California Dawn Sportfishing — Attraction in Berkeley

My brother and I booked the California Dawn for a Halibut /striper trip.

Booking was super easy. You can book online either the California Dawn or the Dawn 2. The Dawn 2 is the larger boat. But you cannot go wrong with either one.

The company is wonderful. They are very responsive and answered all my questions.

When you book...they do not charge your card right away. They put a hold for 1 penny to reserve your spot. On the day of your trip when you check in... that is when you either bring cash or pay via credit card.

We boarded at dock K and parked at the parking lot by the Japanese food place. Note: it says only 5 hours..but we asked a security guard and it's ok for you to park there for your trip.

You can board the boat and find a spot as early as 4:15. The crew will show up...get prepared and check you in. At that time you can rent a pole from them for 20.00 or bring your own. You can also buy weights and rigs..the price varies.

They cook food on the boat if you choose to not bring any. For breakfast they offer burritos...breakfast sandwiches ect. For 8 dollars. Lunch they have a few more selections like burgers...tacos...sandwiches ect...they sell soda..water and beer too.

When you are fishing Gary and Garrett were absolutely incredible on the boat...they really want you to catch fish and do everything possible to see it happen. They spent a lot of time putting bait on..bringing the fish in.

Please be generous with your tips...they really do take care of you out there.

They show you what to do on your way...if it's your first time...do not worry if you do not understand at first...they will come to you and physically show you. Please don't be afraid to book out of fear...they are awesome.

The boat caught 40 halibut. The largest was 23 pounds. They move around to ensure you catch fish.

If your looking for a boat to go on..I highly recommend this...

I am writing this review while having mixed feelings about the whole thing. My dream has always been to get on this boat. I have tried twice and both times have failed. The first time was in October 2022. I booked for a rock cod trip. As we were heading out before even reaching the end of the Berkeley pier, the boat broke down. All the time I spent planning for this trip and excitement of finally getting on the boat came to an end. Of course they refunded my money. No problem with that. Now I was left with all my gear and no trip. Luckily I was able to book a trip for the very next day in Emeryville. Today I had been rigging up all day and preparing for the Halibut trip I booked about 5 days ago again to try and finally get on this boat. At 6:30 p.m, after all other charters are closed, I receive a phone call to let me know they were once again canceling due to a Covid issue. Wow not again. This late? After all the excitement and what about all the time I spent prepping for this. So what could I really say when they called other than to tell the the exact same story I am writing here. I even just straight up asked if there was anyway of at least being able to book with them on a different day with a discount since it was the second time I had been forced to cancel. The answer was a straight no. But yet if I were to cancel within 48 hours of the trip it would result in a full fare charge. So for the very bad customer service and because I just see no compassion towards their customers who try to spend money with them and are forced out of their fishing experience. Or should I say, what experience? I guess I won’t ever get to fish on the boat I always...

First time out for a NorCal off shore fishing trip. Excellent crew! Captain and crew was extremely helpful and quick to show me the ropes of fishing! Even spent helping a dad and his son some extra time to make sure the son had a good trip! I find that highly respectable being a father myself! Will definitely bring my kids on the next trip! Captain took us to some hot action spots! Can’t say I was the least bit disappointed with anything on this trip! Cigarette smoking was expected and the fishers who went with us were considerate to go smoke down wind from the rest of us. Thank you for no Marijuana smoking!!! Awesome crew to fish with we and all left with heavy bags of fresh fish!! Very impressed with my catch! Way more fish than expected. Thank you all for such a...