[KSONG]

This Revilagigedo Island trip thread will replace the Herricane Bank trip thread as the trip is finally set to fish closed Revillagigeod Islands in April, 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
25.enoch

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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www.jignpop.com

 

[KSONG]

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.

 

[J FLORES]

Kil,

You are getting me all excited....cant wait.

 

[KSONG]

Kil,

You are getting me all excited....cant wait.

John, This trip is going to be an ultimate jigging and popping trip and I am very excited about it.
Many West Coast long range fishermen doubt about using spinning reels and small conventional reels for 200 lbs cow.
We are going to have some reel failures, broken rods, knot failures, ect while fighting cow. But so what ? If you want to test tackles to the limit and those things are enevitable. Without challeging, there is no progress.
But I have no doubt we are going to have many success stories at the end of the trip. 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

 

[KSONG]

There are pictures of the Royal Star on the recent tagging trip to Revillagigedo Islands.
It is just amazing to see those tackles in cow country on long range boats. Time is chaning.

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www.jignpop.com

 

[relentless]

Good Luck

Good luck to each and every person who can go on this unbelievable trip. I know it will be fun and provide memories for a lifetime. I can not wait to see the photos and video.

On another note Kil, what Stella reel do you recommend for me doing a little casting and jigging this year? Trying to mix things up other than kites and trolling 50's.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[KSONG]

Good luck to each and every person who can go on this unbelievable trip. I know it will be fun and provide memories for a lifetime. I can not wait to see the photos and video.

On another note Kil, what Stella reel do you recommend for me doing a little casting and jigging this year? Trying to mix things up other than kites and trolling 50's.

Thanks,

Dave

Hi Dave,
If you don't mind spening money, Stella 20000SW is recommended as you are going to use it exensively.
Saragosa 18000 is OK if you use it occasionally, but the reel gives you eventually if you use it a lot. Capt Dom didn't had any problem with Saragosa 18000 for a time being, but eventually all three Saragosa 18000 got broken after catching bluefin in 150 - 200 lbs range at the end of the season.


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www.jignpop.com