Last week's big waves impacted local sports fisheries in Morro Bay.
“We loaded up, went out and took a look at the way the harbor mouth was breaking and brought our passengers back in,” said Gambit Ruiloba, manager at Virg’s Landing.
Big waves can pose a challenge for boats, especially last week when conditions beyond the Morro Bay harbor were unfishable.
“It impacts the community. We're very tourist based and the fishing community what people come for and what Morro Bay is known for,” Ruiloba Said.
Ruiloba says they had to cancel many fishing trips that some visitors traveled hours to enjoy.
“Some of these people paid $100 in gas money to get down here,” Ruiloba Said.
The loss of revenue came as the business gears up for a five-month fishing closure.
"Losing an entire week of bookings during the slowing down part of our season is a major bummer,” Ruiloba Said.
Chris Trujillo, Tackle Shop manager for Virg's Landing, says it also affected other aspects of the fishing business like sales.
Trujillo says typically 30 to 60 people come in daily to buy fishing supplies, but that wasn’t the case last week.
“The waves hit us hard last week. We didn't even have boats go out at all,” Trujillo said.
Despite the rough end to the year they still have hope for what the new year will bring.
“2023 may have petered out on us but we're already looking forward to the 2024 season,” Ruiloba Said.
