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Archive for June, 2012

“BRING IT ON HOME!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged baja, charters, fish packing, fish storage, fish transport, Fishing, Fishing Techniques, fishing vacation, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, light tackle, mexican, mexico, outfitters, panga, sea of cortez, Tailhunter International, vacuum sealing on June 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

How you treat your fish makes all the difference in what it’s like when you get it home. Sherman from the Tailhunter staff prepares dorado fillets to be vacuum sealed at our facility for our fishing clients where it’s trimmed, labeled, dated and commercially vacuum sealed. Even if you don’t have the ability to vacuum seal your fish, keep it cold and fresh as possible.

“BRING IT ON HOME!”

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of June 28, 2012

After so many years of doing this, I just assume most folks know about bringing home their catch. Certain things are just assumed. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Just this week alone, I think I received at least 2 dozen e-mails asking me about how to get their fish home.

Don’t get me wrong! The questions are great questions. It’s my own fault for being surprised!

For you veteran Baja anglers, you just assume that fish is going home with you, but for many first timers, families, couples, etc. fishing the Baja is a new experience.

So, let’s do a primer!

Bringing home good quality fish means taking care of it as soon as it’s out’ve the water and on the deck. Dispatch the fish as quickly as possible. Keep in mind, as soon as your fish is dead, it’s already deteriorating. Like any type of food, cold helps arrest deterioration a.k.a. spoilage!

So, get it in the box, ice chest or other container and off the deck and out of the sun, unless you want it cooked and spoiled right before your eyes! Nothing like blazing Baja sun to turn your fish to mush. In the box, make sure there’s ice and keep it as cold as possible.

In most cases, your captain or deckhand won’t have time to start cleaning it on the spot, but the colder you can keep your fish, the better. Ice is the key. In the major fishing tourist destinations, ice is a given. Usually. But it’s always a good question to ask your operator. Also, is it included in the price of your trip? Many outlying areas may not have ice. Find out! If not, do your best to keep your catch cool.

Usually, once back at the beach or dock, your catch is cleaned. Get it bagged and cold and on ice again as soon as possible. So often I see anglers wander away to take photos and high-five each other and not pay attention to their fillets…which might just sit in the sun on a cleaning table…cooking! Get the fish on ice. If you can get it vacuum sealed, it’s a plus.

As soon as you can, if you’re staying in one spot for awhile, get your catch in the freezer. Again, a good question to ask if whether your lodging or charter operators have freezing facilities. Don’t assume! It’s Mexico. Better to be certain.

Now, getting your catch home…

Let’s get this right out. Generally speaking, there’s no way to ship your fish home. This is not Alaska or Canada. Unless you want to pay and arm-and-leg and get your fish on your doorstep melted and stinky a week late, don’t even consider mailing it.

The best and cheapest way is to bring your fish home in an ice chest as a piece of luggage. Everyone does it. Extra baggage is usually 25-50 dollars. A bargain. Most airlines have a limit of 50 pounds per piece before they charge you for an over-weight piece. Check with your airlines.

There is no dry ice. The airlines will also not permit you to put ice in the cooler either as it will melt and when your ice chest tumbles along the conveyor belt, you’re gonna piss off a lot of people when it leaks fish water on their luggage.

So, this is why it’s important that your filets be frozen. Believe me, if you don’t keep opening and closing the lids, your fish can last 24-48 hours in an ice chest!

Usually a 35-42 qt. chest holds will weigh about 50 pounds when filled with fillets. Don’t forget, chests with wheels will weigh more so you don’t be able to put as much fish in the chest if you’re trying to be exactly 50 pounds.

Don’t use Styrofoam chests. They get crushed when smacked by other luggage and make a mess! Don’t cheap out either and put it in a cardboard box as I’ve seen some guys try it. Not a great idea to stick extra fish in your personal luggage either! The airlines frown on it and you might have trouble getting the stink out of your clothes if the fish starts melting.

I’ve seen some anglers try to use the insulated boxes that they use in Alaska. They don’t work as well down here. In Mexico, ice chests might sit on the 100+ degree tarmac or in a hot luggage room before being loaded.

Although lighter in weight, insulated boxes don’t hold up like they do in Alaska or Canad. Up there, the ambient temperature is not very warm and the boxes can be kept out or stored in cooler places. Mexico is a cooker!

Many companies make some great soft-sided ice chests now that work incredibly well and are made for hot weather. Worth looking into and they weigh less than conventional coolers.

If you have extra room, stuff your dirty fishing clothes around the packs or crushed newspaper for extra insulation. Bring some duct tape to seal it up or a packing strap.

