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“Lupe and Lorenzo Don’t Work Here Anymore”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

For four decades there wasn’t too much you couldn’t find in Lupe and Lancho’s little store. If you couldn’t find it, you probably didn’t need it. But a part of the community changed because Lupe and Lancho don’t work here anymore.

“LUPE AND LORENZO DON’T WORK HERE ANYMORE”

Originally Published the Week of Sept. 28, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

The old ceiling fan slowly whirred awkwardly off-kilter and barely moved any of the humid air that had rusted the  dusty mechanism and the tips of the blades once painted white.   Wohp…wohp…wohp…wohp…

You could keep time by the pulse of the rhythmic blades…Like a beating heart.  Slowing down with time.

The cracked-tile floor had seen decades of footsteps.  Bare brown cement peeked out where tiles long ago crumbled and cracked.

For 42-years-Lorenzo carried boxes of onions and stocked limes. He arranged the stacks of  fresh tortillas wrapped in wax paper for display in the little glass case.  He made sure the one-lone stand-up cooler had a stock of cold Pacificos, Coke and Fanta Orange soda. Some cheese. Some cold cuts and a few bottles of cold water next to the margarine.

He dusted the bottled salsas and re-arranged the dish soap and assorted sugar cookies and toilet paper.  Two jars of mayonnaise.  Four cans of beans.  Six of corn.  Some cooking oil.  Salt.  Bread.  Assorted soups. Toothpaste and bleach.  A little of everything, but  not much of any one thing.

Inventory was not difficult.

The shelves were  of  whitewashed wood.  Dry and blistering through several old layers of paint from the Baja aridness.   Several were noticeably leaning.  But who noticed?

He built them himself from wood that is hard to come by in a land that has few trees.  So boards, screws and nails often did not match.  If it worked and did what it was supposed to it was fine.  He could smile.

Construction-wise…The worn wooden table along the wall was not much better.  It  held small boxes or bags of beans, rice, onions and dried chilis and assorted fruit.  Nothing shiny and waxed.  No “mood” lights to make the produce look better.  Just a simple light bulb fixture globe on one wall.  The dust and dead bugs of ages silhouetted in it.

Lorenzo tidied up the stacks of brooms and smiled at his Guadalupe…Lupita (Little Lupe) … as she quietly re-stocked some cigarettes, batteries and candy bars behind the counter.  No cash register.  Just a rusty scratched lock box in a drawer.

Married for 40 of the 42 years he had worked at the store.  Her parents had owned it back in the day.  He worked for them in the store doing whatever needed to be done as well as at their home which was attached to the back of the little store.

As he tells it, he was just a kid and having an afternoon job wasn’t as important as being close to the little girl with the big dark eyes; long dark hair and disarmingly shy smile. His Lupita.

He still sighs when he looks at her.

He once told me, “After so many years with her, I always have the final word in our home.   It’s always, ‘Si, mi amor!’ (‘Yes, my sweetheart!’”)   He laughs heartily every time he tells that story.  And he hikes up his pants and continues sweeping and shaking his head with a smile beneath his bushy grey mustache.  He has amused himself again.

Lupita hears the story and shakes her own head with a smile and rolls her eyes.  She’s heard it a million times and it still makes her heart skip a bit.  It’s been a good life.

They were never blessed with kids, but she thinks of all the school kids that have passed through. She watched them grow up. They were like their own.  They called him “Don Lancho” and she was affectionately called, “Senora Lupita.”  

Generation after generation.  After-school ice cream bars and sodas.  Pencils and salty snacks. Teasing and flirting.  Little feet always underfoot with laughter.  Lancho and Lupita watched the “ninos” grow up to have kids of their own who then had their own kids all stop in after-school to spend a few pesos and laugh.

Blessed with laughter.  Nothing better.

The adults in the little barrio would come to hang out as well.   The little mercado could often be the hub of  the neighborhood social scene.

Buy a beer. Microwave some instant coffee or a cup of noodles eaten with a plastic fork.  Lupita would often have little tasty chili verde burritos for sale at the counter wrapped in wax paper.  Just a few pesos.  Everyone loved them.

The wooden bench on the sidewalk and some plastic chairs worked well to share neighborhood gossip and sports stories. There was always a radio playing Mexican ranch music.  Lupita’s favorite.

Evenings were the best after it got cooler.  Under the lone street light.  The occasional moth and bug flittering through the dusty glow.   After work.  After chores.  No kids. The neighborhood dogs would loll around the bench as well.  The dusty concrete was cooler than lying in the gravel road that was still radiating the Mexican heat and there was always the chance of a scrap or two!

42- years…there won’t be a 43rd.

There’s a padlock on the door now.  I wasn’t close enough to know them intimately but they were always kind and smiling and easy to chat with.  They were always there.

And now they are gone. No note.  Nothing on the metal door.  I’m not even sure who I would ask.  You just always assumed Lupe and Lancho would always be there.  Now, it doesn’t feel right.  A part of the neighborhood just isn’t there anymore.

I hope there wasn’t a tragedy or someone got sick.   I will miss stopping by for a Coke.

Maybe they just succumbed finally to the big box stores like Sam’s Club and others popping up way on the other side of town.  But those are way on the other side of town.

Folks are reluctant to travel far to shop and fiercely loyal to the little stores.  To a point.  Driving costs gas…and time.  And there’s no one to chat and gossip at the big store.  But like so many places around the world, at some point the big stores are convenient.

But I see more and more empty storefronts in town.  Even here on this side. Away from the big shopping centers.  No one is hanging out anymore.  The neighborhoods are changing with time.  Like the wohp…wohp…wohp of the old ceiling fan.  Time ticking down.

Sadly, I look through the smeared dirty windows into the darkened shop and see only my own reflection.  Lupe and Lancho don’t work here anymore. I think they are missed on so many levels.

That’s our story…

Jonathan

_____________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

_________________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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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“Locard’s Exchange Theory”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Edmond Locard was known as the “Sherlock Holmes” of forensic criminology during his time. But his principles can be applied to many things!

