BAJA BITS PIECES and TACKLE BOX STICKY NOTES!
Originally Published Week of Feb. 28, 2017 in Western Outdoor News Publications
Insofar as lots of you are making or possibly thinking about making a Baja trip this year, and this is the time vacations are made, there’s a few notes to pass along you might find interesting.
There’s good news as far as airline travel. For one, Southwest has jumped into the already jammed list of carriers flying folks into Cabo San Lucas. This has several great benefits.
I’m not a schill for Southwest. But hey…in the age of getting nickel-and-dimed by the airlines these days who are trying their best to stay aloft and competitive, Southwest does allow those awesome two free bags! For fishermen transporting rods, reels, ice chests, boat parts and frozen fish, this rocks.
Secondly, Southwest has made a name for itself by being relatively lower-priced than other airlines. Sometimes a lot lower. Super.
However, by jumping into the mix, their presence has forced other airlines to lower their fares in order to stay competitive. Winner-winner chicken dinner for us Baja travelers!
Also, while on that same subject of airline fares, there’s more good news. Even on those Mexico routes where Southwest has not started, overall, airfares seem to be substantially lower than last year.
I don’t know why, but I’m not arguing either. I was told that it was because fuel prices have remained lower for several seasons. Since airlines make their fuel purchase contracts in advance, they have cheap fuel inventory which then gets passed onto us consumers.
The downside is there are still some dates, you might want to re-think flying or, at least be prepared to pony up some extra dinero. One of those is April.
This year, Easter falls smack in the middle of the month. On either side of that you’ve got a big demand for airline tickets for the springbreak kids and families that flock to Mexico. The airlines have no problem filling planes. So, prices are jacked-up.
Simple supply-and-demand economics 101. You’re lucky to even find tickets by this late date for many routes to the most popular places.
On top of that, Easter and Holy Week (Semana Santa) are the busiest times for Mexicans to fly. It’s not Christmas. It’s not Thanksgiving (an American holiday, not Mexican!).
Many local families fly domestically to visit other parts of Mexico and vice versa. Likewise, many Mexican families fly out of the country and many from the U.S. also fly into Mexico for visits. That just creates a glut of travelers all vying for limited seats and willing to paying premium prices.
So, if you’re wondering why you’re seeing such high prices or non-existent airline seats in April, that’s the reason. Oh, and many hotels also charge more during the holidays, as they do in the U.S.
If you are planning to make a trip, don’t forget to purchase your fishing licenses online. Many outlets no longer sell the paper fishing licenses. We use such sites as www.bajasursportfishing.com to get those purchased.
It’s actually fast and easy and for once, the Mexican government has a functional well-organized site that doesn’t break down or eat your visa card numbers! In the past, even Mexican officials would tell me with rolled-eyes that the old sites looked like they were built by high-school interns.
If you do get on the site, just don’t panic when you see the prices. They are in pesos and are not a house or car payment. Simply divide by about 20 and it’ll show you that the licenses are actually very affordable. Also, revenue raised from the permits help fund conservation and anti-poaching in Baja and keeps the inspectors out there and vigilant.
Just remember, everyone MUST have a fishing license. Even if they are not going to be fishing. If they are on a vessel where others are fishing, even if it’s your 90-year-old grandma who wants to knit or your 2-year-old who sleeps through the whole thing, they must have a permiso.
If you’re thinking about driving or have not driven the Baja in a long time, prepared to be surprised. This is NOT your daddy’s old Baja road.
Much of the Mexican Highway 1, is two or four lanes in each direction and about as modern as you might want to find. This is especially true between towns and cities. The towns and cities is where you will probably get bogged down with street lights, stop signs and construction. But, it’s getting there!
However, the days of looking for a gas station or being relieved to find someone pumping green PEMEX gasoline from a 50-gallon drum and filtering it with a t-shirt into a milk carton are gone. Gas stations with convenience stores are everywhere and emergency road-side service is not difficult to obtain. Cell phone reception gets better each year although there’s some stretches that are still thankfully still quite desolate.
Lastly, a word on El Nino that played havoc on the weather; the fishing; and the bait for the last two season. The experts say it’s over.
But, it’s been a tough winter in Baja. If there’s storms in the U.S. they don’t stop just because there’s a border. High winds, big seas, and even rain have pummeled the Baja just like in the U.S….only it’s warmer!
However, general temperatures look to have returned to normal and my observers are telling me they’re seeing more bait around than they’ve seen in the last two years! Perhaps a harbinger of a great season to come!
This week is the big Fred Hall Fishing and Boating Show at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach. It runs Wednesday to Sunday March 1-5 and it’s huge! We’ll be in our regular booth as we have been for over 20 years in the fishing tackle area. Everyone who is anyone in the fishing industry is there! Bring the family and come say hi!
Dos centavos. 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: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
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Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
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Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-53311
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Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:
http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/
Tailhunter YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g
“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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