Tom Mattusch

The weather Gods certainly did their part, the anglers did their part and the fish more than cooperated for opening day of rockfish in the balance of the state. The Huli Cat ran out to the Farallon Islands to quickly take 22 limits of qulaity rockfish and 15 lingcod. It would really be difficult to find a day that was more perfect for anglers. Folks (literally) fished with everything from Rubber Chickens to lures made from dishwashing gloves, including more run of the mill shrimp flies, bars and lead heads. Lingcod, wolf eel, vermillions, quillbacks, blues, olives, yellowtail, widows, starry's, coppers made for great sacks of quality rockfish. Surface temperature was 61 F, we fished 165 to 180 feet adjacent to Hearst Shoal.

Fish Species: Rockfish & Lingcod
Bait Used: Squid, anchovy
Tackle Used: Bars, swimbaits, shirmp flies, the while tacklebox
Method Used: Drifitng
Water Depth: 165 - 180 ft
Water Temperature: 61F
Wind Direction: S
Wind Speed: < 6 Kts
Daryl Omars' Vermillions
Daryl Omars' Vermillions

Great Eel for  variety, caught on a shrimpfly
Great Eel for variety, caught on a shrimpfly


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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