Trip News

11.10.20 CA, AZ, NM and now TEXAS

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We have been charging eastbound on I-10 for nearly two (2) days now and we are still not quite half way to our final Louisiana destination… but that is OK because we are having a blast.

Pops aka Mr. Steve Ponce is leading the charge by pulling the 24 ft. trailer with Joe and I shooting anything and everything that looks interesting. Our Canon\’s are getting a workout.

Monday 11/9 – 380 miles driven

We started a bit late due to some unexpected complications, fortunately it was a minor delay and we didn\’t have much of a schedule planned for the first day. So instead of making it to Tucson on night one, we only made it to Phoenix… this is largely due to the massively awesome dinner we had at Bobby Q\’s in Phoenix.

We just couldn\’t help ourselves… and we are so glad we stopped there. All we talked about in the car is where are we going to eat next… if you know my Dad, Joe or myself… then you know that we signed up for this road trip as a means to eat our way across America.

Tuesday 11/10 – 450 miles driven

We started our day around 7 AM searching for quality coffee for my Dad… Best Western had instant coffee and my Dad wasn\’t having that. So Joe found a Starbucks around the corner and the problem was solved… onward.

We traveled thru the rest of southern Arizona and crossed over into New Mexico by noon. We knew at this point that we could make it to at least El Paso before the day was over… we are officially back on schedule.

I spent a tremendous amount of time in Arizona in my twenties… but never anything east of Tucson. This road trip is providing the three of us the opportunity to experience the southwest and parts of the southeast together for the first time. We are thoroughly enjoying it.

Joe is our resident internet finder of things and he has yet to lead us astray. We were initially discouraged because a lot of restaurants are closed in this area on Monday\’s and Tuesday\’s, however this lead to Joe\’s discovery.

We had a very casual dining experience at Chala\’s Wood Fire Grill in the neighboring city of Mesilla just outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico. This dinner was not only fantastic, but light on the wallet.

  • Amazing smoked sausage w/ New Mexico green chili
  • Quality beef (rib eye and NY steak)
  • Compound butter
  • Fresh goat cheese
  • Farm fresh organic produce
  • Crisp, fresh iced tea
  • + cinnamon sweet tea for my Dad

Everything we had at Chala\’s was incredible… from the simple fresh salad with quality greens and a zesty citrus chili sauce to the giant rib eyes that had my Dad singing.

The three (3) California fat dudes went to town and came out on top with a small bill, full belly\’s and a happy driver!

After dinner we drove another hour to finally cross into the Lonestar state with our sights on El Paso. 40+ miles later… I was able to grab a hot shower, share some Basil Hayden bourbon with Joe and write a blog post. Not a hard day, but a long one.

Tomorrow we hit the road hard to try to cover some ground… From El Paso we will easily hit 500 + miles before we call it a day. From there we have to charge to Houston because we have a date with Bugg\’s Fishing and our boy Rex of ActionHat. Rex has some fresh off the presses, red hot, brand new Fish Village apparel that we GOTTA get our hands on.

Lastly, Tropical Depression/Storm ETA… PLEASE GO AWAY! You are f\’n with my vibe!

Trip News

11.07.20 It is all coming together

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Time to pack up the NRS gear bags with all of our gear for our road trip to Louisiana. Hard to believe that we are heading out in less than two (2) days.

We have several packing lists considering we have a lot to take and we are responsible for at least six (6) kayaks, all of the kayak accessories and a whole lot more. Our packing lists ensure that we don\’t leave behind a key piece of equipment. Sure some could argue that I am super anal about organization… however that is precisely why are trips often go off without a hitch. Our attention to detail is what sets us apart.

This is just a tiny smidge of the items on our actual packing lists…

Fishing Gear

  • Kayaks (6)
  • Kayak accessories
  • Fishing rods
  • Fishing reels
  • Nets
  • Fish Village tackle
  • Team Tackle Packs (18)

Electronics

  • Cameras
  • Lenses
  • Tripods
  • Lights
  • Mounts
  • Batteries
  • Chargers

Food/Drinks

  • Breakfast snacks
  • Water
  • Pliny
  • California beer sampling
  • Candy
  • Salty nuts (insert jokes)
  • REDBULL (Psych Juice)

Though this trip is a scouting trip and not one of our polished adventures that we sell to our customers (not yet at least), we still aim to nail the experience for everyone involved. If we have an idea of what success feels like when we scout a location, then we stand a chance to deliver that experience to our customers.

