Fishing Reports

Ahoy there one and all!
These are the reports of recent activities
aboard the Riptide!

Ahoy there one and all,
We have been fishing for Rock fish since the first of June above Pigon Point.
The fishing has been anywhere from ˝ to limits for most passengers. On Sunday we had ľ to limits for 12 passengers with a bunch of ling cod as well.
We have also been seeing many humpback whales as well!
With the wind and cold water we have seen so much krill and sea life everywhere.
It is good to see all of the life in the ocean and watch the whales also feeding and playing and breaching.

Now if we can just move into our summer weather!

Thanks

Capt. Smitty

April 25, 2006

Ahoy there one and all!

Monday was a true awakening of the season for us aboard the RIPTIDE!! We
had a private family charter on board and they were pretty much locked
into going on Monday, which actually was a very nice weather day. But, I
was so worried about taking them out and having to stay so close to the
beach as everyone knows is not really where the salmon are thought to be
(what an assumption!). Off we went in search of one of the true sportfish
that can be caught on a rod and reel. After hearing about one boat that
had run south the day before (Sunday) I decided to go exploring down that
way. Knowing that the fishing had been slow on the inside and everyone
thinking the same thing I did not have very high expectations. Around 11
AM I was still praying to just get one fish!

For those of you who know me, you know I like to chase whales. I was
figuring that if nothing else I can at least show them some magnificent
creatures! When we found them, they were feeding on anchovies. We were
watching them lung feed through these huge balls of bait. As soon as we
hit one of these first haystacks of bait I heard Deckhand Zack screaming
out “FISH ON SMITTY!!!”

After boating the first one and noticing the current was screaming down
to the south I turned and started to tack back up to the whales. We did
not quite make it as we had a double go off with two rods screaming off
line with a pair of 15 pound salmon!
Losing one and getting the other I thought I better stick with these
Whales! Man was I right!! We had a steady pick from then on with singles
and doubles landing some and losing some. I just feel frustrated when
that happens but what the heck, at least they got to play the fish and
feel the thrill of the salmon fighting! Still fighting the current and
working around all of these great “riptides” on the surface we had an
OUTSTANDING DAY!!!!!!!!!

The final tally at the end of the day was 19 salmon to 19 lbs for 12
anglers!
SO WHO SAYS THERE ARE NO FISH ON THE BEACH AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR!!!!!!
Till the next time!!
Tight Lines!
Capt. Smitty

8/9/05

Ahoy there one and all!!!

I know I have not been reel (or is it “real”?) attentive to my fishing reports, but I attribute much of that to the fact that this summer’s fishing has really been fantastic and I have been running all over the decks with Deckhand Zack “Gaffing and Bashing Fish” left and right -- from having wide open rock fishing with ling cod chasing everything swimming and latching on piggyback-style to the rock fish to having free-swimmers following other lings that are holding onto other fish. Onward to salmon fishing and catching 30 pounders which have been putting a hurt on customers, to hitting pockets of shakers and having to work through smaller fish and then finding those little pockets of big ones where the rods bend over double with another throbbing rod, knowing that on the end is another fish of a lifetime for someone. Add to that having to dodge the whales because they are also feeding on the abundantly rich schools of bait everywhere and I do mean everywhere!!

Seems as if the whole ocean is alive with life!!!

Now don’t let me white wash this and make you think that every day is a wide open fishing bite!! Well maybe every other day!!!!

This is the time of the year that I dream of with the fog laying down on the water and flat calm seas. Knowing that it should be a great day for one and all with the hopes of not too many falling prey to the old sea sickness! I think today we did not have one person down with the old dreaded “mal de mar.” The ocean was so calm today the boat was spinning in circles and drifting every which way making my job harder and harder to try and figure out which way would be best to drift for rock fish. Ahh Shoot just set up on the tip of the rock and let it drift a different way each time which really does work out well because you hit a different area. What was that I heard?? Some one calling for the gaff again????

Oh no it was just Zack hollering “FISH ON”!!!!!

6/24/05

Ahoy there one and all!
Well June has busted wide open!! Salmon fishing has picked up to a fever
pitch! With limits generally being the rule this past week. We have had
limits everyday from the day we have been able to get out after all the
big winds of the early part of the month through Friday when we had 10
limits. Then on Saturday we really got rolling! With 19 limits of king salmon to 28 lbs!
There have been some big salmon too! So far our best has been 28
lbs but I was listening on the radio and have seen some 30 pounders being
hauled up the dock!!
It looks like the season is getting into full swing and with the fishing
as great as this it should be a banner summer!
Rock fishing season also starts on the first of July and should also be
great since the season has been closed for so long ( yes these scientist
really know how to catch paper fish)!! With the return of some since to
the ling cod size it should be a great year for catching them as well!!!
Am off to the boat to get ready for another great day on the ocean and
have to admit i am excited!!
Gosh isn't this what it is supposed to be like!!
FISH ON!!!!

6/18/05
Ahoy there one and all!

June has been a tough month for salmon fishing. We have had lots of wind,
big seas, rain, earthquakes, Tsunami warnings and just about everything
else thrown in including a new head for the boat (Don't ask -- you don't
want to know!). So we have been using the time to get some fresh paint
on the old girl. I've never known a lady who does not like some fresh
makeup!

