Mothershipping, Big & wild? Not kayak fishing at all?

I've a heard varying opinions about mothershipping from a lot of people and wondered if there's some kind of consensus building, if at all.

I mean on one hand, once the boat drops you off in the big blue and plops you in your kayak you are technically kayak fishing. But since you didn't paddle a stroke to get there is it really that much different than just taking a charter? Is it a whole lot deeper than that? Talk amongst ya'selves.. 

Z

When I hear, "we hook a fish, then get the angler aboard his kayak with the rod..." I think, "that's NOT kayak fishing."  Even being dropped off to hook your own is a little too contrived for me.

That said, I recognize that there are certain species (albacore being one) that really can't be practically targeted paddling from shore.  I've decided, for me, that I'm not too thrilled about going on an adventure like that right now.  Maybe when I'm old and feeble!   

I'd say it's kayak fishing...  just like diving or snorkelling off a party boat is still diving and snorkelling...  But with an asterisk.

A big part of the kayaking experience for me is being self sufficient...  and that means getting thru the breakers, mud and/or other obstacles, (poison oak and 18 wheelers at Bean Hollow, etc).

Is it still fishing if you drive to the stream instead of hiking there? 

To me, how me and my kayak got to the fishing spot doesn't determine whether or not I'm kayak fishing. I look at it this way too: I live about a mile from the nearest place for me to launch my kayak. It's in the Carquinez Strait and from there I could conceivably paddle to the Alameda Rock Wall, Montezuma Slough, or Monterey for that matter. But, instead I load my kayak on my truck and drive to those places to launch my kayak and fish. Whether I'm using my truck to get me there or a mothership doesn't matter to me. It's all kayak fishing.

Not sure, and it all depends on the execution.  I can tell you this though, trips like the one we took on the Islander WERE fun!  There is simply no other way to do it, and the food and socializing was awesome.  Is it nice to roll up, have a beer, and roll out with a fresh load of live bait...YES...is it "pure"...NO...but did I mention its a BLAST!!???

Yes*
As long as the fish are hooked from the kayak and landed IN the kayak, then I would call it kayak fishing.  Don't forget that some of the mother ship trips are simply like a car to get the angler into a new sound or fjord in BC or AK where there is no other option.  some of these even leave after you've been dropped off on the beach...sounds pretty close to "pure" to me...  now if I just had the $$$$

     I think there can be various forms of mothershipping possible. For example:  last fall we kayak fished East Cape where we actually launched from shore but had a panga with us due to a couple of factors.  We had a couple of first timers with us as well as a couple really hungover amigos.  The panga was dispatched to go get us a couple scoops of bait prior to our launch and hung with us as we fished to dole out baits and ice down our catch. Probably the most important reason of all  was the mothership's ability to carry vast amounts of ice cold beers as we tend to get a little parched out on the mighty blue. The cost of the panga split six ways was well worth the peace of mind.
     

I'm with Sean on this. Kayaking to a spot and catching fish under your own steam is pure kayak fishing  (and obviously more challenging)

With Scaw`on all he said....

 Had to have your wits about you getting on/off the Islander, but what a Blast,

 And once let go of the ship, it felt just like any beach launch with many decisions to make once out

 OTW, Shore calico's. Halibutt or Find a YT!!!!!

 Oh My can't wait....

 Don't care for the Hooking on a Boat then jumping on the YAk

As far as I'm concerned, a mothership is just a portable beach we can launch from.  The islander showed it wasn't free from launches/landings gone bad too.    As long as a fish is hooked, fought and landed from a kayak without involving a mothership or runabout in the process, the fish is a kayak fishing catch - no asterisk.

Is it still fishing if you drive to the stream instead of hiking there? 

To me, how me and my kayak got to the fishing spot doesn't determine whether or not I'm kayak fishing. I look at it this way too: I live about a mile from the nearest place for me to launch my kayak. It's in the Carquinez Strait and from there I could conceivably paddle to the Alameda Rock Wall, Montezuma Slough, or Monterey for that matter. But, instead I load my kayak on my truck and drive to those places to launch my kayak and fish. Whether I'm using my truck to get me there or a mothership doesn't matter to me. It's all kayak fishing.

What he said.

The only question that matters is: Am I having fun.

This is exactly how I see it. My vote reflects this description.

Is it still fishing if you drive to the stream instead of hiking there? 

To me, how me and my kayak got to the fishing spot doesn't determine whether or not I'm kayak fishing. I look at it this way too: I live about a mile from the nearest place for me to launch my kayak. It's in the Carquinez Strait and from there I could conceivably paddle to the Alameda Rock Wall, Montezuma Slough, or Monterey for that matter. But, instead I load my kayak on my truck and drive to those places to launch my kayak and fish. Whether I'm using my truck to get me there or a mothership doesn't matter to me. It's all kayak fishing.

Interesting question.

Like jestki's assisting surfers....  one might say it's a natural and valid evolution of the sport while others cry heresy.

Is it still fishing if you drive to the stream instead of hiking there? 

To me, how me and my kayak got to the fishing spot doesn't determine whether or not I'm kayak fishing. I look at it this way too: I live about a mile from the nearest place for me to launch my kayak. It's in the Carquinez Strait and from there I could conceivably paddle to the Alameda Rock Wall, Montezuma Slough, or Monterey for that matter. But, instead I load my kayak on my truck and drive to those places to launch my kayak and fish. Whether I'm using my truck to get me there or a mothership doesn't matter to me. It's all kayak fishing.

       i have to agree with brother jay

I'm pretty sure everyone on this board uses a motor vehicle to get to the launch!

When it comes to a "mothership", or powerboat that you load your kayak on so you can get to the fishing spot, there are some examples that seem extremely sporting and attractive - like the Islander-type trips, or bad-ass drop and camp spots in Alaskan fjords, but there are also pictures in my mind of people skipping the part of the experience that includes paddling there yourself where it is feasible, targeting, hooking, fighting and landing a fish with no mothership help, and paddling back home with that experience under your belt.  To clarify my own extremely judgmental and biased statement on this:  some "mothership" trips may represent the best in kayak fishing, and some others are just cheesy.  I think I'll maintain that, for me, no mothership trip would be as pure as loading, driving, gearing up, launching, fishing, landing, loading, and driving home.  Even if I was smack-dab in the middle of the Lost Coast with my backpack and Roleez, beach-launching, roasting rockfish over an open fire at night...  I still DROVE there!  

The surfing analogy is a good one - if you really CAN'T feasibly get in those waves w/o the ski then it's innovative and a new way to enjoy the sport.  Same idea would apply to yak-fishing offshore species like albacore...  you need the innovation or you won't be able to do it.

Sometimes cool, sometimes cheesy! 

Good discussion topic, Z.  Thanks for posting it.