Just went out with Guardian and they went the extra mile to put us on Yellowtail in March(?!). Great Captain and deckhand. Super patient and positive guys. Couldn't ask for a better experience. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

Best in the business .... Young guys so they are not jaded... Will do everything in their power to put you on fish and do it with amazing customer service. Book it. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

Had an amazing experience with Captain Sam, I have been fishing with them for years and can honestly say every trip is better than the next, Sam will do everything in his power to get on the fish, the boat is excellent and fast, service is great, very friendly and informative. I look forward to many more trips real soon. read more

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Captain Sam is awesome! Caught two yellowtail and saw a ton of sea life, dolphins and humpback whales on our trip. He is very knowledgeable and a great guy! Fantastic time! Highly recommend!! read more

Guardian Charters - Yellowtail! - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

When I contacted Guardian to inquire about a charter, I got back a long and thoughtful text about what the best options would be for a full offshore day including thoughts on the weather and sea conditions. North and South options were explored and two days out from the trip, Sam suggested we "go for it" to the South where a good bite was being reported. We agreed to leave earlier than typical for the run down Baja. Sam and his knowledgeable and capable first mate, Kai, greeted us at the dock and helped loading provisions and gear. Fishing is unpredictable and it takes knowledge to understand the right areas and techniques to make the most of a day. Because we left early, we were able to get on two good bites as the action calmed significantly by 11am. We came home with 7 yellowfin, 4 skipjack and two yellowtail. Sam and Kai were very attentive and helpful with my son and his friend who had not been fishing for a long time. Sam's boat is well equipped and a great choice for a long day on the water-it's fast! and it's great to have a pilot house to get inside from the sun and wind on the ride home in contrast to an open fisherman type layout. All told we covered 240 miles over 10 hours and enjoyed every moment. Of particular note was the care that Kai took to preserve our catch. For great eating, it's not enough to just toss the fish into a hold with some ice. Kai bled the tuna and then carefully packed the fish in ice at the first lull in the action and kept the deck spotless in between hectic fish catching action. This is a pro team and worth your money! read more

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One of the best fishing trips I've ever been on. Sam and his deck hand Kai we're awesome! We were out of the dock by 5 am and fishing by 545 am. Great job getting us to the fish and a awesome job helping us get the fish on the boat once we were hooked. Everyone had an awesome time! Definitely my go to guys for any 4 pack! Highly recommended. read more

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Great trip, would highly recommend. Bummer we didn't catch any tuna but we caught a ton of groupers and snappers. Would definitely do it again. We were fortunate enough to go out even though the boat wasn't full. The captain understood we came all the way down from Sf. read more

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Captain Sam and first mate Kai will put in the hard work to try and get you on the fish. Captain Sam was completely straight forward with how the fishing had been the couple of days prior to our trip out. Very few kelp paddies, and when they were located, the fish just hadn't been cooperating. They took us out to San Clemente Island where we had success with calico bass, and they located a kelp pad on the way back in where the yellowtail were biting. Overall a great day on the water, just wish the fish had read the script. read more

