Fishing Reports by Captain Tom Mattusch

About The Author: Captain

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
Fourth of July Farallon Islands Rockfish (7/04/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 14 limits of rockfish, 4 lingcod. Extremely pleasant weather, especially for that far out. Nature also provided a whale show, white sided dolfins, tufted puffins & albatross.
Friday 7/3 Rockcod at teh Farallon Islands (7/03/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 21 limits of rockcod with 4 lingcod. Slight southerly breeze, almost no drift. Caugth fish at many spots, some were better than others.
Live Bait Rockcod for 7/1 (7/03/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 12 1/2 limits for 13 anglers. Live bait anchovies was the preferred method, but not exclusive. Slight southerly,not normal weahter pattern.
Sunday at San G (6/28/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 13 limits of Rockfish. Came across a pod of 20 blue whales. The kind of weather to write home about (to start).
Local Rockfish Saturday June 27 (6/27/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 14 limits of nice rockfish. Bite started slow but improved as the swell dimished. Foggy, rolly start, great bright ending.
6/26 local Rockfish & Crab (6/27/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 5 limits of rockfish, 3 Dungness crabs. Huge rolly swell. Not much wind and a slow bite.
Purple Heart Veterans rockfish trip (6/24/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 30 Purple Heart Veterans fished sloppy conditions for rockfish. Very rolly in the south wind. A great time (OK for most)
Huli Cat Rockfish for sunday 6/14 (6/14/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 6 limits of rockfish, 1 lingcod. Fished less than 9 miles from the harbor. Weather was spectacular, flat, warm, just enough drift.
Farallon Islands Opening Day Rockfish (6/13/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 22 limits of rockfish, 15 lingcod. Very flat weather. Fish that really wanted to bite.
Franklin Point Limits 6-7-09 (6/07/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Limits of rockfish. The catch inluded some great vermillions, lingcod and cabezon. Just enough breeze for a fast drift.
6/6 Halibut, rockfish, Cabbie, Lingcod (6/06/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Lingcod, Halibut, cabbie Rockfish. Utterly beautiful water. No reason not to be out fihsing!
Huli Cat Rockcod, lingcod & Cabezon (5/31/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 12 Cabezon, 6 lingcod to 20 pounds, rockcod for all. Very little wind & swell. Water warmed up to 54 F.
Huli Cat Rockcod below Pigeon for 5/24 (5/24/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 10 limits of rockcod with a ling around. Big swell but no wind. Bite was erratic, some got limits fast, some had to work for limits.
Day Two Rockcod Opener below Pigeon 5/3 (5/03/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] A little better than half limits for 9 anglers. Thank goodness the weatherman was wrong, better water. Better rockfish bite. Some Dungeness as an added bonus.
Below Pigeon Point Rockcod Opener (5/03/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 17 anglers averaged 4 rockfish, 3 lings. Slight Southerly and swell to make things tough. Water a bit cold.
Crab & Sandddabs on Huli Cat 4/4/09 (4/05/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Sanddabs cooperated and bit well. Ocean layed down after howling winds of the previous week. Crabbing picked up.
Huli Cat Sanddabs for 3/28 (3/28/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 9 passengers out for Sanddabs. Wind was almost calm, a little roll. Great visibility and the fish bit.
Huli Cat Sanddabs (3/21/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 5 anglers caught 118 sanddabs. Ocean was calm and flat before an incoming storm. Wind switched to southerly. A nice early, successful day.
Huli Cat Crab Trip 1/18 (1/18/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 18 crabs for 3 passengers and two crew. Easterly breeze made it tough. Crabbing is slow, but there are stil a few to be had.
1/17 Squid Crab Combo (1/18/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Almost no wind, great weather, we looked for humboldts and found none. Came in to run crab gear, got 29 Dungeness crabs. The squid appear to have migrated out. Greay whlaes at 20 miles out.
Huli Cat Humboldt and crab combo 1-2 (1/02/2009)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 1 Humboldt squid came home prisoner. A cold rain and wind made for tough conditions. 30 Dungness crab go home with anglers.
12/30 Humboldt Squid & Crab Huli Cat combo (12/30/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 29 Humboldt squid for 13 anglers. 14 Dungness crab. Weather turned a bit snotty.
Huli Cat squid for 12/22 (12/28/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 13 anglers and 4 crew took 175 Humboldt squid. Weather was about as calm as is possible. Squid came up and fishing was wide open.
12/22 Huli Cat Humboldt Squid Trip (12/23/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 6 Humboldt squid for 2 passengers. Spur of the moment 50th Birthday trip. Weather was far better than the weatherman was calling for.
Huli Cat 12/22 Humboldt Squid & Dungeness (12/22/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Great day on the waqter for squid fishing. 201 Humboldt squid and 9 Dungeness crab for 9 anglers including crew. Almost no wind, easy fishing and a wide open bite.
