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Archive for June, 2019

A QUIET CONVERSATION

Posted in bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, Heat stroke, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, outfitters, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, pompano, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 30, 2019| 1 Comment »

senior

A QUIET CONVERSATION

Originally Published the Week of July 1, 2019 in Western Outdoors Publications

You know you’ve been in business awhile when you start seeing 2nd and 3rd generations of clients come to visit.

 

Fathers bring kids.  Kids bring fathers.  Grandfather brings sons and grandsons.

 

It’s a special privilege and honor that folks think enough of spending time with us and sharing their families with us.  We do our best to make sure they are memorable for them.  I think anyone in this type of outdoor hospitality work does the same.

 

As I also grow older and realize I’m now eligible for senior discounts at Denny’s and AARP magazines, I take a special joy in the grandfathers and grandmothers.

 

It’s that generation just slightly ahead of me.  They lived through the cold war and Korea.  Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson,  Martin Luther King, Nixon and Vietnam.  Veterans and ex-hippies. They remember Elvis and Nat King Cole.

old-man-smiling

Dads who watched Johnny Carson and the Ed Sullivan Show and moms who drove real station wagons full of kids (without seatbelts) to drop them off at the park pool. They made boloney sandwiches on white Wonderbread and gave the kids a dime to chase the ice cream truck.

 

They served sugar-laden Cokes as treats and squirted you with the garden hose in the summer.

 

And they were allowed to spank you too!

 

They may be a step-or-two slower.  Hair might be a few shades grayer or it might be gone the same place as the trim waist line, but the memories are mostly sharp.

 

A big part of me mostly just keeps a special eye on them.

 

Sometimes, the younger ones are having too much fun and not watching  dad or gramps or granny who doesn’t climb steps as fast.  Or they might not be drinking enough water in the hot sun.  Or forgetting the sunscreen. Stuff like that.

 

But, I keep a personal eye on them for another reason.  Purely selfish.  Eyesight might not be as great, but that doesn’t mean they can’t see.  And I love watching them watch their kids or grandkids.

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There’s a special twinkle there.  A satisfied grin.  The special way they might sit with arms folded across chests and tummies just taking it all in.   Like they were sitting on the porch back home.

 

Catching fish isn’t quite as important as watching everyone else catch fish and hearing the laughter.  Nothing to prove, and really wanting nothing more than to share more Kodak moments.

 

They might not know a thing about their cellphones, Instagram or
Facebook.  But I can tell they’re storing every single moment in their minds and memories.

 

Whenever I can slow down for a moment, I treasure the conversations and the time to just sit for a few minutes. For as much as they want to ask and talk to me about our lives here in Mexico, I love hearing their stories.

 

I like knowing where everyone is from and how close or far they are now living. How many grandkids there are or even great grandkids.

 

Conversations flow easily.

 

So often times with us “younger folks”, we consciously or unconsciously “one-up” each other.

 

“Hey, last year, my brother and I went to this awesome mountain lake…”

 

“We’ll dude, I gotta tell you about this even better place I took the girlfriend.”

 

“And this restaurant we ate at had the absolute BEST Italian food I have ever eaten and we went their 3 times in a row and my favorite was…

 

“Man, we found this other place that you should have gone to instead. They know us by name and know exactly what my favorite drink is!”

 

Everyone making it about “Me” and “I” and this and that.

 

Everyone yakking and no one listening or having real conversation.  We never even let the other person finish their sentence.  Always turning the conversation back to themselves.  I hear it in our restaurant all the time.

 

No one ever follows up a statement by asking the other person, “Wow, tell me more about that.”

 

The older generation has nothing to prove.  Not much I can say would compete with someone telling me they were in Vietnam. Or stood barefoot in the rain at Woodstock.

booty

 

I want to know more.

 

Not much I can say could add to mom and dad packing all their household belongings and kids in a station wagon with stuff tied to the roof.  They then drove completely cross country on a whim of hope to find a better job at the end of the road.  No solid prospects.  Just fingers crossed and some trust in a dream.

 

I never knew what it was like to pay 19 cents for a gallon of gas.  And you say the gas station attendants use to come out and wash your windshield and check your oil for free every time you came in? What?  Really?

