I've been fishing out of here for almost 20 years. I used to take my 3 boys out when they were younger on the gentleman and have done several trips on the overnight Mirage. This past week I went on the Mirage, the check in was great, fast easy, and set me up with a few extra weights. We caught some sea bass, sheep heads, and rockfish. I would recommend fishing from here. read more

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Every single vessel in this fleet is worth checking out. Super fishy Captains, and very knowledgeable deckhands. Great for memories with family, friends and couples. Get on it, you won't regret it. read more

Went fishing for the first time and was such a cool experience - caught 10 fish! Absolutely incredible for any beginners. Special shoutout to Louis - he works so hard, is SUPER helpful to everyone from start to finish, incredibly accommodating and such a pleasant person on the boat. He truly made the experience perfect for a first timer! read more

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If I could give zero stars I would. We went on the Island fox.The lack of fish was one thing I could have gotten over if the crew was friendly and not lazy. They hid bait not allowing us to use live bait until they took us to almost to shore to fish for Halibut at the end of the day. The people on shore were giving us dirty looks. This was by far one of the worst trips I have ever taken. Save your money. PS- Crew kept saying we were getting bites as the weight was bouncing on the bottom, seriously it was terrible! read more

This review is specifically for the 1/2 Day Speed Twin boat. Do not , I repeat, do not waste your time and money. My husband and son went on Wednesday 8/3/2022. The staff on the boat is not friendly at all. As my husband said Thank you to every staff that helped him out he got no reply. The only nice person was the chef (thank you for the bomb burger). So sad because it was my son's 1st fishing trip out at sea. They didn't even put all of his catches in the bag. Especially the biggest fish smh!!! We found fish in our bag with other peoples tags on it. Very disappointing read more

We started the day great. They checked us in quickly and got our rental rods and licenses. We were a group of five. Everyone was friendly and helpful. They helped us with everything. I also loved how clean the bathroom was on the boat. Many of the fellow fisherman were so very nice too. Unfortunately, out of our group, only one of us caught two fish. We were told that February was "out of season" and that is why the fishing was so poor. We did a half day trip and four hours out of the day was spent boating us to the fishing spot near Carpinteria. They then tried multiple spots. Then things turned worse at the end. Our friend received a half of one tiny fish filet from his two-fish catch. When asked why, the crew member replied "seagulls" and walked away. Our friend had lost one and a half of his fish to seagulls!!! Why doesn't the boat crew have something protecting the fish from birds while filleting them?? The weather was cold and there were not enough seats inside. Luckily, we had brought warm clothes and sat outside. About an hour before arrival to the dock, the crew decided to hose down everything with bleach and water. We had to move all over the boat to get out of their way and avoid getting wet from their hose. The seats were now wet. We had to now stand outside most of the way home and watch others comfortably sitting inside. Why couldn't the crew wait until passengers disembarked before hosing down the boat? The day started with great customer service and ended with terrible customer service. read more

Had an excellent trip out on the water! The boat wasn't too packed. Captain did a great job finding the fish so that everyone had something to bring home before going to a couple shallower sites where the more advanced anglers could try their hand at yellowtail and bass. The boat itself is a nice setup with plenty of live bait, a full service galley where you can get breakfast burritos, cheeseburgers, beer, etc. The crew of the Twin Speed were the stars of the show. They were always busy but extremely helpful. They were always there to get the fish off our hooks and into the burlap sacks, untangle lines, and fillet the fish. This is one of the best trips I've had in a long time. I seem to have caught a fever, and the only cure is my next trip with these guys. Tips- make sure to bring cash. Pole rentals and licenses at the harbor, as well as food, beer, filleting, extra tackle, and anything else purchased on the boat is cash only. read more

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This is one of the best boats that I have ever been on! The crews and captains are top notch. Each time they have been very friendly, knowledgeable and HELPFUL! They always show people how to rig and catch fish. One time we went shallow and I didn't bring lighter tackle. So one of the crew lent me a smaller hook and weight. Bam I caught my personal best Bull Calico Bass. That particular trip I caught my least but still had a blast with my bass and lots of shorts that were thrown back. This last trip I just had was the normal LIMITS for the boat. Talking with people onboard there were many repeat fishermen which testifies to how good this boat and crew are. The food was EXCELLENT as always. My custom ketogenic meals were very satisfying and made promptly. Top CHEF stuff! Take your friends and family on this boat for a great time. It's worth every penny and it's the best 4 hour half day of fishing that I have ever experienced in the last decade. read more