I hate to leave a bad review, but I booked my trip based on the positive reviews here so I want to provide some context. Some of this is bad luck, but not all of it. I picked Guardian because the Captain offered open charters and said he would try to help me fill the other spots in a 4 pack all day trip. Unfortunately he never posted the trip to his Facebook or Instagram to try to help me fill the spots. I filled 2 more spots myself and was willing to take up the extra cost to go ahead an book the trip. The Captain told me to go online to book it, but his website said the day wasn't free. 3 days of radio silence then the captain came back and said he had already booked that day. So pretty disappointing. Then 2 days later he comes back - it was a double-booking mistake and the date is open if I want it. I booked and was getting ready to go. Less than 48 hours before the trip the Capt says the engine died and he needs a part - he'll know in 24 hours if he can still take the trip. We're driving in from out of town, so the last minute change is a big deal. Turns out he can't fix the boat, so our trip has to be rescheduled (with less than 24 hours notice). He offers a $100 discount to re-book another time (less than 5%). We go ahead with booking. A month later and we're ready to go again. Less than 24 hours before the trip, capt says he's sick, needs a Covid test. If we can push to Sunday instead of Saturday we can still try to go. We say OK since we're already in San Diego. Next day, test comes back negative, so we're on. Double-checking the confirmation email. It gives 2 different addresses at 2 different places in the email. Text the capt to confirm - neither address is correct - so we confirm a new addresses. Also the time is wrong, wants to leave an hour later because the line at the bait barge will be too long. OK - so set to go. Last minute change up, the capt is too sick, so a different capt is taking us. OK. Next morning, we arrive :10 minutes early...still waiting around :30 minutes after the meet time. The new capt has said "almost there" a couple times. Finally he comes and gets us...but he needs to get gas and ice before hitting the bait barge. So we stop for gas and ice. Finally get to the bait barge, there's no line. Oh yeah - bad news - the head is broken, so too bad for my wife, she'll have to squat on a boat full of men. Thankfully she's a trooper, but woulda been nice to get a heads up. Finally heading offshore, capt tells us all the fish have moved out and it's not likely to be a good day...disappointing, not within his control, but maybe a better way to phrase it? We fish seriously for a few hours, don't find any fish on the kelp paddies, don't see any birds working. So they put out some high speed lures and just troll for a few hours. We don't stop and inspect any other kelp paddies, just keep trolling. About 4 hours before the end of our day the deck hand reels in the lures and they just power to the dock, no conversation, no discussion. We were in more than 3 hours early on a 12 hour charter. Checking fish counts, other boats caught fish, although from the radio it sounded like lots of others were striking out...either way, bad communication, wasting hours I paid for, generally can't recommend this outfit. Date of experience: August 2020 read more

Sam and Kai were attentive, and did their best to put us on fish. Service was excellent.

These guys will put you in the fish or die trying. My first time Spearfishing with Guardian changed my opinion of every other charter I had ever been on. There is simply no comparison. Guardian Charters is an extremely well run operation with very nice boats. The staff is experienced and friendly. Couldn't ask for a better trip. Thanks again guys! read more

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Guardian Charters is one of the best Spearfishing Charters in all of San Diego I make a point to go out on their boat at least 3 to 5 times a year. The owner Evan Wagley hires the very best captains in the business, and Guardian Charters I have landed large tuna nice yellowtail and had some really fun days at the Coronado Islands. I'd recommend Guardian Charters to any of my friends. If there are fish to be had these guys will put you on them read more

Guardian Charters - Tunaaaaaaa - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

We are from the AZ desert, and we had a terrific time with my boys (ages 15 and 18) first time spear fishing with these guys. We felt totally comfortable out on the water with Evan and Nate. Evan is the man. What I didn't know prior to getting on the boat with him, is that he (Evan) is a US Customs agent, and every day he's not fishing, he's out protecting our boarder. The guy is an impressive fisherman, but even more impressive human being. He's is the man you want driving your boat, guiding you to the fish, and literally putting your safety in his hands. I'm talking gun safety, knowing the waters, where to fish, and how to get them in the boat. This guy is a consummate pro in every sense of the word, and makes your fun and safety his #1 goal. BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS! YOU WILL LOSE BIG TIME, EVERY TIME IF YOU ARE NOT FISHING WITH THESE GUYS AT GUARDIAN. I WOULDN'T RISK IT WITH ANYBODY ELSE. P.S. My two boys shot fish every time they got in the water! Thanks Guardian!! read more

