Tag Archives: California

Trip News

01.17.22 SCI pre-booking is over… It is go time

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The San Clemente Island kayak mothership trip pre-booking period is now over. That means that if you are a newcomer to this trip or have joined us in the past (just not recently)… then now is the time to book. We are at about 60% overall sold. So the opportunity to join our trips is high if you act quickly.

Fresh & Salty Trips

Both dates are 100% sold out. We are accepting waiting list bookings in the event that someone cancels. Please contact the Fresh & Salty trip leaders via the Facebook group page to get on the waiting list.

  • 6/2/22 – 6/5/22 (100% booked)
  • 6/9/22 – 6/12/22 (100% booked)

CCKF Trips

This trip is oddly not sold out yet. This is usually one of our most contested trips.

  • 6/12/22 – 6/15/22 (65% booked)

2.5 Day Trips

These trips are not sold out yet. We expect these dates to book out within the next 48 hours.

  • 6/23/22 – 6/26/22 (65% booked)
  • 6/30/22 – 7/3/22 (50% booked)

3.5 Day Trips

These trips are not sold out yet. We expect these dates to book out within the next 48 hours.

  • 6/26/22 – 6/30/22 (50% booked)
  • 7/6/22 – 7/10/22 (75% booked)

Ready to Book?

Head to the trip page to complete a booking form:

Trip News

01.11.22 Was someone asking about dates?

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Sorry about the delay folks… we had a bout of COVID run through our homes that brought everything to a halt. Fortunately, we are all better now and ready to get right back at it.

We mentioned in our last major post that we were changing how we are managing these kayak mothership trips to improve the customer experience, both behind the scenes and while you are out there fishing. As the demand grows for this trip, so do the administrative tasks such as booking, managing the roster, managing cancellations, payments, preparing our customers for their adventure and much more. We are prepared and in a good place to make the 2022 kayak mothership season the best season yet.

This is a reminder that we are not accepting any bookings from our website, DMs or text messages at this time. We are in the process of contacting every single guest from the 2021 season, including those that pushed their reservation to 2022. If you were on any of our 2021 SCI kayak mothership trips (including the trips that converted to tuna), you will have first right of refusal. Once we have contacted every single person, we will open up booking to the public.

Central Coast Kayak Fishing (CCKF) Trip

  • 6/12/22 – 6/15/22 (2.5 day) — Ryan Howell
  • Second trip is available if the demand is there

We have three community group trips this year. These trips are for their community… for their folks. This creates an environment where the group supports each other and helps each other be successful.

Ryan Howell has been running community group trips for Fish Village for years now and they consistently report back great fishing, fun times and incredible first time experiences. His Central Coast Kayak Fishing (CCKF) community is a solid group of kayak anglers that support each other, support Fish Village and support the overall kayak fishing community.

RETURNING GUESTS: We will contact you and give you first chance to book before we open up to the public. If the dates don\’t work out for you and you want to go on another trip, you certainly can choose to do that.

Fresh & Salty (Fns) Trips

  • 6/2/22 – 6/5/22 (2.5 day) — Cameron & Kei
  • 6/9/22 – 6/12/22 (2.5 day) — Junior & Ricky

Last year we introduced norCal\’s Fresh n Salty to our kayak mothership trip with Robert Field, host of YouTube\’s Field Trips show, and they absolutely loved it. They had the highest fish count of any trip.

The loved it so much, that we had to secure two (2) trips for their group because over 120 FnS anglers tried to book one (1) trip last year… so we had to up to ante for them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

BOOKING PROCESS: Due to the high demand for these trips, we felt that it would be best to have FnS leaders organize the trip roster and help facilitate communications between Fish Village and the group. This means that Cameron, Kei, Junior and Ricky will be organizing the roster and Fish Village will manage the billing and payments.

This is a reminder that we are not accepting any bookings from our website, DMs or text messages at this time. We are in the process of contacting every single guest from the 2021 season including those that pushed their reservation to 2022. If you were on any of our 2021 SCI kayak mothership trips (including the trips that converted to tuna), you will have first right of refusal. Once we have contacted every single person, we will open up booking to the public.

2.5 day Kayak Mothership Trips

  • 6/23/22 – 6/26/22
  • 6/30/22 – 7/3/22

3.5 day Kayak Mothership Trips

  • 6/26/22 – 6/30/22
  • 7/6/22 – 7/10/22

Fish Village will once again be partnering up with Pure Watersports of Dana Point and Oceanside to bring southern California anglers four (4) more kayak mothership trips for the 2022 season. Last year we introduced the 3.5 day format which quickly sold out and ended up being one of the best trips of the season. Having the honor of marrying two people on a perfect sun kissed evening was one of the highlights of 2021. An incredible memory for all involved. Sooo… we had to add another 3.5 day trip.

