Click on these links to jump down to our: Day-by-Day Scores Whoppers Daily Fishing/News Summary Fishing Report Archive Private Charters Weather We now own Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle! Schedule DAILY SCORES: Wed., May 7 - Day off Tue., May 6 - Day off Mon., May 5 - Day off Sun., May 4 - 24 anglers, less wind, a few more fish, couple shaker lings Sat., May 3 - cancelled...forecast called for less wind, we got more.... Fri., May 2 - 18 anglers, wind still blowing, another tough one Thu., May 1 - 27 anglers, good to be fishing, tough day for catching Where'd all the old scores go? Click here to go to our Archive. WHOPPERS: (20 lbs. and over in bold) Thu., May 1 - Who'll catch the first whopper of the season?.... Where'd all the old whoppers go? Click here to go to our Archive. DEEP WATER ROCKFISHING ANYONE?! - An experimental "exempted fishery permit" is in the final approval stage which will allow select approved vessels to take customers rockfishing under strick guidelines set forth in the permit in areas along the coast outside 900 feet deep. The deep water rockfishing trips will be just like any other rockfishing trip other than we have to fish where the ocean is at least 900 feet or deeper. The hope is to be able to target rockfish that are suspended in the water column, hopefully far from the actual ocean bottom. There is still a 10 fish rockcod limit, and all customers take home their fish. This is not a research trip; it's an experiment to see if we can fish a different area without catching any of the "off limits" fish...canary, goldeneye or cowcod. As long as we don't catch those fish, this experiment will continue as long as there is interest for an initial period of one year. An official paid government observer will be required onboard all trips to keep tabs on the catch. The key to the success of this permit will be avoiding the canary and yelloweye rockfish that are labeled overfished and have forced us into the current restrictions we've been dealt. The permit was published in the Federal Register on May 8 (click here to see the published notice). A 30 day waiting period is required after publication before the permit gets the final seal of approval. As it currently stands, we may be able to schedule a trip or two by the end of May. The permit was developed by Jim Martin with the Recreational Fishing Alliance; he's been working on it for well over the past year with the assistance of Golden Gate Fisherman's Association (namely Capt. Bob and Roger Thomas) to get it through the various governmental agencies' approval process. Jim has done a great job working on this permit and put a lot of hard work, effort and hours into getting it passed, along with some key input and support by Bob and Roger. (And, by the way, hint, hint, RFA has a fundraising benefit dinner they would love to have you attend and help support their efforts: RFA Dinner Info.) Watch here for updates about trips onboard the Queen of Hearts, or...If you'd like to be placed on an email list I've started to receive updates about deep water rockfishing trips, please let me know by sending me an email to sherry@fishingboat.com and asking to be added to our Deep Water Rockcod Trips email list. Worried about seasickness? Check out: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-47.pdf DAILY FISHING/NEWS SUMMARY: Wednesday, May 7: With the forecast yesterday afternoon calling for 25 to 35 knots out of the northwest along with a close-together swell for today, it was an easy decision to cancel today's trip. Tomorrow on Thursday was not so easy, however. The forecast is calling for 15 to 25 knots, but the highest winds have been holding steady offshore, and one of the models I watch carefully looks like we'll actually have almost decent weather along the coastline tomorrow. Unfortunately, though, with as churned up as the ocean was today, we just don't feel like trying to make the run to Pigeon would be worth the effort so we've pulled the plug and crossed off Thursday's trip. We're still scheduled to run Friday even though we're watching the forecasts real close; at this point it does look pretty good that Saturday's trip will be a go and we currently have 10 spots left for that trip. Sunday, May 4: Our trips this week have all been up to the wind. No wind at the harbor in the morning, we jump on the boat and start heading south to see what we will see. Such was the case this morning. There was not a breath of wind at the harbor, even though the marine forecast was calling for 20 to 30 knots out of the northwest. We did have a fairly strong swell, but the wind never really hit the coast. So much for trusting the forecast. Anyway, even without much wind the weather was still not the greatest, and fishing was still tough. Highlight of the trip was a real nice vermillion that was landed, and we did finally see a couple of lingcod even though they didn't make the 24 inch mark so we had to throw them back. From what we've seen so far, fishing below