“LOCARD’S EXCHANGE THEORY”

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Aug. 15, 2012

Around the turn-of-the-century, there was a famous French criminologist.  His name was Edmond Locard.   Most folks have never heard of him.  But, if you’re a fan of some of the popular TV crime dramas like “CSI” or “Law and Order” or any of those other shows that focus on forensic investigations, you’re familiar with Mssr. Locard’s work.

It was way back in the day that Locard came up with “Locard’s Exchange Principle.”  Named it after himself and everything.   Like Murphy and his “Law”.  You think of it, you get to name it!

It was Locard who believed that at every crime scene an “exchange” takes place.  Every criminal takes something.  Every criminal leaves something behind.   It’s inherent.

The TV shows focus on it all the time. The high-tech crime labs in the TV shows prove it.   A hair follicle.  Some skin cells under a fingernail.  A drop of blood.  A pebble.  The smell of perfume or aftershave.  A fingerprint.  Chemical residue.  Something leaves the scene.  Something is left at the scene.

Modern philosophy extends that a little further.

Anyone who goes into a room and leaves a room, inadvertently leaves a little bit of themselves in the room and takes something of the room with them.  Dust…dandruff…pet hair…or let’s get really touchy-feely-esoteric…a memory…a smell…

Locard’s principle in action.  An “exchange” is always taking place.  Something leaves.  Something is left behind.

I believe we can carry it even further.

I see it every day.  It’s not on purpose.  But, the “exchange” takes place nonetheless.

People come here to Baja on vacation.  The exotic Mexican fishing trip with family, friends or loved ones.

Maybe it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip.  Maybe it’s a regular yearly holiday.   For a few days or weeks, folks come down.  They “pass through” as it were.  Through another country.  Another culture.  Another way of living.

They leave with the usual.  Maybe a cooler of fish.  A t-shirt or two.  A funny hat.  A necklace from a beach vendor.  A sunburn.  Five extra pounds from too many tacos. A hangover. A digital camera full of photos.

And those are just the tangible items.

They carry away  with them memories and thoughts.  Ideas and perspectives.  Smiles and knowledge.  Laughs, discoveries and grins.  The things you can’t put a price or a finger on.

It’s why people travel.  It’s why they go on vacations.

But, I think few folks think about what they leave behind when they depart for home.  Locard’s Exchange Principle continues to hum right along.

When you head home, you forget that, you didn’t just leave some vacation money back here in Mexico.  You left a little bit of yourself as well.

In your wake you leave impressions as well as memories.

Were you respectful of the language?  The people ?  Were you a drunken idiot?

Did you leave as many smiles as you took?  Did you try to interact or did you adopt an “us” and “them” attitude?   Did you forget basic courtesies?

I have had dozens of employees over the years.  They have worked for me as captains, deckhands, drivers, waiters, cooks, cashiers, guides and numerous other positions.  They talk to me quite often about such-and-such a guest or client.  I hear them talk among themselves about tourists in general and in particular.

Much of it is great.  They really enjoy the meetings and interactions.  Some of it is plain amusing.  Some of it makes me grimace and cringe.

A good example my panga captains.  Many have been with me 8, 10, 14, 15 years or more.  They have a remarkable memory for some clients they see maybe every few years or every other year.

They often ask  if Mr. So-and-so will be coming back.  They remember who tipped and who didn’t. They remember those who said thank you or wanted a picture with them.  They remember who took the time to bring down a baseball for their kid or left a nice pair of fishing pliers as a gift.  They remember the fun day fishing and talking about mutual families.  Smiles are universal.

My waiters and drivers are the same way.  They may not remember names, but they remember faces and families and couples.

They remember which kids and parents were courteous and who was “high maintenance” and who had the wife who loved to sing and which little girl gave a hug.  And they remember the  guy who never stopped bragging about how rich he was “back in ‘America’ and how ‘you people’ have everything backwards.”

Oh yes…they remember.

Even I have to constantly remind myself.  Something gets taken.  Something gets left behind.

Hopefully, I leave more smiles with each passing day. Hopefully, I take a new good lesson with me to bed at night after a long day.  Or some new memories.   Hopefully, I left a good thought or impression or someone learned something from me as well.

I try. Locard was a criminologist.  He was right.  It’d be a crime passing through life without taking and leaving something good.  Take a gift.  Leave a gift.

That’s our story…

Jonathan

__________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

___________________

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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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“KIDS UNPLUGGED”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, holidays in mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Getting a kid out on the water can be a life-changing event!

“KIDS UNPLUGGED”

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Aug. 3, 2012

What’s up with these kids?  Am I the only one who’s noticed this?

Summer is on and we’ve got a lot of families arriving now for their summer vacations.  All well and good.  My wife and I  always make a point of doing the meet-and-greet when they arrive from the airport and make sure we put faces with names and make sure they’re checked into their hotel rooms get a quick summary of things. 

Big handshakes and hugs all around.  It’s great to have families.  And I know how important these vacations are.  Not just to the families, but to mom and dad as well. 

But, so many of the kids…when you reach out to shake a hand, act like they have never shaken a hand.  They recoil to human touch.  Smile and say hello and welcome and it’s like you’re the boogie-man.    

I’ve had the parents say things to 12-year-olds like, “Say hi to Jonathan and Jill.  Go on now!”  And nudge them toward us like they were 4-year-olds hiding behind mom’s skirts.  Heaven help them if they should smile. Never look you in the eye.   And the handshakes are about as firm as quivering noodles.

After the “pleasantries” they quickly retreat into the protective shadow.  Eyes downcast.  What’s up with that?

And  they  “assume the position.”  You know what I mean.

Hands close together…thumbs ready to go.  You know…ready to TEXT!  Tap-tap-tap…tap…tap…tap.  Like little “thumb claws” on their smart phones.  Socially adept at anonymous networking, but face-to-face can’t communicate with other people.

At our restaurant here in La Paz  last week, I watched  a family of 4 eating dinner.  No one was talking to each other. But they were “communicating” to each other via text and e-mail even though they were all sitting next to each other! 

