Great time today in the water. Started off slow but once I hit the right color the fish were after I was booking it up like crazy. Captain was great, friendly to all, and most important he put us on the fish. Deckhand Lee was also great. For some people he is there to cut bait, untangle lines, and help you out. For others he is there to chat with and be friendly. All in all great experience will be back again. read more

Fun and got real lucky on a Salmon fishing trip. I caught a 40+ pound sea bass instead. The crew (Captain Smitty and deckhand, Lee) are friendly and will chat with you to pass time. Lee changed bait, check your fishing pole and gut the fishes that you catch. read more

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I have been on the Riptide for both rock cod and a while ago for salmon fishing. I caught limits both times!! Crew is great and the boat was not crowded. I will definitely go fishing with Captain Smitty again. Sadly, I had to use the Riptide for their ashes scattering business. Last September we spread the ashes of my friend John on the ocean. Captain Smith and Zack were very professional and gave us all the time we needed to honor John. While I hope not to need this service again, I would not hesitate to do so. I had called around and Riptide Charters was a bargain. read more

Fishing is a sport and require skill and a bit luck. Don't blame captain if you are not catching fish. As to me, I had many trips out with Captain Smitty and I enjoyed every trip with him and his deckhand -- Zak. Captain Smitty & deckhand Zak are a team. They direct traffic when people have a fish hooked up and couch the angler every step of the way to land the fish. When fishing with the bad days (Less fish around) captain Smitty always spend extra effort to locate the fish for the angler on board. I recommend Captain Smitty to all my friends who wants to go out fishing. Salmon, Rock Cod, Tuna, Captain Smitty is my first priority. Fish On & Happy fishing with Captain Smitty. read more

I have been fishing on a regular basis with Captain Smitty for the better part of 15 years now, for rock cod and salmon. There are many reasons I fish with him. First of all, he has a vast knowledge of the coastline in and around the Half Moon Bay area. He knows how to fish, and he knows where the fish usually congregate. If we fish an area where we are not getting the desirable results, he will move to other areas in an effort to find fish. Overall, his success rate for putting fish in his client's sacks is better than anyone else in the harbor. I have fished with other skippers out of Half Moon Bay, but I keep coming back to Captain Smitty because he is the best!! I have introduced dozens of friends to Captain Smitty over the years. Without exception, they all continue to fish with him on a regular basis. Captain Smitty is friendly and very spirited. His boat might be a little older than some of the others, but it is a fishing machine. The boat is seaworthy, and I feel safe when I am fishing on it with Captain Smitty. I believe Captain Smitty tries to show his customers a good time, and I enjoy my outings with him. I whole heartily endorse Captain Smitty and would encourage you to book a trip on the "Riptide". read more

I have been on many party boat trips and based on my previous great experience with the crew on other trips I was expecting the same. When I boarded the boat with my wife, we paid for the renting of the rods and had our tackle set. I tried to talk to the deckhand and ask him some questions about what technique will be used to fish, as I saw anchovies and lures, but my question went unanswered and I got a feeling that I was a burden with my questions. Same went with asking for the depth on which I should drop the line, the answer was I do not know. My wife is not a good swimmer and as the boat was swaying a lot, she asked me to inquire with the captain if they do not have a life vest. I went to the captain, waited until he finished his conversation on the radio and asked for the vest. The answer was: I have been working on boats for 40 years and there was never anyone needing a life vest. The way he answered made me understand that I should not ask more questions.... There goes the crew that makes your day. As I had experience with fishing rods and salmon fishing, I explained to my friends some specifics on how to use the rod and reel. I told them to use the lock on the reel to release the line and not to tighten it as they have no experience and could tie it too much. The deckhand told them not to use the lock, but loose and set the drag. This caused an issue where 4 or 5 lines got ripped and we all had to buy weights. The deckhand never helped even once when the accident happened, I had to fix everything myself. I am very upset that I relied on that company and organized the trip for my party. It is not important if you catch a fish or not as long as the crew is helpful and nice. After all, we all work and our work is to please the customer and not to upset him. I do not recommend that crew to anyone. read more

My husband and I went out last week for salmon fishing. In previous days, limits were caught early. The fishing was slower that day, but the crew did all that they could to get our group as many fish as possible. Our boat had the high fish count for the day and it is due to the captain staying out later than usual for us. The crew was exceptionally polite and extremely helpful. We will definitely fish with Riptide again. read more

