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Sole-Man Sportfishing are located at world-famous Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, and offer Bay and Ocean fishing charters. Captain Don Franklin (aka ‘Sole-Man’) has been fishing for 41 years, and has been operating Sole-Man Sportfishing for the last 14 years. He has a lot of knowledge and experience, and knows these waters like the back of his hand.

Join Capt. Don aboard one of the finest and best equipped fishing charter boats on Fisherman’s Wharf. His 32 ft Uniflite boat offers a smooth and sturdy ride, and can accommodate up to six anglers in comfort on its spacious fishing deck. It is powered by a 210HP Cummins 6BT engine, and comes equipped with Furuno GPS and radar, Garmin fishfinder, and VHF radio. It features a flybridge, live-bait tank, air-conditioned or heated cabin, on board toilet, as well as a grill ready to sizzle up some tasty food.

When you fish with Sole-Man, you will get to experience some of the finest Salmon, Halibut, Rockfish, Sturgeon, and Shark fishing anywhere! Trips include high-quality fishing equipment and lures, live bait, and drinks (water, coffee and tea), while the crew are happy to process your catch to your specifications.

Get ready to catch a trophy fish with Captain Don “The Sole-Man” Franklin!



Trip availability and prices

  • Shared trip
    Half day trip
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun)
    Price for 2 persons
    US $400
  • Shared trip
    3/4 day trip
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun)
    Price for 2 persons
    US $480
  • Shared trip
    Full day trip
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    10 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun)
    Price for 2 persons
    US $560
  • Private trip
    Half Day Trip
    In demand! Last booked: 3 days ago
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
    Price for up to 5 persons
    US $1,000
    Join Sole-Man for a half-day trip fishing the bay or ocean around San Francisco, targeting Salmon, Halibut, Rockfish, Sturgeon, and Shark. Trips include high-quality fishing equipment and lures, live bait, and drinks (water, coffee and tea), while the crew are happy to process your catch to your specifications.
  • Private trip
    3/4 Day Trip
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
    Price for up to 5 persons
    US $1,200
  • Private trip
    Full Day Trip
    FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
    10 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
    Price for up to 5 persons
    US $1,400
    Head out for a full-day of fishing with Sole-Man on the bay and ocean waters of San Francisco. You will target species such as Salmon, Halibut, Rockfish, Sturgeon, and Shark. Trips include high-quality fishing equipment and lures, live bait, and drinks (water, coffee and tea), while the crew are happy to process your catch to your specifications.
There are 24 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.9 / 5
out of 5 stars from 35 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (36)
Great boat, great day, big fish, good times!
Great Captain even better fishing
Great Captain even better fishing
+33
Angler rating
30
4
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
95%
Friendly captain
95%
Recommend this charter
94%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
95%
Caught fish
96%
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Showing:
5 of 35 reviews
Patrick L.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Sole Man is the Man

VERIFIED   3/4 day trip on September 22, 2024
First fishing trip and Captain SoleMan was great at finding the best spots for fish in the bay. He made it real easy for those...
Patrick L. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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Patrick L. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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Adam C.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great time with Captin Don the Sole Man

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip on July 6, 2024
I have been on a lot of fishing trips around the USA and Captin Don is awesome! I had my 8 and 12 year old sons with me, we...
Adam C. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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Adam C. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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Stephen F.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Captain even better fishing

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip on June 15, 2024
Don woke up early to beat the fleet to the bait purveyor and then delivered the Pot Luck fish: California Halibut (25 pounder),...
Stephen F. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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  Don Franklin Captain replied

Shingo S.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

October fishing trip

VERIFIED   Half day trip on October 20, 2024
Shingo S. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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Shingo S. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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Shawn P.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip on June 8, 2024
Capt Don really knows what he’s doing and we had a wonderful trip…catching many fish, 4 different species, including a...
Shawn P. recommends Sole-Man Sportfishing
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  Don Franklin Captain replied

FAQs about Sole-Man Sportfishing

Sole-Man Sportfishing offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $200 per person - Half day trip (5 hours)
  • US $240 per person - 3/4 day trip (8 hours)
  • US $280 per person - Full day trip (10 hours)
  • US $1,000 per group, additional US $200 per person after 5 guests - Half Day Trip (5 hours)
  • US $1,200 per group, additional US $240 per person after 5 guests - 3/4 Day Trip (8 hours)
  • US $1,400 per group, additional US $280 per person after 5 guests - Full Day Trip (10 hours)

When you book a trip with Sole-Man Sportfishing, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Toilet
  • GPS Furuno gpf 7000
  • Fishfinder Garmin 1040xs
  • Flybridge
  • Live Bait Well 5 scoop capacity
  • Radio Clarion
  • Radar Furuno

Trips booked with Sole-Man Sportfishing include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle ( Our Golden Gate caught Salmon, are some of the fin)
  • Live Bait
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Drinks (Coffee, Tea, Bottled water)
  • First Mate

Sole-Man Sportfishing offers the following types of fishing:
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Offshore Fishing

Sole-Man Sportfishing offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle (Halibut, Bass, Salmon)
  • Heavy Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing (Shark, Sturgeon)
  • Trolling
  • Deep Sea Fishing (Rockfish)

Top targeted fish species with Sole-Man Sportfishing include:
  • Bass (Striped)
  • Halibut
  • Rockfish
  • Salmon
  • Shark (Blue)
  • Shark (Leopard)
  • Shark (Mako)
  • Shark (Thresher)
  • Sturgeon

Your captain

Don Franklin
San Francisco, California, United States
3 Fishing Reports
ID & license verified
35 Customer reviews
Response time 7 hours
Member since March 2016
Captain Don ‘Sole-Man’ Franklin has been fishing for over 40 years, and for the last 14 years he has been running Sole-Man Sportfishing. He enjoys sharing the joy of fishing with everyone, and is great at teaching kids how to fish. So no matter your age or skill level, join Sole-Man for an exciting day on the water - everyone can have a great time fishing with Captain Don!

The fish you can target

Bass (Striped) Striped Bass
Halibut Halibut
Rockfish Rockfish
Salmon Salmon

What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Cabin cruisers
Capacity
6 persons
Boat length
32 ft
Year built
1974
Boat manufacturer
Uniflite
Boat type
Pilothouse

Engine model
Cummins 6BT
Powered by
1 x 210HP

What kind of fishing will you do?

Nearshore Fishing
Offshore Fishing

Which fishing techniques will you try?

Light Tackle
Halibut, Bass, Salmon
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Shark, Sturgeon
Trolling
Deep Sea Fishing
Rockfish

Which amenities are available onboard

Toilet
GPS
Furuno gpf 7000
Fishfinder
Garmin 1040xs
Flybridge
Live Bait Well
5 scoop capacity
Radio
Clarion

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle
Our Golden Gate caught Salmon, are some of the fin
Live Bait
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Drinks
Coffee, Tea, Bottled water
First Mate

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 3 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 3 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

What the listing policies are

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed

How you can pay

Book with 20% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 20% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
American Express

What’s biting in San Francisco right now

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