We are back from lovely Vancouver Island and are very happy to report on this amazing trip. The folks from Nootka Marine Adventures along with BC tourism did an amazing job at welcoming us, making us feel right at home and most importantly, putting us on some amazing fish.
We arrived late at night to a sky full of rain. When we rallied early the next morning there was a rare offshore calm begging us to add some excitement. The calm gave our kayaks a chance to drop in on some halibut and ling cod. We hooked a few ling and rock fish, but only landed the halibut which was hauled in on the support boat…but hey…at least we got to eat it!
Next we took part in the Moutcha Bay Annual Kayak Tournament. What a fantastic event! Myself and the crew were blown away by the remarkable attendance and the love the local anglers have for kayak fishing.
We had a wonderful few days after the tournament fishing the iconic, wild, BC rivers for salmon that had begun their move. Massive schools made shooting a breeze and we were able to catch and release about twenty gorgeous fish on film.
To close out our trip, we had one more day offshore. I managed to catch the elusive yellow eye rockfish that I have been hunting for and our friend, Kalani, hooked his first big ling.
With a fishery of world class proportions and the legendary scenery of ‘Beautiful British Columbia’, we are already planning our trip back!
For our most recent shoot, I headed back to the beautiful Ottawa Valley to fish on the mighty Ottawa River. ‘The Valley’ is home to Heliconia, the producers of our show, and it’s no wonder they’ve chosen this as home base – the fishing is unreal.
Exploring the many side channels on the Ottawa River
After many of our international trips being plagued by storms and wind, it was refreshing to see that the weather in the Ottawa Valley was going to be pretty consistent, if not incredibly hot. Most of the time, really hot days can really make for awesome evening bites, and this trip was no exception.
Nice largemouth!
Ken getting up close and personal with one of many fish caught on this trip
On this trip we switched things up a bit, with show producer Will Richardson playing guest host, while Ken Whiting joined us and took on the role of primary videographer for a few days. Will got to experience firsthand what it feels like to have bad luck in your home waters, as the topwater largemouth bite wasn’t on as much as we had hoped with the forecast.
Another nice largemouth
We then hooked up with the guys from Team Jackson Kayak, who were also shooting in the area. Having Brooks, Jameson, James and EJ along for this really helped logistically with shuttles, and for getting lots of different angled shots. We hit the water hard, running rapids and fishing for small mouth bass and pike. Our luck seemed to turn around, and needless to say, the Ottawa provided and we had a great time. I was paddling the Coosa HD on this trip, and loved every minute of it – it was really stable and comfortable, key for getting through some of the whitewater we encountered on this trip.
The man himself (Eric ‘EJ’ Jackson) ready to hit the water
Hanging out with the boys from Team Jackson Kayak
Scouting some of the bigger rapids on the Ottawa River
Following that, Jim joined up with local pros Dan and Manny in a secret location for some musky fishing. The boys put us on plenty of fish and we all came off the water with huge smiles.
Super secret location in the Ottawa Valley
Finally, we hooked up with musician and narrator for Kayak Bassin’Brock Zeman for a last day of fishing for largemouth on a small back channel. If you like our theme song for the show, Brock is the evil genius behind it! This was hands down one of the best days of fishing of our lives, as those bass were all over our topwater frogs.
Getting serenaded by Brock Zeman on the water…not sure what to think about that.
Brock with another nice bass
The Ottawa River always provides us sunny skies, warm water and awesome fishing. We’re already looking forward to our next trip back to the Ottawa Valley.
It is hard to believe we have finished shooting for our seventh season on the air and are days away form the start of shooting for season eight.
We visited some amazing places and fished with wonderful people in 2015. In all honesty it was one of our tougher years fishing and weather wise but we pulled together and I think we got some great footage that will make for some real fun shows.
Our first stop in 2015 was a return trip to Panama with Paddle Panama, this was actually a shoot for our last airing season. We had a fantastic trip with some good fish and lots of fun kayak surfing.
One of many great fish in Panama
Charging the Surf
Fun little Roosterfish
One of the coolest parts of this trip was hanging with these kids
After Panama we went directly to Florida for the kayak fishing Boondoggle and to explore the everglades.
