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Searcher Sportfishing | San Diego, CA | Saltwater Fishing

2024 Open Spots!! Trip #51-24, 3-Day Offshore – Thursday, Nov. 4 to Sunday, Nov. 17

To sign up, give our office a call at 619-226-2403 or register online at Searcher Sportfishing!

Searcher’s 2025 Schedule – Click here to view!

Searcher with satellite on crow's nest

Dreaming of catching bluefin, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, dorado, wahoo, and other saltwater fish? Head to San Diego, the gateway to some of the best deep-sea fishing in Baja California, Mexico. Join Captain Mike and The Boys on our 95-foot boat for 1.5-day to 8-day long-range sportfishing excursions to the prime fishing destinations of Baja California.

Book your 2024 or 2025 Searcher Sportfishing trip and gain access to prime offshore fishing areas for fishing for bluefin, yellowfin, dorado, yellowtail and more!⁠

View our schedule and book online or call the office at 619-226-2403.

Latest from Captain’s Blog

Nov 182024

Trip 52 – Family & Friends Charter! Nov. 17-19

November 18th, 2024|Trip Reports|

Good evening,

Searcher drove out Sunday morning on trip #52, November 17th – 19th, a 2-day charter with family and friends. We traveled down the beach yesterday to put ourselves in position for today. Glassy weather made for lots of action and steady rock fishing. Fun day and good times on the water with family and friends.

Make sure to check out our 2025 schedule

Captain Shane reporting for Captain Mike and The Boys

Nov 82024

Trip 49, 8-Day Limited Load, Update

November 8th, 2024|Trip Reports|

Good evening,

Day 5 on our 8-Day Limited Load, trip #49. Today was a nice day on the water. We stopped on a spread of mixed yellowfin and bluefin tuna, running 35-100 lbs. Drifted all afternoon from 2 to 6 PM with flurries in between. The guys caught all the tuna they wanted to keep. Tomorrow we’re going to try for yellowtail.

If you have three days off and want to fish, we have open spots on trip #51, a 3-day trip from November 14 – 17, 2024.

Make sure to check out our 2025 schedule

Captain Mike and The Boys

Did you know?

Searcher Offers Whale Watching Tours!

Whale tail

As you’ve experienced and enjoyed being aboard the Searcher, fishing and spending time with our crew, we’d like to introduce you to another type of trip we offer, Whale Watching through Baja.

We have a 12-day trip from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico, scheduled for March 25 to April 5, 2025. We would be thrilled to share one of the most exciting wildlife destinations with you, guided by our expert leadership team.

On this journey, we’ll stop at San Benito Islands to disembark and hopefully see the Guadalupe fur seal aggregation, along with many Northern Elephant seals! We’ll then spend two days in Laguna San Ignacio, where we can hang out with gray whales and their calves. As we travel south, we may encounter various whale and dolphin species—rest assured, our team works tirelessly to find them!

Around the point of the Baja Peninsula, we may witness humpback whales in groups, either mating or mothers with their calves. For the final four days, we’ll explore the magic of the Gulf of California, including an optional snorkeling session with whale sharks in La Paz, along with other snorkeling and hiking opportunities in the southern Gulf, all while continuing our search for whales and dolphins!

This is the perfect opportunity to not only spot gray, blue, fin, humpback, sperm, Bryde’s, and pilot whales but also sharpen your photography skills!

Review the detailed itinerary and additional trip information. 2025 Baja Whale Tour Itinerary

If you have any questions, please feel free to email searcher.tours@bajawhale.com or call 619-226-2403.

We look forward to hosting you aboard Searcher again!

Searcher Crew Profile


Kenny Merrell, Captain
Kenny and Art grew up in the San Diego sportfishing business together, and progressed from pinheads to captains. Kenny is a dedicated member of Team Searcher and an angler favorite for his expertise and friendly attitude.

more profiles

Trip Report

Trip 52 – Family & Friends Charter! Nov. 17-19

Good evening,

Searcher drove out Sunday morning on trip #52, November 17th – 19th, a 2-day charter with family and friends. We traveled down the beach yesterday to put ourselves in position for today. Glassy weather made for lots of action and steady rock fishing. Fun day and good times on the water with family and friends.

