TESTIMONIALS

RIPTIDE REVIEWS

11/01/20

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 limits at the end of the day. The deckhand 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 ride back. The boat was nice and clean and (we rented our poles and gear) all poles were set up and ready to go before we even boarded. It was a great experience. - Khadeejah G.

9/01/20

The captain and his crew were GREAT! We really enjoyed our trip! Would definitely use them again!

7/03/2019

The crew will make your trip fun, definitely recommend if your a first timer, my son had his first trip and it was a amazing.

8/10/2018

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.

5/4/2018

Captain Smitty proficiently provided us the opportunity to fulfill my in-laws final wishes for their ashes to be cast upon the waters of Half Moon Bay on their 71st wedding anniversary. He guided me through the process necessary to allow a small group of family and friends to be on his vessel and celebrate their lives while saying goodbye. His efforts and mother nature’s cooperation could not have provided a better experience.

12/28/2017

My 15yr. old son went out on the Riptide with some of his fishing buddies today. He loves fishing beyond and came home one happy fisherman. He limited out on rockfish, said he can't wait to go back out again. Thank you for giving this fishing kid a GREAT 1st experience.

9/08/2019

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 wasn't 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.

7/18/2006

Hi Capt. Smitty,

Just wanted to again thank you and Zack for a great day of fishing last Friday. You guys took a bunch of rookies and made us look good. It was fun listening to the stories at the barbeque we had Friday night when we got back. It's amazing that those fish grow so quickly after they're caught. I think the biggest one is now almost 40 pounds!
Anyway, thanks again for a great day, and we WILL see you again.

7/18/2006

 
Hi Capt. Smitty,

Just wanted to again thank you and Zack for a great day of fishing last Friday. You guys took a bunch of rookies and made us look good. It was fun listening to the stories at the barbeque we had Friday night when we got back. It's amazing that those fish grow so quickly after they're caught. I think the biggest one is now almost 40 pounds!
Anyway, thanks again for a great day, and we WILL see you again.

- Dan B.

4/11/2006

Smitty, In case no one told you, THANK YOU for your support of our right to fish. Yourself, Bob Inglis and Bobby Franko have really made an important contribution in protecting our right to fish. 

Your friend,
Dale

3/11/2005

Captain, I really appreciate the fact that you take such an active interest and role in these conservation issues. You are one of probably very few that truly try to balance sport fishing with conservation and make a difference for our generations to come, like my kids.
I look forward to seeing you again on April 2 opening day. My Dad is flying in from Montreal to join me!

Come

7/14/2004

Captain, just wanted to say thanks for the fantastic fishing day me and Doug had on Sunday. I hope you bought more of those green flashers, they were pretty hot! All in all, I caught 3 salmon on that rig and handed off another 8 fish to others including that 25lb striper! I think it was the best ocean fishing I have ever done.

- Come L.

9/3/2003 WHALE WATCHING

Our whale watching trip was one of the largest highlights of our trip to San Francisco. Thanks for letting us take the charter trip on 8/22/2003. We will recommend you to any of our friends that are contemplating a trip to that region. Here are a few of the pictures that we took from the boat.

These include shots of the whales with a small fluke, an arched whale, a whale with a spout, dolphins, and shots of the sea turtle. Once again thanks.

"Chico", Judi, Nathan, and Kristin M.

3/28/2003 SALMON OPENER

Captain Smitty and deckhand Heather made our trip awesome. It was my son's 13th. birthday wish to go deep sea fishing, he even turned down a trip to Hawaii..(whew...) anyhow, Blake was ecstatic about the trip the whole time. Once the day got here he started to get real nervous... That all changed when we arrived at the riptide and met our crew. Blake caught the first fish this day and he was the youngest on deck, way to go, son! Anyhow, many many many thanks to Cap'n Smitty and Heather... You two are awesome, the pix that were taken are awesome, hope to see them on here soon. We will be back, maybe in July for the rock cod fishing...

Thank you again, and God bless you all! 

