Tag Archives: California

07.25.23 Say it ain\’t so… the last SCI kayak mothership trip?

We have good news and bad news… let\’s start with the bad news so that we can end on a good note. Read all the way thru and scroll to the bottom for the juicy details.

Important Trip Announcement Dates

DateItem
7/25SCI 2023 announcement
7/26SCI 2023 trip page will go-live
7/27SCI 2023 booking opens up to the public

It looks likely that one of our most treasured trips is no longer an option beginning in 2024. Many of you have reached out and asked… where have the SCI trips gone? Why can\’t I book SCI? I watched Rob on YouTube and want to do the SCI trip… the comments go on and on.

First off, we love that you love this trip so much. At the peak a couple of years back, we scheduled eight (8) trips with a couple of 3.5 days in the mix as well. I even married a kayak fishing couple on the water… incredible memory!

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I am not at liberty to say why exactly these trips may no longer exist on the calendar… however I can say that nothing bad happened, no bad blood or anything negative like that. We have nothing but love for the Islander and their crew. When the time comes, it will all make sense.

I damn near begged John for one more trip this year because we never really got to say good-bye to this trip. Well, that is where the good news comes in… We have one more 2.5 day kayak mothership trip scheduled for 2023.

This trip will run in early November when the waters are still warm, the summer crowds are gone and the island should be stacked with fish. With a new time slot on the calendar, ideal kayak fishing conditions and the Islander catching up their pricing to full fare/peak season with adjustments for the current economy… the price of this trip has increased by over 20%.

Before anyone starts throwing daggers our way… we do not make-up these prices. We take a contract out with the boat to fill it up. This is not nor will ever be a money maker for us, we add a small percentage to cover credit/debit card processing fees, nothing more.

We want to gauge the interest of our audience to see if we can fill up multiple dates or just a single trip. We want to give this trip a proper send off and give people the chance to do something unique in the southern California area before it goes away.

Email trips@fishvillage.com to let us know you are interested so that we can put you on the short list.

ItemDetails
Trip Dates11/2/23 – 11/5/23
Trip Price$1,250 (credit card OK)
Deposit$500 w/no refund after 7 days
# of Anglers22
BookingBooking will open on Thu 7/27/23
We already have 8 spots booked via word of mouth.

11.03.22 HOW Battle on the Bay 11/12

The Mad Anglers and the Heroes on the Water Oceanside California Chapter presents the 1st Annual Veterans weekend Battle on the Bay coming to Shelter Island next weekend.

Spend the day with the Mad Angler crew, us and our friends down at Shelter Island. This is a great opportunity for us to get together and heal through aquatic therapy, fishing and food. The Oceanside chapter will also have food and a bunch of booths and raffle gifts to give away. So, bring your family and friends and beach stuff and let\’s go and have some fun.

For those new to kayak fishing or simply just don\’t have the gear… the Heroes on the Water Oceanside chapter provides all the gear required to kayak fish in the event that day. If you do not have any gear don\’t worry about it. Just show up with your family and get ready to have a good time.

To register, head to their Facebook event page (click here). Registration is free.

Event Details

  • $10 is the entry fee that will be collected at the table when you arrive.
  • Shotgun start at 7 AM PST
  • Biggest bass and weirdest fish are the categories.
  • Fishing will end at 2pm winner will be announced at 3pm
  • Raffle tickets will be $1 each (no limit) with raffle prizes from West Marine, Pure Watersports, Fish Village
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps?q=2192%20Shelter%20Island%20Drive%2CSan%20Diego%2C92106%2CUS&output=embed&hl=en-US&z=13&w=425&h=350]

Let\’s show this incredible organization some support by participating in this event or donating prizes to their raffle. We want to see more events from them supporting their military and first responder brothers and sisters. We look forward to seeing you there. We will be the ones with the cameras. Say hello.

08.24.22 Our first attempt at a podcast was a complete failure

We failed so hard that I wish we were recording the entire process because it was hilarious. Talk about a comedy of errors…

For a little over a week we struggled to even get on the same schedule. With jobs, side hustles and family lives… it was hard to kick-start a new routine. Once we finally aligned our schedules, we ran into issue after issue and then the booze kicked in for one particular team member. I can\’t say his name, but I will give you a hint… IT WAS JOE!

Joe starts the podcast session… I join and we can\’t hear each other. A few clicks later, I can hear Joe, but Joe can\’t hear me. Click, click, click… still nothing. Joe joins, hangs up… joins again. After a few rounds of diagnosing… Joe can finally hear me. We start chatting up a storm and Jesse joins the session and guess what… he can\’t hear us.

