Purchased two Half-Day tickets as a gift for my boyfriend's birthday! Both him and I had never fished and we needed an experience that was a bit more hands on. We boarded the boat at 5:30am and departed exactly at 6am after they checked all of our fishing licenses (so make sure you buy yours online prior to the trip). The captain and deck hands were extremely patient and non-judgmental. The bait was constantly replaced and the deck hands always helped if the hooks got tangled. We were allowed to bring our small Yeti with breakfast and drinks. There is a restroom in the boat which is kept clean and accessible. I caught a large striped bass in which I was able to get cleaned and cut to take home! The views of the city were beautiful and the surrounding areas like Alcatraz and Angel Island. For sure will be planning another trip soon read more

Lovely Martha - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've wanted to do this for a while but don't like driving to the city on a day off. A friend recommended this charter and I'm glad. I've had goose eggs trying to get my boy to reel in his first fish at lakes. Even though his first catch was a throw back I couldn't have been happier. The crew was a thousand more times than awesome as well as the fellow fishermen and fisherwomen who put up with my boy playing with the bait. Also a shout out for the great price compared to others even though gas prices are through the roof. Yeah I paid for two and we only used one rod but that was on me,even though they kept trying to set me up with one, because I just wanted my boy to catch something. Again great crew and their tip jar is too small. I threw in $80 and thought that was too little. Will do it again soon! read more

Lovely Martha - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing boat for parties! The captain chose the perfect time to drive towards the golden gate bridge during sunset and the whole crew was very helpful! The boat crew also cleaned up, which was nice. There is a restroom on the boat and it is BYOB! There are also power outlets for a DJ setup. Would reserve the boat again! read more

Lovely Martha - golden gate bridge - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm sooo impressed by Everything about Lovely Martha ! Where to start ?How about greeting you by name and remembering you thru out my day. Making me feel special and important all day long.. ( and it was long and beautiful ) Thanks so much for your professionalism and dedication to catching fish! It was one of the best Experiences! I highly recommend Lovely Martha to anyone who is looking to learn and make new friends along the way. What a great way to spend your time which these days are really important to me. Can't get back time read more

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Took my son out this past Sunday, May 18 for his first experience with salt-water fishing. Lovely Martha was a perfect experience for him! Deck hands made sure he had a good time, were patient and friendly. He caught his first striped bass! Excellent customer service, quality fishing guides, and a good time had by all. read more

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Went on this boat for a friend's bday It was a GREAT time Friendly staff, easy catch Would definitely recommend read more

Went on the boat for a private event (not fishing) in April 2025, it was a beautiful day and would recommend them, only downside was they do not in fact validate your parking at Anchorage Parking Garage as stated on the Lovely Martha website. So instead of "$14 with validation for a whole day" as stated on their site, it cost $27 to park at Anchorage Garage for about three hours. Not out of line for SF, but just an unpleasant surprise. The other thing to note is you have to climb down a steep vertical ladder to get on the boat at the dock in SF, which may be difficult for older people or those with disabilities. Overall a great trip on the bay, though. read more

The pros: The crew were all hardworking and did their best to help us catch fish. The cons: There wasn't a lot of focus on helping the guests, many of whom didn't have any fishing experience, have a good time. Instructions were mainly given by yelling at us for doing things wrong. One of the crew refused to explain anything to me. He would just do it all for me with a pretty bad attitude. Or would mumble and then yell at me when I didn't do what he asked. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let go of my rod when you've barely got a grasp on it if I can't hear the difference between "hold on" and "hand it over." It being my first time fishing, I was pretty terrible at it. But it was hard to learn when anytime I asked for help he would just sigh, take my rod, and do everything for me. I would have loved to have learned how to handle the baitfish properly, hook them while keeping them alive, and play the line out until I hit the bottom. Instead of just grabbing my rod and doing it, it would have been nice for someone to watch what I was doing, say, okay, you feel that, that's the bottom. Now here's how much to reel in so you've got it set right, etc. It got to the point where I just didn't touch my rod after the guy reeled it out for me because he had yelled at me for messing it up after he reeled it out. Then he came by and yelled at me because the line he had set was wrong, and I should have reset it. Just can't win, I guess. Anyway, two stars because we did catch a fish. Zero stars for the guest experience. The funniest part was that there were some pretty fancily dressed people waiting for an afternoon cruise when we got off the boat. It smelled pretty strongly of fish when we left. Hopefully the crew got it cleaned up enough that they had a good time. read more

