Archive for the ‘historical’ Category

BAJA BITS PIECES and TACKLE BOX STICKY NOTES

Posted in airlines, aquaculture, 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, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, crankbait, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, 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, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, historical, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, 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, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged accommodations, activities, adventures, amberjack, bahia, baja, baja editor, baja sur, bars, bay, beach, Bill Boyce, billfish, blogs, blue water, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, Central Washington Sportsmans show, cerralvo, certified scale, charter, children, chubasco, costa baja, day tour, deep sea, del mar fairgrounds, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tour, el sargento, espirito santo, extreme fishing, family, fish, fishing and boating shows, fishing and hunting shows, fishing sportfishing, flyfishing, fred hall, free dive, get-away, girls, grey whales, grouper, guide, guide service, holiday, hotel, hotel marina, hotel perla, hotel seven crown, hunting, idaho sportsman’s show, igfa, images, inshore, International Game Fish Association, international sportsmans expo, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, lodging, los barriles, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos, northwest sportsmans show, offshore, outfitter, pack for a purpose, package, panga, panga slam, pargo, photos, pompano, portland expo center, Puyallup Fairgrounds, reef fish, reports, restaurants, rockfish, rooster fish, rooster fish foundation, sailfish, saltwater, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea bass, sea of cortez, sealions, shuttle, sierra, snapper, snorkel, spearfish, suenos, swim, tackle, Tailhunter International, tailhunter restaurant bar, Tailhunter sportfishing, techniques, tips, tour, tourism, travel, trolling, tuna, tuna jackpot tournament, updates, vacation, video, wahoo, Washington Sportsmans Show, weather, western outdoor news, WFN, whale watching, whales, whaleshark, wife, women, World Fishing Network, yellowtail on February 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

BAJA BITS PIECES and TACKLE BOX STICKY NOTES!

Originally Published Week of Feb. 28, 2017 in Western Outdoor News Publications

Insofar as lots of you are making or possibly thinking about making a Baja trip this year, and this is the time vacations are made, there’s a few notes to pass along you might find interesting.

There’s good news as far as airline travel. For one, Southwest has jumped into the already jammed list of carriers flying folks into Cabo San Lucas. This has several great benefits.

I’m not a schill for Southwest. But hey…in the age of getting nickel-and-dimed by the airlines these days who are trying their best to stay aloft and competitive, Southwest does allow those awesome two free bags! For fishermen transporting rods, reels, ice chests, boat parts and frozen fish, this rocks.

Secondly, Southwest has made a name for itself by being relatively lower-priced than other airlines. Sometimes a lot lower. Super.

However, by jumping into the mix, their presence has forced other airlines to lower their fares in order to stay competitive. Winner-winner chicken dinner for us Baja travelers!

Also, while on that same subject of airline fares, there’s more good news. Even on those Mexico routes where Southwest has not started, overall, airfares seem to be substantially lower than last year.

I don’t know why, but I’m not arguing either. I was told that it was because fuel prices have remained lower for several seasons. Since airlines make their fuel purchase contracts in advance, they have cheap fuel inventory which then gets passed onto us consumers.

The downside is there are still some dates, you might want to re-think flying or, at least be prepared to pony up some extra dinero. One of those is April.

This year, Easter falls smack in the middle of the month. On either side of that you’ve got a big demand for airline tickets for the springbreak kids and families that flock to Mexico. The airlines have no problem filling planes. So, prices are jacked-up.

Simple supply-and-demand economics 101. You’re lucky to even find tickets by this late date for many routes to the most popular places.

On top of that, Easter and Holy Week (Semana Santa) are the busiest times for Mexicans to fly. It’s not Christmas. It’s not Thanksgiving (an American holiday, not Mexican!).

Many local families fly domestically to visit other parts of Mexico and vice versa. Likewise, many Mexican families fly out of the country and many from the U.S. also fly into Mexico for visits. That just creates a glut of travelers all vying for limited seats and willing to paying premium prices.

So, if you’re wondering why you’re seeing such high prices or non-existent airline seats in April, that’s the reason. Oh, and many hotels also charge more during the holidays, as they do in the U.S.

If you are planning to make a trip, don’t forget to purchase your fishing licenses online. Many outlets no longer sell the paper fishing licenses. We use such sites as www.bajasursportfishing.com to get those purchased.

It’s actually fast and easy and for once, the Mexican government has a functional well-organized site that doesn’t break down or eat your visa card numbers! In the past, even Mexican officials would tell me with rolled-eyes that the old sites looked like they were built by high-school interns.

If you do get on the site, just don’t panic when you see the prices. They are in pesos and are not a house or car payment. Simply divide by about 20 and it’ll show you that the licenses are actually very affordable. Also, revenue raised from the permits help fund conservation and anti-poaching in Baja and keeps the inspectors out there and vigilant.

Just remember, everyone MUST have a fishing license. Even if they are not going to be fishing. If they are on a vessel where others are fishing, even if it’s your 90-year-old grandma who wants to knit or your 2-year-old who sleeps through the whole thing, they must have a permiso.

If you’re thinking about driving or have not driven the Baja in a long time, prepared to be surprised. This is NOT your daddy’s old Baja road.

Much of the Mexican Highway 1, is two or four lanes in each direction and about as modern as you might want to find. This is especially true between towns and cities. The towns and cities is where you will probably get bogged down with street lights, stop signs and construction. But, it’s getting there!

