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

Sep 162017

Trip 25 Sep 13-19 Penn Reels Open Sep 16 AM Report

Hello all,

We have had some action on better size yellowfin tuna up to 40 pounds this morning! We also had a chance to troll around and try for wahoo. We have had a few opportunities and we have also landed a few. Here is John Plowman from Texas with a wahoo landed on the troll with a new prototype Penn International VI series brought by Steve Carson from Penn . There were a few more wahoo landed on that same outfit so it was field tested and it performed very well!

Hoping for some more action this afternoon.

Team Searcher

Captain’s Blog

Mar 12016

Where’s Bootz? Round 3 Winners!

Greetings to our Searcher friends!

Remember this?

When Bootz isn’t on the job as our Searcher Sportfishing official spokesperson, he’s vacationing in some interesting destination!

During this off-season, he’s been sending the Searcher Office regular updates about his travels, but his communications have been incomplete!

We need the help of our Searcher friends to figure out his location!”

from Captain Art’s Blog, 2/9/16

Well, Bootz had all of us guessing about his third vacation location!

Your guesses ranged across several locations from the Channel Islands all the way south to Cabo San Lucas!

But that sneaky Bootz was not in any of those places…

He was visiting beautiful Catalina Island in California, and the photo was snapped on his way to Avalon!  He was enjoying some rest and relaxation before heading to Long Beach to man the Searcher booth at the upcoming Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show 🙂

Our winner for this month is Searcher friend Brian Dilley!  He used his sleuthing skills to figure out where Bootz was, and for his efforts, he will receive two admission tickets to the 2016 FRED HALL FISHING TACKLE & BOAT SHOW to be held at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.  Join Celia and Jen at the Searcher Sportfishing booth to take a photo with Bootz!

Arturo Jacinto guessed correctly as well! He was selected in the runner-up drawing and will receive an admission ticket to the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach!

Congratulations to ALL of our Searcher friends who sent in their guesses, including Monica Flores, the honorary detective who also deduced the correct location of Bootz, our official Searcher Sportfishing spokesperson!

Bootz is still on the move, and the guessing game continues!

“Where’s Bootz?” – Round Four begins next week, so don’t forget to check back here to Captain Art’s Blog for your clue!

Searcher Crew

Searcher Crew Profile


Captain Joe Soares Jr
Joe aka "Speedy" is back! He brings years of experience and a vast amount of knowledge deep-sea fishing and the ocean. Welcome home Captain Joe!

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

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

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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