That's My Story

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself doing an impromptu fishing seminar-of-sorts for a small group of Baja fishermen.   There were the usual questions about gear…best places to fish…how to transport stuff…new regulations, etc.

 

But, a couple of guys piped up that they had “given up” on Baja.  Fishing wasn’t as good anymore. They didn’t catch as much fish as they used to “in the old days.”  One guy out-and-out said, “I just never catch any fish!”

 

Given our line of work, I find that hard to wrap my brain around.  No fish?  From the area that Jacques Cousteau called the “Aquarium of the World?”   From a place that has more than 700 “known” species of fish and more being added every year?

 

C’mon!  Really?

 

That’s like the story of the guy who dies of thirst in the middle of a lake!  But, yea, it does happen.  I guess.  Wrong circumstance.  Bad Bait.  Bad weather.  Bad advice.  Bad luck.  Bad gear.  Bad attitude.  A combination of all or some of the above and it can happen to anyone.

 

On any given day.  Even for the best. You strike out.  You throw a brick.  You lay a goose-egg. Michael Jordan shoots and airball.  Tom Brady trips on his own feet.  Elvis forgets the lyrics.

 

But, fishing is a strange sport.  Failure is part of the process.   It’s part of the game.  If you fish, you are already a “loser.”  (I say that with tongue-in-cheek and with a grin!).

 

Face it.

 

Unless, by some magic potion, you are the greatest fisherperson who ever wet a line. And for you, every cast in every condition, resulted in the exact size and type of fish you intended…you, my friend, are doomed to be a failure and a loser!

 

In many decades in this industry, I have yet to meet that person.

 

Oh, I’ve met a number of goofballs who shamelessly call themselves the “G.O.A.T” (Greatest Of All Time), but just hearing the chest-thumping is enough to draw a smirk on my own face.

 

Yea…OK…you’re just soooo awesome.  I’m impressed.  Yawn.  NOT!

 

Truth is, if you fish, you’re gonna lose.  This sport sets you up for failure.  It tests your character.  It builds your character.

 

There will be days when you lose your best fish ever.  Or, everyone catches fish but you.  Or your gear lets you down.   It’s just not fair, is it?

 

And the indignity of it all is that the more you fish, the more you’ll lose.    What kind of sport is that?

 

If you’re like me, those ones you lose or mess up on are the ones you remember the most.  I hate losing more than I like winning.  Those bad days and lost fish stick with me the hardest.

 

It’s  really what you do when you’re frustrated and something doesn’t go right that makes the difference.

 

Do you correct it and go on?  Learn a new skill?  Catalog the experience in your brain for future reference?  Improve your gear?  Improve your game?  Change your attitude?

 

Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”

 

Well, maybe you need to change something.

 

Or do you just fold up camp; take your cane pole and plastic bobber and go find a different fishing hole?  Or take up knitting?

 

The one real beauty of failure is that it makes the success that much sweeter.  And, although you’ll never completely get away from dropping the ball, the successes come more often and can be savored more deeply.

 

Fishing the Baja can be one of the most incredible experiences of a lifetime.  But, with the right attitude it’s also an incredible teacher and a state-of-the-art-classroom unlike any other.

 

Where else can you find so much variety?  Where else can you catch such huge fish?

 

More importantly, where else do you get second chances after one failure and have the opportunity to come right back and do even better?

 

That’s a pretty special place.  It’s good to be a “loser.”  You’re in good company!

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

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR Top 5 – Rated in La Paz 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.”