I've also been spending some time at the Pacific Fisheries Council
Meetings in Foster City where the rock fishing season was basically
staying the same. We hope this is good news. The season opener is on July
1st. The ling cod go back to the old regulations of 2 fish at 24 inches.
Which, after their (the scientists) statistical glitch we are looking at
some great fishing opportunities for ling cod. Boy! oh boy, I sure can't
wait for that first fresh dinner of some schoolie blues (my favorite!).

Now on to today's salmon fishing. We have not been out in almost a week
and a half and the last trip out was with Ken and the "boys". Today we
traveled down south and found some great fishing off of Pigeon Point in
the deep water!!! After having so much time off and no one really looking
we decided to head down that way to see what the fish gods might offer up
to us. When we stopped and put the gear in the water we almost
immediately had on a 14 lb salmon! Hooray!!! But, we had several people
who thought they would stop these brutes by tightening down on their
drags and the next thing I hear is FISH ON and then snap. I hate that
sound!!! I saw at least 6 to 10 fish popped off due to tight drags. It
sure is tough to lose nice big fish like that. We finally got our act
together and started to box the fish!! There were many Humpback whales
throughout the area and if you know me I like to fish around them as I
think they bring me luck. Which they pretty much did today!

We did fish a bit late today with such beautiful weather it was really
grand to enjoy the ocean and spend some much needed time on the briny
deep! We ended the day with 14 limits for all of the passengers and the
biggest was 19 lbs.

Gosh I think I remember what it is like to once again enjoy being on the
ocean and enjoying the vast expanse of its rich bounty (and with a head
that works)!!!!
Till next time!

4/18/05
Ahoy there one and all!

The salmon season opened the first weekend in april to a DISMAL start.
We were scuncked the first day out. Having a boat full of my regulars all
with great anticipation and remembering years past of early limits
dancing through everyone's head (including mine). But, it was not to be.

The water has been extremly warm from all of the winter storms (and we
have been deluged with them) The storms come up from out of the south
bringing with them warmer surface waters This warm water was very unusual
for this time of the year with water almost up to 58 degrees! Shoot - we
catch tuna in water that warm! With thoughts of another El Nino year
rearing it's ugly head, all of us have been concerned and looking for the
Northwest winds which usually start in March (something about a parable
about March roaring in like a lion!). Well, for almost the past two weeks
we have had just that! The winds have been howling! We have seen the
water temprature drop down to 49 degrees!!
And with the drop in the water temperature we have seen the salmon
starting to show up!

Today, Saturday the 16th of April we were able to actually use the word
"limits"!!
Limits for 10 1/2 passengers!!! (A 1/2 passenger is one that pukes, never
touches his rod and wants to go home!)

The weather gave us a small break this morning and allowed us to head out
to the area known as DEEP REEF. Those of you who have fished with me know
that i love fishing on DEEP REEF! Have fished rock fish there for what
seems like centuries before the government in its infnite wisdom shut it
down due to over-commercial fishing. Some of you remember the "Blue
Horizon" days where we had to run away from the salmon to try and get to
the bottem to catch rock fish! Boy those were the days!
On the traditional opener for salmon which has for the past couple of
years been the middle of April this is exactly the area that I have
headed to in the past. And, sure enough today the fish showed up!!
Right where I would expect them to pop up. A great mix of fish with
shakers mixed in with fish up to about 15 lbs!

So with the start of the season underway and things actually looking like
they are getting back to normal we will be able to reap the bounty of the
predicted salmon run which has been estimated t at twice as many fish as
last year!! Last year was hands down one of the most prolific bites off
of Half Moon Bay that I can remember.

We are looking for a repeat of last year's tremendous season with all of
you getting tired of catching all of these wonderful salmon !!!!

Lets just hope that they continue to bite!!!

Tight lines

8/9/04

Ahoy there one and all!

I know I have been remiss in writing my fish reports but we are into the "dog days" of summer! With the opening of the ROCK FISHING season and the TUNA showing up offshore it has been a busy time aboard the RIPTIDE! So, I shall cover the past few days of fishing starting with Saturday.

We had a tuna charter on Saturday which was booked back in March! After running offshore to the area called the "guide" (almost 50 miles) we put the gear in the water and before we could get it all set we had a triple header of tuna in the 10 to 20 lb class. I found a temperature break and worked from the inside edge which was around 59 degrees out to where it jumped up to 61. Back and forth and we hooked another 15 lb tuna. The weather God started to rear its ugly windy head. The seas were sharp and the wind increased to 20 to 25 knots. Not the most comfortable weather. Working out further offshore in hopes of finding more productive grounds and not having sucess we turned back to the break hitting it again although it had moved a mile or so. Due to the weather conditions, we did find our last tuna before pulling in the gear and heading back home with a totoal of 6 tuna for 5 guys.

Sunday started with great promise for our ROCK FISHING charter! Almost everyone had their own rod and tackle (some darn fine equipment)! We headed south in pea-soup fog which actually is a great thing as far as I am concerned!!! The fog usually indicates that there is not too much wind or sea and this was the case on Sunday! It also allows me to hide from the other boats! We started at San G. and worked over some high spots with virtually no drift. It seemed every time I set-up the boat would drift a different direction. This was frustrating for me, as I wanted to cover the whole rock but instead just had to start on top and then let the boat drift off. This was still productive and the fishing was a slow pick but steady. We covered many spots from Pomponio on down to Pescadero - catching some nice fish on every stop. We ended the day with 18 limits of nice rock fish 5 lings (yes the new size is 30 inches!) and 4 cabezon.