Pigeon this month will not be for the meek or for those looking to load up their freezer; it's for the real anglers who know that fishing means going out for the day, seeing what the ocean will surrender and appreciating that they still have the opportunity to give it a shot. We've built our business on offering fishing trips to folks that enjoy fishing; that's what we've always done and that's what we will always continue to do. We'll be fishing below Pigeon Point through the month of May, weather and interest permitting, and our SWLT rockfishing trips begin on Sunday, June 1 (which only has 2 spots left!). Saturday, May 3: As we drove towards the harbor, all the flags we saw on Highway 1 driving north from Highway 92 were standing out like a frozen rope. So much for the 5 to 15 NW wind forecast that came out Friday afternoon. With that much wind by the harbor, and knowing what we had below Pigeon the last two days, it was an easy, but difficult at the same time, decision: cancel today's trip and we'll wait to see what we get tomorrow morning. We hate sending a boatload of folks eager to go fishing back home, but until someone figures out a way to control Mother Nature, we don't have much choice sometimes. Friday, May 2: Different day, but pretty much same story as yesterday...tough weather and a lot of fishing but not much catching. The water below Pigeon is 47 degrees, which is extremely cold and keeps the fish tucked tight in their crevices (probably shivering their scales off!). Add to that the wind above sea level that makes for a fast drift and makes it difficult to get our gear to the bottom...but we have to deal with the cards we're dealt. We can fish out to as deep as 240 feet below Pigeon, but we can't even think about going much deeper than the 140 foot mark Bob tried today until the wind backs off a bit and we have more of a chance of being able to hit the bottom. Thursday, May 1: We arrived at the shop in the morning with our fingers crossed and were rewarded with no wind at the harbor, so Capt. Bob gave me the word to sell the tickets...we're going fishing! We had fine travelling weather heading south, but once we arrived at the fishing grounds below Pigeon we found the wind, or it found us, however you want to look at it. We had a great boatload of guys out for our opening day, and we were happy to have them back at the rails of the Queen after the five month season closure. It was good to be fishing; unfortunately, though, there wasn't much catching. Bob gave it his all trying various spots in depths from around 125 feet and less, but the winds that met us blew a steady 20 knots all day long, making it virtually impossible to get our gear to the bottom. The forecast is calling for the winds to back off a tad tomorrow along with a little less swell, so we'll see what tomorrow brings and test out more available territory. Wednesday, April 30: Finally, after five months off the water, we're able to wet our lines beginning tomorrow with the opening of the rockfishing season below Pigeon Point. That is, of course, if Mother Nature cooperates. The winds have been howling this year in the ocean, and we're watching the forecast real close right now to try to figure out what tomorrow will bring, even though it looks like it will be one of those show-up-and-keep-your-fingers-crossed type of mornings. If you have a reservation, rest assured that we will contact you if there's any change in plans. We'll open the shop at 5:30 a.m. through this Sunday; as of next week, we plan on opening at 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday when the boat is running. Please always plan on checking in at our shop no later than 6:15, though, so we can do our best to try to leave the dock on time. Friday, April 25: Lots of news to report: (1) Our last whale watching trips for the year are scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26, and, thank goodness, the ocean looks like it actually plans on cooperating this weekend. (2) By this time next week, weather permitting, we'll be back to fishing! The rockfishing season below Pigeon Point opens on next Thursday, May 1, and we plan on offering rockfishing trips below Pigeon every day during the month of May, weather and interest permitting. We can fish out to 240 feet deep below Pigeon, so, if you have your own gear, be sure to bring both shallow and deep water gear. (3) Our shallow water light tackle rockfishing season above Pigeon Point opens on Sunday, June 1...definitely not too early to make reservations as we only have about a dozen spots left already for that date. The first Saturday in June, which is June 7, is free fishing license day...join us that day and save the $13 one-day license fee. (4) The rockfishing season this year is pretty much the same as last year; about the only change is that the North Central management area (Mendocino to Pigeon Point) is restricted to fishing no deeper than 120 feet...not a big deal for the Queen of Hearts, because we prefer to fish as shallow