Fishing charters & tours in Santa Cruz
THE 5 BEST Santa Cruz Fishing Charters & Tours
Fishing Charters & Tours in Santa Cruz
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Boat Tours • Fishing Charters & Tours
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Boat Tours • Fishing Charters & Tours
Fishing Charters & Tours
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What travelers are saying
- Alina Z6 contributionsWe were on the first (and maybe only ?) all female crew trip. Excellent on all accounts: friendly, knowledgeable, smooth sailing despite some waves and saw all the animals we were hoping for ! We saw whales (mom and baby), a few juvenile Great Whites, otters and a few curious sea lions.Written August 6, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jeff P2 contributionsWhat can I say, Joe’s a swell dude. He had the party loaded up and headed out before the sun even peeked over the horizon. It was late November, and we weren’t sure what the weather or bite would look like, but Joe put us over the fish. Next thing you know, rockfish and lingcod started hooking up, and we brought in some decent fatties. Over the course of the day, the weather warmed up nicely, and we learned some great tips and techniques for catching lingcod. Nothing I’ll share here of course! But if you want some great lessons from the master himself, and come home with some good eatin’, I suggest you schedule a trip on the Taylor Gene yourself. You and your family or friends will have a wonderful time hunting for “the big one”!Written April 1, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- JennyNMountainViewMountain View, CA259 contributionsJust spent an afternoon fishing with JT from Go Fish charters on Miss Beth. The whole process was seamless, from booking with Beth herself (his Mum who has the most adorable personality-we see where JT gets it) to meeting JT and catching fish after fish after fish with him. We could barely keep up but JT is a fishing ninja. He helped our 11 and 13 year old girls learn how to let out the line, hold the rod, reel it in etc. He was incredibly patient and made it fun. He's the kind of guy you just want to hang with after but was also incredibly professional if u just want a straight serious fishing trip . We had four lines going at once and he managed all of them, pulling off the fish, releasing the smaller ones, rebaiting hooks quickly, and being incredibly patient with our missteps. When my 11 year old daughter started to feel sensitive about killing fish, he expertly distracted them with a bag full of snacks and 7-up! it was perfect!! Chocolate chip cookies solve every issue. We caught so many fish that we were finished "early" and JT took us to see the sea otters in beds of kelp. The girls were thrilled (and my husband and i of course!). when we got back to the slip, he filleted and deboned our awesome catch and sent it home with us in a timely manner while regaling us with stories and jokes and being kind enough to listen to all of my stories as well! Miss Beth is an ideal fishing vessel and has plenty of room for relaxing and spacing out as well. Shade options too. Our girls were able to eat snacks and play cards while we kept fishing. We will be back to try their salmon trips and for crab charters in the winter and wouldn't hesitate to go again as often as possible! JT even shared a ceviche recipe that I will be trying with some of our fresh cod! i can't wait to cook these fish tonight and share or freeze the rest. HIGHLY recommend. I just never wanted to leave. Thanks JT we will see you again.Written July 20, 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- 52DanW24Santa Cruz, California2 contributionsMy daughter and I went fishing with Capt Tom last weekend, and it was our first time on a chartered fishing boat. We had so much fun, and we both caught quite a few fish. We went on a morning local potluck. First, we stopped at a secret fishing hole to catch sand dabs to use as live bait. Then we went on up the coast a little and started pulling in rock fish. Capt Tom and his deckhand helped with everything. All we had to do was have fun. Our group of six brought in over 70 fish, including a few bigger ones. The ling cod weren't biting, but we got several reds and a cool assortment of rock fish. We limited out by 11 and they had us back at the yacht harbor by noon. We took home two nice bags of filets and had a delicious fish fry. The sea was rough (for me) but none of us got seasick. I definitely used some different muscles trying to keep my balance. It was really fun!Written October 24, 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Odyssey549436767053 contributionsWe had a great day fishing on Monterey Bay with Captain Rodney! Caught our limit and had so much fun! Would definitely go out again with this Captain.Written June 11, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Vovandos3 contributionsWorst experience I could imagine! We booked a trip for 3 of us (me, my wife and our friend) 2 weeks in advance. The booking system is broken, has multiple pages long manuals, and made for aliens. However, when I received an email from the owner that they got the reservation, I was relieved. They said, however, they need to find at least one more person for the trip to happen. Email also said I have to leave credit card number on the phone (it's 2017 here!, sounds more like phishing). I called a couple of times, but no one responded. I left a message to call me back, still nothing. Ok, let's wait for the good news someone else is joining the trip! 3 days before actually trip I'm calling again (no answer again), but got a text - the trip is full, we don't have reservation! WTF? our plans for weekend planned for us, a friend and a babysitter to come at 6 am (hard to get) are ruined! And the guy just says I didn't leave credit card info at the voicemail and they never bothered to call back.Written December 14, 2017This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Aura J7 contributionsWe had an amazing family fishing trip with Captain Rodney. I highly recommend Santa Cruz Coastal Charters for anyone looking to have a great adventure on the Bay. We can’t wait to go out again!Written June 28, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz
- These places are best for fishing charters & tours in Santa Cruz:
- Stagnaro Sport Fishing Charters & Whale Watching Cruises
- Go Fish Santa Cruz Charters
- Santa Cruz Charters
- Monterey Bay Charters
- Kayak Connection
See what travelers are asking
Forum posts were selected by looking for forum titles asking specific questions and taking the top showtopic page by total pageviews as the optimal topic.
So I havent seen this post recently. Debating the merits of staying in Santa Cruz vs Capitola.
We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.
Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.
The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.
Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?
Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.
Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.
Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?
Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?
Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.
Thank you for your advice.
We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.
Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.
The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.
Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?
Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.
Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.
Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?
Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?
Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.
Thank you for your advice.
Answer: There is not much for boys that age in Capitola. Its core is a small village with boutique shopping. The hotel itself is on busy 41st Avenue, not very near the village. The mall you speak of is considering going out of business and turning into something else. It has a couple of semi-fast food restaurants. It is not something the boys could walk to from the Fairfield Inn, or has anything of interest to them, IMO.
The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.
Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.
The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .
The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.
I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html
Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....
Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.
Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.
The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .
The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.
I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html
Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....
Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
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