Today (Monday) we went salmon fishing up off of Linda Mar up to what is called the Great Divide (below Daly City). It was slow to start as the tides were not rea favorable to start. By 9:30 and still fishless I was seriously considering moving somewhere else. But where?? We started to hook some fish and by noon we were done with 9 limits of salmon up to 18 lbs! So, I guess the term would be that I "pulled one out of the hat!"

Who knows what is going to happen the rest of the week? We do have space available for rock fishing on Thursday and also on Sunday. Salmon is available all the rest of the days. So, get yourself down to the boat and catch something!

Smitty

6/27/04

Ahoy there one and all!!

Well, after having the engine long block core replaced we are back up and running with a new heart to the old girl and she feels invigorated!

On Thursday, a long time regular and good friend, Tim, and his "Clan" come out on Friday for the maiden voyage with the Princess!! Yes a (double entandre)!!! It was good to see how the family has grown! After trying to turn over a new leaf just before stopping to put in the lines I ate a banana! Yes ME!! I have to do something to change my luck! So, slowing down the engine and trying to find that sweet spot on the idle of this new engine and then setting the lines. After just helping two people get their lines in I hear that sweet sound "FISH ON" !!! Oh ya baby bring it on! and there are multiples going! When I came back up to the wheel house and spotted a big SEA TURTLE!! I knew this was going to be a great new beginning of the new season for the RIPTIDE!!

The weather was cooperating which has been not the norm this June but I think it has a lot to do with why the fish are staying right off shore! With all of that wind there is a tremendous upswelling pulling the cold nutrients up from the deep feeding all of the Krill and life just below one of my favorite spots and I know many of you have fished with me there "THE DEEP REEF"!! For the last three days we have been fishing there and I have to say it has been grand!!

From Friday through Sunday we have seen the winds and seas increase from the northwest. This is a true springtime condition for our coast and I must admit it is one of my favorite kinds of fishing! We call it "Gorilla Fishing!" - big fish mixed with grand party boat fish! It seems that the nastier the weather the better they wanted to bite. Well let me tell you, after sitting at the dock for the past month replacing the engine and being the only boat tied up, Bring on the nastie!!! And lets kill some fish!

I am glad to be back to work and it is due in no small part several people who I will forever be indebted to. So even though my main man, Ron Frederick, will be moving he has made the Riptide what she is today! Ron has made all the stainless steel work from the canopy to the steering to making sure the old girl has her new engine in sweet order. Also my friend, Paul From Shoreline Diesel brought his expertise to the project. Thanks, also to Tom Mattuch of the Huli Cat who graciously accommodated some of our previously booked business during this difficult time.

Thank you Gentleman.

Capt. Smitty

5/8/4

Ahoy there one and all!

Well another weekend has come and gone. And what a wild, woolly wacky one it was! Saturday started out with another Private family style charter of 15 passengers. Family that were in town for a graduation and they wanted to all be together doing something fun! Well then they decided that good old Capt. Smitty could provide a day’s entertainment as well as maybe a fish or two. So after loading on some food and beer and then some more beer and lets not forget the bottle of Jack (think there was more than one). Departing in pea soup fog, with about 1/8 mile visibility. There were cups of coffee, yes spiked with something, I was not too sure what but refused ( you know the old drinking and driving rule, besides it was way too early for me).

My morning speech, which everyone hears when we prepare to depart, I Fill everyone in on all the essentials and give everyone a heads up on what the prospects of the day should be. Well this week has been made up of not how fantastic the fishing is (which it is) it is how do we deal with the jellyfish. God I hate Jellyfish!!!! It has been a matter of finding a place where we can get through the stuff to get to the fish.

Ok, running offshore and keeping an eye on the radar, I headed back to the same area we have been fishing and seeing tremendous signs of birds and huge pots of Krill (shrimp) and leaning over the rail and seeing those big long brown things in the water as well.

Thinking I had found a clear spot I slow down so Zack the deckhand can put one line in to test the water to see if we can fish. Well, we did that 3 times before finally getting outside of the jelly.

Ok as we get all the lines in the water and start to hook an occasional fish and still hook an occasional jelly. One of the other boats calls that he has wide open fishing about 3 miles further to the south! So, up come the lines (these people are getting pretty good at handling the gear)!

Crossing a “RIPTIDE” and getting into darker water I can see there is no jellyfish!

Ok back in goes the gear. Well we were trying to get the gear back in. FISH ON!!!

Another one on the hook. Sheesh, we had three fish hanging and had just a couple of lines in the water. Well we got a couple of them but the partying and running was starting to take hold. We were having lots of toasting to the fish in the box! Toasting to the fish off the hooks, toasting to the future fish to be caught (or lost). We were going to have a full day of it today with people now getting the dropsy’s on the fish. But, what the heck everyone was having such a grand time! The bight slowed and was just an occasional fish for the rest of the day which suited everyone as it did not interfere with there drinking as much!!

All told we ended up with 19 salmon for them for the day and they were ecstatic.