Coming from Panama I was expecting Florida to be just as warm, big surprise it gets freezing in Florida. Even with that we had a great time hanging with friends and getting on some fish.
The next trip was a road trip with my daughter Kirstin, Jarrod Mcgehee and my good friend Sean White. We hit up Mag bay and one of my favorite places Cedros Island with Cedros Outdoor Adventures.
This was another trip where we got our butts kicked by weather but we kept at it and got some real good fish for our efforts. The highlight of the trip for me was Kirstin catching the biggest Yellowtail on the trip.
Kirstin with her big YT
I was so stoked for her
Seans bass rod Yellowtail
A beast of a Halibut for Jarrod
A decent one for me
A nice Grouper caught and released in Mag Bay
We didn’t release everything we caught
For our next trip it was back on a plane for a flight down the Costa Rica, this time to the remote Drakes bay and the awesome Aguila de Osa Lodge. Our good buddy Esteban from Black Beard fishing charters set up the trip for us and brought along his partner Drei for some great fishing action on BIG Roosterfish and Dorado.
A big AJ for Esteban
Drei supplying this bid Dorado for dinner.
A beast of a Rooster for Esteban
My big Rooster for the trip going around sixty pounds
Of course it is always fun during our shooting seasons to explore new places and this year we were able to visit a couple places we had never been before. First off was a trip to the Caribbean country of Curacao. On the trip with me were my wife Allene and by buddy Wes Seigler from Truth Reels.
This was one of our toughest trips of the year when it came to the fishing and the weather. Very high winds every day kept us from doing some of the things we would have liked but that didn’t diminish the great time we had in this beautiful country with its wonderful inhabitants. The water here is warm and the most wonderful color of blue you will ever see and the people were amazingly friendly. We worked hard on this trip putting in so many paddling miles in the wind, but because of the great company we spent most of that time laughing and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Our arrival in Curacao
Wes getting his game face on.
Just look at that water
A beautiful place to paddle
I did catch some fish
After Curacao we continued on to another new destination for us and that was Belize. This time we were joined by one of our very good friends Jeff Herman. He set us up at the historic Belize River Lodge for a great stay. Of course once again the weather just killed us, wind and driving rain kept us off the flats for the target species of bonefish and permit. Thankfully we had the fallback species of Tarpon to keep us entertained.
Here is a little video I put together of a few of the Tarpon I caught.
Because of the incredible fishing we have had here in San Diego, thanks to El Nino, we decided to do a shoot here in my home town this year. There was a tournament going on in honor of James Lebowitz so we decided to shoot that too. The weather and fishing for the tournament was fantastic and some incredible catches were made. Of course when it came time for me to fish, the weather went sideways and took away some of the things we had planned. Still some great catches were made and we had a great time fishing with our friend John Jackson from Ram mounts.
A couple great fish from the tournament including the biggest yellowtail
A couple great fish from the tournament
Johns first yellowtail
Our one keeper yellowtail from the trip
Paul in his custom Jackson Kayak Kraken JAL edition.
Filleted up and ready for the smoker
Nothing like a Ballast Point Sculpin to go with that smoked fish
Our final shoot of the year was a return trip to Florida to do a couple of things. First off was meeting up with Chad Hoover who had challenged me to a bass fish off, and second was to meet up with some of our Jackson Kayak teammates to go after some trout and redfish.
The first order of business was kicking Chads butt. Honestly I was pretty lucky, while I went after any fish to put on the boat, Chad went after big fish. Lucky for me the small ones bit and the big ones didn’t that day.
Our Entourage on the day of the battle.
It isn’t much but it is a bass and I am on the board
And another
And your winner is !!!!!!!
After the fresh water bass beating I met up in the salt for some reds and trout with team Jackson.
fun little red in chilly Florida
and a red
headed back in for a hot meal with the guys
And farewell from Florida
We had some tough trips but nothing for me was as tough as losing one of my best friends, my father in law Bob Williams. Many years ago he is the one who bought me my first kayak and introduced me to paddling. He was a wonderful man and will be missed by anyone who ever met him.
