Tom Mattusch

Huli cat started the day about as normal as possible, with a plan for a rockfish and lingcod trip. Even that was a risk, considering the weather forecast of 20 to 30 knots and 9 ft swell every 7 seconds plus a SW swell every 16 seconds. Intellicast told me the coast may escape the wrath of Mother Nature. Rolling the dice, I did not cancel and am now glad I didn't. We went out for rockfish with 26 anglers from Wilderness Unlimited. Huge swell, even a bit Daunting and disconcerning. A few folks were very late, a phone call revealed they misunderstood the departure time, so they went out on New Capt Pete on the 7am trip, as I arranged alerternate passage. Huli Cat was scheduled for a 6am trip. Horrible snappy swell, even at 9am, I wouldn't have placed money on limits of rockfish. Actually, we finished with limits by Noon in the Tunitas Creek/San Gregorio area! Great variety, even saw a number of Widow Rockfish as shallow as 120 ft, which bodes well for recoverey of the species. On the way in slowly to give the Deckhands, Lee & Mike, time to clean the fish, I keep getting messages from Flanagin about Salmon, "let's go out! WFO! Another post with slamon! Come on! Let's go!' It was the quintissential 20 something talking to the 60 something. Except that we went.

Fish Species: Rockfish & Lingcod
Bait Used: Squid
Tackle Used: Shrimpfliesw, bars, plastics
Method Used: Drifting
Water Depth: 120-140 ft
Water Temperature: 55
Wind Direction: NW
Wind Speed:
Bill Sorrenti Vermillion
Bill Sorrenti Vermillion


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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