TOTAL silence except for tap…tap…tap…to each other! “Howz yr tacos?”  “Grt mom.”  “Do U wnt mre salsa?” “I jst snt u a pic of me etng my brgr!”

Sitting right next to each other.  I watched 90 minutes of this.

Pretty sad commentary about the new family of the 21st century.

But, there’s another side to this. 

Sometimes, it’s amazing what a few days in Baja can do!  A couple of days of fishing and some beach time and some pool and snorkel time.  Being in a place where wi-fi isn’t automatic.  And kids come out of that shell. 

They run up to you…no, almost skip up to you…and can’t wait to tell you about how they caught a bigger fish than dad.  And they are gushing about the whaleshark and dolphins they saw and how they tried fish tacos for the first time. 

And, they’ve got a little color on their faces and their eyes are glowing again and there’s no sign of headsets  wrapped around their necks and attached to iPods and smart phones.  What?  There’s no wi-fi on a panga?

 Kids who no longer had a story to tell now have “adventures” they can’t wait to talk about. There’s almost a cool little “swagger” about them.  Like each day they just survived the e-ticket rides!

Like you and I used to do.  Things that you and I did commonplace is an “adventure” to these kids. 

You and I walked to school.  We rode our bikes through fields; down train tracks; and to the local beach, lake or public pool. Heaven forbid…some of us even rode on the handlebars…AND NO HELMETS!

Some of us even hitchhiked.  We spent the night at friend’s houses.  We stayed out late playing ball in the street under the street lamp.  It was perfectly OK to eat cookies made by a neighbor or  retrieve the ball from the neighbors yard.  Our mom’s and dads knew the names and faces of the parents of our friends. 

Camping out in the yard or going on a fishing trip wasn’t an exercise in logistics, insurance and security for a family.  We didn’t sign release forms or have to check in our our personal GPS units.  Mom’s two-fingered whistle from the front door meant “Get home now!”

I don’t think kids have adventures anymore. Whereas you and I got our jollies playing on a tire-swing and running through the sprinkler system, their “adrenaline rush” comes in how many zombies they killed on Play Station sitting in the living room. 

A few days ago, I heard a 14-year-old boy (from Southern California)  pleading to his dad to take his photo, “Look dad!  Look dad, I’m sticking my feet in the ocean!”  It was the same excitement you and I got riding our bikes with no hands or jumping off the big rock into the swimming hole. This was a southern California kid excited about simply putting his feet into the ocean!

I’m not saying that a trip to Baja is a cure-all. 

But what old Baja Rats like you and I might take for granted like eating a fish taco, pulling on a fish; seeing some dolphin or (Lord help me) putting our toes into the ocean, could be the show-and-tell-adventure of a lifetime for some kid in your life.

As “civilized” as many of us have come to see Baja with air-conditioning; paved roads; McDonald’s and room service, it’s still the frontier.  It’s still an exotic place for the unusual and the out-of-ordinary that can make a lifelong impression on some youngster who rarely looks up from their keyboard or lets go of the remote control.

Give ‘em a story to tell!  Get them to look up and see the sunshine!

________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

__________________

That’s our story!

Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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 »

“What I See Is What You Get!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It is sometimes a narrow view from the beach and under the palapa fronds, but it’s amazing what you sometimes see and pick up!

WHAT I SEE IS WHAT YOU GET!

Originally Published the Week of July 11, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

I recently came under some criticism by a reader for what I write in my columns and how I write them.  It’s not the first and surely not the last time I got in someone’s crosshairs about it.  Oh well.

Fortunately, it’s few and far between.  I can’t please everyone and everytime someone jumps on my head it’s far outweighed by so many of you who ride in like the cavalry to offer support.  Much appreciated, amigos!  It’s gratifying to know so many of you enjoy my columns and have my back!

When I started writing this column for WON (Western Outdoor News)  in 2004 on a lark.  WON editor, Pat McDonnell  asked me to fill in “for a few weeks” until he found someone else to replace me. He knew that I was busy with my own fishing operation down here in La Paz.  No brainer.

Pat and WON have been friends and supporters for many years.  I was happy and honored to fill in although somewhat awed at filling the sandy sandals of the likes of Gene Kira, Fred Hoctor and Ray Cannon.

But, I figured for a couple of weeks, how much damage could I do? La-la-la-la-la…

Two weeks turned into eight years almost 400 columns. I jokingly tell Pat to let me know when he finds my “replacement.”

Those first two years, I wrote the column every week.  That’s 800-1000 words and, as I do now, I write the column about midnight after a full day running our La Paz operations. That’s 52 columns, plus other articles for WON as well as the Baja Beat pages in the former Western Outdoor News Magazine. Those were another 3000 or so words.

Try to come up with something new and fresh every time! Then try writing at midnight after a 20-hour-work-day and knowing that you only have a few hours to get it done with a brain that’s screaming for a pillow and a blanket!  Pat and the other great writers at WON have incredibly been doing it for years.

I have a small brain. I have limited time. I gotta get up to put out the boats in 2 hours.  I wanna go to bed!

And, as I’m sure all writers do, sometimes deadlines would loom and my brain just wouldn’t work.  Credit Pat McDonnel, Rich Holland, and Gene Kira who told me, “Just write what you know.”

I can surely write about dorado and tuna fishing and how to catch marlin.  And I do.  To a degree.

But, so does everyone else.  And they are better fishermen than me and can certainly write about it better than I can.  And honestly, how many different ways are there to catch a dorado or a billfish?  Open any fishing magazine on the rack and there’s probably half-a-dozen articles about “how-to-catch a….(fill in the blank)”

I know that’s almost heresy to even mention that, but where we are here in La Paz, we take a hook.  We put a bait on it. We put the bait in the water.  We’re now fishing!   It’s hard to fill 52 columns a year with that. I’m just not good enough for that.

