On a clear blue morning, Chapin is out on his 27
–foot sport fisher off the coast of Moss Landing. He’s not your
typical local fisherman. He doesn’t sport the long beard, funny hat
or gruff personality. The polite, clean–cut, former cop is all
about making sport fishing a family affair.
On a clear blue morning, Chapin is out on his 27–foot sport fisher off the coast of Moss Landing. He’s not your typical local fisherman. He doesn’t sport the long beard, funny hat or gruff personality. The polite, clean–cut, former cop is all about making sport fishing a family affair.
Which is exactly what he’s talking about when one of the fishing rods with a line in the water quickly snaps straight. Mid–sentence, the captain jumps from the front of the boat to the pole at the rear of the boat.
“Start reeling!” he says.
Sure enough, there’s a beautiful, silver 10–pound king salmon on the end of the line, the reward for garnishing the nearly foot–long fluorescent plastic and metallic lure with an anchovy minutes before.
During the months of March, April and May, it’s king salmon season. But Chapin charters fishing tours year round, off the coast of Moss Landing, and on the San Joaquin Delta in the winter.
Chapin’s tours offer a more private setting than those of many fishing tour companies, specifically those with big charter boats that carry a large number of customers, nicknamed “party boats.”
“You know, I deep sea fished in my teens and used to go out on party boats and I thought, there’s got to be a better way of fishing,” Chapin said.
Since that time, Chapin earned his captain’s license, for which he put in 500 hours of sea time plus additional time on inland waterways.
While he was getting those hours, Chapin moved to Gilroy and became fishing buddies with already–licensed captain Neland Doughty, who worked for the fire department. Chapin said he learned most of what he knows about fishing from Doughty and Rusty Ross, captain of the commercial salmon vessel L. Marie, who also helps out Chapin on his boat during tuna season.
The only way to become a good fisherman, according to Chapin, is to get to know and be friendly with the other captains out on the water. Otherwise, fishing with the locals can be unpleasant. Then, there’s the ocean to worry about.
“The ocean can be the most wonderful place on earth, or as I like to call it, ‘God’s Cathedral’,” Chapin said. “But it can also be one of most dangerous places. It’s important to read the water and see and know when to get out, without letting anyone’s ego get in the way.”
Chapin has seen his fill of captains make bad decisions, which led to dangerous situations, just to fish.
“I would categorize myself as a fair-weather fisherman,” Chapin said. “With the possibility of landing a fish in rough seas, you’re probably better off getting a lottery ticket.”
Roots of a fisherman
Chapin, a Stockton native, has spent most of his life fishing. At 14, he took a year’s worth of savings from his paper route and bought his first boat.
Chapin learned the sport from his father, who was a game warden. Growing up, he would tag along with his father on the job.
“It was wonderful. It certainly put me in the direction of wanting to be a law enforcement officer. It’s very similar,” Chapin said. “Police work is not about writing tickets, it’s about being out there and being able to help people and looking at all sides of people.”
During his 22 years with the Gilroy Police Department, Chapin did just about everything, from serving time as a robbery/homicide detective to being a member of both the DUI enforcement team and the Anti–Crime Team (ACT). He spent the last few years of his career as a sergeant and supervisor of the ACT.
Chapin chartered fishing tours part–time while with the police department. But when he retired in 2002, he decided he wanted to go big time – buy a new boat and be a fishing guide full–time.
“I have a passion for the police force and I have a passion for fishing,” Chapin said. “But I also have a passion for helping people catch fish and not be taken advantage of.”
But first, he had to get the approval from his wife, Colleen, an emergency room and intensive care unit nurse at St. Louise hospital.
“We sat down, talked about it, and she said ‘I think you should do it,'” Chapin said.
Like that, Hook ‘Em Up Sport Fishing was born.
Chapin bought a new boat, the 27–foot Seaswirl he owns now, which he named the “Colleen Florence,” after his wife. He equipped the boat with state–of–the-art technology, including a global positioning system (GPS), VHF communication, auto pilot and radar.
But even all that equipment doesn’t guarantee you’ll catch a fish. That’s where Chapin’s 25 years of Monterey Bay fishing knowledge and networking with other captains comes into play.
Back on the boat, Chapin radios Ross, who is also out on the water.
“Have you caught anything?” Chapin asks.
Just one for Ross so far. The two captains compare notes and sign off.
Plenty of fish in the sea
During last year’s salmon season, U.S. Fish and Wildlife estimated that 700,000 salmon passed through the area. Chapin said fisherman “made a killing.”
This year, the agency predicts 1.8 million salmon will pass through coastal waters.
So far, the season hasn’t disappointed, especially since water temperatures have been unusually cold.
Even so, Chapin said salmon season is just a warm–up to albacore season, which begins in July.
“Albacore season will make you want to throw rocks at salmon,” Chapin said.
Albacore average anywhere from 25–50 pounds a fish. Though he will only take a maximum of four people on his boat during salmon season, Chapin increases that to six during albacore season because of how frequently fish get hooked.
“There’s not enough hands to put poles in,” Chapin said.
Chapin bases his company on a philosophy that he learned from fishing with his father as a child: Fishing is about the experience.
“If you’re going strictly for the fish, it’s more economical to buy it at the market,” Chapin said. “But if you’re going for the experience of enjoying the day, the experience, the relationship building and enhancing with a son, daughter, family member or friend, that’s what the whole fishing experience is about.”
To book a deep sea fishing adventure of your own, call Captain Norm Chapin at (209) 992-0418, or visit his Web site at www.hookemupsportfishing.com.
