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Thursday, July 2, 2009
ABSOLUTELY GORGEGOUS WEATHER
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WHOPPERS: (20 lbs. and over in bold)
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Thursday, July 2 - Crazy busy again, so tough to get the time to update the reports. Fishing has turned on with pretty much limits daily along with more cabezon every day and a sprinkling of lingcod. Super fly rigs are still hands down your best bet to come home with a limit of fish. Weather is drop dead gorgeous on the ocean today, with virtually no wind or swell and lots of sunshine...heard the crew is even wearing shorts, a very rare occurrence in our neck of the woods. Our books are really getting crammed through the end of next week, so advance reservations are more important than ever. Call as much in advance if at all possible to make sure we have room on the day you are interested in. If you call and we're too busy to get to the phone, please be sure to leave us a message so we can get back to you. Our trip for tomorrow on Friday is full, only a few spots open for Saturday, but there is still a decent amount of space available for this Sunday's trip.
Monday, June 29 - The day started out real slow, but then someone must have turned on the light switch because the fish bit like maddogs, as fast and furious as you can catch them two at a time. We had limits for all 16 onboard by a little after noon, with the majority of the fish great quality browns, vermillions and olives, with a few other assorted fishies mixed in for good measure. Even the guys casting bars found fish that accepted their offering. The ocean forecast is looking better and better, with light winds and a swell of only two feet by this Friday. It may almost be July, but don't forget that you still need to dress warm and bring your sweatshirt and jacket even now...it may be 100 degrees on land, but it was foggy and overcast and just barely in the high 60s in Half Moon Bay over the weekend...great for sweatshirt sales in the shop....
Sunday, June 28 - To catch up on the last few days.... We had a group of kids join us this past Friday sponsored by our pals with the Friends of Rollo, but unfortunately the weather was just too bouncy on the ocean again today so be brought them back in after a couple of drifts with the hopes that they'll try it again when the weather cooperates a little better. Saturday was our cream of the crop gang put together by Hayward Commercial Door. The bars were still having a tough time of it, but what they missed in quantity by sticking with the bars they made up with quality with some real nice fish. Sunday's gang stuck with what's been working (the flies) and pulled in limits for everyone onboard. I met the boat when it got back down and some of the olives I saw were absolutely bombers. The weather is still trying to calm down, but thankfully it looks like the swells will subside this week and this weekend is looking real good at this point.
Thursday, June 25 - Contrary to what we expected from the ocean forecast, we actually had downright decent weather on the ocean today; the fish weren't biting quite as well, though, so it was a day of the "haves" and the "have nots." The "haves" had real nice sacks of fish, and the "have nots" took some home, too, just not quite as many and quite as big. We ended up with an overall average of about 8 fish per person for our 23 anglers, along with 3 lingcod to 10 pounds and 2 cabezon to 6 pounds. We have private charters the next three days so we are not available, but we are open and available every day next week, including 4th of July weekend. The State offers two days a year where anglers can fish without having to pay for a license, and this year those two days are the 4th of July and Labor Day. So, if you'd like to save yourself the $14 license fee, take advantage of the State's offer and join us on the 4th. We have room available at this time for the 4th, but the trip is starting to fill up, so don't wait too long to grab a spot if you want it. Not a sales pitch, just the truth.
Wednesday, June 24 - Bob wanted a little more wind yesterday...well, they say be careful what you wish for because you might get it. We definitely had more wind today, but thankfully the swell was reasonable and the fish were biting. The day started off with a bang, with several doubleheaders of belly busting brownies biting, and then it was a steady pick the rest of the morning to finish off limits for everyone onboard. With the bouncy weather we've been having this past week, we're doing good to end up with rockfish limits, but lingcod and cabezon have been few and far between. Number one lure continues to be the tried and true, nothing fancy about them, shrimp fly or super fly rigs. We have plenty of room for tomorrow; if you don't get a chance to get a hold of us and want to join us, just come on down in the morning and check in by 6:15. ...On a different note, today was our daughter Marie's final day at college! She will be walking down the aisle at next month's graduation ceremony picking up her Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Animation and Visual Effects that she earned at Expression College in Emeryville. A lot of you have been fishing with us for a long time and can remember when she was just barely old enough to walk on the decks. Hard to believe she's now a college graduate! Congratulations Marie!! Way to go!