And I’m not as good of a reporter as so many other writers either.  I don’t travel.  I don’t get out and about. Gary Graham does such a great job of it.  Me? I’m kinda tied to one spot. We live here in La Paz.

My view of Baja can be pretty myopic.  It’s the view through the window of the palapa.  It’s the view of walking around in the streets doing what people do here on a day-to-day basis. We shop.  We fill gas.  It’s life.

It’s the joking at the taco stand.  It’s the funny things that happen in the grocery store or the sometimes comical adventures of tourists and amigos.  It’s about running a business here in an adopted country.

It’s the interaction with visitors and friends and all of YOU who come to wet a line or put your toes in the sand.  It’s what I see on the beach or on the water. I keep a keen ear out for what I hear and what all of you say.  I’m simply an observer and your humble conduit of those experiences.

So, ultimately, yes.  I write about what I know.  And I also write for my own enjoyment.  When, I’m writing at midnight and running on fumes, it’s pretty hard to find my writing muse if the subject bores me to death!

So, I write about the whole “Baja experience.”  Because to me, a visit here is more than just fishing or diving.  That’s merely the vehicle that gets you down here.

Beyond that, it’s the sunrises and the great food. It’s that great beach you found and watching your kids light up seeing the dolphins. It’s the dusty road to the hidden cove.  It’s the little hotel you chanced upon or finding that perfect surf break or fishing or diving hole.

It’s the culture and most of all, it’s the people. The little old man who sold you the necklace.  The captain who chatted about how much he liked the Yankees.  The family who served you at the little beachside palapa and cooked your fresh fish and shared a recipe.

It’s the  smiles you bring and the smiles you take home!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

___________

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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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“BRING IT ON HOME!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

How you treat your fish makes all the difference in what it’s like when you get it home. Sherman from the Tailhunter staff prepares dorado fillets to be vacuum sealed at our facility for our fishing clients where it’s trimmed, labeled, dated and commercially vacuum sealed.  Even if you don’t have the ability to vacuum seal your fish, keep it cold and fresh as possible.

“BRING IT ON HOME!”

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of June 28, 2012

After so many years of doing this, I just assume most folks know about bringing home their catch.  Certain things are just assumed.   I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am.  Just this week alone, I think I received at least 2 dozen e-mails asking me about how to get their fish home.

Don’t get me wrong!  The  questions are great questions.  It’s my own fault for being surprised!

For you veteran Baja anglers, you just assume that fish is going home with you, but for many first timers, families, couples, etc. fishing the Baja is a new experience.

So, let’s do a primer!

Bringing home good quality fish means taking care of it as soon as it’s out’ve the water and on the deck.  Dispatch the fish as quickly as possible.  Keep in mind, as soon as your fish is dead, it’s already deteriorating.  Like any type of food, cold helps arrest deterioration a.k.a. spoilage!

So, get it in the box, ice chest or other container and off the deck and out of the sun, unless you want it cooked and spoiled right before your eyes! Nothing like blazing Baja sun to turn your fish to mush.  In the box, make sure there’s ice and keep it as cold as possible.

In most cases, your captain or deckhand won’t have time to start cleaning it on the spot, but the colder you can keep your fish, the better. Ice is the key.  In the major fishing tourist destinations, ice is a given.  Usually.  But it’s always a good question to ask your operator.  Also, is it included in the price of your trip? Many outlying areas may not have ice.  Find out! If not, do your best to keep your catch cool.

Usually, once back at the beach or dock, your catch is cleaned.  Get it bagged and cold and on ice again as soon as possible.  So often I see anglers wander away to take photos and high-five each other and not pay attention to their fillets…which might just sit in the sun on a cleaning table…cooking!  Get the fish on ice.  If you can get it vacuum sealed, it’s a plus.

As soon as you can, if you’re staying in one spot for awhile, get your catch in the freezer.  Again, a good question to ask if whether your lodging or charter operators have freezing facilities.  Don’t assume!  It’s Mexico.  Better to be certain.

Now, getting your catch home…

Let’s get this right out.  Generally speaking, there’s no way to ship your fish home.  This is not Alaska or Canada.  Unless you want to pay and arm-and-leg and get your fish on your doorstep melted and stinky a week late, don’t even consider mailing it.

The best and cheapest way is to bring your fish home in an ice chest as a piece of luggage.  Everyone does it.  Extra baggage is usually 25-50 dollars.  A bargain.  Most airlines have a limit of 50 pounds per piece before they charge you for an over-weight piece. Check with your airlines.

There is no dry ice. The airlines will also not permit you to put ice in the cooler either as it will melt and when your ice chest tumbles along the conveyor belt,  you’re gonna piss off a lot of people when it leaks fish water on their luggage.

So, this is why it’s important that your filets be frozen. Believe me, if you don’t keep opening and closing the lids, your fish can last 24-48 hours in an ice chest!

Usually a 35-42 qt. chest holds will weigh about 50 pounds when filled with fillets. Don’t forget, chests with wheels will weigh more so you don’t be able to put as much fish in the chest if you’re trying to be exactly 50 pounds.

Don’t use Styrofoam chests.  They get crushed when smacked by other luggage and make a mess!  Don’t cheap out either and put it in a cardboard box as I’ve seen some guys try it.  Not a great idea to stick extra fish in your personal luggage either! The airlines frown on it and you might have trouble getting the stink out of your clothes if the fish starts melting.

I’ve seen some anglers try to use the insulated boxes that they use in Alaska.  They don’t work as well down here.  In Mexico,  ice chests might sit on the 100+ degree tarmac or in a hot luggage room before being loaded.

Although lighter in weight, insulated boxes don’t hold up like they do in Alaska or Canad. Up there, the ambient temperature is not very warm and the boxes can be kept out or stored in cooler places.  Mexico is a cooker!

Many companies make some great soft-sided ice chests now that work incredibly well and are made for hot weather.  Worth looking into and they weigh less than conventional coolers.

If you have extra room, stuff your dirty fishing clothes around the packs or crushed newspaper for extra insulation.  Bring some duct tape to seal it up or a packing strap.

