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DON’T MESS WITH MAMA!

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, tagged on June 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

More and more of the gals are on the water...AND THEY CAN FISH!

DON’T MESS WITH MAMA!

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

We  cautiously approached
Larry’s panga from a distance. He and his wife Laura are a great retired couple
who love to fish.  Today, they were
fishing just south of  Cerralvo
Island.  As we got closer, it was clear
that Laura was on a huge tuna.

She was sitting on the little triangular deck at the
bow…essentially “on the floor.”
Her butt on the deck… feet forward and braced up against the inside of
the gunwale which, at the bow, was only about 8 inches high.  Like the position the anchor-person assumes
at the tail-end of a tug-of-war-rope!  Rod triple-bent in her straining hands with
the tip almost touching the water.   It
was evident that the  heavy 22-foot  fiberglass panga was slowing being towed by
the massive fish.

But, all was not well.

She was pulling for all she was worth in the bow.  Grimacing with effort.  Lips pursed.
Arms locked with knuckles just barely above the rim of the
gunwales.  She seemed to be
“glaring” at hubby, Larry.  And
not because of sun or sweat in her eyes.

Larry’s at the opposite end… in the stern.  Fumbling with his own rod and limp line in
the water  and not even paying attention
to the epic event at the bow.  Disinterested.  Distracted.
Like he didn’t even care that his wife might be on the biggest fish of
both their lives. Ho-hum…

What’s wrong with this picture?

As we pulled up closer, I shouted out, “Nice fish,
Laura!  Are you OK?  Do you need help?”  (I was wondering why Larry wasn’t giving much
support).

“Larry, do you need a hand? Want me to jump
aboard?”

He looked at me and just shrugged.  “Ask HER if she needs help…” he
said dismissively gesturing with his head towards his wife at the other end of
the panga.  He didn’t even look back at
her.

Whoa…

I looked at Laura.
She looked up and hissed through gritted teeth.

” I told him if
he comes anywhere near MY fish, I’d kick his butt! He’s trying to coach
me.  He wants me to hand off the rod to
him!  He won’t shut up!  Make him leave me alone!  This is MY fish! If I’m going to lose it, I
don’t need HIS help! And I’d appreciate it if you’d move your own panga away
too so my fish doesn’t get tangled!”

YEOW!!!

I looked at Larry.  He
looked at me.  Rolled his eyes and looked
at the blazing Baja heavens.

I laughed.  How could
I not? We literally “tippy-toed” our panga backwards out of the
way.  Even the two panga captains
(stifling grins) knew when to just shut-up and get out’ve the way!

Laura the SHE-ANGLER had spoken and  unless we wanted a can ‘o’ whupass unleashed
on us, it was best to get as far away from ground-zero as possible.

I loved it! I am WOMAN hear me GROWL!  See me FISH! I don’t need no help!

I’m seeing it and loving it more and more. In the old days,
Baja fishing was a testosterone laden bacchanalian “fishing fiesta”  of sun, beer, and fishing.  An all-guy-man-love- beach party. (“I
love my fish brothers!”)

Not so much anymore.
Not only are we seeing more wives, girlfriends, sisters and mom’s coming
down, but these ladies don’t just wait for you to tie their knots and bait
their hooks.

They’ll elbow you down the rail.  They’ll be the first to grab that rod if the
clicker suddenly goes off and pull it out’ve the holder. Too slow.  YOU
lose! They don’t need to be rescued.   They have no intention of handing off the rod
to you so don’t ask and they’ll only listen to your coaching (nagging) to a
degree.  So get outta their way!

And they usually look pretty cute doing it too!

Personally, I love having them on my boats.  They’re quick learners. They listen.  They have patience. Unlike so many of us guys
that try to brutalize and bulldozer our fish into submission, the ladies
finesse their fish.  Poco-a-poco!  They smile alot
and aren’t so grumpy if they lose a fish (“I was gonna release it anyway
because it was noble and cute!”) or if the fish aren’t biting…

“Oh look at the dolphins! This is the BEST day
ever!”

Just don’t get in the way when they’re down in the trenches!
They’re good.  They’re getting
better.  You know it’s true and we’re all
having more fun because of it.   Mama
means business!

Oh, Laura got her fish.
Larry could not have been prouder!

____________________________________

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 »

DIALED-in-on-DOLLARS! Originally published the week of June 15, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on June 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

CHANGING DOLLARS FOR PESOS BEFORE VISITING?

DIALED-IN-ON-DOLLARS

Originally Published the Week of June 15, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

Over all the years down here in La Paz, some of the most
common question I get involves American dollars and whether pesos are needed
down here.  The answer is a resounding
“yes”…and “no.”

Bottom line:

1.  We run several
businesses here and have been in Baja since the mid-90’s.  Everyone loves American dollars.  (Who doesn’t?) It holds it’s value pretty
good.  Everyone loves to have it in their
pockets and accounts. That includes businesses as well as individuals.

2.  It’s getting
harder to use American dollars down here.
Banks and the government are making it more difficult to use dollars so
sometimes your offer of U.S. dollars in payment will sometimes be sadly
declined by vendors.  Or, because the
dollar holds it value, they want to hold their dollars and give you only
pesos.   Here’s some practical tips…