One of the greatest guys you would ever have a chance to meet. RIP
Though it was a tough year personally and for shooting as I look back on it, it was still a pretty incredible year spent at amazing places and time spent with so many great people. I sure love my job and hope I can continue at it for some time.
Many thanks to all of our sponsors who make it possible, and our fans who keep us inspired.
Well, Christmas is upon us again and I know you are just dying to put something special under the tree for your favorite kayak angler. It is time for our annual kayak fisherman’s Christmas list. Some of the items remain the same as last year, just too good to delete and we have added some new ones. When my wife looks in my garage and sees all of my kayaking and fishing gear she thinks I have everything I need and couldn’t possibly need one more thing. Well, of course there is always that one thing that I would love to add to my gear pile. I thought I would share a few ideas I have on the subject. Some are items I use that your kayak angler may be interested in, and some are things I would love to see wrapped up at my house this year.
Let’s start out big. How about a kayak upgrade? This Christmas just happens to line up with the arrival of the addition to the Jim Sammons signature line of kayaks from Jackson Kayak, The Kraken, at your local kayak dealer. If your kayak angler was interested in the original Kraken but felt it was a bit too big I am sure they will love this one.
The Kraken on the water and ready to hunt.
Of course, to push that kayak around you are going to need a paddle. I will tell you flat-out there is none better than those made by Werner. Take a look at the new Hooked series of paddles from Werner to find an amazing paddle. Take a look at the Werner Kaliste if you want the best of the best. All of Werners paddles are available in four piece which makes them so much easier to travel with.
If you don’t want to push your kayak around with a paddle or just want some extra push for the real long distance days, take a look at a Torqeedo motor. I have used one of these this year on some of my long range offshore trips and it is an incredible setup. Light and powerful and if you take it slow it will run all day and cover many miles.
Going hands free with the Torqeedo
Well we talked about pushing your kayak how about stopping your kayak and holding it in place in the shallow water. Nothing and I mean nothing works better for this than a PowerPole micro anchor. I used this item during several of our shoots this year, and I am telling you if I lived in a place with a shallow water fishery I would have one of these on all my kayaks.
All rigged up with my PowerPole
I have been called the PFD Nazi because I push so hard to get guys to wear them on every outing. Of course it is a lot easier to get guys to wear them if they are comfortable, and that is the reason I personally use the SeaO2 by Kokatat. I started wearing this PFD a couple years ago and it is, hands down, the most comfortable I have ever worn. Kokatat also makes some great paddling jackets and dry pants that I am sure any kayaker would love.
I think all fishermen are gear heads and love to have all the right tools, that is why we are seeing more impressive electronics mounted on kayaks all the time. One of the best units that I have ever used, that has amazing clarity and is super user friendly, is the Dragonfly by Raymarine. Now available in several sizes and different price points.
Of course you are going to need to power these electronics and this year I started using the water proof batteries from Nocqua. Light weight, powerful and great quality, well worth checking them out.
New Raymarine Dragonfly 7″ set up on one of our trips .
Something that the kayak angler in your life will always appreciate and be in need of is new fishing tools. We are always losing or just flat-out wearing them out. A tool that I have really come to appreciate on my kayak are my Splizzors from Buck. This combination, as the name implies, of scissors and pliers is my go-to tool when it comes to cutting braided line. Of course I really don’t want to lose them or having them rusting so I keep them in a Holdzit sheath and attach a gear retractor.
Likely one of my favorite tools that I use every time I go fishing is my SprayBox . Mounted in the back of my truck, I am able to wash down my fishing gear, kayaks and trailer as soon as I get out of the water. I know this item has saved me thousands of dollars in damage to my fishing gear and vehicle. They make units that mount in your truck bed or that are portable and are really worth the investment.
You have to get your kayak to the water and if like me you are tired of lifting your kayak onto a roof rack, consider looking into a Malone trailer. I have been using one for years and it has been a back saver.
Loading up the Malone
Of course no fisherman will ever turn down a nice new shiny fishing reel, and if they like to fish for bigger fish, I know they would love reels from Truth reels, made in the USA. With a lifetime warranty these reels will make any angler happy for a long time. Since we started using them they have introduced several new sizes so they have a reel for all your offshore needs.