Now to Mothers day (Sunday). 5 am and there has been a BIG change in the weather.

We have a group of friends (12) from Freznow who have never seen much less fished on the ocean and one of my good regular customers “Terry”.

Rounding the buoys I was not running very fast as there was already a swell. Well, it did not get better. The swells were not so big but they were getting sharper (closer together). Still heading back out to the spot where we were in the morning as I had heard the jellyfish had gone down. Saying a prayer to the jellyfish gods to give us a brake we continued out. And having to slow down even more as the swells were getting sharper. I guess it is good practice to have everything on my dash board thrown to the floor after falling off of one or two of the waves. Good for cleaning. Throwing all the stuff into an empty weight box we get out to the fishing grounds. Birds Krill (shrimp) and no jellyfish! Putting the gear in the water and having instant fish!!!! Doubles, triples and busting off gear. Then I realize that there are only three people fishing as the rest are hanging over the rail. They were not going to fish as I tried to hand them there rods with fish on them. All I can say is thank god for boat limits!! Those three were having the times of there lives. Terry on the stern was sweating from hauling one right after the other! He put his rod in the water and tried to get to the cabin to fill his coffee cup. Well he mad it to the steps and Zack was hollering TERRY get back here!!!!

We ended up with 13 limits of salmon by 9:30 (I think). When I said to reel them up I looked around and there was only Terry there trying to get his line back in the water.

I walked over to him and I said lets go. He got this big grin on his face and said that was great and he was ready as he wanted that cup of coffee!

GORRILLA FISHING at it’s finest!

5/1/4

Ahoy there one and all!

We went salmon fishing today with an exclusive charter of ten people on board the RIPTIDE. Man these people brought enough food and drinks to take care of half the harbor!!

Upon pulling out this morning I could tell it was going to be one of those special kinds of days. The sunrise was grand and the seas, well what seas?? Was flat calm for our trip west of the harbor. When we reached about 13 miles west of the buoys I started to see the bait. This is the same area where we had been fishing earlier in the week. Slowing the boat down, the deckhands had the rods rigged and ready for the drop in. Deckhand Chris got the first line in the water for a customer and he barely had time to put the safety lanyard on it before it was pumping with a fish. First the one - then three. As fast as Zack and Chris could get the lines in they were getting bites!

I love total pandemonium! Controlled pandemonium, that is with people going over under around and through. The action was steady and it was difficult to keep a line in the water. We had our limits by about 8:30 for the customers. So we pulled all but three rods for the crew and started to tack towards the harbor. We kind of got out of the fish. But, that was ok as I was just giving them some time to eat the ton of food on board. We picked up the lines around 9:30 and started to head in with just a little breeze starting to come up out of the west which was fine as we were heading east, making for a great, fun-filled ride back to the harbor with 11 & 1/2 limits of salmon up to 23 pounds.

All in all, this was defiantly one of those special kind of days where everyone went from anticipation to thrilling rod bending, reel screeming and then joking eating and swapping a good yarn or two on the way back to the dock.

1/17/04

Ahoy there one and all!

Here is hoping that everyone has had a healthy and happy holiday season!

We are looking forward to the 2004 year with great expectations!

Both the Whale Watching and Fishing should bring great opportunities for you to enjoy the beautiful Pacific ocean

The rock fishing season has opened with the added benefit of fishing in deeper waters!

We can fish part of the year out to 30 fathoms (180 feet). This came from a lot of hard work and

at the PFMC meetings. As many of you know I attend many of

these meetings to try and represent your interests in keeping the ocean

open to fishing. There were many heated discussions and wide ranging perspectives at these meetings.

It is difficult to try to work within the science that is available for use to the PFMC

Committees. There is a mandate that they have to use the “best available

Data” even when acknowledging that the best available data does not represent what is

going on in the real world. I think of it as the world of paper fish. Data

collection methods are undergoing a change this year and hopefully it

will be more representative of the real world of the ocean.

As a result of the Council’s decision to push everyone in on the beach this past year

they are afraid of having a larger impact on these nearshore species. But

there is no available data showing what this will be. So without good data available,

they guess as to which species were caught and then try to build upon it.

This is one of the reasons they wanted to let us fish in deeper water to allow more opportunity for the fisherman.

But there is still the constraint of the protected species (canary, yellow eye, etc)

as well as the “Near Near shore” species. So there will hopefully be more

opportunities in 04. But, that depends on the stock assessments which we

have not seen yet. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and Hope for the best.

Well, on to real fishing! We had a private charter on Sunday to the Farallone

Islands for rock fishing. Since the season is opened out to 30 fathoms

(180 feet) I wanted to try fishing in areas that have been closed. I

found a little spot that I had all but forgotten. It started at 170 feet

and the peak came up to 155 and then dropped off to 180 before the bottom

turned soft. Seeing these fish in my new meter was a delight for me!

My new meter is so much more sensitive than my old one I was really

impressed! And apparently it did not lie - as the customers let their lines

down they were all stopped by some whopper yellows! Everyone was pumping

on their rods and reels working these fish back up. I tried throwing a

bar and was successful in getting through the schoolies. Shoot, I thought

I hung the bottom till the rod started the hard slow pumps. Ahhh, a

toothy one! Working it up to the surface and gaffing a nice 14 pound ling

cod! So I put down the rod and continued to help the passengers take off the fish so they could get

back down. Let me tell you, I was sweating and I was just helping. After

a few more drifts we started counting and keeping track of the different

species. When we finished we started towards home while the deck hand got

out his knife and started filleting.

