After reading mixed reviews, I gave Riptide Charters the benefit of doubt for the scattering of my sister's ashes. I spoke to Captain Smitty over the phone and he was very pleasant at the time of booking. He told me he had an opening at 3pm in his calendar for the day I requested. He walked me through process. He said check in was from 2pm to 2:30pm and our ride would take place 3-4pm. Price was $400 and $2.50 per passenger - up to 17 passengers. He also allowed us to bring our two small dogs aboard. Yesterday we arrived a few minutes before 2pm and found Captain Smitty and his partner on deck ready to go. At 2:15pm he called me and told me we needed to get everyone checked in and begin the scattering because he had another funeral at 3pm. He had double booked himself and was adamant I misunderstood. There was no apology or accountability for the mistake. He was callous, bleak, and straightforward. The boat was very clean and comfortably sat 8 of us. Riptide Charters fell short of what we expected for ash scattering. For families looking for someone who is cognizant of bereavement, Capt Smitty is not someone I would recommend. read more

Riptide Charters - Fishing Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Our captain Smitty was very knowledgeable on where to stop for quality fish. We all were able to catch a few big ones and went home with the limit at the end of the day. The deck hand was a huge help. Always on top of everything and helping us get larger fish into the boat. He also filleted all of our fish for us on the boat ride back. The boat was nice and clean and (we rented our poles and gear) all the poles were set up and ready to go before we even boarded. It was a great experience. read more

Riptide Charters - Fishing Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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We used their services for spreading ashes. Great communication leading up to the date, their boat was easy to find and super clean. Captain Smitty was kind, helpful and attentive to my family. I don't think it could've gone better. Everything went very smooth and I would highly recommend them. read more

10 of us went out last Saturday. We all limited on rock fish. Some nice fish too. Reading the reviews beforehand, I was a little nervous. Nonetheless, we had a blast!! And will be going back soon!! To all the negative reviewers, either lies or they didn't know how to act. Do as your advised, and the odds will be in your favor!! Capt. Smitty was a riot. Mayne his jokes are too harsh for some, but we had lots of laughs and lots of fish. I think his first mate was Lee? He ran around like a reindeer, helping un tangle lines and un hooking fish!! Thanks to capt. And crew. Your awesome!! read more

We did salmon fishing with them. Very unpleasant experience. Boat crew were not nice, grumpy, unresponsive. We had feeling that we were on their way. We were not treated as a customer with respect. It was 17 people on the boat, and only people on the front or back boat were able to catch fish, people on the sides boat caught zero fish. We needed pay for rode fish 10 dollars and weights 8-15 dollars. It was an incident that at least 5 people lost weights, because something cut all 5 fishing lines, and all 5 people lost weights. We were forced to pay for another weights 8-15 dollars. For 3 people we paid ticket plus license 390 dollars, 45 for lost weights not due to our fault, 30 dollars for fishing rodes. At the end we bought salmon for 130 dollars at the store. Total spend 595 dollars for 3 people. Not recommending Riptide. read more

I don't usually write reviews but yesterday's experience was an exception. We left for fishing at 7am and came back to the pier shortly after 11am. The amount time they gave us to actually catch fish was only about an hour. The deckhand were busy fishing and filling our bags with tiny fish, and when I told them I didn't want my bag filled with bunch of small fish, their response was "we're almost done"- this was 10:15am. I've been on this boat and several others multiple times in the past, but never had such horrible experience. This was by far the worst experience I've had in my 10+ years of charter fishing. I didn't pay to let the captain and deckhand fish for us. Their lack of decency was beyond disappointing. I'm never coming back again. read more