Of course if you have a reel you need a rod, and the finest rods I have ever had the chance to use are those by Century Rods. Light, Powerful and built tough.
We had a ton of shark activity this year in my local waters and the Shark Shield Freedom 7, an electronic shark deterrent, is sure nice to have. It will give you peace of mind and help you keep your fish.
There isn’t an angler around that doesn’t appreciate a pair of good polarized sunglasses and if you want the best take a look at Maui Jim. I have been wearing these glasses for many years and can’t see myself wearing anything else. They have their own lab so if you are like me and need prescription lenses they can take care of you.
If you are just looking for some smaller items to use as stocking stuffers, how about some spools of Seaguar Fluorocarbon line, packs of Mustad hooks, or a new Buff? The gift of kayak rigging from YakAttack and RAM Mounts will never be frowned upon.
I pretty much live in flip flops and I have never found any that were more comfortable than those from Olukai. They really are the first flip flops that I have felt comfortable standing in all day at a trade show. Of course on chilly mornings, they also make some amazingly warm and comfy slippers.
I do a lot of early morning and evening fishing and some lighting is always welcome. A visi carbon pole from Yakattack along with a new head light from Princeton Tec are great tools not only to help you see but to help you be seen.
Has your kayak fishing friend gone through more than one cell phone while on the water? If so, I am sure a LifeProof case and life jacket would be very well received. How about a gift that will keep giving all year long, like a subscription to Kayak Fish or Kayak Angler magazines?
Another great gift for your kayak angler is to send them on an adventure. There are kayak fishing guides all over the world and there is likely a trip that your kayak angler would love to go on. I offer trips in San Diego as well as multiday trips to Baja, pick one of my trips or a trip with a guide anywhere in the world and I am sure you will make your special angler very happy.
Join a guided kayak fishing adventure and you may end up like this happy guy.
For kayak fishing deals online keep an eye on HOOK 1 Kayak Fishing Gear, or stop in at one of their 3 stores if you are in the area, they’re one one of the biggest online retailers for kayak fishing and live and breathe the kayak fishing lifestyle.
If you are keeping fish you want to keep it nice and fresh and to do that you will want a good cooler. Engel is making some of the best out there and have them in every size you need.
This is one big cooler
For your Holiday celebrations bring your friends some Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits you will definitely put a smile on their face. If I am on your shopping list, feel free to drop off a few Grapefruit Sculpin, I will be happy to share with you.
!
Sharing some Ballast Point Spirits with friends
I have been wearing the same style/brand of hat for years and people are always asking me where I got it. Well they are hand made one at a time in Hawaii and they are top quality. Take a look at the Ocean Designs web site and maybe order one for yourself or your kayaking friends.
My hat protects me from sun and rain.
I hope this gives you some ideas to help in your shopping for that special kayak angler in your life. Merry Christmas from The Kayak Fishing Show with Jim Sammons
The kayak fishing in San Diego this year has been nothing short of incredible with catches never seen before. I personally have caught my first ever local Yellowfin tuna and my first ever Bluefin tuna from my kayak.
My first ever locally caught Yellowfin Tuna from a kayak
My first ever Bluefin Tuna
We here in San Diego have had a long history in modern kayak fishing and as a community a long history of giving back to other kayak anglers in need.
With the incredible fishing we are having and a great benefit tournament going on I thought it would be the perfect time to bring the cameras to my home town and shoot a show.
The tournament this year is called the JAL memorial tournament and it is to be a day of remembrance, honoring a young man who’s life was full of his family and friend’s love and that love will live on forever.
All proceeds will be given to continue the James Lebowitz Computer Science Scholarship. You can read the story behind the tournament here.
Tournaments in La Jolla have always had a way of bringing out the best in our community as well as the best out of our fishery. This years tournament was no different, with some spectacular catches being made, including a tournament winning fifty eight pound White Seabass. I did not personally fish the tournament choosing instead to drive my boat with the camera on board, shooting video, still shots and delivering a few cold beverages courtesy of Ballast Point. We got lucky and were in the right spot to get shots of most of the biggest fish caught that day, so this should make for a great show.
