YESSIR! I HAVE FISH IN MY ICE CHEST
Originally Published the Week of Feb. 22 in Western Outdoor Publications
It’s a question I always got every time I crossed the border. Either coming through in vehicle, but most likely I was usually at the airport.
“Looks like fishing was good. You got fish in there?” asks the customs officer.
“Yessir, fishing was good,” I reply with my best disarming smile. I’ve got some fish in the ice chest to bring home!”
I get waved through.
I try to be just like all the other guys portaging their catch back home through customs. Get through border checks with the least amount of hassle.
Fewer questions the better. Although I never transported anything back illegally to the U.S., it’s no fun getting called over for a secondary inspection. That’s where they open up all your luggage and do a search.
And yes, it’s true that “usually” I’m lugging fish from Mexico, but I’m sometimes not telling the complete truth about what’s in the ice chest.
I mean, who says it’s only for fish? And truth-be-told, just how many fillets of dorado and tuna do I really need to be carrying back?
If I have “extra room,” I might as well fill it, right?
In fact, next time you’re down, you might want to consider a number of other things to stash!
Tortillas – I’m not talking about the cardboard tasting Taco Bell type tortillas. I’m talking the real deal from a local tortillaria.
The best are the numerous mom-and-pop stands or stores where the tortillas come off warm and flavorful and handmade. A kilo of them doesn’t cost much and they will be unlike anything you can usually find in the U.S.
They will be a perfect complement to the fish you’re hopefully bringing home. I bring home made tortillas back to the U.S. all the time and they are a much anticipated gift to friends and family.
Candy – Back when my nieces and nephews were little, I never knew what to bring them from Mexico. T-shirts? I could never remember their sizes.
But in Mexico, $20 bucks buys a big bunch of Mexican candy that you can’t find in the U.S. It’s why I’m everyone’s favorite uncle and why their parents hate me when their kids bounce off the walls high on sugar!
Machaca – You really want to eat “Mexican style?” Get yourself a bag or two of machaca. Machaca is dehydrated dried shredded seasoned beef. Think shredded beef jerky.
Bring some home and throw it in a pan with a little oil, butter, onions, garlic and chili. A little water too and let it heat up and re-constitute. Throw it into those tortillas you brought home or dish it out with some scrambled eggs or some rice. Now you’re cooking!
Salsa – Head down the salsa aisle at any Mexican grocery store and you will see dozens of bottled salsas of all shapes, flavors, sizes and temperatures. Habanero…jalapeno…chipotle…ancho chili and more.
There are salsas for meat. There are salsas specifically for seafood and some that are just all-around good to have for any meal. And they are cheap gifts too!
Tamales – I think these are my #1 go-to item to put in my ice chest. Follow that aroma to some little corner stand with the steam pots. Don’t be surprised to find a line!
Chances are you’ll find several different flavored tamales like pork, beef, chicken and mushroom, cheese and chili and many more.
Unlike U.S. tamales that are often very small, Mexican tamales are hefty! Drop one on your foot can cause injury.
The place near our home in La Paz sells tamales that weight about 1 pound each!
Just make sure you let them cool before you put them into your ice chest with something like frozen fish. Freezing your tamales is even better.
Shellfish – It’s illegal to catch your own shellfish in Mexico. However, there’s nothing illegal about heading to the local seafood market often found in the “farmer’s market” areas.
Seafood is fresh from the water and these are often the vendors that sell to the larger markets.
My favorites are shrimp, scallops and clams!
Mexican shrimp is especially sweet and although the scallops and clams can be bite-sized, they are inexpensive and another super addition to your ice chest. Again, make sure they are frozen or at least chilled up before travelling home with them in your cooler.
Don’t travel home empty-handed!
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
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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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