Seaforth Sportfishing is the Mission Bay landing, and the convenient one. It runs a fleet of about fifteen boats out of Quivira Basin, minutes from SeaWorld and the Mission Bay hotels, which makes it the easy pick for a visitor without a long drive to Point Loma. The half day operation is big and well rated, the galley is good, and the value on a short trip is among the best in the port. It runs offshore tuna trips up to about three days, but it is not a true long range operation, and that, with a recurring service complaint, is what places it at the foot of our San Diego ranking, still a strong choice for the right trip.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.0 Seaforth is sixth in the San Diego ranking, a strong choice for convenience and a half day, sitting below the Point Loma landings and the private six packs. Its case is location, a deep base of positive reviews, and real value on the short trips. What holds it last among the ranked field is twofold: it is not a long range operation in a port defined by long range, with its multi day trips topping out around three days, and a recurring strand of reviews faults the landing on rigid refunds and customer service, a complaint structural enough to reach the Better Business Bureau. It suits a visitor staying in Mission Bay who wants a well run half day or a Coronado Islands trip without the drive. For the long range fleet, Fisherman’s Landing and H&M Landing are the home of it; for a private day, Pelican Sportfishing and Ironclad Sportfishing fish without the crowd; and the other big party boat landing, Point Loma Sportfishing, is the Scott Street alternative. See the San Diego ranking for the field.
The boats and the fleet
Seaforth runs about fifteen boats from 38 to 85 feet, built around its half day trade. The 85 foot New Seaforth is the flagship half day and twilight boat, the 75 foot San Diego runs the full day Coronado Islands and offshore trips, and the Aztec, Tribute, and others handle the overnight and one to three day tuna runs. It also berths independently owned multi day boats like the Polaris Supreme and Pacific Voyager. The fleet is solid and the galley draws praise, but two things shape the honest read: the New Seaforth takes up to 55 anglers, so on a busy day the rail is genuinely crowded, and there are no true long range vessels here, the kind of boats that fish a thousand miles south, which live at the Point Loma landings.
The fishing and what you target
Seaforth fishes the San Diego calendar within its range. The half day and twilight boats work the kelp and the bay mouth for calico and sand bass, rockfish, and bonito much of the year, the steady, beginner friendly fishing. The full day boats run to the Coronado Islands for yellowtail and mixed bottom fish, and from summer into fall the overnight and multi day boats chase bluefin and yellowfin tuna, dorado, and yellowtail offshore, with the multi day boats reaching 80 to 120 miles out. Bluefin carry a federal limit of 2 fish per person off California, and the southern rockfish season opens and closes by the calendar, so confirm the current rules with NOAA Fisheries and California Fish and Wildlife before a season specific trip.
Trips and prices
Seaforth’s value is the half day. A half day is $80 per person, a twilight $75, a 3/4 day $160, a full day $250, and an overnight $355, as of June 2026, with a fuel surcharge that can apply. The multi day offshore trips run $555 for a 1.5 day up to about $1,980 for a 3 day on the Polaris Supreme, and chartering the full San Diego boat for a group runs about $7,400 for up to 35 anglers. A rod rental is about $20, a one day California fishing license is sold at the dock, and a Mexican fishing permit applies on the Coronado Islands and offshore Mexican waters trips, where a passport is required. The short trip prices are among the best in the port; the friction shows up after a cancellation, where the refund handling is the recurring complaint. Our cost guide sets these against other ports, and the party boat versus private charter guide weighs a landing seat against a private boat.
The crew
Seaforth runs a stable roster of named captains by boat, many owner operators, and the sentiment on the water is largely positive: reviewers credit good fish counts and crews that work hard on the full day and multi day boats, and the galley gets singled out. The volume of positive reviews, several thousand across Google and Facebook, is a real strength. The weaknesses are specific and recurring. On the big half day boat the rail crowds and a hot bite turns into tangled lines, there are isolated reports of a deckhand short with a beginner, and the clearest pattern is off the water: a run of reviews and complaints about inflexible refunds and slow, rigid customer service after a cancellation. That service strand is the main thing weighing on the score.
Booking and what to know
Book online or by phone, and read the refund and weather policy before you pay, since that is where the complaints cluster: understand the cancellation terms and the deposit on a multi day trip up front. Bring layers and a rain shell, sunscreen, food beyond the galley, and a passport for any Coronado Islands trip. The license is sold at the dock, the Mexican permit is added for Mexican waters trips, and on the big half day boat in summer, arrive early for a good rail spot.
How we scored it
Seaforth earns its 7.0 on a convenient Mission Bay location, strong half day value, and a deep base of positive reviews, held to the foot of the ranked field by the lack of a true long range program in a long range port, crowding on the big half day boat, and a recurring complaint about rigid refunds and customer service. Track record is its strongest factor on review volume, service its weakest. See how we scored this boat and the San Diego ranking for the rest of the field.