Here are a few shots from that day.
The fishing was followed by a huge BBQ and the handing out of the prizes. Over five thousand dollars was raised for the JAL scholarship fund and a great day was had by all.
After the tournament we spent the next five days shooting in La Jolla for another episode. I will have write up about that soon.
Aguila de Osa our lodge while in Drakes Bay Costa Rica
About a year ago we were approached by Esteban Guetierrez of Black Beard Fishing company to gauge our interest in joining him on a trip to Costa Rica. He offered to work out all the details so we of course couldn’t say no. After a lot of work on logistics by him and his partner Andrei “Drei” Stroman we had worked out a plan with Costa Rica Tourism to shoot a couple of our shows.
We have visited so many great locations around the world while shooting our shows, great not only for the fishing but for the lodging, people and environment. After this trip I think Costa Rica certainly worked its way to the top of our list in all these categories. Aguilla de Osa in Drakes Bay Costa Rica has made it to the list of places I must return when ever I can. By their standards the fishing was slow, but was still amazing, the lodge itself was fantastic, from the rooms, views, meals and even more because of the wonderful staff. It is not often when you go on a trip that every employee at the location makes a point of learning your name and stops to have a conversation with you each evening to ask you about your day, and seem to be genuinely interested in what you have to say.
Swapping stories with Mike at Aguilla De Osa over some Ballast Point Spirits
I have found the people all over Costa Rica are very passionate about their country and love sharing it with visitors. As a whole the country is very clean and everyone seems very protective of the environment. Costa Rica has embraced eco-tourism unlike any other country I have visited and it really shows in how the country has protected vast areas of open space that have incredible bio-diversity. Whether going on a fishing trip or a family vacation I don’t think you would regret a visit to Costa Rica.
For this trip we flew into San Jose then took Sansa, the local airline, to The town of Palmar Sur which is located on the Sierpe River that empties directly into the Pacific Ocean. The Sierpe wetlands has one of the largest mangroves in the world featuring amazing and untouched biodiversity. Palmar Sur is also used as an access to Drake Bay and Caño Island Biological Reserve. Though you can fly direct to Drakes Bay we, like many tourists, landed in this destination to take the tour down the river, a wonderful adventure that allowed us to enjoy the wildlife and the lush vegetation until we get to our final destination. Below are some shots from our river tour.
OK not wildlife but still very cool. This is the owners dog, Coco, taking a nap under the ceiling fan.
Every evening at Aguilla de Osa there is a cocktail hour with fantastic appetizers that included ceviche, sushi, sashimi or any number of other goodies.
Snack time
All meals are served at a large communal table so that all the guests dine together. This made for some great conversations with guests from all over. I must say that the food here was as good as anyplace I have ever been.
We put in a lot of miles every long day of fishing, at times feeling like we were paddling on a treadmill in the strong currents but it paid off with some great fish. The bulk of our catch was Roosterfish which are one of my favorites to catch. We all broke off on some big Cubera but did land some other good fish including Dorado and Amber Jack. I also had a hookup on a sailfish that tossed the hook before we ever got the camera rolling. Even if the fish had not cooperated it is an amazing place to paddle. Just make sure you have plenty of water and the right clothes to keep you covered up, because it is hot and humid.
A great place to paddle and fish.
Some nice smaller Roosterfish
My big Rooster for the trip going around sixty pounds
A beast of a Rooster for Esteban
A big AJ for Esteban
Drei supplying this bid Dorado for dinner.
Our captain and guide Dadee. This guy really knows this fishery and was a blast to fish with.
After Leaving Mag Bay, we had a long drive to Punta Eugenia which was our pick up point to get to Cedros Island, our next fishing destination. This drive is over some long stretches of dirt road so we broke it up into a couple days spending the night at a very cool hotel overlooking the water at Bahia Asuncion. The next morning we had breakfast at the restaurant next to the hotel, which was basically inside a ladies house. The food was amazing and she was a sweetheart.
