When you do the same thing in the same place in the same way for a couple of decades almost every single day…and you’re successful…it can be hard to change what’s not broken!
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME…MAYBE
Originally Published the Week of July 7, 2015 in Western Outdoor News
I have been asked often enough that I guess I should post up a column and hopefully get the issue covered.
When fishing is good, no one seems to question the techniques of their captain.
Over a decade ago, I had a group fishing here with us in La Paz at Tailhunters. Fishing had been great. Until they showed up.
Fishing was spotty at best. It was just a funky group of days. It happens. Even in Baja. It’s fishing. Fortunately, it’s a not common.
But, that’s usually when the second-guessing comes in. Boo. Hiss.
“Why did we pick these dates?”
“ We should we have come a week earlier/ later?”
“We should have gone to (pick a different Baja city) instead of here.”
“I think these captains don’t know what they’re doing. They do it differently in (pick another Baja city). “
“The captain never tried something different. He was just lazy.”
Ouch! The last few sting a bit. It presumes incompetence from guys who have done nothing else their whole lives. Who have probably fished in no other area their whole lives. Who not only make their livings in these waters, but depend on these waters to feed their kids. You usually get pretty good or your kids go hungry.
The day that group left, another group came in. Fishing went ballistic. Our guys were heroes again. As the group toasted and posed for photos and whooped and hollered, I said to my head captain, “Isn’t it amazing how much our captains learned in 24 hours?” He laughed.
He said something to me that I’ve never forgotten.
He said, “When I first started fishing with gringos, if I catch fish, the gringos will call me a Mexican god. If I do not catch fish, I’m a G—damn Mexican.” He laughed.
I never forgot that.
I think it was Einstein, a pretty smart guy, who said something like, “Idiocy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Sometimes, it applies when clients say things like, “Why didn’t the captain try something different?” Basically, implying if the fish aren’t biting, why did he keep doing the same thing?
A lot of Baja captains have no idea what Einstein may or may not have said. Or even who Einstein is. Theory of what?
But, from what I’ve seen over my two decades here in Baja, most adhere to the adage, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!”
I think what many fishermen forget is that, the method that may not be working now, was working yesterday. It worked last month. Last year. Ten years ago. For his daddy and probably his daddy’s daddy.
It may not be working AT THIS MOMENT but hell, it COULD work in the next 10 minutes! Let’s keep playing the odds. The system isn’t busted because no fish are biting…so far. But, it’s worked in the past and it will work in the future. Let’s stay with what usually works.
Kobe Bryant misses a few baskets, he keeps jacking up shots at the hoop. You don’t bench Hank Aaron because he strikes out a few times or tell him to “change your batting stance.” Peyton Manning won’t change his football grip because he threw two interceptions.
And so it goes. Often to the frustration of the client. But, only if it’s a slow day!
Remember, most of these guys running pangas and cruisers, have spent more days on the water in a month than most of us will spend our entire fishing careers. They’ll have caught more fish and seen more than you will ever see.
But, they are limited to what works. Slow to change from what has worked and slow to change to new ideas!
These guys have never fished anywhere else except their backyards. La Paz captains have no idea about fishing in Cabo and Cabo guys would probably have a hard time fishing in Loreto or Mulege.
They don’t read every fishing magazine. They don’t spend weekends at tackle stores or Bass Pro “hanging out” and fingering all the new toys. They don’t access social media and chat boards about the latest tips and techniques.
They don’t go to fishing shows or watch fishing videos. They don’t surf the internet reading fishing reports and they don’t read Facebook to see what their friends are catching down the coast.
So, they very likely don’t know about that new 4-speed reel you just brought down or the space age polymer line you have. Same with the “guaranteed-to-catch-fish lure everyone “must have” to fish Baja you bought at the fishing and hunting show in 6 assorted colors. Nor did they read the latest clinical tests that say tuna bite best 30-feet below the surface on a full moon.
They know what they know. And change moves glacially.
A perfect example. It took almost 10 years for my own captains to have faith in fluorocarbon line. They are still not sure why anyone needs braided line. They are leary of circle hooks!
We have two fleets that fish two different areas…La Paz and Las Arenas (Cerralvo Island). My captains are all related. The waters and species are the same.
One group fishes a little further north than the other but their operational areas do intersect. Surely, the fish don’t know or care! A dorado is a dorado. A marlin is a marlin!
But, my Las Arenas captains think my La Paz captains don’t know how to fish and vice versa. One group hates Rapalas and says only feathers work. The other group says only feathers work.
One set of captains insists on chumming the water with handfuls of bait (to keep the fish in an interested frenzy). The other group chums by tossing out one bait at a time (so the fish don’t get full and lose interest.).
Both sets of my captains are very successful. They have to be. Their incomes depend on it.
But, it will take more than me to convince them to make changes. And it will take more than one slow day or two to make them see differently. Nothing’s broke. Es la pesca! (It’s fishing!). Just keep doing the same thing a little harder until it works. Which it will!
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 and fishing buddy, Jilly, 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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“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.”
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