When you get home, get your fish in your home freezer and get the barbecue ready to go!

That’s our story!

Jonathan

____________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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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“How Deep is ‘Deep Sea’ Fishing?

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Nice people sometimes ask the craziest questions. It's hard to believe some of the funny and nutty questions and comments we get.

“HOW DEEP IS ‘DEEP SEA’ FISHING?”

Originally Published the Week of April 4, 2012, in Western Outdoor News

Every year, after we do all our promotional shows across the Western U.S., I like to compile some of the funny questions and comments I heard during the past 3 months.  Folks approach our booth to talk and ask us questions and we literally see speak to hundreds of anglers and hunters at each show over the 4 or 5 day period.  Over the years, there have been some doozies…

“What’s the best day of the week to catch a blue marlin?”

 

“How come everyone in Mexico speaks Spanish?”

 

“It’s called ‘Baja California’ but I can’t find Baja on a map of California!”

Stuff like that.

Sometimes we roll our eyes. Sometimes we have to ask the to repeat the question because we can’t believe what we just heard!

Sometimes, it’s awfully hard to choke back a laugh or be a wise-guy (more my nature) and fire back a quick smart-aleck response…especially after talking to hundreds of persons at each show and hearing so many questions over and over!

But, we’re professionals!  Ha!

And we have to remind ourselves that these are truly and honestly sincere and generally intelligent folk.  I’m just as guilty of not having my brain and mouth in synch.  You be the judge! Sometimes, there’s just NO answer to some of these questions and comments!

Almost every conversation starts up with someone walking up to our counter and firing the opening line…

“Where you out’ve?”  (even tho’ the words LA PAZ MEXICO are plastered all over the booth!  )

And then it starts…

“Is that near Cancun?”

“Is that near Tijuana?  I took a picture there once with a donkey painted up like a zebra!”

 

And this little exchange…

“You don’t look Mexican.  Did you learn your English from missionaries?”

            (“Sir, I’m actually from Hawaii,” I responded)

“Really?  Are you selling fishing trips in Hawaii?”

“Do they speak Spanish in Hawaii?”

“So, in Hawaii, did you learn English from the missionaries?”

 

“Hey, do you know my friend in Cabo San Lucas?  His name is Jose.  He’s short like you with black hair and mustache.  Everyone knows Jose!” (I’m sure he’s in my rolodex!)

“So, is fishing any good where you’re at?”  (Nope…that’s why I’m selling fishing trips at a FISHING show and there’s pictures of FISH all over my booth!)

“I knew a guy once that got Montezuma’s revenge from drinking the water in Mexico.  Will that happen to me?  What will happen if I get Montezuma’s?”

“When do the salmon run in Baja?  I hear you get some good ones and they’re not like the salmon in Alaska!” (I guess not!)

“I was told Mexican ranchers raise little goats so they can get cheese and breed with them and have babies.  Is that true?”  (Can you repeat that one more time again, Sir?)

“Can my wife walk across the border to Loreto to go shopping?” (Oh sure…if she can walk about 500 miles!)

“I heard you can’t drive an American car to Mexico because American speedometers show miles-per-hour and in Mexico they don’t have miles…only kilometers.  Mexican cars have kilometers on their dashboards.  So, Mexican cars cannot be driven in the U.S. either.”  (Someone has been eating the brownies with the little green flecks in them again!)

“My wife doesn’t like the sun can she stay in the room the whole time?”

“Can I scuba dive without air tanks?”

 

“How deep is ‘deep sea’ fishing?”

 

“I’ve never fished in the ocean before.  What happens when the fish pulls me out’ve the boat?  Will sharks eat me? I watch “Shark Week” all the time on TV and I know what happens to people who get in the ocean.”

“I was in prison once and can’t get a passport.  Will they still let me come fishing where you’re at?” (They might let you out of the U.S., but you’re gonna have a big problem trying to get back in!”)

 

“Last time we were in Mexico it was really windy! What can you do about the wind?” (Well, let me just wave my magic wand over the earth and sky for you!)

“Are you positive you’re not selling fishing trips to Hawaii?

 

By the time you read this, I’ll be home in La Paz!  Thanks to everyone who came out to say hi to us over the last 3 months.  WON readers are EVERYWHERE!   There’s no such thing as a dumb question.  But…You never know when you may end up as part of a story!

That’s our story…

Jonathan

__________________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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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“CHANGES IN ATTITUDES REVISITED”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Me and Jilly in our booth at the International Sportsman's Expo Salt Lake City UT. Just tryin' to sell smiles one fish at a time.

CHANGES IN ATTITUDES (“ARE YOU TALKING TO…ME?” REVISTED)

Originally Published the Week of March 23, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

So, here it is.  As I’m writing this, we’ve been on the road 78 straight days now hitting all the major fishing/hunting shows…Denver, Sacramento, Portland, Vegas, Seattle, Long Beach…just to name a few.  New show every week.  13,000 miles of driving and, by the time you’re reading this, we’ll be at our 11th show at the Fred Hall Show in Del Mar near San Diego.

So, we see thousands of you all at these shows and many of you have asked about the experiences we had last year on our promotional tour. If you remember, last year, several times at every show we were actually accosted…mostly verbally…sometimes physically by knuckleheads telling us to:

“Go back to your country!”

“How did people like US get into the show?”

“Everyone of you effing people from Mexico should be killed…”

Y’know…lovely pleasantries like that.  Every city.  Every show.  Not just the cities like Boise, Idaho or Billings, Montana either.

The worst were at the shows in Sacramento and Long Beach, California.  Yup…you’d have thought folks in these hubs might be a bit more enlightened. So did we!

It’s a bit unsettling when a guy in an Izod polo shirt with a Tag Heuer watch and a wife looking like she just came from the spa grits his teeth, reaches across the counter at my booth and pokes his finger in my chest and hisses at me, “They oughta just nuke the whole stupid country.”

Well, we got hundreds of e-mails and letters about our experiences.  Outrage. Embarrassment.  Support.  Most agreed that there’s some folks out there that just have their underwear on a little too tight.  We didn’t take it too personally.