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My family and I booked an overnight trip through Channel Islands Sportfishing a couple of months back, and although our experience overall was fine, it was certainly lacking in some areas. Less than friendly staff, expensive in every way (they nickle and dime you for every little cost despite already spending several hundred dollars on tackle, pole rentals, and the right to get on the boat), and overall, just could use several improvements. Fortunately we had a good day out on the water, so it was probably worth it, but it could certainly be better. Probably won't be back! read more

We found an overnight boat when our original day boat from another company cancelled. We already had hotel reservations and were halfway there from 180 miles away. We were just salvaging the trip initially. Omgosh! Did we luck out!! Best boat ever!! The crew rocked!! The caltain found us tons of fish! The vibe was amazing! This is our new boat! read more

So unfortunately this review is for the Speed Twin. The outfit Cisco's is alright, they can't do much for customers and basically just provide a place for boats to park and planks for customers to climb onto Boats with. Unfortunately, Cisco's gets a 1/2 stars because they should discontinue their contract with the speed twin. I have legitimately considered going to the other outfits (Ventura sport fishing, hooks sport fishing, Pacific dawn sport fishing, mirage sport fishing). I have heard people talk bad about Cisco's (channel island sport fishing) JUST BECAUSE of this ONE boat. It's a real shame because aloha spirit is run by a talented captain. So all the negative reviews on here seem to all be for the same boat, Speed Twin. All the reviews are 1000% correct, and as of 2022, still valid. This goes to show that the captain and crew of the speed twin are two things, incompetent as they STILL haven't corrected the same repeat issues, or they just don't care. The answer is BOTH. First off a captain of a SPORT fishing vessel is the same thing as a guide. It's their job to take you to the fish. The captain of the Speed Twin, Jesse Martinez, is extremely rude. He does not know how to talk to people. I doubt he's married, he's that unpleasant. To add to this fact, he has a massive chip on his shoulder while he's riding a high horse. The man is very proud, not sure of what. The boat he captains consistently brings in the worst fish counts and the fish are also the smallest ones I've ever caught in any boat. But this small man legitimately thinks "my boat isn't catching anything because the anglers sucks". He's called fisherman (paying customers) stupid and doesn't offer any good advice. Any way other than his way is wrong. Which life doesn't really work that way. Just see all the other horrible reviews and it's all true, the scandals the conspiracies all of it. Very high horse this man rides. He's got nothing to be proud of, his boat is the worst in the fleet because the captain is the worst in the fleet. Avoid Speed Twin at all cost. The other boats leave at 4/5am but the gentleman does leave at 6am which is a little better. I will probably avoid Cisco's until they do they right thing and end the contract with this boat. It may appear petty but I'm not the only guy I know. Many experienced fisherman go out of Ventura Sport fishing and asked me with shock why I use Channel Islands, now I know why. read more

If you like working hard for nothing this is the boat for you! My husband planned a family trip on this boat this past Saturday. They had a great time until it came to getting their fish. They left scratching their heads as they didn't get ALL their catch. So sad and disappointing. Especially, since it was my dads first time going and he actually caught a big fish that he didn't even get to take!!! I would give them no stars if I could. How are people going to work hard for their catch only for it to be taken away from them. FYI: it was a group of 10 and they ALL had fish that was stolen from them!!!!!! read more

Great half day boat out of Channel Islands Sportfishing. Half day is 8am to 4pm. Boat is pretty spacious with a full galley. Target species are generally rock cod. Rock cod includes bocaccio, snapper, and other bottom dwelling creatures. Typical setup for fishing rock cod is a dropper loop setup with a 6 to 12oz sinker depending on the strength of the current. 1/0 circle hooks work great with squid strips or the live bait (anchovies or sardines). The bocaccio love the live bait. You can fish straight 30lb mono or go with spectra. You will feel the bites with spectra better. Captain and crew are top notch. Crew is pretty helpful in undoing tangles and helping remove fish from your hook. I will definitely be back. read more

