Half Moon Bay Sportfishing & Tackle is the integrated tackle shop and booking agent for the Queen of Hearts at 27 Johnson Pier in Pillar Point Harbor. The Queen of Hearts has fished out of Half Moon Bay since 1990 and has booked through the shop as the primary vessel since March 2020.
Fleet
The Queen of Hearts is a 50-by-15-foot USCG-licensed sportfishing vessel built in 1972, with a 45-angler maximum capacity and a hot galley. Captain Wallace "Wally" Klughers — a Long Island native who first fished the boat as a customer, joined as a deckhand, and took over ownership — owns and skippers her. Deckhand Eric B. Teixeira, a U.S. Navy veteran, has run several seasons beside him. Rod rentals and tackle are sold at the shop, fish cleaning is available for a fee, and boarding begins 45 minutes before departure.
Trip types
Trip types cover the Pillar Point calendar:
- Rockfish trips — March through December at $170 per person. 7:00 a.m. departure, roughly 3:00 p.m. return, targeting vermillion, black, china cod, copper, canary, yellowtail, and brown rockfish plus lingcod and cabezon.
- Salmon trips — $250 per person in 2026; the south-of-Pigeon-Point opener ran April 11, 2026 under a two-fish, 24-inch minimum.
- Crab combo trips — rockfishing paired with dungeness crab pots in season at $250 per person cash / $258.75 credit. 7:00 a.m. departure, return 1:00–5:00 p.m., capped at 20 passengers.
- Whale watching — January through March at $45 per person cash / $47 credit, ages 7 and up. Three-hour weekend departures at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Private charters list $900 cash for up to 20 passengers.
Mavericks viewing trips and private charters run alongside the open-party schedule.
Recent reports
Recent counts on Sportfishing Report: April 19, 2026 produced 150 rockfish and 27 lingcod to 15 pounds for 15 anglers. December 14, 2025 saw a combo with 18 anglers landing 180 rockfish, two lingcod, and 167 dungeness crab.
Reviews
Yelp lists Queen of Hearts Houdini Sportfishing at 88 reviews and 44 photos as of April 2026. Posted 2024 rates carry a "subject to change; please call for updates" note — the shop's same-day line is (650) 728-3377.