When all was said and done we had 15 limits of rock fish and keeper

lings. Since the weather was so calm the ride home was great and half the people

were sleeping after wearing themselves out catching those nice fish!

So you will excuse me now so I can go and help my self to a plate of FRESH

Brownies!

Bon appetite!

Smitty

9/20/03
Ahoy there one and all!
We are getting into the latter part of summer with the fog still on the
beach today keeping things cool (as far as the weather is concerned)!
I had a charter of guys from the valley and they said it would reach 100
degrees in Tracy today! When we made our first stop this morning and I
went to help get lines in I had to give out a big belly laugh!!!
These guys were using box wrenches for weights with hooks on them!! They
had bought a bunch from "Harbor Freight & Salvage"!!! When we caught the
first one on one of these contraptions everyone was hooting and
hollering!! Maybe they were on to something!!??
The rest of the day was spent working through school fish trying to get
Mr Goodwrench to the bottom!!
I will Never look at a box wrench the same way again!!
We ended the day with 14 limits of rock fish and 16 ling cod up to 15
pounds and a couple of cabezon!
It never ceases to amaze me what people will think of next to throw at
fish!!
THese guys will forever now be called the "GOODWRENCH" group!
Tight Lines!

Capt. Smitty

8/31/03
Ahoy there one and all!

This has been a great Summer weekend full of fantastic fishing! We have been rock fishing and Boy! - let me tell you they are biting! We have seen some really great ling cod fishing this past month! Many days we are coming in with better than a ling per person! And some darn big whoppers too! I think our biggest ling cod was over 20 pounds (not only was he ugly but he was pissed)!! Have been getting doubles on the lings in some places. The rock fishing has been great as well. There have been so many school fish that they have been hard to get through to the bottom!

Things are looking up for the future of the rock fishing! After all of the past troubles and hard work over the past 5 years (for me attending the Pacific Fisheries Management Council) we are starting to see some positive things from our sacrifices. We are looking at the possibility of a 12 month season next year! But to be honest I think a 10 month season will be more realistic. We are also looking at the possibility of fishing in deeper water for a couple of months as well. A lot of this will depend on what kind of allocations and stock assessments we will be able to see at the meetings.

I am optimistic about the future of this fishery and hope that we can continue to see a rebuilding of stocks of fish. One shining example of this is the rebuilding of the ling cod fishery. Several years ago we were lucky to see just a couple of them per trip. But with their rebuilding plan 6 years into the 10 year plan we are seeing some mighty fine lings showing up everywhere!

I will be in attendance at the Pacific Fisheries Management Council meetings from the 8th through the 12th in Seattle. So lets all keep positive thoughts and tight lines to keep these fish rising to the surface!
Thanks

Capt. Smitty

5/26/03
Ahoy there one and all!
It sure seems to me that this holiday weekend came early this year. Kind
of like the fishing this morning! An early bite! I got a call on the
radio about a bite just a few miles to my south. So after fishing for
about 20 minutes and only catching one small silver (yes, they are back)
we picked up the lines and ran south for a couple of miles. Since the
ocean was flat calm and pea soup fog it was a easy hop down.

When we started to put the lines back in the water we had almost
instantaneous action! Both deck hands Jeff & Zack were instantly busy
with netting and uncrossing fish that were running all over the place in
the back of the boat. Yes there were silvers mixed in and we did have to
shake a bunch of them and some big ones too!

We were doing well with the fish and keeping up with the tangles and
pinning the fish as it was steady action when the "DRAGONS" showed up!
The darned sea lions took us for several fish before my glaring and
yelling at them scared them away (have you ever seen me when I'm mad?)!!!

As the day wore on the fishing did slow down but we were in great shape
and ended up leaving the fishing grounds around noon with all the fish we
needed! Gosh it is so much fun when the weather is flat calm and the fish
want to jump into the boat!

Till next time!

5/14/03
Ahoy there one and all!
We had 18 limits of salmon and the biggest was 22lbs. We were fishing 12 miles a little west by southwest from the harbor. When I stopped in the morning i did not see much krill but there were three Humpback Whales feeding. So i figured they were better judges of the bait situation than i was and decided to join them. We were getting the gear in the water and i was helping the people on the bow get there lines in when there was this really bad smell!!! Everyone looked at each other and said "hay it's not me". When i looked directly up wind and saw all three of the whales blowing and realized it was the whales bad breath ( they don't brush or floss between there baleen plates and it is one of the worst smells)!!
Everyone on the boat was holding there nose and laughing at the whales bad breath when the rods started to light up! First one then three more! We were hooking a lot of fish loosing some and releasing some shakers as well. Zack & Jeff ( my two deck hands) as well as myself were very busy making bait, netting fish, pinning them and trying to get the gear back in the water. then the fur bags showed up! God how I hate them! We lost another dozen or so fish to the sea lions before they decided to go and bother someone else! Thank GOD!!
When i looked up there were the other boats around us and they too were doing very well! When we did our final fish count and started to head back to the dock it was 10:30 and the ocean was still nice and calm!
When the deck hands came up to talk for a minuets before getting started on cleaning the fish they were both covered in fish scales and slime. But, there was no hiding the ear splitting grins on there faces (as well as everyone else on board)!
Just a perfect day in PARADISE!
Till next time!