as possible, anyway. The season is scheduled to remain open through the end of November as long as the established quotas aren't exceeded which would kick in an early closure like what happened in 2007. (5) Time to wipe off the wintertime funk...I'll be back updating reports as often as possible, on a daily basis if I can, now that we're back doing what we're in this business to do. Definitely look for an update on May 1st with the rundown on our opening day. (6) And now for the bad news: The Pacific Fisheries Management Council did vote to cancel the 2008 salmon season along the entire California coastline. Why? Too hard to explain, so check out their notice at: http://www.pcouncil.org/newsreleases/PFMC_FINAL_PressRel.pdf. The closure is effective through April of 2009. That means the earliest we may be able to go salmon fishing would be in May of 2009 if the ban is lifted, but we probably won't get the final decision regarding the 2009 salmon season until after the PFMC's April 2009 meeting. So put your salmon gear away for now, cherish that last piece of salmon in your freezer, shed a tear and then wipe it away, and let's go rockfishing! Tuesday, April 1: Happy April Fool's Day: salmon season opens this Saturday!...what a rotten April Fool's joke, huh? Yep, this Saturday was SUPPOSED to be Opening Day, but, for the first time in our generation's history, we may be forbidden from catching our own salmon...farmed fish anyone? Yuck. So, we continue on with our whale watching trips. But Mother Nature is being about as rotten to us this season as the DFG has been: the winds continue to make for real tough whale watching conditions. Hopefully it will calm down a tad this month. Monday, March 24: After having to cancel the last four weekends due to the winds, we were able to run four whale watching trips this past Saturday and Sunday and found gray whales on every trip except for one. All of the whales were heading north, and there were quite a few mother and calf duos. The wind still was not very cooperative, making for a pretty rough ride; the forecast wasn't much help either, with better conditions occuring on Saturday even though the forecast had been calling for less wind on Sunday. Saturday morning we found whales about 6 miles offshore, and just about everywhere you looked you'd see a blow. At one point there were three boats within a one mile radius all watching different groups of whales. Saturday afternoon we found a pair of courting whales just outside the PP Buoy about a mile from the harbor; we followed them for quite a while and then found another group to follow to finish off the trip. Sunday the wind really picked up; it was too rough for us to try to head offshore where we saw so many whales just the day before. We didn't find any whales in the morning but did find a whale just in the nick of time before we had to throw in the towel late on the afternoon trip. I sure wish this wind would give us a break, but it continues to be our biggest enemy this whale watching season. Thursday, March 20: A press release was just issued from the PFMC regarding the final three options for the 2008 salmon season which will be decided on at their next meeting in April. The options there look a little different than what we heard last week. Check out the press release for yourself at: http://www.pcouncil.org/newsreleases/March_20_2008_release.pdf. According to that release, the final decision regarding the salmon season, or lack of one, will be announced on Thursday, April 10. Friday, March 14: Today was D-Day at the Pacific Fisheries Management Council ("PFMC") meetings taking place in Sacramento. The preliminary fate of the 2008 salmon season was officially announced. It is available for viewing on the PFMC's website at http://www.pcouncil.org/decisions/currentdec.html. The latest word I received around noon from Capt. Bob, who has been at these meetings since they started last Sunday with some days' meetings lasting 15+ hours, is that the latest options for the 2008 salmon season is either a complete closure or a token season allowing salmon fishing for three days around three of our biggest holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day (but no salmon fishing will be allowed after August 31). That means the salmon season that was supposed to open in April will not open in April. The PFMC will make their next decision after their next round of meetings which will end on Friday, April 11. On the rockcod front, we'll have the same season this year as last year: the waters below Pigeon Point will open on Thursday, May 1, and the waters north of Pigeon Point will open on Sunday, June 1. Pigeon Point is about 17 miles south of our harbor at Half Moon Bay, well within our range, so the Queen of Hearts will begin Pigeon Point rockfishing trips as of May 1. As far as depth restrictions, the maximum fishing depth north of Piegon Point was changed from 180 back to 120 feet, but the 240 foot maximum below Pigeon Point is unchanged. Another