However, the days of looking for a gas station or being relieved to find someone pumping green PEMEX gasoline from a 50-gallon drum and filtering it with a t-shirt into a milk carton are gone. Gas stations with convenience stores are everywhere and emergency road-side service is not difficult to obtain. Cell phone reception gets better each year although there’s some stretches that are still thankfully still quite desolate.

Lastly, a word on El Nino that played havoc on the weather; the fishing; and the bait for the last two season. The experts say it’s over.

But, it’s been a tough winter in Baja. If there’s storms in the U.S. they don’t stop just because there’s a border. High winds, big seas, and even rain have pummeled the Baja just like in the U.S….only it’s warmer!

However, general temperatures look to have returned to normal and my observers are telling me they’re seeing more bait around than they’ve seen in the last two years! Perhaps a harbinger of a great season to come!

This week is the big Fred Hall Fishing and Boating Show at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach. It runs Wednesday to Sunday March 1-5 and it’s huge! We’ll be in our regular booth as we have been for over 20 years in the fishing tackle area. Everyone who is anyone in the fishing industry is there! Bring the family and come say hi!

Dos centavos. That’s my story!

Jonathan signature

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-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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR Top 5 – Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

Website: www.tailhunter-international.com

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-53311

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: 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 »

THE REWIND BUTTON

Too have been there in the 60’s when Cabo was just a beach…when people like Bing Crosby walked the halls of Hotel Las Cruces…when big fish were the norm in the Sea of Cortez and in the heyday of such great places like the Serenidad Hotel when the Johnsons hosted the Flying Samaritans and the aroma of barbecued pork could wafted down the coastline.

THE REWIND BUTTON

Originally Published the Week of Feb. 15, 2017 in Western Outdoor Publications

I was asked the other day how I might have done things differently now that I’ve marked more than 20 years working and living in Baja. I had to think about that because I’ve never given it much thought.

I confess much of my time, especially the early years, was spent dealing with the immediate present. I was more concerned with things like, “Where is my next meal coming from?” Or, “Dangit, do I have enough gas in the boat to make it back to the beach?” And, “How far can I make 200 pesos stretch until I get paid?”

Whew.

I gratefully have not had thoughts like that in a long time. Life doesn’t guarantee anything. I don’t take things for granted. However, at least at this stage in my life, I’m usually laughing to myself if those questions inadvertently race through my brain’s neurons.

But, looking back, I guess I would have changed a few things.

For one, I would have come to Baja sooner. I didn’t make it down to Baja until my early 30’s. I would have loved to have seen the Baja 10 or 20 years earlier…like the during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I would have loved to have seen Cabo San Lucas “back in the day” when it was still a fishing town.

I would have loved to have seen the Baja of Gene Kira, Fred “Baja Ha-Ha” Hoctor, Neil Kelly and Ray Cannon and other great writers who saw Baja in the days when it was truly “la frontera” (the frontier).

If my time machine was powerful enough, what I wouldn’t give to have experienced the Baja of John Steinbeck on the Western Flyer with Ed Ricketts!

Looking back, I would had taken the time to have seen some of the great legendary landmark resorts and hotels in their heyday like Punta Chivato; Punta Colorada, Rancho Leonero, Las Cruces, Hotel Las Arenas or even The Old Mill in San Quintin and so many others.

Some are still going strong, but to have seen them “back in the day” would’ve been pretty special. So many are gone now or are a shadow of their previous glory when they sat alone on pristine fishing waters.

Likewise, the “old Finnie” Finisterra Hotel, Hotel Cabo San Lucas and the Hacienda Hotel hewn out’ve rocks and cliffs would have been something to have experienced in their days of elegance. I was fortunate enough to spend some time during their waning years, but to have been there when mariachis roamed the halls and played for well-heeled celebrities and guests must have been something to see.

Looking back, I would have brought my parents to Baja sooner. Lots of kids are brought down by their parents, but I was the first in the family to venture south. It wasn’t until many years later that I got my father to travel with me. Other family members followed over the years.

Those times remain some of the best memories with them. That “window” closed too soon and before long they had either had passed away or were too old to travel any longer. And all we have are the memories.

As another afterthought, why did I take so long to stick my head underwater? I was raised in the water. I spent many of my younger years in Hawaii. I was so intent on fishing from “above the surface” I never stuck my head “below the surface.”

Then, I got SCUBA certified. It opened up an entire new spectacular world that so enthralled me, I kept going until I got my divemaster certification and became a working divemaster. The waters surrounding the Baja are some of the most incredible in the world. It also made me not only a better fisherman, but also gave me a greater appreciation for all for the ocean and especially Baja.

I surely would have spent more time in the bush. When you’re living hand-to-mouth, you like to be somewhat close to things like water, gas, electricity and transportation. . . No matter how primitive. I would have spent more time as far away from those things as possible knowing that with each approaching year, it would be increasingly difficult because those places are disappearing.

In the same vein, I would have literally “taken the roads less traveled.” More deserted roads should have been explored. I should have followed more goat paths.

They should have been followed to find out what beach, canyon, vista or adventure lay at the end. Nowadays, too many others have already been down those roads.

Finally, I would have learned Spanish earlier and worked at it harder. It’s my greatest regret that I’m not more fluent. Language is the ultimate “code.”

I’ve gotten better, but I think of how so many previous experiences would have been enriched by knowing and understanding Spanish better. I can only think of what I missed by not understanding a word here or a phrase there. Likewise, if I had a better command of Spanish, I could have contributed more as well.

Yes, it would have been great to have done so many things earlier. Still, I’ve got no regrets! But, I guess it’s not too late. And that’s the beauty of Baja. There’s still so much waiting to be experienced and folks continue to discover what a special place it is!

That’s my story