  • If you want to exchange
    dollars for pesos, do it.  Just
    understand that there are different exchange rates.  Most places will charge you a few
    points.  (This is whether you change
    pesos to dollars or dollars-to-pesos).
  •  We’ve found that the best places are the
    exchange houses that are often found in the tourist areas. They usually
    look like little kiosks with windows.
  • Banks will no longer
    exchange dollars for pesos!  Even if
    you have a Mexican bank account (like us), they will not change dollars
    into pesos.  You can deposit dollars
    into a peso account, but you cannot get dollars back or exchange dollars
    for pesos. It’s an attempt to curtail money laundering in the country.
  • You can usually get some
    money exchanged at the larger markets or hotels, but often the rate is not
    as good as the exchange houses.
  • If you just need small
    denominations, there are numerous cash machines everywhere that will give
    you 200 peso notes (about 20 bucks) located at banks, markets, convenience
    stores, etc. Just use your bank card like at home.
  • If you do bring U.S.
    currency, you will find that small bills are really handy.  Bring 1’s, 5’s, 10’s and 20’s.  Great for tips and small purchases.  You will be glad you did.
  • Use the smallest
    denomination possible.  Don’t run up
    to the bait man in the morning and expect the guy to have change for 100
    dollar bill at 6 a.m. in the morning. Same for the cab driver or t-shirt
    seller on the beach.  Also, if they
    do have change, expect to get it back in pesos, not dollars.  For instance, if a t-shirt costs 4 bucks
    and you use a 20 dollar bill to pay, you’ll get 16 bucks in change…in
    pesos!  So, a 5 dollar bill would
    have been better.
  • It has nothing to do with
    money laundering, but “dirty money” often is not accepted.  If the bill is torn or has your
    girlfriend’s phone number or someone drew a mustache on the president,
    they won’t accept it.  Not that the
    vendor doesn’t want your money but the banks won’t accept torn, ripped or
    defaced dollars so it’s worthless to the  average Mexican vendor.
  • Lastly…save your
    coins.  Our Mexican friends that are
    busboys, bellmen and porters often show me the pocketful of dimes and
    quarters they got as tips.
    Worthless.  American coins cannot
    be cashed at any Mexican
    banks.  So, dumping your
    pocket change on someone isn’t going to get you an extra set of towels or
    a mint on your pillow.

“THEY CALLED ME MR. JONATHAN” PART 2

Last column I wrote about the TV family (Chad Shearer’s
“Shoot Straight” TV show)  that
came to visit us and how remarkable it was to be with three generations fishing
and enjoying themselves together.    They impressed on me how important it is to
make every moment with your parents and kids count.

When they got home to Montana, we got thank you notes from
everyone, including the Matriarch of the family, Marcia Shearer.  She wrote me that it was an incredible time
for their family in Baja.  She sent that
to me on Facebook.

Several hours after writing that to me, Marcia Shearer
suffered cardiac arrest while waiting at a stop sign in her car and is now in a
coma.

We only get one chance to make every moment as special as we
can. Her last fun time might have been here in Baja…with her family.  Count your blessings. Be special to each
other.

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.”

Read Full Post »

THEY CALLED ME “MR. JONATHAN”

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, holidays in mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on May 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

THEY CALLED ME “MR. JONATHAN”

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the Week of June 3, 2011

You get only one chance at this.

Doing what we do here in La Paz running a fishing business and restaurant, we get to watch alot of folks.

For example…

Several days ago here in La Paz,  a family of five arrived to stay at the hotel we live at here in town.  Mom and dad; a younger boy; an older girl and a young teenage boy.  “Family vacation” time.

But, other than the time I saw them pile out’ve the airport shuttle into the hotel lobby, that was the last time I’ve seen them together.  Dad’s snorkeling.  Mom’s at the spa.  One kid sits in the lounge with headsets to an iPod.  The younger one seems glued to some electronic hand-held game.  The teen just wanders around looking lost and bored.  I don’t think I’ve even seen them eat together.

And then there’s this other family. . .

For the past few days, Outdoor TV host, Chad Schearer has been filming for his popular Outdoor Channel TV show, “Shoot Straight.” http://www.shootstraighttv.com/index.php   .

Usually, Chad can be found with a rifle or bow in hand traversing the world with a camera following him around or perhaps you’ve seen him at the hundreds of seminars or speaking engagements he’s done around the country.

He’s an outfitter and guide to stars and celebrities.  I don’t have the space to  list all his accomplishments and despite his resume, he’s about as soft-spoken and easy-going as it gets.  But I think his biggest and proudest accomplishments might be his family.

You see, he travels with his family.  His wife, Marsha, is a licensed ouftitter, guide and hunter herself. She rolls camera when Chad is stalking a grizzly bear with a blackpowder rifle or drawing his bow on an African antelope.  She also home schools two great kids…10-year-old Walker and 8-year-old Wyatt.  They all hunt.  They all fish.  Being from Montana, they’re a little bit like “Little House on the Prarie” family.

The four of them along with Chad’s mom and dad have been fishing with us for the better part of the week to film their TV show.  Three generations who not only vacation together, but genuinely like each other.

How refreshing to hear youngsters address their parents with, “Yes, Ma’am” and “Yes, Sir.”  Not like robotic recruits in boot camp or boarding school, but out of genuine respect.  I’m called “Mr. Jonathan.”  They call my wife, “Ms. Jill.”

Among the family I hear “thank you” and “please” and their enthusiasm and smiles are infectious to everyone around them.  And selflessness.

I hear them say things like, “I’m going to put my rod down now because I’d like my brother to have a chance to catch a fish and I already caught a big one.”  Or, “I need to remind grandpa to drink enough water so he doesn’t get too hot.”

After the older brother caught a big dorado, he came up to me un-solicited and said, “Thanks for helping me catch that fish.  It was great!”  And he held out his fist to give me a knuckle bump.  Just like that.  Thanking ME for helping him catch a fish? Wow.

During one of the few downtimes when the fish gave us a break, Chad and I both mentioned our childhoods and how our  respective parents didn’t have much but made a point of getting us outside and into the outdoors.

It’s a common thread we share with many of our fellow brothers and sisters who love the outdoors. It started with our parents who lovingly “kicked or dragged us away and out of the house and stuck around to actually share the experience with us until it grew on us. If you’re reading this in Western Outdoor News, my blog or some other outdoor publication,  you understand.  You already have an interest in the outdoors.

