# 10/16 days Jigging/Popping Charter to Revillagigedo Islands



## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

This Revilagigedo Island trip thread will replace the Herricane Bank trip thread as the trip is finally set to fish closed Revillagigeod Islands in May, 2011 instead of Hurricane Bank in Nov/Dec.
Here are the trip's details:
*Boat: The Royal Star out of San Diego, CA
Trip Schedule: 11/16 days Fly down/back from Cabo San Lucas
-leaving San Diego at 9:00 am on May 1, 2011
-Leaving Cabo San Lucas at 5:00 pm on May 4, 2011
-Arriving at Cabo San Lucas at 8:00 am on May 14, 2011
-Arriving at San Diego at 9:00 am on May 17, 2011
Trip cost:
The price of the trip is $5,250 ($3,750 plus $1,500 tag purchase) excluding tips per person based on 20 fishermen. 
Characteristics of the trip.
This trip is solely for jigging and popping trip, but I don't discourage to use bait if fishermen opt. 
As we are fishing in closed areas with tagging permit, the trip is strictly for catch and release. 
There is a remote possibility that the closed Revillagigedo Islands can be open next year. If it happens, we don't have to buy $1500 per person tagging permit as agreed with the Royal Star.

Here are list:
1 - 10 ksong's group
11.d-a
12.masonboro
13.souderboro
14.aruvio
15.corybahr318
16.galveson1602
17.gman
18.dante
19.timpon
20.zeck
21.emtfisherman
22.bhssquid
23.cabosaninh
24.billiam*

Please let me know whether guys on the list can make the trip or not as soon as possible as some are on the waiting list.
I know this trip is not cheap as we have to pay $1,500 per person for tagging, but I feel this will be much better trip than the Hurricane Trip which I originally plannned as the locations are much closer than the Hurricane Bank and we can fish many different areas to avoid shark problem. 
I paln to hire a professional photographer/vedeo cameraman on the trip and I might invite one or two famed jigging/popping fishermen from Japan on the trip.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

Here is a report on the Royal Star tagging trip in late April, 2009 and we can get some idea what we are going to encounter on our trip.

300 lbs on a spinnier ? That will be an ultimate goal for any jigging and popping fisherman.

*

Tim Ekstrom has the Royal Star at Clarion Island with a group of dedicated big tuna anglers and scientists aboard. They are tagging and released tuna of all sizes, but yesterday they had an extremely unusual experience. They caught and released two tuna that taped over 300 pounds. Here are some of Tim's remarks on the day:

"Today the main focus returns to pure fishing. With yesterday's total we are well over six hundred yellowfin tagged so far. Incredible! Anyway though these guys are pulling machines and seem to be pleased as long as there is a bend in their rod while waiting for their shot at a big one, we all have definitely been hoping that a bigger size average would move in so we could focus our efforts on a few more trophies and more fish over one hundred pounds. Today it happened. Just like that, almost everything that came over the rail was in the one hundred to one hundred-fifty pound class with a couple of handfuls of standout 160 to 190 pounds and a few opportunities at big cows. Flat calm conditions with just enough breeze to keep things cool put the finishing touch on a great day.

"A couple of anglers today made us very pleased that the process of lifting these fish on board with the big scoops or brailers has evolved. I have to admit that in modifying our scooping technique to include the boom and winch I simultaneously feel like the smartest and dumbest person around; the smartest for finally figuring it out, and the dumbest for not thinking of it in the first place. Regardless we are now in the twenty-first, mechanized century using the boom and winch to easily handle whatever big fish, and at times even multiple smaller fish, that come our way. Not only is this method a vast improvement for our general condition, it is vastly better for the fish as the process is quick, smooth, and gentle.

We arrived at Clarion Island around 0800 and checked in with the camp," reported Excel skipper Justin Fleck April 23.

"After the check in, we headed out to the buffer zone where we found steady action on mixed grades of tuna. The morning schools seemed to be 50-70 pound fish for the most part, but in the afternoon the bigger fish moved in. The tuna bit right into the dark for us. Today was exactly what we needed to boost moral after a couple of tough days out at the bank. We still have plenty of time left to put together a nice trip."

Apr 27
Tagging Trip Gets Four Over 300Posted by admin Published in General Royal Star has dropped her anglers and scientists at Cabo San Lucas and is on the long way uphill toward home. The following is her last report, dated April 25, from the inshore waters of Clarion Island, where the boat had special permission to tag and release tuna and wahoo, overseen by an American and a Mexican scientist.

"Not a bad ride up to Cabo San Lucas from Isla Clarion," wrote Ekstrom, "but not a good ride either. That area in between consists of plenty of rockin' and rollin' but no bone- jarring free falls or table-clearing pitches that we identify with bad weather. So in the end we paid some moderate dues for all the epic weather we enjoyed when it mattered most - while fishing.

"Thankfully in the case of the Revillagigedo tagging voyages, we are typically able to create our own flat calm conditions by using the lee side of the islands to our advantage while both fishing and anchoring at night.

