That's My Story

I BELIEVE – Published July 2004 – Western Outdoor News

I’ve been doing this Baja gig now for quite a few years. I’m not Ray Cannon, Fred Hoctor or Gene Kira when it comes to the amount of knowledge those guys accumulated marching all over this peninsula. However, I do know what I know. And, to that end, I’ve posted Jonathan’s Baja Creed about what I believe:

I believe:

That Aero California will be late 9 out of 10 times

That if you lose your luggage it will always be on the flight AFTER the one they tell you

That no one will ever have a definitive answer about whether you can or cannot bring reels on a plane with the line spooled

That you will never understand what the flight attendant says in English over the plane’s p.a. system.

That when it comes to impressing your friends about your ability to eat chili or salsa, “Fire in…fire out!”

That there is a reason even the locals call mescal and tequila shots, “Salsa de Payaso” (Clown sauce)

That the more tackle you bring, the less you lose and whatever you left at home, you will need

That it takes 2 hours to pack your clothes, but 2 weeks to pack fishing tackle…and another 2 weeks to adjust it over and over and over and over…

That you will never think about how well you tied your fishing knot until you’re into the second hour of a long battle

That ice cold water never tasted so good

That duct tape ever had so many uses

That the sun could stay up longer than 24 hours or that a hangover could last even longer…even with the time change
In the “Rule of 6” which says that if your 10 best friends say are DEFINITELY going on this year’s Baja trip, only 6 will actually end up going

In the” Rule of 5” which says that of that 6, one will remember at the last minute that his daughter is getting married and he has a dental appointment leaving you with an odd 5th man and the charter package is for “double occupancy.”

That the least experienced guy catches the biggest fish

That bringing bananas is a good way to play or joke or start a fight

That anyone who falls asleep dead drunk in front of his buddies deserves to be a Kodak moment for the creative ingenuity of his friends

That those little walkie talkie phones everyone carries “guaranteed for 2 miles” only work if your boat is next to your buddy’s boat

That the prouder you are of that great fishing t-shirt the great the chance you will get enchilada sauce on it

That any 4 door rental car is fully capable of transporting 8 fully grown fishermen and their fishing gear

That if there is one mosquito in the hotel, it will find your room and your ear in the middle of the night

That if you’re crossing the border, your car will always pick the wrong lane behind the slowest cars and next to the vendor who will insist that you buy the giant ceramic Tweety Bird or the Elvis on velvet painting

That the metric system will never make sense

That speaking Spanish is easy if you just add the letter “O” to the end of any English word and “El” to the front of it. (el luggage-o, el street-o, el store-o) And you have every right to expect that any local will understand EXACTLY what you are saying

The “Ice Rule” which says that he who has the most ice makes the rules

That salsa and chips are a legitimate food group

That the guy who orders the most food and drinks is the one most likely to say “let’s divide the bill among us” and “Can you cover me, I only have big bills?”

That Mexico is the only place where a sunburn received while wearing a tank top is a fashion statement

That’s my story…
Jonathan