Boat Searcher Sportfishing Boat Big Yellowtail Sunset Crew and Wahoo Crew and sunset Fish off the boat
San Diego Long Range Fishing | Searcher Sportfishing

Searcher Sportfishing | San Diego Long Range Fishing

Searcher Sportfishing BoatSearcher Sportfishing offers premier San Diego Long Range fishing trips departing from Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego, California. Join Captain Mike, Chef Josh, and the Searcher Crew on our 95-foot double-planked mahogany wood sportfishing boat for 2-day to 8-day long-range trip to offshore fishing locations in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico, targeting tuna, yellowtail, wahoo, dorado, and more.

View Searcher’s 2026 & Partial 2027 Schedule

Searcher is docked at Fisherman’s Landing, 2838 Garrison Street San Diego, CA 92106.

Interested in chartering a trip, send an email, office@searchersportfishing.com or call the office, 619-226-2403.

For the latest Southern California fishing reports check out Fisherman’s Landing YouTube Page. If you have tackle questions, give Fisherman’s Landing Tackle Shop a call, 619-221-8500.

Trip Report

Aug 262016

Trip 18 (1.5 day) Kim Burkhart and Friends Open

Hello anglers: We had a tough fishing day today. We saw plenty of fish, but we couldn’t find a school that wanted to bite. We didn’t land a fish until the afternoon and only landed a few late in the day. The highlight of the day was when Alex Dill, a first timer, landed her first yellowfin tuna. It is always great to see the reaction of someone’s first fish!

Her first yellowfin tuna!

Her first yellowfin tuna!

The other highlight was the group, nine years with Kim Burkhart and the gang and it is always a pleasure to have them aboard! They all understand we work hard to find fish, but we can’t make them bite.

Team Searchertrip18paul

Captain’s Blog

Sep 152014

September 15 (Penn Reels Open)

Hello anglers: Mission acomplished today with action on yellowtail along the coast. We found a mixed grade fish in a couple different places. One spot held 12-16 pounders and the other spot yielded 15-25 pound fish. We had lots of action and a long day at the rail. Everyone had a good time. Pictured is Kurt Pedersen from Surprise, AZ. with a nice size yellowtail.sep 13-19 pedersen
The weather was awesome today with sunny skies and calm seas. The humidity was up with the approaching storm. We are headed north tonight to avoid any problems. We hope to be in the tuna grounds early day after tomorrow.
Team Searcher

Searcher Crew

Searcher Crew Profile


Captain Kenny Merrell
Captain Kenny grew up in the San Diego sportfishing business and progressed from a pinhead to captain. Kenny is a dedicated member of Team Searcher having worked on the boat for over 30 years and is an angler favorite for his expertise and friendly attitude.

more profiles

Did You Know?

Searcher Offers 12-Day Whale Watching Cruises & Guided 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 cruise and guided tour from Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico, scheduled for February 6 – 17, 2027. We would be thrilled to share one of the most exciting wildlife destinations with you, guided by our expert leadership team.

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!

For more details, view Baja Whale’s website www.bajawhale.com

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

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

Tackle Tip Thursday

What Our Anglers Say

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel and we are able to rebook your spot, or if we receive your cancellation more than 120 days prior to departure, your deposit is refundable less a 10% cancellation fee based on the trip price.

If you cancel less than 120 days prior to departure, the trip is non-refundable unless the spot is rebooked. If the spot is rebooked, a refund will be issued less the 10% cancellation fee based on the trip price.

No refunds will be issued after the trip departs.

We recommend purchasing trip insurance to help protect your vacation investment in the event you need to cancel your trip. For pricing, benefits, and assistance from an agent, please visit Safari Global Travel. https://safariglobaltravel.com/

All trips require a valid passport book or passport card. Cancellation due to not having a valid passport book or passport card is still considered a cancellation and is subject to the same cancellation policy outlined above. Passport books or passport cards must be valid for the duration of the trip and will not expire during the duration of the trip and must meet the Mexican immigration requirements. Please verify your passport expiration date and ensure it meets all travel requirements before making your deposit.

All passengers are required to carry a valid passport (Passport Book or Passport Card) for all trips. Trip itineraries and fishing locations are subject to change based on weather, fishing conditions, and operational needs. Failure to possess a valid passport does not exempt a passenger from the cancellation policy.

Passengers are responsible for ensuring their passport is valid at the time of travel and meets all applicable U.S. and Mexican entry requirements. No refunds will be issued due to a passenger’s failure to provide the required travel documentation.

If a trip requires Mexican immigration documents (such as an FMM or similar visitor authorization), a valid passport or passport card is required.

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