Devoted passenger forever,
Rebecca E. and Blake :>)

2/9/2003

Capt Smitty: 
Just a quick email to say "Thanks". My wife and I went whale watching with you on Sunday, February 9/03 at 1:00 pm. Even though the trip was scheduled to go from about 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm - you basically stayed out until you found us some whales - thanks! 

- Dean H.

5/28/2002

Capt. Smitty! I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic trip on Sunday. My daughter and I had a great time, and we can't end up with about 20lbs of smoked salmon. We're both looking forward to going rockfishing with your soon! Thanks,
- Kirk and Hilary von A.

6/29/2001

Hi Captain Smitty, Got the pics developed and many are good. I will mail and Email copies asap. You and Evan were a great team and I really enjoyed fishing with you both. Maybe we can go after salmon or Tuna some day. Let me know when you are doing good and I'll try to get back. Once again thank you for a fun day and for showing me some of the unique species that are in your area.

Best Regards-Tell Evan I will send some pics to his address as well.
Gary Laidman 
Buffalo NY

9/5/2000

Hi Smitty, Thanks again for a great salmon fishing trip today. That was not only the biggest fish I have ever caught but also the most exciting fish that I have caught in many years. It ranks with my first fish caught near Aspen Colorado immediately after World War 2.

Best Regards
Gil J.

6/25/2000

 Capt. Smitty & Zee
Just got to our hotel after a great memory maker on board the Riptide. The day could not have gone better. Smooth water, great company and a crew that catered to our every need. At one point it seemed the fish were jumping into the boat on their own. Our only hope was to retreat to the cabin and wait for the frenzy to stop. Three generations of the Allured family now have a huge memory of how good it can be to be together for a short while with the only agenda being to catch fish. You are to be thanked and blessed many years for what you did on this single day.
Thanks so much for giving us this day. 
- Chuck

8/17/1999

Just wanted to thank you for the great experience rock fishing on Tuesday the 17th, it was SOOOO fun, the ride was very enjoyable. Captain Smitty was a GREAT captain, he took us to all the right spots! We all got limits! I'm gonna tell everyone about the RIPTIDE, and it's great captain! Next time I go it's definitely gonna be on the RIPTIDE! Thanks again for the great trip! Hope to see you soon on another rock fishing trip! 
- Tony

FROM ANOTHER CUSTOMER:

Hello everyone, our salmon fishing trip on Saturday was a huge success with the boat bringing in full limits of salmon and not one person got seasick! The ocean was calm, we saw whales, dolphins and more importantly, many salmon on the end of our lines... I don't think anyone went home with less than 12 pounds of fresh salmon to enjoy. Smitty also did a good job of keeping us away from the crowds and putting us over some big fish. My daughter caught her first 2 salmon ever. She already wants to go again! I think it was Ladies Day on the Riptide! Good work ladies! I think you brought us all luck! I hope all of you that came fishing had an enjoyable time and enjoyed a fine salmon meal over the weekend. I sure did! I can honestly say that this was the best day of fishing I have experienced since visiting Alaska! It was also the best group of people that I have ever been fishing with! I look forward to doing it again sometime.
- Jim K.

9/25/1998

Made my first albacore trip thanks to Jim Krauss. Jim treated me to a trip on the "RIPTIDE" out of half moon bay. Between us, we hooked eight fish, but after some rod shuffling to try to get everyone a fish, we brought back five 25-30 pound fish. Two on a Dorado cedar plug, and three on a plain cedar plug. Two others were caught on feathers, zucchini, and a Mexican flag. The trick seemed to be the plain cedar plug dropped way back. Man what a blast!

Capt. Smitty and crew, Dave, worked hard for the fish and were very patient with all of us tuna newbies. I would definitely recommend going out on the "RIPTIDE" for albacore if you can. They may not have the frills of some boats, but it's a lot less crowded and a hella lot more friendly than any party boat I've been on. 
- Tim H.