What a great trip! Nate is a great captain he was engaging, fun, knowledgeable and simply put good company. The kids enjoyed him and he made the trip fun for the whole family. We caught some great fish that have been good eating to top it all off. I can't wait for our next trip with Guardian Charters it was a blast. I highly recommend them for there excellent customer service from both Captain Evan and Captain Nate as well as their reasonable pricing. Considering the cost of the charter, Captain Nate's great hospitality and the fun that was had by all I can say there are few times that I have experienced when I felt a tip was as well deserved and earned. We could not have been happier with the experience!!! Thanks guys for making Eitan's 9th birthday one to remember. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went out with Captain Sam in search of some of some plus size bluefin tuna. Reports have not been the best but captain was well connected with a network of captains and felt confident in the game plan. We got to the fishing grounds after a couple hours and was immediately on top of the fish. We started trolling around using a variety of tactics with out a bight. Listening to the radio seemed like there was scattered schools around with only a few boats getting one here or there. After hours of the fish just not wanting to bight Sam made the call to make a big move. We came down from our big move and not five minuets later there it was, a massive school of huge tuna. Sam rigged the kite and sent out the dead flying fish. He drove the boat and coached me on what to do with the rod and reel. He expertly maneuvered the boat so the kite was right above the fish and had me lower the flying fish into the school. It hit the water and just seconds passed before white water erupted from what one could have confused with a truck driving off a bridge into the water. I watched the marker disappear underwater and Sam yelling Reel! It all happened so fast, It came tight and I was holding on watching line just peal off the reel faster then I thought even possible. After about an hour of battling this monster Sam made an excellent gaff shot and the two of us pulled in a 200lb sushi grade bluefin tuna. I was so exhausted I could barely lift the fish to take pictures. Sam then bled, gutted and packed the fish in ice for the trip home. Needless to say great day on the water and a great captain to make it all happen. read more

Best 4 pack fishing charter on the west coast, by a mile! Evan and Woody will get you on the fish every time. These guys really love what they do. The boat is always filled with positive energy and smiles (and lots of fish) . Ive been on a few trips now with both Evan and Woody and each time i get back home i count the seconds to my next trip out with them. It doesn't matter if you've fished your whole life or never at all, you will have the time of your life. They will make sure of that. I grew up fishing, take my word for it this is money well spent. read more

Guardian Charters - Huge yft on the GC! - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

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Our family had a great experience on Guardian. We tried spearfishing while snorkeling. Despite being very inexperienced, Evan talked us through the entire process, showed us how to use the gear and stayed with the group while we snorkeled. We didn't have much luck spearfishing so we broke out the rods and reels and Evan made sure we got some good fish in the ice chest. It was an amazing ¾ day trip out to the islands and we came home with some fresh fish. We even saw a humpback whale and he slowed the boat so we could watch it jumping around for a good 15 minutes. Awesome trip, great fishing guide and very reasonable price. Can't recommend Guardian enough if you want to get fish in the boat. read more

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I've been out with guardian charters 4 times over the past few years for hook and line and spearfishing charters. The captains and mates have always been top notch. When my family was in town we chartered the 28 Luhrs and they had a blast catching and cooking a variety of fish. While there's nothing you can do about controlling the fishing or weather the captains will do everything they can to work the conditions and get you on the fish. They aren't afraid to burn the gas to get you the best possible opportunity. While there are many charters out there to choose from in San Diego guardian offers the level of professionalism you come to expect and has always been a great experience for me. For spearfishing in particular they are THE charter to go with! read more

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Evan was an awesome captain! We were all novice and he was so patient and a great teacher! Each of us maxed out on YFT. I would highly recommend them and will definitely go again! read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

I had an amazing fishing trip with Captain Evan and Guardian Charters. He's very knowledgeable about everything and has a ton of experience finding great fishing spots for all types of fishing. I've been on many charter boats ranging from the big commercial boats to smaller long range boats for multi day trips and I've never caught as many huge fish as I did with Guardian Charters. I highly recommend fishing with Guardian Charters if you're looking to catch a ton of great fish to fill your freezer and have a few "big fish stories" to tell your friends about. read more

Guardian Charters - Our Catch - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

Yesterday Captain Evan took the four of us out on the most incredible spearfishing adventure I've ever been apart of. His unparalleled knowledge of the area coupled with expert prediction of the weather had us in the "Perfect Storm" for huge fish and even better glass-like water conditions. He took all of us out and made sure each and every person was properly briefed and equipped to do our thing with plenty of direction and helpful insight. Everyone speared big fish, saw amazing sea life, and had the time of our lives. If you're even beginning to think about taking a trip on ANY charter, you'd be wasting your time to choose anyone but Guardian Charters. We dove into awesome sea shelfs, reefs and caves that looked like they should belong in Hawaii. Visibility was close to 45-55 feet in all directions and the areas we were in belonged solely to us without another boat in sight! I've attached a few pictures just to give you an idea of the epic day we had. Thanks again Guardian Charters! read more

