Join us for one trip and you'll be hooked on the Ranger 85.

The Ranger 85 is one of the most versatile sportfishing vessels on the West Coast. At 85 feet in length you have plenty of fishing room and comfort. With a wide deck and a low profile the Ranger 85 is an excellent platform to fish on.

All new electronics including Wesmar Side Scanning Sonar, Furuno Fish Finders, and Satellite Navigation fill the bridge giving you an advantage on the fishing grounds. New bait tanks, including one on the bow, let you fish the whole boat during those hot bites. We pride ourselves in taking care of your fish. We have two fish holds that allow us to keep your catch very cold for filleting or we can freeze your fish for transporting home.

In November through May the Ranger 85 is located at Channel Islands Sportfishing in the beautiful Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. Here we fish for Halibut, White Sea Bass, and Rockfish on full day, overnight, and 2 day trips. We have several 2 day open party trips that run on a Saturday and Sunday schedule. These trips are great for loading up your freezer with some of the best tasting fish in the ocean.

In the winter and spring months we also operate Marine Floating Labs for school groups and Whale Watching to the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. Here we are able to observe the annual migration of the Gray Whale. On these trips we frequently encounter Orcas, Blue Whales, Seals, Sea Lions, Dolphins, and numerous sea birds up close and personal. These trips are excellent for all groups wanting to explore ocean life in a natural setting.

In June through October we fish out of H&M Landing in San Diego where we target Albacore Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Yellowtail, and Dorado on the Outer Banks and other prime fishing locations. We offer charter trips from 1 to 3 days with plenty of deck space to spread out along the rails. We try to personalize all of our charter trips to your group. We'll do our best to accommodate any special requests your group may have to make your trip the most enjoyable charter you have taken.

We specialize in open party trips of 1.5 and 2 days. All of our open party trips are "Limited Load", just 28 anglers on an 85 foot boat with 40 bunks. That leaves plenty of room to spread out on the deck and space to store your gear below deck. Unlike other boats that charge a trip price and then charge for permits, food and snacks our trips are ALL INCLUSIVE; bait, berthing, permits, food, and snacks for one price. We offer the best "Limted Load" open party trips in the San Diego fleet, bar none!! Whether you are a seasoned angler or a novice, after one of Captain Frank’s legendary “Fishing Seminars” you’ll step up to the rail with confidence and be ready to handle anything that strikes. You'll get to fish with our seasoned crew that is already to help make your trip on the Ranger 85 a great fishing experience.

Whether you are an individual or a group up to 40, come aboard the Ranger 85 for an “Ultimate Sportfishing Adventure” or a "Nature Trip to Remember."

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2008 Fuel Surcharge

Hi Everyone,

I just want to touch bases with everyone and answer a few questions regarding the current fuel crisis that has us all by a tight grip.

We set our rates each year in November for the upcoming season. The past few seasons we have had to surcharge for fuel due to the volatility of the market. In past years we have set a “one price fits all” per day surcharge. This seemed to work out, but as you can imagine, as we set this surcharge rate and fuel adjusted upward we typically fell short trying to accomplish what we set out to do in the first place, offset the escalating cost of operation.

This season, in an attempt to remain as fair as possible with our customers and maintain some level of profitability, we have adopted a formula that I believe to be fair and reasonable to our customers.

Our 2008 rates were based on diesel fuel that cost $3.00 per gallon. Currently, as of this writing, diesel fuel stands at $4.90 per gallon.

For our charter trips we will assess a fuel surcharge daily based on the amount of gallons burned per day, multiplied by the dollar cost of diesel fuel over $3.00, divided by the number of anglers on board.

It is important to me that Ranger 85 customers receive the fairest possible method of surcharge and I believe this to be the most accurate method. Some trips may fish further, expending more fuel, and yet others may fish closer depending upon the current position of targeted fish.

So that you may better prepare yourself and your group, on average, worse case scenario, we expend 400 gallons of diesel fuel fishing a range of approximately 70 miles on a 1-day trip. Again, this amount may vary, plus or minus 50 gallons, depending on conditions, etc.

We will “stick the tanks” at the end of your trip and assess our usage and surcharge accordingly. The current price of fuel will be available upon request.

For our open party trips the only way we can set our fuel surcharge is still on a per person basis. This should be a fair method as all of our customers will be paying the same rate and at the end of the year it is my hope that our fuel increase will come close to being covered. Our 2008 fuel surcharge for open party trips are set as follows:

1.5 day - $35
2 day - $50

We realize that an increase in fare is unwelcome; there is no way for any of us to forecast oil prices given the current state of this most volatile market.

It is our goal to provide the fairest possible pricing for Ranger 85 customers and we simply ask your patience and understanding as these cost increases are the result of economic factors beyond our control.

Sincerely,

Frank T. Ursitti
Captain/Owner – Ranger 85 Sportfishing
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Outdoor writer Paul Lebowitz joined us on the Ranger 85 for a 1.5 day trip in the summer of 2006 and wrote a great article called "The Sport Boat Shuffle"for Western Outdoor News. You can read it on Paul's website at
OutdoorScribe.com