Riptide is the go to boat for rockfish or salmon for me and my fishin buddies. Has been for years! Captain Smitty and long time deck boss Lee are top notch pros and always seem to be a step ahead of other charters in the area when it comes to finding the fish and putting us in the best position to fill our limits. From noobs to the more capable anglers, chances of going home with a full sack of rockfish are excellent (even if you need a little help), and our group has had great luck with the salmon trips as well. As many times as I have been fishing on this boat, I am always stoked to go as often as possible cuz I never know when I will top my personal best Ling Cod, Salmon or Cabazon (got a three fish limit of cabs included in my rockfish limit last trip + my 2 ling cod!). If you know how to fish you will appreciate the passion and expertise of Smitty and deck boss Lee. If you don't know how to fish but can follow instructions you will probably be leaving as a much better fisherman (or woman) when you get off the boat, and hauling away a sack of great tasting fish and a perhaps a story or two. As a bonus we have seen whales many times over the years. Sometimes really close to the boat. Amazing to see! Can hardly wait for the for next trip, and it will be soon! read more

I've had the pleasure of fishing as a guest on the Riptide, at least 6 times last summer, limits of rockfish every time at least 4 trips with limits of lingcod included, going for 2 and time this season soon. Capt. Smitty and Deck Boss Lee have made it a great time every time, see ya soon! And thx you for the great job you do! read more

Riptide Charters - End of the season 2014 - Fishing Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

so me and my buddy went fishing 7-27-22. We had a trip of a lifetime. The caption was very good at his job. And the two deck hands were fabulous. Lee and Antonio were totally different personalities, but they were great at their job. We caught a limit of salmon for all 9 people plus a limit for the crew. And we topped that limit off with a 16 lb striper as an added bonus. Just an amazing day. So awesome were going back out 8-4-22 When I get on a boat and fish, we don't always catch fish. sometimes the fish are hard to find, and sometimes its lights out. But if the fish are there and I get bit, I land them. With that being said, don't blame the captain or crew if you don't pay attention to the instructions. Its not their fault when you tangle everyone up. Follow the plan and it will work. And remember that this is a fishing charter, not a preschool. If you go fishing to be babied, then don't go. But if you go fishing to learn and to catch fish, this is the boat for you. read more

I used to like this boat. But I will never get on this boat after today's experience. My friend and I just finished tax season and took a day off from work to go out rockfishing for the first time this year. Well, we got back to the dock 11:15 am. Yes 11:15 AM. We left the dock little before 7:00 am. Basically, the deck hand and captain were fishing and just filled up the bags by 9:30 am. We didnt pay so that captain and deckhand can catch fish for us. We paid so that we can have fun catching the fish. read more

We've been fishing with Capitan Smitty for almost 10 years. The experience has always been and continues to be very positive. The crew is very attentive and it's very rare to walk away from this charter without fish. I highly recommend this boat and crew. read more

Salmon trip Thursday was amazing. Forty two salmon for 21 anglers and some quality fish. Deckhands were kept hopping putting fish in the box for happy anglers. All in a matter of a few hours; on our way home before noon. Nice job Capt Smitty putting us on he fish. Hope to get out again soon. Mike M. read more

Chartered the RipTide to go out and scatter the ashes of my Mother and Father. It was a beautiful day and Captain Smitty was right on time with a clean boat. We left the dock after getting the safety lecture and verifying the 16 people in our group (names/addresses, required by the coast guide). We motored to a peaceful spot, opened some champagne, dropped the ashes and shared some stories and tears. The Captain and the first mate left us alone, which was thoughtful and once we indicated we were done, we headed back. All-in-all we were out about an hour as had been promised. Based on our experience, I would highly recommend the RipTide and Captain Smitty. He was easy to communicate with and delivered exactly what we wanted. One piece of advice - take flowers out to throw on the water. Without the flowers, you have no way of seeing the spot once the ashes sink. read more

I've been fishing on the riptide for years now and what I've experienced was a captain and his deckhands always trying to find the best fishing be rockfish or salmon .yes I've been on the boat when things were slow but captain Smitty always look for better fishing areas and usually found them and when it's on its great read more