"A perfect example of this idea would be three nights prior at Isla Clarion. While sitting in sea conditions that were so calm it was difficult to determine that one was on board a boat at sea, there were hoards of mackerel, flying fish and myriads of other miniature bait fish and marine organisms gathered under the lights around Royal Star.

"Of course along with the bait fish came the apex predators that were cruising the perimeter making occasional dashes through the lights to terrorize and consume the gathered bait fish. The big predators were bottlenose dolphins, sharks, a variety of jacks, needle fish, and even an occasional tuna all visible as they crashed through the surface or lazily cruised by to survey for forage.

"While this show was occurring, a threesome of Humpback whales was carrying on just outside the lights thunderously lob tailing and smacking their huge pectoral flippers on the sea surface while blowing in concert to add to the cacophony of sounds produced by all the gathered creatures producing the show. Welcome to a night on the anchor at Isla Clarion. There is definitely more to these voyages than just fishing. *


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

Here are updated list of anglers who comfirmed or requested extended time to comfirm.
1-4 Kilsong's group(NJ, Korea and Japan)
5 Fred from NJ
6 Enoch,PA
7 Enoch plus one, Japan
8 Bret,PA
9 Dante, NJ
10 Doug (d-a), TX
11 Cory Bahr, LA
12 Yong (monocom), NJ
13 David (masonboro), NC
14 Glenn (gman), NJ
15 Sami G, NY
16 John Flores, NJ
17 Tien (Timpon), Australia
18 Chris (fishor), Singapore
19 David (Fishybuzz), CA
20 Jamie (fishordie), CA


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

*The Trip is cancelled !!!*

Improbable thing happened.

The trip was originally full, but a few guys cancelled the trip.
So I asked my friend Greg who fished on the Royal Star tagging trip with Thai fishermen in Feb, to contact Tai fishermen whether they are interested in fishing on my charter to fill the cancelled spots.
Greg got a reply from them. They wanted 6 spots, but they would like to make sure whether bait fishing is allowed on my charter.
I replied that I could get 6 spots for them and bait fishing is no problem.

Then, I got a phone call from Capt Tim of the Royal Star a few days later. Capt Tim told me Thai fishermen needed 10 spots and they were willing to pay half of the prices in deposit.Thai fishermen apparently approached Capt Tim after Greg contacted them.
Capt Tim also mentioned only 3 guys made the deposit on my charter and he was concerned.
I was not aware only three guys made deposits at that time as I didn't follow because I had to travel to Fiji and Israel after tax season and I promised him I would contact guys on the list and urge to send deposit. And also I 
I suggest Tim to include sponsor's name of my trip on his website and he said me to send right name for him to do it. He never contacted me before to discuss the deposit issue until then. 
I made a few phone calls and it seems there were no problem to send deposits. They were not in a hurry as the trip is happening one year later ( May, 2010). Three guys overseas told me they would send deposits in a few days. With deposit payment by 6 Thai fishermen, deposit requirement would have been easily met.
A few days later Capt Tim called me again and said Thai fishemen would willing to pay more than half of the charter if they could charter the boat on the dates of my charter and Tim tried to force me to cancel my charter by saying that I did not meet the deposit requirment. I asked him to give the deadline until the end of June as it is stil 11 month away from my charter dates are in early May, 2011.
But he said he can not do it. Apparently he made his mind already to give my charter dates to Thai fishermen.

He suggested me to change my dates to in March, 2011 or to May in 2012. It shows the real issue is not I did not meet the deposit reguirement, but he used it as an excuse to give my dates to Thai fishermen.

I am confused. how fishermen can try to seduce with money to get the dates which is already reserved ?
How come a reputable Capt takes the bait so easily ?

I have been chartering boats over 25 years and I chareterd boats as many as 52 times a year.
Most local party boats Captains don't require any deposit at all for my charters as I didn't have a single issure with my charters though I have been chartering so many times for 25 years.
I thought the jigging and popping trip on a long range boat would open up new opportiunites for slumping industry. 
Some long range boats can not go because there are not enough customers and some boat has to reduce their prices to get enough guys as economy is bad.
Capt Tim did not give any special discount for my charter and I had to pay in full for the charter same as the open boat. But he just cancelled my trip as some group gave more favorable money.

I don't know what to do. I really sorry for fishermen who want to join the trip.
I worked so hard to get this thing happen and I was really depressed to see this unbelievable thing happened.

I'll discuss with other fishrmen to make another arrangement for the jigging and popping trip. 
The most feasible trip at this time would be Panama trip next April or May, 2011. It cost only half of the Royal Star trips to fish 5 - 6 days.
But I am also discussing any possibility of a long range boat which can sail out of Cabo. But it will not be the Royar Star.


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## Eastern Tackle (Oct 28, 2008)

I would not require a deposit from you, as I feel there are so many that want to fish with you, regardless if it is even on a farm pond, that you would have no problem filling the any trip.

He is not a smart businessman, as the report from the trip would have brought bookings for years to come.

Remember, everything in life happens for a reason.


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