option that was adopted is a change in the coastal management lines moving the dividing line between the Northern and North Central California areas to Point Arena. These lines have been adjusted over the last decade trying to fine tune which coastal areas should be managed together. By fine tuning these lines, it may help keep some areas open to fishing when others are required to close to avoid overfishing. Our rockfishing season will be closely monitored, and once it's projected that an area is getting close to its allotment of fish, that area will be closed within 10 days' notice. What that means is we have to value our chances to fish and value our fish even that much more. Appreciate that we still have the opportunity to go out on the ocean, put our lines in the water, get away from our stresses and pressures and see what we might catch. And we can't waste what is caught. Every fish counts. The rockfishing season last year wasn't closed because too many fish were caught...it was closed because too many fish were wasted. To try to explain: certain rockfish cannot be kept, namely canary, goldeneye (aka yelloweye) and cowcod. Unfortunately, in one area of our coastline, boats were fishing areas where way too many goldeneye were hooked and released. Those fish, even though they were released, were counted against us just the same as if they had been kept, and, once too many were counted, the season was closed. Boats operators need to realize that they need to avoid areas and catches that can, will and have closed down our season early. It is a screwed up situation, but it's what we have to live with, and the alternative of not being able to fish at all is not alternative I want to see again. And last, but not least, our whale watching trips for this weekend have been blown out by too much wind once again. The winds this year have only allowed us to get out whale watching on just one weekend since the beginning of the year. We've been stuck in a pattern of decent weather during the weekdays only to see the wind come up and howl on the weekends, making it impossible to take folks out to check out the gray whales migrating along our coastline right now. Hopefully this weather pattern will break soon; we'll give it a try again next weekend, and, now that won't be fishing during April, we'll continue to offer whale watching trips, weather permitting, through April. Monday, March 3: As gorgeous as it was on land this past weekend, it was not so on the ocean, with way too much wind blowing out our planned whale watching trips. Hopefully the weather will give us a break and we'll give it another try this coming Saturday, March 8 to find a few more migrating gray whales. No trips on Sunday this weekend as Capt. Bob is off to the next round of PFMC meetings in Sacramento. Thursday, February 21: The ocean weather forecast is pretty iffy for Saturday, February 23, and, as much as we don't want to, based on what we see we have already cancelled our trips for Sunday, February 24. Maybe next week things will calm down again and we'll get a better shot at viewing some more of these magnificant mammals. Even after all these years, we still thoroughly enjoy having the chance to check out these giants in their natural environment. Saturday, Sunday and Monday, February 16, 17 and 18: We scoured the waters just about as far north, west and south as we could, and finally on our trip Monday morning Capt. Bob's experienced whale watching eyes spotted the arching back of a gray whale. The whale was a sneaky fellow, barely visible at first and surely would have been completely missed except for the quick glimpse Bob just happened to see. After figuring out the whale's path and it's comfort level with the boat, we were able to follow it on its northbound trek for a majority of our three hour trip, watching as it did it's customary one, two, three blows and fluke pattern. Based on our past 18 years of whale watching out of Half Moon Bay on the Queen of Hearts, it seems this weekend's experiences could be the signal that the majority of the southbound whales have already swam by our area and the closer, northern return has begun. By the beginning of March we could be in full whale watching swing just off our coastline. Wednesday, February 13 - We are scheduled for whale watching at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. this President's Day weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, February 16, 17 and 18. The forecast is calling for very light winds, and hopefully just a lazy swell to go along with it. There's plenty of room on all trips at this point, but it would still be a good idea to give a call or send an email to grab a spot if you'd like to join us. Saturday, February 9 - Happy Birthday, Capt. Bob! With a great group of guys and great travelling weather, we headed offshore in search of some Humboldt squid. No one has been venturing out for almost a month with the way the weather's been, so we had to give it the old college try to see what