Trip News

11.06.20 Cedros 2021 schedule is live

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About damn time right? Our release schedule is just starting to roll out for the 2021 season and Cedros Island gets to call dibs on the first release of the new season.

The 2020 season was cut short before it even got a chance to start. Fortunately the island never saw a case of COVID and they intend to keep that way. The Mexican government kept the island closed to tourism to protect the residents of the island. Though we were bummed that we couldn\’t run our trips… we completely understand.

We are expecting a different outcome in 2021. Not only do we expect to be able to run our trips to Cedros Island… we expect the fishing to be ON FIRE. The island hasn\’t been getting any pressure because it is closed… the fishing should be silly good!

We are running four (4) groups in 2021 starting in June. You just need to get to San Diego and our trip provider Cedros Kayak Fishing takes care of the rest. We are offering four (4) day and five (5) day packages.

Dates

  • 6/25/21 – 6/28/21 (4 day)
  • 6/28/21 – 7/2/21 (5 day)
  • 9/20/21 – 9/24/21 (5 day)
  • 10/15/21 – 10/18/21 (4 day)

Prices

  • 4 day – $2,100
  • 5 day – $2,500

Deposit

  • $500 due within 7 days of booking
  • $500 due by 1/15/21

If our inbox and social media dm\’s are any indication… we expect to sell out of these trips quickly. This would be great because it means people are traveling again, it means my good friend Jeff Mariani can continue the amazing work he built in Cedros and we can keep doing what we were meant to do.

So get on it! If you need a reminder, check out Rob\’s first visit to Cedros back in Oct 2019.

Trip News

11.03.20 This Louisiana trip keeps giving back… more contests

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You read that right… more contests. This trip has created so many unique opportunities and incredible relationships that we have to share it with you guys. Why… because that is what we do!

When you have support from NRS, Buggs Fishing, Z-Man, Bayou Buck Lures, Line Cutterz, Matrix Shad, Pure Waterports, BerleyPro, Tasline and ActionHat, we can\’t be greedy and keep it all to ourselves… or can we?

Don\’t worry… we won\’t do that to ya.

We have a nice tackle pack, much like the ones our entire team will be getting to giveaway in a contest. What can you expect in this redfish box of wow? A Plano 3600 filled with the same goodies that we are taking with us to Louisiana + a little something from NRS + Tasline + ActionHat. Serious… this is a bad ass giveaway.

Details about this mystery contest will be unveiled shortly before we hit the road. To keep up with our contests and shenanigan\’s in Louisiana… check out the Louisiana Road Trip 2020 page.

Trip News

11.02.20 So. Florida Spring Fiesta (3 trips in one) dates coming soon

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We wanted to create a So. Florida trip experience that hit all the right notes. Some kind of experience that paired kayak anglers with one of the best guides in the country and offer all three unique Florida fishing experiences. I think we nailed it!

  • Freshwater chasing Peacock bass and other exotics
  • Inshore chasing Snook and other famous Florida inshore species
  • Offshore targeting pelagics such as Sailfish, Mahi and Blackfin tuna
  • Lodging included
  • Transportation to and from the fishing zone
  • Lunch included on fishing days
  • Hobie fishing kayaks
  • Fishing guide

Well if you have been waiting for a small group trip like this… wait no more. As usual our Mailing List subscribers will get a first crack at this trip before we offer it to the public. Groups will be limited to three (3) anglers.

If you haven\’t subscribed to our mailing list yet, please do. It is free and we do NOT spam our customers. Subscribe now.

To learn more about this trip, head over to our trip page. To learn more about the South Florida region, head over to our location page.

Trip News

11.02.20 Now booking day trips in California and Florida

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Truth be told… we never stopped booking day trips. COVID certainly played a role in some slow months during the initial outbreak… but business has been booming ever since.

Our Dana Point inshore guided kayak fishing trip saw a big boost in trip inquiries and a respectable amount of bookings too. Brian of Pushin\’ Water Kayak Charters has been reporting full schedules as a result of people wanting to get out of their house and be outside.

So we thought that it was worth a mention that we are day trips are OPEN FOR BUSINESS. We don\’t have to book you for a week long adventure somewhere that requires you to have a passport, luggage and a mask… instead we can offer you simple day trips that don\’t break the bank.

Current Day Trip Offering as of 11/1

LocationDay Trip
Dana PointInshore Guided Kayak Fishing
So. FloridaFreshwater Guided Kayak Fishing
So. FloridaInshore Guided Kayak Fishing
So. FloridaOffshore Guided Kayak Fishing

To keep up with our day trip offerings… simply click on the links in the Current Day Trip Offering table.

