Golden State Guide Service

Charlie Barberini started his guiding career in Alaska—running a fishing boat, guiding brown bear hunts, and chasing ducks and geese in the Midwest. After a decade in the field, he returned to Northern California and launched Golden State Guide Service to bring that same expertise to the San Francisco Bay.

Golden State specializes in waterfowl hunting targeting the birds that winter in the Bay:

• •Diver Duck Hunts — Common Goldeneye, Lesser and Greater Scaup (Bluebill), Bufflehead, and occasional Barrows Goldeneye. "Target rich wild west shoot out" with action-packed days.
• •Surf Scoter Hunts — The Bay is the largest wintering ground for surf scoters. Open water boat hunts with high trigger time.
• •Canvasback Hunts — Trophy hunts for drake canvasbacks with high success rates. Limit of two per day.

The fishing operation runs on a Parker 2820 XLD equipped with:

Fishing Trips Available:

• •Bluefin Tuna ($550/person) — March–December, 100 lb average fish
• •King Salmon ($325/person) — June–September, Golden Gate area
• •Halibut & Striped Bass ($275/person) — March–November, Bay waters
• •Albacore Tuna ($550/person) — August–September
• •Sturgeon ($300/person) — December–March, Martinez departure
• •Rockfish & Lingcod ($300/person) — April–September

All trips include rods, tackle, and fish cleaning.

A 20-foot Lund Alaska rigged for open water hunting with a pop-up scissor blind. Seats four hunters comfortably. Equipped with a new 90HP Suzuki engine (fall 2022).

"Charlie is everything you look for in a guide. He puts in the work well before your hunt to know where birds will be, is highly knowledgeable, and is an overall blast to hang with." — Jason K.

The operation runs Seeker fishing rods and Avet reels on the Scallywag. Duck hunts use Tanglefree decoys and quality gear throughout. Safety is the top priority on every trip.