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These guys will put you on the fish. We've been out multiple times and we always have an absolute blast. If you're reading this and trying to decide, do it - you will definitely catch a limit of good times and lots of fish! And full service best in class filet service to boot :) read more

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Another charter in the books. The weather and the moon cycle conspired to make the bluefin skittish, scattered and deep at 100 feet which was beyond my dive abilities. The boat is great, clean and fast. We made perfect use of our time and every moment was spent diving and line fishing. Saw whales and porpoises. Great time! read more

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If you are IN or COMING to the San Diego area, I would highly recommend Captain Evan and his crew within Guardian Charters to absolutely everyone. No matter the length of the trip you are destined to have an amazing time. I booked a half day trip, and it was every bit of perfect. We caught lots of fish, a few sharks and had enough belly aches from laughing to replace an ab workout. I truly appreciated the candor, insight, and lighthearted personality of Captain Evan. Again, to say it was an amazing trip is an understatement. read more

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Best charter I've ever been on, and I've been on a ton. They know tuna like the back of their hand. We were spearing them and they put us in the right spots at the right time. This was my first bluefin ever and I will never forget the moment. Also very nice crew, and really fun to hang out with. It actually was so epic that I'm going again next month. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

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It was such a pleasurable experience fishing with Guardian charters. There was an issue with the booking system and almost didnt go but the owner Evan was so accommodating and allowed my friend and I to have the boat to ourselves for a private tour, the crew of Noah and Reese were really professional and friendly and we caught about a dozen Red Snapper and other rockfish. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

My girlfriend bought me this trip for a gift and it was seriously amazing. I appreciate how helpful and nice Evan was on our trip! He really helped me learn how to dive deeper and made the trip very enjoyable. I went on the full day spearfishing trip and it was incredibly fun and even though I am a beginning spear fisher Evan helped me catch a nice size sheepshead! Thank you so much for the great time and I will definitely be back for another! read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

Me and the boys got out with Guardian the other week. It was a friggin AWESOME time to say the least. We had Kyle as our Captain and he was just like being out with another one of the guys. He put us on the fish ALL day long and gave us good guidance to help us put fish on the boat. With Guardian, the 4 of us were all able to get our first bluefins. It was definitely an EPIC trip and I can wait to do it again. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

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Guardian Charters definitely knows how to put you on the fish. The day before my Blue Fin Charter, I woke up really sick but I wasn't going miss this trip. I wasn't able to swim out fast to the Tuna because my throat & lungs were on fire. Guardian Charters changed there plans and dropped me off at a couple paddies in between the tuna breezers to plug 3 yellowtail really quick. That's how to make a customer happy! The boat is also comfortable, clean & fast. Can't wait to get out again. read more

Guardian Charters - Delicious BFT! - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

My neighbor and I wanted to get out for a fishing trip and I was recommended to Evan by a close friend. After booking the trip, we showed up to the dock and were greeted by Evan and Dirk. They helped us load on our coolers and we were on our way to catching fish. Before we left the dock, they gave us a run down of the rules of the boat to ensure a safe trip. Since this was my first time out, Evan and Dirk were both able to help out with getting the bait hooked up and even casting the lines out for us. When we caught our first fish, they were incredibly helpful with the techniques needed for reeling in this 35 pound bluefin. The coaching continued all the way through until they were able to gaff the fish and get it on the boat. Upon our return to the dock Dirk expertly cleaned the catch for us and air sealed the goods. Evan and Dirk gave us an incredible time and I look forward to getting out on the boat with them again. I would highly recommend going fishing with these guys, they made my first experience a memorable one! read more

Fantastic, memorable day catching lingcod and more off the Coronado Islands in Mexico. I'm an amateur, and Dirk and Ace made everything fun and easy, and a bit of rain and rocky seas didn't stop us at all. As the sun broke through the clouds on the way back, got great shots of California brown pelicans tailing the boat. Amazing time, can't wait to get back out there soon. read more