RIPTIDE REVIEWS

6/10/2014

Went out aboard the Rip Tide on Sunday for an early Fathers day from my daughter. This is the second year in a row we fished with Capt. Smitty and have always been very satisfied. Capt Smitty and deckhand Lee did everything possible to ensure everyone on the boat took home fish. We took advantage of Capt Smitty's knowledge of hidden rocks and hot spots that made it possible to limit out for most on the boat. My daughter with Smittys and Lees help caught her first Ling Cod 13 pounds of great eating. We will be back next year and for many more. Thanks for a great trip Capt. Smitty and Lee

6/1/2014

Went out on riptide yesterday and had a great time. Capt Smitty did an awesome job getting us on the fish. Lee the deckhand busted his ass getting the fishing poles rigged up, bait on hooks and fish off the hooks and we had a lot of fish, our total for the day was 130 rockfish and 13 lingcod. On our way in Lee kicked ass again filleting all the fish and bagging them up before we got into 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 simplest fishing crew.

5/23/2010

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.

7/12/2012

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 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.

7/22/2006

I would like to thank you for a very enjoyable introduction to salmon fishing on Monday 26 June 2006, while I was on vacation in California from the UK. I am now back in the UK (wet, windy and cloudy ... it's a hard life!), but I have photos of my prize 30 lb fish, which have caused a bit of a stir with my fellow sea anglers. You and Zack really know your stuff and I hope to return next year and improve on the catch. All the best Tight Lines Colin

7/18/2006

Hi Capt. Smitty,

Just wanted to again thank you and Zack for a great day of fishing last Friday. You guys took a bunch of rookies and made us look good. It was fun listening to the stories at the barbeque we had Friday night when we got back. It's amazing that those fish grow so quickly after they're caught. I think the biggest one is now almost 40 pounds!
Anyway, thanks again for a great day, and we WILL see you again.

7/18/2006

 
Hi Capt. Smitty,

Just wanted to again thank you and Zack for a great day of fishing last Friday. You guys took a bunch of rookies and made us look good. It was fun listening to the stories at the barbeque we had Friday night when we got back. It's amazing that those fish grow so quickly after they're caught. I think the biggest one is now almost 40 pounds!
Anyway, thanks again for a great day, and we WILL see you again.

- Dan B.

4/11/2006

Smitty, In case no one told you, THANK YOU for your support of our right to fish. Yourself, Bob Inglis and Bobby Franko have really made an important contribution in protecting our right to fish. 

Your friend,
Dale

3/11/2005

Captain, I really appreciate the fact that you take such an active interest and role in these conservation issues. You are one of probably very few that truly try to balance sport fishing with conservation and make a difference for our generations to come, like my kids.
I look forward to seeing you again on April 2 opening day. My Dad is flying in from Montreal to join me!

Come

7/14/2004

Captain, just wanted to say thanks for the fantastic fishing day me and Doug had on Sunday. I hope you bought more of those green flashers, they were pretty hot! All in all, I caught 3 salmon on that rig and handed off another 8 fish to others including that 25lb striper! I think it was the best ocean fishing I have ever done.

- Come L.

9/3/2003 WHALE WATCHING

Our whale watching trip was one of the largest highlights of our trip to San Francisco. Thanks for letting us take the charter trip on 8/22/2003. We will recommend you to any of our friends that are contemplating a trip to that region. Here are a few of the pictures that we took from the boat.

These include shots of the whales with a small fluke, an arched whale, a whale with a spout, dolphins, and shots of the sea turtle. Once again thanks.

"Chico", Judi, Nathan, and Kristin M.

3/28/2003 SALMON OPENER

Captain Smitty and deckhand Heather made our trip awesome. It was my son's 13th. birthday wish to go deep sea fishing, he even turned down a trip to Hawaii..(whew...) anyhow, Blake was ecstatic about the trip the whole time. Once the day got here he started to get real nervous... That all changed when we arrived at the riptide and met our crew. Blake caught the first fish this day and he was the youngest on deck, way to go, son! Anyhow, many many many thanks to Cap'n Smitty and Heather... You two are awesome, the pix that were taken are awesome, hope to see them on here soon. We will be back, maybe in July for the rock cod fishing...

