ARCHIVE - 2009
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IN THIS REPORT:
Past Scores
PAST SCORES:
Click here to go to our 2008 Archive
WHOPPERS (20 lbs. and over in bold):
Click here to go to our 2008 Archive Friday, May 29 - It was real close; all we needed was a dozen more fish and everyone onboard would have walked off the boat with their 10 fish rockcod limits for the first time this season. Close, but no cigar as they say. We ended the day with 108 rockcod for 12 anglers, and five more lingcod up to 13 pounds helped fill the sacks a bit, too. There were a couple of real nice vermillions landed, and some big blacks were biting as well. Plenty of room available for both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, and the ocean forecast is calling for only a 2 to 4 foot swell through at least Tuesday with just a touch of wind from the south. If you don't get a chance to give us a call, just come on down in the morning at check in at our shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing...look for the BIG yellow "TICKET OFFICE" sign in the front window. I'll have the doors open by 5:30; just check in no later than 6:15. Wednesday, May 27 - Finally have a chance to update our report after the holiday weekend. This past Saturday the fish really bit well with over 200 fish landed for our 27 anglers, and even the swimbaits and bars started working, but things slowed back down Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with scores back to around half limits. The weather, though, is rapidly improving after the last couple of days' northwest winds, and the forecast looks downright nice with very little wind and only a two to three foot swell by this weekend. We're taking Thursday off to give Captain Bob a break and to change the Queen's oil, but we are fishing Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with plenty of room every day at this point. Friday, May 22 - Much better day today than yesterday...and finally found a few more lingcod and one that broke the 10 pound barrier. What did they catch it on you ask? Same thing we've been saying every day so far this season: the good old, nothing fancy, superfly rig. Still continues to be the "hot" lure. Gotta use what the fish want, ya know. We still have space available for tomorrow on Saturday, plenty of room for the rest of the weekend, and we'll be fishing every day thereafter, weather and interest permitting. I don't know if I'll get a chance to hit the computer and post an update over the weekend, so, in case I don't, don't think it has anything to do with how fishing is or isn't going. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and don't forget to think a special thought in memory of our fallen soldiers and sailors who so bravely served our country, as well as for their families, to whom we are owe our deepest gratitute and thanks. Thursday, May 21 - The fish were off the bite today unfortunately. When they came in to buy their coffee Friday morning, the live fish rod and reel commercial guys who fish along the coastline said that even they only caught just barely a little over a handful of fish for their efforts. Doesn't make us feel any better, but our folks faired just about as well, landing about 4 fish per rod plus one more of those 7 pound lingcod that seem like the only size lings that want to bite right now. Why? I don't know. Just one of those days. Might as well blame it on the bit of south wind that blew through Thursday. The wind is forecast to be from the west on Friday, so I hope the Bob rhyme told me, "wind from the west, fishing is the best" holds true.... Wednesday, May 20 - The marine report said the winds at Pigeon Point were blowing about 7 knots in the morning as Bob crossed the line...he called me and said they must have forgotten to put the "1" in front of the "7" because it was more like 17 knots of wind. That made for fishable but tough conditions. The majority of today's gang really likes using bars and plastics, but unfortunately at this point they are just not catching fish as well as the good old, nothing fancy about them, super fly rigs. So with the wind coupled with the fish not wanting our offerings, we ended the day with about half limits, 111 rockcod, 8 cabezon and another cookie-cutter 7 pound lingcod. The wind did back off as we headed back up towards the harbor, so we have our fingers crossed it will be a little nicer to us tomorrow. We will be going out tomorrow and have plenty of room if you are interested in joining us. Don't worry about calling; just show up in the morning. Check in between 6:00 to no later than 6:15. Monday, May 18 - The brownies bite well right off the bat but then the current started screaming and made it tough to hold bottom. Capt. Bob worked his magic, though, and found, in order by how many of each species were caught, browns, gophers, olives and vermillions that totalled up to 106 rockfish for the day as well as two lingcod for our 12 anglers. Was tickled to hear that Richard had a real nice sack of fish to take home including a couple of bomber vermillions to finish out his trip (so was it the jigs you picked up from me in the morning??), and Spencer had the hot stick and helped out others who were lacking in the luck department today with a few extra fish. Other than the strong current, the weather was fine, just a tad of light southerly breeze and overcast skies, and the five-day ocean forecast we get continues to indicate that we're in good shape through at least Friday if not longer. Due to the amount of fuel involved in running trips to Pigeon, trips on weekdays are definitely "interest" permitting...if you're interested in going on a weekday trip, please make sure to give us a call as early as possible so we can make the decision whether or not there are enough folks to show up in the morning. For weekends, though, reservations are always recommended to ensure