RETURNING GUESTS: We will contact you and give you a chance to book before we open up to the public.

In closing, if you have been on our trips and want to come back… WECLOME BACK! We sure do appreciate your patronage and support over the years. If you have never been on this trip and want to join in on the fun, hold tight your shot is coming.

More SCI news coming on Thursday 1/13. We always post to our website first… so keep your eyes peeled for another update.

Trip News

01.09.22 Field Trips San Clemente Island Part 1 is LIVE

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Before Rob was a partner, he was the dude that was inspiring us on YouTube just like he does today for so many people. Every time there is a Field Trips episode staring a Fish Village trip it gets me all excited… like a kid waiting for Disneyland to open.

Last year Rob joined the inaugural Fresh n Salty + Fish Village 2.5 kayak mothership charter to knock another new species off his list, capture some amazing content and help share how much fun these trips are with the kayak fishing community.

This trip was overbooked due to incredibly high demand which means I was not able to join. Rob looked at me and said… \”You are not going?\” and then said \”Well that is good because I brought nothing and need to borrow everything…\”

Jokes aside… what impresses me is that he was grinding with his edits, flying all over the place, visiting his Mom, gets no sleep and sticks a 32 inch \’calibut\’ (thanks Nic, gonna use that more often) on the first day. This is why he has a show.

Oh… and thanks for sticking my kayak with my gaff. And one last thing… all of the west coast and Mexico forgive you about irons. Jesse and I are having a good chuckle about this one. Thanks to Field Trips… irons may finally catch on in southern California and Mexico.

Enjoy part 1 now with part 2 coming on Thursday.

Trip News

01.05.22 We missed you… WE ARE BACK!

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To say that we have missed you is an understatement. We miss you, we miss your stories about our trips, we miss the trips, we miss Australia, we miss New Zealand and we miss everything that makes us all feel normal. I know for a fact that you all feel the same way.

Bottom line, we got our ass kicked by the results of a changing economy, government rules regarding travel and endless rounds of COVID. Our entire trajectory changed after March 2020.

Our soul was gutted, our drive emptied and with our heads hanging low we found inspiration in our family members, our friends and our fans of Fish Village. We weren\’t sure how to proceed, however many of you felt that we weren\’t done with our journey. I have had countless conversations with people telling us how we inspire them to get out, fish, meet new people. The kayak fishing community has come to appreciate what we are trying to build and this is the reason we can\’t just say sorry… we are done.

We thank you for the love, support and understanding about how COVID has impacted us. We know that YOU have been impacted, that you have felt the pain too. We feel for each and every one of you for the pain and suffering you have all endured… it seems that no one has been spared except for Jeff Bezos, he seems to be doing alright.

So, what does 2022 look like. For starters… I hope 2022 is infinitely better than the last two years for everyone. With that being said… we have a say in some of this and we are saying… FUCK IT. Let\’s grow our trip trip offering where we can. Let\’s reach for the stars and continue to push the limits of kayak fishing adventures ONE freaking trip at a time.

San Clemente Island Kayak Mothership Trips

  • Stepping up to seven (7) trips this season
  • Five (5) x 2.5 days trips
    • 1 x Central Coast Kayak Fishing
    • 2 x Fresh n Salty
    • 2 x Pure Watersports
  • Two (2) x 3.5 days trips
    • 2 x Friends of Fish Village
  • 2.5 day – $955 w/ $300 deposit
  • 3.5 day – $1,390 w/ $400 deposit
  • Credit and debit cards will be accepted with no additional fees.
  • If deposit is not received within seven (7) days, we will cancel your booking

2022 Booking Process Changes

The biggest change in 2022 is…

If you went on our trip in 2021, you will have first right of refusal AFTER we place people that pushed their reservation from 2021 to 2022 due to trip changes last year. We have a small number of folks that meet this criteria. We will reach out to them first and then reach out to every single person that booked with us last year.

As a result of having some people spillover from last year, we could end up overbooked. If this scenario occurs, we will remove the last booked person(s) from the 2021 roster. We don\’t anticipate much contention here.

With the exception of Central Coast Kayak Fishing (CCKF) and Fresh & Salty trips, if the weather is not permitting of kayak fishing operations at the islands, we will convert to tuna trips. Refunds will not be offered unless the Islander cannot run the boat at all.

CCKF and FNS community trips will be managed by their community leaders with payments handled by Fish Village.

So what does this mean to you? Well if you booked and were on the final roster last year, there is an incredibly high probability that you will end up on another trip. We will contact you within the next ten (10) days.

If you did not book with us last year or cancelled, you will have a chance to book after our customers have responded.

