy Anthony wroked the gear hard, Aldo was too busy to even run around in circles and in short order, I wondered why I didn't put my Grunden bibs on. Came in for crab, had lots of bait theat we even shared with others. We had a nice show of whales and many seabirds. The area showed a lot of life on the water.

Trip Sunday and Monday. Monday we have lots of room, if anyone is looking for squid action.

Fish Species: Humboldt squid & Dungeness Crab
Bait Used: none
Tackle Used: Ahi Squid Jigs
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 550-780 ft
Water Temperature: 55
Wind Direction: NW
Wind Speed: 9 - 15 knots
Tyler Florence with his first squid with Capt Tom
Tyler Florence with his first squid with Capt Tom

Tyler and Guy with Dungeness Crab
Tyler and Guy with Dungeness Crab


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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