we have still have space available. As much as we hated to do it, with only a handful of guys signed up for Tuesday, we've crossed off our trip for tomorrow, but we will definitely be fishing on Wednesday. Sunday, May 17 - The winds calmed down and after being tied to the dock for 12 days in a row, it sure was nice to be graced with some downright nice weather and get back on the water. When Capt. Bob arrived at the fishing grounds Saturday morning, the water temperature registered a chilly 48 degrees, so we knew we had our work cut out for us. We picked away, and one by one the fish started adding up. We had a good snap at one point on Saturday where several real nice vermillions and coppers were landed, picture quality kind of fish, the kind that put smiles on your face when they come over the rail. What was lacking in quantity on Saturday was definitely made up by quality, and Sunday the numbers were even better with an overall average of about 8 fish per person. Even with the cold water and the lathargic fish, we still ended the weekend with a combined score of 350 rockfish, 3 keeper lingcod and 2 cabezon and it looks like we're in good shape weather-wise for the upcoming week. At this point, we're scheduled to run every day, interest permitting. We are definitely going fishing tomorrow on Monday, but we do have plenty of space available. If you'd like to escape the heat and join us, just come on down and check in at our shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing, in the morning. We'll have our doors open by 6:00 a.m.; please check in by 6:15. Friday, May 15 - Glory, glory, we WILL be fishing this weekend. As long as the winds stay offshore as predicted we're back to fishing tomorrow on Saturday...at this point the plan is to show up in the morning with our fingers (and toes) crossed and hope the weather gods are smiling. The forecast looks great for Sunday and Monday's trip and I don't see any question about those days. Wednesday, May 13 - A glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel?? At long last, the weather forecast looks like someone was able to bump the record player that was stuck and we should finally be able to get back out to see if there are any hungry fish waiting for us. This Sunday actually looks downright decent at this point, and according to one site I check it looks like we'll be in good shape at least through the middle of next week...and hopefully longer. The next three days are still a wait-until-we-get-the-afternoon-forecast mode, so be sure to let us know if you're interested in going so we can give you a call as soon as we receive the afternoon forecast regarding the decision for the next day's trip. Our trip for Thursday, May 14 has been scratched, but we'll wait until tomorrow to find out about Friday. Friday, May 8 - The ocean forecast is still calling for NW winds 15 to 25 knots along with a 5 to 7 foot swell at 9 seconds...that, combined with the conditions we actually see outside the harbor (as in lots of white water), give us no choice but to have to cancel our trip for Saturday and continue to wait for the ocean to give us a break. We'll wait to see what the forecast says tomorrow afternoon for Sunday's trip; just a little less wind and a little less swell and we'll be back on the water.... Monday, May 4 - The season is finally open and of course now springtime weather decides to kick in. We made another trip out yesterday on Sunday, but the swell was definitely building making for tougher conditions and we ended the day just shy of a 6 fish average per person along with a ling and a cab. With the ocean forecast calling for increasing swells and winds continuing out of the south, we pulled the plug for our trips for Monday and Tuesday, and we'll have to take it day by day for this coming week. Please be sure to give us a call (510-581-2628) to verify the status of the next day's trip if you'd like to join us...if you reach our recorder, please just listen to it...it is updated every afternoon. On a different note... the annual Queen of Hearts five-day long range trip onboard the Royal Polaris has four spots open. The trip leaves San Diego on Tuesday, August 4 and returns on Sunday, August 9. One of the great things about this trip is it doesn't require having or spending a lot on special long range gear...the item we use the most on these trips is just simply a couple of handfuls of hooks as the majority of our fishing is using live sardines, and the Royal Polaris has rod packages available for those who need rentals. If you're interested in joining us and other Queen of Hearts folks for a great trip on one of the top boats and crew in the long range fleet with the opportunity of catching yellowtail, dorado, albacore, bluefin or yellowfin depending on what's biting, give the Royal Polaris a call at 619-226-8030 and tell them you'd like to join the Queen of Hearts trip. And feel free to give Sherry a call here at the Queen of Hearts if you have any questions.Saturday, May 2 - Sure feels good to hear folks are back out enjoying themselves and catching fish. We ended the day with some guys walking off the boat with limits with an overall average of about 7 to 8 rockfish per person along with a couple of lings, with the usual HMB mixture of rockcod: blacks, reds, gophers, seatrout and such. So far the fishing is actually a little better than what we'd expect given that the ocean temperature is hovering right around 48 degrees where we're fishing and the wind has been blowing from the south the last couple of days. Fishing below Pigeon Point this time of year can often be pretty tough while some years it can be off the hook; the way it's looking so far, we might actually be in for some decent fishing this month. But by no means is it easy fishing. Those doing well really have to work at it and experiment until they find what works and what doesn't. If your favorite lure