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06-19-2008, 11:28 AM
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Islander - Kayak Mothership Report w/ Pics!
 I got down to Fisherman’s Landing in downtown San Diego around 5pm on Sunday afternoon. We didn’t have to check in until 6 but I was anxious and wanted to get down there and hang out for a while. It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was out and a warm breeze filled the air. It wasn’t long before more of my fellow fishermen started arriving and unloading various kayaks from their vehicles.  I unloaded my kayaks, strapped on my wheels and headed for the boat docks. Before I even arrived at the boat, the crew was grabbing gear out my hand and loading it on the boat for me. Talk about good service. Within 45 minutes, they had 23 kayaks loaded on their custom kayak rack and we were underway. The Islander is one of the first boats to offer these unique trip and by far the best in the business. As we headed out of the harbor, Jason, the Captain, gave us rundown of what we were to expect on our 1.5 day fishing trip. The plan was to head South in Mexican waters and fish the coastal islands of Todos Santos and then head inshore to fish a rugged outcropping called Punta Banda. After the quick seminar, most people headed down to their deluxe air conditioned state rooms and passed out for the evening. We got a knock on our stateroom door around 5am and quickly made our way up to the galley for a hot breakfast. The Islander is known for its gourmet cuisine and this trip wasn’t any different. Breakfast consisted of French Bread French Toast with a whip cream and blueberry topping. After filling myself to capacity, I headed out on deck, outfitted my boat and launched out in search of fish.   I immediately headed into the crashing surf of the boiler rocks and began to pitch various weedless offerings but the calico bass didn’t want to bite. Next I headed out towards some birds that were circling about 2 miles out from where I was. I started making the long paddle and when was about halfway out, I saw something BIG. Between me and the birds, a tower rose up out of the water, 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet!! Directly in front of me, was the biggest living thing on Earth, a blue whale. It was a very humbling experience. The whale, the birds and even some yellowtail were all feeding on tiny little shrimp like animals called krill. I fished this area for the next few hours. I got 2 nice bites on my flylined sardine but couldn’t keep the fish on the hook. One angler got a nice yellowtail  Around 11:45, I headed back towards the boat in search of lunch. Like I mentioned before, the Islanded doesn’t skimp on food. We were treated with a ½ lb Bacon Avocado Burger. This thing was a beast, a ½ lb burger patty, cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, 6 strips of THICK cut bacon, an ENTIRE avocado, lettuce, onion and tomato. I couldn’t be more satisfied. After lunch, the Captain and crew loaded the kayaks and made the move towards Punta Banda.          As we approached rocky shoreline, I couldn’t help but get excited, this area looked very fishy. The crew quickly unloaded all the boats and sent us out on our way. I started fishing a nice 20 foot dropoff right next to the boat and got bit on my first, second, third and fourth cast! 4 nice lingcod in row. My next few drops produced a halibut, a cabezon and a few calicos. After several hours of wide open fishing, I headed back to the boat for the final time. The crew loaded my kayak and I headed inside for dry clothes and waited for dinner. The galley cooks set out some watermelon slices and hot wings for us to snack on while dinner was being prepared. Again, dinner was not a disappointment, Coffee Rubbed Southwest Pork Loin, Rice Pilaf and Roasted Green Beans followed by a Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake topped with Ice Cream. After dinner the guys from OEX Kayak Shops had a raffle with some really great prizes. By 9pm, there wasn’t anyone on deck or in the galley. Everyone had retired to their bunks, worn out by a long day of good kayak fishing. The next morning, we woke up back in San Diego. The crew had filleted all of our fish and they had already started unloading our gear. I loaded up my truck, tied my kayak down, headed out of the parking lot and made my way back into the real world.  If you want to go on one of these trips. Keep an eye out on the AKF forums. The Islander runs these trip in May and June. The 2009 trip will be announce soon here! As always, OEX Dive and Kayak centers sponsor these trips and you can call Brent at OEX Point Loma 619-758-9531 to book your spot
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