We’re losing a generation of kids to the “distractions” of electronic toys, technology and social networking where we “tweet”, “twitter,” “my space” and “facebook” even our own family members instead of just stepping outside with each other.  I’m just as guilty.

Your kid might not especially like fishing or hunting, but find something outside that doesn’t involve being plugged-in or battery operated.  You get one chance with each other.  That’s it.  We pass this way once with the ones we love…our parents..our kids…our friends.   Thanks to the Schearer family, I’m reminded that my name isn’t “dude” or “bro.”  It’s “Mr. Jonathan.”  I liked how that sounded. Especially from a 10-year-old.

_______________________________________

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 »

“THEY ARE LISTENING!”

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sun stroke, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on May 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“THEY ARE LISTENING”

Originally Published the Week of May 18, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

I am a terrible eavesdropper.  I can’t help it.  Especially here in Mexico when I am usually immersed in Spanish around me, my radar cannot help but pick up on English when it drifts through my zone.

A word here…a word there…it’s not easy to tune it out.  But it’s interesting what you pick up.  Restaurants are good place.  Airplanes are another good spot. Usually confined spaces where it’s hard to miss certain conversations.  Even tho’ I try NOT to listen, Americans tend to speak loud and sometimes I think they want everyone to hear.

We can sound pretty ridiculous sometimes.  Embarrassing at other times.  Do we listen to ourselves and how we sound to others?

At a nice  restaurant several nights ago, three slightly enebriated guys wearing the de-rigueur Tommy Bahama shirts and designer sunglasses perched on their heads were escalating their conversation.

It was bad enough that they were all talking “money deals” and how they were going to do this and that and how one guy was the “CEO of this” and “everyone does what I tell ’em to do.” 

But, it wasn’t difficult to pick out that every other word was an “F” bomb.  “F-ing” this and “F-ing that.”  The universal adjective at it’s finest.  My “F-ing yacht”.  My “F-ing condo on the beach.”  What an “F-ing great fishing day!”

Whoa.  Most of the patrons, many of whom were locals,  in the restaurant were there for a nice quiet dinner at the marina and  knew what they were saying and it got uncomfortable. It was embarrassing for my wife and myself.  Many people migrated away.  The three gringos kept right on smoking the big cigars and downing the brews.

We moved to another table.

A gringo couple was close by.  Again, hard not to hear the conversation.  The woman was speaking quite loudly as she asked the water, ” We love the service here at this restaurant. So why do YOU people make such good waiters and house cleaners?” 

My wife and I stopped with our forks in mid-air. Choke.  Gaaack!

 She was serious and said it with a smile on her face, as she sipped her white wine with her manicured fingernails and gold wrist bling.  She was just trying to make conversation with the waiter who happens to be a good friend of ours.

We cringed.

The husband said non-sequitur and oblivious to his wife’s previous statement, “If YOU people would just get more education, you can really move up in the world like us.”

Double cringe.  The waiter just professionally gave a laugh and walked away as if he had to attend another table.  I mean…how do you answer that?

As he walked away he looked at us and rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow. 

On the other side of the restaurant, we could still her the “F bombs” by the three men.  It continued to be an uncomfortable dinner.

Then a group of two families with kids and nannys in tow entered.  Kids as loud as parents.  Running around the tables.  Saying what they wanted.  Called their parents by their first names.  Nannys doing their best. Restaurant staff trying to keep everyone happy.

Again…couldn’t help but eavesdrop…they were loud enough…

“We just LOVE La Paz because it’s just NOT like Cabo or Mazatlan where there’s so much noise and traffic and so “gringo-fied.'”

“Got 18 holes to play tomorrow.”

“Glad we finally got Wi-fi. But the signal is so bad here in Mexico. You would think…”   

“I can’t believe this place doesn’t have diet de-caf Pepsi, but I did find the best little coffee place that has double latte mocha!”

“When is your hair appointment? I have a pedicure at 9 a.m. then aromatherapy at 10.”

“This restaurant has the BEST chile rellenos stuffed with shrimp cooked by REAL Mexican cooks.  Look you can even see them back there in the kitchen!”

“Next time, let’s rent a Hummer so we can don’t feel all those bumps in the roads here.  Why don’t THESE people fix the roads?  You would think they would get tired of bumpy roads and broken cement.”

“Still can’t get an electricion to fix that light in the jacuzzi.  I hate this “manana” atittude here.  Must be someone like the Better Business Bureau we can complain to.”

Sometimes I wish there was someone we could complain to. I admit that even I probably sound like this as well at times. I try not to.   We keep reminding ourselves that we’re guests here in Mexico.  Whether we live here or are just visiting.  People are listening. We represent down here and our ears sometimes don’t hear what our mouths are saying.

_______________________________________

            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 »

One Man’s Cat Food…Is Not a Bad Dinner!

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sun stroke, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on April 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Often it ends up in the garden under the rose bushes or turned into cat food, but the bonito can actually be good eating if you know what to look for! (note the belly has no markings to distinguish it from the lesser tasting skipjack).

“One Man’s Cat Food…Is Not A Bad Dinner”

 
Originally published in Western Outdoor News the Week of May 4, 2011
 

You say Po-TAY-toe.  I say poe-TAH-toe.  Semantics can screw with you.

One man’s bonito is another man’s skipjack and is another man’s catfood and another man’s gourmet dinner!

It was a number of years ago that I was sitting with a group of fishermen in a little  palm-frond palapa bar/restaurant just north…or south of Loreto.  Details are fuzzy.   I remember the beer was chilly.  The sandy floor between my toes felt good and we were all a little wind and sunburned from a good day on the water.  A little fishing.  A little diving.  Some stupid pull-my-finger horseplay between fellow goofballs.