We chartered Captain Smitty to go out and scatter ashes. He was late bringing the previous charter back but called to tell us he would be about 15 minutes late. When we got on the boat both he and his deckhand (I forgot his name) welcomed up and tried to be light-hearted about what we were going to do and the rules of the vessel. Once we got the the site where we were going to do the ceremony, they waited until we were done (which ended up going much longer than originally anticipated), did a circle around the site where we scattered the ashes and then took us back. What I really liked is that the Captain gave us the coordinates of where we left the ashes. I would recommend his service to anyone looking for a good boat to go out on. read more

Screwed up our weekend, cost us money and disappointed a kid. Boo hiss. We booked three places on this boat to go Salmon fishing. At almost 6 o'clock the night before a scheduled 5-5:30 am departure, we got a call to say that the trip was canceled since they did not have enough people. Salmon is in season and the weather is fine if a bit blowy. Other boats were going out but are now full. We had hotel reservations so we could roll out of bed for a 6am departure. Unfortunately, we were unable to cancel them due to the late notice. I understand the reality of the situation that they would have potentially lost money given the cost of fuel and pay for the crew, but we could have possibly drummed up others if we were given some amount of notice. If we were told earlier, we could have possibly gotten a reservation on another boat. We were told that "the parents were away" and that somehow they either forgot to call us or didn't figure out until late afternoon that they had too small a party Running a fishing boat has to be a tough way to earn a living. I'm guessing that bush league stuff like this only make it tougher. Maybe you will have better luck with these guys. I personally would stay away. read more

The absolute worst experience fishing and should be deem the ripoff fishing boat. The captain was an overweight individual whom was pushing people around as if he never chartered a party boat when we had a fish on. The mini tug boat was over-booked and was fishing shoulder to shoulder as if we were sitting in a bath tub. The diesel motor was roaring constantly that I lost hearing in both ears for the 8 hour trip. The deck hand Eric was inexperienced and starting venting his frustration because the lines being tangled. What you expect when you over book 17 fisherman when at most should hold 12 maximum. The Captain NEVER explained once what depth we should be fishing at and left it up to us to figure this out. Which explained why we caught 12 Salmon, less then one fish per rod. Don't spend and waste your money with this party boat as your are better off sitting at home where you are not being yelled, pushed about and screamed at by both captain and inexperience first time deck hand Eric. Save your money, protect your hearing and avoid this boat at ALL COST. The booking company is Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle. I recommend asking FIRST which boat before you book. The queen of heart is 50' and riptide is 40' but about 40% smaller and a lot less experienced with both captain and deck hand. read more

My husband and I had an excellent time this past Sunday rock fishing! You can rent your gear and buy your bait at the shop right by the pier. When we got on the boat, they helped us get our poles set up and cut up the bait. Captain Smitty took us out about an hour off shore to great spots where the fish were biting and everyone was catching something. Once we fished an area, he would take us to another and another. Everyone on the boat (17 people) caught their limit. I even caught a Lingcod! Lee, the deckhand, was great too! I was having a hard time with my pole I brought so he let me use his which was easier to reel the fish in. He was a huge help! On the way back, Lee filleted the fish if we wanted so they were all ready to cook up later on. We had a super fun trip with Riptide Charters and will definitely be heading out with them again! read more

The crew was super helpful and knowledgeable and spent a lot of time making sure we were on the fish. Both me and my son on our first trip with them ended up coming home with 20 fish to full limits. Learned a lot about how to get a limit of lingcod even though we did not. The rockfish was plentiful we just didn't bring the proper gear to target link lingcod next time we will. And plan on going again and getting both limits. I would recommend this to anyone that likes fishing but don't want to spend the thousand dollars on your own boat in gear. read more

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Captain is a jerk. He can't find his own fish and would follow private boaters to fishing spots. There are plenty of other sport fishing charters to choose from that are operated by captains with integrity and professionalism. Stay away from Riptide. read more

