Heart



Heart

Home Page Fishing Report Schedule Salmon Shallow Water Light Tackle Rockfishing Whale watching Mavericks Who We Are Rates Reservations Our Location
Heart


Merchandise For Sale
Heart

Home Page Fishing Report Schedule Salmon Shallow Water Light Tackle Rockfishing Whale watching Mavericks Who We Are Rates Reservations Our Location
Heart


Merchandise For Sale
Heart

Home Page Fishing Report Schedule Salmon Shallow Water Light Tackle Rockfishing Whale watching Mavericks Who We Are Rates Reservations Our Location
Fishing Report
(Be sure to push "Refresh" (or F5 button) for the latest report)

SEPTEMBER 2020

FANTASTIC ROCKFISHING SEASON!


CHECK OUT OUR PHONE SYSTEM FISH REPORT
...AND OUR ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM!!

Click on the following links for details about:
OUR MOST RECENT DAILY SUMMARY

Steve Lynch with a gorgeous lingcod he landed on Sunday, July 5, 2015 in front of Pigeon Point

Click on these links to jump down to our:
Daily Scores
Daily Fishing/News Summary
Fishing Report Archive
Why We Don't Use Live Bait for Rockfishing
Deep Water Rockfishing Trips
Private Charters
Weather
Our shop: Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle!
Schedule

DAILY SCORES: For latest scores, click here: http://www.sportfishingreport.com/pages/boatdetail.php?boat_id=230


Wanna see some of the old scores go? Click here to go to our Archive.

DAILY FISHING/NEWS SUMMARY:

Monday, September 21, 2020 - Rockfishing is absolutely phenominal this season! Loads of quality bottomfish! Coppers, canaries, vermillion, yellowtail rockfish...the good old Half Moon Bay smorgasbord of fish. Good numbers of lingcod, too, at times. A couple of charters recently came back with just a few lings short of limits for everyone onboard. On the salmon front, we're getting towards the end of the salmon season which generally means not as many fish coming home but the ones that do are typically real nice. We've had several salmon from 20 to 26 pounds this past month. We'll be running dungeness crab and rockfish combos starting as of Sunday, November 8. The Queen of Hearts has reduced the number of passengers on each trip to 10 to 14 people at this time to do all we can to give everyone the recommended space while onboard, and masks are mandatory. Because of the drastic reduction in the number of folks we are now taking, prices have just about doubled from last year so we are able to cover the non-ending expenses that haven't decreased. And last, but not least, please keep in mind that the pictures you see on this site have been taken over the 30+ years we've owned the Queen of Hearts, before the time masks became the new fashion accessory.

Where'd all the old daily summaries go? Click here to go to our Archive.

Mike Yochum took a busman's holiday on June 11, 2009 and caught this 11 pound trophy cabezon...check out the flare of the fins Archive.

Harry 'The Jigman' Boos with a huge 25 inch black rockfish he landed on June 28, 2008...one inch shy of the state record

Open Wide...This Won't Hurt A Bit....

Worried about seasickness? Check out this brochure...

Frank Jerich holds up his limit of lingcod caught on Friday, June 5, 2009 below Pigeon Point...big fish was 27 pounds!

Ha Pham landed this gorgeous, chunky tiger rockfish on Saturday, June 13, 2009, the first day of fishing above Pigeon Point

