Clemente

Captain Corey Lieser

Certified Marine Naturalist, American Cetacean Society

Captain Corey,  is a resident of San Juan Capistrano and has been a part of the Dana Wharf family since 1998. Born in Ohio, the Captain of the Clemente has taken out thousands of anglers over his 15 years with the landing. Although there’s no special trick to finding fish, he watches the conditions, water clarity, wind and weather and uses his gut to find the ripe spot. “When the fish are biting and everyone’s happy, I’m happy.”

The Captain is usually busy navigating the boat and doesn’t have much time to actually fish, but when he does and he hooks up, he hands over the rod to a young angler or someone who hasn’t been having much luck and lets them reel it in. He recalls an elderly gentleman who caught a nice Tuna. “He shook my hand and said thanks – that’s probably the last fish I’ll ever catch.”

As a certified naturalist, Captain Corey loves observing all marine life, particularly the Pacific White Sided Dolphin. He feels grateful that Dana Wharf’s family atmosphere provides an environment that is not only great for customers, but nurturing for employees. “The Hanson’s have a great business and I enjoy working for them,” he says.

Captain Chad Steffen

Certified Marine Naturalist, American Cetacean Society

Captain Chad was born in San Clemente . After getting his captain’s license in 2005, he became a certified ACS naturalist and loves exploring and sharing the many wonders of the Pacific Ocean.

Captain Chad is passionate about fishing, especially aboard the Clemente. The Clemente is a perfect fishing vessel, nimble, fully equipped and the perfect size. Dorado is his favorite fish to catch because they put up a good fight making them really fun to catch. The Dorado jump and put on a great show, their vibrant colors sparkle in the sun and they are a great tasting fish.

The best part of working on the ocean is that it is ever-changing; no two days are the same – ever! The weather is up and down; fish bite feverishly then they just quit; whales and dolphin are everywhere, then the ocean can become as quiet as a desert. We run such a variety of trips and service locals and tourists with the goal of each trip providing an experience of a lifetime.

Steffen is credited with finding the wreck of the A.C.E., a 58-foot drum seiner, en route to the Dana Point Harbor after a night of bait fishing.