Wow, what a trip! My son and I came to Santa Cruz for a beach weekend and a little fishing off of the wharf. When we arrived on a Friday night, I got a wild hair and started looking around to see if we could hop on a chartered boat to up our chances of catching anything. I am SO GLAD I found Monterey Bay Charters!!! I was lucky to find spots on Sunday morning for the two of us, and Tom called to confirm the trip on Saturday afternoon. Tom answered all my questions via text the night before, was prompt at the meeting spot the next morning, and was an amazing captain. He was affable, fun, and awesome with my kid. We caught over 15 fish and had a blast. The boat is very comfortable, with a proper bathroom and hot water for the sink. The indoor seating was great and plentiful, and on the deck we had plenty of room to move around and fish. My son and I enjoyed the views of the different seabirds as well as sea lions who rolled around behind the boat as we left the docks. We will definitely be back, and often. Tom and Tyler were superb in their patience, courtesy and support. Thank you both for making our vacation absolutely fantastic. read more

2023 is the first time in decades that the deepwater rockfish grounds have been open. Took the opportunity to charter a trip with Capt Tom Dolan and check out the "new" fishery. Leading up to the trip, Tom was very responsive, informative and flexible. This helped greatly with preparations. Definitely recommend renting one (or more) of the electric reels if you are going on a deepwater excursion. On our trip we had an 11 and 15 year old, neither who had ever fished before. The capt and crew are very friendly with kids. The boat is very well equipped from a navionics perspective. We caught plenty of deepwater rockfish and picked up pelagic rockfish on the way home and a bonus of multiple petrale sole in the box. read more

Very fun My daughter landed the largest fish ever on the boat probably a 350 to 409 lb sunfish. (We released it unharmed) Caught tons of fish. Captain and crew excellent. Would go again. read more

Look no further for a charter-Tom and Kai were a fun and helpful bunch. Found this charter on Yelp and decided to book for my girlfriends birthday. The weather worked against us and still we were able to catch bait, and leave with 30+ fish, filleted and after eating- very delicious. Seasickness is a real thing so always check weather conditions but with Tom and Kai it was still such a fun time! Thank you both for your hospitality on the ocean! read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I highly recommend Captain Tom if you are interested in a charter. He is our go-to for a great time and great catches. He is always extraordinarily helpful, kind, patient, and professional. He takes his time teaching us techniques and telling us about different fish species. He is great company and always goes above and beyond for us. We have taken several friends and everyone is always impressed with the quality of service. read more

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Excellent charter...seriously, can't say enough great things! Had a wonderful time. The deckhand, Kai, and Capt Tom were professional, engaging, and helpful in every fashion. From assisting my kids with proper form, to handing me a rag after I "chummed" the ocean with my breakfast! These guys made the trip easy and most importantly...productive and fun! Limited out on nice lings, had a blast fishing for the bait squids, and everything else! They clearly know the spots to hit for action. Looking forward to my next trip with them. read more

Tom the owner/skipper of mega bite is either a "liar"..."clueless" or BOTH! Spoke to Tom in regards to a bluefin tuna charter. Asked Tom how many Gurdies he fishes...Tom replied "only 1 as I don't want tangles with the other gurdie" The beam on Tom's vessel (32 foot Uniflite) is 12 FEET....then add the spread from the outriggers and the total distance from gurdie wire to gurdie wire is AT LEAST 35 FEET PLUS!!! So....TANGLES as Tom stated is a LIE!!! Then Tom told me that the bluefin Limit is..."TWO per BOAT"... That is ANOTHER LIE from Tom!!! Fish & Game Regulations ...28.38. Tunas. The following daily bag limits apply: (b) Bluefin tuna - The special limit for bluefin tuna is 2, which may be taken or possessed in addition to the overall general daily bag limit of 20 finfish specified in subsection 27.60(a). This limit applies to all bluefin tuna possessed, regardless of where taken. Tom is BETTER SUITED to work for P.T. Barnum & Bailey Circus as a CLOWN...then LIEING & SCAMMING potential customers!!! PLENTY of Professional Partyboat skippers to book a fishing charter with!!!....Alex J read more

An unforgettable trip, the fish are biting! We had plenty of Chili Pepper Rock cod. My family had a great time, what a great experience for us seasoned anglers and first timers. Tom and Tyler made everything so comfortable and easy to learn how to bring up these big fish from the deep. Their Jurassic Park trip is a once in a lifetime experience I'll never forget. We're having fish dinner tonight! And a lot of fish dinners in the future. Thank you captain Tom! I'll be back once we finish off all this fish we caught. read more