We sat in those scuffed -white -plastic chairs with the beer logo that every Mexican beer company gives to every restaurant with the equally scuffed-up white plastic table.  No matter.  We were hungry and ordered up some fish tacos and a plate of “filete al mojo de ajo” (grilled fish with garlic.)

It arrived on mis-matched plastic plates and served with bent forks but the tortillas were warm; the salsa spicy and the beer so cold that “smoke” came out the mouth  when popped open.  And the fish could not have tasted better!  RIQUISIMO!

We wolfed down taco after taco and plate after plate.  Shoveled it in like chipmunks stuffing our cheeks!  Lime juice squirted all over.

Then someone asked the waiter… “Que clase de pescado es? Tan sabrosa!” (What kind of fish is this?  It’s delicious!”

The waiter said with a smile…”BONITO!”

AAACK!!!!

Six guys nearly hurled and choked in unison!  Everyone stopped eating to look up and at each other. Salsa dripping from fingers and corners of mouths. More than one eye-brow arched.

Bonito?  You gotta be kidding me!  We’re eating junk fish?  Isn’t that the stuff we throw away?  Give to the cats?  Put in the garden for fertilizer?  Man…if it is…that’s danged good!

Just another chapter in my enlightenment of Mexican fish! Another fish “epiphany” as it were.

 Just as I had come to enjoy eating such fish like triggerfish and sierra mackerel over the years after thinking they were also “junk fish,” I got schooled about bonito.

Highly-prized as a sport fish, but much maligned as table fare, it’s easy to get confused.  Many of us who grew up or did any fishing on the Pacific Coast came to stereotype bonito as a throw-away species. Catch a ton, but throw them back or give them away!

But, in Mexico the lines get blurred.  Everyone runs into species confusion.  Everyone calls the tuna-look-alike-fish that has trips on it a “bonito.” But, in reality, they’re usually talking about two kinds of fish…black skipjack and real bonito!

They look very identical.  Both are hard-charging members of the tuna family and if you didn’t know better, you’d think they were tuna.  They grow to about 8-12 pounds but fight like 20 pounders. 

Easily caught on live bait, lures, trolled feathers…they’re not real fussy.  Fun at first but after-awhile, if you’re really trying to catch something else like dorado or real tuna, they’re pests!

But that’s the rub.

Most captains will say “bonito” and immediately the stigma is attached.  They make no distinction between bonito and skipjack.  So, the gringo  anglers just toss the fish back and get increasingly frustrated. 

However, a good captain knows the distinction. 

Skipjack have dots or stripes on their silver/white bellies.  Meat is dark red and frankly terrible eating. 

On the other hand, bonito have no marks on their bellies. They have white/silver bellies.   Meat is not only light color, but if bled quickly and all dark meat and blood lines are removed, will fool many into thinking they are eating tuna!

So next time, take a closer look before tossing your “bonito” back !  Or convince your buddy that you really do want those bonito he planned to throw away!  Remember, yesterdays “junk fish” is often today’s dinner. 

 Just remember the prices at your local seafood restaurant for such “junk fish” as …catfish…whitefish…shark…mackerel (yes mackerel!)…tilapia (in Hawaii, they used to bring in tilapia to eat the sewage and mosquitos in the irrigation canals for the sugar cane fields!) Now they call them “African Perch” at 2o bucks a plate.  Believe it or not…even albacore was considered a “throwaway” fish at the turn of the century!

As for us eating that day on the beach…we were just hungry!  Dos mas platos por favor!  (two more plates please!) And more tortillas!

_______________________________________

            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

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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Originally Published the Week of April 20, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on April 15, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Just a "sample" of some of the electronic clutter I realized I was carrying with me. This doesnt include the cables, chargers, waterproof bags and cases!

SEDUCED BY TECHNOLOGY!

Originally Published the Week of April 20, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

 

As many of us do, before a day of fishing we “tackle twitch.” 

My routine usually means emptying my tackle box and re-packing things.  Hooks here.  Lures there.  Feathers in the case.  Leader material in that section.  Line up all the blue lures there and the silver lures in that compartment.  Then, stand back.  Look.  Change them all around again.  My wife says it’s the man’s equivalent to a woman arranging her shoes in her closet.

Lately, however, I have a special section in my tackle bag.  For gadgets and gizmos.  Mexican cell phone.  Regular cell phone.  U.S. blackberry.  Digital camera. Mini-marine radio.  GPS.   Underwater mini-video cam. Ipod with earphones and mini-speaker system. (waterproof naturally).

 

Of course with all the proper cases and cords. Extra batteries. extra memory cards.  Plus the proper cases to keep them dry.  I even have a mini-solar panel to charge them all up if, heaven forbid, I get washed up on some Baja beach and there’s no hotel in walking distance!

 

This last week while “tackle twitching” I loaded up and hefted it on my shoulder. Holy caballito…that’s danged heavy!  Do I really need this stuff?

 

I set it down off my aching shoulder then remembered…”Hey, what about my new iPad? Can’t forget that either!

 

Hmmmm…that would be “chingon” to be out there on the panga and be able to check the weather; scan satellite water images from Terrafin and even…hehehehe…watch youtube; check who’s writing to me on Facebook; look at sports; read the new novel I just downloaded.  Maybe even work on my next column!  My brain nuerons tingled and toyed with the idea.  Wow.  Love it.

 

 But wait a minute…that means another set of plugs…waterproof bomb-proof case…blah blah blah…

 

I sighed.  Where was I going to put this?  Carry an extra backpack?  Oh duh…uh…this is a fishing trip.  When will I have time to use all this stuff?  When I’m working on the water, my hands are full.  Who am I kidding? So, I started unpacking. Don’t need the solar panel (what the heck was I thinking?)  Don’t need three cell phones.  That’s what voice-mail is for.  Leave the iPod and all it’s attachments.  I’d rather have some good conversation and there’s no sweeter music than a fishing reel that suddenly goes off humming to a big fish.

