One of the Coastide’s most cherished destinations is Pillar Point Harbor, a vibrant marina that teems with colorful fishing boats, many of which are ready to welcome you aboard.
Whether you’re looking to reel in a longfin tuna, or witness the awesome spectacle of migrating whales, you’ll find an expert crew ready to charter the perfect trip.
For those that turn green at the site of a boat, there’s still much to enjoy. Pillar Point is one of the last working harbors in California where you can buy fresh fish and shellfish direct from the boat. Fishline, a handy hotline and mobile app, makes it easy to find out the day’s catch which often includes salmon, rock cod, and, when the season is right, succulent dungeness crab.
Riptide Sportfishing
(650) 728-8433
Princeton-by-the-Sea, Half Moon Bay, Northern California
During the fishing season they will be fishing for salmon, rockfish or tuna depending upon regulations. When the fishing action starts and you’ll hear the reel sing as the line peels off with a whopper of a king salmon jumping and tugging against the straining angler…or the biting of a ling cod pulling your line and trying to dive into a hole in a rock on the ocean bottom – well, the excitement is felt all around the deck and everyone cheers in unison when the catch is landed!
Riptide will customize trips to fit your needs. Riptide offers both half and full day tours for whale watching/nature trips and to observe surfers off Mavericks. You can often see Humpback whales, which are present in this area of Northern California year-round. Many times during the Spring through Fall, we see Blue whales. The height of the Gray whale migration is from late December through May. There are many other forms of life to observe from their vessel – Dolphins, Porpoises, Stellar Sea Lions and many a binocular is bird watching for offshore species.