Went fishing with Tom on the Mega-bite for my husbands birthday. We took home 20 crab and 6 pounds of fish! It was a lot of fun! Captain Tom and his shipmate were very nice, patient and friendly. We are definitely coming back! read more

Went out this week, on Dec 20 - to Jurrasic Park! 2.5 hour boat ride from santz cruz, but SO worth it! A real pretty drive and then, oh yea, we caught 73 fish !!!! https://goo.gl/photos/hYKEwWkd4dH1vTvo6 Tom and Rodney were great, as captain, and deckhand. 2 adults and 3 kids, everyone caught lots of fish and had lots of fun! Can't wait to go back to the Mega-Bite. We stayed at the Pelican Point Inn, which is nice, and is close - not to mention 15% off if you mention the Mega-Bite. Tips: arrive 30 early to get parking & fishing licences, then 10 questions per annoying kid - Tom enforces that ;-) read more

What an amazing fishing excursion! Captain Tom, with all of his years of experience really knows where to find the fish! We've been on many fishing trips and we can definitely say this is one of the best. The fishing gear is top notch and the boat is clean and comfortable. Between the six of us we shared over 100lbs of pure filet goodness! We are looking forward to going on this trip again and again and again!! read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Doesn't get any fresher than this! - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Oh, what's especially nice - I've got a reply to this review 1 year later, so there is some customer consideration there :D The reply basically says GFYS (go figure yourself) though read more

My son and I had a great time on the Mega-Bite! Tom and Greg are true pros and definitely know where the fish are at. They also took a little extra time to net some live bait which made all the difference. We got limits of cod, had some time to try for halibut, and even spotted a great white shark! All in all, a super memorable trip. Highly recommended! read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Fantastic trip with my family! Tom and Kai were a great team and worked hard to keep us fishing! They found the right spots and we caught the right fish! My kids had a blast and loved interacting with the crew. It was so much fun and they earned every penny! Can't wait for the next trip. Big thank you to Tom and Kai! You guys rock! read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Took me a while to get time to post this but it had to be done!I took my dad out on the Mega-Bite to go Crabbing/Rockfishing and what a blast!!! Tom and his crew were awesome! They were all super nice and personable and really helped insure you had a great time! We went out at the beginning of crab season and man did we get some crab! The rockfishing after was also a great time, no Lings this trip but its called fishing for a reason...Hats off to the guys at Monterey Bay Charters for providing such excellent service and camaraderie, thanks! read more

Another spot-on trip on Mega-bite! We caught some pretty hefty lingcods, large enough to have eaten a chihuahua or maybe a shih-tzu. Limited out on snapper, and got at least a few crab per person on the boat. Cap'n Tom and Greg did a great job helping the younger folk fish, dealing with tangled lines, and the general hubbub that ensues when 6 people are bringing up fish at the same time (boat only has one or two gaffs...can't get all 6 in at once). We will be back, count on it, once we've made a dent in our fish supply. Oh, and the recipe for ceviche with snapper is perfection, there really is no better way to make it -- far better than the shrimp version. read more

Tom and Kai were exceptional! We have gone rock cod fishing with them, as well as salmon fishing, and I will definitely be coming back again soon! Tom is extremely knowledgeable about fishing and he made sure my friends and I had a blast. We caught a ton of fish on both of our trips with him, but we would've had a good time even if we got skunked. He knew exactly the spot to take us to where the fish would be biting! I would highly recommend his charter to people that are newer to fishing and to experienced fishers as well. read more

AMAZING EXPERIENCE! Pros: - personal experience. Only 6 guests can fit on their boat so it allows them to have plenty of 1:1 interaction. - captain and crew. These guys know their stuff. They are really down to earth and easy to talk to. - fish. Every trip is different and while they can't guarantee the amount of fish you will pull in, we had TONS of fish to take home. Get ready to cook fish for the next 2 weeks! - quality gear. Their gear felt strong and durable. - cost. For the experience, amount of fish, gear rental, it was very reasonable priced Cons - cost can seem high, but for the 1:1 attention and the great fishing experience I think it is well worth it My wife and I recently did a trip out with Monterey Bay Charters and it was the best possible experience for our first time fishing. Captain Tom and Deck Hand Greg, were true professionals that catered to us newbies and the more seasoned guests on the boat. Would do it again in a heart beat! read more