 

Ditch the iPad idea.  I can check the weather by simply looking up and seeing the sun. OK, got it.  It’s gonna be a sunny day!  I don’t need more information than that. I don’t need ten satellites and an HD screen to tell me that.   Simple. If it’s windy, put my windbreaker back on.  If it’s rainy…well…it doesn’t rain in Baja anyway.

 

GPS…I guess we can leave that too.  It’s not like we’re going 100 miles offshore.  The fish are in 30 feet of water about 1/2 a mile down the beach from where we park the car.  I don’t need way points to get back to the car! I can still see the car from the panga!

 

 After doing that…wow…it was ALMOST like fishing again!

 

I have to remember to leave more of the junk at home.  In it’s time and place, this is all useful and great to have.  But no matter how small the gadget it still comes with wires, cables, cases, chargers…all the accessories.  SO MUCH not needed to have a great day on the water!

 

 Look up.  Enjoy the sunshine.  Hear the rush of the water as the boat moves.  The hum of the motor.  The smell of the salt.  The taste of the cold beer and a bag of tortillas chips passed around. See some smiles.  Hear some jokes.  Tell some stories.  Feel the fiberglass and wood vibrating under your feet.  Listen for the clicker to go off!

 

 Back to basics.  It’s pretty simple. Low technology. 

 _______________________________________

 

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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“One Fish At A Time” -Originally published in Western Outdoor News the week of April 4, 2011

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, holidays in mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on April 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

It's a great business where you can be surrounded by more smiles than you know what to do with! Can't ask for more than that!

ONE FISH AT A TIME!

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of April 4, 2011

Like I’ve said before, I try to keep this column light and easy.  It’s supposed to be about fishing and having a good time.

But, since my column of two weeks ago came out (“Were You Talking To…Me? )  http://www.wonews.com/Blog.aspx?id=1284&AuthorID=59049&t=Were-you-talking-to…me?   hit the internet and the WON,  my wife and I have been flooded with perhaps several hundred e-mails and letters.

If you don’t recall, that last column re-counted some of the problems Jill and I ran into during our 3-month tour of the fishing and outdoor shows from January to March.  During that time, we ran into a surprising number of very vocal and angry folks who vented at us for representing a fishing business in Mexico.  (“You people should all just be killed!”)

It got testy.  It got chippy.  It nearly came to blows several times.  After doing hundreds of shows, this was a first.  It happened at least several times in each city where we exhibited…Denver, Portland, Long Beach, Boise, Billings, Sacramento, Salt Lake and others. 

We received so many incredible comments.  So many articulate insights.  Some angry.  Some frustrated.  Some puzzled.  Some surprised.  I did my best to write each and every writer a personal response. Jill and I are grateful.

I wish there was a way to share with you everything that was sent to me.  (Here’s some of them:  http://www.wonews.com/Blog.aspx?id=1291&AuthorID=59049&t=Letters-of-support)

But, let’s put some closure on this and let me give you my take on it so we can move on back to having some fun!

I have some great ideas as to why people are so angry.  But looking back, I don’t think it was personal.  Jill and I were just handy targets in our booth.  I’m brown and “tropical looking!”  “Come fish in Mexico!”  That was enough to get some people’s hackles up, like waving a red flag in front of an already pissed-off bull.

In the letters we received,  greater minds than my little coconut brain dissected the actions in a million different ways sociologically, economically, racially, geographically, religiously…but let me give my own simplistic two-cents.

There will ALWAYS be un-informed/ mis-informed/ mis-guided knuckleheads in the world.   We ALL just have to be a little more tolerant of each other. Seems in shorter and shorter supply.  Even I need to work on it more. 

In the U.S., especially with the internet and all the free-flow of information, you can find a myriad of support for just about any cause or idea you can come up with.  Whether it’s white supremacy, death penalties, immigration or whether you should fish for wahoo with wire or whether carp are good to eat…there’s probably a zillion websites to support that viewpoint no matter how wacky it may seem.

We got some incredible letters from readers who are African-American/ Asian-American/ Mexican-American who told me they’ve endured this kind of thing all their lives.  We got letters from Muslim-Americans who told us stories of their own nightmares since 911.  I got letters from Japanese-Americans who reminded me of their parents or family members during WW2 who were incarcerated in the internment camps…just because they were  of Japanese ancestry.

We surely have a way to go.

There was quite a bit of finger-pointing in the letters.  The media.  The economy.  The lack-of-education, etc.   But only one letter dropped this bomb and it related the opinion of a simple Mexican deckhand…

“Maybe the Americans should take some responsibility of their own.  They are the ones buying and using the drugs.  They are the ones selling the arms.  The cartels are all fighting over American dollars!”

Wow…alot of truth in that one.  I’m in my 50’s but I had to think of how many of my friends still “roll one” just to “relax.”  How many tell me they still do the occasional “line of blow.”  I know dozens of folk who wink at me and smile and tell me they got “special medical papers” that allow them to purchase marijuana “no problem.”  (wink wink).  How often have I turned down a client who asked if I knew where they could buy some “mota?”  Or have I smelled that fragrance coming from under a hotel door.?

Lots to ponder.

God bless America that folks have the right to differing opinions and can express themselves.  It’s not like that in other countries.  Even in Mexico.  You can think differently, but often, it’s suggested you keep it to yourself.  There’s consequences. 

So, with free speech, you gotta take the bad with the good.  (I just wish people didn’t need to express their opinions while shouting at me and jabbing their finger 2-inches from my face or needling my wife!)  But, so be it.

Listen…the bottom line.  It’s a minority of knuckleheads out there.  Most folks, especially in this industry, have the best hearts on the planet.  Jill and I are blessed and grateful that we’re normally surrounded daily by more smiles than grimaces running our fishing business in La Paz.  Can’t ask much more than that! 