So Jesse starts messing with his equipment and then I walk away for 5 mins to talk to my wife. I come back and they can\’t hear me. WHAT THE FUCK? I changed nothing. So I hung up and re-joined and clicked, un-checked, clicked, clicked… ohhhh I was on mute. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

35-40 minutes have passed and we finally all connect. All three of us could see and hear each other… then Joe\’s internet started to go out. Then his feed was crappy… then we realized how hilarious this whole process was and that Joe had a LOT of Irish coffee.

We gave up and gave it another shot the next day… happy to report that we successfully recorded our first podcast. We record episode number 2 tonight. Stateroom etiquette is the topic of discussion for our first podcast. Smelly feet, farts and naked dudes… hell ya! Our podcast will be live in September… stay tuned!

08.11.22 Have you ever met anyone from Mississippi?

For months, literally months (probably 8+ months) we have been planning to have our southern friend from Mississippi Sean Rigby join us on the final San Clemente Island kayak mothership trip of the season. We met back on our Louisiana road trip and instantly took a liking to him. Let me explain why.

First… all jokes aside. A solid dude, I mean he is thicccck. No, for realsies… Sean is a great dude that made a big impression on the Fish Village team. The night we met, he was hammering away at a MirageDrive with the bottom of a bourbon bottle as if that was normal. See, he was legitimately trying to fix something and instead of looking around for a hammer, he just used the bottle. Joe and I were like… \’what in the hell did we get ourselves into?\’ Little did we know… we would be seeing each other again after our Louisiana adventure.

When I called Sean and invited him out on our 3.5 day San Clemente Island kayak mothership trip… he immediately jumped on it. We texted each other like little teenagers telling each other how excited we were… if read in the wrong context… one would be confused.

Well… fast forward to July 5th when Sylvia and I head to LAX to grab Sean and the shenanigans began. We tracked his flight so that we knew when to pick him… it worked out perfectly. We got there right as he was coming outside from a long walk between terminals (LAX is a hot mess, more than usual with billions in construction). I called him and said… \”I am at the terminal.\” He answers… \”I am outside.\”

I look at Sylvia and say… \”he says he is outside, but I don\’t see him.\” So I get out of the car and Sylvia stays parked while I walk to the baggage areas thinking he was closer to there. He can\’t find me and I can\’t find him. Now that Sean has had a cigarette again, he can think clearly and decides to drop me a \’pin\’ of his exact location. So I followed my GPS to the exact spot which was hilariously 10 ft from where we stopped the car originally. HE WAS UPSTAIRS in the departures area damn near on top of where we parked. He needed a pull from a cigarette so badly that he just exited out the first set of doors that lead to the outside. Welcome to California.

My favorite thing about Sean is that he never shuts up… just keeps going. That was true from the moment we picked him up to the moment we dropped him off. We got back to my place at about 1 AM and we just started hitting the beers (smashing beers) as Marty would say. His high energy makes it so easy to have a freaking blast and not even know what time it is. We got a few hours of sleep and then got up and started our journey south to San Diego.

We made one quick pit stop to see my Pops… he loves Sean. They met on our Louisiana adventure and just took a liking to each other. Sean asked to see him and the stars aligned as my Dad was home and able to sneak away for a quick lunch visit. It is fun to see my Dad connect with the people that we get to meet as a result of Fish Village… a super bonus for all of us!

Sean would introduce himself to just about everyone that made eye contact with him… \”Hi, I am Sean… I am from Mississippi\” If a boat went by… \”HEY, I AM SEAN… I AM FROM MISSISSIPPI!\” He was our stateroom bunkmate… Jesse (always), Sean and myself. Let\’s just say that we had a no farting rule simply for the sake of survival. That rule was only observed when we were conscious… all bets were off when we were sleeping.

My favorite quotes (cover your eyes if you don\’t like foul language):

  • \”Hey Mike… can I put my finger in this fish\’s mouth?\”
  • \”MIKE… what are we going to do now?\”
  • \”I fucked up my first cast\”
  • \”I want to fuck that sea lion\”
  • \”Put this on his tab\”
  • \”Hi… I am from Mississippi. We fuck everything.\”
  • \”I am an extra-extrovert\”
  • \”MIKE… what are we going to do now?\”
  • \”Can you just do that anywhere in California?\”
  • \”I think he threw up last night..\”
  • \”Jesse… I can\’t see over here, will you open your mouth and shine those bright white teeth so I can see?\”
  • \”Can this fish kill me?\”
  • \”Everything you heard about Mississippi is true\”
  • Texts me a picture a tall beer in the airport… \”I am going to get kicked off a flight\”
  • \”Ya\’ll should come visit me in Mississippi… we\’ll BBQ a fucking zebra…we will do all the thangs!\”

Sean was the cherry on top of a kick ass kayak mothership season… we haven\’t laughed that hard in awhile. Thanks Sean for making the trip and helping create some super fun memories…. we are coming for that zebra!!!

