That's My Story

PRESEASON IS OVER! BRING ON THE MAIN EVENT!

Originally published the week of Sept. 3 in Western Outdoor News

It was the weirdest thing this week. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it happen so abruptly.

We were chugging along with the fishing season pretty much oblivious to the days or the seasons or anything. One day is kind of like the next when your day starts in the dark and ends in the dark seven-days-a- week.

All of a sudden summer stopped.

In the states, the transition from summer to fall is somewhat more gradual. All of a sudden you notice kids are in school or football is on TV. Stuff like that.

When you live in a resort area that relies on fishing, You don’t get much TV. We don’t see many school kids anyway. The seasons are measured in how many people get off the plane; how many coolers are stacked in hotel lobbies; the line up for margaritas at the bar and what types of fish are on the fillet table.

But this week, it was like someone threw a lightswitch. Someone threw the brakes on summer and it was eerie.

We didn’t even know it at first until someone commented that all the hotels were suddenly empty. Someone else said that only 10 people got off a normally packed flight. A drive through town showed empty restaurants. I got a few e-mails from friends in Cabo and the East Cape and Loreto noticing the same thing.

Ever see one of those old Twilght Zone shows where someone comes back from someplace and finds their whole town is empty? They later discover that some strange virus or nuclear disaster had struck. It’s that “last-person-on-the-planet-feeling.”

I finally asked one of the hotel owners in town what was up. They simply smiled and said, “It’s easy. Summer is over. It ended this week. Kids went back to school. Its like that in Mexico. ”

And just like that, it came to a screeching halt. I passed that onto my compadres in the other fishing cities who also have fishing businesses and they were also surprised. We get into our daily grind and fail to look up to see the forest for the trees. None of us had even actually realized that it was already Labor Day in the U.S. and here in Baja, it was back-to-school.

But, ahhhhh….summer…you can have it!

Yea, it’s nice and all. Families are here. Waters get warmer. Kids all over the place. Lots of tourists. Fish are nice.

But to me, summer is like pre-season football. It’s like the undercard in a big boxing match or watching the cartoons and trailers before the real show comes on. It’s entertaining. You eat a few hot dogs, some popcorn and your soda and it’s “nice.” Nobody is disappointed.

But, now here comes the fall. This is the main event as far as my Baja fishing is concerned. Take the rent rods home. Fall is when you strap it on and you get ready for full contact. Yes, send the kids home. Bring your “A” game because the Baja is also going to throw it’s best at you.

Forget the punk school-dorado. Those little 5 pounders are what we use for bait! You want that big bull you see in all the photos? Well those little 15 pounders of June are now 40-60 pounders in September and October.

If you talk-the-talk, then walk-the-walk. You might get fewer fish in the fall, but the quality will more than make up for it and the big bulls don’t give second chances. Guys who whined in July about “too many small” fish, got to put up or shut up now when they come back for fall fishing.

Not only are the dorado bigger, but the billfish muscle up as well. Forget the little stripers and sails. Yes, they are still around, but this is man-up time. The blue marlin and black marlin that made Baja famous are in the house. These are the 200-1000 pound bad boys that won’t even know they are hooked 2 hours into the fight when you’re on you’re knees; your arms are shaking with fatigue and you’re looking to hand the rod to someone else!

There’s a reason, all the big marlin tournaments are had in the fall. They don’t put up all those big checks to catch needlefish! Guys don’t come here from Europe, Australia and Africa to catch bonito…unless it’s to cram into a tuna tube to use as a 5 pound piece of bait!

Fall is also great tuna time. It’s the “gorilla zone” in places like the Gordo Banks, Golden Gate, El Bajo, Thetis and others. These are the tuna that eat albacore for breakfast. Even in northern Baja south of San Deigo, yellowfin, big-eye and bluefin can be found. These yellowfin are the ones with those great yellow sickle fins you see in all the photos. Want your 200 pounder? Now’s the time to be in Baja.

Wahoo? Try the Gordos off San Jose del Cabo or the banks off Bahia Magdalena or the islands around La Paz. Roll north around Loreto and see what a fish that can jet to 70 mph can do to your drags!

Yup…I like the fall. Can’t wait. My fingers get itchy. Now the season begins! Bring it on!

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.