We went on the Lovely Martha for a friends birthday party and had a BLAST! We were lucky to have great weather, and got a nice tour of the bay, under both bridges. Captain Mike was very helpful and nice. The boat had a speaker in the back but we recommend bringing an additional one for the front as it's hard to here. You can bring your own drinks and snacks. read more

Lovely Martha - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Everything. I thought we was going fishing but pretty much did a bay tour. We probably fished 2 hrs only. Never going back and telling everybody. read more

Made a reservation for my friends bachelor party. Lovely martha was most of our first time on a charter. The boat was nice, the staff was awesome, and the fishing was amazing! Caught some huge halibut and stripers. I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to go on a good charter. We already talking about going on another lovely martha charter! read more

UNFORGETTABLE DAY ON THE BAY!! Captain Mike and his outstanding deck hands Willie and Andrew went out of their way to make everything just right. Mike and crew take pride in what they do and made sure to fish on which made it so FUN .. Almost 20 of us pulled the limit, without pulling rank, ha Tell your friends, make a plan, promise you won't be disappointed! read more

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CALLING ALL SALMON FISHING peeps Our family went on on Friday 8/19 we had a great time, the cap & crew were very helpful & knowledgeable caught our limit the whole boat did well THIS is the place to be lovely martha (SF) Thank you son for a awesome trip, MOMDAD read more

Lovely Martha - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'll give 4-stars as I believe the trip we went on was as intended, but I'll never go back and I'll give a warning for anyone who is interested that doesn't know what these boats are about. These fishing trips are not for the faint of heart and even if you're tough and tolerant of terrible conditions, it can be a challenge. I am a lifelong fisherman, back packer, I do 30 mile bike rides in 40 degree rain, and this trip today kicked my ass. I brought my 14 year old son. We left SF, with Captain Mike and a crew of two, and took the boat 2 hours straight out into the ocean, and we're not prepared! It was about 50F, very windy with water spray, moments later we were soaked and shivering, it was miserable. On top of it, huge swells and boat rocking, pretty soon about 1/4 of the boat was vomiting over the edge. We were not dressed properly with light jackets and pants, if you go have a full waterproof jacket and pants, wear waterproof boots galoshes preferably. You will get soaked and freezing otherwise. Despite taking Dramamine we both started feeling sick right away, the medicine also makes you very sleepy, so we basically spent 8 hours freezing, shivering, nauseous, extremely sleepy and vomiting. Once we got to the spot the fishing was good, the boat hit its limit of Salmon in 45min, but the fishing was so insane and chaotic that it was all my son and I could do to stay out of the way of the pandemonium. I finally asked a deck hand to help my son catch a fish and they let him reel one in. We ended up with 3 nice fish. The focus here is on catching lots of fish fast, not giving paying customers a nice fishing experience. Zero concern for that. At the point the boat hit limit I was ecstatic because it meant getting off the boat faster, then it was two hours of hell driving back to SF, more nausea, exhaustion and vomiting. The other odd thing is that for each fish you catch you use a 2.5lb lead weight which just falls off and goes to the bottom of the Pacific, so each fish costs you $10 and a weight at the bottom of the ocean, there has to be a better way to do this. But if all you want is salmon, this is the most expensive and miserable way to get it. It cost about $700 for two of us to get about 10ths of salmon, so $70 a pound! LOLS. And I got an $80 parking ticket because the boat captain said I didn't need to pay because the parking ticket machine was broken, totally false. In summary, there were prepared and really happy people on this boat that didn't get sick and seemed really happy to be there (not us), we're dressed warm enough and knew how to deal with the insanity, but this isn't a fishing trip for the average person or even an advanced fresh water fisherman, be very aware. read more

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Went out on 3-30-25 and even though the weather was rough captain Mike put us on fish!! Everyone in our group went home with striped bass!! The deckhands are very polite and helped all of us throughout the day. I have been on many charters before and the Lovely Martha is hands down THE BEST I have been with. I can't wait to go back out with them. If you are looking for a great boat to go fishing on look no further give these guys a call!!! read more

