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Stupid: My friend and I were fishing 26 miles straight out of Half Moon Bay last year, amidst a group of 7 boats when we saw a 16 foot aluminum boat with a 15 h.p. outboard pull up and start mooching. We commented that the guy must be nuts, because if the ocean changed, as it can do quickly, from calm to rough, the guy would never make it back. After an hour or so, a Coast guard cutter pulled in and started doing safety checks on the boats. When they got to the small boat, they took a long time checking him out. They eventually ended up hoisting his boat out of the water onto the cutter and motored in towards the harbor. We later talked to the crew of the cutter, when we got in, and asked about the boat they carried in. The guy had 2 gallons of gas left in his tank and no extra fuel onboard. There were no life vests , no bailing can, no radio, and no compass. He had no lights, no paddles or oars and no flares. He did have lots of bait and lots of beer. This idiot would never have made it back in if the coast guard hadn't shown up. In my opinion this guy is so stupid, it should be against the law for him to have kids and pass those genes along.
Careless: Across the highway from Pillar Point Harbor, there is a small self serve gas station where a lot of the trailored boats fill up before launching. One morning, a year ago, a guy pulled in and started filling up his boat.He was talking to his friend, probably about where they were going to fish, while the pump was running. When he noticed that he had pumped 12 more gallons than his 25 gallon tank would hold, he looked in his boat. The bottom of the boat was filled with gas. This guy had put the nozzle in his rod holder, instead of the gas tank, and proceeded to fill his boat
Wasteful: I've seen guys gut hook an under sized fish and proceed to tear out their 10 cent hook, then release the bleeding fish back into the water. Is 10 cents so important that they would kill a fish that has the potential to grow another 20 pounds? Apparently.so.
Dangerous: There are many times when the fog is so thick on the water that you have only a few feet of visability. It is inevitable that some jerk will come barreling out of the fog, at full speed, with no running lights and no horn, right towards your boat like a guided missile. Why there are not more fatal accidents than there are is beyond me. Maybe just dumb luck.
Illegal: Have you guys seen the boats, when they are hidden by the fog, stealing crabs from other peoples crab traps? I have. They quickly drop the trap back in the water when another boat approaches, and disappear into the fog. Why can't the idiots who speed through the fog, aim for the thieves, instead of the honest fishermen??
Careless: Every weekend during the summer, especially during the three day ones, sailboats will make the run from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay. They stay over the night, then head back. Almost every weekend, during this run, I see sailboats crossing the reef outside the harbor entrance. I guess some people can't afford charts to go along with those expensive boats. If they had charts, they would see that there's a rock that lies just 4 feet beneath the surface during high tide. People....if you're not familiar with an area, check your charts, or follow the other boats, or...(and here's a new concept) pay attention to the buoys. Green on the right when leaving the harbor....red on the right when returning.
Irresponsible: There is a website called Half Moon Bay Fishing Buddy (or something similar) that shows a favorite fishing spot that is on the reef at the harbor entrance. In my opinion, this is irresponsibility at it's worst. There are knowledgeable boaters, and there are people who own boats. There are fishermen who, upon reading that you can catch fish here, will boat onto the reef. Stay off the reef! This is not a safe area to be boating on. There are sneaker waves here, and the swell can, and does, break at different times. The bottom is extremely shallow and you can find yourself lifted and then dropped on a rock. I crossed that reef in a zodiac some years back, and barely got through. You can see the bottom clearly, even at high tide! If you choose to fish on the reef, make sure your insurance payments have not lapsed, and that your will is in order. No knowledgeable boater fishes on this reef! Only an idiot would do so.
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