The Mega Post...for Dyno Danny...

Ok...where to start? After a months of planning for my recent Vacation, it came and gone in the time it takes one to sneeze, as it seems. It was me, Charlie,Melody and her parents - Kathlyn and Dao...let the fun begin!

Here it goes...3/16...drinks at the airport before departure

 Landed at 1am 3/17 and checked into the Hampton Inn in New Orleans...pretty cool hotel(used to be a old factory)

Day 1: Port of New Orleans/Voyager of the Seas Embarkation - 3/17/2012
 
Then spent the first half of the day walking the French Quarter before boarding the cruise ship...we followed the signs...

First order of business was breakfast...which consisted of the Ferdi Special Po Boy from Mother's Restaurant...this sandwich is always bomb!

Of course...had to have a couple of Pisto's
Me and Melody's pops...brew it!

High noon struck real soon and we had to high tail back to grab our luggage to board the Voyager of the Seas! Damn thing is HUGE!

A small city inside!

Damn ship has a Rock Climbing Wall, Mini Golf Course, and a Basketball court...outta control...

And Charlie...being Charlie...Bottoms up!

From my balcony...and shots of my room for the next 7 days...

  Got acquainted with the ship throughout the day...had some dinner and grabbed much needed shut eye. 

Day 2:Cruising Gulf of Mexico - 3/18/2012

We were well on our way to our first stop... Cozumel, Mexico.
It was agreed by me,Charles, and Melody to unwind the right way...we all have worked so darn hard up until this point and whatever we were doing the past 2 days was not helping us relax. Alcohol was called upon for much needed help...it all started after a quick workout session and breakfast...we started mixing up screwdrivers and redbull/vodkas that I sneaked on...from there on out...it was a drunkin', liver pounding fiasco! After all was said and done...it was a round of Screwdrivers,followed by a round of Red Bull/Vodka's, then a round of Coconut Blast's(fucking things were bomb!), then 2 rounds of Kamikaze's,then rounded out all of that with a little over 2 dozen 16oz Bud Lights thrown in the mix...needles to say, it was "Hammer" time...I barely remember any of it. The day started with people all around us on the upper deck, by the end of it...we were the only ones left standing...but not for long! This next set of pictures reveals how hammered we got...

 Then came the Kamikaze's...and the Beer

 By now, we were all preaching about life's shit...

 Then came the "representin'"...and all the dumb shit that comes along with it...

 I think at one point, and I emphasize Think, we knocked over the bucket of Beer by accident and I'm trying to clean it up...comical and embarrassing at the same time...

 Then, at one point after that, I temporarily passed out...goodness

 Shortly after this photo, we were craving food...which this ship has nothing SHORT of...We wanted Johnny Rockets...what?! Johnny Rockets??!! Hell yeah buddy...
Me jumping the gun for food I guess...staggering!

 Johnny Rockets was bomb! (I think I tipped waaayyy tooo much...the price of being drunk I guess)

That was unwinding in stunning fashion...so much that we missed dinner altogether and woke up at 7 the next morning...lol. 

Day 3: Cozumel,Mexico - 3/19/2012

Got a call from Charlie next door and we all decided to work out again to sweat out all that alcohol...
Put the jams on and 45 minutes later on the stationary bike...damn this ship is awesome with all its versitility!

 After another quick breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe, it was time to depart the ship and set foot on Cozumel...Charlie and I decided to go fishing for their bottom critters...we caught an assortment of bottom dwellers...including Banana Fish,Trigger Fish, Yellowtail Snapper, etc...a couple snaps from Cozumel...

We boarded the ship to depart Cozumel after a fun day in the sun...we decided that a 24 hour hiatus from alcohol was way to long, so it was another round of drinks after dinner at the Ship's club..."The Vault"...what a strange scene...different but fun nonetheless...saw a bunch of dirty south peeps doing some sort of strange choreographed dance that was a mixture of the "Bernie" and Country line dancing...Charlie had to show them the "Cat Daddy"...West Coast Style...and I had to tell everybody else to ReeeeeLax....

 Although we didn't hammered, we did catch a nice buzz...overall satisfying day 3...

Day 4: 2nd stop Georgetown Grand Cayman - 3/20/2012

This place is Paradise...let me tell you. The 7-Mile beach is the BEST beach I've ever set foot on. The water is so crystal clear, it looks fake...like a man-made swimming pool. It was crazy...we just grabbed a couple brews and relaxed...

 This place is also a fishing gold mine! Too bad I didn't have enough time to sample it...there were large schools of Tarpon milling around the shore front restaurants...all 40-50 pound fish...damn, what I would give to just cast to them one time!
In this pic, in the upper right hand corner, that large black mass inches from the bank are the Tarpon...they were so shallow, their dorsal and tail fins were rising above the water!

 Parting shot from Grand Cayman...Local folklore...I guess it's true...

Day 5:Falmouth,Jamaica - 3/21/2012

After an uneventful evening(we were beat by the Grand Cayman sun), we awoke to the fresh air of Jamaica. That meant we were about to go Ziplining! This was badass...I enjoyed it much more than I thought...I'll definitely be doing again...I captured come awesome Go Pro Videos...here are some snap shots...

