Trips

Rockfish & Lingcod

It’s here!! As of April 1st, 2021 Rockfish season is open! This is a seasonal (April-December) and traditional fishery, (usually in 300 feet or less) – providing excitement, fun and a great meal.

Rockfish and Lingcod fishing is our main offering throughout the year. We offer a regular morning departure for 7-8 hours and during the summer/fall months an afternoon departure for 4 hours.

Rockfish & Lingcod is not a catch and release fishery. If you aren’t sure what to do with your fish after the trip – see our friends on the wharf at the Crabhouse or Cafe Fina. Our deckhands can fillet the fish for you “restaurant style” or de-boned, so that you can take them over to Cafe Fina for the Fresh Catch Meal Deal or to the Crabhouse for a delightful, freshly caught meal. After your trip, stop in and ask about availability, and make a reservation. You can’t beat fresh fish or the fruits of your labor for dinner!

Everyone usually catches some rock fish. What a sense of accomplishment! We tend to come home with limits to near limits on each trip! We fish live bait when it is available before the morning trip to add extra action to your experience. Bait is provided on every trip. The rockfish tend to run anywhere from 1 to 6 pounds in weight each. If a lingcod is caught, it can run 10 to 30 pounds in weight. This fishery is subject to in season changes, usually affecting the depths we fish at, if they change at all. There are also regulations in place regarding various species, our crew is always up to date and are more than happy to assist you. Please refer to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website for the latest fishery information.

Gear Pricing: Sabiki hooks for live bait: $4.35 for a 5-6 hook set-up Super Fly hooks for rockcod: $4.35 for a two barbed hook set up 10oz sinker: $4.35 Rod Rental: $15.00 Gunny Sack: $2.18 **Bait is included in price**

 A variety of fish cleaning services are available from our deckhands on the way back in or on the dock after the trip. Cash only for these services, paid directly to the deckhand.

Salmon

Salmon season opens April 3rd for the 2021 season. Salmon is a seasonal fishery that typically opens in the spring (around April 1^st) and runs through the summer. This is a carefully managed fishery and the duration of the season is flexible based on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s directive.

Salmon are a fun challenge for novice and seasoned anglers alike. We target Chinook or King Salmon which can average 10-18 pounds each with some reaching 30+ pounds. Currently regulations state that they must be 24″ or greater to keep. Anglers are currently permitted to keep two King Salmon per day.

There are two strategies that we use to catch King Salmon on our trips. We either mooch  with lines in the water and a medium weight or we troll with heavy weights while driving at a very slow speed. We have tackle stocked for either method and can use either method at a moment’s notice. We continue to update our methods and try new techniques in order to increase our catch. Salmon fishing requires some finesse and a great deal of trial and error. Our crew is happy to show you tips and tricks to help you snag one of these excellent fish. If you are bringing your own gear, all hooks for salmon MUST BE BARBLESS

Gear Pricing for Mooching: Hooks: $4.35 for two barbless circle hooks Weights: $4.35 for 4oz banana sinker Rod Rental: $15.00 Gunny Sack: $2.18

Gear Pricing for Trolling: Cable Baiter Hook: $6.53 for one hook & pin/wire Sinker Release: $4.35 4lb Sinker Ball: $10.88 3lb Sinker Ball: $8.70 Rod Rental: $15.00 Gunny Sack: $2.18

Salmon trips usually start very early in the day! Our typical departure is at 5:30am and could last 7-9 hours. We may change gear types during the trip depend on which method seems to be working best. Bait will be provided for either fishing method and is included in your ticket price.

We cannot fillet Salmon while out on the boat due to current regulations. The deckhand is allowed to gut it and keep the rest of the fish intact while out on the water. After we return to the dock the deckhand can fillet it for you. Cash only for these services.

Crab Combo

A seasonal trip offering (November – March) often combined with other fisheries during the winter months. For the 2021 season it is expected to begin 11/6/2021.

**NEW REGS FOR 2021/20222 SEASON: All anglers will be required to purchase a “Recreational Crab Trap Validation” for $2.25 to be added to their regular fishing license. We will be able to process these at our shop.

We typically offer a Rockfish & Crab Combo in November and December. Once rockfish & lingcod season closes at the end of December – we offer a Sand Dab & Crab Combo (Crabs ‘n Dabs Combo) for January, February and March.

How does it work? The traps have been baited and the pots have been set by our crew on a previous trip, before we leave for the day. We start off by fishing for rockfish or sand dabs for a few hours. Once fishing is done, we head for the crab pots, haul them out, take out the crab then bait and reset the crab pots for the next group. Everyone participates (as required by CDFW). At the end of the trip, the crew will divide the crab equally among the anglers. The maximum is 10 per angler. ***As of our 2018 season, our vessels have been outfitted with updated crab pot pulling systems, These are commercial grade gear and allow the pots to be pulled in a quick and efficient manner.***

We are now also offering the following trips based on availability of the fishery and the bite:

Halibut, Halibut/Rock cod combos, & even BLUEFIN TUNA trips! Co-Owner/Captain John has been leading limited tuna excursions out into the bay and has successfully caught multiple 150+lb fish as of the 2020 season! We are currently working on exciting new endeavors that will allow us to run even more tuna trips come Summer 2021! Stay tuned! **For Tuna trips please call to be added to our call list and when we have a trip departing we will call down the list!**

COMING SOON FOR THE SPRING 2021 SEASON!

6 Pack open party trips & 6 pack private charters on our new Boston Whaler! Check back for more information soon!  

Want to be notified about a hot bite? How will you know if tuna show up? Join our fish alert system and indicate which fisheries you would like to be notified about!

Private / Group Charter Options:

Would you like to boat just for your group? Private charters are great for family trips, corporate rewards, team building & more! Check out We have different options available based on group sizes, price, & fishing type. Please call the office at 831-372-7440 or fill out the contact form below to request a quote or more information

Ash Scattering / Burials at Sea:

Scattering a loved one’s ashes at sea is a beautiful way to say goodbye. We offer one hour charters along the Pacific Grove coast to scatter ashes at sea. We like to stop along the coast near Lover’s Point so that the location of the scattering can be easily viewed later for you and your friends and family. We can also travel to other nearby locations. If you are considering a specific location, please express that to our staff when making your reservation. You are welcome to bring flowers or other plant material to put in the water with the ashes, as part of your send off. We also encourage the use of biodegradable urns, which can be entirely placed in the water. We are licensed by the State of California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau as a Cremated Remains Disposer to scatter ashes at sea. You are also required to obtain a permit for the ashes before we can take you to have them scattered at sea. You can obtain this permit at the Monterey County Health Department located at 1270 Natividad Road, Salinas CA 93906, or you can request that the permit you receive with the ashes from the crematorium states “for scatter at sea off the coast of Monterey”. After the scattering is performed, we will provide you with a certificate for you with the GPS coordinates of the scattering location for your memories and for your records. Please call the office at 831-372-7440 or send an email to info@discoverywhalewatch.com to request a quote or for more information.