I have went out on capt. smitty`s boat a lot of times , seem very nice to me and lee is great deckhand, they call it fishing for a reason not catching i am going out tomorrow 8/23/13 will come back here and post the results but it`s always been a blast for me. read more

Went out today and we were the Last ones to Leave but we were the first to come back and everyone had there limit. The crew was very helpful and friendly will defiantly be going back for some more rock cod on the rip tide y read more

I bought a spot on the rockfish trip. My expectation was to get a ride out to the undersea rocks and spend some time with a hook in the water, the "catching some fish" results were going to be pretty much up to the fish and me. I did not expect the skipper to influence the fish's interest in my bait. The price was very reasonable given the overhead the skipper has to deal with. I have owned a few boats, so I know. The RipTide is a no-frills fishing boat that was set up for less than 20 people on the rails, that is a great deck-hand to customer ratio. The captain is going to be busy most of the time trying to keep the boat over the rocks, but when he has a chance he'll give you a hand as well. Most of the customers aboard listen to the instructions and advice given to them by the crew; that segment of the passengers fares well and has a great time. They also all limited out on nice rockfish, got a few sand dabs and at least one and in many cases, two big ling cod. Not everyone follows that pattern, they seem to have a lot less success and don't enjoy the event so much; some outright complain and get an attitude. The crew does everything they can to maximize what opportunities the sea and weather decide to present, there are some things that no one has any control of out on the ocean. None of our time was wasted, we got over the good spots in short order and the skipper put the boat back in a good drift as soon as it was necessary; the customers for the most part would get their lines up and stand by for a minute or two at most to reposition. Just as one of those moves was getting underway, I hooked a pretty big fish; the crew and other customers were great and helped me weave my way over andunder/around the other lines to the transom so I could winch it up. I felt like I was kind of holding up the show, but nobody else felt that way to include both of the crew who were right there with me when we gaffed it over the rail and into the boat. For the entire time we were holding our rods with hooks in the water someone had a fish on, most of the time it was 3-4 people reeling in a fish at any time. Between keeping the boat where it belonged and netting/untangling/gaffing/unhooking fish, the deckhand and skipper did no lollygagging. As soon as the bite at any spot tapered off, the lines were called in and we were at another rockpile within minutes. The captain could have called it a day and headed back in an hour and a half earlier, but he made sure those who wanted to could get some excellent fish. After the lingcod spot became overrun with rockfish it was a good time to call it a morning. We headed back in at a decent pace so that the deckhand could safely clean/filet the impressive amount of fish caught that morning. I really could not have fished any more anyway, I had limited out my rockfish and big lingcods. The guy I went with and I had a great day out on the water and got some super excellent service from a couple of professionals, he had been out once before on the Rip Tide. At home after I cleaned the last ling cod, I weighed the fish: 2.875kg ling cod = almost 6 1/2 pounds; 1.430kg rockfish = over three pounds for a total almost 10 pounds of the freshet fish filets, that bagged and labeled into 4 big family meals of the cod and five average dinners of rockfish. If you are the $$ conscious type, do the math. The lingcod is very expensive fresh and the rockfish is not a low-end fare. I'd pay just to do it again, the bulging sack of fish is a bonus. 3 out of 4 of the customers were obvious return fishermen/ladies; I'll be one of those anytime I want to catch some fish and have a great day. My friend and I are going out next month, were taking whatever spots are open on the Rip Tide. read more

So far the worst fishing charter I've ever experienced. I am puzzled how they stay in the business with this kind of attitude (maybe they treat other people differently?). We booked a salmon fishing trip and most of the people were first timers. Positives: - booking, paying for the trip was easy including fishing license - they were on time - can't find much more Negatives: - attitude of the captain and his crew man was as bad as you can imagine. Seemed like asking them questions was an offense to them. They were extremely unhelpful and rude. - as I've mentioned a lot of the people were first timers and you would expect some extra help and knowledge sharing. I should have recorded the way the crewman gave an introductory speech. It was just bad, mumbling, way to fast and not willing to answer any follow up questions. - second hand smoking especially having kids on board !!! - you have to pay extra for literally everything. All other charters I used provided rods and all the equipment for the initial prize. Here you have to pay for everything extra. - they did not provide any snacks even no water on the board - toilets were dirty It did not help that after 9 hours of fishing we were able to catch 5 salmons among 17 people but I can understand that this might have happened. Nevertheless this was my first trip in my life where I did not catch anything (as 13 other people). Again I do not understand how the captain can even think that after such experience we ever going to use his service again. read more

