Tom Mattusch

I had folks that wanted to salmon fish, folks that wanted to rockfish and a couple that wanted to see whales while fishing. I told the salmon people salmon had been slow, said do you want to fish all day or go home with something to eat and a little more action. I asked the rockfish folks if they would mind a little salmon fishing to check and see if the fish were still down below the Deep Reef. We might see the whales that had been hanging out there for so long. All agreed and we went out to 275 ft below and outside the Deep Reef. Not a whale to be seen, ominous. There was extremely good nutrient rich water and a few scattered murre birds, so we put the lines in. Someone dropped their rod overboard. Not long after, somene complained they must of hooked a jellyfish, since it was tough to bring in and no fight. The angler caught the missing rod and niether person lost their weight!!! Four boats out, no one caught a fish. 12 miles below the Islands, one boat found the whales, silvers, shakers. 1/3 of the Huli Cat is seasick, hooked a fish that came in like dead weight. Dead, dead weight. A crab pot submerged? Buttoned down the drag and cranked. A big old white belly, long fish, I thought white seabass, but they usually have a blistering first run. A novice angler catches his first salmon ever - 29 pounds. Hoping to get out of the wind, we ran into San Gregorio for rockfish, then down to Pescadero, get the sick folks minds off just sitting staring at rods. Good quality hardheads, not much on schoolfish. One of the passengers who was the most sick all day, said she heard I had crabpots, could they go see them? Pulled enough crab for 1.5 per angler and came in a little after 4pm.

Fish Species: Salmon, rockfish, crab
Bait Used: Anchoviy & squid
Tackle Used: Trolling gear & rockfish gear
Method Used: Trolling 7 Drifting
Water Depth: 85 - 275 ft
Water Temperature: 53.8
Wind Direction: S
Wind Speed: 5 - 15
Capt Tom Mattusch & Arthur Taylor, 29#
Capt Tom Mattusch & Arthur Taylor, 29#


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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