“FALL NEVER FAILS”
Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Oct. 5, 2011
Long before I ever lived down here in Mexico. Long before I even had an idea that I might someday be living down here in Baja, let alone running a business, I was like alot of you.
I worked some semblance of a 9-5 job. I had a day or two off a week. I had vacation time and 3 and 4 day weekends like everyone else
And, I planned my fishing trips like everyone less.
Early in the year, I would pull out my big fishing “master calendar” and figure all the places that I’d like to fish during the season. Trying to budget my time and wallet. And moon phases…
Big red marker…
Let’s see…shallow water rock fishing on the central coast…late winter or early spring. Check.
Trout opener in the Sierras…April. OK
Maybe sneak away for flyfishing in Montana…hmmm…June. Check.
San Diego kelp paddy yellowtail…late June. Can’t miss that.
July for king salmon and halibut in Alaska. Better check airfare now.
August…hmmmm…albacore and bluefin should be running. Book San Diego again. Check.
September…hehehehe…long range? 10 days? I’ll try to get a kitchen pass!
October/November…BAJA!
The fall in Baja has always been good to me. Pragmatically, it’s a good time to come down. It’s not as hot generally. Shadows are a bit longer. Air is a tad cooler. Waters are still warm. Generally flat with small breezes. The killer humidity is lower.
Most of the summer yahoo crowd is gone. Kids are back in school. It’s not quite the holidays so alot of places are only populated by fishermen walking around. During the days when the fleets are out, the towns are empty!
Many airlines consider the dip between Labor Day and Thanksgiving a “downtime” as well so they offer low-season rates on flights. And, as long as you’re not trying to book a boat during a big-time tournament, the best boats and captains are always available and ready to roll.
From a fishing perspective, the season has never failed me.
I’ve caught the majority of my billfish during the fall. In fact, I got my largest, a 400-pounder in October.
My largest and biggest wahoo have all been caught in the fall.
The majority of my tuna and my largest, a 236-pound cow was caught in the fall.
Come to think of it, my largest dorado have all been caught in the fall as well.
I guess there’s a reason so many of the biggest and most popular fishing tournaments in Baja, and indeed Mexico, are held in the fall. That’s when the big fish are around. That’s when many of the top-water pelagic trophy-fish that made Baja famous can be found…blue marlin…black marlin…sailfish…yellowfin tuna…wahoo…dorado…and others.
Had you the luxury, you could literally hop from one tournament to the other. One stops. Another begins. I know some semi-professional tournament teams and that’s what they literally do. They zoom from one tournament to the other. You could probably just stay in Cabo San Lucas and between September and November participate in a virtual assembly line of tournaments and never leave the city except to go fishing.
In many circles, Southern California comes to mind, once Labor day has gone, so do the fishermen. Well, the fish don’t simply stop biting because the calendar says summer is over. At least as far as Baja is concerned, the end of summer marks the beginning of some of the best fishing around!
That’s my story
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
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Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
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Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
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Phones:
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http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/
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“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
That's My Story 
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