Tom Mattusch

5 anglers and two crew caught 118 sanddabs, fishing 7.1 miles from the harbor in 210 to 230 feet of water. Started out with a northwest to southeast drift. As the weather chagned so did the drift. At one point we were drifting stern into the direction of movement. Backwards trolling? Then the southerly started to kick up with light rain.

Sandabs tonight for dinner. I prepare them by cutting off the head and stomach area, throw a handful of flour into a 'Safeway' plastic bag, add a little salt and pepper. My frying pan/saute pan has butter with the seasoning of the moment. Sometimes, capers, sometimes lemon, sometimes garlic. Saute a couple minutes on each side. Take your knife and fork, insert fork about the middle, slide the meat off to one side, repeat on the other side. Grasp the tail fin, lift, all the backbone and ribs are lifted off. Watch out for the connecting edge fins. and you have a nice sweet delicate sand dab meal!

Today the Ahi little squid like Sabiki jigs did quite well. Be sure to let out enough line to stay on the bottom.

Fish Species: Sandabs
Bait Used: squid, shrimp, fish fillet
Tackle Used: Ahi Sabiki and squid rigs
Method Used: Drifitng
Water Depth: 210-230 ft
Water Temperature: 54 F
Wind Direction: Nw, then to Southerly
Wind Speed: < 10 kts

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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
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