Friendly and knowledgeable Captain Tom and crew. Great time fishing for salmon. With large boat and downriggers able to get to where the fish are. Highly recommended. read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Had the best time aboard Mega Bite with Captain Tom and Greg! It was my first time fishing and it definitely won't be my last! They were great teachers and knew exactly what they were doing to make sure everyone had a great time and was safe! I was the first person to catch a salmon and I couldn't have been more excited! Greg did an excellent job making sure everything ran smoothly for everyone the entire time. I can't thank him enough for cutting my fish cause I sure couldn't do it haha! Thank you for a very memorable trip and I'll be sure to be doing this again! read more

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Captain Tom is a firm believer in "big water, big fish" and his Jurassic Park expedition proves it. He knows his way around ling territory in these parts while Greg keeps the action going nonstop. As far as lings and rocks go, we hauled in some pretty impressive specimens for sure. When you need a break from the usual over-crowded-tangled-lines-all-day party boats I recommend coming over here to hunt some bigger game on the Mega Bite. Now back to my fresh fish tacos (ask and he'll give you the recipe). read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Codzilla! - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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All the reviews are true! Captain Tom and Greg were great. Their patience with 3 newbies, all with varying degrees of sea sickness, really made the day. They knew all the right places to go and told us exactly what to do to catch the fish. Tom made our 11 yr old feel really special. He'll never forget this trip! We all caught our max in a few hours. And thanks to Greg for filleting it all up leaving no fuss, no muss for us. Great day! And a bit of advice, take the Dramamine BEFORE you need it. read more

Had a great afternoon fishing with Tom and Greg on the Mega-Bite yesterday. Took my three daughters aged 7, 9 ,and 18. It was exciting for them to catch so many fish. Tom and Greg were patient and helpful with the girls. Weather was great and the off shore fishing was good. We caught our limit of rock fish and had a good old fashioned fish fry when we got home last night. Looking forward to going again and hopefully catch some big Lings next time. read more

Poor customer service. I didn't get to experience a charter with the company because - despite booking over a week in advance - my trip was canceled the night before when a larger party became available last minute to book the whole boat. What ever happened to customer loyalty and respecting a reservation? This company clearly values $$$ over the people who thought to reserve with them well in advance. Advice? If people book with you - hold their reservation and offer the remaining seats up, not the whole boat. There's more affordable and way more personable charter companies in Santa Cruz. read more

What can I say about this place? Well, lets me start with captain Tom ... he's a great man that runs a business that is firm on customer satisfaction! He's friendly and very knowledgeable about the waters he fishes in. We moved around for awhile today with limited success, but he made sure that he maneuvered his boat to where the fish were located. Once there, the action was great and everyone on the boat had great time. My boat-mates brought in some monsters including the tough kids from Houston and not to mention my good friend Mr. Vu; he caught lots big monsters himself. Thanks Tom for taking care of us and especially for taking care of our veterans that come to fish on your boat. I will definitely come back and fish with Captain Tom on his boat for many years to come. read more

We have been on a lot of fishing trips on our anniversaries over the years. This was by far the best charter we've been on! I only have one picture of prob the smallest fish (first) we caught, but got too busy with the lines after that one to keep up with pictures! Greg made sure we caught almost if our limit and I love the fact that they fillet the fish and package them to take home! We may have to charter with Mega-Bite again!! read more

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We had a great excursion with Tom and Greg! We caught loads of fish thanks to their advice on how deep to fish and their "secret" fish holes on the bay. They were with us every step of the way making sure our bait was fresh, fish were landed safely and prepped for tacos on our return. Great time overall and we'llv be back! read more

A great day on the water!!! Tom and Greg were a great team and made the day so enjoyable. We've fished off San Diego, Mexico and Florida, but these guys were some of the best! Not to mention, we came home with 50 fish!!! Fun for the entire family!! read more

We chartered Megabyte for a corporate team building trip. What a top notch operation. I've been fishing offshore for over 25 years and I've chartered my fair share of boats. It's like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. I picked this boat after reading all of the positive reviews and I can say that they were spot on. Tom and Greg were consumate professionals. They were hospitable, engaging in conversation, and they put us on Salmon. I learned alot from them. If you're interested in a charter, I highy suggest you think about this boat. read more

