Well well well. Me made it. After a 6 long month stretch of wondering if I would actually pull this off…. We made the most of the first salmon opener after my father passed away last year. To say that my dad left massive shoes to fill in more ways then one is the best way I can explain all this. Maybe for some people all this seems easy but for me there was a lot of hurtles to jump, an rough roads to travel to get to this point. Needles to say I am beyond happy an grateful I was able to get the boat fishing again this season..and especially for the first salmon opener in since they last closed it. Beyond thankful for everyone who took the time to call me up an give me some advice or showed up in person to lend a hand over this last year. If it wasn’t for all the people in the community taking time to show me a thing or two I’d be a lost soul in this industry.. Also when a legend who comes out of the wood work to show you a thing or two about how to catch salmon you listen an shut up, watch an learn. Hero’s don’t always wear capes, sometimes they wear dirty old genes a sweat shirt and a baseball cap, an eat dip, beers, an cigs for breakfast lunch an dinner lol but never judge a book by its cover because you might be missing the real story behind it. Either way this one’s for my dad. We all miss you more than we can explain an we will keep this boat going one way or another to keep your dreams alive. #fvolinka#californiasalmon#kingsalmon#californiacommercialfishing#keepthedreamsalive
Some days feel like you just never left and this was definitely one of them.. Classic winter swell setup made for some killer conditions. @lurchas putting himself in the right spot cruising through a gem💎
That one epic time in Baja with @thedodd and @lurchas Fish harvested with @kinetic_spearfishing K60 “Ono” rear handle and on @lurchas custom, self built Panga. The thing cuts thru chop like a knife 🛥️🔪 Special thanks to @thedodd for backing me up 😂😉 and the Gypsy Kings 🕺🏽#spearfishing #baja #gulfgrouper
Before I can even take another step in this life. I must tell the world that my father Doug Dirkse has passed away… I am at a loss for words for the most part… but I just want my closest Family and friends to know that Doug loved all of you that played a part in his life. I don’t even know how to step into the massive shoes my father has left behind for me but all I know is I’ll try my best to make him proud one step at a time. Please take a moment for my father and remember something special about him or share a special story if you can. The west coast fishing community has lost a legend needless to say an to me life will 100% never be the same without his presence. He was an incredible father,friend an mentor to so many people. I can’t even drive down the road without letting everyone know… rest in peace my incredible father. #ripdougdirkse @fv_olinka
@lurchas wrestling a Silver Glitter Pínchovy out of a hungry yellow's mouth. Lucas and @israel_ps18 put together some great tactics during a field test trip to Cedros Island that we'll be highlighting this week in the spirit of the yellowtail summer we've been experiencing across the Bight and down the peninsula. If you're headed to Cedros be sure to request Israel as your captain, he's certainly #alreadybit
📷: @jamestull
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Fun day exploring one of my favorite spots in Baja Sur. So stoked to have this panga fishing back in its homeland. Didn’t take very long with the @bighterlures to get a nice jack safely released, then we headed offshore to drag the @getbentlures_ which didn’t take longer then 5 minutes each time I deployed them to get a couple nice striped marlin. One in the box an one swam away to play another day… one thing I take pride in is the fact I am fishing a hand built boat, with hand made lures by my close friends. When you finally connect on a fish it feels like so many long hours put into fishing all make sense an it’s very rewarding. Plus you get to feed your friends an family. This was also @leas.gardentotable first marlin an she did a great job fighting it, an managed to get some epic clips as well …#fishingthebaja#panga#cabo#lapaz#bajasur#jack#toro#stripedmarlin#trolling#getbent#getbit#offshorefishing#isla#yamahaputboards#glassy#orcas#turtles#saltydogs##sunburntgringos#caliente#ocean#deepseafishing#sportfishing#fishinglures