We booked with Riptide Charters to scatter ashes at sea. We were told the boat leaves at 3pm, when we asked what time we could board, we were told 3pm. We arrived early and watched as the boat returned from a fishing charter around 2:45pm. At 3pm we called to let them know we were there, they told us they would be ready in 10-15 mins. Ten minutes later we went down to the boat to see if they were ready. A deckhand told us they had to fix a clogged toilet. After another 15 minutes they had us board, and the boat left at 3:30pm. The captain said he would only go out past the buoys because he had another group to take out after us and didn't have the time to go any further. Several times we were hit by the odors of sewage, fish and cigar. The captain and the crew kept their distance, beyond the orientation speech and securing payment there was no other interaction. Back in the harbor, we got off the boat at 4:10pm. Those are the facts. These are the perceptions: there was no "transition" from fishing charter to ashes scattering charter. The boat was hosed down and assumably the bathroom was cleaned (we didn't use it), but that was it. There was some inside seating, but we would have had to ask the crew to clear the fishing gear off the seats to use it. Know what you are booking, this is not a yacht, you are not booking "comfort", "ambiance", or "service". This is a working fishing boat that tacks on a couple of ashes scattering trips at the end of their long day. It is disappointing that the website says that if we were late we would have to pay $20 for every 10 minutes delayed and yet not even an apology was offered when they were 30 minutes late. The 1 hour charter we paid for only lasted about 40 minutes and the occasional smell of sewage was more than a little disturbing. read more

This captain and his crew are awesome they know there shit thanks for a great day limited out in 2 hrs

Took the day off yesterday and chartered the whole boat. I brought my 12yr old son with me for his first time on the water. What a day! We had limits of huge rockfish within a couple hours, then drifted over a honey hole and caught a few lings as well. The rest of the day was spent trolling for salmon, and although the bite was slow, we did manage to each get a salmon at least, with a few 15# +. Captain Smitty is the best out there! He always seems to go to the right spot and we just drop in and catch. The deckhand Lee is super skilled, attentive, and helpful when it comes to helping out rookies (like me, even though I've been fishing 40 years lol). Perfect day on the water! Can't wait to do it again. I'll be saving those vacation days...... read more

I highly recommend fishing on the Riptide. i have fished on several party boats in the bay area and always come back to the Riptide.The crew is very knowledgeable in catching albacore,salmon and rockcod.On slow days when the fish aren't on the bite, Capt. Smitty is constantly moving from spot to spot looking for that hungry school of fish.My last trip on the Riptide i brought along a cousin and a nephew for some rockcod fishing..talk about beginners luck they both had limits before me and my cousin caught a 10lb. Lingcod. When fishing resumes in the spring my first fishing trip will be on the Riptide.FISH ON!!! read more

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Went fishing on the Riptide yesterday with Captain Smitty and crew Lee/ Robert my son Nick had never fished on a Party boat/ Charter before.The experience we had will be memories of a lifetime we caught the biggest sacks of ROCKFISH/Lingcod/Cabazon /Halibut i have seen in my lifetime at 62years of age. The Professionalism of the Captain/Crew/Knowledge makes a Great day of fishing.I have personally been on this boat Many times and my experiences is it doesn't get any better than this for Charter FISHING Thx Captain Smitty for thiose great fishig experiences see you soon! Cory read more

Top Notch Fishermen!! These guys are good. Simple as that. Went out for salmon and came back with salmon. Deck boss Lee was insanely good at his job and Captain Smitty put us on the fish. Well done boys!! We'll be back soon!! read more

Man I was the riptide this past Saturday the 12th. And boy that was one the best days that I had. I think we caught over 20 lings. Rock fish had some quality size too. Boy I hooked up to a 2 pound china cod. Limits for lings and rock fish. I love this organization. The captian was very friendly and willing to help out people on the boat. He did a great job put us on top of the fish. Deck hand Lee did a great job helping people untangling peoples lines. Meas in fish and just making sure everyone is having a great time. Tedd is also a fun hang to hang out and fish with. He was also helping out people pulling in lings and giving helpful tips on how to catch more fish. It was great time again on the riptide. I'll you guys a five out of five. Thanks captian smitty and your crew. read more