First trip ever went today and can't wait to go back Tom and Greg are a great team we got fish at first drop and they just kept coming great trip great time great crew and great group of people on board made my first time phenomenal thank you again to everyone read more

Tom and the Mega-Bite crew were awesome, we loved them so much we went out 2 more times! They are not only great company, but great fishermen, hitting spots where we grab great, big fish! Our family has done several charters like this from Hawaii to Costa Rica, and these guys are by far the best! (They are also great company!) If you are considering booking a private charter these guys are the real deal! And we will definitely be going out with them again! read more

Typically when a reservation you leave your card info or a deposit to keep you the customer accountable for your reservation. If people just booked and flaked at the last minute than the crew is loses a days pay because the reserved seats were not available to any other potential customers. Ive been on the boat many times and received top notch curtesy and professionalism from the crew. They were friendly, funny, they put us on fish all day, and my family, who were catered to all day, had an amazing time. I will certainly be returning to santa cruz in April to fish on board the Megabite for the 2018 salmon season. read more

I took my 13 year old boy out today on the Megabite. I traveled 2 1-2 hours to fish with them. Captain Tom Dolan and his deckhand, Greg were great. Although fishing was a bit slow, (for all the boats out there) we had a great time, especially with my son catching a monster black rock cod. If that fish bit earlier in the trip he never would have got it on the boat. The instruction was top quality. I plan on booking another trip soon. The fish were filleted to perfection and were delicious. Great job. read more

Monterey Bay Charters - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

When you have been planning a day away from baby for more than a month, and then it just gets canceled 3 days before with not even an apology...I am sure the fishing would have been nice but we did not even get to that point. read more

Chartered Tom's boat, the MEGA-BITE for a early morning bachelor party. We all had a wonderful time. We caught 53 fish. Tom and his crew made fishing easy and enjoyable. He helped us with everything and answered all of our questions. After we caught our limit, he asked if we wanted to try to catch other types of fish since we still had time. read more

You want to have fun? You want to catch fish and crab.....sign up here! Capt Tom knows the ocean and with the Mega-Bite"s on board technology and high quality fishing equipment , catching fish, lots of fish...... was truly awesome. Did I mention catching dungeness crab...... including a couple weighing three pounds? No question Capt Tom's extensive knowledge and experience in Monterey Bay makes this trip so successful but the hard work of deckhand Greg makes the trip memorable. Greg's on board for one reason and that's to make sure you are having fun and catching fish. It's clearly evident that both Tom and Greg are committed to a safe, fun filled day catching fish. And we caught a lot of fish! Capt Tom and Greg.......good guys....great trip. read more

We had a really, really fantastic time on a nearshore fishing trip yesterday on the mega-bite! Captain Tom and Greg were easy going, but clearly very professional and were really patient with us first timers!! We caught the limits of rock cod and had a great fish fry when we got home!! Greg filleted everything really nicely for us which was a great bonus!!! read more

Booked our first ever rock fishing trip with the MegaBite boat on July 10. Captain Tom and deckhand Greg put us on a hot bite and we got a quick limits of rock fish with plenty of time leftover so Tom took us scouting for halibut afterwards. The crew demonstrated great patience with 3 young inexperienced boys and dads especially when dealing with multiple hookups with tangles. Great tasting fish. MegaBite ROCKS! read more

July 10th had a great day fishing on the Mega Bite crewed by Captain Tom and Greg. They were great and their guidance added to a wonderful outing. We were all Dads with our sons and they're first time bottom fishing. I highly recommend the Mega Bite out of Santa Cruz and Capt Tom and Greg. Thank you guys and we're looking forward to coming back read more

I went out on my first fishing charter with Tom and Greg a few weeks ago, and am getting ready to go pick up the 7lbs of rockfish that we left for smoking, and felt really remiss that I hadn't written a review yet. I took my son (13) plus 3 other teenage boys, and we grabbed the whole boat for near-shore fishing. We started on-time, and had a very simple instruction session as for do and do-nots. We had an absolute blast. The fish never stopped biting. We caught our limit on rockcod, and caught a few lingcod. Tom runs a good boat, and Greg gave us an impromptu fish anatomy lesson when he was cleaning the fish for us at the end of the day. We ended up with a LOT of fish, and haven't found a bone yet. We all had a really, really great time, and are looking forward to going out with them again! read more