Spitfire Sportfishing is the Marina del Rey operation of Captain Jeremy Maltz, who has run boats out of the harbor for more than two decades. The name covers two boats: the 65 foot Spitfire, an open party boat that sells three quarter day seats per person, and the Free Spirit, his 34 foot Calvin Beal six pack booked privately by the whole boat. That gives Spitfire Sportfishing a foot in both camps, a cheap shared seat and a comfortable private charter, under one well-regarded captain.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.4 Spitfire Sportfishing is a strong choice and the fourth ranked boat on the Los Angeles ranking. Captain and crew is its strongest factor, on a long-tenured owner and reviews that praise a patient, kid-friendly crew. Pricing on the private boat is clean and inclusive. What holds it below the other Marina del Rey six pack, LA Sportfishing, is a thinner independent review trail: the positive feedback is real but smaller in volume and harder to corroborate across platforms. Book the Free Spirit for a private Westside day, or take a Spitfire seat for a budget three quarter day.
The boats
The Free Spirit is a 34 foot Calvin Beal, a Down East style hull built for the open Pacific, with an indoor wheelhouse, a bathroom, and a large v-berth, which makes it a comfortable and stable platform for up to six anglers. The Spitfire is the 65 foot open party boat, a much bigger vessel that runs the daily three quarter day out of the Marina del Rey Sportfishing landing and carries a galley with a reputation for good food. The two boats serve different trips, so decide which experience you want before you book: the private boat for room and a hands-on crew, the party boat for a cheap seat and a busier rail.
The fishing and what you target
Out of Marina del Rey the fishing is the local Southern California rotation: calico bass and rockfish on the reefs and kelp, barracuda and yellowtail when the water warms, white seabass in the spring squid run, and California halibut. The Free Spirit charges out to Santa Barbara Island for white seabass on the longer trips, and runs lobster hooping at night through the fall and winter. This is a close-in and island program rather than a long offshore tuna operation, so set expectations to bass, bottom fish, and the warm-season inshore gamefish.
Trips and prices
The private Free Spirit is $1,200 for the boat for a 4 to 5 hour half day, $1,600 for a three quarter day, and $2,600 for a 12 hour island trip, each for up to six. That rate is inclusive: boat, live bait, captain and crew, rods, tackle, and fish cleaning, with only a California license and gratuity extra, which is cleaner than the added-fee model on some local boats. The open party Spitfire three quarter day is sold per person through Marina del Rey Sportfishing, around $90, but note that landing is cash only. Lobster hooping runs mid October to mid March. The cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide weigh the private boat against the shared seat.
The crew
Captain Maltz runs the boats himself, and the recurring note across his reviews is a crew that works to put kids and first timers on fish and keeps the day relaxed. The honest limit is the evidence: the FishingBooker rating is high but built on a smaller base than the top boats, and the independent review pages are thin or hard to read, so the strong impression rests on less volume. We scored the sentiment as positive but weighted the track record for that thinner trail.
Booking and what to know
Book the private Free Spirit through the Spitfire Sportfishing site or FishingBooker, and the open party Spitfire seat through Marina del Rey Sportfishing. For the landing seat, bring cash. For the private boat, the rate covers bait, tackle, and cleaning, so plan for your license and a gratuity. Bring food, drinks, and a cooler, and book the island and lobster dates ahead.
How we scored it
Spitfire Sportfishing scores 7.4: a long-tenured owner-operator, a comfortable and stable private boat, clean inclusive pricing, and the flexibility of a shared seat or a private day. Captain and crew and value are its strengths. Track record is the soft spot, on a thinner and less corroborated review base than the boats above it, and the trip menu is more inshore than offshore. See how we scored this boat, and compare it with the rest of the Los Angeles boats.