Out of 15 people not one fish was caught in our group and it was wasted time and money and after talking to owner big Mike He basically said sorry about your luck nothing I can do about .Dont recommend this boat to anyone Very unprofessional and if you wanna catch fish this is not your boat.The captain stayed in one place whole time knowing no fish were being caught.wasted 2 grand and no fish The owner big Mike said read our post before hand it shows you we haven't caught any fish just a shame they really just basically took ate money knowing no fish would be caught never again and beware people this is worse boat to go on after talking to other company's read more

I couldn't have had a better experience with these people, Michael, his dad and crew were awesome. Will was especially helpful and attentive to everybody, ensuring we caught fish and had a good day. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a great day on the bay. I'm a beginner, but there were people with all different fishing experience, it felt like family. Support this small family owned business!! read more

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What an awesome crew, boat, and operation. Great vibes and great day. We were lucky enough to get our limits, this is a boat were you can shoot the shit and have some brews and/or dive deep into sportfishing with absolute pros. Equipment was top notch, boat was kept spotless, fish were immaculately processed, and the crew really goes above and beyond to give you a great experience. Andrew got creative with rigging to make sure we got a bite (everyone did), and Will could sense I wanted to learn more and taught me a ton as I tangled some makeshift rigging and tried to get more involved. Get some buddies and call captain Mike, you won't regret it. read more

Lovely Martha - Big king! - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

The fishing was a little slow, but the crew absolutely made up for it. They worked really hard to get us on Fish and we're great helping those that didn't know what they were doing. I'd highly recommend this trip. read more

Came here for a private (non-fishing) event, and had tons of fun! The boat went from Fisherman's Wharf under the Bay Bridge all the way to AT&T Park and back, we had beautiful views of the city all the way through. We were allowed to bring as much food / drinks as we want, and they even allowed us to play our own music! We got ~35 people on the boat and still had enough space to move around. The staff is also very friendly! I'd definitely recommend booking with them for private events! It is the SF Bay though, so if you're going be sure to dress warmly and tie your hair up! read more

2.9.19 All hands on deck! We were aboard the Lovely Martha for their first boat tour of the day. And although the weather was overcast with light showers, it turned out to be a thrilling and unforgettable experience. If you were to walk left, facing the Fisherman's Wharf sign, then you should see a couple of boats docked. Chances are, you'll also see someone advertising boat rides/tours. I would always keep to myself and keep on walking without giving it a second thought. However, this time, my friends encouraged for us, or well me, to give it a try. (They've done this a couple of times beforehand.) I thought to myself, why not? As advertised, the boat ride was $15 per person, in Cash. Not to mention, it's also BYOB. So if you want to enjoy a beer or two, bring some! As we boarded the boat, we scurried to the back where there was a seating area for the three of us. The rest of the boat was full! Now, the boat ride is essentially, from the docking station to the Golden Gate Bridge and back to the docking station. The whole boat ride is about 45 minutes. You'll also pass Alcatraz Island on your way back. As we departed, we busted out our beers and made a cheers for a safe trip ahead. We didn't venture too far out; if anything we rode along the coast. Now, my friends told me before hand, that they have never gotten wet during their previous trips. However, if you're familiar with Splash Mountain from Disneyland, then you'll have a good idea of how this trip went for me. Aside from the slight showers and cold, brisk wind hitting my face, there was the occasional splash from the incoming waves. As I smiled, hiding my displeasure, my friends could not stop laughing. Honestly, as I look back at it, the boat ride was actually really fun. One of the staff members walked about the boat passing out blankets for anyone who wanted one. Our tour guide speaking from the cabin through the speakers had a great sense of humor and kept a lighthearted mood through the gloomy weather. As we approached and traveled under the Golden Gate Bridge, our tour guide mentioned that we were the Only people under the Golden Gate in our universe, which to his credit, was a true statement. We turned around and made our journey back from whence we began. As we passed Alcatraz Island, dark rain clouds loomed over the distant city of San Francisco giving an eerie backdrop to the already creepy prison. As if our trip couldn't have gotten any better, a sea lion playfully followed us all the way back to our docking station. The Lovely Martha was definitely a lovely experience. Through the cold and the wet, we had an absolute blast. Can you imagine what a sunny day would be like? I can, and I would love to experience this again, rain or shine. If you're wondering what to do while in Fisherman's Wharf, a boat ride on the Lovely Martha would be my recommendation! read more