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Last Friday I went out rockfishing with these guys. It was a smaller group of people so I had the bow to myself which was nice. I must say I had a blast. On the way out we got an impromptu whale watching show as they were showing off in the bay! The skipper knows where to find the fish. I felt like an asshole when the captain tripped over my tackle box I left on the floor path when he was rushing to grab the gaff for a nice ling I had on my line, he recovered and brought that thing in like a pro. I am still sorry about that. The deckhand was awesome and like a fish whisperer. I would have nothing on my line and then he would walk by to just check on me and I would get a big hookup. 2 times that morning those hits were nice Ling Cod. Came home with a nice sack of fish. Thanks Riptide and crew...I will be back! read more

Riptide Charters - Fishing Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Had a horrible experience with this boat last Sunday, I would say if you enjoy fishing then this boat is totally not for you, if you just want to enjoy couple hour in the ocean, then maybe this is a better option. The deckhand showed up late, we headed out around 7:10 and right away the captain told us we gonna be out there and comeback before the wind pick up, got to the spot around 8:20 and both the captain and deckhand started fishing with us and quickly filled up there little bucket with small fish, then around 11:00 they started to filled up our bags with all the small fish and called done for the day. I just wanna say I paid for charter boat to go out there enjoy catch fish, I just want my time to enjoy being out there fishing, I don't need any body help me fill up my bag with those little fish that can be caught at the jetty as well, and don't tell me I don't have a popper gears for rockfish because I've been fishing for rockfish for 8-9 years. I would give this charter 1/2 a star if I can. Would never come back that's for Once again with the excuses that people don't have the right equipment, I was using shrimp fly, and also swim bait, metal jig for lings and rockfishes, and all the fish that I caught on that day are bigger than those BLUE ROCKFISH and Yellow Tail rockfish that you guys filled up my bag. How you gonna tell me I don't know my tackle when I can identify name of most of the fish that I caught that day, including those you guys force me to bring home. I rather hear you guys apologize and stop doing this shady business than keep giving out the same excuses about people don't use the right tackle, seem like most of people on yelp have the same experience like I had so thank you. One time is enough for me would never comeback and for sure I'll keep telling all the fishermen that I know to avoid this shady business. read more

Today 9/08/19 every boat for Half Moon Bay Sport fishing went fishing except the Riptide. The other charters were full. Our charter only had 4 people for a 15 passenger boat. I imagine they would probably end up losing money only taking 4 people salmon fishing. We were told the captain was waiting until 0530 to make a decision on strong winds. I'm all for safety and appreciate the captain looking out for all of us. It was windy and the swell wasnt too bad. I wish he had made the decision to cancel last night as winds and swell are easily predicted. Or if you feel taking only four people doesn't justify the cost of the trip, be honest and say so. It would have been professional of the captain to actually show up and explain the cancellation instead of literally phoning it in. Does this mean the other Captains are wreckless? I doubt it but they clearly have different limitations when it comes to safety. read more

After reading the other reviews I was more disappointed in the customer's comments. This captain and deckhand were by far the best I ever had. It seemed to me the Captain wanted the salmon more than we did haha. Great sense of humor too. Every so often you would hear on the speaker "here fishy fishy fishy". Deckhand was very fast and no line was out of the water more than 30 seconds. We caught our quota and were done before 1pm. Wow! We just moved to HMB and this will be our charter from now on with friends, clients, and family. Thank you so much Riptide crew. read more

Riptide Charters - Still early morning. - Fishing Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