isn't catching a fish after a while, take it off and save it for next time. Try something different. They're not very fancy, but you still can't beat a good old set of super flys...and I hear black and purple has been a good choice. Using strips of nice and juicy fresh squid has also been an advantage. Last but not least the cold water makes the fish real lathargic, so listen to the advice of the crew onboard carefully. They have a few tricks they've learned over the years; if they give you a suggestion, remember that the only reason they're making it is because they want you to catch fish. Forecast looks about the same for tomorrow, and there's still plenty of room if you'd like to join us. Don't worry about getting a hold of us; just come on down in the morning. We'll have the doors open at 5:30; check in by no later than 6:15. Friday, May 1: 2009 Opening Day at last!! Yes, there are still fish in the ocean!!! Just received a brief update from Capt. Bob a little after noon that our customers have put in the boat about 6 or 7 cabezon, a lingcod (and released a couple), and some of the guys have caught their 10 fish rockcod limit or are real darn close (even though there are still a few others who are having a tough time finding the biters). He said the bite's nothing fast and furious, just a slow and steady pick all day with a couple of flurries mixed in, but we'll take it! The clouds are spurting and sputtering every now and then, but the ocean is not bad with just a tad of south wind off and on. The forecast is calling for this weather system to ramp up later today but then lay right back down after midnight tonight. Hot lures?...Gulp! And we just happen to now sell a complete line of Gulp! in the shop and at a very competitive price...not a commercial, just some advice. Heard the chartreuse and brown minnows have been working along with the peeler crabs. We have space available and are definitely going fishing tomorrow on Saturday and on Sunday, so, if you'd like to grab a spot and join us this weekend, just give us a call. I'll try to give a final score later today, but I'm having internet trouble so I'll see what a can do later. Wednesday, April 29: Only a couple of days away until we can jump on the boat with rods in hand and head down the coast to see what's biting. This Friday is opening day for our 2009 rockfishing season. The weather forecast on the ocean looks pretty decent with winds 5 to 15 knots and a 3 to 5 foot swell; there is talk of the possibility of showers but that won't stop us...the fish don't care, they're already wet. There's still a few spots open for this Friday, and plenty of room for the weekend, and we are scheduled to run trips every day once the season opens, weather and interest permitting. I'll do my best to post an update by the end of the day Friday with the details of how the day went. Monday, April 20: Our rockfishing season opens a week from this Friday! And boy are we itching to go fishing! One more weekend of whale watching this Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting, and then it's time to gear up and start catching some fish. The last couple of weeks of whale watching have been tough. We finally found a mother and calf on yesterday's trip, but we had struck out on the four previous trips. There have been lots of sea lions at the buoys to check out, but no whales until yesterday. Like I always tell folks, there's no magic button we can push to make the whales pop up, and there's no way to tie a rope around them and have them in a certain spot waiting for us. We had been receiving reports from folks on the beach that they had been seeing whales just offshore, so we knew they were still out there...it was just a matter of being in that right place at the right time. So, one more weekend of hunting for whales, and then the hunt for fish begins.... Monday, April 6: 25 days and counting until we can fish again! After more than five months of rest, hopefully the rockfish, lingcod and cabezon will be waiting for us this year when we can finally start bouncing the bottom again with our season opening on Friday, May 1 below Pigeon Point. On the salmon front, if you haven't already heard the news, there will be no salmon season again this year off the Bay Area coastline. The official word will be announced by the end of this week by the PFMC, but no reason to wait to hear what we already know. Based on the way it's sounding, though, there is a glimmer of hope that we may be back fishing for salmon in 2010, but it all depends on how the predictions on returns this year hold true. So until we turn our attention full-time to rockfishing in May, we'll continue our whale watching trips through the end of April. This past Saturday we found a group of northbound whales in the morning but they eluded us in the afternoon. The whales come through in waves at times, and it's all a matter of being in the right place at the right time. We'll be on the hunt again this Saturday and Sunday, weather and interest permitting; just give us a call or send an email request so we can save a spot for you to join us. Another rumor that needs addressing: Don't know how it started, but there is a rumor going around that the rockfishing season will open early above Pigeon Point since there will be no salmon season again this year. Wrong!! Even though Bob tried his best at the last two PFMC meetings to attempt to have an in-season adjustment giving back some of what was taken away from this year's rockfishing season, there is no change: The rockfishing season below Pigeon Point opens on Friday, May 1. The areas above Pigeon Point are closed in May and will open on Saturday, June 13. With Pigeon Point well within our range, the Queen of Hearts' rockfishing season will open May 1st. Saturday, March 7: What a show!! ... Whale watching trip number two of the season, and our batting average remains unscathed...we had