But after decades of doing shows and meeting the public, it seemed like the rage and frustration towards Mexico directly and us indirectly came out’ve left field.

So, what about 2012?

I don’t know what everyone was drinking or smoking in 2011, but it’s almost like someone someone threw the light switch the other way. Thankfully, we’ve had very few incidents this year.

In fact, just today while here at the Salt Lake City ISE show, someone did tell me, “I’m not going there to Mexico where they cut off everyone’s head!”  He didn’t stop at our booth to say more or have a discussion.  He said it loud enough for others to hear and his buddies to laugh.  But that was it

.

We’ve had maybe only half-a-dozen actual heated exchanges.  And they were quickly dissipated.  Either we got the person to walk away. (No loss…anyone that tight will never visit Mexico anyway so why waste the energy!)

Or, in two or three situations, the angry person unknowingly walked up while our booth was surrounded by friends and clients who quickly bristled and got their own dander up.

The guy opens his mouth and gives us a piece of his mind.  Party foul!  Don’t call out the host in front of the host’s friends!  The bad guy gets chased away really really fast by friends who give him a bit of his own vitriol.

“Buddy, you need to take a hike!”  “You’re a jerk, keep walking.” “Back off, amigo, you’re full of…”   Well, you get the idea.   It’s hard to suppress a grin still thinking about it.  Thanks guys!

But honestly, I don’t know what’s changed.  Maybe people are coming around and are untangling fact from sensationalism and realizing that, while Mexico has a lot of problems, much of what the media feeds us isn’t the whole story and is not reflective of ALL of the country.  It’s a big place.

The bad guys are not targeting tourists.  Like pretty much anywhere else, there’s places in every city you shouldn’t visit places and things you shouldn’t be doing no matter where you are.  I mean…why would anyone need to go into a dark alley in Ciudad de Juarez? Or, one in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or New Orleans, etc?  Common sense!

In fact, statistics show that American tourism to Mexico has been on the rise the past year.  Last year alone,  something like 15 million Americans visited Mexico and you know what happened…NOTHING!

What we’ve found instead this year is people walking up to us and asking,

“What do you think about the violence?”

“What’s the real story down there?”

“Is it really that dangerous?”

They really want to know.  They want someone to give another side. And they listen.  Really listen.  And instead of a confrontation, it becomes an exchange of ideas.  They may never come down to visit, but most times, I hear them say, “Wow, I didn’t know that.  That’s really interesting.” They shake our hands and thank us. Hopefully with a little better understanding.

Now, I do hear people say that the ONLY reason we’re pimping this is that we have a vested interest in getting folks down to Mexico.  Of course we do.  We have a fishing business and a restaurant.  To me, what’s good for us is good for everyone.  A little understanding goes a long way.  But, no matter what I say, people will still call it a sales job.

Well, just this week, none other than the  U.S. State Department officially recognized and declared that “no advisory” is “in effect for La Paz and the entire South Baja region.” (that includes Cabo and Loreto!). According to the State Department the report was compiled at the behest of American business groups worried about employee safety and NOT to appease various boosters of Mexican tourism, e.g. self-serving “salesmen” like me!

So, there you have it.  The U.S. Government finally telling folks something most of us in Baja already knew.  Come enjoy!

_______

HOLD THE PRESS…just after I wrote this and it went to publication to the editor, we had two people walk up to us at the booth in Salt Lake City Sportsman’s Expo..  Just as we were thinking we had made it through with a kinder, gentler, season.  Just after I wrote the above column the night before…two folks walked up to us and hissed…”WE HATE MEXICANS!”  And walked on. Didn’t even stick around long enough for get a response from me or my wife.  Both the woman and the man said the same thing and made a point of walking right up to our booth. “ I HATE MEXICANS.”  Dangit…I guess there’s still knuckleheads out there.  Sad.

_________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

That’s our story…

Jonathan

 

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:
http://www.tailhunter-international.com/fishreport.htm

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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 »

“DIFFERENTLY THE SAME”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 5, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Only two guys who've fished together for awhile like Captain Jorge and Steve would mug like this. Just two guys fishing together!

DIFFERENTLY THE SAME!

Originally Published the Week of March 8, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

I’m just saying.   I think the world might just be a better place if we all just did a little more fishing.  It might solve a few problems, or at least not have so many. 

 Nations and,  even neighbors,  are pulled-apart by such complicated issues as religion, culture, politics and language or such silly stuff as, “I hate the music that jerk plays! ” 

 

There are simply countless reasons NOT to like each other.  So many reasons to polarize us all. I’m as guilty as the next person.  I probably let a person’s differences jump out at me more often than they should.

 But put two knuckleheaded guys as dissimilar as night and day in a boat… keep some fishing rods handy… and give them the mutally-advantageous goal of trying to fool an animal with a brain the size of a pea…

And it’s amazing to watch what develops. I see it happen all the time. 

One guy speaks Spanish.  One English.

One knows how to run a fishing boat.  One knows how to run a million-dollar company.

One has 3 kids and lives in a cinderblock home with a tin roof and a chicken or two in the yard.  The other has 1 ex-wife, two mortgages and rents a roof-top condo on the west side.

One has spent 30 years learning the waters that provide his livelihood and survival.

One has two advanced university degrees.

One can fix a Mercury outboard or Chevy engine with duct tape and a butter knife.

One can do Power Point presentations before a Board of Directors.

One makes the best goat-meat barbecue in his neighborhood. 

One makes a mean happy hour martini. 

In any other context, there’s hardly a single reason for these two guys to care a wit about the other.  But, put them in a fishing boat…

And they get along just fine!

All the disparate petty things that pull drive us apart or keep us from getting to know each seem to take 2nd chair to the overall goal of putting a dumb fish in the boat!

Language barriers are overcome with the simple universal communication of a smile or a laugh. 

Often, both guys try extra hard to actually LISTEN more carefully and WATCH more closely.  They SPEAK more carefully and simply to each other…even in their own languages, because they really WANT to be understood! 