we could find. They covered a lot of ground, and gave a couple of spots a shot, but no squid attacked our offerings. Another boat out of Bodega Bay covered the territory up north with the same results. So, until we get word from one of the handful of commercial boats working the offshore waters that makes it sounds promising to give it another try, we'll hold off on scheduling any more squid adventures. For now, it will be whale watching Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesday, February 5 - Looks like we might actually have a shot at venturing out after some giant squid this Saturday...as long as the winds hold off, we have enough folks interested to give it a try. And, by the way, Saturday is Capt. Bob's birthday.... Wednesday, January 30 - We might we getting some breaks in the rain and actually seeing some sun, but the forecast is calling at least 12 foot swells through the weekend along with a lot of wind. That combined with the way the weather's been on the ocean the past couple of weeks is enough for us to throw in the towel for this weekend and cancel our squid and whale watching trips Saturday and Sunday. There is a possibility that Mavericks may be going off Friday and Saturday, but we're watching the reports closely to see if we'll be able to put a trip or two together. Wednesday, January 23 - Just waiting on the weather to get another chance to get back out on the water; the wind came up offshore last Saturday and hit the coast Sunday so we ended up cancelling our trips we had scheduled last weekend. We're available for whale watching this Sunday but we're keeping a close eye on the weather again. Our next shot at running for giant Humboldt squid is set for Saturday, February 2. Monday, January 14 - Time to get back to what we do best: fishing. Well, kinda fishing...Humboldt squid fishing is what we'll be doing to be exact. And Capt. Bob said he may just give it a try to catch some sand dabs on the way back in after hunting for the Humboldts to spice up the pot a bit. Our first trip is scheduled for this Saturday, weather and interest permitting. We've got some folks on the books for our trip Saturday but there is still lots of room available. If you're game to give it a try, give us a call or send an email and put your name on the list. Saturday, January 12 - Absolutely gorgeous weather greeted this years Surf Contest at Mavericks. Our two trips went off without a hitch, with the Queen of Hearts being the first boat to be at the viewing area for the first heat. With what seemed like a zillion boats in the area, Capt. Bob and our crew were on their toes all day keeping everyone safe and as close to the action as possible. Thanks to all of you who put your trust in our services. Hope we'll see you again for another trip to check out the surfers at Mavericks. Thursday, January 10 - The surf contest at Mavericks has been given the green light and will take place this Saturday, January 12. We will be running two trips to view the action up close and personal and currently have space available. To grab your spot, go to our Mavericks webpage for details at: www.fishingboat.com/mavericks.html. Conditions look fantastic so it should be a great show. 2007 summary: The customers onboard the Queen of Hearts during the short 2007 rockfishing season caught a combined total of right about 1,000 of the "big three": lingcod, cabezon and halibut...which is more than ANY other vessel in California south of the Golden Gate Bridge. These fish were all caught by our customers, not by any member of our crew, as we rarely include the few crew fish we take home for dinner in our reports. Those were ALL coastal trips, most of them fishing shallow water and using light gear we truly enjoy using, and a lot of them fishing around the Pigeon Point area. Not bad, not bad at all. Sunday, September 30 - Xtreme Ultra Light Tackle Tournament Round Two: Just as Captain Bob was expecting, the wind stopped, the swell came back down and we had great conditions once again for our second Xtreme Ultra Light Tackle Tournament. Night and day difference from yesterday's weather, thank goodness. If you were out yesterday, you never would have believed it could be so different today. So, with lots of Mighty Mites in hand, our anglers headed down the coast to battle the bottomdwellers. What's a Mighty Mite? It's a 24 inch ultralight rod with a small spinning reel filled with about 6 pound test, something completely foreign to most saltwater fishermen, manufactured by Master Rods. Everyone was provided with 12 lb. test Izorline leaders to ensure as much of a level playing field as possible for the various gear used. Top honors for the most unique rod has to go to Gabbie with the Bart Simpson spincaster...tap his butt to release the bale. Laughs and smiles were the rule as folks found out just how much fun using this outrageously light tackle can be. The fish didn't come over the rail fast and furious, but that was no problem as every fish was a battle, with great