 Then we had a bomb ass lunch...Jamaican Jerk Chicken...with a local visitor...

 We rounded out the day at Dunn River Falls...place was packed!

 Day 6: Cruising - 3/22/2012

 This day was spent relaxing...by this point...I was relieved of all my stresses. The day was spent mini-golfing and enjoying the Sun....

It was also "Formal" night for that evening' dinner. We missed the first Formal night because we drank to much 4 days...remember?? Hahahaha
So I came murdered out...Charlie kept it Purple Haze...

 Had an awesome dinner...Lobster and Shrimp...and every Dessert that was on the menu! My diet is definitely out the window!!!

 I killed 3 lobster tails by myself!!! Can you say Destroyed?

 Damn, life is sweet right now!

Day 7: Cruising - 3/23/2012

Another day of relaxing was in order for us. We did,have to however, start gathering our things and packing it up for tomorrows Debarkation. 
It was also Melody's Birthday today...it's something special to celebrate a Birthday out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
So I made us reservations at Portifino's, a specialty Italian Restaurant.
We had a good time with once again, Bomb food...I had the Filet Mignon...wow

 It was our last night on the Voyager of the Seas...I thoroughly enjoyed my time aboard this ship. Wonderful crew and if you're thinking of a cruise, choose Royal Caribbean...you won't be sorry!
We all were sad about leaving the ship, but that meant an extra 3 days in New Orleans!!!

March 24th-27

Here are some of the sites from New Orleans...I can't get enough of my home town!!!
First stop was Deanie's for some BBQ Shrimp!!! Then it was Cafe Du Monde for Beignets and a Cafe Au Lait!

 Then we checked into our digs for the next 3 nights...the Prince Conti Hotel of Conti and Bourbon...damn nice spacious room!

 Did I mention this place has some bomb ass grub?? Fried Chicken,Red Beans and Rice, Crawfish Omelettes, Cajun Taco's, Gumbo...we had it all...even food from all over the country at the Roadfood Show...

 Also watched the "Hunger Games" at a brand new Movie Theater that is like a Muvico on 'Roid's...It's limited selective seating, complete with servers at your beck and call with their own food menu. You can get a full bottle of wine. You even have a call button for crying out loud!It was by far the best movie experience I've ever been apart of...

 Other sites worth mentioning...

Bourbon Street is amazing...Saturday night,Sunday night,and even Monday night was off the hook with party people...I wish downtown Ventura was the same atmosphere...

We even saw "The Messenger" dude filming a new insurance commercial...

 We finished off the last even with Deanie's yet again...YEAH...it's that GOOD!!! BBQ Shrimp...Charbroiled and Raw Oysters...damn it was the Shiznit!!!

 In closing, it was sad to have seen our much anticipated vacation end. It was a much needed rest from reality. It also reminds of how blessed I am. I did things on this trip that some will never ever get to do in their lifetime. So I am grateful for the position I am in. There you have it...soak this up like a sponge Danny!!!

Until next time!!!! Outro!!! Time to go back to work!!!

There are way too many "good-weather" fishing days...Let's not forget about the bad ones either!

Mulled over the decision to go fishing yesterday or not...the better half of me decided to GO! Was joined by Pookie and ended having an ok day on the water...got 6 and Pookie got 2 in a little over 5 hours. Rainy/Drizzly weather didn't stop the bite yesterday...all on the Oxblood. 

A collage of a few sequences... 

The biggest of the day...about a 5 pounder.

 P.S. There's nother update after this...from 2 weeks ago!
 To be continued....

No Boat, No problem! Lake Casitas 03/02/2012

Decided to leave the Pero Aquatico at home because OG triple OG Pookie said it would be windy...whatever, I'm game for whatevers.

Started off the morning at the Wadleigh Arm T-Dock...after an hour of chucking almost every color including the kitchen sink, Pookie hooks up and lands this beauty...a 3-3.5 pounder...not bad...looks like it's shaping up to be a nice day afterall

 After casting for 30 more minutes without another bite, we decided to bail to Crawdad Point...after 20 minutes, Pookie hooks up again and lands a peewee sized bass, about a 1.5 pounder. I've been observing what he's been using and decided to switch up. After dialing in, I landed a buck-sized male...my first bass of 2012...can you believe that?!!!??!!! I guess better late than never...

 About 20 minutes later, Pookie rolls out to try the other side of the buoy line. Another 20 minutes goes by...I'm casting in every direction imaginable...Pookie decides to rejoin me and on his very first cast...and wouldn't you believe it? He hooks up yet again!

 After quite a lengthy battle, a 4+ pounder comes aboard...not bad Pookie...

 We gave it another 10 minutes and decided to give the Coyote T-Dock a shot...I also get a call from Ryan with the "Word on da Street"...he says the Bass have been chewing on the FX People's colored worm lately. So I made the switch and threw that color. On the 3rd cast, I nailed a 2 pounder....damn Ryan, you know your shit and you ain't even at the lake!