08.06.22 The SCI Trip Experience: Part 3 (Service Is King)

I am sure most of you have heard the phrase… \’service is king\’. When service in ANYTHING is done right, it shows. It doesn\’t matter if you are flipping burgers, slinging peanuts at a ball game or providing top notch kayak mothership service to our guests. If service is done right… we notice!

The Islander crew is an extraordinary bunch because of their attitude and attention to detail. We think managing 2-3 kayakers is a lot of work… imagine 22 kayak anglers for 2-3 days at a time with a full kitchen.

Kayak Loading/Unloading

This crew moves 22 kayaks at least six (6) times per trip. This is no easy task. They never complain, they just get it done.

Skiff Service

How many times have you kayaked and had skiff support? It feels good having a skiff out there to bring you food & beverages and grab your catch.

Safety

Safety is always paramount, keeping a eye on the herd (22 yaks) is a tough job, however they make it seem easy.

Food Service

For those that have been on an Islander charter of any kind knows that they make great food. No one goes hungry, everything is fresh. Nom nom nom.

Fishing Support

After all… the Islander is a fishing vessel. They will tell you how to fish the area and what to look for. They will even help you rig up.

Fish Processing

You don\’t have to schedule a date with the fish processor or take it all home to do it yourself… the crew will process your fish per your instructions for a small fee.

They do all of this AND still keep it light and fun. The industry is notorious for high turnover, yet they keep the core team together year after year. That alone shows you that they love what they do. When the crew is happy, the customers are happy.

Oh yeah… they bring warm muffins out to you in the morning. Even if you aren\’t the \”MUFFIN MAN\”, it surely does not suck to enjoy a fresh baked muffin on your kayak 60 + miles offshore.

Stay tuned for our announcement about the 2023 San Clemente Island (SCI) trip schedule.

08.03.22 The Marty Chronicles: 24 hours, 2 counties and 200 miles of driving… yes we are hungover

Marty has been making the rounds across the United States visiting friends, dealers and unsuspecting fish along the way. As always, this means that wherever he goes, fun and hilarity will follow.

We knew he was coming, just not exactly when. At some point he would have to fly to Los Angeles before making the 15+ hour flight back to Melbourne Australia. Well, we got the call the other day and we cleared our schedule because it ain\’t often that our favorite Aussie is in town.

Boy… my head is spinning… like, for reals.

There is no one like Marty. A little past 10 PM last night, Joe and Marty finally make it to my place and the first thing he says to my wife is… \”Hi, nice to meet you, I am Mike\’s Australian wife.\” And the laughs started.

Marty needed to make a couple of stops in our neck of the woods, so we figured that we would take him to the places that he needed to go so that we could make the most of his time here. One of those stops included our home on the water… Pure Watersports in Dana Point.

So… the last 24 hours went something like this:

Timeline

  • Pick Marty up from LAX 8 PM
  • Make a quick stop at a LA brewery 8:30 PM
  • Drive to Mike\’s place 10 PM
  • Beers 10 PM – 2 AM
  • Wake-up 7 AM
  • Breakfast 8:30 AM (really just stared at it, it was a nice thought though)
  • First business stop 10 AM
  • Pure Watersports Noon
  • Bourbon w/ Timmy 1 PM
  • Third business stop 2 PM
  • Back to Mike\’s place 3:30 PM
  • One more beer 4 PM
  • Pics, hugs, goodbye\’s 4:30 PM
  • Tacos 6 PM
  • Drop Marty off at LAX 8 PM

Stats

  • Time in California: 24 hours
  • Time on the road: 4 hours
  • Miles driven: 200+
  • Counties crossed: 2
  • Hours of sleep: 5
  • IPAs smashed: 18 12 oz. cans, 2 Pliny\’s, 2 Pabst
  • 1 Chicago handshake
  • 1 visit from Tommy Ponce
  • 1 bourbon each
  • 1 cuddle waterside in Dana Point
  • 3 room clearing farts
  • No vomit or spew as Marty says

We know how to make the most of an opportunity… just ask the half-dead dude with the funny accent how he feels. Enjoy the 15 hour flight homie. We loved having you, it wasn\’t enough time… until Feb 2023 in Melbourne!