 

I didn’t get to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium in ’64 or hang out with the Grateful Dead and “pass around a doobie” with 10 other people in a Volkswagen van in Golden Gate Park.

 

I didn’t get raised on a farm in Ohio and have to milk the cows and shovel pig poo in the morning.  That was BEFORE actually walking  two miles through the snow to school.  Yes, some folks really did have to do that.

older-man

I never had “Sunday Best” clothes for church or have to dress up to go on a trip.  I never had “just one pair of shoes.”

 

And I don’t remember the days before TV.  And I don’t ever remember looking forward to a dinner of Spam and canned peas. And excited to get a 2nd helping.

 

They actually had to “cook” oatmeal and it was OK to eat all the Sugar Frosted Flakes you wanted for breakfast. What’s a microwave?

 

I wasn’t the first in my family to get a high school diploma while working in a factory to help support mom and dad and three other brothers and sisters. Nor did I have ever go hunting or fishing when it meant the difference between having something to eat for dinner or another can of beans.

 

I never worked on a tramp steamer to South America nor did my family just escape Germany in 1939 and our last name was Goldstein.  I was never shipped to an internment camp in the desert and losing our farm because we were of Japanese Ancestry.  Or doubt that Douglas McArthur would ever come back.

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I would have liked to have seen Wilt Chamberlin score 99 points for Philadelphia or take my date to dance with the Lawrence Welk band or jitterbug to Benny Goodman.

 

What could I possibly add to any of that?

 

I can’t.  So, I just listen and absorb and enjoy.  Please tell me more.

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That’s my story

signature June '18 two 1

Jonathan

______________

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!

_____________

 


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.”

 

 

 

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LIVING THE DREAM

Posted in bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo island, charters, deep sea, dorado, driving, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, speaking spanish, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, waterspouts, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 17, 2019| Leave a Comment »

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LIVING THE DREAM

Originally Published the Week of June 17, 2019 in Western Outdoor Publications

 

I think a week doesn’t go by down here where we live that someone doesn’t ask me about retiring to Baja or somewhere in Mexico.  So many dream of “Living the Dream” after they walk away from the 9-to-5.

 

Kiss-off traffic and kiss-off the hassles and anyone who doesn’t like it can kiss something else for all you care.

 

The warm waters, blue skies and white sands call you and cold cervezas already have your name on it.  The sounds of the mariachi and Jimmy Buffet beckon you like an irresistible siren.  There has to be a way to do it.

 

And, in fact, so many have done it and are doing so with increasing velocity every year.  Americans and Canadians alike have chosen Mexico as the #1 retirement destination in the world.

 

Despite travel warnings, Mexico has one of the highest tourism rates of any country.  And, as more folks visit, they’re thinking that a permanent vacation might not be a bad idea.

 

If you have Mexico as a possible retirement destination, think on it carefully.

 

Remember, you’re not moving to another state.  You are moving to another country with it’s own set of laws, customs, culture and language.  It’s not like grabbing the U-Haul; calling some buddies with pick-up trucks; and moving across town.

 

It’s not for everyone, but if you put some thought into it, the possibilities are worth exploring.

 

The first thing to think about here is what kind of lifestyle you think you want to have.  And also where do you want to live.

 

If you want a lifestyle similar to what you have north of the border, you can probably do it a lot cheaper here in Mexico.

 

If you really do not need a 3 bedroom home with the air-conditioner running all the time and you can turn things down a notch and live more like your local neighbors, you can do quite well.

 

When I first got down here almost 25 years ago, my roommate and I rented a 5 BR house with a 7-car garage!  Not because the two of us needed it, but because it was $120 bucks a month!  It came with a maid 5 days-a-week also!

 

The only reason we moved out was because the owner sold it.

 

Researching some online websites that specialize in retirement living and assets, the average cost of living for a retired couple is about $2000 a month ($24,000/ year) here in Mexico.

 

And that’s living pretty comfortably.

 

Also, the dollar is extremely strong in Mexico against the value of the peso so your dollars go quite far here in terms of purchasing power.

