If purchasing a one day fishing license, we highly recommend you contact us before purchasing so we can verify the ocean conditions are adequate and that the trip wont be canceled. If you have a hotel room/Airbnb/vrbo, please contact us before your cancelation period and we can discuss weather forecast and trip probability. We do not provide any compensation outside of the deposit amount you have payed due to canceled trips. Unfortunately the weather can be unpredictable and does not always follow the forecast. We will not put our clients, crew or boats in jeopardy to run a trip in poor weather and all of our captains hold the right to cancel trips at any time due to poor weather conditions or forecast.

General Trip Information

Please note, whether young or old, fishing or not, the maximum legal number of passengers is for both of our vessels is 6 people.

Full fare applies after the boat has left the dock. If you request an early return, due to seasickness or any other reason, you will still be responsible for the full fare.  The only exception is when sea conditions or other safety concerns require an early return. In such cases a prorated fare applies depending on length of time spent out. Your balance can be charged on your card or paid in cash, cash is greatly appreciated if possible.

All bait, fishing rods and terminal tackle is supplied for fishing excursions.  Anglers are more than welcome to bring their own tackle if they wish. 

We often get asked “How much should I tip?” And to answer this question ahead of time, we ask that you tip based on how you feel our service is. We work very hard long before you arrive and long after you leave the boat to make sure you will enjoy your day and everything goes smoothly. Our deckhands rely on tips in a similar fashion as most waiter/waitresses at restaurants, and typically 10 to 20% of your reservation cost is customary, but please adjust as you feel necessary based on the quality of customer service provided by your deckhand.

Being prepared

Please dress in layers to stay warm. Waterproof rubber boots or shoes are highly recommended, but not necessary. Some other items that are recommended are sunscreen, sun glasses, lunch, drinks and a cooler with ice to store in your car for bringing your fish fillets home. We discourage any heavy alcohol consumption (you are more than welcome to bring alcohol, we only ask that you drink responsibly). If you feel you need seasickness meds, please take the night before and again in the morning. Do not wait to take while underway as they require several hours to become effective.   YOU WILL NEED A VALID CALIFORNIA FISHING LICENSE IF YOU ARE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. They are not sold on the boat! You can purchase one online at the CDFW Online License Sales and Services or at your local bait and tackle shop.  You do not need any enhancements, tags, or stamps (unless specified by your captain for crab traps).

Dock Directions for Bodega Bay Fishing Trips

All trips on the Sorta Salty are ran out of Bodega Bay, The Sea Queen will run trips out of Bodega Bay from July 15th until the end of the year unless otherwise stated by your captain. The Sorta Salty typically leaves the dock at 7am, but your captain will contact you with a different time the night before if there is a change. We often leave early when strong afternoon winds are forecasted.

Select the google pin drop of our exact dock location. You may not have cellular service in Bodega Bay with certain carriers, so enter this into your phone before you loose reception.

Written Directions Incase You Don’t have Service:

Your group will meet your captain at the Bodega Bay Sportfishing Center @ 1500 Bay Flat road. This is directly across from Porto Bodega campground, park in the large dirt parking lot on the peninsula. To get there when your heading north through bodega bay, take a left on east shore road and wind down to the first stop sign. From there go straight past Porto bodega marina and RV park sign and One with a salmon on it that says charter boats. Once you reach a 3 way fork and see boats in the marina, take middle road between pine tree and small utility shed with a light drive out into the the big dirt parking lot and park. Go down the ramp, turn right and walk to the end of the dock. Your Captain will call or text you the afternoon before your trip to discuss any last minute details or answer any questions. Call or text them if you have any questions about getting to boat, they will likely be able to answer your questions and get you there quickly.

Dock Directions for Tomales Bay Fishing Trips

Your captain will contact you to discuss pickup times and specific location. Make sure you load the address into your phone before you leave the nearest town and double check with your captain that you have the correct location, as there is no cell reception with any carriers along most of Tomales Bay on the shoreline, and you will likely be unable to contact your captain for help finding the dock. Locations can vary due to tides, weather, fishing and your preference. If you have questions please contact us as we will be able to answer your questions very quickly. Due to extra time and fuel expenses, there may be a $200 surcharge on Tomales Bay Halibut trips on the Sea Queen for Bodega Bay Pickups, as we use significantly more fuel and several hours driving the boat back and fourth between Tomales Bay and Bodega Bay. Please note that we may not always be able to cross the Tomales Bay mouth to provide Bodega Bay pickup when there is a large swell causing breaking waves, posing a hazard to both clients, crew and vessels.

Deposits & Cancellations

Deposits are required for all excursions. Cancellation must be received at least 7 days in advance or a 50% cancellation fee will be charged. Those received 48 hours before departure date with be charged the full cost of the excursion. Weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances may warrant cancellation on our part and your deposit will be fully refunded or you will have your trip rescheduled to a later date of your choosing.

Most Importantly…

Enjoy Your trip! Our goal is to make your day as stress free as possible on the water. And as mentioned CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS as soon as possible. We are a small business and all of our crew talks on a daily basis, if one of us is unable to answer your question, we will refer your to the crew member who will.