Our Hotel for the night
Not a bad view
Breakfast is served
Her food was awesome and so was she
The last stretch of dirt road from Bahia Tortuga to Punta Eugenia was wash board and shook the fillings right out of your teeth. We were supposed to meet my friends Jarrod and Adrian at the pickup point but they were a no show. Turned out they had gotten a flat tire on the dirt road and were about three hours late. We couldn’t wait for them because the winds were picking up and if we didn’t leave we wouldn’t make it over to the island that day. The guys were able to meet up with us the next day out at the island.
Jose at Cedros Outdoor Adventures recently built his own little lodge on the cliff right above the water and this place is awesome. A great view from every room, wonderful employees and fantastic food.
The view from our balcony at Cedros Outdoor Adventures
Not a bad place to gear up
The rooms were spacious and comfortable
Our first day of fishing at the island was all about the Calico bass, we got so many our hand were hurting. Most of the fish were caught in deep structure. While fishing the Calicos with soft plastics Sean tossed out a lure that had landed so many bass it had no tail left on it and wouldn’t you know it a yellowtail jumped on it. It was a great fight on his bass rod.
One of many bass for Sean
and another
A nice bass for me
Seans bass rod Yellowtail
Jarrod and Adrian arrived later this day and we all hit the fish hard for the next three days. It was pretty windy on the trip but we knew there were big fish around so we charged anyway.
Some great fish were caught and a good variety as well. Jarrod landed a monster halibut and Kirstin caught the biggest Yellowtail of the trip at forty one pounds. I got a thirty nine and a thirty seven pounder. Adrian caught a big one as well and we also added some smaller white Seabass to the mix.
Jarrod with his trophy Calico for the trip.
Kirstin and I holding up her big fish for the trip. The biggest yellowtail we caught.
I was so stoked for her
This fish is as big as Kirstin. Well almost.
Charging it in the wind
Fishing in the wind was tough, but so worth it.
A good one landed
and another
Adrians Big Yellowtail
A beast of a Halibut for Jarrod
Landing yellows can be a bloody business so had to do a bit of on the water laundry
Lots of bass meant chewed up hands so Sean and Kirstin and I all resorted to the Buff landing gloves
Sean with a fun White Seabass caught in the rocks
Our host Jose, sharing the spotlight with me and my two yellows.
After fishing we were tired, hungry and thirsty and great food was always ready. Jose shared with us his recipe for huevos con huevos. Yellowtail eggs mixed with scrambled eggs and it was delicious.
Huevos con huevos
No trip to Baja is complete without a traditional Baja margarita
Of course as our luck would have it the winds died on the day we had to head back to the main land. At least we had a smooth ride home. The same can not be said for the ride back down the wash board roads.
We got vibrated so bad the lumber rack on my truck broke and a leaf spring on my trailer broke when I hit a large hole that I had not seen.
Thankfully the trailer breaks down pretty easy so we were able to put it in the back of Sean truck and Jarrod had met someone that knew a guy with a welding shop in town. Within about an hour and a half the roof rack was welded up, kayaks were on the rack and we were on the road home.
Back on main land and ready to load up for the trip home.
Jury rig the trailer to limp to the welder.
You can see the broken upright for the rack
beautiful weld job and ready to roll
trailer all loaded up in the back of Seans truck
I had some requests for whole fish so I got a big Engel Cooler for the trip. Everyone laughed when they saw how big is was. Turns out it was just big enough.
This is one big cooler
But these are some big fish
The rest of the drive home was beautiful and uneventful. We stopped for some of the best street tacos I have ever had just outside of Ensenada then made the final push home.
This was an absolutely awesome trip and I can’t thank my friends Sean, Jarrod and Adrian and my daughter Kirstin enough for joining me. Also huge thanks to Will Richardson and Mike McKay for documenting the entire trip.
Of course big thanks to Mag Bay outfitters and my good friend Jose at Cedros Outdoor adventures for hosting us.
Will getting it done as always
Mike always ready to eat
The always lovely Kirstin Sammons
The Always sarcastic Jose owner of Cedros Outdoor adventures
My very good friend Sean White. Always up for an adventure
Sean White and our Host Bob from Mag Bay Outfitters
Adrian showing off the guns
Jarrod always ready to help.