We have smart phones, Facebook, Twitter, Google and Skype…all the technology in the world, but we’ve forgotten the skills of LISTENING, WATCHING and SPEAKING SIMPLY! Two guys in a boat wanting to catch a fish will resort to animated and creative hand gestures to make themselves understood!

At the end of the day…smiles…and maybe a photo or two…and a handshake. Both understand “Gracias” and “Thank you.”

 

“Tomorrow” says one.

“Manana!” says the other.

By the next day, more grins on the beach as they meet to go out.  The captain pulls out a little foil packet of grilled fish burritos that his wife made for the client and wants to share. 

“Delicious! exclaims the client surprisedly. 

“Delcio-SO!” confirms the captain proudly with a grin. 

“Hey, Spanish and English are almost the same!” says the client through another mouthful of burrito.

“Si!…Yes!” replies the smiling Captain

“Good…uh…BIEN” laughs the client.

“Correc-TO!” confirms  the Captain as he revs the motor.

The client rummages through his bag and pulls out a box of juice to share with the captain. Gratefully accepted.  Smiles and nods.

And they head out for another day of fishing. 

…and the language barriers start to diminish.  And with each passing hour, the other barriers don’t matter.  They never really did.

At the end of the day, the client “thinks” he understands that the Captain has a younger son who likes baseball. Both have daughters about the same age.  The Captain now knows the client likes the N.Y. Yankees (Captain likes the Red Sox) and the client lives in San Diego.  They both think politicians in both countries are the same…idiots!  Laughs.

And so it goes.  At the end of the day, more handshakes and photos.  More smiles.  The client gives the captain some lures as a gift.  His eyes light-up gratefully!

“Mil Gracias!…Mucho thank you’s” says the captain grasping the precious lures.

“Thank YOU very much” answers the client pointing at the captain  “…Gracias gracias, mi amigo!”

 And then the next year, the client comes back. 

 Hands clasp.  And there are big grins and smiles and anticipation of another great time on the water. 

The fisherman shows photos of his kids on his cell phone and photos from the last trip!  The captains smiles proudly looking at the photos.  Using hand gestures and simple words he demonstrates that his kids have grown “this much…”  He uses another hand gesture to happily say his wife has another baby coming! 

 

And every year it grows…3, 4, …7…10 years of fishing together. And it’s no longer captains and client.   A friendship grows. And not a hint of politics…or religion…or cultural differences. And they learn from each other.

He’s become a better fisherman and learned to love barbecued goat and fish jerky and how to catch his own bait.  

The captain has picked up quite a bit of English and has enjoyed bagels and cream cheese.  His son has a new baseball glove and a N.Y. Yankees ballcap.  The captain proudly uses a new reel from a place called “Cabelas.”

Oh…and over the years, they just happen to catch a few fish too.  But it never seemed to be as important or as fun as just two guys hanging out. 

Yup…the world might be a bit better if everyone just went fishing. We’re so differently the same.

 

That’s my story!

Jonathan

__________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

 

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:
http://www.tailhunter-international.com/fishreport.htm

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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 »

“YELLOW FEVER REVISED”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Amigo, Rick Hosmer has the right idea after a big day of yellowtail fishing!

YELLOW FEVER REVISED

Originally Published the Week of Feb. 20, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

I’ve been writing columns and stories for various publications now for about 25 years and for Western Outdoors now for about 8 years.  Usually, I pop them out in the middle of the night, press “send” …sigh that I got another one in the can and forget about it.  I go to bed.  Morning comes early.

We don’t get the publications down in Mexico so I never see them again and, unless someone mentions something about it, I don’t think about it again.  Another deadline pops up soon enough!

But every now and then, I’ll go back and check out the backlog of stories.  A phone call this past week  from prolific San Francisco Chronicle outdoor writer (and WON columnist) Tom Stienstra got me to look back at some of the many columns from the past.

I noticed that as much as Baja has changed.  So has my writing.  The more fishing I’ve done, the more I’ve thought differently about fishing as well. Techniques change.  Gear has changed.  Technology has changed and even in some cases, the fish themselves have changed.

Yellowtail for instance.  I found I had last written about yellowtail in this column back in 2008.  Other than tuna, I don’t think any other fish generates more interest or even frenzy among veteran Baja fishermen than yellowtail. And…co-incidentally, it’s yellowtail season in Baja!

The big jacks are not only real sluggers on rod and reel but can attain trophy-size proportions not to mention being great eating.

But, after you fish for a certain species a certain way, you can get set in your ways.  I mean, if one technique works, then if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.  I see a lot of Mexican captains like that.  Grandfather, dad, brothers and cousins all used a certain technique so why change?  They roll their eyes and grin when the gringo client shows some new-fangled lure or reel “guaranteed” to produce fish!  Lo que sea…”whatever!”

For example with yellowtail, I was convinced that the tried-and-true colors for casting lures (throwing iron) would be blue and white.  With some variation at times for green and yellow or scrambled egg (white, red, orange, yellow).  It seemed that everyone was always catching yellowtail on those colors.  Well, it might also have been a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Everyone was ONLY using those colors because everyone, like me, had bought into the same mantra!  Ergo, yellowtail were ONLY getting caught on those colors because that’s the only colors anyone was using.

However, like with many lures, I’ve found it’s not so much the color.  It’s how you fish it.  A variation on the saying, “It’s not worm, it’s how you wiggle it!”

Generally speaking, fish any lure color at the right speed, depth and action and if the yellowtail are there, their predatory instincts kick in and they’ll bite!  Like a cat.  They don’t care about the yarn ball.  If it rolls past their noses, they’ll pounce!

Some of my BEST yellowtail action came when I had LOST my preferred colors and had to dig in my tackle box and fished with pink (lost that)…went to lime green (lost that) then found my “jewel”…an un-painted ugly  lead-colored jig that slammed fish-after-fish.  Next time out, everyone else was using the “colored” lures and my ugly jig outfished most everyone!  I used that lure for years until it was so scarred from teeth and until it too was finally lost!

