2017 Islander Talk (Poll Added)

All kidding aside, I'd still really like to go this year considering it could be the last time we ever get the chance to do it.

Figures - after all these trips I finally buy a live-bait tank and some Islander specific gear and now it looks like these trips will soon be a thing of the past.

'Nothing gold can stay'

If it works out I may be interested in a 2.5 day trip. if there is any way to make it fall on a weekend that works even better.

Ya know? Thinking about this price increase, I have considered the following;

For $875 -
- I could buy a round trip plane ticket to Hawaii or Cabo = $$$
- I may have $500+ left over for food, lodging, island travel, boat ride etc. = not enough $$$
- I probably need more like $1500 + to make it doable with enough time and extras?
- I won't have my kayak or fishing gear (unless I opt to drive 1337 miles and 33.5 hours to Cabo, then back)?
- I won't have a guide unless I know someone, or hire one???
- I (probably) won't be able to bring any fish home?

but, "if"? I go Islander again for 2.5 days (guaranteed) -

- I get a guided boat ride to and from San Clemente island
- I get a stateroom for 2+ days
- I get 3 meals per day
- Bait and beer if I want (No host?)
- Freezer storage and cleaning (add $$ tip for cleaning) for the fish I catch
- Comraderie with like minded souls of NCKA
- I will have to pay for parking (shared $$)
- Driving expenses to and from the Central Coast
- I catch exotic fish that I usually don't have access to.
- $$ Tip for the crew, "if?" I choose.
- I'm retired, so for me it's doable  !

Just sayin', nuff said.

I Zod Out

I got no skin in this game, but I'm thinking why don't you guys organize a trip to fish La Jolla?  June is my favorite month for LJ as the pelagics start to show but the reef and kelp species are also at their strongest.  You guys can stay at the same hotel and while you may not have 3 meals made for you daily, you have the option to drive not too far in any direction for some excellent food.  With enough guys on the water, you can fan out and hunt in wolf packs north, south and west. 

Ya know? Thinking about this price increase, I have considered the following;

For $875 -
- I could buy a round trip plane ticket to Hawaii or Cabo = $$$
- I may have $500+ left over for food, lodging, island travel, boat ride etc. = not enough $$$
- I probably need more like $1500 + to make it doable with enough time and extras?
- I won't have my kayak or fishing gear (unless I opt to drive 1337 miles and 33.5 hours to Cabo, then back)?
- I won't have a guide unless I know someone, or hire one???
- I (probably) won't be able to bring any fish home?

but, "if"? I go Islander again for 2.5 days (guaranteed) -

- I get a guided boat ride to and from San Clemente island
- I get a stateroom for 2+ days
- I get 3 meals per day
- Bait and beer if I want (No host?)
- Freezer storage and cleaning (add $$ tip for cleaning) for the fish I catch
- Comraderie with like minded souls of NCKA
- I will have to pay for parking (shared $$)
- Driving expenses to and from the Central Coast
- I catch exotic fish that I usually don't have access to.
- $$ Tip for the crew, "if?" I choose.
- I'm retired, so for me it's doable  !

Just sayin', nuff said.

I Zod Out

I got no skin in this game, but I'm thinking why don't you guys organize a trip to fish La Jolla?  June is my favorite month for LJ as the pelagics start to show but the reef and kelp species are also at their strongest.  You guys can stay at the same hotel and while you may not have 3 meals made for you daily, you have the option to drive not too far in any direction for some excellent food.  With enough guys on the water, you can fan out and hunt in wolf packs north, south and west.

was thinkin somethin similar...maybe airbnb a house on the beach?  take a few charter trips?  i'm pretty much still in pending a date.  we were invited to a real good friends beach house in cancun sometime in june too.  decisions.

I got no skin in this game, but I'm thinking why don't you guys organize a trip to fish La Jolla?  June is my favorite month for LJ as the pelagics start to show but the reef and kelp species are also at their strongest.  You guys can stay at the same hotel and while you may not have 3 meals made for you daily, you have the option to drive not too far in any direction for some excellent food.  With enough guys on the water, you can fan out and hunt in wolf packs north, south and west.

I've fished La Jolla a few times, and while it's a really cool place to fish, it's nothing like fishing San Clemente Island. There's way more options at SCI.

I got no skin in this game, but I'm thinking why don't you guys organize a trip to fish La Jolla?  June is my favorite month for LJ as the pelagics start to show but the reef and kelp species are also at their strongest.  You guys can stay at the same hotel and while you may not have 3 meals made for you daily, you have the option to drive not too far in any direction for some excellent food.  With enough guys on the water, you can fan out and hunt in wolf packs north, south and west.

I've fished La Jolla a few times, and while it's a really cool place to fish, it's nothing like fishing San Clemente Island. There's way more options at SCI.

