By Paul Lebowitz

May 9, 2008

SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND - Kayak angler Josh Rider was nervous. The personal best halibut hanging at color had something to do with his anxiety level, but it was the group of guys looking on that really had him on his toes.

“I didn’t want to blow the gaff shot with a bunch of kayak fishing pros looking on,” Rider said after he’d adroitly secured his jackpot winning 22-lb ‘butt. “They would have razzed me no end,” Rider added jokingly. At the time, he was fishing the beach tight inside San Clemente Island’s Pyramid Cove. Along for the ride were Ocean Kayak pro staffer Jeff Krieger, Liquid Adventures Alaska kayak guide Chris Mautino, this writer, and 14 other avid fish ‘yakkers.

Any time there are 18 fishing kayaks out and about at beautiful and remote SCI, the Islander mothership can’t be far off. The April 25-27 WON charter to kayak fishing paradise was the boat’s season opener. 

Early on the 26th Skipper Jason Murphy dropped the hook in the lee of China Pt, releasing his charges to hunt the thick kelp beds, frothing boiler rocks, and sandy surf zones for fish that rarely see a hook. The water was cold and current only fleeting, slowing the fishing, but there’s always something to catch out at Clemente.

The best calico action seemed to come early on, when one of the guys weighed in a 6.5-lb checker. There were rumors someone had scored a trophy 9-lb’er, but back at the big boat nobody came forward to claim the achievement. Others picked away at sheepshead and whitefish. There were signs of white seabass – the crew spotted a sea lion with one – but neither kayakers nor free divers encountered the highly-sought fish.

No, the real action was on the beach, where Rider enjoyed three consecutive sleigh rides (two halibut, one bat ray) while everyone else looked on enviously.

“I was just about to give up and go for calicos,” Rider said, relieved he’d stuck with it. It was that kind of day – success wasn’t going to come easily. The weather was a different story.  

“T-shirt weather at Clemente in April. Isn’t it great?” Krieger observed of summer-like conditions that permitted fishing in nothing heavier board shorts. The wind barely got above a whisper all day, allowing the kayak anglers to spread out and fish all the way from Cove Pt to Sun Pt.

Mothership first-timers Gil Figueroa and Ron Leos were thrilled with the experience. “It was awesome. The convenience, the great crew, they’ve got a smooth system,” Figueroa said, citing the boat’s custom kayak rack and easy-on swim step.

For his part, Leos was fond of the supply skiff. As he and Figueroa fished the nooks and crannies, they got periodic bait shots and icy cold beverages shuttled over from the Islander. 

Ah, that floating home base. It’s kayak fishing in the lap of luxury, where the water is steps away from your stateroom door, the fishing day is punctuated by three squares and two snacks – kayakers have to keep their energy levels up – there’s no sand to clean up, and a hot shower and soft bunk await at the end of the long fishing day. Prizes too, at least on this trip. 

The WON charter was spiced up with great raffle goodies. Okuma gave away caps, a shiny Induron reel plus a pair of Baidarka rods – the first sticks that scream ‘kayak fishing’ from rod tip to butt. Costa del Mar kicked in a fine pair of polarized fishing shades, and Lowrance offered a waterproof handheld GPS. Maxima tossed in a giant filler spool of 25-lb mono, perfect kayak string.

The trip kicked off Islander’s 2008 run of 1.5 day kayak mothership trips. There are several more on the books, and the fishing should only get better from here. Most trips depart Friday evening, returning around 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The schedule maxes out the fishing time. Typically, anglers are free to fish from sunup to sundown.

Word is out on the Islander’s first-rate mothership service. Due to demand, the boat is adding up to two June 1.5-day departures. Contact OEX Kayak and Dive Center at 619-758-9531 for more information or to book a future trip.  

22-LB FLATTY TAKES WON ISLANDER SCI JACKPOT – On a day of slow fishing, Josh Rider had all the right answers. He worked in tight to the beach at Pyramid Cove, where he pulled this 22-lb halibut out.

BENT BIG-TIME – Here’s Josh Rider again, mid-sleigh ride. He spent 20 minutes wrestling with a big bat ray, developing “noodle arms” in the process. If he was tired, it didn’t show when he expertly hooked, fought and landed his jackpot beauty.

CALICOS TOO – The calico action wasn’t as ridiculously wide open as it often is at SCI, but it was still plenty good. This Islander kayak angler pulled in a 6.5-lb bass up near China Pt. PHOTO COURTESY JEFF KRIEGER