I have been looking forward to seeing the Intrepid out on the water for quite some time now and when I got the call that my day and a half trip was bumped to a five day, my heart wouldn't stop racing! Talk about a trip of a lifetime! Here it goes?Ķ

THE BOAT
I arrived at Point Loma Sportfishing to find the beautiful Intrepid docked front and center and ready to go. It's really hard to view this vessel and not feel any emotions running through your body. The 111 foot beauty with a 27 foot beam was sitting nice and pretty. As I boarded, I was overwhelmed by sleek design and the luxurious feel that turned this caveman into a civilized professional! The gorgeous galley is equipped with two 42 inch and one 60 inch plasma satellite televisions, fountain drinks, an espresso maker, commercial coffee maker, and one of the most beautiful kitchens I have ever seen! The plush interior included 13 staterooms, 5 full sized restrooms dedicated to the passengers with 4 showers. Each stateroom included it's own plasma satellite television, private vanity and sink, as well as plenty of closet space for your personal belongings. Truly amazing comfort and elegance! The water was a bit choppy with some heavy winds at times, however the first thing everyone noticed was how smooth the ride was. The stabilizers were amazing as we cut right through the swells. During our drifts the boat was even stable in the trough. No rolly feel at all. The engine is so quiet you could hardly tell the boat is running. When you're in the galley or in your stateroom, it's nearly impossible to tell whether the boat is moving or if it's stopped. There were many times I had to get up and out of my room to see if we were stopped because I didn't want to miss the grey light bite. There's far too many phenomenal features to list, so I'll just let the pictures do the talking!

THE FOOD
Oh boy?Ķ talk about gourmet, where do I begin? Let's start with the Mastermind behind the cuisine, Chef Javier Quintanar and his Brother Hector Quintanar. I had some of the best meals of my life on this vessel and those of you who know me know that I'm big on eating! Javier has a photo album in the galley that tracks his many years of experience and displays his credentials. However after one bite of his creations, you can't help but recognize the talent behind his masterpieces! Just incredible! We'd wake up in the morning to find fresh cut fruit, cereal, juice and milk already prepared for the breakfast before the breakfast. Some of our morning cuisine included Denver Omelets, Juevos Rancheros, Amazing French Toast, Cherries Jubilee, and Belgium Waffles. After breakfast Javier would put out fresh baked pastries and other delicious snacks. For lunch we found ourselves devouring Chile Relleno, Chile Colorado, and Teriyaki Albacore Burgers. In between lunch and dinner, we enjoyed appetizer trays consisting of Smoked Albacore, Yellowtail Jerky, Cold Cuts, Cheeses, Shrimp Cocktail, Baked Crab Cakes, etc. Dinner was always three course, five star meals prepared by one of the best Culinary Experts I've ever encountered! We would start off by exquisite greens topped with Wasabi Vinaigrette and other home made dressings. Then to the main courses: Pork Loin topped with Burgundy Mushroom sauce, roasted potatoes, and broccoli; New York Steak, Au Gratin Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts; Chilean Seabass with a Mango and Papaya Salsa, Rice Pilaf and Vegetables; Filet Mignon and Lobster, with Potato Casserole. And for dessert, Black Forest Cake, Cheesecake, Pistachio Ice Cream, Stuffed Crepes, etc. I tend to get pretty edgy and excited once we get into a wide open bite or hit a big school of fish. This was the first time I've ever seen a full galley of anglers never flinch or raise their head during a jig strike or signs of running up on a hungry school of fish. Absolutely amazing! Thanks again Javier and Hector!

THE FISHING
Oh, we fished too! We shoved off of the docks around 1:30pm and arrived at the outer banks early in the morning. We threw the feathers out at grey light and had very few customers on the jigs. Captain Danny Nichols put his anglers on some great schools as the echoing sounds of HOOKUP could be heard around the rail. The crew did a great job gaffing our fish and the sounds of tuna flopping around on deck brought a smile to our faces. There was even a marlin hooked up on bait by Greg Surgener as it strategically made a run under the boat after launching out of the water several times. Unfortunately it was lost, however the lucky angler was in good spirits as he said "it's okay, I didn't want to kill him anyways." We continued on the troll with a few stop and go biters. Most of our fish were landed on the schools Captain Danny metered. There were many wide open bites as chaos broke loose around the stern. We landed some really nice grade Albacore from 20 to 37 pounds. We watched a phenomenal sun set as the full moon rose. As we looked around on deck, there was nothing but smiling faces and tired muscles. We averaged about 6 to 7 fish per head. We enjoyed another phenomenal meal prepared by Chef Javier and Captain Danny held a quick meeting to decide how we should spend the rest of our trip. We knew Guadalupe Island was finally opened for the Sportfishing fleet, however there was little to no action as the crew recently fished there. So we had two options, spend the rest of our trip fishing for Albacore or spending the next 30 hours traveling to Cedros. The consensus on board was that if we chose to fish albacore and had another day like today, we'd limit out and spend the next two days on a booze cruise. We all agreed that chasing angry mossbacks at Cedros was the way to go.