My brother and I just had an absolutely perfect day of fishing aboard the Riptide with Captain Smitty and his crew. We met a bunch of great guys that have been fishing with Captain Smitty for decades. It was easy to see why. Captain Smitty took us out and put us right on the king salmon. We limited out the boat by 11am and everyone took home two nice fish. The veteran fishermen were handing off their rods (and fish) after they caught their first couple to anyone that hadn't caught one yet. Everyone hauled in at least one. It was such a great atmosphere. We had an awesome time and I can't wait to go again. read more

Riptide Charters - Fishing Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

We encountered this fishing boat today while out on the water. The captain ran the boat right for us even though we had the right of way. I maneuvered our boat off corse and out of his way and he preceded to turn around and aim right for us yet again. He did this three times nearly hitting us each time. My partner who has his coastguard captains license was shocked at his reckless handling of the boat while carrying passengers much less at all. I would never recommend this boat to anyone I know unless they changed their overly aggressive driving. read more

Captain Smitty of the Riptide is not only a bad captain as far getting you into a good spot to catch fish (he took us to a place where there were about 6 or 7 other boats around all catching nothing) but he's also an asshole in general to those who shell out there hard earned cash to go fishing on his boat. Allow me to explain why I'm so quick to call him an asshole and I'll let you decide if you agree. One of the people in our party wound up in the hospital two days before the trip and ended up needing major surgery. When our friend called to let him know that he was hospitalized and that he wouldn't be able to make it Captain Smitty LAUGHED AT HIM when he asked if he'd be able to cancel his reservation (the guy is in the fucking hospital for Christ's sake! Was it really necessary to laugh at him?) and then cheerily informed him that he would still be getting charged as if he had went out on the boat. I understand having this policy in place to keep boat reservations legit and prevent flakes, but maybe an exception considering his situation and the fact that there were still 5 other people still attending from our group may have been in order. Aside from that he had a bad attitude in general and didn't make you feel welcome on board at all. Next up on the list of disappointments is the fact that the boat is such a small little relic of a thing that you feel every single wave that he navigates through, and plow through the waves he did, causing not just the majority of my group to become gravely seasick but the majority of the other paying customers on the boat as well (never seen so many people in such unhealthy shades of yellow). As if him being a complete sea-faring douchebag and us all being sick as dogs weren't bad enough we didn't catch a fucking thing!!! He barely took us out that far from the harbor and there were about 6 or 7 other boats trolling around in plain sight! Maybe try taking us somewhere we can fish on our own Cap'n! A novel idea I know but one that obviously never dawned on Captain Smitty. The only reason he gets an extra star is because his deckhand was cool as all hell and had a lot of helpful tips about what to look for in future fishing trips. So let's review what you get for 120 dollars aboard the Riptide shall we..... -1 Surly captain that makes you feel as though you are some scurvy stowaway that he'd rather not have anything to do with. -8 Cases of extreme sea sickness -0 Fish With numbers like this I can't help but wonder why this guy isn't filling up his boat on a daily basis. I mean I just don't understand why no one would want to shell out 120 clams to partake in this wonderful experience!! In all seriousness though I understand now why he kept our hospitalized friends money. He almost certainly never gets business because he's an open seas grifter that couldn't sniff out fish at the power exchange. read more

I've been on the Riptide numerous times and i have to say every time i went i had a lot of fun and caught a lot of fish. Each time I went everyone caught their limit of fish in no time. Captain Smitty is very knowledgeable and knows his boating and fishing. Zack, the deckhand is very helpful and will get your fish on the boat for sure. The times I went I was lucky enough that one of Captain Smitty's friend/Assistant named Ted on the boat. He knew a lot about fishing and helped out all at the same time he was reeling in a fish!. Great place to fish for seasoned fisherman and even beginners just looking to have a great time. 100% Recommended. read more

