Pelican Sportfishing is the private boat to book in San Diego. It is a clean 29 foot Defiance run by its owner, Captain Shaun Uyeda, out of Seaforth Marina in Mission Bay, and it carries the kind of record the landings cannot match per angler: a perfect 5.0 across more than three hundred FishingBooker trips, with the reviews naming the captain by name. You book the whole boat for your own group of up to six, so there is no rail of strangers, the captain fishes with you all day, and the trip is set to your group rather than a schedule. For a private day on the water here, it is hard to fault. What it cannot do is the long multi day run, and the boat is small.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 Pelican is second in the San Diego ranking and the top private six pack, a strong choice and a hair behind only the long range powerhouse of Fisherman’s Landing. The two serve different anglers. Fisherman’s wins on range and fleet; Pelican wins on the day itself, a private boat, a named owner captain, and a spotless record. It suits a small group that wants real fishing without sharing a rail, a family with kids, or a first timer who wants a captain’s full attention. The one real trade is the boat: at 29 feet it is a day boat, so it does not run the overnight and multi day tuna expeditions, and a long offshore run in a small boat is a wet, hard ride in a chop. For the most transparent posted pricing among the private boats, Ironclad Sportfishing runs two larger hulls; for the party boat and long range options, Point Loma Sportfishing, H&M Landing, and Seaforth Sportfishing sell seats. Compare the field on the San Diego ranking.
The boat
The Pelican is a Defiance 290 Guadalupe, a 29 foot hull built in 2020 and driven by twin 300 horsepower Yamaha outboards, so it runs fast and gets you to the fish without burning half the day. It is well found for a small boat, with a cabin, a private head, and a stereo, and it is kept clean. The honest limit is the size. Six anglers fill a 29 foot deck, the open ocean off San Diego can be lumpy, and a long offshore tuna run means hours of pounding that a 60 foot party boat soaks up and a small outboard boat does not. For a coastline or Coronado Islands day, the size is no issue and the speed is an advantage; for a serious offshore push, it is a boat for a settled day.
The fishing and what you target
Pelican fishes the full San Diego menu within day trip range. Close in, off Point Loma and La Jolla, that is yellowtail, calico bass, rockfish, and halibut much of the year. South across the border, the Coronado Islands hold yellowtail, bonito, and bass, and tuna in the warm months. From summer into fall the offshore run brings bluefin and yellowfin tuna and dorado up onto the kelp paddies, and the longer trips reach them. Captain Shaun sets the target to the season and the group, which is the advantage of a private boat: a beginner crew can stay close and bend rods on bass and rockfish, while an experienced group can push offshore for tuna. Bluefin carry a federal limit of 2 fish per person off California, and the rockfish season opens and closes by the calendar, so confirm the current rules with NOAA Fisheries and California Fish and Wildlife.
Trips and prices
Pelican is booked by the boat, not the seat, which is the point of a private charter. The FishingBooker listing starts at $975 for a 5 hour coastline trip for up to four anglers, as of June 2026, with the 6 hour and 9 hour trips and additional anglers quoted higher. Live bait, the tackle, fish cleaning and filleting, water and light snacks, and the use of the cabin and head are included, so the number you see is close to the number you pay. A California fishing license is extra, and a Coronado Islands trip adds a Mexican fishing permit and a passport. Split among a group of four to six, the per person cost lands in the same range as a busy party boat seat but buys you the whole boat. Our cost guide puts a private San Diego day in context, and the party boat versus private charter guide weighs it against a landing seat.
The crew
Captain Shaun Uyeda is the reason the boat sits this high. He owns and runs it, so the person you book is the person at the helm, and the reviews are unusually specific and consistent: a patient captain who puts people on fish, works hard for beginners and kids, and keeps the day fun. A 5.0 rating across more than three hundred FishingBooker trips is the deepest clean record of any boat in this ranking, and because it is one owner operated boat, that record is the captain, not a roster that varies trip to trip. The one thing the single boat cannot offer is a backup if the captain is booked or weathered out, where a landing simply moves you to another boat.
Booking and what to know
Book through the FishingBooker listing or direct, early for summer tuna dates, which fill. Bring layers and a windbreaker, sunscreen, food beyond the snacks aboard, and a passport for a Coronado Islands trip. The license is yours to buy, and the captain handles the Mexican permit for an islands trip. Because it is a private boat for your group, you set the target and the pace with the captain when you book, so tell him whether you want a relaxed day close in or a push offshore for tuna.
How we scored it
Pelican earns its 7.9 on a standout owner captain, a clean fast boat, and the deepest spotless review record in the port, held just out of a higher grade by the limits of a single 29 foot day boat that cannot run the multi day offshore trips San Diego is known for. Captain and crew and service are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and the San Diego ranking for the field.