We arrived at Cedros at approximately 4am and we cruised around the beautiful island in hopes of finding some fish on the sonar. It wasn't long before we soaked a line just before sunrise. The seals were standing by with a vengeance ready to pluck the baits off of our hooks. There were a few nice sized Sandies and Checkerboards brought up, but there were no early morning signs of exotics. We made a short move to find the bottom loaded with fish and a few guys were picked up on the dropper loop. The sound of screaming reels were now heard across the rail and we landed three nice hard charging Yellows. The birds joined us a few hours after sunrise and helped us spot the fish easier. We made another move to find ourselves tugging on the angriest mossbacks I've ever encountered! These were all nice grade fish and had no problem ripping line off of our reels. We got into a few wide open schools, with sounds of crashing boils could be heard around the boat! It was steady pickings throughout the rest of the day. All of the fish were between 25 to 35 pounds. It was another great day of fishing aboard the beautiful Intrepid. Life is good!

THE CREW

Captain Danny Nichols
Captain Danny brings forth a wealth of knowledge and experience. With more than twenty years in the sportfishing industry, Danny's talent and passion for catching big game becomes very apparent at the rail! It must be the 10 years he spent harvesting all those Bluefin Tuna! What an asset to the operation!

Second Captain Rick Kelly
Captain Rick also has spent most of his life out on the ocean chasing big fish! This man was always at the rail ready to help gaff our fish and offer useful pointers to landing the big ones. The service he provides is second to none.

Deckboss Captain Kevin Cleary
A true professional in his field, Captain Kevin brings forth the necessary relevant experience every sportboat is in need of! Kevin holds his 100-ton USCG license and is no stranger to landing big fish. His previous reputable experience aboard the Baja Dream, Daiwa Pacific, Qualifier 105, and Polaris Supreme make him the powerhouse deckboss we need to land our prized catch!

Engineer Johnny Hartwell
This man can fix anything! Johnny arms the Intrepid with a world of talent and creativity that is needed on those long range trips! He makes MacGyver look like a High School drop-out. Oh, and he knows a little something about fishing too?Ķ wink, wink!

Deckhand Cameron Casper
The gentle giant started out his career with a degree in Business Management off of a football scholarship from ASU. He's no stranger to the ocean as his dad's experience (Willy Casper) has been passed on to him at the rail! I can write a book regarding Cameron's professionalism and level of service but I'll let you indulge and notice when you sign up and ride with the Intrepid Crew!

Deckhand Chad Smith, aka Hollywood
I really enjoyed fishing with Chad. This guy shares a lot of laughs at the rail and is really helpful when you're latched onto those big fish. If you yell HOOK-UP, he's right there with you. When you yell COLOR, the man's got a gaff in his hands in a fraction of a second! When you yell TUNA?Ķwell I won't go there, whatever you do, don't yell TUNA! Thanks again for all the laughs and exceptional service Chad!

Master Chef Javier Quintanar
The man is hand's down the most talented Chef to ever step foot on this planet! He's a gentleman and stands behind his service. I'm left speechless and my words will not help you understand the flavor behind his work, so stop reading and sign up now. You'll even catch some fish too!

Chef Hector Quintanar
As Javier's Right-Hand Man, Hector provides an unbelievable level of service that can not be compared to anything you've ever seen. The hospitality and professionalism this man shows is somewhat overwhelming. On our first day of fishing, he earned the name Chingon by his crew mates as we was out gaffing and tagging fish on a WIDE OPEN bite! Hats off to you Senor, a true hard charger!

To sum it up, this crew has gelled together and performs like a well oiled machine! Talk about Dream Team! They all came from a diverse set of backgrounds to join forces on one of the classiest sportboats on the water ??? The Intrepid .

Jackpot Winners
Gary Arnold of Las Cruces, New Mexico took 1st place with a 37 pound Albacore.
Greg Surgener of Bakersfield took 2nd place with a 34.2 pound Albacore.
Matt Bruce of Mission Viejo won 3rd place with a 34 pound Albacore.

All in all, this was a trip of a lifetime and it'll be nearly impossible to "one-up" this trip. I can't begin to explain how amazing this fishing vessel and crew is, you'll just have to check it out for yourself. I don't normally write as much as I have, but by no means was this a normal trip for me. Call Carol from the Intrepid and book your next unforgettable journey with these folks! Believe me, you won't forget it! (530) 472-1658

For copies of any pictures, please drop me a line at Homan@sportfishingreport.com. That's the word on the water!

Tight Lines,