 

Of course, like all real-estate, location is important.  Are you living with an ocean view or proximity to the ocean?  In the little towns in the mountains?  A resort city?  A regular urban location?  All of those factor in.

 

If you’re renting, housing is cheaper here than in the states. Gas is about what you pay for in a major U.S. metro area.

 

But how much driving are you really doing?   I put maybe 20-30 miles a week on our beater vehicle, but that’s also because I run a business.  I used to commute 50 miles one-way each day back in the U.S. in traffic!

 

Food is definitely cheaper.  Electricity is probably a bit more.  Services like phones and internet are a little cheaper, but quality is not always great.  It’s serviceable but not always reliable depending on where you live.

 

Several things you will have to get used to, include possibly a lack of reliable mail service (again depending on where you live) or it can be very costly.  Paying bills can be a chore…again very often related to mail service.

 

Getting someone to come by to do thing i.e. plumbers, painters, repairmen, electrician, the cable guy…

 

They’ll get there when they get there. No amount of phone calls will make it go faster.  No amount of money will make it go faster or (laughing) telling people “I’m an American!”

 

We have a saying here that if someone tells you, “Manana (tomorrow)” for the 3rd time, it ain’t happening.  They’re just being too polite to tell you they can’t do it.

 

Go find someone else.  When you find a reliable person for any job, grab and hold onto them!  There are some great folks down here who do great work.

 

The problem is that everyone else has grabbed them as well.  They are in high demand.

 

So, back to square one.

 

They might also have to tell you “Manana” as well.  Not because they’re slackers.  It’s because they’re extremely busy.  It’s just part of living here.

 

One big consideration, for retirement is health care.

 

For the most part, I’ve found that health care here is pretty good.  We live in a major city.  La Paz  also happens to be the capital of the state.  So, the level of care is probably better than some other places.

 

Our U.S. medical insurance doesn’t work down here so yours won’t either, but we have always used private doctors and dentists and been able to easily use a credit card or cash.

 

For example, I had some back issues a few years back.  I was in a private hospital in a private room with American meals and two personal physicians and two personal nurses for almost 1 week.

 

When I checked out, the doctors sheepishly apologized to me for the high cost.  I held my breath as they handed me the bill.

 

It was a little over 1000 dollars!  That included everything even the meds!  That might have covered only one single day in an American hospital.

 

Two years ago, I had two root canals and two fillings needed.  Three visits to take care of everything was less than $200 in a dental office that was more like a health spa.  They had classical music playing;  plant filled rooms; aromatherapy fragrances; attentive friendly assistants; and a U.S. trained oral surgeon who spoke English!

 

Near here, places like Cabo San Lucas and other “tourism” centers also have good care as well.  Many of the doctors and dentist I have met were either educated in the U.S. or go to the U.S. for continuing education.

 

Of course, the further you go from major population areas, the health facilities diminish.  Keep that in mind, no matter where you retire much like anywhere in the world.

 

Many of our fishing clients come down and take an afternoon or day off to do some routine dental work like cleaning or a quick filling at a fraction of the cost.

 

The same with medications is also true.  Many folks that live in close proximity to the border in states like Texas, Arizona and California routinely visit Mexican border towns to purchase prescription drugs.

 

Remember, that whatever medical policies you have in the U.S. probably won’t be applicable here in Mexico.

 

But there’s the local socialized medicine that anyone can get.  And there are local health insurance policies as well that can be obtained.  Just remember that like anywhere, it’s more difficult to obtain the older you are or if you’re past 65 or have pre-existing conditions.

 

Living the dream here in Mexico is a very viable and popular option.  This article barely scratches the surface of the research you should do.

That’s my story!

signature June '18 two 1

Jonathan

______________

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!

_____________

 


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.”

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

OUTGUNNED BUT NOT OUTSMARTED

Posted in bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo island, charters, crankbait, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, luggage, marlin, Mexican, mexican food, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, packing fish, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Dos pargos

OUTGUNNED BUT NOT OUTSMARTED

Originally Published the Week of June 3, 2019 in Western Outdoors Publications

I received quite a few e-mails about my last column that I entitled “ZING-POWIE FISH.”  It was about big monster fish that lurk in the rocks and reefs that basically eat your lunch, their lunch and break your heart…and sometimes your rod!