overall quality blacks and gophers making up the catch. The 14 lingcod that were landed were all nice grade, with only a couple requiring measuring, and their color was spectacular, many brilliantly golden and red colored to match and camouflage them in their kelp halitat, something you only see in extremely shallow areas. By mid-morning it was pretty apparent that the bar had been set for jackpot fish: a 26 pound halibut was landed as well as a 16 pound lingcod. A few rods and reels bit the dust, including the Tigger rod from the last trip that burned out its gears. The key phrase of the day was repeated by many, that they couldn't believe how much fun they were having with this ultralight gear. Master Rods, the manufacturer of the Mighty Mite rods, topped their last donation and gave us three rod and reel combos for today, one of which went to the largest fish caught on a Mighty Mite. The other two Master rod and reel combos were included in a raffle along with another rod donated by John, who truly got into the spirit of the trip, as well as a Totem Pole rod holder and free pass for a future trip onboard the Queen of Hearts. Izorline once again came through as they always do in the donation arena, giving us a 300 yard spool of 20 pound test First String for each and every angler. Without a doubt, this was another fantastic trip and will definitely become a tradition we look forward to continuing. The pictures are finally posted below...and thank you to all of you who participated and made this such a fun day. Xtreme Light Tackle Tournament "Part Two" Photos: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8, Photo 9, Photo 10, Photo 11, Photo 12, Photo 13, Photo 14, Photo 15, Photo 16, Photo 17, Photo 18, Photo 19, Photo 20, Photo 21, Photo 22, Photo 23. Sunday, August 26 - Xtreme Ultra Light Tackle Tournament day finally arrived. Today was special. Our whole purpose was to remind folks of how much fun fishing can and should be. The participants came with their rods in hand or picked up the gear they had reserved. Not the usual stuff you'd expect to see folks rockfishing with. This was Xtreme light tackle: rod of choice for the day was the Mighty Mite by Master, a 24" long (or short as the case may be) spinning rod with a small spinning reel containing somewhere around 6 pound test. There were a few others permitted to be used, like the Tigger (as in Winnie the Pooh) rod, the Ronco Pocket Fisherman, the Pirates of the Caribbean rod, and, of course, the pink and purple Barbie rod. From the feedback I received it sounded like the day was a blast, just like we expected. Rods bent over double, reels squealed, smiles and laughs were everywhere. Our folks had no problem at all battling the bottomdwellers with their Xtreme light gear, and actually ended the day with limits for all 29 onboard, 285 rockcod along with 5 cabezon and 9 lingcod up to 12 pounds. Top honors and the first ever Xtreme Light Tackle Tournament Trophy went to Randall for the 12 pound lingcod caught on his Tigger rod, second place was close behind with a 11 pound lingcod, and I believe 3rd place was taken by a nice cabezon. As if having a blast wasn't enough, prizes were awarded to the top three fish: Master donated two nice saltwater rod and reel combos that went to the 1st and 2nd place winners, and 3rd place took home a Penn Jigmaster donated by our shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing. Three one pound spools of Izorline (the ONLY line we use on our personal reels as well as our rental gear) were raffled off, and first fish on the boat, a gopher caught by Sonny on his Ronco Pocket Fisherman, won a Totem Pole rod holder. Special thanks to Craig Hansen who joined us on behalf of Western Outdoor News and shared with us the pictures he took which are posted below. We're really looking forward to seeing his report. The trip was an overwhelming success, so much so that we have scheduled another Xtreme Ultra Light Tackle Tournament for next month on Sunday, September 30. We've been promised even more prize goodies for the next trip, so if you looking to have a whole bunch of fun, grab your spot soon. Xtreme Light Tackle Tournament Photos: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8, Photo 9, Photo 10, Photo 11, Photo 12, Photo 13, Photo 14, Photo 15, Photo 16, Photo 17, Photo 18, Photo 19. Where'd all the old fishing summaries go? Click here to go to our Archive. FISHING REPORT ARCHIVE: What happened to the older scores, whoppers and reports?? Well, just too much information to keep on one page! So we've created an "Archive" page. Click here to go to our Fishing Report Archive page. See the blow by blow, day by day rundown on the happenings on the Queen of Hearts since the beginning of the 2007 season, as well as the entire 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 seasons.   