It’s with a very heavy heart that I share the passing of my mother Geraldine Dirkse. Due to unexpected complications to liver cancer my mom left the world with my Brother an me by her side. Although we have taken comfort in being present at the time. This has been one of the roughest things I’ve ever witness an probably ever will. My Mom was a incredible woman who did a lot in her life. She’s always provided the best she could for her sons, regardless of being a single mom most her life she never used excuses an always showed us what life was all about. My mom was known for making amazing friends an massive gardens every place she lived. There’s so much I could say about my mom but more importantly I just want everyone to know how much she loved her close friends an family threw thick an thin. Mother’s Day will never be be same to me because I felt like every day was Mother’s Day being her son an I ow her the life I live an will forever cherish it in her name. I love you mom. That being said I feel like times like this always remind me how precious life is. You truly never know when the last time you could spend time with someone is an or what the last thing you might say to them is. Always love deeply. Be kind to people. Be understanding an compassionate. An help eachothere even when you don’t think it’s necessary. My mom always showed me how to love everyone around me for who they where an never to expect them to change but just love unconditionally an I am lucky I listened because it seems to be something that’s being forgotten these days. For all you out there that where close friends of hers. She loved you all an we where all a piece of her story. #mom#mothersday#restinpiece#weloveyou
Yesterday was a special one for me an for my long time friend @thewatermenslens Max an I have been friends for over 15 years, he used to come up to me an my dad when we beached launched at Cerritos back in the day an was always so pumped on fishing an diving an was just a cool dude from the gate. We’ve since done a lot of different things with our lives but fishing has always kept us in touch an we always shared our fish stories, an boat addiction issues with eachothere. When he told me he had a small window to come to Baja an wanted to dive on my boat a day if possible, i was pumped to finally get to line up with him an go looking for some solid fish we had talked about for a while. We went far an wide looking for the right conditions an finally found a fishy zone. Max made a couple dives an then came up screaming big grouper on! After a short battle he brought this thing to the boat smiling ear to ear an i couldn’t be more stoked to stuff that thing in the fish hold on ice. Moments like this are what make the entire process we live for, pure icing on the cake. Not a boat in sight an just you an your homies making it happen. A lot of people talk big Baja game plans an claim how they are gona come down always but not everyone follows threw an seeks true adventure these days an I feel so grateful I got friends like Max to live out these moments with. Thanks amigo one to remember. #ifithaseyesitdies#bajahoodratshit#killitangrillit#seaofcortez#baja#spearfishing#bluewater#mexico#gulfgrouper#whitegold#friendsarethepeoplewhoshowupfortrueadventures#pacificocean#cabo#pangalife#meathaul#saltycrew#findrefugeinthesea
Well after a year long sabbatical from the Baja I am beyond happy to be back in my homeland. For those who know me close this year may have been the roughest roads I ever traveled. I was met with betrayal, corruption, financial stress, loneliness, an ungodly amounts of odd trials an tribulations… This year I really had to dig deep an harness the man I am growing into an sack up an be just that. A man. An at the end of the day being true to yourself an the person your growing into is all you can focus on in life when these things seem to be hitting you from all angles with no end in sight. Two things kept me going more then anything. 1, This boat that I’ve wanted ever since I was a little kid an I drew it up in my books at school an or spent long nights dreaming about it. Finishing it was a major mile stone in my life an a true game changer for me an I couldn’t be more stoked on how it came out, an the results I have had with it so far have surpassed my wildest expectations. To me all I ever wanted to be was a simple fisherman with a simple boat to make memories that would last forever with my family an close friends. Needless to say dreams do come true… 2, Moving full time to Baja where I was born has been something I’ve been trying to achieve since my parents moved me back to the states as a little kid. Some might say that’s easy but for those who really know how hard carving a solid lifestyle out in the Baja really is…with all I went threw this year in America it was pretty clear to me that this was gona be the year I pulled the plug regardless of my financial situation or the ups an downs I’ve been going threw. I scrapped together everything I could an loaded the Tacoma to the gills with the essentials I would need to live this dream I’ve had since I could literally think. Little did I know that this trip would be one of the most white knuckle drives I ever had in my 29 years of commuting the Baja. Tonight I lay in my bed I was born in thanking god I am here…. Always have faith your dreams will come true. A massive thank you to my family an closest friends who where by my side during these times.