We are moving towards this approach to reward the patronage and loyalty of our customers. We had too many problems with people telling us that they didn\’t receive our email, thus we feel this is no longer the right approach. This won\’t be our approach for every trip we create and sell, but it feels right for our San Clemente Island kayak mothership trips.

This is the first communication of many regarding our SCI kayak mothership trips. Please be patient as we reach out to everyone and start the booking process.

We thank you for your support and look forward to an incredible SCI season in June and early July.

Event News

Fishing w/ Friends Kayak Fishing Tournament Series 2021

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This is our hometown favorite monthly tournament. No big egos, just a small friendly tournament amongst locals and friends…. with a big cook-out at the end. This is a good way to connect with the local Orange County kayak fishing scene.

When

  • Saturday June 19th
  • Saturday July 17th
  • Saturday August 14th
  • Saturday September 18th
  • Saturday October 16th
  • Saturday November 13th
  • Saturday December 11th

Where

Dana Point California

Registration

Sign-in on the day of the tournament directly at the shop. If you are launching on your own at a different location, please be sure to sign up before heading out.

Event Details

Format is very simple: Entry fee is $10 with the largest legal fish taking all. No sharks, rays, skate’s, etc. Very simple rules: no sponsors, no raffles, no prizes, no points, NO HASSLE.  An optional $5 big bass side pot is offered for those that are going to target bass.

Start time @ 7 A.M. with weigh-in @ 2 P.M. Weigh-in and post tournament pot luck at Pure Watersports. Parking will be available for those early launchers. Gate to launch will open at 6:30 A.M., and will close at 7:30 A.M.

Pure Watersports relocated our business earlier this year and will be testing how the new facility will work for this tournament.  Parking is much better, but can still be problematic.  Access to the new facility is through the Embarcadero gate off Dana Point Harbor Drive.  There is a fee for this access and you will be able to use the commercial launch ramp and parking area.  The alternative is to park in the \”Employee/Retail\” parking lot that is accessed off Golden Lantern in the harbor.  Once you launch your kayak, check in at the store which is directly across the water.

Post Tournament Potluck

The owners of Pure Watersports host a potluck after the event with the main course always provided by them. They rely on us to bring drinks, sides and desserts, please no alcohol.

[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps?q=Pure%20Watersports%20Dana%20Point%20California&output=embed&hl=en-US&z=16&w=425&h=350]

Dana Point Related News

Trip News

07.14.21 Congrats to the Miller family

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As you all know, we have been busy with our annual San Clemente Island kayak mothership trips. We have so much to share with you… so many incredible moments that we were blessed to be a part of. One of those moments was particularly special because I was honored to perform my first wedding as an officiant. Not just any wedding… a kayak fishing wedding.

The story starts off with a conversation with Steve Miller. First, he wasn\’t able to book two (2) spots initially because we sold out so quickly. As fate would have it… a spot opened up for him and Felicia and they took it. From there Steve asked if they could get married on the Islander. A few emails and calls later we had a wedding plan.

If a kayak fishing couple wants to get married on one of our kayak mothership trips… you better believe I am marrying them. An online application, a few questions later… I was ordained.

Weather has been threatening just about every trip we ran this year. Winds at one point were un-safe to launch kayaks, so we converted to bluefin tuna trips. This trip looked doomed at one point… but thanks to the hard work and dedication of owner John Conniff and Captain Pete, we had three great days of fishing culminating with one of the nicest days I have ever had at San Clemente Island. They found the only spots not blowing and gave all of us a chance to catch fish. This also created the best window and backdrop for a kayak fishing wedding.

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Thank you Theresa for the great shot!

I wasn\’t the only person that recognized the special moment… the Islander crew went out of their way to make Steve and Felicia\’s day special. Shortly before sunset we all gathered at the stern for a quick reading and vows. My Dad was the official witness (super cool), Jake (Islander crew), took photos, Theresa (Fish Village customer), helped with her dress and filmed the ceremony, Mike (Islander chef) prepared the absolute best meal I have ever eaten on the Islander, duck breast with some crazy orange sauce (that was AMAZING) and made a freaking cake!!! Champagne and bourbon flowed throughout the evening.

I was overrun with emotions and I wasn\’t the one getting married. Seeing everyone come together for a stranger\’s wedding was a gift. I was hearing hooting and hollering from all over the boat. I know with conviction that I am surrounded by the best customers and partners like Islander Sportfishing. Thank you to each and everyone of you for making this moment special for Steve and Felicia.

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Today I got a text from Felicia stating that the county accepted their finalized marriage certificate which makes this official! I am super proud to introduce Mr. Steve and Mrs. Felicia \”Fish\” Miller. May you have endless years of happiness and never stop fishing! I could never thank you enough for this honor!