It's interesting how our perspectives are shaped.  I'm sure I have dive buddies that feel the same and it's probably true. 

Whatever happens, I hope you guys get the trip you want. 

I'd rather fish La Jolla than pretty much anywhere else in CA, and I still don't think it's anything close to an Islander trip. Just the whole mothership aspect of it is what makes it so great. If the bite is slow or the wind is blowing too hard you can pack everyone up and move to the calm side of the island. If the YT aren't biting you can almost always scratch up a stellar calico bite. Or if the halibut aren't biting you can move in and target monster goats. If you aren't connecting on the WSB you're looking for you can always drop down some squid and wrangle up some whitefish.....or troll for threshers. Hell, I'd hop on an Islander trip just to catch bonito on lite line.

Plus, I'm not sure there's too many people who have caught nine yellowtail over a two day period at La Jolla. I did it fairly easily last year at SCI.

And that's just the fishing!!

I'm gonna go cry somewhere now...

I understand.  I have friends that can limit out on big YT off pinnacles of SCI.  But just as often, their reports can be dismal and often not as good as local inshore.  Or the navy closes off certain areas even though the weather is perfect.

And because I've never done a trip (kayak mothership) like these, I can't knowledgeably speak on it; however, I can totally understand having a group of friends together on a boat sharing the experience. 

That being said, here are some things I've actually done in LJ and nearshore.  I think it's a worthy consideration especially when the cost of the boat is getting prohibitive.

June is my favorite month for big LJ.  The schools of mackerel stream in followed by YT.  The biggest YT I ever encountered was at the bottom on the edge of the kelp.  I would hesitate to guess on weight as even close friends look at me with a disbelief.  But the CA record for speared YT came from LJ, in June I believe. 

And while I don't know the numbers of YT caught over two days, but I know of guys that have caught multiple BIG YT over the course of days. 

With the mackerel there could be bonito and barracuda depending on water temp, but their presence wouldn't be uncommon.  I've seen bonito schools so thick that I would string 3 bonito with one shot.  Then I try to hand feed the giant BSB that come to investigate the sound of my gun going off.  I've had them try to swallow my speared WSB.  They are thugs.   

The grumpy sand bass are usually clustered on the bottom 20' of the kelp edge with the females looking very swollen and laden with roe.  There are what I call calico trees which are clusters of kelp stalks that hide hundreds of calicos.  I don't like hunting for halibut.  I don't like staring at sand. 

There are depth ledges in the canyon where I've caught limits of vermillions.  Every single fish was a verm.  Most not big. 

This doesn't happen every year, but given a "normal" year, I can expect at least some of these aspects. 

Another fun and under reported fishery are the bone fish at the back of SD bay.  There is a launch ramp in Chula Vista that is very close to the fishing grounds.  Wife and I caught 7 bonefish up to 1.5lbs in under 3 hours, and we didn't have electronics or otherwise know what we were doing.  Then a lunch at one of many excellent Mexican joints in CV. 

This is the first year I've missed diving socal.  I might manufacture enough enthusiasm to do a trip this June. 

Nate

Or how about taking kayaks over to the northern Channel islands on Island Packers out of SB? 

I'd be down to do non yak Islander trip....

It would work for divers.

Just heard from my buddy Jim down south. He is a big part of the kayak scene down there. The Islander told him they are probably not moving forward with any motherships. He sent me their message to him...these are some partial quotes of a text the Islander sent him...he copied it to me directly from the message they sent Him.

"Not sure if moving forward anymore"

"Wear and tear on the boat eats up more repairs"

"kayak fishermen are not willing to pay"

They even mentioned "replacing outboards".  How the heck was that any of us kayakers fault. It was the deckhands fault...not following the Captain's specific directions to connect the safety cable...which they didn't.

GREAT NEWS.  Jims friend  is in the process of setting up Cedros trips. Fully guided. Fly into Cedros, lodge on the island, and includes fully rigged Hobie Outbacks. As soon as I get the full details I will post here.

GREAT NEWS.  Jim is in the process of setting up Cedros trips. Fully guided. Fly into Cedros, lodge on the island, and includes fully rigged Hobie Outbacks. As soon as I get the full details I will post here.

My buddies always refer to Cedros as "La Jolla, 100 years ago..."  That would be a fun trip.

i'd like to take some money and do a caravan down to baja sur...

GREAT NEWS.  Jims friend  is in the process of setting up Cedros trips. Fully guided. Fly into Cedros, lodge on the island, and includes fully rigged Hobie Outbacks. As soon as I get the full details I will post here.

With these guys?

http://www.cedroskayakfishing.com/

Then there's Panama ... we're heading there at the end of May!   
$1200 for full jungle lodging and 5 days of fishing.  Yesterday, flights were <$400.

http://www.panamakayakadventure.com/index.html

-Allen

Yikes. .the Cedros thing is a bit pricey. ...