12/20 Huli Cat Squid Crab Combo (12/21/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 25 Humboldt squid & 14 Dungeness crabs. Very light load, everyone was hooked up. Weather started great, starte capping later int he day.
Huli Cat Humboldt and Crab for Friday (12/19/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 40 Humbooldt squid for 9 anglers. 26 Dungess Crab and 8 rockcrab. Ocean was nice 25 miles out, a little chilly.
Huli Cat Humboldt squid for 12/7 (12/07/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 13 anglers tried their hand at squidding and are now veterans. Weather was a litle sloppy, windy, rolly, chilly, overcast. Lots of opportunities, squid caught, squid lost, jigs lost.
12/6 Squid Crab Combo (12/06/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 160 squid for 13 anglers. Started a little shallower, teh suqid came up big time. Soem anglers wanted crab, so we got crab.
Dungeness Crab for 12/5 (12/05/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Limits of crab for 9 anglers. Weather was nice,clear,calm. Crabbing icked up alittle with longer soak time.
Squid Crab Combo for 11/29 (11/30/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 20 Humboldt squid and 20 Dungeness crab for 5 anglers. Big swell with little wind. The squid bite is outrageous!
Huli Cat Squid Crab Combo (11/29/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 15 Humboldt Squid, 21 Dungness crab. Weather was a little snotty. The squid bite was wide open.
Humbolddt Squid and Dungeness Crab Combo (11/23/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 36 Humboldrt Squid cuaght 25 miles SW of Pillar Point Harbor. Great weather and water for squidding. Came in for Dungeness Crab in time for the wind to pick up and get a bit snotty.
Huli Cat Rockcod Crab Combo for 11/22/08 (11/22/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 21 limits of rockcod. 7 lingcod, a few cabezon. 25 crabs. Weatherman was wrong, lovely day.
Huli Cat Humboldts and Dungeness Crab (11/12/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 25 Humboldt squid for 10 anglers, 12 limits of Dungeness Crab. Calm water, little wind, lots of fog. Good squidding and good crabbing.
Huli Cat Crab combo for 11/10 (11/10/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 11 limits of Dungeness crab and rockfish. The forecast bd weather was erroneous, it didn't exist. Crabbing picked up with less pressure.
Huli Cat Crab without the combo (11/09/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 81 crab for 19 anglers. A little on the rough side today. Wind chop made for an uncomfortable otuing.
Humboldt squid crab combo 11/8/08 (11/08/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 21 Humboldt squid for 12 anglers fishing offshore. 16 limits of Dungeness crab for passengers and crew inshore. Flat ocean, foggy, drizzly.
Huli Cat Crab for Friday 11/7/08 (11/07/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 7 Anglers went out for Dungeness Crab. 7 anglers came in with limits of Dungeness crab in under three hours. Weather was beautiful.
Huli Cat Crab for 11/6/08 (11/06/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 19 limit of Dungeness Crab. Weather was stellar, clear and calm ocean. Quality of crab is great.
November 5 crab & Rockcod (11/06/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 11 limits of Dungeness crab. 3 lingocd and assorted rockfish for 8 anglers. Crabbing was excellent, rockfishing was OK.
Huli Cat Rockcod and Dungeness Crab (11/03/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 11 Limits of Dungeness crab for passengers. Rockfishing in big swells after the storm. Lots of crab in the pots.
Huli Cat Humboldts for 10/25 (10/25/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 15 Humboldt squid for 3 cussotmers and four crew. Squid weren't as shoallow as I hoped. Weather was nice.
10/18/08 Humboldt Squid (10/18/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 2 dozen squid for 6 anglers. Very little wind made for great conditions. Several first timers got squid on their first trip
Huli Cat Rockcod for 10/18/08 (10/16/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 16 anglers for rockfish and lingcod. Bite was a little slow. Water was very rolly.
Rock Cod Fishing Pioneer Canyon and Farallon Islands (9/14/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 10 limits of rockccod for 10 anglers. Shrimp and squid were not home. Weather could not have been better, wildlife was very enjoyable.
Saturday 9/13 Montara Rockfish (9/13/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 5 limits for 5 anglers. 1 nice lingcod kept and 1 released. Homemade lure, what next?
Rockfish and Lingcod Fishing Out Of Pillar Point Harbor (9/05/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] 9 anglers and 9 limits of rockfish and 2 lingcod. Fished locally, near the harbor. Water was flat, sun was out. Got into areas we don't usually get a chance to try.
Baseline Marine Reserve Study Trapping (9/05/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Monday thorugh Thursday, Huli Cat was trapping fish in the newly established Marine Rserve area below Ano Nuevo Island. The purpose was to establish a baseline to examine the success of the reserve process.
Squid Fishing Trip (8/31/2008)
[Half Moon Bay,CA] Brought in 8 ive squid and about 2 dozen for the fish boxes. Some previous spots didn't fish as well, found a new one. Water was sloppy, wind wasn't bad.
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