When you get home, get your fish in your home freezer and get the barbecue ready to go!

That’s our 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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HURTS and HAS A TEMPERATURE!

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, tagged baja, charters, first aid, Fishing, fishing report, hospital, injury, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, mexican, mexico, outfitters, sea of cortez, Tailhunter International, travel, vacation on June 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Prevention is always the best medicine but sometimes stuff happens! What to do!

“HURTS and HAS A TEMPERATURE”

Originally Published the Week of June 11, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

You’re on your Mexican vacation and you hit a crisis. You get sick, or worse, injured. Nothing quite brings a trip to a screeching halt like something that might require medical attention. Not just for you, but often for your buddies, family or traveling companions.

You’re obviously far from home. Seemingly no one speaks English. Even for something as simple as a nasty hangover or a Montezuma’s Revenge, it’s not like you can run down to the local Walgreens or other familiar pharmacy.

But wait, actually, if you know what’s wrong, most tourist destinations actually DO have familiar places like Walmart and other large stores that have pharmacies. Small local pharmacies are on every street corner. Believe me, most understand your “Spanglish” explanation of a headache or “the runs.” You are hardly the first person who’s come into the store with those kinds of complaints…especially in someplace for example like Cabo.

Certainly, your first option should be to report to the front desk at your hotel. Not only do most have things like aspirin, ant-acids and other first aid items, but many have doctors on call or, can recommend you to a local doctor, hospital or emergency care facility. Or point you to a pharmacy if you just need some medicinal aid that they don’t have.

Don’t panic. Most things, actually pass quickly. Some of the worst-feeling things, you personally could have prevented or know how to deal with if pointed in the right direction.

Prevention, of course, is the best medicine of all.

Of the thousands of client’s we have hosted here in La Paz, there have fortunately been only a handful of injuries or sickness. I would venture to say that the majority of them started with the line…

“We decided to do some shots of tequila…”

“The guys dared me to do it…”

OK, right. Pilot error. Alcohol is often the culprit in the hands of someone who forgot to take it easy. Either drinking too much…mixing poisons (“I started with tequila and went to rum then to vodka!”) or mixing medications (“I forgot the doctor told me not to drink whiskey with my heart medications!”)

I think almost all the broken bones or tricked knees or head bumps or the busted teeth were the result of someone not being more careful and under the influence.

Or, not drinking enough! Or forgetting that the sun is not always your friend.

Our biggest enemy is people not drinking enough water and getting heat-stroked which can have symptoms that resemble food poisoning, the flu, hangovers, diarrhea, etc. Simple avoidance means drinking enough water (beer and tequila do not count) and trying to minimize exposure to the sun.

In worst case scenarios, heat stroke can easily land you in the hospital or worse. Same for sunburn too. C’mon…common sense. You live in Michigan all year long and you miss sunshine. This is NOT a reason to “go lobster” and burn your back and man-boobs. Keep your shirt on, amigo! Sunburn hurts like the devil and can have long term effects.

But what if you’ve got a problem that can’t be solved with a few pills; more water; abstinence; or a night’s rest?

My first choice, if you are in a tourist area and staying at one of the more tourist-oriented hotels is to contact hotel management. I’d contact the front desk. As mentioned, often, they have a doctor on call or can refer you to a health care facility or provider. Believe me, you are not the first person ever to have a medical problem.

If it’s a traumatic injury, again, get a referral from the hotel; the local tour operator; or someone who knows where to go. Speed can often be of the essence and in the tourist areas and even some of the outlying areas, there are excellent first-responders who can get out to you in an ambulance or emergency vehicle.

The last two times we’ve had a problem here in La Paz, the EMT’s that showed up had been trained in Chicago and Seattle! One of the EMT’s riding along, in fact, was a young man from Denver who was working a few months in Mexico to work on his Spanish at the same time.

If you do end up in a hospital, they might not often accept your insurance, but I have yet to run into a health care facility that did not perk up when you showed them your credit card. They might not accept Blue Cross, but everyone knows VISA!

One caveat, many of the major tourist areas, have upscale hospitals that cater more towards tourists and the middle and upper class locals. That’s where you want to ask to go if you have a choice. Often, they have many English-speaking employees and doctors. And care, is a notch above too. Certainly, it’s great for 99% of the types of injuries that befall tourists and if it’s more serious, can stabilize the situation so you can get home and see your own doctor.

But, again…the best thing is not to get hurt or sick in the first place, especially if it’s something you could have prevented by being more careful or prudent!