And good by to the rotten sealion who, though cute, likely stole more than one of our fish.
Kirstin and Jim Sammons enjoying their Baja adventure.
I am just back from a fifteen day road trip down Baja with my daughter Kirstin and my good friend Sean White along with my videographers Will Richardson and Mike McKay. Our destinations for the trip were Bahia Magdalena and Cedros Island, but the trip was as much about the journey as these destinations. Our two thousand mile round trip was filled with fun, fish and some obstacles that only made the trip that much more memorable.
As I really don’t feel like writing a novel about the trip I will just share a photo journal of our adventures. With part one being from San Diego to Mag Bay and part two Cedros Island.
First stop, Ballast Point Brewery loading up on supplies.
Getting some advise
Testing a few
Choices made and loading up
Visit Ballast Point
Beers picked out it was time to load up the truck and trailer for the trip.
New Shell, well old shell, and rack for the trip. These both really came in handy on the trip
Getting the gear sorted and loaded in the truck
Loved the Malone trailer for the trip for hauling four kayaks
Once past the boarder the first stretch of road is toll road that runs along the Pacific down through Ensenada, it really is a lovely drive.
Of course you can’t do a Baja roady without stopping for some street food.
There are some very cool stretches of road through the desert.
Some very cool small towns
People to see
awesome scenery
and the occasional oasis
The roads are narrow and not always in great conditions so take your time and enjoy the journey.
A quick stop made to get some of our beers on ice.People would always stop to check out our kayaks
Not sure how we forgot to get the beer on ice before we left
A full day of driving found us in Guerrero Negro, which in the right season is the hot spot for whale watching. The next day we continued the final push to Mag Bay.
Of course more food stops needed. This one for “The Best Burger In Baja”
And this impromptu stop on the Sea of Cortez for an amazing sea food cocktail.
Finally arriving in Mag Bay we met up with Mag Bay Outfitters and unloaded the gear.
Sean White and our Host Bob from Mag Bay Outfitters
Unloading and getting our gear ready to fish
Our camera and support boat for the trip
The fishing inside of Mag bay was mostly smaller fish, Spotted bay bass, Corvina and Halibut, nothing big but good numbers and fun fishing.
Corvina
Kirstin of course gets the biggest Corvina
Fishing the Mangroves
We wanted to spend more days fishing outside the bay but the winds kept us inside for all but one morning. The day we did get out it was big rolling swells and plenty of wind. We hooked several big grouper but these fish knew how to find structure and shake a hook so we only landed one.
Ready to head off shore
It was actually a bit chilly out there
A nice Grouper caught and released
The town where we stayed is a fishing village with most of the people there involved in commercial fishing for both fin fish and lobster.
Of course a hard day of fishing deserved a great meal and good beer.
We had a blast in Mag bay but it was time to head north to Cedros Island. More about that part of the trip in the part two of our Baja Road trip.
I consider myself to be a very lucky person. Not only am I lucky because I get to travel around the world Kayak fishing but I get to work with some amazingly talented people at Heliconia. Because of their talents I think our show gets better every year.
Here is a sample of some of their fantastic work, a little promo piece for Seaguar Fluorocarbon and Braid.
Great Job Kelsey Thompson, Will Richardson, and Ken Whiting, working together to make our shows what they are.
Huge thanks to all of our great sponsors for keeping this show rolling. We begin shooting for our seventh season on the air next month.
Jackson Kayak Raymarine DeLorme Werner Paddles Kokatat Watersports Wear YakAttack RAM Mounting Systems Maui Jim Release Reels Mountain Khakis
A nice father and daughter double hookup in La Jolla
I got out on the water in La Jolla with my daughter Kirstin last week looking for Yellowtail.
We both hooked up at the same time so I didn’t get a lot of the action on video but I did get a cool underwater shot and the landing of her fish.
This was her first yellow so I was super stoked for her. These were decent sized yellows and she really put the hammer to it. We launched in the morning at 7:00 am and were off the water by 9:30 not a bad morning at all.
Not the best video but a great memory for sure.
Kayak Fishing Tales 