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Incredible Islander
Well...this weekend...
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...na_halibut.jpg I got the opprtunity to hit the WON Islander Mothership Trip... I wanted to do the OEX trips, but the one weekend still open is my anniversary weekend and have plans for Vegas...(can't pass up the hotel sex, you know)... what an awesome adventure... the Catalina Camping trip was awesome, but this mothership gig is the chit...it's like being at a 5 star hotel with room service, compared to Motel 6... after negotiating 4 hours of traffic on Friday....I arrived at Fishrman's Landing around 5:30...got a fish taco and a bowl of clam chowder and started the relaxation process... we got on the boat at 7:00...we loaded all our stuff...oh wait... the crew loaded our yaks and stuff...(thought I'd throw that out there for all you Catapalooza veterans)...got settled in and the boat left for San Clemente Island around 9ish... Ryhno settling in... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4250034-1.jpg the yak rak http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4250033-1.jpg I felt like a kid on Christmas eve... tired as hell, but hard to sleep due to major league anticipation... did manage to be soothed to sleep by the rythym of the ocean and the hum of the engine...just like a baby in the car..the crew woke us up around 5...it wasn't hard to get up with the smell of fresh brewed coffee and breakfast sausage permiating the air...after an epic breakfast of 2 eggs over easy, home fried potatoes with grilled onions, sausage links, and toast...it was time to give the deck hands the high sign to get my yak off the rack... how cool to have a yak caddy...they get your yak down, you load up your crap...they lift it over the rails and into the water...your get in...they hand you your rods... go paddle around a minute while your bait tank fills... take a pick of the sunrise... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260038-1.jpg and come back to get your bait...and away you go... I stopped at this fishy lookin' boiler rock and the third cast got ripped by a mystery fish that was unstopable on 12lb...guess he really liked that rock cause that's where he went...score: fish-1, me-0... after getting bit right off the bat like that, I was thinkin' it was gonna be on, but that was to be the only fish for another hour... soon other yakkers were showing up...I was joined by JPsurf and the infamous Rhyno...here's Rhyno scopin' things out... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260045-1.jpg at the point to the left of Rhyno...is where the action started for me finally....this guy likes fish traps...just shy of 3lbs... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260046-1.jpg look what this fish did to my face... :D :D :D cheesy grin.... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260048-1.jpg neaxt up was JP...this fish was right at 4 lbs...the pic does not do it justice...nice one JP... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260050-1.jpg then a fat sculpin...over two lbs...taco loco... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260053-1.jpg we both got some goats...here's one now... (JP's were much bigger)...on the plastic even... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...P4260055-1.jpg this point was pretty productive for us...got several nice fish here... this one is 3 1/2 lbs...(this is the only bad picture out of 111 pictures taken with my new Olympus Stylus 1030 sw...cool!!!) http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260058.jpg so it's around 10 or so and the mothership caterers show up to check on us and ask if we need anything... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260061.jpg we said we're hungry, thirsty, and need more bait, so they say "you want beer, soda, water, and we got some SOUP"... "SOUP?" we questioned...we hemmed 'n' hawd on the soup...but they came back in a few minutes with some water, some more bait, and some damn SOUP...and it was friggin delectable... here's JP in our "soup break cove"... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260064.jpg this cove was around 25 feet deep...look how clear...it looks five feet deep....not 25...unreal... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260066.jpg the mothership was moving down the coast a mile... we sterted headed that-a-way and just throwin' plastic at rocks, kelp, boilers, sumbmerged rocks, etc...along the way... look what was hiding in there...4 3/4 lber...HAWG... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260074.jpg meanwhile...back at the ranch...the smell of cheeseburger heaven was wafting across the water to my nostrils drawing me back the the mothership...the other were enjoying the lunch break... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260078.jpg these guys already ate lunch and were back at it... how perfect the weather was...75 degrees... no wind.... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260079.jpg so after lunch I get some pointers from Rhyno and he and I head out for the afternoon session...we were joined by Chris and Pal... Rhyno... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260080.jpg Chris http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260082.jpg Rhyno bendo...Pal getting the shot...what is it?...who knows?... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260085.jpg up to this point...my fish count for the day was right around twenty calicos any where from 12" to 4 3/4 lbs... most were in the 2.5 lb class...I still have my sights set on a new personal best calico for today... Rhyno starts talking about halibut...so I thought to myself... I really want a fat checker, but what the helll, butt huntung it is.... after 45 minutes or so...there's Rhyno, Chris, Pal, another guy (sorry I forgot your name), and myself all dragging sardines on the bottom...I started thinkin' to myself... Pal had been looking for butts all friggin morning and got one raked bait...what the hell makes me think I'm gona get one... I should just go fish for bass ...no sooner did that thought enter my mind...and...oooh...wait a minute...is that.... oh...I'm getting bit....eat it...eat it....wait....FISH ON.... so now I've gotall these heavy hittin' kayak guru's all within a few yards of me...the pressure is on...I'm thinkin' you'll never hear the end of this if you blow this gaf shot... steady....wait....GO...GOT him....26"er...not huge but good enough to take the jackpot...so far... