Booked a day with Matt for the salmon opener weekend. Leading up to the fishing day, he was responsive to the messages I sent him (typically the same day) and communicated well. On the day of the trip, we were all excited to catch fish, but we know that salmon fishing can be tricky and the CDFW salmon season this year only gave a 2 day window…not much time for captains to find the fish. Matt and his crew were great. They told us they did some pre-scouting the days prior to locate the bait and fish. He takes pride in what he does and the years of experience helps him know where/how to find fish. He worked hard to get us on quality fish and stayed out late to get us limits. One of the best trips I’ve been on and I would definitely recommend him for anyone looking to fill the freezer.

Captain Matthew and his right hand Vincent were so nice! My 5 friends and I were all new to fishing in the ocean and Captain Matthew and Vincent were really good at explaining every step, from **hidden content** bait we are using to how to properly drop the lines into the strike zone.

We booked a 10 hour fishing session but some of use weren’t use to the ocean waters (even though the water wasn’t too bad). We were able to end the trip early at 6 hours but even within that time between the 6 of us (mostly 3 haha due to sea sickness), we were able to catch more than 40 fish, 1 lingcod, 1 vermillion and so many types of rockfish! The Captain was very generous and even bagged up the remaining live anchovies for us to take home. They were absolutely delicious. All the fish was so yummy.

Our 40+ fish were filleted for us to our liking. They even provided ice at the harbor! The snacks were great. Love me some cheetos. 100% I would book with Captain Matthew and the Pamela J Charter again. Good luck with fishing!!!

I am an experienced fisherman, having fished on several Hawaii islands (marlin), Mexico (sailfish, mahi mahi, etc.), Baja, Cancun, Puerto Villarta, Alaska, San Diego, Florida, Carribean, just to name a few.  I am also an attorney that is very detail oriented and hard to please.  I brought four sons fishing, ages ranging from 26 to 10 years old. A hard group to satisfy.  We all loved it!  We caught leopard shark and rays for practice with my 10 year old son, and then rock fish and halibut for eating.  The boat is very wide, spacious and exceptionally clean [I think the boat may be new].  The captain (Matt) is meticulous.  The boat easily fits 6 plus the captain and deck hand without feeling crowded.  The captain is a commercial fisherman with extensive experience, was pleasant, and knew all the best places. The deckhand was skilled and fun to talk to.  We had a lot of action.  When we had three on the lines on at once they skillfully navigated my 10 year old son weaving in and out of my other son’s without snapping any of the lines, and all three were caught (including a very large leopard shark).  He used live and frozen bait.
They filleted the fish, placed the meat in plastic bags and in ice.  They had sodas and chips, but we brought our own lunches.  The price was very reasonable.  The captain said he is new to sports fishing and doesn’t advertise a lot.  Book him while he is still a lot less than the other charters you see online.  I am from the Sacramento area and have chartered a lot of boats out of SF over the past two decades and never heard of him before, but I’ll use him exclusively now.  Whether you just want to simply have fun fishing with your family or are a serious and experienced fisherman, he is the best deal in San Francisco. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

My friends and I had an awesome day of fishing on the PamelaJ with Captain Matt Juanes and deckhand Vince.  Matt’s a well-known commercial fisherman here in the SF Bay Area and is often interviewed by the media due to his knowledge and personality.  Matt had already gotten the live bait before we arrived so we were able to head straight out to the fishing grounds and started hooking up fish almost immediately.  On this particular day we headed south down the coast and the fish got larger as we went.  He seemed to know exactly where the fish would be that day. 

Matt’s got a ton of knowledge about fishing and not only gave me great advice but also was able to explain the behavior of the fish and why his methods work.  I was the least experienced angler in our group, but ended up catching the most fish, probably because I asked the most questions.  It was unbelievable. 

Vince kept an eye on everyone and was there to lend a hand when needed without being intrusive.  Both of them area really nice guys.

The boat is modern and comfortable.  It’s unusually wide with a ton of deck space for fishing, and has a great enclosed cabin with sectional seating and a table to chill in.  I can’t wait to go back out with these guys.

Awesome day of fishing with captain Matt! We caught limits of quality rockfish/lingcod and a bonus halibut! Matt and crew went above and beyond on caring for our fish the second they came aboard, icing them down immediately. The biggest highlight of the day was catching some Coonstripe shrimp to bring home! First time seeing a charter target shrimp and I jumped all over it! My family and I already booked another trip! Can’t wait!!

-frank c.