Channel Islands Sportfishing - Leaving the harbor - Fishing Near Me - Oxnard, California

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We had the lucky adventure of joining Steve & Silia and their crew aboard the Speed Twin in Santa Barbara for some INCREDIBLE whale watching! First, YES, we did see whales! Lots of them actually. Humpbacks. We'll definitely be going back in April/May for the Blue Whale Migration. (I've uploaded photo's!) We also saw these black and white dolphins that swam along with the boat, pelicans, seals, and more whales. Steve, our Skipper, made it fun and exciting - pointing out spouts of water with, "There she blows!" And then gave us useful info on the whale's habits and showed us how to track their "footprints" on the water. The crew was ever present and just has fun & helpful. The food was delicious and the beers ice cold. I was able to get some great photo's and make new friends with the other passengers. If you live in So Cal, or are coming here for a visit, I would highly recommend fitting in some whale watching with the Speed Twin Sportfishing team! It's a once in a lifetime experience! read more

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Speed Twin made my my first fishing experience the best. All the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, they gave me good tips and they were on top of it. The staff work quick and efficiently to help with tangles and setting up poles. Also, The staff member working in the Galley makes the best burgers! I came back home satisfied with what I caught. Will definitely return and recommend to others. Thank you Captain Jesse and Speed twin staff! read more

My son and I went out on a Sunday 1/2 day fishing trip. We all had a blast until it came to collecting our fish. I caught the biggest fish of the day (Ling Cod) plus several good size cod along with my sons fish he caught. Mind you this fish we caught was supposed to be dinner that evening. We came to collect our fish but they couldn't find it??????? Something is very fishy on the Speed Twin....Along with the fact that they literally steal the money pot for smallest, and largest catch of the day. All we received in return for spending almost 8 hours fishing and not coming home with our fish was a complimentary pass for another 1/2 day fishing trip. Problem is, by the time you get a pass like that you've already made up your decision not to do business with these lowlifes any more..... read more

I love channel island sportfihing but today was very disappointing.... So i had purchased my tickets for speed twin 3 days ago with enough passengers but not packed so i bought my fishing license tackle supplies. So i woke up 4am to get ready and leave since its a 1hr 40min drive for me then i get a call sayimg that the captain is sick so the trip is cancelled i was so upset already on the road. If something like this happens then there should be a second captain to take the trip and not cancel on a lot of people. Staff on the boat are nice and helpful but when a trip gets cancelled it changes the ball game. read more

Chartered the whole boat. We took about 45 friends and family. We caught a mixture of small white fish, small to medium perch, then hit one spot with calico bass and huge sheep head. This spot saved the trip. All in all we were happy until we hit port. They mixed up and mischarged almost every single person. My gf and I caught two calico, 4 perch and 4 white fish. We asked to have the perch just gutted. We didn't even get the perch, we ended up with about 15lbs of calico meat.. I feel bad for whom ever bag they gave me cause they got cheated if they ended up with mine . Also we go to pay the galley tab. Same thing here our burrito, burger, 4 beers cost 41 dollars. The next dude said his 3 burritos, 3 burgers and 6 beers costed $27. After we got off there were 4 more ppl telling the deck hands that they didn't even get there fish. 2 more ppl saying they never asked to have there fish fillet. At least a dozen more ppl were saying they only caught 2-4 fish and were charged $20+. Others saying they caught more and received less.. We won't be back on this boat. read more

Went fishing on the Speed twin a couple days ago the captain was very rude not a very good teacher I was going to book a couple trips for the military but after going on there I'm can have to look around for a different boat that's too badd a used to be a fun Boat read more

I took my kids and brother back out on this boat for some fishing mind you I did not want to because the last trip I did was awful. Anyways this time was great the captain was unbelievable. He stayed on top of things very minimal tangles and limits of fish fast. He must be a new Captain. Thanks the trip was great minus the rain. I already have started looking for a another date to go out again. Thank you. Awesome crew speed twin. read more

