Wes Johnson
Wes Johnson
us
California, US
Member since 2022
2.3
Verified

Upgraded from 3/4 day to full day per request of Captain.

3/4 Day Trip4 adults

Captain was more concerned with getting his pay and keeping the boat clean than getting to know his clients and catching fish, Upgraded from a 3/4 day trip to full day at the request of the captain because he said it would be needed to target Dorado, but it only added 1 hour from the 3/4 day for extra 400.00, left the dock at 7:00 back at 3:15. Captain made no effort to accommodate disabled client, no effort to remember names (only 3 of us) referring to my wife and son as "Him" or "Her". We located several large schools of Dorado but did virtually no chumming to get a bite going and caught zero fish. Captain was rude with his instructions and anal about any spots on the Boat, ( Had a towel on the dock to wipe our feet before boarding and then used a wet towel to clean any footprints we made while situating our gear before we ever left, then used a hose at the fueling dock to hose down the deck again, really? hate to see what would have happened if we had a bloody deck, which we unfortunately did not.

Response from Captain

Where do I start on this? Here we go, Wes booked a coastal trip for 7 hours and said he wanted to target yellowtail, seabass and dorado. All totally different trips. I told him not much happening on the coast right now but offshore dorado fishing is all time. Problem was that dorado would require a offshore trip, they are far and I would basically just being asking for the fuel cost for the trip. Just did 12 trips and came home with Mahi every trip. The normal offshore trip for 10 hours is $2000. I told him I could do a 8 hour trip for and extra $400. He agreed to this and says he gets it and was eager to go one trip the day after we had a tropical storm/gale warning. My initial message sent is the balance is due at departure along with the other details. I don't see why the fuss of payment is even mentioned. Maybe for some reason, he paid half the day before the trip which was odd then another payment at dock. I don't think asking for payment would be taken as all I care about. I take pride in my vessel and I keep it clean, we just experienced an unprecedented heatwave with fires along with a tropical storm with high winds. There was ash and dirt on the boat from this, that is why I was washing down at fuel dock, it took 20 seconds. I always have people wipe feet when boarding because of the asphalt leaves marks eveywhere.. I don't see the big deal here either. Who wants a deck with dirt, grease, rocks all over it? As far as fishing, I guess you never saw me throw any chum in the water when the fish were near the boat? You never heard me from the tower say throw some bait, throw some bait either? We had fish around the boat almost the entire trip except for traveling. I had to repeatedly say to get a new bait at every spot but Wes was very intent on using same bait till it could no longer swim. I said the key was to change your bait and get a good bait.The directions I gave him were rarely followed. I told him to have hook in hand ready to pin on a bait, he would leave rod in holder and grab bait then walk back to rod to pin bait. This technique does not work with picky dorado. I said use a bait that doesnt have blood spots, as well, he did not. We actually hooked a few fish but were all lost due to angler error. I tried my best to coach, explain, demonstrate how to hook and catch these dorado as I do with every group but we came up short from getting tangles, holding rod upside down, taking to long to get baits on the hooks, wrong side of boat, not putting rod in gear when getting a strike, not following lines and baits, etc. I worked really hard to be successful on this trip and we traveled 110 miles, burned more fuel than was projected, and used every bait we had. We got back to the dock and told Wes that I was bummed that we didn't bring home fish. He said "Well we were on them, they just weren't biting" as he handed me a tip which I tried to decline but he insisted. So I am a bit confused. on this review, I worked really hard to make a successful day for Wes, Julie and Nick. I tried to call him to talk about this review but he did not answer the phone.

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Current
Sealutions Sportfishing LLC, Newport Beach
4.9
(209)
25 ft
Group size 1 - 4
1 - 4
Fish 1
Fish 2
+4
5 hour trip • 4 persons
US $850

Rating

4.9
209 reviews
4.8
Boat & Equipment
4.9
Captain & Crew
4.8
Fishing Experience

What anglers say

  • 91%
    Great experience
  • 91%
    Family friendly
  • 98%
    Friendly captain
  • 98%
    Good boat
  • 97%
    Recommended
  • 87%
    Caught fish

All reviews (209)

Showing 15 of 209 reviews
  • Widmeyer Lisboa
    Widmeyer Lisboa
    us
    California, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    He knew exactly where the yellowtail would be

    Half Day Trip2 adults

    Great captain and a fantastic fishing experience in Newport Beach. From the beginning, it was clear he knew the area, the timing of the bait, and where the fish were likely to show up. At one point, he positioned the boat near some sea lions, and I initially thought they might ruin the fishing because they started eating the bait. But shortly after, the sea lions disappeared — and we hooked two yellowtail and 10 sand bass. It really felt like the captain knew exactly what he was doing and had confidence that this spot would produce. What I appreciated most was how motivated he was to teach me. He wasn’t just trying to put fish on the boat; he took the time to explain the techniques and help me become a better fisherman. Knowledgeable and passionate about fishing. I’d definitely fish with him again.

    Reported Catch
    Yellowtail Amberjack
    Calico Bass
    Sand Bass
  • Robyn Brewington
    Robyn Brewington
    us
    Georgia, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    The perfect day!

    Half Day Trip - 12:30 PM4 adults

    Took our 18 year old son and his girlfriend for Ann afternoon of fishing. Captain Shannon was prompt, the boat squeaky clean and the weather was perfect. We had an absolute blast, Shannon is knowledgeable, engaging and just a whole lot of fun! Everyone caught a ton of fish (within the limits), Shannon cleaned and bagged them at the end and now we have some delicious meals planned to continue the memories of a beautiful afternoon. I would 10/10 highly recommend for novices or semi-pros looking for an experience like on other.

    Reported Catch
    California Sheephead
    White Seabass
    Scorpionfish
    Response from Captain

    Great group! Hope to have you onboard again!

  • Lawrence Rowell
    Lawrence Rowell
    us
    California, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified
    NEW

    We had a blast catching lots of fish

    3/4 Day Trip2 adults1 child

    Caltain Shannon is great. He knew wxactly where to take us. Catching fish is never guaranteed but we were catching ankot of fish on our trip.

    Reported Catch
    Yellowtail Amberjack
    Pacific Barracuda
    White Seabass
    Calico Bass
  • Carter Grow
    Carter Grow
    us
    Utah, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    We had a wonderful time

    Half Day Trip3 adults

    We had a great time with Captain Shannon and Sealutions. He was patient and really helpful to each of us. We ended up catching 8 different species of fish and took them to the restaurant to have them cooked up. They were delicious! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone!

    Response from Captain

    Great group! Hope to have you onboard again!

  • Bill B
    Bill B
    us
    Missouri, US
    Member since 2025
    5.0
    Verified
    NEW

    Great fishing.

    Half Day Trip3 adults

    It sem like we caught something on almost every cast.

    Response from Captain