4/26-4/27/03
Ahoy there one and all!

The SALMON season is in full swing now! This past weekend we were fishing west of the harbor from 12 to 18 miles. On Saturday the weather was great! There was no wind at all and some big long lazy rolling waves which made for a great day! We were fishing in the krill and typical of that kind of bite we would go along with nothing for 5-10-20 minutes and then hit a pocket of fish! First one rod would go off and then maybe one more or five more!!! At several points we had between 5 to 7 fish on at once with no other lines in the water!!! I was telling people to go up to the front of the boat and put your line back in while there was total pandemonium on the back deck with people chasing there fish over and under each other!! I sure do love that kind of action!

At the end of the day, we were on our way home with 16 limits of some of the nicest salmon seen in a while with the biggest being 21 pounds!

Sunday things started to change. There was the start of the southerly winds wotj steadily increasing winds all day. The fishing was not quite so red hot. The action was pretty steady with some multiple hookups but the kind of action we saw on Saturday. Nonetheless, we had a good day with 21 fish for 18 anglers. Everyone managed to take at least one fish home on Sunday.
This looks to be a great season shaping up. I think these late storms are helping to keep thing mixed up.

Just remember to "Troll till your Balls fall off!"
Till next time!

Capt. Smitty

8/24/02

Ahoy there one and all!
This was another Summer Saturday of Salmon Slamen!!
We have had some slow fishing this week off of Pacifica so I started to head up to Marin headlands as there were some good scores up there this week. After fishing for the past 6 weeks off of Muscle rock and Pacifica I though I would go up and join the "Parking lot" along the Marin coast. Well I got a call from one of the private boats out of our harbor (Manual on the Gravy) telling me he had already caught two fish when I was abeam of muscle rock. Well it took me all of about 5 seconds to change my plans and go back to where I have been fishing for so long!!! After putting the lines I the water we were rewarded with a hook up almost immediately!
We then preceded to feed a fur bag two more. But, after having a stare down contest with the captain the sea lion decided I was meaner ( and probably more ugly than him) and left us alone.
We then had a slow spell for an hour or so. Around 11 am things started to pick up again with a single fish here and then a double there. By noon we were having some great action with the fish hooking and loosing a few. Then around 12:30 they really turned on! We caught 23 fish by quarter to one and I thought we had limits so I had the ones left in the water pull there line while Heather ( the deckhand ) counted the fish! Well it turned out that we needed one more for the customers to have full limit's so, we were going to put back in one line for the customer and one for myself back in. I was working a rod on the bow for a guy who was a "little under the weather". I got the rod down about 15 feet when it was darn near yanked out of my hands by a salmon! Walking the fish to the back of the boat hollering to the fellow to come and get his fish when he said Captain please for the love of god land it and take me home!!! Everyone roared with laughter and even the captain got to play a fish on this great day!!!
What a great way to end a great summer time bight! Heading back to the dock was a great trip as I was swapping some stories with the head of the charter Who is sure to be back for another day of great fishing aboard the RIPTIDE!!!
Thanks !

Capt. Smitty
Riptide Sportfishing & Whale Watching
www.riptide.net
888-747-8433
415-469-8433

7/19/02

Ahoy there one and all!
Thursday’s (7/19/02)report of the wanderings of the RIPTIDE!

I am off of the water today and actually should be attending a meeting in Monterey on the "Marine Life Protection Act" (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/index.html). According to the information I have received, the public is welcome to attend as meeting observers but public participation will not be allowed. There are several people at this meeting who will be able to inform me as to what happened. It is difficult to attend all of the various meetings as I do this on my own without support from any groups or organizations. But, being on my own allows me to think outside of the box and independently.

The salmon fishing this year has really been fantastic. We have had a lot of wind which I contribute to the overall quality of the salmon fishing. When the wind blows so much it has the effect of keeping the surface waters cool and causing more of the “upwelling” which brings the cold nutrient-rich waters from the bottom up to the surface. This provides an abundant nutritional source of krill, squid, and bait. Plus the wind helps keep these food sources here, preventing the fish from swimming further north, thereby letting us fish closer to home.
In the past several years we have seen an increase in the sardines along the coast. They were absent for many years and have made a return. One theory is that the sardines came up from Chile during the El Nino years.
We have had limits for the past couple of days. On Monday we had a family of five from Texas who had never seen the ocean before! We fished outside of the Half Moon Bay weather buoy. On Tuesday we had another small group of seven which several were from Arkansas. Both days we had early limits of king salmon with some silver (coho) salmon mixed in to spice up the day. The wind picked up on Tuesday as we were leaving so it continues to keep the pot stirred!

Looks like it will lay down for the next couple of days and we are anticipating some good fishing! Until next time - tight lines!

Capt. Smitty

6/17/02

Ahoy there one and all!

3/30/02
Ahoy there one and all!