Tuesday, June 23 - The winds finally died down and we're back on the water. There's a bit of left over chop making for some unhappy tummies, a little "washing machine action" as we call it, but there's no wind...actually, Bob was hoping for just a tad bit of wind to help out the drift. They started the day with double headers of reds, but then the bite died off and they had to start hunting, and I'm waiting for the final update. The winds look like they'll give us a break for at least the next couple of days, and we are available and running both Wednesday and Thursday. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday are booked with private charters.
Friday, June 19 - We made it out today, but it wasn't nice. There was no wind at the harbor in the morning, but, by the time we got to the fishing grounds down the coast, it was a different story. The northwest winds have now returned with a vengence and the swells have increased. The fish were biting right off the bat, and anyone who had a rod in their hands had at least a fish in their bag or more in short order. But there were several that never touched a rod all day and several more that joined their ranks as the day went on. The winds continued to build all day, and we ended up with a little over 100 fish for those remaining standing. As much as we hated to do it, with what we saw today coupled with Saturday's forecast which is calling for northwest winds of 20 to 30 knots with gusts to 35 knots, along with combined seas of 9 to 18 feet every 9 seconds, we've cancelled our trip for tomorrow on Saturday. As it looks right now, we'll have to take it day by day and wait for the afternoon forecast to make the decision on the next day's trip for the next several days. If you have a reservation, we will definitely be in touch if there is any change in plans, but always feel free to check in with us for an update if you're wondering what's up.
Thursday, June 18 - The swell definitely picked up a tad as was forecasted but thankfully the winds never hit the beach where we were fishing, so we were able to find cooperative fish that gave our anglers limits...well, kinda...two of our anglers didn't want to take any fish home, so we had ended our day with 12 limits of fish and three lingcod, even though we had 14 anglers onboard. Which reminds us: Please make sure to always let the crew know first thing in the morning if you don't want to take your fish home so they can keep track of the maximum number of fish we can catch. Thankfully several years ago DFG made a very intelligent regulation modification that allows boats fishing for finfish (i.e., rockcod and salmon) to catch "boat limits." That regulation allows our customers the opportunity to continue to fish until limits for all customers onboard are reached so long as no one walks off the boat with more than their individual daily limit of fish. Our crew keeps as close an eye as possible on the number of fish we bring onboard, which is why it's so important to let them know if you don't plan on keeping your fish so we can pull the plug at the right time. As far as our trip for tomorrow on Friday, we still have space available; if you don't have a reservation, no problem...feel free to just simply come on down in the morning and check in by 6:15 a.m.
Wednesday, June 17 - After being graced with a wonderfully cooperative ocean the past two weeks, unfortunately the northwest winds have returned and the swell has picked up a tad keeping us away from the shallows today, but the fish were biting in the deeper water and we ended up with limits again for all 23 anglers for a total of 230 rockfish. Capt. Bob said the catch was a good overall quality of fish, with several nice reds (I asked what size is "nice"...5, 6, 7 lbs. was his answer), along with lots of browns, olives and yellows, but lings and cabs were out of the picture with the rolly polly weather we were dealt. Even though we prefer to fish shallow and use light tackle, always be prepared to go both shallow and/or deep if you bring your own gear. By law we can fish out to as deep as 180 feet this year, which gives us a lot more territory to our avail than we had the last couple of years, but we will often be needing more along the line of 8 to 12 ounces of weight when we fish those areas. When we fish shallow, a lot of times all we need is 2 to 4 ounces of weight. Bring a couple of rods, too, if you have them, one like a fresh water bass rod with around 12 pound test as well as a conventional saltwater rod and reel combo, 6 to 7 foot, with 20 pound test, give or take. If you don't have gear, no worries...your best bet is just to simply wait and pick up the basics from us so you know you'll have what we're using and what's been working.
Tuesday, June 16 - Touched base with Capt. Joe briefly by cell phone a little after noon...and they were just pulling up the lines with limits, 174 rockfish plus 6 cabezon for 18 anglers, along with four more lingcod. Sounds like it was nothing fast and furious, just a good pick that added up fish by fish. Major thanks to Capt. Joe for doing such a great job of filling in while Bob attended another round of meetings in his position as Northern California charterboat representative on the federal Groundfish Advisory Subpanel. Bob will be back in town later this afternoon and back at the wheel tomorrow. Sounded like there were a few fireworks that went on at the meetings but nothing that sparked a fire or any changes to our recreational fisheries for this season at this point. Plenty of room for tomorrow, as well as Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday are full, though, but we are taking standbys in case of any last minute cancellations.
