NOT A SURE THING

Originally Published the Week of Dec. 4, 2018, in Western Outdoor Publications

With the cooler months descending rapidly over the Baja, a fisherman recently asked me, “Where’s all the live bait that was around all summer?”

 

Good question.  In many areas, live bait gets harder to acquire during the winter months and for good reason.

 

Many “warm month” fishermen who visit Baja assume that bait is ALWAYS around and ALWAYS available to either catch or purchase. They come down in the other times of the year and it’s a different ballgame.

 

For many reasons.

 

First, it’s the weather and conditions.  During the cooler months in the Baja, winds are stronger.  There’s a lot more wave action and rougher water.

 

As many of you regulars know, there are some days when it’s impossible to launch a panga.  Even in a big cruiser, you can go out and just get beat up getting tossed and bounced on an angry ocean.

 

Maybe in my younger days, I’d be out there.  I’m older and smarter now.  Fishing is supposed to be fun…especially in Baja.

 

It’s not an exercise in endurance.  So much nicer to hang out at the pool with a cold one and work on that tan!

 

But those same waves and winds batter the bait areas.  Bait tends to stick together, especially if you’re talking sardines or mackerel.  It’s all about survival.

 

To that end, they like shallow sheltered areas or areas where there’s structure be it rocks, reefs, docks, floating objects and similar. Or at least shallow areas along a beach or bay where they can feed, breed and not be subjected to as many predators.

 

If waves are crashing on those beaches or smashing into rocks and docks or currents are impeding their abilities to stay together, they’ll find somewhere else.

 

Or, alternatively, they’re so scattered so they’re difficult to locate and catch.

 

I often get fishing clients who say, “Two years ago, we caught tons of bait over by the wreck,” or “The south end of the island had tons of bait according to the reports.”

 

“How come we don’t go there to get bait?”

 

Or. . .

“Why is it taking so long to catch bait now?  It was easy last July!”

 

Yes, bait moves, amigos!

 

If there was someplace easier to find or easier to catch, don’t you think we’d be doing it? Duh.

 

Some folks think it’s like a big bait receiver out there in the ocean and you just take a big dip net; throw net; or Lucky Joe rig and get all you want.

 

Like going through the drive-through at McDonald’s.  You order.  You drive up.  No big deal.  It’s not like that.

 

There’s another aspect of the bait dilemma as well.  It’s the human element.

 

If the bait sellers are having a hard time finding bait, it’s gonna take awhile for them to get enough to sell.

 

Or, maybe that’s ALL they might have to sell for the day.  And their prices will be…well…whatever their prices will be.

 

It’s a seller’s market.

 

Better to “light one candle than curse the darkness” is the old saying.  You take what you can get and make the best of it.

 

If you have to wait, you wait.  If you can only get a handful of bait, you go with it. You pay the going-rate.

 

You’re not going to pay a couple thousand on a fishing trip then argue because bait costs $30 instead of $20.  If the bait guy doesn’t sell it to you, the next guy will surely take it.

 

What are you going to do, go fishing with no bait?  Troll all day?

 

You can’t get mad at the poor bait guy who’s been working all morning or night doing his best to have enough to sell. He needs to make a living too.

 

Sure, it’s frustrating.  However, believe me, getting angry with the bait guy, your captain or your outfitter won’t make bait magically appear.

 

 

The other aspect to remember is that if the bait is hard to get, the bait guys may feel it’s not even worth going out.  Why waste the energy?  No one likes to work for small returns on effort.

 

Conversely, during the winter, there’s a lot fewer fishermen on the water.

 

The bait guys might not go out at all if there’s no one to buy their bait in the morning.  You might just have shown up on one of those days. It’s like getting rained on the day YOU decide to go fishing.  No one to blame.

 

 

So, just either be patient or go with whatever is happening.  You might find yourself catching your own bait or using something unusual like chunks of bonito or squid.  Or trolling.

 

It is what it is. You’re still in Baja.  You’re not at work.  You’re not at your desk or whatever you do.  There’s worse places to be.

 

 

In the next column, I’ll chat about some ways to fish dead bait like squid.

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.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

Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”