Tom Mattusch

The short story, 13 limits of rockfish. Nice quillbacks, vermillions, big island quality yellows, the regular Farallon Island smorgasbord. Chinas, lings, and so on. Even with the five hour run time round trip, we were still back in the harbor early, even though we left late.

The weather man. What is up with the weather man? Forecast called for 14 to 18, Point & Click alluded to a washing machine. The SF buoy was 7 knots and the HMB buoy was 14 knots. I pinned my hope on the SF buoy, made the run and never saw 9 knots of breeze. 7 to 8 knots was tops. I think one of the big problems is, the lack of good weather devices on the Island itself. The biologists are (were?) supposed to call in a report. I never heard it on the reports today. What is needed is some good automated meteorological equipment that updates every hour like the buoys. The rest of the story is we were back in the harbor with limits by 2PM.

Fish Species: Rockfish & Lingcod
Bait Used: Squid
Tackle Used: Shrimpflies, bars, P Line squid
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 175
Water Temperature: 56 F
Wind Direction: WNW
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.

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Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Tom Mattusch