I bought three gift certificates for family members for half day boat fishing. My credit card was charged. When we booked it the price had gone up And I agreed to pay the difference but they told me I would have to charge it again the entire amount until the gift certificates were brought in. So that was the second time I paid. We added a fourth person and paid for that person. I was told when they came on the date that was booked I would get the original gift certificate money refunded. They went yesterday they wouldn't refund the money asking for the gift certificate, which I had sent a copy with the guys. I called to ask why the money wasn't refunded and I was told I had to talk to the manager wasn't there. I tried to ask a few questions and she got mad at me and hung up. I tried to call back again and she answered the phone and hung up on me again. I will never book with them again because there are so many choices. Be wary all of you... Next time you get a gift certificate make sure they won't do this to you. Three of the four people don't even live nearby so it's difficult to get whatever it is they're asking for... That's not what a gift certificate is all about. To be fair, they told me that the crew was cordial and helpful and it was a great day. read more

First trip yesterday March 22 on Speed Twin. Nice twin hull boat. Clean. Unusually spacious deck. Skipper Justin worked hard to get us fish, deckhands extremely attentive and friendly. Galley cook Haley awesome. Her double bacon cheeseburgers were unbelievable. Can't wait to go again. read more

I do NOT get any of these negative reviews. Took my grand daughter fishing today because she wanted to....I've NEVER been fishing and neither has she. From the moment we checked in to sign up, get gear, to the moment we left, it was a GREAT adventure. Every single crew member was great, friendly, helpful. There were 35 people on the boat....and the deckhands were kept busy untangling lines, unhooking fish and making everyone feel welcome and comfortable. Maybe the negative reviewers were expecting a luxury boat and concierge service--I don't know. But this was what I expected in terms of a fishing boat..and the crew was amazing. Left at 8:00..arrived at fishing ground about 9:30....back in port at 4:45. Everyone had a great time from what I could see. THANKS SPEED TWIN FOR A GREAT ADVENTURE......especially from a first timer who had NO idea what to expect. Now, time to cook my fish dinner. read more

Went out on a busy day with over 50 anglers including my son and I. The deckhands were very professional and nice. They untangled lines quickly and even bagged the fish whenever they could. They will also setup your line so you will catch fish. I highly recommend this boat as they try hard to fill your gunny sack with a lot of fish. read more

My son told me he wanted to go fishing. I thought about taking him to the peer or to the lake but then I remembered that you can go out on a boat and do a little "deep sea fishing". Got to the place in the morning called CISCOS which is, I guess, where they check you in. Older retired guys selling tickets, tackle, etc... When the old guy found out I was taking my Son, he gave him a free hat with the name of the boat on it. Lined up and the Captain checked our licenses and let us on board. We went during the weekday so it wasn't too crowded which was good. We sailed to Catalina and me and my Son just hung out. We saw dolphins on the way and a sea lion or seal. Fished all day moving from spot to spot. Mostly other Dads with their kids and a few granddads with the grandkids so it was perfect for us because nobody had an attitude. My son and I caught some fish and pretty much everybody else caught fish too. The facilities and amenities were good. It was a fishing boat so don't expect a luxury cruise but the bathrooms were clean and you could tell that they took pride in their boat and really took care of it. They had a snack bar (called a galley?) and the food was pretty good - sandwiches, burgers, drinks, chips, etc... My son thought the cheeseburgers were the best he ever had and had two. The captain was kind of a tough looking guy and not really a people person but that kind of added to the atmosphere of being out to sea and roughing it and he gave the experience of an authentic skipper as opposed to feeling like they were putting on a show for the tourists. The captain was also very helpful tying knots and helping everybody fish when he wasn't steering the boat and he never made us feel stupid for not knowing what the hell we were doing and he was really funny in a gruff sort of way. The deck hand was a kid named Chris and he was the customer service guy. He was smiling the whole time, moving from person to person helping them to have a good experience, getting knots untangled, tying knots, etc... You could tell that he really likes his job and that was great because we really needed his help alot and when he came over he was always happy, again making us feel comfortable. My Son and I had a great time and decided that we're going to do this at least a couple of times a year and I'm going to try to always make it this boat because of the attitude of the crew. read more