Another “revision” to my yellowtail hunting.  Structure.  My amigos fishing Cedros, Benitos, Mulege, Loreto and Santa Rosalia might agree or disagree with me as they fish yellowtail a lot more than we do in La Paz where I am, but yellowtail move around a lot!

I used to always think to fish them deep or at least around structure.  Off southern Cal waters we’d search for them under kelp paddies.  In Baja, we look for them around reefs and high spots on  submerged mounts or generally deep areas over structure.

I’ve now come to believe that, like most fish, find the food source and, like most fish, you’ve got a half-way decent chance of finding the big yellow forktails.  They love mackerel.  But they also love sardines, caballitos, smaller jacks, and squid.  You don’t see it as often as in the Baja glory days, but yellowtail will boil on the surface and I’ve caught yellowtail over sandy bottoms where the there was absolutely no structure and only a few feet deep.  They key was finding the food source.  Just common sense.

Finally, when nothing else works…troll!  Ewww…that ugly word.  But yea…you’ll cover more water and hopefully roll up on some fish by dragging something behind the boat.  If slow trolling a big slab greenie mackerel or caballito isn’t available then those big-lipped deep-diving Rapala, Yo-Zuri, Braid,  or similar lure in the magnum size will often work when nothing else will!  Bigger the lip, the deeper the dive, but just don’t get hung up on any rocks!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

___________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

                       

 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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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“JUST ONE MORE TRIP!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2012| 2 Comments »

The curious statue of the old man in the paperboat staring out to see on the La Paz malecon waterfront.

“JUST ONE MORE TRIP…”

Originally Published In Western Outdoor News the Week of Feb. 8, 2012

To any of us who work in the sportfishing industry where our livelihood is dependent on the seasonal whims of nature, there are  often some pretty rough times.  Especially these days when things are complicated even moreso by economics, politics, plus changing social and ecological interests, there’s many a night when folks in our industry bang ourselves on the head.  Why do we do it?  There’s gotta be an easier way to make a living. 

          Well, a few months ago, I got a thought-provoking e-mail from Peter, a long-time WON reader.  Here’s what he wrote:

 

 

          “I’m 75 years old now. I started fishing when I was 11 years old. Fishing with a drop line from the old Santa Monica Pier.  Fishing for perch, smelt and mackerel with the old drop line was the beginning. For my 12th birthday I got a 7’ rod and a Penn reel.”

“I lived about 12 miles from the ocean and soon found me and my 7- foot rod were not welcome on the street car that ran along Venice Blvd to Santa Monica. So I made the trip on my bicycle riding 12 miles each way with my 7-foot rod etc. I soon graduated from the pier to fishing from a Fishing Barge in the bay and then to 1/2 day boats fishing for Halibut, Bass and Barracuda.”

“I dreamed of the day when I would be 16-years-old and able to drive south to San Diego and get on the San Diego Boats to fish for Tuna and Yellowtail. “

“In the late 70’s, I started fishing on the Long Range Boats. My first trip was a 4- day on the Royal Polaris. I was hooked on long range.  Over the next 25 years I fished most of the long range boats from San Diego.”

“Things were different for me then. I was working and earning a decent wage.  Fuel and boat fares were much cheaper. I could afford to take 2, 3 or 4 trips a year.”

 “ Now,  I am 75-years-old, living on my modest social security income. Fuel and boat fares are pretty much beyond my means. My last long range trip was 5 years ago. My tackle is, by today’s standards,  pretty much obsolete. I still read the fishing reports in WON and on the internet and dream of going out for the tuna and yellowtail again. “

Maybe sometime…  One more trip…  The others will look at the old guy with the old gear and chuckle….  But I don’t think the fish will know the difference…  anyway, I hope not.”

“Oh yes…  I have also fished the East Cape and La Paz (long before Tailhunter was there)  All great memories.. and lots of fish stories..

“One more trip…”

 

 

There’s a most intriguing statute out on the waterfront of La Paz in front of the now-closed Hotel Los Arcos.

          It’s weathered and the copper patina is showing through after many years of sun, salt and sand.  It’s on a pedestal on the busy malecon thoroughfare.  It’s a bit larger than life-size depicting a curious old man staring out to sea. 

He’s in shorts. Like little school-boy shorts.    But around his waist is a giant paperboat…the kind you made as a kid.  Perched on his head is a duplicate paper hat.  Even in the worn statuary, there appears a glimmer in his eye and a clear grin on his weathered face.  With one hand, he is shading his eyes against the sun.

          What’s he looking for?  What’s he waiting for?   

          I’ve never been good at interpreting art.  I either get it or I don’t.  Just me.  I never got this statue either. 

          But, then I got Peter’s e-mail.

          As someone who’s been fishing a long long time, I’ve been blessed with more time on the water than I could have ever hoped for.  But, as with all anglers, I think I might be at the point where I have more fishing behind me than ahead of me.  It’s life.  It’s just the way it is.  A time is coming when I won’t be able to go out anymore.

          But what memories!  Like what Peter wrote.  There were so many good days that you remember with a smile.  And, despite the advance in years on our bodies, spirits and souls, who of us wouldn’t like to have back some of those carefree days of paper boats and school-boy shorts? 

          At least for me, when I get some of those insane days when things are crazy and we wonder why we do what we do, I’m gonna pull out Peter’s e-mail and remind myself.  

What we do, if we work in this industry, is create smiles and memories. One of our “just-another-day-on-the-job” is someone else’s lifetime memory. Like Peter and his 7-foot rod taking the streetcar to fish. . .His first long range trip of foray into Mexico.   We are very privileged.

I understand the old man statue now. 

As Peter wrote, “I dream of going out for tuna and yellowtail again. . .Maybe sometime…  One more trip…  The others will look at the old guy with the old gear and chuckle….  But I don’t think the fish will know the difference…  anyway, I hope not.”

Just one more trip.

___________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, 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 riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

                       

 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“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 »

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