Absolutely had a blast! Booked an overnight trip about 3-4 months before, Evan kept in touch with me before my trip. Evan called the day of the trip and mentioned they have been seeing a lot of action much closer, and we would leave at 3am instead of 9pm. I had no problem whatsoever with that, gave my buddy and I some undisturbed sleep. We headed out to the spots that were mentioned, but fishing never keeps promises, and no fish were to be found. But lucky Captain Woody and his helper Steve were absolutely awesome, and worked super hard to get us on fish. They are both super passionate about what they do and I enjoyed they're enthusiasm every time we saw some fish. They would always crack jokes and what not ensuring we are enjoying our time. I would absolutely recommended guardian charters, hands down the best charter I've been on so far... I will definitely book trips with them from here on out. read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

This was my second trip with Guardian and the first with Captain James Fisher. Captain was awesome and had us on yellowtail and bluefin all day. The four of us got three yellowtail and three bluefin even with a lot of missed shots. Don't think twice just book your trip!! Oh, make sure to bring your lunch! read more

Guardian Charters - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

I've known Evan for many years and was super excited to see him follow his passion and start up Guardian Charters. We took a few trips with him this summer and thanks to him, I've now got a freezer full of tuna and yellowtail. Evan not only knows how to put you in the fish but he also knows how to ensure you have a good time in the process. He's great with people and takes joy in seeing people catch fish! If you're looking to have a blast on the water and fill up your freezer in the process, give Evan at Guardian Charters a call...you won't be disappointed. read more

I would highly recommend Guardian Charters especially Captain Dirks and Jesse. Great guys and true passion for the sea. These guys went out of their way to completely satisfy us and we had a great time catching 4 tuna. I'll definitely be back! -Cheers read more

Such an amazing time going out with these two guys. Woody is super funny and has a good time putting people on some good fish, he took a lot of time teaching me techniques I need to lay into the fish I want. Evan is one of the nicest people I have ever met and does anything in his power to help teach you anything you need to know. Both great guys and cannot wait to go out with them again. Stoked on you guys. Love, Jake read more

Evan's operation is top notch. I've been on a handful of charters in Southern California over the past few years and Guardian is by far and away the the cream of the crop. Evan has a wealth of experience and really knows his way around local waters. Despite some unfavorable conditions, Evan was determined to get us on the fish and stuck out an extra long day until we got we were after. A lot of charters stick to a very strict time limit at the cost of the experience of their customers. Evan went above and beyond to ensure we had a great day on the water. In the end, I speared my first bluefin tuna! 10/10 read more

We had a great day on the water with Sam! We chased yellowfin tuna all day trying different techniques on boiling fish that would not bite! My party ended up hooking and landing some quality fish. Professional crew and fun to hang out with! read more

I had a great time diving with Evan on a recent lobster dive trip in San Diego. Evan was very friendly and accommodating every step of the way. Advice and Scheduling I can only spend a day fishing in San Diego and called Guardian for recommendation on what's in season. Evan, the owner, spent 10 minutes on the phone explaining what to expect in his trips this time of the year. A few days before the trip, I called to reschedule the dive for another date. Evan let me rescheduled even the day I wanted had less divers signed up. I was worried that the trip could be canceled if there was not enough people, but he said "meh, we'll go anyway". The Lobster Dive After a safety briefing and a short boat ride, we arrived the bugs hunting ground. There were only 3 of us, including Evan, in the trip. We went over the equipment and techniques, and started the dive. We worked in 2 - 15 feet of water with 10 feet viz. According to Evan, that night was one of the most challenging nights to spot lobsters. Most of the ones I spotted were fraction of an inch under the legal size limit. We spent more than 3 hours in the water. There were lots life in the water. I probably saw 30 lobsters, 200 fishes, and 5 crabs that night. After the Dive. We exchanged stories of what we saw and took pictures of our catch. It was really fun to dive with Evan because it's his passion. He worked really hard to put you on lobsters. To put in it perspective, I got 7 lobsters in the last 17 scuba tank dives. I got home with 7 that night. My family was impressed. I'll be a returning customer for spearfishing trips when I return to San Diego. read more

Guardian Charters - Limit of lobster !! - Fishing Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband booked a fishing charter before arriving in San Diego and was so excited to go. He was waiting at the dock at 6am and no one was there... come to find out they sent an email at 1245AM canceling the trip. Who sends an EMAIL when the person most likely isn't checking their email at the time because they are sleeping! A text would have at least been better. read more