We had an amazing time & fun filled day with my Grand kids @ Speed Twin Sport Fishing. I would definitely recommend them to anyone. Call them 1st for that special occasion! You'll see whales, seals, and other incredible sights over the Pacific. Captain Jordan, Deckhand Chris, & Gallery Girl Amy, gave the kiddos extra special attention helping them put bait on their hooks and also made some delicious burgers. My husband and I are planning a return trip in a few months with other family members. That's where it's at and as good as it gets!!! Everybody have fun and enjoy the spectacular sights! read more

The Speed Twin is one of the best boats to get a feel for deep sea fishing. You can always count on Captain Jesse to put you on quality rockfish, lingcod, and Sheephead. The crew is very helpful and the cook in the galley cooks up some really good breakfast burritos and burgers. read more

I have been an avid angler for over 32 years, fished salt water mostly, and on both coasts. i have generally partaken on party boats of this size, some larger and a few smaller. Yesterday myself and 2 friends decided to go out for yellowtail, bonito, et al on the Speed Twin. I have a full range of equipment and so i called ahead to see what they recommended. the person who answered was very specific; conventional equipment with 40lb test line, 10 oz weights and a dropper loop for live sardines. ok, cool. i brought the ideal setup, as well as a bait caster and spinning reel as i have seen over the years that you never know what kind of fish might hit. we now find our first spot, start chumming, and rigging up. i notice there are a portion of patrons who are extremely chummy with the deck hands. initially, this makes me feel great because that generally means a great experience with great help. i do take note of one thing: the riggs that the deck hands are using on these familiar people are different than mine, different than those sold at their dock shop, and different from those they are selling on the boat. they used a tiny 1oz shot directly onto the leader, right next to the hook, essentially a setup for free spooling. we had a nearly at capacity boat (62 patrons), were anchored (so lines would surely be going out in different directions and so you must be careful about tangles). i couldnt understand how they would be tying on such riggs for these particular patrons but i shrugged it off at first. within 5 minutes it all came clear: about 50 of the 62 patrons were bottom fishing. but bottom fishing when the schools of fish were anything but. these 12 friends and family anglers were not bottom fishing, but rather letting their lines drift over ALL the other patrons lines, easily 60 or more yards, and then catching fish left and right. this all came at the expense of every other fisherman on the boat; we were all just sitting in a birds nest of tangles repeatedly started by these lucky 12. i have never seen anything like it. there is etiquette to fishing, an unspoken code, where you do not aggressively and premeditatedly tanle peoples lines with equipment that only does as such. tangle cannot be avoided, but that surely shouldnt be encouraged. this is when i went and retrieved my spinning gear in hopes of moving all the way to the very front of the bow and fishing away from everyone; using the 1oz riggs and jigging the same way of the 12, but without interfering with the other anglers. that is when everything came clear. i asked the deck hand for one of those riggs, of which he had a bag of over 100 of those weights, and he told me "your reel won't work with those." that is when i furnished my spinning tackle and said, "it will with this." thats when he begrudgingly and condescendingly looked at me and said "these riggs arent for sale." essentially, if you werent one of these 12 people (learned to find out they were girldfriends, siblings, and friends of the deck hands, not regular patrons even), you werent going to catch fish. for 4 consecutive hours i spent the entire time in tangles and re-riggs. in the very final hour of the trip i cut off one of the lucky 12s riggs when they werent looking and put it on my spinning reel. i proceeded to catch 6 fish in that hour. never in all of my life have i seen or experienced anything like this and i have been fishing on public party boats over 2000 times. there are alot of boats in oxnard and socal in general. all of which the captains and deck hands did anything in their power to give everyone a fair and equal chance to catch fish. not one time has it been strictly for a selected few anglers, all the other patrons there simply for their fishing fee. SPEED TWIN YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. fishing is an enjoyable sport and lovely way to meet people and bring home dinner for your family. you clearly turned it strictly into a business. read more

The boat is very nice but the crew was very rude. At the end of the day I had my limits of rockfish and whitefish. After they roped of the area to clean them I ended up with three rockfish that were clearly not the ones I caught. I was charged full cleaning price of $20 for 20 fish but on received three fish. Asked the captain at the end of the day what happened to my fish and he replied oh well. Made a complaint to the office and nothing was ever done about it. I was promised a full refund but never received it. read more