Monday, June 15 - Quality fish again today, just not quite enough of them though to make for limits for everyone, with an overall average of about 8 fish per person. Heather, who went out today on her day off to catch a couple of fish with a couple of friends, told me there was absolutely no water movement whatsoever, so it sounds like you had to drop right down on top of the fish and just about bonk them on the head to get them to bite. I see a change coming in the weather, though, so water movement should not be an issue tomorrow. Capt. Joe is still at the helm and doing a great job, and he's got one more day at the wheel tomorrow. Capt. Bob will be flying home from the Spokane PFMC meeting Tuesday afternoon, so Bob will be back at the controls on Wednesday. We are definitely going fishing tomorrow on Tuesday but we do have plenty of space available if you'd like to just walk in without a reservation in the morning. I'll have the doors open by 6am; check in by 6:15.
Sunday, June 14 - More quality fish, and limits again for all 36 anglers, 360 fish including 2 cabezon plus 2 lingcod. If you'd like to join us tomorrow on Monday, don't worry about getting a hold of us or making a reservation. We have plenty of room available and we are definitely going fishing; just come on down in the morning and check in at our shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing...look for the BIG yellow "TICKET OFFICE" sign. I'll have the doors open by 6:00 a.m.; please check in by 6:15 so we can leave on time by 7:00 a.m.
Saturday, June 13 - We had an absolutely fantastic day today. The quality fish were chomping right off the bat. First fish of the day for our good friend Geno was a huge vermillion and it went from there. By the end of the day we had limits for everyone onboard, 330 quality rockfish for our 33 anglers along with a bonus of six lingcod to 15 pounds; a majority of the fish were brownies, vermillions and chinas with very few blacks and blues in the mix. Everyone that came in the shop in the afternoon told me what great quality of fish were landed and what a great time they had. Hats off to Capt. Joe Gibson who stepped in for Capt. Bob who is at another round of PFMC meetings...Joe did a great job of putting everyone on fish that put smiles on their faces. Our trip for Sunday is full, but we are running all next week and have room every day except for Saturday. With great weather, great fishing, and kids out of school for the summer, advance reservations are more important than ever....
Thursday, June 11 - Heard the morning started out slow, with the exception of a couple of hot sticks: Curt hauled in four real nice vermillions on the purple and black jig he brought from our shop in the morning, and a visitor from Southern Cal joined us on a busman's holiday and was stoked to bring in a huge 10-1/2 lb. cabezon (call it 11 to round it off)...we see cabezon over 10 pounds quite often, but in Southern Cal it's a once-a-year-kinda-whopper of a catch. By the end of the day, though, everyone ended up with their 10 fish limit and we had two lings and two cabs. Today is the last day we are required to run below Pigeon Point, as the territory above Pigeon will be open when the Queen runs her next trip this Saturday. Even though the trips started out tough when the season opened at the beginning of May, we had some darn good fishing overall with the last week downright outstanding more days than not. Sure will be nice, though, to be able to move out of the little box of area we've been cornered into below Pigeon, and this year we can fish out to 180 feet above Pigeon, giving us a whole bunch of additional spots at our avail that were off limits the last couple of years. We are now full but taking standbys for both Saturday and Sunday's trips, but we are running daily, weather and interest permitting, and have plenty of space through the weekdays next week. Weather continues to look good through at least the weekend with low swells and just a tad of wind off and on.
Tuesday, June 9 - Capt. Bob called in a little after noon and said they were heading back up the coast with 20 limits of nice quality rockfish including seven cabezon to eight pounds and they also had two big lingcod to 20 pounds. I'm starting to feel like a broken record, but the weather on the ocean continues to be outstanding, with just a little wind off and on over a two to three foot swell. We have plenty of room available for tomorrow on Wednesday and we are definitely going fishing, so if you're interested in joining us, don't worry about getting a hold of us...just come on down and check in at our shop, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing, between 6:00 to 6:15 a.m.