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Trip News

06.01.21 SCI kayak mothership trip season is upon us

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We have been talking about this for months… the time is near. \”Kayakers… assemble!!!!!!!\”

The last bit of payments are trickling through which means that it is almost time to get the band back together. The Islander crew is hard at work getting the boat dialed in for our six (6) kayak mothership trips. They are even sneaking in a few tuna trips already… they will be primed and ready for us as they always are.

If you are going on this trip… here is what you can expect from Fish Village… One (1) week from your departure date you will receive an email from us with details about your trip, when to arrive, where to park and what to expect. We will also include a link to our web based Trip Guide that answers all of these questions and more.

Some of you have asked, so here is an update on COVID… There will be no COVID protocols enforced. Anyone can wear a mask if they choose to, however it will not be required.

If FOMO (fear of missing out) is setting in… don\’t worry, you can score a last second opening. We have one spot open on each of the following trips:

  • 6/10 – 6/13
  • 6/20 – 6/23
  • 7/1 – 7/4

If this sounds like you… hop on! Click here to book.

These trips would not have happened without the support of these two incredible kayak fishing communities:

These two communities share a common love for kayak fishing which is near and dear to our hearts. Without them, we would not grown from four (4) to six (6) trips during a pandemic nonetheless. Incredible support from two incredible groups!

We would also like to thank Pure Watersports, Reebs Lures, Hobie Fishing and Islander Charters for making these trips possible. We partner with the best to offer the very best experience possible. Thank you for being great at what you do!

Trip News

04.19.20 We have 2021 SCI trip openings

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When talking about San Clemente Island kayak mothership trips… a cancelled booking doesn\’t mean bad news. No sir, no ma\’m. It means opportunity for someone else that wants to go on this trip.

Did you want to go on our trip but missed out? Now is your chance and probably the final chance of the 2021 San Clemente Island kayak mothership season.

Book Now
Trip DatesTrip LengthTrip CostStatus
6/10 – 6/132.5 days$875Sold out
6/17 – 6/202.5 days $875 2 spots open
6/20 – 6/232.5 days $875 1 spot open
6/24 – 6/272.5 days $875 Sold out
7/1 – 7/42.5 days $875 4 spots open
7/4 – 7/83.5 days $1,300 2 spots open

This message is being sent to the San Clemente Island kayak mothership email waiting list, posted here on our website and across our social platforms as well. The point being… the spots will NOT be open for long. Act now!

Village Talk

02.01.21 An octopus walked into a bar…

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This story is about our dumb luck friend Charlie… for the record, he even named his new boat Dumb Luck. This story took place easily five (5) years ago, if not longer while fishing the kelp beds off of the Strands out of Dana Point California.

The day started off as usual, we rolled into the Pure Watersports parking lot late (thanks Joe), Charlie was impatient and nothing went to plan. At some point we launched and charged north towards the headlands. We were in search of sheephead and big bass.

See… we do a lot of shit talking. I am pretty confident that the majority of the banter exchanged between Joe, Charlie, Tommy and I is largely nonsense. So with that knowledge… imagine how this would go down:

Charlie blurts out \”I got something\” over the radio. For the most part, we didn\’t think much of it. Then we heard him start screaming… not the big fish kind of screaming, more like laughing and terrified at the same time.

We couldn\’t understand what was going on… not that it mattered because he started heading our direction. As Chuckles started to get closer, we realized that he had an octopus on his line. This is where it gets hilarious.

Apparently Charlie does NOT like octopuses… As he was trying to figure out how to remove an animal with 8 arms, a beak and squirts ink on ya we chimed in and said… \”Whatever you do, don\’t let it touch your kayak!\” SMACK!

That was the sound of the octopus sticking onto Charlie\’s kayak which provoked Charlie to climb onto his seat and threaten to abandon ship and swim back. We laughed so hard. Fortunately for Charlie… the big bad mini octopus (yeah that is right, it was small) worked it\’s way to the bottom of his kayak and eventually let go and swam off. Both Charlie and the octopus (that is a good title for a book) were safe and unharmed.

Thanks again Charlie for a good laugh!

Trip News

01.28.21 2021 SCI Kayak Mothership Trip Guides

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Today our 2021 San Clemente Island Kayak Mothership trip guests received our newly updated Trip Guide. This web based Trip Guide helps our customers prepare for their trips.

Imagine the number of questions people have when going on a new trip. We don\’t like anyone to be surprised or worse… un-prepared.

Our Trip Guide will provide you with answers to our most commonly asked questions. This includes insights on where to meet, what to bring, how to pack, parking, trip itinerary and more.

Below is a sample of what our customers receive (please note this is a screenshot, thus the links will not work):

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