As one letter stated, we get to “spread smiles one fish at a time!”

Amen to that.  Thanks to all of you!  Thanks Pat McDonell and WON for the backup.  Next column…back to fishing the Baja!

_________________________

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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Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of March 24, 2011

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, holidays in mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on March 20, 2011| 6 Comments »

It's not all fun-and-games on the road. This year there was a darker sadder side.

ARE YOU TALKING TO…ME?

Originally Published the Week of March 24, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

I’ve been writing this column since 2004 for Western Outdoor News.  I like to write an informative column.  I like to have fun and write feel-good stuff.   I mean…this is fishing, right?  It’s a kid’s sport.  I’ve always tried not to take it too seriously. 

I surely have tried to avoid being too controversial or inflamatory although, it’s impossible to please all the people all the time. Oh well.  Agree or disagree or agree to disagree.  That’s fine.

I’ve had to sit on this particular column for a few weeks.  My initial reaction was to put fingers to keyboard and just fire this out.  But, my wife Jill, who’s smarter than me, told me to hold onto it for awhile.  I spoke to one of my competitors, but someone I respect alot, David Jones of the Fisherman’s Fleet in La Paz.  He said to sit on it for awhile too. 

So, I did.  Until now.  It’s sad actually.

Since Dec. 31st, my wife and I have been “on the road” doing our usual promotional tour at some of the biggest fishing and hunting shows on the west coast.  We’ve driven 11,000 miles and crossed about a dozen states with our booth doing shows in Denver, Phoenix, Portland, Boise, Long Beach, Sacramento, Billings and more…talked to hundreds and maybe thousands of fishermen. 

We do this every year.  Sure, we promote our own fishing operation in La Paz, but consider ourselves ambassadors for the city; for Baja; for Mexico as well.  In the same way as Americans living in Mexico, we try to be ambassadors on behalf of Americans as well. 

I’ve been doing this almost 16 years.  I’ve been in the fishing industry for close to 25 years.  I’ve probably done close to 200 shows each 3-5 days long.  I’ve made dozens of public appearances and taught seminars for clubs, groups, and associations.  It’s been great.  Love it!  Life on the road talking fishing…how does it get better than that?

But this past year is the first time ever, we’ve run into problems…

By now,  must be living under a rock if you didn’t know that Mexico has some serious problems with violence.   Big problems.  But, like the U.S., it’s a big country.  It’s not everywhere.  It’s not everyone.  It’s not specifically directed at tourists. 

OK, I get it.  I’m not naive.  I know there’s exceptions.  But I’ve also lived and worked in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Everyone has crime problems.  (Most of which, by the way, have higher crime stats than Mexico City!)

As any of our compadres from other outfitters, hotel owners,  tour operators or charter boats will attest at  these shows, we are constantly answering questions about whether it’s safe to take the family to Baja.  Are the cartels in Loreto?  What are the chances we’ll get robbed by druggies in East Cape or kidnapped in Cabo?  How many people are dying daily in La Paz?  If we drive to San Quintin or San Felipe to go fishing, are the banditos waiting to carjack us?

We do our best to give responsible informed answers. It’s not easy for little mom and pop operations like us to compete against CNN or every local newspaper that screams about anarchy  across the border for every single act of violence.  I get it.   People are concerned.  They’re nervous. 

We arm ourselves with statistics.  We remind people that 20-second sound bites on the evening news can hardly give the “whole story.”  We ask people to see beyond the newspaper headlines.  Read the rest of the article. 

Do their own research.  Talk to their friends who have visited Mexico recently.  Most will tell you they never felt threatened or unsafe…certainly no more than walking through the darkest spots in American cities.

But, folks are scared.  Yes, I get it.  Hell, I would be too if my emotions were only based on doses of headline news.  I’m a former radio and TV reporter.  I know how it works.

But this is the first time during our travels that I’ve had fear manifest itself against us.

I won’t give the names of the cities, but it happened in almost ALL the cities.  It happened at least once and several times more than once in each city.   And the first time it happened, it was hard to believe.

A couple came up to the side of our booth and said it to my wife…It came from the side of their mouths too, but loud enough to hear…

“How did they let people like YOU in OUR show?”

They didn’t wait for a response and we could hardly believe we heard it.  We’re they talking to us?  Me?  You?  What did they mean by “people like us?”

OK, I’m short and brown and funny looking.  Born in the U.S. Got a law degree and everything.  My wife… pretty brilliant red-headed firebrand San Diegan go-getter. 

We were sure they were talking to us.  But why? Tried to blow it off. Whatever.

But, it didn’t stop.  There were those with the snide remarks from the side of their mouths that wouldn’t come directly up to us to tell us what they meant.  They’d stand to the sides.

“What are people like YOU doing here?”  But they said it loud enough for us to hear it.  The stings got deeper.

There were those who came right up.  Made a bee-line right up to the counter and got in my face. 

“They should just KILL all YOU people right now!!!  Just wipe out all people like you!” 

Whoa! Sir!  Just hold it right there.  Let’s talk about this.  Are you talking to me?

Some would just walk away swearing.  Some would continue with the vitriol. 

“Your whole country is full of nothing but scum and we’d be better off just eliminating the whole place!”  They would jab a finger directly in my face or pound my counter with a fist. 

Most times, you just try to tell the person to kindly move on down the aisle.  Surely, I was never going to convince these folks to ever come fishing with little old us.  Their minds were pretty much made up about “us.” Didn’t even want to discuss it.

Others wanted to confront us.  My wife got upset several times. Folks, please don’t say that to my wife.

 I’m about as confrontational as a teddy bear.  I can and will get in someone’s face physically or verbally if pushed.  I know how.  But why?  Sir, please don’t jab your finger two inches from my face.   You don’t want to do that.  My fists would clench by my sides. I’m gritting my teeth.