what one customer described as "gazillions" of whales around us. Capt. Bob estimates it was more like 15 to 20 whales, but they put on such a show that it was pretty much non-stop action. One of the whales breached (jumped completely out of the water) several times. Another whale semi-breached (lauched it's upper half in the air) at least seven times in a row. Other whales were blowing all around us, making it tough to decide which direction to look. Capt. Bob says most of these whales looked like they were young northbound adults, having fun on their way home after their Mexican vacation. The folks on this trip were definitely treated to one of those dream trips, something like you'd see on one of those TV nature shows. It's not always like that, but it sure is nice when it is. After the boat got in, Capt. Bob was off to the airport to jump on a plane and head to Seattle for the first PFMC meeting of 2009. I plan on taking advantage of the low airfares and car rental deals, meeting him in Seattle at the end of the meetings and take him on a ride for the weekend up to Whistler in British Columbia, my favorite of all places in the world I've visited so far. Our next whale watching trip will take place as long as the weather permits on Saturday, March 21. Saturday, February 21: Today was our first whale watching trip of the season, and we're batting 1000, with three northbound adult gray whales spotted early in the trip that let us follow them for quite a while and get several glimpses of their majesty. We will be offering whale watching the majority of the upcoming weekends through the end of April, weather and interest permitting. Reservations are a darn good idea to be sure there's no change in our plans, which is a definite possibility this time of year as our trips are dictated by what the ocean decides to do as well as by the number of folks that want to give it a go. The Mavericks surfing contest is still in the holding pattern, waiting for the right conditions to roll through, and the contest window is scheduled to remain open through the end of March. There have obviously been several storms rolling through this wet and wooly February but nothing that has produced the consistant, large swells required for the contest horn to sound. So for now we'll just keep watching the whales swim on by until we can dust off our fishing gear and begin our 19th season fishing the San Mateo coastline. Friday, January 30, 2009: The Queen is finally back in the water! Bob called a little after nine this morning and asked if I could hear it. Hear what, I asked? The engines he exclaimed! It was the first time since before Thanksgiving that they've been fired up. They were purring so smoothly they didn't even make enough noise for it to transmit via our cell phone conversation. Like Ray, the yard foreman at Svendsen's Boat Works confirmed, there is not another 50 foot Delta in existence that is continuously kept in as good of shape as the Queen of Hearts, especially considering the boat was originally launched back in 1972. Even though we're back in the water, we still have a few nuts to turn and bolts to fasten before we'll be back up and running. I do have whale watching trips scheduled beginning as of Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14, so hopefully we'll be able to start offering trips at least by then if not before. As soon as I know more precisely when we'll be heading back home, we'll start pinning down our schedule. In the meantime, we are taking reservations and charters for our upcoming rockfishing season. If you'd like to join us for one or both of the opening days/weekends, it's not too early to give us a call and put your name on the books, or grab a date for a charter for your group. During these tough times, we all need something to look forward to, and a fishing trip fits that bill perfect. Wednesday, January 14, 2009: Happy New Year everyone! I know it's been a while since my last update, but not much going on this time of year except our usual annual maintenance...sounds pretty mild, but, believe me, with Capt. Bob as picky as he is about his "baby", maintenance is never a "usual" occurrence. The Queen is getting the wintertime attention befitting royalty, which keeps Her Highness top in her class. I'll give you all the details later. We think we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully we'll be back in the water by the end of next week or so. Once we're back at the harbor, it's time to start back to work and we'll be scheduling Humboldt squid trips, whale watching and some Deep Water Rockfishing trips, weather and interest permitting. The waiting period for the surf contest at Mavericks is also ticking and the contest can be called at any time when the right conditions roll through; we plan on offering trips to view the contest with the best seats in the house as we have done the last several years and are currently taking reservations (check out our Mavericks webpage for info at www.fishingboat.com/mavericks.html). The 2009 rockfishing season will begin below Pigeon Point on Friday, May 1, with the "peak season" above Pigeon Point opening on Saturday, June 13. No definite word on the potential for a salmon season for 2009, but it doesn't sound good at this point. We won't know anything for sure until the fishing feds (the Pacific Fishery Management Council) conducts their meetings scheduled in March and April. Little tidbits are starting to leak out that make us tend to believe we have hope for 2010 but we'll have to wait and see. Our shop is still open 7 days a week from at 8am to 4pm weekdays, 7am to 5pm on Saturdays and 7am to 4pm on Sundays, so please come on by if you're in the area or looking to pick up some bait or gear. Hope all is going well for you and yours and we're looking forward to starting our 19th season with you all soon.
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