You better pay attention to things on this boat. I had 14 fish in my sack and they threw in 6 more without asking. I got charged extra for the filleting of the donated fish. The count was exaggerated too. I know, I know, they all pad it some, but I saw the deck hands board with the counts. The landings published count was way more. I absolutely hate when they squeeze you without your permission. My suggestion is to try another boat at this landing. read more

Well, it was an interesting trip. Went on 1/2 day coastal trip. The boat is great I love it, it's big and spacious. That is only good thing The bad: the crew charged me for items we don't need. Like charging you for a bag that they don't give u. Also they padded the fish charge. And most importantly do not think you get nice big fish. Everything the whole boat got was small and debatable whether you should keep it or toss it. I don't think the captain has a good fish finder or he does not know of any good spots. Jake on the boat(deckhand) was amazing. Thank god for him. It's a good learning boat. Oh and we came in at 3pm not 4 as we paid for. read more

The captain was very rude and needs to learn about customer service. The boat was so so but I've been on better.

Went out a few weeks ago on a weekday half day trip. The boat itself is clean and beautiful. Slow day of fishing for rockfish, that was fine. What I didn't appreciate was the fact that our boat was due back at 4pm. We started back for the harbor at 12:30pm, the conditions weren't bad and we did NOT have limits of fish. We started our SLOW cruise back and arrived at 3pm, a full hour BEFORE scheduled. AGAIN.... the weather nor full limits contributed to this. I felt extremely "jipped" and probably will not go on the boat again. Beautiful boat but would have liked to have the other hour of fishing I paid for. read more

Brought my employees on a fishing trip, had a blast!!! From the moment we set foot on the boat the crew helped with our gear, and using the proper set up on our poles. The food was great, even though they were very busy, they handled the lunch rush very well. If you're ready for fishing definately give these guys a shot, you won't be disappointed. read more

It was only 60$ for a great day . We Catch a lot of barracuda great trip and lots of fun the crew was very professional I can't wait to go again read more

I charter many fish trip in the past I recommend not using Speed Twin; when it came to paying for the galley and filet tab my guest were over charged and there was a mix-up on distributing of the fish. Some of my guess paid full price and caught fish ended up going home with no fish and other called and said they ended up with more fish than they caught. My family and friends were very unsatisfied with the deckhand's service. Robert Martinez read more

We had scheduled for a Saturday fishing trip for my buddies birthday so we reserved the entire boat and we prepaid for a full day of fishing. Our entire group showed up on time, purchased gear, fishing licenses, rod rentals etc. Boat was set to depart at 5am, at 5:15am the captain told us he was having mechanical issues and the trip was canceled. I'm not giving the speed twin 1 star for the mechanical issues, I'm giving the captain 1 star because of his attitude. No concessions were attempted, simply "trip canceled, nothing we can do". Iv been on different boats and due to weather the boat didn't go out and the captain gave us discounts for next time. Captain had no customer service. Granted he was mad for losing money but customers should come first and he should of made some kind of peace offering. read more

Crooks!!! If you want to experience theft first hand, go on this boat.. They stole large fish from us, the prize winner was told his fish was thrown away and they had the gonads to only give him $60 dollars of prize money at first. He complained then they gave him $140! He complained again, then they gave him $400!! There was more than 60 entries at $10 p/person! I was not the only one who complained.. There was quite a few of us who complained back at the main bait shop! So this is not just one person here putting my two cents in... The only good review I can give is on the cool gent who was the cook. He at least was honest to us about out tab.. Never Again!!! read more

super past-due review - took my dad out on a half-day trip a few months ago. the deck hands were super efficient, the whole crew really kind and thoughtful. you could tell they all really enjoy what they do and wanted everyone else to learn and enjoy it as well. it was a perfect day. we'll definitely return next time my dad is in town. read more

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This is an awesome boat, very spacious with a Galley. The burgers were surprisingly good. The most memorable part of my trip was the deck hands! These guys were awesome, extremely friendly and helpful with lot of great tips! If you have a family to take out fishing, this would be a great boat you want to go out in! Also very smooth ride because of the twin hull. Absolutely recommend them. read more