PRIVATE CHARTERS: We are proud that we have built a very strong private charter business for the Queen of Hearts since we started over 17 years ago. We have a top-notch boat and crew, we run a clean ship in more ways than one and take care of our customers, and it shows with the repeat business we are very grateful to have. Most groups now know that they have to call early in the year for the best dates, several months in advance. Saturdays book very fast. So, if you have a group thinking about a charter on the Queen of Hearts, don't wait to long to reserve a date! Not too early to start thinking about grabbing a date for 2008, especially Saturdays! WEATHER: When we talk about weather on the ocean, that's what we're talking about: the ocean, the wind and waves, not the sky. We're not referring to the sun or rain, or to how hot or cold it may be. The ocean in our area is usually always on the cold side. Always dress warm, regardless whether it's January or August: jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt and jacket with tennis shoes or rubber boots. I always emphasize: you can't judge what's going on in the ocean by what's happening on land. And you can't always count on the weatherman. It's not what the sky does that matters; it's the ocean itself. We do our best to let our customers know if there's a weather problem. For those interested, one of the websites I check out for the marine forecast is at: http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw/ fz/fzus56.kmtr.cwf.mtr.txt Our area is covered by the "Point Arena To Pigeon Point" section of the report. Just keep in mind this is a "forecast" and it covers a large area; it doesn't necessarily come true but it can be used as a guide. WE NOW OWN OUR OWN BAIT AND TACKLE STORE! HALF MOON BAY SPORTFISHING AND TACKLE: As of August 1, 2005, the Queen of Hearts proudly works out of our own shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle! We're located in the shop that was formerly Captain John's, just to the left of the Ketch Joanne restaurant in the row of shops in the main parking lot at the harbor across from the pier and harbormaster's office. Everyone asks if we bought Captain John's boats. No, we didn't. One boat and one shop is enough for us! But we are now booking for one other boat, the Riptide, in addition to the Queen of Hearts out of our shop. These boats represent two of the most experienced and longest running vessels in the harbor. We did take over Captain John's phone numbers, so if you have those numbers in your phone book, just change the name to Half Moon Bay Sportfishing, the home of the Queen of Hearts! So where do you check in?...at our shop! The shop will be open at least an hour and fifteen minutes before departure (so, if we're rockfishing at 7:00 a.m., the shop will be open no later than 5:45 if not earlier). No reason to have to worry about saving a spot in line at the dock. We have put together a numbered ticket system, so, when we have a day with a lot of reservations, the first person in line at the shop will be the first person in line when we make the call to come down the dock to the boat. The captain will meet you at the top of the dock when he's ready for boarding and call down numbers one through five, then six through ten, and so on. Kinda the Southwest Airlines check-in system...well, hopefully a little better than that! The great part about us owning our own shop is that we can finally provide the products and services we have always wanted to give to our customers. We are adding items DAILY to the stock at the shop. We now have a large selection of Izorline in stock, the fishing line that we use on all of our fishing rods, both for the boat and our personal rods: First String Monofiliment, Platinum and the new XXX. We have deck boots, an increasing assortment of plastics, diamond bars, as well as rods and reels including Avet, Diawa, Penn, Shimano, Shakespeare and Calstar. WE ALSO TAKE SPECIAL REQUESTS! We're only just beginning, but we plan on offering all the basics that meet our customers' needs. So, call or e-mail us for reservations. On the day of the trip, come directly to our shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle to check in (look for the BIG yellow sign in the front window that reads "TICKET OFFICE") and pay for your trip (cash, ATM, Visa and Mastercard accepted). The crew simply asks, as always, that you wait at the top of the dock until they have the boat ready for boarding. If you need fishing licenses, tackle and rent rods, no problem...they're all available at the shop. Just one more way the Queen of Hearts continues to strive to provide the best service possible to our passengers. So don't forget, to go with the Queen of Hearts, contact the Queen of Hearts and Half Moon Bay Sportfishing! SCHEDULE: We're now available for whale watching trips, and our current plan is to begin Humboldt Squid trips on Saturday, January 19, and offer trips every Saturday, weather and interest permitting. The 2008 salmon season is scheduled to open on Saturday, April 5, and we're already taking reservations.Click here to check out our daily schedule through the end of next month.