Thank you again, and God bless you all! 

Devoted passenger forever,
Rebecca E. and Blake :>)

2/9/2003

Capt Smitty: 
Just a quick email to say "Thanks". My wife and I went whale watching with you on Sunday, February 9/03 at 1:00 pm. Even though the trip was scheduled to go from about 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm - you basically stayed out until you found us some whales - thanks! 

- Dean H.

5/28/2002

Capt. Smitty! I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic trip on Sunday. My daughter and I had a great time, and we can't end up with about 20lbs of smoked salmon. We're both looking forward to going rockfishing with your soon! Thanks,
- Kirk and Hilary von A.

6/29/2001

Hi Captain Smitty, Got the pics developed and many are good. I will mail and Email copies asap. You and Evan were a great team and I really enjoyed fishing with you both. Maybe we can go after salmon or Tuna some day. Let me know when you are doing good and I'll try to get back. Once again thank you for a fun day and for showing me some of the unique species that are in your area.

Best Regards-Tell Evan I will send some pics to his address as well.
Gary Laidman 
Buffalo NY

9/5/2000

Hi Smitty, Thanks again for a great salmon fishing trip today. That was not only the biggest fish I have ever caught but also the most exciting fish that I have caught in many years. It ranks with my first fish caught near Aspen Colorado immediately after World War 2.

Best Regards
Gil J.

6/25/2000

 Capt. Smitty & Zee
Just got to our hotel after a great memory maker on board the Riptide. The day could not have gone better. Smooth water, great company and a crew that catered to our every need. At one point it seemed the fish were jumping into the boat on their own. Our only hope was to retreat to the cabin and wait for the frenzy to stop. Three generations of the Allured family now have a huge memory of how good it can be to be together for a short while with the only agenda being to catch fish. You are to be thanked and blessed many years for what you did on this single day.
Thanks so much for giving us this day. 
- Chuck

8/17/1999

Just wanted to thank you for the great experience rock fishing on Tuesday the 17th, it was SOOOO fun, the ride was very enjoyable. Captain Smitty was a GREAT captain, he took us to all the right spots! We all got limits! I'm gonna tell everyone about the RIPTIDE, and it's great captain! Next time I go it's definitely gonna be on the RIPTIDE! Thanks again for the great trip! Hope to see you soon on another rock fishing trip! 
- Tony

FROM ANOTHER CUSTOMER:

Hello everyone, our salmon fishing trip on Saturday was a huge success with the boat bringing in full limits of salmon and not one person got seasick! The ocean was calm, we saw whales, dolphins and more importantly, many salmon on the end of our lines... I don't think anyone went home with less than 12 pounds of fresh salmon to enjoy. Smitty also did a good job of keeping us away from the crowds and putting us over some big fish. My daughter caught her first 2 salmon ever. She already wants to go again! I think it was Ladies Day on the Riptide! Good work ladies! I think you brought us all luck! I hope all of you that came fishing had an enjoyable time and enjoyed a fine salmon meal over the weekend. I sure did! I can honestly say that this was the best day of fishing I have experienced since visiting Alaska! It was also the best group of people that I have ever been fishing with! I look forward to doing it again sometime.
- Jim K.

9/25/1998

Made my first albacore trip thanks to Jim Krauss. Jim treated me to a trip on the "RIPTIDE" out of half moon bay. Between us, we hooked eight fish, but after some rod shuffling to try to get everyone a fish, we brought back five 25-30 pound fish. Two on a Dorado cedar plug, and three on a plain cedar plug. Two others were caught on feathers, zucchini, and a Mexican flag. The trick seemed to be the plain cedar plug dropped way back. Man what a blast!

Capt. Smitty and crew, Dave, worked hard for the fish and were very patient with all of us tuna newbies. I would definitely recommend going out on the "RIPTIDE" for albacore if you can. They may not have the frills of some boats, but it's a lot less crowded and a hella lot more friendly than any party boat I've been on. 
- Tim H.
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