Worst boat and crew that I've even been on. The boat is beat up and dirty. You feel every wave and the captain went to at 6 places outside of hmb. Like you really need to go very far for rock fish! 1st stop was 45 mins out of harbor and there was nothing but 1 lb rock fish. 2nd stop was better, but he only let us fish for 5 mins there even tho we were all getting decent sized fish. Then another 45 mins to somewhere else that has no fish. Meanwhile we're all starting to get sick. The crew was rude and absolutely no help. I don't think I saw them at all except to count my fish. Now I know why this boat still has openings at the last minute. Take my advice and spend a bit more. Que sera sera is much better and only $50 more if you add up the rod, tackle, bait. I rather pay the extra for a boat that won't feel like it'll tip over with every wave and have a place to sit and a sink to wash my hands. read more

I"m surprised at some of the negative reviews. I went out last weekend on the Riptide. I found the captain to be personable and the deckhand to be very hardworking. I had a nice time. I'd go again. read more

Full boat on Sunday...17 loaded on to the boat...I could see from the beginning that there was a large party of 13-14 that were experiencing a communication/language issue...I also noticed that Lee like myself does not have the best hearing which was not an issue for me or my wife we are use to it but I think the large party took it wrong. Unfortunately, not everyone catches salmon and my wife and I were blesses to have one apiece to take home. It was all about "Lee" the deckhand for our success and without his help we would have gotten skunked. Thank you so much Lee...you Rock! There is a saying...." If you are early ...you are on time...and if you are on time.... you are late...and if you are late ...you are assigned a rod holder that is available and the early birds get to choose". Being 1st and 2nd on the boat we chose the stern but Lee did say all the places depending on the day are good. The party of 13 -14 were a wonderful group and very festive but at times they were socializing and not paying attention to there assigned poles which cause some issues for the crew. One rod had it's drag set too tight and ran along the boat cutting lines as the fish tried to run and if drag was loosen the fish would have run deeper and around the the poles and consequently hit and severed several lines, I believe the large party wanted the perfect captain and the captain wanted a perfect group... both of which estimated wrong. If you want cheap fish.... buy from a store....and if you want quality fish, experience and a memory it will cost a lot more than you think...catching fish is just a bonus on some days....It's not what you are "entitled too but what you earn/work for". Captain Smitty, was at times all business and it was not necessary for him to be my friend...but I do expect him to put us on fish and that he did and it is up to us to pay attention and may be catch some fish to take home....so we would book with him again.... read more

I will begin by saying I am not a regular Yelp user. But this experience deserved comment. My son and I are avid fisherman and have been fishing from California to Mexico to Alaska for decades. So we know a good boat, captain, and crew when we experience it. Yesterday, we discovered a boat with a highly dedicated captain and capable crew, which increased our chances for a successful adventure into the ocean and catching fish. This is not a common experience. We boarded the boat promptly at 6 am, after which the Captain steered us to an overlooked area north of Half Moon Bay, where we began trolling and immediately catching fish. The entire crew, including the Captain, got involved in delivering bait, stirring lines out of harm's way, and repeating the process all over again, so that, within four hours, all 20 of us fisherman went home with limits. Thank you, Captain! We will return! read more

#1 Disappointed by the price. I saw comparisons online that were much cheaper and much nicer, that served breakfast and lunch, had indoor seating areas, and were larger boats in general. Walking up to discover this tug boat was what we were going out on the Pacific in was a scary disappointment, not to mention it does NOT go fast at all. If you want to feel what it would be like to drive to San Francisco at 10 mph, this charter will show you. #2 Captain Smitty (aka Captain Shitty) likes to smoke Swisher cigars and cigarettes regardless of how sick people are feeling on this trip. He is a rude douche, and I swear he is running a scam on that damn rig. He kept whispering to his deck hand guy and yelling at all of us. I felt we were all being punished for something. That is 9 hours of my life I will never get back, and $124 I will never see again. No fish caught, and he has turned me off from ever ocean fishing again. I just think of all the fish I could have bought at the store for that kind of money. His deck hand was a good guy and I hope he makes good money because he was very helpful (he did everything) while we just sat there. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life's not for me! read more