Several times, I will admit she had to tell me to back down or other people visiting at the booth had to tell me to,  “Let it go.”  or  “That guy is a jerk.” Even they were shaking their heads in disbelief.

But that was the confusing part.  Who is this “US” that these people were so angry with?  And why “US?” 

Why is some guy dressed like Wyoming ranch hand or a mist-soaked coast from Washington or  the perfect west-side  tanned couple in Santa Monica angry with US that they would come up to say those things  as if we had personally offended them?  Who me?

What did WE do to THEM?  Or even on a broader scale, what had Mexico or a Mexican personally done to them to raise that level of hate or fright?

One or two incidents happen.  You blow it off.  Later, Dude.  Sorry, you feel that way.

 But, it actually happened several times per show.  Ten shows. Even ran into one small town where we were refused service. (But that’s another story!)

The more it happened, the angrier I got.  I just wanted them to stop for a moment and think about what they were saying.  Come back here!  Why do you feel that way? Why are you so angry?  I just saw you walk all the way down the aisle to tell me to go to hell. You want to punch me in the nose.  Then you walk away shaking with anger.

You’re scared. I know why. 

I’m scared  too. Not of you.  I’m scared because of how you feel about me. That’s sad.

We just wanted to invite you to go fishing with us. 

_________________________

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!           

         

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“ADDICTION” Originally published the Week of March 9, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on March 7, 2011| 1 Comment »

Tim Farrell holds of the "right kind"...a big pargo taken close to shore!

Richard Sawaske holds up a trophy-sized pargo liso (mullet snapper)

This is what big dog-tooth (cubera snapper/ pargo perro) look like!

 

ADDICTION!

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of March 9, 2011

            I’m not a gambler at heart.  Not that I haven’t gone through life taking risks, but I just hate losing.  I understand the compulsion to win. 

            I guess like a gambler it’s…one more horse.  One more hand of cards.  One more spin.  One more quarter in the machine. The “next one” is “guaranteed!”  I got it figured out.  I got a “system.”

            Sound familiar?

            How often have I heard those phrases like that over my almost two-decades here in Baja when it comes to fishing for pargo…the red ugly beasts of the Baja!

            Rookies have no idea.  They ask how long it will take to catch a “limit” of pargo.

            Veterans return each season with a new “angle” or “rig” or other “sure-fire” plan or “foolproof” method. Or they have the  newest  piece of angling technology that will surely show these  wiley fish their proper place in the food chain and the fish box.   Surely, they MUST SUBMIT!

            More often than not, it is us who are put/kept in our places.  Sitting or standing in disbelief amid broken lines; straightened hooks; frayed leaders and shattered dreams of finally getting our photo in WON!

            You say you don’t even know what a pargo is?  Never seen a photo of a pargo?  That’s because compared to all the tuna, marlin, dorad, wahoo, roosterfish and other “glamour” species, there aren’t that many photos out there!  It’s pretty hard to take a photo of a fish that doesn’t allow itself to be caught very often.

            However, in Mexico, the “pargo” term is generally applied to three main types of fish. 

            First, there is the Pargo Liso, a.k.a “mullet snapper”.

            Second, there is the “Pargo Mulato, a.k.a “barred pargo.”

            Finally the Pargo Rojo, a.k.a “dog-tooth snapper” or “cubera snapper” or “pargo colorado.”

            All look a bit different, but share some common characteristics.  They all have big nasty teeth, sharp gillplates and scales.  They tend to range in color from copper to red to rust with highlights of orange and sometimes green.  They range from smaller 5 pounders to 70 pounders or more.

              They inhabit reefs, rocks, caves and generally any structure like sunken pilings, ships or anything else offering great cover for them to ambush their prey and optimum opportunity to shred your line and lose your tackle. And, they are all tremendously powerful with bullish freight-train attitudes when hooked.

             They can be aggressive or cagey and cautious.  Blessed with great eyesight, they’ll shun a bait or lure that isn’t presented  “just right.”

            Sometimes they are found as solitary fish.  But during the spring, the “fever sets in” and schools of them come into the shallow rocky areas around reefs, high spots and islands, especially in the southern Baja regions. 

            Seen from the surface as moving undulating dark spots of red, I’ve often described it to others as imagining “a giant Japanese koi pond on steroids.”  Throwing chum or a hooked bait into the middle of it sometimes, it’s like watching giant piranha go “on the feed” as huge backs and wide tails with flashes of red and copper explode at the surface.

            As a writer, perhaps it’s one of my favorite species to write about.  As a fisherman, it’s one of my most frustrating fish to stalk.  As a guide and outfitter here in La Paz, it’s clearly, the most amusing.

            I have often told a skeptical client, “If you hook 10 and bring 1 to the boat, consider yourself lucky.” 

            But, I have seen grown men throw their rods in the water or snap them against the gunwale of a panga in frustration.  I have heard the curses to the fish gods and seen the “rending of cloth” so to speak. 

            And each season at this time of year, I hear the “plans” as if no-one had ever thought of it before.  Everyone has their new “system” or “plan of attack.” that will surely correct missed opportunities of the past.

            “This time, I’m using a shorter rod, but a bigger reel.”

            “80 pound test is the ticket this time”

            “Lighter line, but I’m using  new super-duper drags and a circle hook”

            “Wire leader is the ticket”

            “Slow trolled small needlefish on flurocarbon leader can’t miss.”

            “Wait until all the rest of the boats leave, then be the only boat out there and only use half-a-sardine so they won’t bite the tail off this year”

            “A double trap hook set up is guaranteed!”

            And off they march and launch to their appointed dates with destiny. 

            On the water losing fish-after-fish.  And, like gamblers…”Just one more try! This next one will be the one!”  They cast again.  They bait again.  Often, only to return beaten and defeated. 

            By a big fish with a brain the size of a pea.

