All posts by fishvillage_jpymz2

Trip News

10.18.22 We have a spot open on our first New Zealand trip

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We had a cancellation on our first group to New Zealand. This means we have one (1) spot open on our first trip back to New Zealand since the pandemic started. The rest of the group is already locked in and fired up to go.

New Zealand is significantly easing up on their COVID restrictions for US based travelers. As of now, there is no proof of COVID vaccination required. This has of course changed since we announced this trip last month. Things are moving fast around the world and governments are moving away from COVID vaccination requirements.

So if this was a road block for you before… it ain\’t no more! Sooooo hit us up and join us for this epic adventure with Robert Field and Marty Gittens as your host for 9 days in New Zealand.

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Trip News

09.10.22 Who wants to go to New Zealand… BOOK NOW

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We have been talking about this day for years… we even false started back in March 2020 right when the pandemic kicked off it\’s world tour. Well, the day is now. You can book yourself on a trip to New Zealand, touring their beautiful waters surrounding Great Barrier Island via the Bounty Hunter mothership. The experience is truly worthy of the word epic. So what are you waiting for?

Ohhh… did we mention that Mr. Field Trips himself will be on this trip? We couldn\’t want to kick-off these trips with anyone else! Robert Field will be there doing what Robert does best… catching fish and telling us about it!

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Trip Cost

$3,999 w/ $1,000 deposit

Trip Date

2/10/23 – 2/19/23

Trip Overview

Nine (9) day adventure off of the North Island of New Zealand. This trip offers at least five (5) days aboard the mothership with potential for additional days if weather permits. Package includes:

  • Six guest(s)
  • At least five (5) days of fishing
  • Up to four (4) nights hotel/bunkhouse
  • Roundtrip group transfers
  • Bounty Hunter mothership charter fees, meals and bottled water
  • Catch fishing tackle sampler pack
  • BerleyPro rigged Hobie kayaks
  • PFDs

To learn more about this trip, click here.

If anyone is lacking motivation… head down memory lane with Robert Field. These two playlists represent the last two times we visited New Zealand. I have watched these videos at least 5 times each.

Trip News

09.08.22 We care about the details… so it is taking a bit longer

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Based on the number questions we have already fielded… we think that there is a better way to serve up information about our upcoming New Zealand kayak mothership trip. We took a few steps back to re-think how we are presenting vital trip information to anyone that is interested in this trip.

We will have a new detailed trip page ready for general consumption within the next 48 hours. This new format combines our Trip Pages with our Trip Details pages giving you a comprehensive view into our trips. Check it the screenshot below…

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Hang tight… we are almost there.

Trip News

09.03.22 Finally, it is time to go back to New Zealand

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The last time we went to New Zealand… something happened to the world. I forgot the name of it… something \’vid. Well FUCK COVID and the horse it rode in on. It is time to resume normal operations… well, a new normal.

This wasn\’t accomplished by ourselves… this was not done in silo. This is 2+ years of work between two incredible teams Fish Village and BerleyPro… but we feel uncomfortable even saying that… this is really the mad science behind the legend of Marty Gittens. He is the guy that connects all of the dots, fills gaps and makes this trip so easy for us to plan for. Logistics for trips like this is not easy… so bravo to Marto for his persistence! We are so incredibly fortunate to work with Marty and call him our friend. Through his incredible commitment to the kayak fishing community we have created a path for Americans and other international travelers to join Marty and Captain Aaron of Bounty Hunter Charters on one of the most exotic and equally unique bucket list kayak fishing destinations on planet Earth.

We ain\’t playing no more… it is time to start sending people over to New Zealand to experience what we have experienced ourselves. So what does that mean?

The official entry requirement for ANYONE entering New Zealand is that you must be fully vaccinated. If you are not vax\’d, you have to go through a very long and costly protocol that will almost certainly result in your decision to not go on this trip. So for that reason, you must be vax\’d. This is not a political statement or a stance… it is just the reality and we cannot afford to not be 100% transparent about the expectations of this trip. New Zealand took the hardest stance on protecting their citizens when compared to any other country. We have to play by their rules if we want to fish for giant snapper and even bigger yellowtail kingfish.

We are working through the weekend to make this trip available to book by early next week (most likely by Tuesday 9/6). Until then… you are just going to have to wait! Brutal… I know.

Sending love and appreciation to the following people… First and foremost to my wife Sylvia… for putting up with this chaos and for being the point of contact for our customers. Marty Gittens, Stephen Tapp, Robert Field, Nic Gadouas, Joseph Martinez, Ivy Harris, Brooks Beatty, Aaron Covacich and Jesse Landry… all of your contributions are not lost on me… I repeat, this was NOT a silo victory.

Love to you all!

Company News

08.24.22 Our first attempt at a podcast was a complete failure

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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!

Trip News

08.11.22 Have you ever met anyone from Mississippi?

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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!!!

Trip News

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

Company News

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

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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!

Village Talk

08.02.22 The Marty Chronicles: \”Your son\’s are in jail\”

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One of the perks of this gig is that I have been truly honored to meet people that I would have never met if it weren\’t for kayak fishing. One of those people is Marty Gittens of BerleyPro and Tasline. I met him personally on my second visit to Los Buzos in Panama when my brother Tommy joined in on the fun.

Let\’s skip past the part where Marty separates his shoulder fishing in a zone that we were all told to avoid… just a flipped kayak and a visit to the Panamanian emergency room… no biggie.

We\’ll fast forward to the part where Marty convinces me to use my cell to call my Mom. It went something like this… \”Hi, is this Patty Ponce? This is the Australian police department and we have your son\’s in custody.\” What was exactly said is a little fuzzy. We were um… intoxicated by the flavors of Panama.

My Mom was more confused than anything… she wasn\’t convinced that we were in Australia, but she was on edge knowing that both of her son\’s were out of the country. After a few questions casting doubt on Marty\’s story, she heard one of our laughs (we are not quiet kids) and the story fell apart. Needless to say, she was not amused.

Only a few days into knowing Marty and I knew this much… I like this guy!

Company News

08.02.22 How Is It August Already?

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July marked the end of our 2022 kayak mothership season here in California. I could have sworn that was yesterday when in reality that was a few weeks ago. I feel old… all I heard as a kid was how the time flies… the months go by faster and faster… blah blah blah. Well shit… say it ain\’t so.

We have some fun plans for the month of August…

  • Marty Gittens of BerleyPro and Tasline will be in town visiting us before he heads back to Australia
  • News about the 2023 New Zealand season
  • Our first 4 podcasts will be recorded
  • News about the 2023 SCI Kayak Mothership season
  • A custom built Crafted Fishing Rods tuna rod reveal (it is a thing of beauty)

This past weekend we visited with our friends from Heroes on the Water and Mad Anglers down in San Diego. It was the first event for the group under the new chapter leadership. We showed up to support our vets and to support our friends that make this great organization possible. It was well organized, a lot of community support. tons of kayaks with great people talking about healing. We learned so much. We\’ll share more about this event in an upcoming blog later this week.