San Francisco
Instant Confirmation
Trips from
US $220
Captain
Don Franklin
San Francisco, United States
50+ reviews
Captain Don 'Sole-Man' Franklin has been fishing for over 40 years, and for the last 24 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!
Charter
Rating
4.9
50 reviews
4.9
Boat & Equipment
4.9
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (50)
What anglers say
98%
Recommend this charter
98%
Caught fish
All reviews (50)
Showing 1 – 5 of 50 reviews
David MeachamRepeat angler5.0VerifiedNEWFantastic fishing
Half day trip • 5 adults • 2 childrenDon provided a wonderful morning's fishing for adults and children accompanied by his personal soundtrack of rock and soul, which for us made the the trip even better. We caught leopard sharks, huge ones, which more than met expectations. We'd definitely recommend Don for the fishing and for those who don't fish, seeing San Francisco from the water is worth the trip alone.
Carlos Mota5.0VerifiedIt was a great time!
3/4 day trip • 4 adultsWe had an amazing fishing experience with Sole Man in San Francisco! Don went above and beyond to ensure we had every chance to catch a fish, and his dedication really paid off—we caught one each! The whole trip was fun, well-organized, and enjoyable from start to finish. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a great day out on the water. Overall, I’d give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Thanks again, Don, for making our fishing trip so memorable!
Neil Omega5.0VerifiedGreat for beginners and experienced fishers!
Half day trip • 3 adultsWe had a great time. It was three of us in total and we all had our own rod to manage. Don was very helpful and gave us plenty of tips to make the most of the trip. We caught several different fish, including bass, halibut, and a few leopard sharks. Great experience overall and I would definitely do this again.
Reported catch:
Response from CaptainGreat fishing with y’all.Thanks for coming out. Looking forward to seeing you again.
Gail HollabaughRepeat angler5.0VerifiedSole-Man’s the Best
Half day trip • 4 adultsMy husband, daughter, and granddaughter went out fishing with Captain Don. He was a lot of fun and put us on the sharks. We caught several Leopard sharks, a 7-Gill shark and a few halibut. We had a great time with a lot of laughs.
Response from CaptainGail the trip was a lot pf fun and laughs. the big 7-Gill shark was a hoot, thanks for coming out.
Iris Tsing5.0Verified10/10 would fish with Don Again
3/4 Day Trip • 2 adultsDon and his deckhand were great and very knowledgeable. Would fish with them again !
Real catches shared by our community
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
- Sole-Man SportfishingSan Francisco, CA
What's biting with Sole-Man Sportfishing in San Francisco
Salmon is closed for the season and the Striped Bass won't be biting as hard. But plenty of other fish are still around, including Halibut, Rockfish, and Lingcod. Set a few traps for Dungeness Crab on your way out.
Top catches for November
Fishing reports
Rockcod and Shark Action This Fall
Oct 11, 2026 • San Francisco
We are shaping up
for a fabulous fall.
The last few trips we have had good action on rockcod and sharks.
We are having some of the best weather of the year.
Get in on the action while it lasts.
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Meanwhile in the Bay
Jun 25, 2026 • San Francisco
Well with salmon season opening, the bay has been vacant of boats, but not fish. We had a kids group from Salesian Boys and Girls club out of San Francisco earlier in the week. The kids all went home with bass and broke off some hogs too. The kids also caught and released a few leopard sharks. The group was sponsored by the Golden State Salmon Association's Roger Thomas fund program.
Yesterday we had a regular charter and the group of 4 caught 10 bass and released 1. One of the bass went to the SoleMom's house for family dinner. Fishing is fantastic in the bay. We have lots of room for July 4th. Reservations can be made at www.fishingbooker.
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Bass, Bass and a few sharks.
May 17, 2026 • San Francisco
Our trip out with Neil’s group was a success. We got 3 keeper Striped Bass to the boat for Neil’s group of 3. While that was plenty of fish for them, we released a good number of Leopard sharks and small Halibut too. We have lots of space on Sunday and Monday of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Feel free to reach out for reservations.
Sole~Man
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Spring fishing
May 15, 2026 • San Francisco
With the arrival of live anchovies, the fishing has been very strong for Bass and Halibut. We had a last minute cancellation last night and have 3 open spots for tomorrow’s trip 5/16/26.
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Spring Potluck
May 2, 2025 • San Francisco
The bay is seeing some great action on quality Halibut and Bass. We are catching over a fish a rod and often limits of Bass. Halibut action is a bonus with the bigger schools expected to soon arrive. Also, inshore rockfish is now open for more options to fish on our trips. Make your reservations today.
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Spring Bite is on fire
Apr 10, 2025 • San Francisco
The big spring bass bite is here, and on fire. SoleMan has seen red hot action on quaility bass. Also we have been getting some bonus sturgeon (all released) with this fantastic action. I expect this action to continue into late May with the runoff from the rivers into the bay.
Come on out and experience this fantastic action.
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