            “Just wait ’til next year.  I’ve got some new ideas for next year!”  they say.

            Optimism is eternal.  Everyone has a “system.”

 _______________________________________

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!

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BADASS AS WE EVER WERE – The Spirit of the Wild

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on February 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »

When you make your living at the whims of nature you're paid to produce every day. You can't have bad days. You can't phone it in because you have sniffles or a papercut or because your biorhythms are off. You have to run faster, fish harder, carry more, shoot faster, stand taller and still have enough energy to fix a boat motor with a bobby pin or cook a gourmet meal in a blizzard. And keep on smiling!

 

BADASS AS WE EVER WERE – The Spirit of the Wild

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Feb. 24, 2011

            Y’know, we hear alot about how tough it was in the old days and dangit, there’s no doubt our forefathers were a tough bunch of grizzly so-and-sos.  Jill and I are on our Tailhunter Road Tour 2011 visiting all the west coast fishing/hunting shows.  In 6 weeks, we’ve been in Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, Denver, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California…some states more than once.

            We broke down in the frigid snows of Utah and the tow-truck driver told us of his grandfather who was sent by Brigham Young himself from Salt Lake to set up a Mormon settlement in Beaver, Utah.  They walked!

            They built the town assembly hall as the first order.  But, just before the snows, it burned down.  Great grand-dad and the assembly went back up in to the treelines in the mountains to chop more trees before the snows arrived.  Granddad cut..no HACKS  his leg with his axe!

            Badass bastard.  He sewed up his leg himself and cauterized it!    He then  continued to cut wood and then they hauled it by rope down the mountain and got their building done just as the snowflakes and sub-zero weather set in.  No Kaiser Hospital.  No Home Depot.  Just grit and guts.

            And here we are in the 21st Century.  We have special shoes for trekking and pilates.   We have special vitamin water so we don’t get de-hydrated…to grow brain cells…to jump higher…I can’t keep up with all the varieties. 

            There’s special jockstraps to jog and heaven forbid we don’t have our mp3  players strapped somewhere on our torso and personal trainers to count our jumping jacks for us. A paper cut?  Call in a sick day at work!

            But if you ever get to any of these hunting and fishing shows, take a close look at the men and women behind the booth selling these hunting and fishing trips.  Sure, they sell “luxury” trips to exotic locations like Namibia, the Arctic Circle, the Amazon and yes… Mexico.  You get treated like kings and queens. Crab and steak dinners. Martini happy hours. Even on mountain tops with pack mules or deserted beaches on Baja islands. 

            But take a look at the guys themselves. 

            If they have a lodge on a deserted lodge near the Artic Circle, how do you think they got all that timber up there?  How do they keep those generators running to keep hot showers and light bulbs on? If the stove breaks, they don’t just call the Sears repairman.

            If they can show city-boyz how to shoot a 10-foot-tall grizzly bear, they might be pretty good at shooting grizzly bears themselves. And that big skinning knife they carry strapped to their leg isn’t a Hollywood prop. Jeremiah Johnson and Jim Bowie still live.

            The outfitter who packs you up to the Andes Mountains or into New Zealand or into the Sierras.  He’s carrying his gear plus YOUR gear and he can walk further, run faster, shoot better, track better and still make a fire by rubbing two sticks together; and  build camp… while you’re still  struggling to uncork a bottle of merlot.  His wife who goes with you is probably even tougher than him and you put together..and she is probably handling all the accounting in the office too!

            The Baja guy…think about guys like the late Bobby Van Wormer or Luis Bulnes or  Chuy Valdez who literally honed empires out of the desert.  No roads.  No electrical.  100 degree heat.

            Shovels and hoes with wheelbarrows to move rocks.  Wood for construction? C’mon!   How many trees have you seen in Baja?   Ever tried to fill a swimming pool when there’s no water?  Neat trick.

             Men of iron. I heard a story of Bobby Van Wormer jumping off a wall and landing on a piece of metal re-bar that went clean through his leg.  He pulled it out himself and started ranting at whatever worker left it lying around. And kept right on working. And he was in his 70’s at the time!

            These genius guys were devising water systems, sewage, electrical systems, not to mention world-class fishing fleets out of nothing.  Most of us can’t paint a bedroom wall without 3 weeks of research and an instructional DVD.

            We had our booth across from one outfitter who specialized in hunting with muzzle loaders.  For those of you who don’t know…that’s Daniel Boone style.    It’s  Davy Crockett’s Old Betsy long rifle with some black powder, a little lead ball and sporting even bigger ones.  One shot… to drop moose, buffalo, lions, and charging rhinos.

            “What do you do if you miss or you don’t drop the animal with one shot?” I asked.

            “You run like hell and learn to re-load even faster!” he laughed.

Yea, laughed.  Climbing mountains.  Hunting your own food.  Exploring oceans.  Crossing snow fields.  Building in the wilderness.  They live for it. They revel in it.  It’s not for everyone. 

            But, check out the folks who come to these shows too.  Alot of ’em wear cowboy boots not as a fashion statement.  It’s work wear.  They’re scuffed with manure on them.

              They actually know how to ride and shoot and fish.  The fishermen and outdoorsmen have the craggly face of the sun and some dandy scars to go along with the stories.  Rough hands and strong handshakes…and that’s just the women!  God bless ’em they’re tough too!

            One of our clients came up to show us a picture of her with a mountain lion she had just shot that weekend.  “Wow…when did you go on a mountain lion hunt?” I queried.

            “I didn’t.  It was killing our sheep.  So, I grabbed my rifle and went into the trees and shot it.” she said matter-of-factly. 

            Not a big deal. Like killing a gopher.   Then she skinned it before her husband came home from work.  No country club weekend luncheon with the girls for her.  She killed a mountain lion.

            The Spirit of the Wild still exists among us.  God bless, we’re  badass as we ever were.

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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  http://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!            

           

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