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Took my buddy along for his first ocean fishing trip, I myself being a novice as well. Mike and all members of the crew went out of their way to ensure that we were all not just having a great time, but comfortable as well for the full 6-7 hours. I don't think a single fish got reeled in without a genuine cheer from the crew! We caught our limits on a half day, 3 halibut and 2 striped bass each. Paid out: $150 for a half day of halibut fishing $40 for filleting services (and because they were so dang nice!!) Extremely satisfied and would absolutely go again! read more

Attended a birthday party on their boat. Granted it's a fishing boat, I still had tons of fun. Friend was able to bring food and beverages on board. We started off at fisherman's wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge and to the ATT park. Views at sunset was amazing!!! read more

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The crew of the Lovely Martha was more than accomodating for me and my dad. They are wonderful and work very hard. We were absolutely new to fishing and I was able to learn the basic rundown and reelled in a couple of huge fish. Very exciting and fun. Word of cautioned to those who have not been on a boat in the ocean before. I did get sea sick in the beggining so make sure to take some anti nausea medicine before going ! read more

Lovely Martha - Lovely Martha Sport Fishing San Francisco - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had a great day salmon fishing on the Lovely Martha. The weather wasn't great -- stayed overcast (San Francisco cold August), but at least the seas were calm. I think I would have enjoyed it even if I hadn't caught a ginormous salmon. The whale-watching was amazing, better than on whale watching trips I've taken. The staff was so great -- Willie and Jonathan particularly. They almost literally jump through hoops -- running a breakneck pace to make sure no one loses a fish. read more

Lovely Martha - Big salmon August 26 2018 - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have had so many great days with Mike's crew on this boat. One of the best charter boats in the bay for sure. If you're lucky you'll get to go out with Willie as well. Take some time to learn from somebody who's been fishing the bay since the 1960s. read more

Fantastic trip! These guys will put you on fish like nobodies business and help you have fun doing it. The Mates are very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly highly recommend read more

This boat is a family run business; it's been that way for many many years. My husband loved fishing in this boat to catch salmon and went out on the Lovely Martha more than 30 times over the years and they always caught fish. This is where he learned that they also do burials at sea. Monday April 4th family and lifelong friends spread my husband's remains with the help of Captain Frank and deckhand Willy. It was a lovely way to remember him and the things he loved. The crew were his friends too. I highly recommend this boat and crew for fishing and memorials for life long sea goers and fishermen. read more

I've now booked two trips on The Lovely Martha since late October 2020, and look forward to more adventures with the crew and boat. I caught and landed my first salmon on the first trip. I went on a crab/rockfish trip two weeks ago. The crew was very helpful both trips. Tip them well, they work hard and put in the hard work to keep everything going. The other customers also offered advice and supported each other catching their fish. Great time both trips. read more

This boat catches fish. The crew is professional and it is a family operated boat. The deck hand is a captain as well the boat starts earlier than most and they don't even charge for fishing rods. This boat is known for catching fish and captain mike works hard to get you on the fish. read more

A beautiful hot day called for a day on the bay. The lovely Martha took me out for a an hour of fun in the sun on the bay. It was a perfect day to be out on the water. The waters were calm, hardly any wind, and the shoes were crystal blue. The crew of the Lovely Martha made the trip on the bay lots of fun. Very informative of the surroundings and it's history. From the history of the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz to Angel island. I learned a lot more history of these historical SF landmarks. And for $10 pp you can't beat that! Going under the Golden Gate Bridge, and around Alcatraz makes a trip in itself! A fun thing to do if you got an hour to kill and your at the wharf. read more

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Excellent day of fishing aboard the Lovely Martha on 9/15! Captain put us on the salmon which seems like a great trend for the outfit according to recent fishing reports. Deckhand Andrew was friendly and even taught the San Diego jam knot when the bite was slow. Deckhand Will was helpful and did a great job cleaning the fish. Only downside was the parking validation code wasn't working. Otherwise a good group of anglers and great trip! - Doug (the cut plug guy!) read more

We spent the early hours of July 5th with Cap'n Mike and Willie on board the Lovely Martha. We departed Fishermans Wharf at 5:30am. By 6:00am we were just under the Golden Gate Bridge southern anchorage. Drifting over the rocks and the entire boat was limited out on Striper Bass in less than 40 minutes. Cap'n Mike and Willie know there stuff and provided an amazing experience for all onboard. Thank you Captain Mike, Willie and The Lovely Martha for an unforgettable Independence Day!!! read more

