Mystic Queen Sportfishing is a private six pack out of Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, and it lands just behind ROGEZAC near the top of our Los Angeles field for much the same reason: a long-serving captain and a crew that customers keep naming in their reviews. Captain Harry Markarian has more than 25 years on the water, the boat runs the full local-to-offshore menu, and the record across more than 150 trips is close to spotless. You book the whole boat for up to six, so it suits a small group that wants a hands-on day rather than a seat on a crowded rail.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.8 Mystic Queen is a strong choice and the second ranked boat on the Los Angeles ranking. Captain and crew is its top factor, built on consistent praise for Harry and his named deckhands. What holds it a step below ROGEZAC is value and transparency: the operator’s own site and its FishingBooker listing post two different price sets, so you need to confirm the rate for your exact trip and crew size before you book. Book it for a local bass and rockfish day, a Catalina run, or a summer offshore trip with a small group.
The boat
The Mystic Queen is a 35 foot Innovator sportfisher rigged for up to six anglers, with custom Calstar rods and Okuma reels aboard and a galley for a long day. It is a mid-size six pack rather than a big offshore boat, so six anglers is a real working limit, not a comfortable maximum stretched thin. Safety gear is a point the operation makes plainly, with an EPIRB and a life raft carried, which is worth knowing for the long runs to the islands and the offshore banks.
The fishing and what you target
The boat fishes the standard Southern California rotation. Close to home and around Catalina the targets are calico bass, rockfish, halibut, barracuda, and California sheephead, with yellowtail and white seabass when the water warms in spring and summer. The long trips chase bluefin tuna and mahi mahi offshore through the warm months, and lobster hooping runs in the fall and winter. Reviewers consistently report full coolers on the local and Catalina trips, and the captain is upfront about matching the run to the conditions rather than promising tuna year round.
Trips and prices
Here is the one thing to sort out before booking. On the operator’s own site the trips are priced for up to four anglers, with $125 per additional angler up to six: $850 for a 4 hour local trip, $1,000 for 6 hours, $1,450 for a full day, $1,700 to $1,950 for a Catalina Island run, and $3,500 for a 12 hour bluefin tuna trip. The FishingBooker listing carries several of those trips a little higher and adds a shared 6 hour seat from $450 per person for two anglers, which is the cheapest way onto the boat. Rods, tackle, water, and fish cleaning are included; processing and vacuum sealing cost extra, and a California license is extra for anyone 16 and over. Confirm the number for your trip, since the two sources do not match. The cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide help you weigh a private boat against a walk on seat.
The crew
Captain Harry and his deckhands carry the score. Across a large, recent body of reviews, the pattern is steady: local knowledge, hard work on deck, and a crew that is named individually for baiting up, clearing tangles, and looking after kids and first timers, then filleting the catch at the dock. The reviews run current into 2026, so the operation is plainly active. As with the other six packs in the port, the bulk of that sentiment sits on FishingBooker rather than spread across every platform, which we noted in the track record score rather than treating it as the last word.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or FishingBooker, and confirm the exact rate and crew size, given the two price sets. The fare covers rods, tackle, water, and cleaning, so plan for a California license, a gratuity, and any vacuum sealing you want. Bring food, drinks, and a cooler for the fillets. Summer offshore and Catalina dates book up, so reserve ahead.
How we scored it
Mystic Queen scores 7.8: a 25 year captain and a named, hands-on crew with a deep and recent positive record, a full local-to-offshore trip menu, and a fair fare with tackle and cleaning included. Captain and crew is its strongest factor. Value and transparency is where it slips, on the gap between its two posted price sets, and the strong sentiment leans on a single platform. See how we scored this boat, and compare it with the rest of the Los Angeles charters.