AND NOW WHAT?
Originally Published the Week of Feb. 26, 2019 in Western Outdoor Publications
It’s an encounter I’ve run into so many times after so many decades in the fishing business.
The angler has caught fish…or the fish of a lifetime…or much more fish than they had anticipated.
After all the high-fives…the proud photos…the clinking of beer bottles on the beach or docks, I ask:
“So what would you like to do with the fish?”
A somewhat blank look gets returned to me. I can see the wheels processing.
“Uh, hmmmm…keep it I guess! I hadn’t thought that far!”
It happens more often than you know. To veteran Baja folk who fish often, that might sound strange.
To many first-time anglers, they were even surprised they were allowed to keep their fish insofar as many fishing destinations don’t allow keeping your catch.
Usually, the captain will at least clean and cut the fish. That’s not the issue. But, then what?
First and foremost, I suggest taking some to eat. There is nothing better than fish that was swimming around that morning. As I often tell folks as I point to their catch, “His bad day is YOUR good dinner!”
I don’t know of too many restaurants that won’t be happy to cook up your catch in a variety of ways. You’re in for a treat. Our own Tailhunter Restaurant in La Paz has a whole separate menu of all the ways we can prepre your catch.
To that end, hopefully, you brought some ziplock style bags or someone has some. We always carry some handy or to hand out,
If you don’t plan to use it all, don’t hesitate to give some to your captain. It’s a welcome and appreciated gift. Not in lieu of a tip, by any means, but nothing you donate will be wasted.
If the captain and his family don’t use it, neighbors and friends will surely consume it. Many folks in Mexico don’t get regular protein like fresh fish in their diet.
One caveat. Captains and crew are prohibited from selling sport-caught fish so hopefully they’re not selling your catch. If you get any inking that’s the case, don’t give them your fish!
If not to the captain, your charter operators often have charities that gladly accept donated fish. We often send our extra to a senior home and women’s shelter.
However, assuming you are planning to take fish home, what now?
Hopefully, the hotel you picked has freezing facilities for fish. It’s the reason we personally recommend some hotels, but not others. It’s important. Some will just stick it in with their kitchen freezers and do not have a dedicated area or freezer for your fish.
You might want to check on that.
Assuming they don’t have facilities, check with whomever booked your charter to see what they recommend.
For actually bringing it home, there’s several alternatives. If you have an ice chest, that’s the best way. Styrofoam won’t work. They will get crushed in the jumble of bags or by baggage handlers so airlines won’t accept them.
Ice is not allowed in the ice chest because it will melt. It will leak. And no one likes goopy fish water dripping onto and into their luggage.
That’s why your fish MUST be frozen. There’s no dry ice in Mexico that I have ever found so don’t count on that.
If it’s frozen, your fish will be fine if you don’t keep opening and closing it. In most cases most anglers are really only a few hours from home.
Most airlines have a 50-pound limit on the size of luggage and that’s how your fish will be headed home with you. You cannot mail your fish home.
So, basically, as many pieces of “luggage” as you want to pay for is how much fish you bring home. Hopefully, you’re just bringing home what you can actually use and within daily limits.
Hard-sided ice chests have traditionally been the norm. I’ve found that a 30-40 quart ice chest weighs just about 50 pounds when filled with fish. But, more and more folks are bringing soft -sided coolers.
These are not the ones you bring ice-cream home from the market. These are actual cooler bags meant to keep things frozen for an extended time. They’re a little more expensive than the hard-sided plastic coolers, but they have some advantages.
First, a hard-sided cooler weighs about 8-12 pounds completely empty. If it has wheels, add another 2-4 pounds. If it’s one of those “ultra-cold” coolers with thick walls, it’s even heavier!
So, you’ll only get about 30-35 pound of fillets in the ice chest!
A soft-sided cold bag weighs about 3 or 4 pounds. Often you can just the empty one in your luggage when you fly down. Headed home, you can put 40-45 pounds of frozen fish in it.
Alternatively, there are some extremely good foldable boxes that are specifically made for flying from warm areas like the Baja. These are NOT the kind you use in Alaska. These are made to keep out the Baja heat and meant to keep your fish solid until you’re home.
One other item to keep in mind.
If you’re packing your fish in your own plastic bags or if you’re having someone else pack your fish or having it professionally vacuum sealed, don’t pack too much. Pack what you can eat.
You have great quality fish so don’t stick 5-pounds of fish in a bag if it’s only you and your wife eating. When it comes time to defrost, you’ll have a bowling-ball sized piece of ice to thaw out and you’ll be wasting some great fish!
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:
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.”
That's My Story 
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