 We called it a day after the winds crept up on us...5 Bass today from 6:30am-12PM was not bad at all...

Observations:
Today's weather was beautiful, peaked at around 65 degrees I believe. Water temps were still in the 50's it seemed like. Water clarity was anywhere from almost clear to stained depending on location. 
Fish #1 came off a large flat off Orchard Point.
Fish #'s 2-4 came off a depression accompanied by a gradual point. 
Fish #5 came off a rocky slope


The hot ticket today was undoubtedly the Texas Rigged worm...Pookie added to this mystique by using the bigger profiled "Fat" styled worm...the fish seemed to want the larger looking worms fished directly on the bottom. The color was Oxblood Light with Red Flake...in fact, the first 4 fish were caught using this color...
The dropshot technique today, for the most part, was ineffective. This is unusual because it seems to always catch the fish. This rig only accounted for one fish, the last one of the day. The color was the People's Worm in the FX variation. Who knows, this may have been the best pattern had I employed it sooner in the day...The FX People's was a color I hadn't tried all day until Ryan called...strange how this works...
The fish caught today were definitely transitioning to the pre-spawning stage. The fish were milling around the submerged brush piles at Crawdad Point today, as evidence of the 3 we caught in a short span. I'll be keying in on this and will be studying my map when I take the sled out next time. More and more Bass have been caught each passing day since my last outing according to multiple sources. It's about to go wide guys...just wait a tiny bit longer. 


All in all, I always have and always will enjoy the company of Pookie...he deserved all the praises today as he laid waste to me both in quantity and quality...All Fish were released to fight another day....


See you guys next time!

Celebrity siting and a new Tackle Box...

Went shopping last Sunday and we ran into Big Cat from the show "Rob&Big" and "Fantasy Factory"....here's Charlie posing with him, super cool dude...He was incognito and we spotted him inside the Nike store off Broadway....

And just yesterday, I scored with a SKB Tackle Box off Craigslist...while down in Irvine for training, I had some free time and decided to check out what's up for grabs in that area...I lucked out and couldn't have asked for a better situation...I've been on lookout for one of these boxes for a few months now...the MSRP on this box is $259.99...Let's just say I got it for waaaay less than that...and it's basically brand new...it even came with a bunch of hooks and a couple lures...sweeet...it's roto-molded, exactly how a Kayak is created...so it's damn strong. It also has a jig hanger area and tube "rocket launchers" for 4 rods...this box will give me the versatility of having a few select items for a quick reference during a hot bite...

 Oh yeah, today was the day that I offically became a "VTS" or Vehicle Technology Specialist for DCH Lexus of Oxnard...big things are coming for Lexus folks!!! Don't change that dial...

King of the Hammers(KOH) 2012

Where to start...what a crazy weekend...never saw so much raw power and carnage. Again, I was invited out to Johnson Valley(East of Victorville) for the King of the Hammers event. It's the most grueling single day race in America. You break, and you're out.

KOH is one of the most challenging races on the planet. Competitors negotiate several of the toughest rock crawling trails in Johnson Valley known as “the Hammers” with sections of open desert thrown in on a 165 mile long course. The racers/weekend warriors/spectators situate themselves besides the Hammers(Mountain ranges that are called "Sledgehammer" and "Clawhammer" to the east...with "Chocolate Thunder" and "Backdoor" at the corners for good measure. Some of these rigs cost well over 150K...daaaaammmmm!!!

Start of the race....look at that crowd...this picture only depicts a tiny percentage of racers and spectators. Picture this place as the SEMA of desert rock/sand warriors. Vendors were on in full force, displaying their products. Photos courtesy of Offroad.com and pirate4x4.com...

 Your typical rig...Shannon Campbell's Monster sponsored Monster

Another Rig negotiating rough terrain...and I mean ROUGH!

The "Hammers" will claim their share of victims...

The race goes on, even if you've rolled...nobody waits, they go around you...or over you!

Stuck...pshhh...I've got my 1,000 ponies to get me unstuck quick!

Not just navigating over rocks and boulders, but sand and dirt too!!!

When we were out here, we figured we might as well bring the toys along...of course, my uncle brought his Rhino...Here's Charlie and his nephew Michael

Cruising...

One of the major vision crippling sand storms I've ever been caught up in...

 Plenty of Amateur enthusiasts were out doing a little bit of everything...here we have a Lexus LX450 trying to crawl up "Backdoor"...he wasn't able to make it :(....sorry, the picture loaded sideways due my damn iPhone

My toy of choice at the end of the day, the Yahama Rhino that is out-fitted with Walker-Evans Shocks,custom rims, Maxxis tires, and 4 custom fitted HID lights...

Last but not least, the Tacoma got a little dirt time...mobbing through the bomb craters in the dry lake bed was bad ass!!! Toyota builds a fine product and the stock Bilstein suspension held up...

Bonus content...came home to some Hundreds goodies...

 Wow, you guys got a special treat this weekend from me...2 blog posts in 3 days...must be some sort of record...outro!