 

With the e-mails coming in, I got to thinking of some other species, like big tuna.

 

Here in La Paz, we’re getting 50-150 pound yellowfin tuna.  It’s one thing to hook a big beast like that sitting in a fighting chair in a big sportfisher with a 50W reel with a zillion yards of line.

 

It is quite another thing if you’re fishing, like we do here in La Paz, and many other places in Mexico…in a panga…with relatively light tackle.

 

Not only is your rod and reel lighter, but so is your line.  Additionally, the fish doesn’t have to contend with a 1-ton boat to pull around the ocean.  You just don’t have much leverage and it literally comes down to hand-to-hand combat in the sportfishing trenches.

There are some additional concerns with these ZING-POWIE fish or like the big tuna we have.  They are picky and they have great eyesight.

 

 

With big fish, your natural tendency is to use heavier line or stronger line like braid/ spectra.  Problem solved, right?

 

Well, spectra is very very visible.  Also, if you are fishing with live bait, spectra soaks up water and gets heavy.  So your bait does’t swim correctly so less chance of getting bit.

 

Heavy line is also visible.  Plus, again if you’re using small baits, the line is pretty heavy and your bait tires faster.

On top of that, these fish, especially the tuna, like smaller baits like sardines.  So, that means often using a hook the size of your fingernail… on fish the size of your living room coffee table.

Laura pargo big 9-18

So, small hook…small bait…light line…small boat…

 

Yikes!  It’s like going to war with a BB-gun.

 

So, back to my e-mails.  Folks want to catch these fish, but how do you tip the odds a bit more in your favor?

 

Well, I haven’t quite figured out all the angles yet, but I do have a few personal tips when you’re in situations like this and feel outgunned.

 

For one, fluorocarbon leaders.

 

Largely invisible underwater.  And, they are much more pliable than their were years ago.  Plus, even if your mainline might be light, you can put on a few feet of fluro that is heavier which will also help guard against sharp teeth.

Secondarily, I change my rod.

 

Because of the size of the baits or other conditions, I might be using very light line.  But this is one time, I don’t match my rod to the line class.

 

I might be fishing with 30-pound test, but I’m using a stout 80 to 100 pound stick.  If I get bit I want the fish to feel that heavy rod pulling right back!

 

A heavy rod makes the fish work that much harder and tire faster.  It also give me more leverage to put even more pressure on the fish.

 

To that end, my personal tuna rod and ZING-POWIE rod is about 5 feet long.  Basically, it’s a trolling rod although I only have a roller tip on it.

 

My foregrip extends 3/5 up the length of the rod.  This enables me to reach way high on the rod and really lean into a fish.

 

The last 2-3 feet of my rod has a fast taper and lots of backbone to really horse the fish and make it work or to help me pull it out’ve the rocks.  Also, a shorter rod is much easier on your back and arms than a long rod with a lot of spring in it.

 

Finally, my reel is also something I can do something about.

Pancho hooked up resize 4-19

I don’t need a huge reel with a mile of line on it.  If I’m fishing in the rocks, it’s not that deep and the big rock fish aren’t gonna go running off with 100 yards of line on burning runs. They take a little line and want to go back into their holes.

 

Big fish like the tuna will make blazing runs.  But, I find a reel with at least 300-350 yards of line is fine.  Being in a smaller boat…or even a big boat…you can always chase down the fish.  I have rarely ever seen anyone spooled.

 

So, a smaller reel is fine.  Or if I have braid/ spectra, I put that on the reel and top-shot it with at least 150 yards of mono.  The spectra enables me now to have all the line I could possibly want.

 

The most important aspect are the drags on the reel.  If you have a smaller reel, at least make sure the drags or in good working order and not sticky or worn.

 

Even better, many of the newly manufactured reels have huge drag systems or dual drag systems installed that have incredible stopping power. Those will help put the hurt on a fish!  Reels by Accurate, Avet, Shimano, Daiwa and Okuma come to mind.   Slightly more expensive, but well worth it.

That’s my story!

signature June '18 two 1

Jonathan

______________

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!

_____________

 


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.”

 

 

Read Full Post »