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I bet most folks who spend a third of their day on a fishing boat - hurling over the side of that boat - do NOT write glowing reviews of their experience. However, I am one such happy sailor of the Lovely Martha. Just read Bill H's review of 7/7/2012 for the intense details of our day. I will concentrate on the helpfulness and friendliness of the crew in regards to myself and two other members of our group of 11, who found the ocean waters a tad too rough on our stomachs. Of course, to begin with, if I had eaten a little breakfast prior (rather than just coffee) I would have handled the rocking waters much better. The crew encouraged us queasy folk to have a salty cracker or chip - and upon trying that - eventually we did start to feel better! One crewman named Willie occasionally tried to cheer me up by coming up to me and bobbing up and down (ha ha ha - not, Willie). By mid-day, we were able to eat some of the sandwiches we packed, and all the sickies - but me (who chose not to put my rod into the water) caught salmon! I was happy just to be able to run around and take photos of our group and all the fun they were having on the Lovely Martha. Definitely a good sport fishing adventure! read more

Lovely Martha - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

Capt. Mike and crew on the Lovely Martha rock! We hosted a company trip and the Capt. put us on the halibut! Great boat, awsum service and a all around good time! Thanks Capt. Mike!! read more

Best fishing adventure ever. You're on a boat with 15+ other people. Catching a fish only takes minutes of the hours you're out at sea but the fun never ends. The crew was amazing, the family and the boats history is cool as all get out, and I watched a dude land a 33 pound salmon with my own eyes. I'm super looking forward to going back out again. How many other families have run their business from the same spot since 1908? Not many and this is one of them. My family had a great time (wife included). If you're disappointed in your trip with them it's 100% your fault. read more

Lovely Martha - Greg and his 33lb pig!! - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great Captain and Crew. If you want to get out for a fun day of fishing, this is the ride for you. Beautiful ride under the bay bridge and the Captain seems to know the hot spots to catch the big ones. You will come back with your moneys worth of fish.. read more

Lovely Martha - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about this trip. My brother said last time he went deep-sea fishing, "The waves were so high, I forgot what the sky looked like." The Crew of the Lovely Martha quickly put my worries at ease. They welcomed us on the boat, helped us choose our rods, and did a demonstration of how to set up the rods while we sailed out. When it was time for fishing, they helped us set everything up. I've never been fishing before, and this was a lifesaver. I also brought my nine-year-old with me, and the crew was super friendly towards her too, welcoming her, chatting with her, congratulating her on the SIX salmon she caught! I would strongly recommend you get your fish filleted at the end (unless you KNOW you know how to do this... I thought, "I'll save $5 per fish and do it myself! Youtube!" but that was a grave mistake). All in all, an amazing experience. We definitely want to come again, bringing all our friends with us. Pro tip: Don't bring bananas. They're bad luck for fishing. No, seriously. The guy next to us brought bananas, and didn't catch any fish. The crew told him to eat his bananas. He did, and subsequently caught his limits! :) read more

Great fishing trip, and I caught my limit both days the captain and the crew were awesome. Captain knew right where to go to get the fish. Will be going out fishing with them again next time I'm in the bay area. read more

Lovely Martha - Ya baby - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Chartered the boat for the day (was to be a complete day fishing for striped bass and halibut from 6a.m. to 5p.m.) with my family. Before setting out we stopped to get bait fish. Captain was asked by the baitfish guy "how many scoops of bait 3-4 scoops? One of the deckhands said "2". Bait guy must not have heard because we ended up with 3 scoops. Fished for striped bass first. By 11a.m. we had all caught plenty of fish and hit our limit on striped bass...we were also practically out of bait fish. We then started halibut fishing but with a handful of bait fish our halibut fishing was cut very short. Three halibut were pulled up, there were fish to be caught but with no bait we went in early. Arrived back at the dock at 1:30p.m. One of the deckhands cleaned the fish for us while the rest of the crew worked on lining up some new clients for an afternoon cruise. In short the fishing was great but most of us felt gypped that our fishing was cut short due what seemed like a purposeful lack of bait. read more