Monday, June 8 - No trip today, but we are definitely fishing tomorrow on Tuesday, and ocean conditions continue to look great. Now on another note, maybe it's the lingering effects of the full moon or something, but I had several calls this morning asking about what bait we use on our trips. So, here's the spiel and my soapbox moment for the day:
Sunday, June 7 - As we drove to the harbor in the morning, the moon was full and shining brightly high in the western sky. I had a feeling that fishing would be a little tougher because of it, since it seems the fish tend stay up late and feed through the night with the moonlit conditions, and I was right. The morning started out extremely slow, but the crew put in overtime and stayed later into the afternoon hours to give folks extra time to put a few more fish in their sacks. We ended the day with an average of about 7 to 8 rockfish per person, along with 5 lingcod to 10 pounds. One of our nieces, Kristin, joined us for her first fishing trip ever and had a smile from ear to ear when she told me about all the fish she caught. What was really cool was when she said how great it felt to know that she was the one who had caught the fish we had for dinner that night. Yep, she got it....
Saturday, June 6 - 21 folks took our advice and joined us for an absolutely gorgeous day on the ocean, and they cranked out limits of rockcod again for everyone onboard including an 8 pound cabezon, along with six more hefty lingcod, the two biggest weighing in at 16 and 17 pounds. Looked like big fish of the day was going to be decided early on when Beav landed the 16 pounder, but he was squeezed out of the top seat when John brought his 17 pounder onboard. With today's catch, that puts us up to 30 lingcod caught in the last four trips to 27 pounds...not bad, eh? We had a couple of young girls that were real cuties who joined us on Saturday, too, and it made my day to hear that one of them landed a huge vermillion early in the trip, and they were all smiles when I saw them back in the shop at the end of the day.
Friday, June 5 - A 27 pound lingcod landed before 10:30 a.m.! With absolutely flat calm, never-gets-better-than-this type of weather on the ocean, the biggest fish of the season so far was landed today, a huge 27 pound lingcod. I've been getting some calls from folks who are concerned with the weather...oh, my goodness!! Believe us, it is absolutely gorgeous on the ocean...it really, really, REALLY doesn't get any better than the conditions we have right now. The sky might be gray and cloudy, but the ocean is absolutely fantastic and the forecast is calling for more of the same through the five day forecast period. Last month we suffered through tough fishing, rotten weather and an extremely cold ocean...but this month is starting out with a bang! The fish are biting, the lingcod are chomping, the water has warmed up and the ocean is as flat as it gets! Time to go fishing! We had limits of rockfish again today along with six lingcod for 12 guys to 27 pounds. Lots of room this weekend; just come on down if you don't get a chance to get a hold of us.
Thursday, June 4 - With some of the best, flatest weather we ever get in our area, the fishing has turned on and is cranking out limits of rockfish along with increasing numbers and bigger and bigger lingcod. Today makes the third day of fishing in a row with limits of rockcod for everyone onboard, plus we added 10 lingcod, the biggest tipping the scales at a hefty 17 pounds. Heard jackpot-winner Glenn caught it on his last cast of the day to win the big fish prize. Don't let the skies deceive you...the weather on the ocean is flat glassy calm with a very light breeze and virtually no swell (2 to 3 feet to be exact). The forecast looks great through the weekend and into next week, and it doesn't get better than limits, so, if you're thinking about going fishing, sounds to me like it might be a darn good idea right about now! Plenty of room the next several days, but please be sure to give us a call or send an email and put yourself on the books.
Tuesday, June 2 - We've cancelled our trip for tomorrow on Wednesday as there were only a handful of folks on the books by the time we were closing, and unfortunately that's just not enough folks to make it worthwhile to make the 18 mile run down to where we can fish below Pigeon Point. We already enough guys signed up for Thursday and Friday, so those trips are a go, but please always be sure to give us a call and put your name on the books as soon as possible if you want to join us so we can gauge how much interest there is for a particular day. We usually make the final decision by around 3:30 p.m. for the next day's trip, so call before then if at all possible. We are also definitely fishing both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, but reservations are always recommended not only to ensure we have room available and but also to ensure that we can get a hold of you if there is any change in plans. Even though the weather forecasters are throwing the "R" word around (as in "rain"), the ocean forecast is real decent with no more than a 2 to 4 foot swell forecast through the weekend with just a little wind thrown in to help out the drift.
Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31 - It took almost a month, but at long last everyone onboard walked off the boat with their 10 fish rockfish limit, 240 fish including a 6 lb. cabezon plus 3 more lingcod to 12 pounds on Saturday, and 240 fish plus 8 lingcod to 13 pounds on Sunday. Capt. Bob told me on Friday that it looked like conditions were definitely changing for the better...we've had the best weather on the ocean of the entire year the past couple of days and the water temperature jumped to around 54 degrees, major improvement over the 48 degree water we had just a week ago. Bob said everything was working, flys, bars and plastics, but the standout the last couple of days were the 4" green and black backed plastic shads.