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260089.jpg so now I've got butt fever...where there's one there's more...right?...I see this huge ball of bait below me.... so I drop my trusty Mega Bait doem...FISH ON... now I'm getting towed big time...Friggin Rhyno shouts... "It's a bat ray"...well...he was right...bat ray... fun none the less...that thing kicked my ass... so now I'm sweatin'...making my way back to the butt zone... check this out..the water is 15 feet deep or so...I can see the eel grassclumps, the rocks, the ledges etc... so I'm looking where I want to drag my bait...really cool... all of the sudden...is it...what...yeah...I'm...I'm...gettin'...bit... c'mon....take it....take it....OH YEAH....FISH ON... this time Rhyno and the boys are shouting...come on man! WTF! YOU SUCK! NO WAY!....(keep in mind....there are 5 of us all fishing this same area)...Rhyno yells "is it the right kind?"... just as he says that I get two huge head shakes...I yell "OH YEAH RIGHT KIND!!!>>>I look down and see this monster puking up stuff and the size gets my heart rate up big time... now all I can think is the gaf shot....don't miss... be paitient...the thing came up hanging straight down...I waited... getting closer...F**k...he darted back down...Rhyno caught a glimpse of that action...one more try...come on...come on...ok... I stuck him perfect...the thing is doin the shake...Rhyno yells"git him in the boat!'' so I yank him up...put his head between my rod holder and step on his head, get the clip on...and beat him silly... 39 5/8" 21.1 lbs gutted...we'll call it 22 lbs... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260092.jpg jackpot clinched Rhyno showed he's still a pro... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260095.jpg the rest of the day was spent looking for that new Personal Best calico...did not get the new calico PB, but halibut PB just went from 36"er to 39 5/8"er...the day did end with a nice 5 lber on the last cast of the day... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260098.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260101.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260103.jpg then the yummy dinner... http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260104.jpg is it good JP? http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P4260105.jpg this was one unbelievable trip... great food, great service, great people, Isalnder is class... oh I almost forgot...I won a new fishing rod from Okuma... I'd like to give a special thanks to Pal for a great trip... JP it was great to fish with you... and Rhyno...dude...you put me on those fish...you are the man... Thank you, thank you, thank you, I can't wait for the next one!!!! Josh |
awesome Josh........perfect weekend!!!:luxhello::luxhello::luxhello:
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EPIC!
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Well all i can do is second this report.
And here are some photos i took of the BUTT :D http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...slander011.jpg http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...slander013.jpg http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...slander012.jpg Great meeting you guys!! Josh, Jeff, and Paul JP |
Killer trip for you guys!!! :cheers1:
Awesome report Josh, big time congrats on your big time beaver! :notworthy: Can't wait to fish SCI on the Islander. |
Sounds like an epic trip!
Great pix and report. Thanks! No yellowtails taken?:yt: |
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no yellows or WSB |
Looks like you guys had a blast....great pics and post, all I needed to see on a Monday morning...:cheers1:
Rhyno bring any of that cacti juice? |
conditions look super. :)
Looks like there is a lot of room on this boat. I just might get on one of these trips. :cheers: |
Very cool report. The Islander is a great boat. I can hardly wait for my trip in a couple of weeks.
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What a fantastic report!!!!!! looks like the weather was excellent and the fishing was outstanding... good job.....:cool: H
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sign me up!
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Great report! Wow, what a difference a year makes. I was there on the Islander trip this time last year. We had a lot of wind and mostly skunked on the fishing. Glad you guys found calico heaven and the happy halibut grounds. And as I was scrolling past fish after fish I was thinking "when is he going to describe the dinner!" Even when the fishing is lousy it is always a first class trip on the Islander, eh? Grats.
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between lunch and dinner was the buffalo wings... then the dinner (pictured above) was outstanding... the best part was the home made bread at dinner....wow!!! then they had this chocolate brownie and whipped cream desert to make sure you couldn't move.... what a trip...what a boat...great service...great trip... if anyone can't do their OEX rips for some reason... I will take it from you!!! guaranteed!!! I'd do all of them if I could!!! |
Wow Josh, thanks for the report. That was beyond cool. Congratulations on the JP fish.
Ed |
Such a cool report.
Yak sherpas to load stuff up? Sounds a little too comfy for me, Ill pass:rolleyes: (I'm just kidding, I'm just jealous from loading and unloading 30 500 lb yaks at catapalooza) |
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