07.29.22 CCKF Slam Down is back this September

We have been missing the annual road trip north to the Central Coast of California to visit our friends and participate in one of the friendliest, family oriented kayak fishing tournament we have ever seen. CCKF Slam Down is BACK this September 9-10.

Those that have participated know that this is more than a fishing tournament… it is a chance to camp in a beautiful part of California known for solid cabezon, lingcod and a large variety of rockfish. Anglers, friends, families alike feast and share stories around a campfire.

This year the event will be held in the San Simeon community with fishing permitted anywhere along the surrounding Central Coast region (rules will be listed once registration opens up).

This event allows anglers to camp or stay wherever they want and fish wherever they want. The captain\’s meeting and post main event potluck are hosted in a public park/campground where everyone can participate even if they are not staying there. So snatch up your accommodations and get to planning!

  • Hearst San Simeon State Park website
  • San Simeon Creek Campground & Washburn Campground website

Local campground(s) Google search = https://www.google.com/search?q=hearst%20san%20simeon%20campground&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1015US1015&oq=Hearst+San+Simeon+campground

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07.28.22 The SCI Trip Experience: Part 2 (Fishing)

I started a conversation about the San Clemente Island (SCI) trip experience last week that spoke about how much fun this trip is before anyone steps foot in their kayak. We have come to enjoy the entire trip process knowing that most are initially focused solely on the fishing. It is fun to see people get fired up for this trip especially the ones the keep coming back (which is about 70% of the bookings every year).

As much fun as the pre-fishing shenanigans can be… the fishing is the reason we are all here right? Without the fishing… there would be no reason to get all excited in the first place. So… let\’s dive in.

You can\’t talk about how amazing this trip is without talking about the food and service on the Islander. Their food is top notch, restaurant quality, smack your momma good! And where else can you get food delivered to your kayak 60+ miles offshore?

https://atomic-temporary-181926339.wpcomstaging.com/2022/07/21/07-21-22-the-sci-trip-experience-part-1-before-fishing/

Breakfast

Most wake up at the crack of dawn… maybe even shortly before that and start rustling to the smell of something delicious being whipped up in the galley. Chef Mike starts cooking up breakfast around 3:00 AM to have food ready by 5:30 AM, so that you can have a tummy full of food before you sit on a kayak all day. Breakfast will never be oatmeal and day old fruit… it is always something ridiculously delicious. Like eggs benedict with fresh blueberry pancakes (not made from a box) good. After food, coffee and a solid evacuation (pun intended)… you are ready for a day on the water.

Snacks/Lunch

The Islander doesn\’t believe in sack lunches or crappy snacks. Instead they insist on delicious fresh baked cookies, muffins, granola parfaits for kayak fishing snacks… I mean COME ON!

You can guarantee that kayak anglers will be hungry come lunch time. The Islander crew makes it incredibly easy to stay focused on your fishing and just wait for your lunch to come to you. We have had stuffed bell peppers, baked pasta with garlic bread, gyros and bacon, blue cheese hamburgers just to name a few.

Dinner

After 10-12 hours of fishing, anglers are pooped and just go to bed. Just kidding… not our groups.

Beers start popping at a faster pace, bourbon and wine start flowing as Chef Mike serves up what can only be an incredible meal. Jesse\’s favorite pan fried duck, pot roast, steak & asparagus, and sides that are hard to pronounce like befuddled blueberries are just a few highlights of his better than restaurant meals. Food is always one of the top comments we get from these trips.

First Light

Have you ever woken up at the island? If the answer is no, you are missing out. Early mornings on the water at the island filled with thoughts of \”what will happen today\” are the best. You get settled in, you dial in your gear and get ready to go to battle. Some dart to the halibut sandy flats, others head to deep water to target rockfish and lingcod, while the bass hounds head tight to the island and kelp lines to target trophy calico bass. The pelagic hunters start trolling the waterways filled with baitfish, bonito and sea lions trying to find that yellowtail that will eat their bait, while others strike with a surface lure/iron when they breeze through. Either way… you are fishing and there is no better feeling. This isn\’t a fishery where you can\’t catch fish… the question is will it be a 5, 10, 20, 50, 100+ fish day depending on what you are targeting… the odds are stacked in your favor.

Skiff Service

This trip, with 22 anglers, 60 + miles offshore wouldn\’t be possible without the Islander\’s skiff service. The key word in half of the Islander\’s success stories end with the word \”service.\” The is where the Islander excels. The skiff service starts about 2 hours after first launch. The crew prioritizes getting everyone that is ready into the water before bringing the skiff down from the top deck.