I love going out on the Riptide with Captain Smitty! He is a great captain and tries his best to get everyone a fish. It is not his fault if the fish just aren't biting, it is called fishing not catching. I prefer the smaller boat that the Riptide is because it means less people and just isn't so chaotic. I go fishing yearly for my dad's birthday and the Riptide is our first choice. I personally enjoy Rockcod fishing more than Salmon fishing because of the fact that you are almost guaranteed to go home with your limit, though I did go Salmon fishing last year and had a good time even though I didn't catch anything (my dad did though). Captain Smitty is a captain that truly cares about his vessel and the people that are aboard. read more

I don't know how all the reviewers so far saw the captain as mean, unless they are of course the tourist fisherman that fishes once a year or less. The captain was light hearted, funny, and never showed any signs of anger. The only time anyone yells is when there is a big fish on and that is simply to get the idiots out of the way (or anyone for that matter who just didn't happen to notice) How would you feel if someone next to you caused you to lose your prize catch because they didn't move or wind up their line? People would be writing a different story in these reviews if the crew stood by passively while someone clueless caused you to lose a monster. They need room to gaff or net! The Captain put us on the cod (30 lber landed that day) and provided depth information and the level of the fish at each stop. Then there is the deck hand Lee. Lee is awesome! He provided guidance the whole trip and he managed to keep a boat full of very inexperienced people fishing even when they were snagging bottom (I managed that a few times and he saved my rigs..) and tangling with people left and right due to inexperience or simply refusing to use the proper weight and gear. If you go out with this captain, the only factors that can sour your experience are out of your control, such as weather, or maybe not having the best luck that day. read more

Called riptide charters to schedule a fishing trip, was told to call back during normal business hours (it wasnt even 7pm) and was promptly hung up on. This company needs to seriously work of they lack of customer service. They will not get the business of me or the group i was calling to schedule. read more

My husband came back from a fishing trip with more than $150 worth the fish!!! The captain knew exactly what he was doing! He knew all the points people can catch fish and he kept his boat in a good place and never let it drifted away from the point. This is the boat you want if you really want to catch fish! and he stayed out to make sure customers got ling cod and sand dabs. read more

I went on the Riptide with my son and we had a fabulous day. The Captain worked really hard to find the fish and we caught fish at every stop. In fact, we reach our maximum yield for the day. The deckhand, Lee, is extremely knowledgeable and was very patient. The Riptide is a comfortable and stable platform. I totally recommend! read more

Do not be misled by the lower charter rate, esp. for salmon fishing: you get what you pay for! While Lee (hope you find yourself a better boat to work for; you deserve better) was a very helpful, hard-working deckhand, Capt 'Smitty' was a total joke and as unprofessional a vessel operator as you can find. If you don't mind being treated as cattle, and you don't mind not being informed (as others had mentioned) as to the depth that the capt had set your lines to; and you don't mind the smell of the capt's cigar smoke blowing throughout the vessel, then this boat is for you! We were fishing a full boat on a Saturday. That means the capt has his boat gassed up and money in his pocket. So as it became evident that there were no fish in the Pescadero area, the capt continues making circles in this same area without considering moving north to where other boats reported respectable catches by day's end. We returned w/4 salmon for 17 anglers. The worst insult was as the capt reels in a cust's line and realizes that it is tangled w/mine, he chastises me for 'having my line out at 100ft' when he whispered to his deckhand the depths that he set each rod to at the beginning of our fishing day. Whether he changed course to a shallower depth, he neither told us nor was it worth my time to correct him saying that he said my line was set to 70', which I continued to measure out until that moment. Very frustrating. I will never again fish with this capt, and may boycott HMB Sportfishing, altogether, if they continue supporting this bully of a clown. read more

Very disrespectful on the phone. Just wanted to talk a out A price quote and fishing options. The man on the phone was arrogant and just repeated the fishing options . Would not let me ask questions. Jokes on him, taking my money someplace else. Only giving 1 star because Yelp requires me to. read more

went out on riptide yesterday and had a great time.Capt Smitty did an awesome job getting us on the fish.Lee the deck hand busted his ass getting the fishing poles rigged up ,bait on hooks and fish off the hooks and we had alot of fish ,our total for the day was 130 rockfish and 13 ling cod.on our way in Lee kicked ass again filleting all the fishand bagging them up before we got in to the harbor.All in all we had an awesome day fishing .Thank you to the riptide crew and half moon bay bait and tackle . The simplot fishing crew read more