WHY DON'T WE USE LIVE BAIT FOR ROCKFISHING: -

I often get people calling and asking about what bait we use on our trips. So, here's the spiel and my soapbox moment for the day:
.....We do not use live bait for rockfishing. Why you ask? Do you catch any fish? Well, we have now owned the Queen of Hearts for over 20 years and have probably taken more people rockfishing over those years than any other boat in Northern California and probably more than most of the boats in the entire state. Over those years, we usually catch a combined total of more rockfish, lingcod and cabezon than any boat north of Morro Bay, and again more than most of the boats in the entire state. All of this is done WITHOUT using any live bait. The San Mateo coast is graced with great rockfishing, where limits of fish are caught daily more often than not.
.....Bob and I have always operated with the mindset of doing what we can to keep the recreational fishery thriving in our area for future generations. Bob has been actively involved in the fishery management process for just about as long as we've owned the Queen of Hearts, the last three-quarters of a dozen years or so serving on a federal committee that hashes out the management of groundfish along the entire Pacific Ocean coastline. It has been an unbelievable unending war to try to keep our right to be able to fish, with battles won and battles lost. By serving on that committee, Bob knows first-hand what is involved in the decision-making process. I do my best to try to explain what I see and hear to those I speak with on the phone, and those who come through our shop and read this website.
.....In our opinion, using live bait in our area for rockfishing will do more harm than good. And here's why: Rockfish tend to lunge at and "slurp" in live bait which more often than not lands the hook deep into the fish's gullet. Most people who have used live bait while rockfishing know this is true and will admit to it. The problem comes when/if that fish ends up being released. In order to get an angler's hook back, the guts of the fish are literally ripped out of the fish, and just about 100% of those fish die due to their injuries. However, rockfish typically bite differently when using artificial lures and those tipped with a strip of squid or a chunk of defrosted anchovy. The majority of the fish end up being hooked in the corner of the jaw or top of their mouth, allowing for release of fish without killing it...even though I'm sure they're going ouch, ouch, ouch as they swim back to where they came from. For those few fish that do get hooked too deep to live using lures, we do our best to educate folks to keep any fish that are not going to live. Fish thrown back that are considered dead count against our harvest totals just as much as fish that are taken home.
.....I could go on and on, but I'll stop. The bottom line is the more fish we save from being killed needlessly, the more we'll have for the future. And the more folks that understand that, the better chance future generations will be able to take their kids fishing, just like we've been able to. There is a time and place for using live bait (i.e., albacore, yellowtail, halibut), but as our longstanding record shows we don't need it to catch rockfish and now I hope it makes sense why. Oftentimes it's really tough to do what is right, but in the end it's worth it.

Cousin Ernie shows off an impressive 13 pound cabezon he landed on Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Francis Japlit of Palo Alto with his beautiful 34 pound salmon he landed on Saturday, April 21 off Pigeon Point, the biggest salmon caught on the coast so far this season

Capt. Bob lends a hand to Luis Mercado of Manteca outside our shop with the 27 pound lingcod Luis landed on November 8, 2008

Master Mity Might Conquers Lingcod

Where'd all the old fishing summaries go? Click here to go to our Archive.

Deckhand James gives a hand to help Kathy Chu hold up the 28 pound halibut she caught on September 5, 2008

Heard of "Dog Eat Dog World," but...: 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.

Jake with one of several lingcod landed on September 3, 2007

Tom Aurand shows off his scaled verified 8 pound black he landed on a 2007 rockfishing trip

Look closely at the rod Glenn Itano used to land this nice lingcod on July 24.  Now that's what light tackle rockfishing is all about!

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 for the entire 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 seasons.

Steve Woodill of San Juan Baptista holding his 31 pounder caught on May 26, 2004, one of the biggest salmon the season on the Queen of Hearts

 

That fish gets the Queen's approval!!

PRIVATE CHARTERS: We are proud that we have built a very strong private charter business for the Queen of Hearts since we started over 30 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!

Alan Yeo displaying his 22 pound jackpot winner on May 1, 2004

May 1, 2002 lingcod 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://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=PZZ545

Our area is covered by the "Point Reyes To Pigeon Point to 10 NM" 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.

Stephen Williams took this shot while salmon fishing last season on the Queen of Hearts showing some of the fantastic bonuses while fishing

WE ARE THE PROUD OWNERS OF OUR OWN BAIT AND TACKLE STORE!...
HALF MOON BAY SPORTFISHING AND TACKLE:
Since August 1, 2005, the Queen of Hearts has proudly worked 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! 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!

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 constantly adding items 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 top of the line XXX. We have Xtratuf 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! Slowly but surely, we now offer 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, debit, 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!

68# bluefin Sherry caught 8/14/02 SCHEDULE: Click here to check out our daily schedule through the end of next month. We schedule and run fishing trips seven days a week during the fishing season, so, if you are interested in a date that's not on the list, just give us a call or pop off an email to check on our availability.

Rex Prather displays for the Queen the 23 pounder he landed on May 2

Baja Bev stands proudly next to the 28 pound halibut she landed on September 7, 2006

Check out the 58 pound opah landed while albacore fishing on Monday, September 11, 2006...pretty cool looking fish, huh?! Larry Bohannan's 35 pound halibut landed on August 19th...on a shrimp fly!

Why do we like to go fishing?  There's a lot more to going fishing than just going fishing!



Heart


Queen of Hearts
Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle
Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay, CA
Phone 510.581.2628
EMAIL



Copyright © 1998-2020 Houdini Sportfishing. All Rights Reserved