If you haven\’t subscribed to our mailing list yet, please do. It is free and we do NOT spam our customers. Subscribe now.

Trip News

11.02.20 Cedros 2021 season dates coming this week

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As most of you already knew or assumed… 2020 was a bust for Cedros Island. COVID forced the Mexican government to shut down the island to tourism in order to protect their fragile community with very little medical infrastructure. Though we were bummed, we certainly understand that the people that call that call Cedros Island home come first. So we set our eyes on the future… that future is about to be released to Fish Village mailing list subscribers first.

This means that our mailing list subscribers will get first \”dibs\” on newly released and expected to sell out Cedros Island + Fish Village trips. The boys will be running a handful of groups next summer and we would love to see you join the party. Groups are small… 5 anglers + 1 Fish Village host.

We will be sending out the 2021 season dates to our mailing list subscribers on Tuesday 11/3. The dates will be public on Fish Village.com on Friday 11/6.

If you haven\’t subscribed to our mailing list yet, please do. It is free and we do NOT spam our customers. Subscribe now.

To learn more about this trip, head over to our trip page. To learn more about Cedros Island, Mexico, head over to our location page.

Trip News

11.02.20 San Clemente Island kayak mothership 2021 season update

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First off… we know you are pumped, we know that you want to book your next trip. We are asking for your patience.

Normally we would have announced the trip dates already, traditionally right around Halloween. This year is different due to COVID, the election and more. The Islander isn\’t announcing their 2021 season charter prices until early to mid November. This sets our overall schedule back by a few weeks.

We already have the dates for the 2021 season, however we cannot accept any bookings until we know what the price will be in 2021.

With a new season comes some re-defined rules for this adventure:

  • No Hobie Pro Anglers or ultra-wide kayaks
  • If you cannot swim, you cannot participate
  • VHF radios are mandatory
  • COVID waivers for cancellations will be required

If you are booking with more than 60 days before the trip, you can cancel within seven (7) days of booking and receive a full refund. Outside of that exception there will be no refunds issued.

And the biggest change to this season is that these trips will be Community Based trips meaning that each trip date will be reserved for a specific community, group or organization. This creates opportunities for groups to go on these trips with their village of friends and family members.

To learn more about this trip, head over to our trip page. To learn more about San Clemente Island, California head over to our location page.

Trip News

11.02.20 GBI New Zealand 2021 season dates (On Hold)

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We were so freaking excited about these trips when we launched them back in March. Unfortunately our new trip campaign coincided with the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak across the globe. This caused us to cancel our Dec 2020 trips with hopes of sparking up new dates in the spring of 2021.

COVID continues to damper our mood because we cannot land on a date that seems to be a lock for this trip. Instead we are monitoring the New Zealand travel website and the U.S. travel website like a hawk. When we see that you can safely travel without quarantine, we will open up the schedule again.

We want to send you on this trip… but we will NOT do so until it can be done safely.

To learn more about this trip, head over to our trip page. To learn more about Great Barrier Island, New Zealand, head over to our location page.

Trip News

11.01.20 One week away from this road trip actually happening

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HOLY SHIT! As I typed the blog title my heart started beating a bit faster. Am I saying holy shit because we aren\’t prepared… um NOPE. We are just about ready for this adventure… the only thing left is to actually make it all happen.

  • Road trip itinerary – CHECK
  • Tackle packs for 18 anglers + one giveaway pack – CHECK
  • Fishing gear ready – CHECK
  • Truck maintenance – CHECK
  • Out of office sign already on the door – CHECK

Basically the only thing left to do is to meet up with Above the Hook guys and Jesse Landry next weekend to grab their kayaks and fishing gear because we are hauling it across the country. How is that for service? We have this giant trailer available to us thanks to Tim and Chris Boyer of Pure Watersports so we might as well take our own kayaks and gear. A nice win for all of us traveling from California… our own boats in Louisiana.

Once we have all of the gear… it is time to batten down the hatches, close up the NRS Bill\’s bags, attach the trailer and GO. We are aiming to leave a week from tomorrow on Monday 11/9. This should put us in the Houston area by Wednesday night. First order of business in Houston is to visit a good friend of ours before stopping off to visit Heath from Buggs Fishing and Rex DeGuzman of ActionHat. From there we are off with Rex back on the road but this time as a convoy.

Remember… we will be blogging and posting a ridiculous amount of content throughout this trip. To keep up with it all, head to our Louisiana Road Trip 2020 page.