Make sure to check out our 2025 schedule

Captain Shane reporting for Captain Mike and The Boys

Tackle Tip Thursday

Tackle Tip Thursday Vol. 234 (How to Use Dart Lures)

Happy Tackle Tip Thursday! Steve Carson, pro-staffer with Penn Fishing, demonstrates a very popular technique used when fishing bluefin tuna during the day. Using the dart lures and the casting methods Steve shares here, an angler can target bluefin that are feeding on smaller bait fish. Dart-type lures come in many [...]

What our anglers say…

It’s a welcoming atmosphere, professional attention to detail in all aspects, commitment/drive to put anglers on fish, expert help in helping everyone maximize biting fish opportunities.

Dave R, May 2022

Captains Mike and Ryan work hard to get us on fish, plus jump on deck when needed. Deck crew are not only highly competent technicians but display a positive and extremely customer-first attitude. Booking, payment and checkin are seamless! Chef Dan and Josh’s meals and snacks were perfect, enjoyable meals with great variety. I really enjoy your limited load trips!

Ted R, May 2022

Captain, crew and cooks were absolute professionals. Boat is extremely clean and comfortable. Everyone worked **very hard**.

Dave M, June 2022

The crew directing traffic while you have a fish on was done to perfection. Very happy with the positive energy from the whole boat.

Wes B, Jul 2022

The crew’s attitude was over-the-top great. Everyone was very positive, helpful and patient. I know this reflects Art, Celia and our captain. I just can’t say enough good things about the positive attitude of this crew. It made a huge impression on me. Thank you!

Steve, September 2022

The crew was awesome, great food and immediate attention to the deck, gaffing, and help with tangles.

Angler, September 2022

Another great trip on the Searcher. Captain Mike did a nice job of putting us on the fish. Crew did an amazing job from there. Any other boat would have been heading back to shore. This guy doesn’t give up. He made a lot of happy customers! Well done, Team Searcher!

Dave P, August 2022

The crew makes everyone feel so welcome. They go up and beyond making sure everyone is having a good time, helping with tackle setup and overall making sure everyone one is having fun.

Angler, November 2022

Cooking was on point every meal! Deckhands are always there to help you out with your setups. They take the time to answer everyone’s questions while staying on top of their game. Just overall make it feel like an amazing experience, as well as a family.

Angler, November 2022

Every crew member, including Mike and Josh, was very willing to teach us new techniques and how best to fish the targeted species. The working relationship among the crew was outstanding. It is a pleasure to see men enjoy their job and work so well together. Keep up the great attitude and spirit.

Dan C, June 2023

Your operation hires solid crew members that make the trip fun. Catching yellowtail on the iron while listening to music in the sun was the highlight of my trip.

Robert W, June 2023

When you have a great crew and good fishing you remember the good times!

Spencer W, June 2023

Best run operation I’ve ever been on as far as desire of captain and attitude/ teamwork of the crew.

Rick B, June 2023

The crew is top notch. Mike knows how to fish hard and find the fish. Josh puts out 5 star meals every meal. The deck crew is always attentive to what’s happening on deck. They want to help with a great attitude and they all work together and get along great. The whole operation is smooooth.

Ron, May 2023

They did everything possible to make it a successful adventure for everyone willing/able to participate.

Vic, May 2023

Absolute top notch operation. I always enjoy fishing with Team Searcher.

Bill R May, 2023

I thoroughly enjoyed my time fishing with the Searcher crew. You guys are the best and most professional operation I’ve fished with in San Diego.

Bill, June 2023

Customer service and great attitude is always abundant on Searcher!

Bill, Jun 2023

Deckhands exceptional, food was excellent, accommodations were great.

Max, July 2023

Searcher attracts a nice group of anglers. Experienced fisher persons, work well together.

Bruce, June 2023

Great vibe; welcoming/professional/skilled/hospitable. The Searcher Team rocks!

Dave, Jun 2023

There’s a reason why I come back each year…I’m hooked with the Searcher.

JR, July 2023
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