Bob Ingles has worked on party boats since the 1960s, more than 40 years, and has been a captain in the Bay Area for over 25 of those years.

It all began when he went fishing with his Grandmother, just barely big enough to stick a pole through the rail, and was "hooked." After that, he would peddle his bike from Gardena to Redondo Beach in Southern California every chance he got and jump on the boats, trading trips by scrubbing the boats and working the galley. In the late 60's, he worked as deckhand on several boats out of Southern California including the Seafisher, Seahawk and Redondo Special.

In 1972, he moved to Northern California and began working with Bill Beckett on the Wild Wave out of Berkeley, decking on striped bass beach trips, working two trips a day, 49 customers per trip, back when the limit was three fish a person and limits were the rule. Bob also decked on various boats out of Emeryville, including the Salmon Queen III, Salmon Queen V, Fisherman II, Fisherman III and the Moby Dick, which also ran trips out of Sausalito and Half Moon Bay. Additionally, he has commercially fished for squid, rockcod, salmon and albacore, and has also commercially caught anchovies and herring using a lampara net.

In 1982, Bob sat for his captain's license and passed the test on his first attempt, something very few captains can claim. Bob has operated charter boats full-time ever since, and began working in Half Moon Bay on the Blue Horizon back in the mid-1980s. Bob and his wife, Sherry, bought the Queen of Hearts in 1990 and have operated out of Half Moon Bay ever since, running rockcod, salmon, albacore and whale watching trips. Bob's love is shallow water light tackle rockfishing, and can proudly state that no one has more experience than him in the shallows off of the San Mateo coastline.

Sherry Ingles, Bob's wife, has been around party boats for over 25 years. She was a customer on a rockcod trip on the Salmon Queen V on July 2, 1981, when she had a tangle and met the deckhand (Bob). From there it was to the fillet table, where Sherry, without much hesitation, threw the fish carcasses over the side that Bob didn't quite get over the first time as he was cleaning the fish. That of course caught Bob's eye, and they've been together ever since. Sherry went fishing every chance she could, so much so that she was put to work as second deck. Sherry worked with Bob and Bill on the Moby Dick out of Emeryville running around the boat as second deck, gaffing and pulling stripers over the rail, and salmon fishing with Bill on the Red Baron out of Half Moon Bay.

Bob and Sherry were married in 1986 (and on their honeymoon went fishing, of course, in Loreto), and their daughter, Marie, was born in 1988. Sherry wouldn't have the Queen of Hearts without Bob, and Bob probably wouldn't have it without Sherry -- as they put it, Bob takes care of the things on the water, and Sherry takes care of the things on land. Sherry describes herself as "the voice on the phone" to most customers, but every once in a while there is a rare sighting of her on the Queen of Hearts.

Bob and Sherry have always said they're in this business for the long haul, and as of August 1, 2005 they purchased their own bait and tackle shop at Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle. Slowly but surely, the shop is evolving into a complete tackle shop offering the items and services our customers deserve.