The deep water rockfishing trips are more or less be just like any other rockfishing trip, with a few major exceptions: We have to fish where the ocean is at least 900 feet or deeper. There is still a 10 fish rockcod limit, and all customers take home their fish. Any and all rockfish landed must be kept until boat limits have been reached. The hope is to be able to target rockfish such as chilipepper rockfish that are suspended in the water column, hopefully far from the actual ocean bottom. 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 the boats conducting these trips don't catch those off limits 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. These trips could prove to be vitally important to give us more fishing opportunities in the future. If you'd like to be placed on an email list I've started to receive updates about deep water rockfishing trips as well as alerts when trips are scheduled, 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?
Monday, December 1, 2008: The rockfishing season off our coastline is now officially closed until next year (by boat that is...rockfishing is still allowed year-round for divers and from shore for those fishing the surf, off the jetty or piers). So thus ends the 18th season we've operated the Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay. Even with this short season and some rotten conditions at times, our customers landed the most rockcod, lingcod and cabezon combined of any boat in California north of Morro Bay (as tabulated by www.sportfishingreport.com). We are proud to be the longest running vessel operating out of the harbor, and it wouldn't be possible without all of you who have joined us and supported us over the years through good and bad, thick and thin. You are why we are in this business, and we hope you can look back on your trips with us with fond memories like we do. There are times we wonder why we do this stuff called fishing, given all the obsticles we face with ever-increasing regulations, closures, weeks of meetings that turn into months by year-end, enduring the stabs and jabs of being at the top of the heap, and dealing with some downright rotten weather and not much better catching at times. But then we see the sparkle in a kids' face the first time they land their own fish, or feel the excitement every time we see that first whale blow off in the distance, or at times just as simple a thing as just spending time on the water together, and it all comes back to us: on the water is where we're at our best, where we belong. We'll be off until after the beginning of the year taking care of our annual maintenance that keeps the Queen looking and running in tip top shape, and we might actually take a few well-deserved days off here and there. Sometime after the beginning of the year we'll be putting together some trips to see if the Humboldt squid are offshore, give it another go at the deep water rockcod, and venture out in search of the migrating whales that grace us with their presence during the winter months. Next year's rockfishing season isn't written in stone yet, but at this point it's slated to open below Pigeon Point on May 1 and above Pigeon Point the second Saturday in June. And the Queen of Hearts will be here waiting for your return, ready to give you another chance of making memories. Now, for the holiday gifts sales pitch: make your Christmas shopping a breeze...order a Queen of Hearts gift card online by going to our Merchandise webpage at www.fishingboat.com/merchandise.html. Or come by our shop to pick up a new reel or rod or some great fishy stocking stuffer goodies. So, with that said, and until we can get back out there, thank you for another year. Stay safe and enjoy your holidays. Where'd all the old fishing summaries go? Click here to go to our Archive.
Wednesday, September 17: Easy and early limits again today with mostly good size brownies and blacks as well as six lingcod with the top fish tipping the scales at 17 pounds. Weather continues to be fantastic. On another note, I've been meaning to post this video for a while...you've heard of a "dog eat dog world"...well, how about a "ling eat ling world"?....check out the video our daughter Marie took on a trip earlier this year by clicking the picture below or going to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz2A8uSPxKY. It could be a bit on the gross side for some to view, so fair warning, but it is pretty amazing.
Where'd all the old fishing summaries go? Click here to go to our Archive.
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, 2007 - 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.
Sunday, August 26, 2007 - 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.
FISHING REPORT ARCHIVE:
PRIVATE CHARTERS: We are proud that we have built a very strong private charter business for the Queen of Hearts since we started over 18 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 2009, especially Saturdays!
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:
WE NOW OWN OUR OWN BAIT AND TACKLE STORE!
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!
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Friday, September 26:
SCHEDULE: The rockfishing season officially opens on May 1 below Pigeon Point, and as of Saturday, June 13 we will begin running our popular shallow water light tackle rockfishing along our coastline. The rockcod season will remain open through November. The fate of the 2009 salmon season has not be decided but we should receive the final word once the PFMC meets in March and April. 
Queen of HeartsHoudini Sportfishing
Phone 510.581.2628
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