The Salmon season opened today for those of us who can fish below Pigeon Point! What a glorious morning it was for everyone! The anticipation was running high on the docks early in the morning with everyone expecting great weather. The talk was of last year's opener and how there was such great fishing and such crummy weather. There was much talk about the "wind sailor" Jelly fish (Velella velella) that float on the surface of the water. All of the old salts remember the great years ('97 and '95) when they were around and how they always foretell of a good season ahead. Even though I have been working professionally for 27 years in the sportfishing business I still get caught up in the thrill and anticipation of that first day! Setting out the line and checking out the area to see what kind of life is around. Everyone knew we had scored today at least as far as the weather was concerned. All we had to do was find some hungry fish!

And we were sure not disappointed!!!

We ran to the line and started to look at all of the bait and birds along the line but there was some jelly fish in the water there so we ran a mile further south to get out of the jellyfish. When we got all of the lines settled into the water it was not long before we had that first bite and there was a cheer that rang out across the decks "FISH ON"!!!! Steve had the throbbing rod in his hands and was deftly caressing the fish towards the boat. But this scrappy fish had mind of his own and fought hard before coming to the net where Jeff the deckhand scooped him! A resounding "IN THE BOX" was shouted out in pure joy! No sooner had that one been pinned and put in the fish box when another reel started ripping line
off! Jeff was yelling "ONE HANGING' , then DOUBLE HEADER!!! But, as happens, one of them came off the hook! Well it is called "fishing" and not "catching"!!

The morning continued and everyone was getting action from hit and runs to rods doubling over and throbbing! We put the word out to the other boats and they soon were joining us in the pandemonium!
When 10:30 rolled around I had to tell everyone we had our 16 Limits (32 salmon) and we had to wind up the gear! One of my smart alec customers (yes, Jim you) said " well Smitty it took us a half hour longer this year than last year," to which I replied "that may be true but I'll have you home in half the time it took us last year to beat our way back up the coast!" Everyone laughed as most of them were with me last year for that wet long ride back. This year after running for about a half hour across very calm waters, they were all pretty much snoozing! I guess the fish kicked their butts after all!

What a grand way to start off the new salmon season!! Interested in a trip? Call 888-747-8433 for reservations aboard the Riptide!

Till the next installment of the fishing report!

1/14/02
Ahoy there to all of you land lubbers!!
we are running a rock fishing trip on the 20th, 25th and 26th of January. It has been a long dry spell and I for one am champing at the bit to catch a rock fish! This is the time of the year we are fishing in the deep so be prepared with your big tackle. Fishing has been good with a good mix of lings in the bags. The new law dropped the keeper size of the ling cod down to 24 inches. So all of those shorties that we had to through back last year we shall be able to keep a lot of them now!! MMM just thinking of a nice fillet of ling over a bed of fresh spinach with a wine and mustard sauce drizzled over it!!!!!
But you know me i will savor anything i can put on my plate!
If any of these dates will work for you them please let either Admiral ZEE or me know and we shall make your reservation!
Oh yes due to the heightened security i shall have to inspect all bags and tackle boxes ( remember i do have a big appetite) and of course like the airlines no sharp objects will be allowed ( now how in the hell do we get the fish??)???? Just a joke!
See you soon!!!
Thanks to all!

7/1/01
Ahoy there one and all!
Today was the opener of the Ling Cod season! We were held in next to the shore as the wind is "STILL" blowing offshore! Gee Whiz! when will it let up????? We slid down along the coast to Pecsadero. We didn't have too much wind and swell early in the day and as the famous quote goes "the early bird gets the worm." Well, same with the early bite!!
As the wind and swell increased, every drift slowed down. We prevailed and had 14 limits of rock fish,12 Cabazone, 6 Ling cod (to 18 lbs.), 6 kelp greenling and one really great "Irish Lord" (if you don't know what it is look him up)!!
The bar casters were "ripping lips'!! and the shrimp fly guys were setting the hooks on some nice fish today!
When Evan (our deckhand ) finished counting and keeping track of all of the fish, everyone was happy and ready to head to the dock and to a fine fresh fish dinner (including the captain mmm fish tacos tonight)!!!

Tight lines!
Capt. Smitty

Ahoy there one and all!
We were Shallow water rock fishing on Saturday! we were fishing within 120 feet of water ( the regulation for this time of year). There was a small ground swell but no breeze. Fishing was good for the bar casters and the people working the swim tail baits and lead head jigs. The cabezon's were hungry and we had a great day catching them and releasing the small ones. There were a lot of ling cod following up the fish and we hooked a lot of them as they were defiantly hungry! everyone got to see the ling cod following up the rock fish eyeing them for there meal ( breakfast). But since the season is closed for them we had to release them. Overall the day was very good with the catch being limits to three quarters on the rock fish and 20 cabbies for the day and one very nice 20 lb halibut to top off the day!
Hopefully the weather and the fishing will stay good for everyone!
Tight lines

This is a report from one of my good customers Jim Krauss! I thought i might share this with everyone!