The skiff provides safety support, fish pick-ups, water/beer deliveries, snack deliveries, lunch deliveries and even the \”I forgot my paddle, would you mind grabbing that for me\”. The skiff can\’t be everywhere at once… however that doesn\’t stop them from doing an excellent job of supporting 22 anglers spread out 2-3 miles in two different directions.

A favorite quote from a new customer on our most recent 3.5 day SCI trips… \”You don\’t get to complain about your lunch when it is freshly cooked and delivered by skiff.\” That guy gets an invite from us every year now!

More to come in the next and final installation of the SCI Trip Experience…

07.21.22 The SCI Trip Experience: Part 1 (Before Fishing)

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Kayaks sit on the Fisherman\’s Landing dock waiting to be loaded on the Islander.

We have been lugging our kayaks out to San Clemente Island for seven (7) years now with our friends at Islander Charters. During this time we have played witness to some incredible memories being made. The feedback we get sometimes gives us the \’feels\’ knowing that the impact was meaningful to someone and that we played a part in that.

For some reason… this season felt different. I couldn\’t quite explain why, I just had this weird feeling that this year would be different. Whelp… for some weird reason that foresight was highly accurate. This season was different because of the outpouring of support for Fish Village, Islander Charters and these trips.

Despite what people think, we don\’t get to go on every trip. What we do get to do is drive down from the Los Angeles/Orange County border to San Diego to hang out with all of our guests before every trip. It is honestly a highlight for Joe, Sylvia and I. We make a day of it, we pack some Pliny and some water for Sylvia (she keeps us safe) and we hang with our friends. Why do we do this??? Certainly not because we love driving through three counties during the work week… that is for sure. We do it because we love the engagement, we love hearing how excited you are and we love helping people feel comfortable before their journey. This is part of the SCI experience…

We know a lot of you travel distances to make this trip. The drive, the stops along the way, the tailgating, the shit talking and last second meals before rolling your gear down to the boat are all part of the experience. All I know is that we hear a lot of laughs at the docks every time we are down there. This is part of the SCI experience…

Loading the boat, stacking gear on the deck, hauling luggage down to your stateroom, all while most have sampled a few of California\’s beer offerings is another part of this trip that is memorable and creates part of the experience. Everyone is fired up… people are messing around with their gear, drinking, laughing, posting on social media, taking pics as everyone loads their kayaks and gear. There is always that one guy that has to whip out his rod in the harbor and snag a fish real quick before they head out. This is part of the SCI experience.

Once the boat is loaded, Capt. Pete jumps on the horn and makes the announcement to push-off. The sun is starting to set, the magic hour for photography takes over and everyone steps into prep and chill mode. People start getting their gear ready for the morning… others start puffing on cigars and hitting the bourbon, while some just take in the scenic ride out of one of the sexiest harbors in all of America. The crew makes a quick stop and loads piles of live bait onboard exciting the anglers even more. During this time Capt. Pete runs everyone into the galley and walks them through the two (2) day itinerary and boat safety plan. The anticipation grows and people start getting sassy… This is part of the SCI experience.

What we saw and heard this year was that each part of the process IS part of your trip experience. The best part about this is… no one has gone fishing yet. People are having a good time, laughing, making the most of their trip experience before a single cast is made. All of you make up our SCI trip experience. The regulars, the newbies, the friends of a friend… we love and appreciate you all.

Stay tuned for more about the SCI Trip Experience tomorrow… we\’ll focus on the fishing side of things.

04.07.22 It is time for tuuuuuuuuuna!

As this one guy that fishes for bass a lot says… Folks at home, folks at home! WE GOT TUNA FEVER!

I don\’t know if you have been paying attention to what is happening off the coast of San Diego right now… would you be surprised if I said that the fleet is already on the tuna bite, they are already seeing quality schools of tuna with the big boys mixed in for some night time deep drops.

For those that joined our tuna trips last year… YOU ALREADY KNOW. Some of you didn\’t understand tuna fishing before you got on the boat, but you sure did by the time you got off the boat.

We are chartering another 2.5 day tuna trip with our partner Islander Charters. If you want to target bluefin, yellowfin and whatever else we find out there… join us. We are already 50% sold out before even announcing… people want to fish for tuna BAD. I can\’t blame them… we got the fever too!

Trip Details

  • 2.5 day trip format (24/7) fishing
  • $955 w/$400 deposit
  • Final payment due at the end of May
  • 22-27 anglers max.
  • Departs the evening of 6/12 and returns the morning of 6/15

2.5 Bluefin tuna trip page

If you know that you want in and are ready to book, please complete a Trip Inquiry form and we will get you booked up in the order we receive the bookings.

Here are some photos from last year…. just a sampling of the incredible times we all shared together. For the full album, check out our Google Photos album.