We tried to fish in April and the wind blew us off the water :(. But this is not why I am giving 1 star. We went back to fish again (we were given rain checks) yesterday June 26...we drove 1.5 hours leaving at 4 am to get there on time... When we loaded the riptide we overhead the captain telling someone we had a 3.5 hour trip out...we couldn't believe it! We were still excited though because the bite had been good and we were going to get fresh salmon! So we took out 3.5 hour one way trip and fished for about 45 min & only 1 person caught a fish, so the captain decided to go find another spot. We moved for about another hour before we finally stopped and fished again.. For about 45 min...then guess what!?!? It was time to head back! So we had a 7+ hour boat ride and got to fish for less than 2 hours....it's not the fact that we caught nothing...it's the fact that they drug us out for a 7 hour trip and we really had no chance to even catch anything! Huge waste of time and money!!!! I wish they had told us ahead of time it's a 7 hour round trip boat ride...we probably wouldn't have even gone out. BEWARE!!! On a good note, the deck had lee and the captain were super nice and helpful... read more

Our mom passed away 6 years ago. I called Captain Smitty to arrange for the scattering of the ashes. I made a deposit. At the day of the scattering, we waited for almost 45 minutes and he never showed up. I kept calling and finally was able to get a hold of him. Guess what??? he forgot!...worse things ...he did not even apologize. Luckily another boat Queen of the Hearts just came back and the captain was so kind enough to offer his help to do the scattering. Although it has been 6 years, II could never forget about this experience. At that time there was no "yelp",to write comments. I think one star was Riptide was too generous. There are many ashes scattering options in Sausalito or at the Marina Berkeley.. read more

We had a company team offsite with Riptide. It worked out really well. Captain Smitty was very supportive. He patiently answered all the questions I have while making the reservation for the team. He gave us instructions about how to take the motion sickness pills, and thanks to that I wasn't bothered by motion sickness at all. He's also very good at finding the right spot for fishing. We all got great fishes and filled our bucket very quickly. Our team had a wonderful experience! read more

My husband and I had a great time fishing Sunday, unfortunately some of the others on the boat did not have the same experience. First of all, when you are late to the ship you get whatever spot is left, the first on get to pick. There were 14 of them and only 3 who were not with their group, they had all 4 sides of the boat covered. Captain Smitty worked very hard to try and put our boat on fish, unfortunately the bite was off. The other boats in the area were not catching fish either. If it was not for Lee my husband and I would have been skunked, that is the nature of fishing. Most of the other people on the ship were a friendly happy group, but most of them were not really interested in fishing but socializing. Lee the deck hand worked tirelessly checking their lines, and replacing the bait as needed. Hours went by and their poles were left unattended and the only person who checked on them was Lee. There is no guarantee when you go out fishing that you will be catching anything, it is for the experience and enjoyment. As for the price I felt Riptide was actually very reasonable, if you want your tackle included it will cost you more per person. My husband and I will be using Riptide again, Lee you are a Rock Star!!!!!!!!! read more

I had a great day on the riptide! We went for rockfish and ling cod, I kept a limit (10 rock +2ling) and caught far more! The riptide is about as close to guaranteed catch as you can get. I've done this kind of charter all over the east coast, and this was easily one of the best trips I've ever had. The captain definately knows where to find the fish. Everybody caught some, and most of us had a limit or close to it. Of course how many you get depends on the skill of the angler. At one point the action was so hot there were fish all over the deck!! They'll set you up with bait, tackle and gunney sack for your fish at the HMB tackle shop for about $20 (it's required but trust me it's worth it) and you can rent a rod on the boat for around $10 if you need. The rod is decent, not top of the line but it gets the job done. I used my own gear- 20 lb test on a fairly stiff salmon rod and I was glad to have a good reel as we fished at what seemed like over 100ft. As usual they cleaned the fish on the way in and if you take advantage of the service be sure to tip the deck hand a little extra for his efforts. All together the day cost me about $120 and I took home easily 20 lbs of fresh fillets. We'll worth it..and I would absolutely do it again. read more

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