The day started very early, everyone was on board the Riptide at 0515.
We left the harbor at 0525 and headed southwest of Half moon bay for 22
miles. The weather started out snotty and got worse as the day progressed,
northwest winds at 15 knots, and an 8 foot swell every 8 seconds. What a
variation in temperature from the inland heat, to cold and fog.
We started trolling around 0730 and Danny Gonzales boated the 1st
salmon of the day, and shortly thereafter he had his limit of 2. We
scratched a fish here and a fish there. I caught my first around 0900. My
second salmon must have been on a suicide mission, as it swam at high speed
toward the boat, and was boated in less then a minute. The boat had limits
by 10am.
What a great day it was, at one point there was a whale about a 150
yards from the boat and there were albatross feeding in the area.
The score; Danny Gonzales had a 10 and an 18 pounder, mine were at 8
and 12 pounds. The fish are feeding on krill and the meat is a nice red
color.
Captain Smitty, and the deck hand Evan did an outstanding job in making
it an excellent fishing day aboard the Riptide. If you would like to go out
fishing give Smitty a call at 1 (888) RIPTIDE and he will arrange your trip.

Regards, Jim Krauss

Ahoy there everyone!!

How does that song go?? "Summertime, and the living is easy. FISH are jumping..." Oh well the computer can't sing and neither can I!! It was a grand day on Monday! The sun was shining and the wind was down to nothing. The seas were calm and the fish were on the munch!! We had 10 limits of Salmon by 9:30 am!! These fish were full of krill and were still hungry. Sunday was also a great day of fishing as well with boats having up to 35 fish! We were just a few fish short of limits on Sunday. With the prospects of the better weather this week we are looking forward to some great fishing! Get your rod and grab a sandwich and get on a boat!

See you soon on the water!

Ahoy there one and all!!!

It is the start of a new Salmon season! The salmon season opened below Pigeon Point on March 31 and we got out that day with great fishing - 16 limits by 10 am. But the winds came back up and did not allow the boat to get back out again till this weekend! Saturday was the official opening day from our harbor and we have been fishing around Deep Reef and the weather bouy area. The winds have been blowing all month and making the water temperature cold (48 degrees). When the winds finally started to die on Saturday night and Sunday was calm making us all hopeful that the fishing would improve. The bite finally started to turn on around 1 pm on Sunday. There were party boats with only one fish at 1 pm and by 3 pm they had up to 26 fish!!!

The Riptide got out today again and headed back to the same area. The bite started off for us with a couple of flurries of keepers with shakers mixed in. I always enjoy the shrimp fishing as it can be totally dead and in a matter of seconds become wild and wooley with multiple hook-ups! We had 11 limits by noon and were on our way home with the deckhand merrily cleaning fish and whisteling a tune! With the abatement of the winds the sea temperature has come back up a few degrees and this has made all the difference! Lets hope that the winds will be nicer to us in future days!

It looks like this should shape up to be a great year with the colder waters being beneficial for both the salmon and the rock fish!!

Now if I could just find my hat that blew overboard???

Capt. Smitty

Today was opening day of salmon season below Pigeon Point. Wow! What a fantastic opener! By 10 a.m. we had 16 limits of salmon with the biggest fish coming in at about 15 lbs. All of the fish were shrimp fed which means they were wild and woolly in their fight and bite – very scrappy fish!

The weather was not as good as the fishing with 15-20 knots of breeze and an 8 ft sea – There is something about catching a fish that makes the weather get better!

Everybody on the boat had a great day of fishing and we look forward to a fantastic season. We ended our season last year on closing day with 16 limits and we are opening our season this year with 16 limits! Let’s hope the fishing stays at such a great level throughout the entire season. Riptide is still taking reservations for both open load and private charter dates. Call us at 888-747-8433 to book your next trip!

Ahoy there one and all!
We were rock fishing today on the deep reef in front of Half Moon Bay today.
The weather was blustery and there was a big swell. I really was not too sure about making the day when i sat at the dock. But, Much to my and everyone's surprise the weather was ok. Not great but ok. We scratched for most of the day getting a few fish on each drift. But one of the last drifts of the day the fish decided they were hungry and everyone started pulling doubles! Mostly all school fish but a few bottom dwellers mixed in for good measure. There were 5 shaker ling cod also. Just barely short of the mark. Oh well at least we are seeing a lot of these shorties!! We also made everyone aware of the new rules on canaries as we did catch a few! I cant emphasize enough that everyone needs to pay close attention to the new rules!
If you have any questions on which fish to keep and when , you can see the whole list of rules and regulations on my web page (www.riptide.net). They are listed in the fishing reports page.
All in all it was great to be out on the ocean today!

Ahoy there!
We were fishing on Saturday on the briny blue ocean and it was a great day!The ocean settled down after that big storm of last week!There was still a large swell on the ocean but they were getting more spread out and dieing. The wind also slowed a lot and it was tee shirt weather later in the day. The fishing was a slow pic of some big coppers and some school fish mixed in. We ended the day with only 10 fish short of 14 limits. The fishing should pick up with the reduction of the swell and wind through the next week.
Please keep the new regulations in mind when catching your fish this year!
Hope Santa was good to everyone and filled there stockings with Diamond jigs and crocodiles!

Ahoy there one and all!
We are back in the water with a new steering system in the boat! Alot of work was done to her to improve her preformance! Probably 100 lbs of stainless steel was added to her for these improvements and strength! Not to mention all of the new mahogany(cabin doors ,styles and threshold) that was also added! We are now back in action and the fishing has been good! Althow the ling cod season was closed ( and it seems like there were alot of them), it will open on the first again!!! If you are wondering about the new regulations then take a look at the NOVEMBER 4,2000 report below for the spicific regs!
Hope to see you soon aboard the RIPTIDE!!