Archive for the ‘sailfish’ Category

WHY DO WE HAVE TO FISH SO EARLY?

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, 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, catch and release, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, 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 church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, sailfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outdoors, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, travel, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on February 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

WHY DO WE HAVE TO FISH SO EARLY?

Originally Published the Week of Feb. 8, 2025 in Western Outdoor Publications

We run a fishing operation in La Paz and over 30 years, we get all kinds of folks who want to go fishing.

This usually doesn’t happen with veteran fishermen.

But, it happens more frequently with first-timers or don’t have much experience. We get families. We get folks who tell me, “We want to give it a try.” Or, “We’re in town and we thought we want to go fishing just one day!”

We love them all! Experience not necessary!

So, we set them up. Everything is ready. We got the boat, the gear, the breakfast, lunches, ice and other essentials are ready to go.

Let’s go find some fish!

My captain is ready. We’re ready. The clients are excited.

Then, I tell them, “We will pick you up at 4:30 a.m. Don’t be late!”

Silence…and an awkward pause.

Then, I hear the usual comments and questions:

“What do you mean 4:30 a.m. You mean IN THE MORNING?”
“It’s still dark. You can’t be serious!”
“Why so early?”
“Do the fish bite that early?”
“Can’t we go later or at least after the sun is up?”
“What if the captain goes to get the bait then comes back later to get us?”
“My kids don’t even get up at home before 7 a.m.!”
“My wife/girlfriend/ kids’ won’t go for that!”
“If it’s 4:30 a.m., that means we have to get up even earlier to get ready.
I need at least an hour to shower and get ready!”

I don’t let them see me roll my eyes. But, I go through my usual explanation about needing to:

Get bait
Get going before the tide or wind comes up
Get to the fishing grounds before it gets crowded
Because the fish have been biting early
Get going because others are also ready to go and they aren’t going to wait or be happy about being held up from fishing

Those are the pragmatic and practical reasons that I use to get folks moving so early.

C’mon! Let’s move! Move! Move!

Get ‘em loaded on our boats headed out and rolling to the fishing grounds.

But, if they’re not real fishermen or don’t have much fishing or outdoor experience, it would be pointless and time-consuming to give them the real intangible reasons for getting up early.

I grew up on the water.

Fishing and being outdoors is something I’ve done all my life. It’s one of the greatest blessings of my life. Almost everything in my life can be traced in some way, shape or form connected to my life on or near the water.

Maybe you’re one of those who understand.

How do I explain what it feels like in the morning heading out on a boat.

It’s still dark. Maybe there’s a sliver of orange light on the horizon turning the distant clouds and sky a deep purple.

The moon is on the other end of the sky and fading.

The wind hits you in the face with the taste of salt. It is cool and bracing.

It contrasts with the humid morning air. The boat deck rocks and bounces gently as it skims over the gentle sea.

You’re headed to the fishing grounds!

As many times as you’ve done this, each time feels new. Each time is a fresh adventure. It’s an experience that many people will never have. You feel blessed.

If you’re young the anxiety and excitement wakens every sense. You feel it. You smell it. You taste it. It’s a grand day full of expectation.

Or maybe you’re older, you might be thinking of all the other times, experiences, memories and friends that have been part of your journeys. In some existential manner, they all travel with you and crowd the hard drive in your mind vying for room in little flashes .

They still travel with you.

Especially the memories of friends and families. Especially those who have passed on. Kodak moments forever.

And you wonder how many more trips you have as well. No matter who many times you’ve done it, each time is a little different. An original unlike any others.

You look around you. At your compadres or friends or kids. How can you not smile?

The sun is now a giant orange globe exploding from the surface of the ocean.

You look around and try to take it all in. The sea…the land…the beach…the boat…the beer in the ice chest…absorbing as much as you can to lock it into priceless memory that you want to hold onto.

In many cases, you’re not even thinking about fishing. Catching fish is not that critical.

Or maybe you ARE thinking about fishing and you can’t wait. The boat is simply too slow this morning!

But, you’ll get there when you get there.

The early mornings are hard to explain to someone who doesn’t already have it in their DNA.

It’s about a morning filled with the promise of something grand. It’s something bigger than you. There are no words. There are only inexplicable moments.

All that I can lamely explain to some folks is that, “We get up early so we can catch fish!”

It’s not really a fib. It’s true. But, it’s hardly the whole story.

Honestly, sometimes it’s a dealbreaker.

“Nah, that’s too early. Let’s cancel. I’d rather stay in bed and not miss breakfast. I”ll hang on the beach all day or go into town.”

I’m disappointed.

They’ll miss something so much larger than breakfast. Something timeless.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

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

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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DOUBLE-DOG-DARE OF STUPIDITY

Posted in Airline flights to Mexico, 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, catch and release, CBX Express bridge, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, Coronavirus Baja Mexico, crankbait, deep sea, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, first aid, 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 church cathedral, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, mexican road crosses, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico coronavirus Baja, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, missions, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, sailfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, seri indians, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storm, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, taco, taco stand, Tailhunter International, techniques, testing facilities mexico airport, tiburon island, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, water, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, Baja Mexico, beaches, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, coronavirus in Mexico, deep sea, diving, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tours, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, fishing report, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, fly fishing, fly fishing. Spearfishing, Fubar Cocina Cantina, gray whales, grey whales, guide, holiday, igfa, inshore, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos bay, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, seabass, sierra, snorkeling, sportfishing, suenos bay, swimming, tailhunter restaurant, Tailhunter Sea Level, tuna, vacation, wahoo, whale sharks, whale watching, women, world records, yellowtail on January 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Strong…powerful…fast and unpredictable! And they have a pointy-thing in front!

DOUBLE-DOG-DARE of STUPIDITY

Originally Published the Week of Jan. 20th in Western Outdoor Publications

In more than 30 years of guiding and chartering folks down here in Baja and other places in the country and world, I gotta say that I’ve seen some folks do some pretty stupid things.

No other way around it.

Sometimes smart intelligent folks just leave their brains home when they go on vacation.

Sometimes, it’s the alcohol…”We just stopped in for one shot of tequila.”

Sometimes, folks just forget they’re not 18 anymore…”Hold my beer for a second. I used to do this with my eyes closed.”

Sometimes, it’s just dumb-bass pride…”I don’t want our kids to think their dad’s a weenie!”

Sometimes, we think we’re so clever and sneaky…”Well, I’ll go if all your guys go and no one ever says anything…”

Yea…it happens. It happens a lot.

And I’m as guilty as the next person.

Except I wasn’t on vacation. I was working.

Some 30 years ago, I was working as a guide and deckhand in Loreto. It’s about 5 hours north of where we live now in La Paz.

Just a beautiful place and the town. Back then it was just a smidgen larger than a pueblo.

Very laid back. Not so touristy. Cows and stray dogs could still be found walking downtown…if you could call it that.

We were out working the channel on a small cruiser near Isla Carmen. Maybe a mile off the beach.

We were having a great time.

It was one of those days when the sailfish were going crazy and every lure or bait tossed in the water got hit. The two fishing clients were having the time of their lives.

To their credit, they were releasing all their fish.

About the 4^th sailfish someone got the brilliant idea to realease the fish by jumping off the boat and into the water.

Of course, we had purely magnanimous good-intentions.

It’s always better never to bring a hooked fish into the boat, especially large fish like a billfish.

It’s not just for safety. Hoisting fish out’ve the water; holding them for photos before releasing them seems like the sporting thing to do.

However, it potentially damages their internal organs because they no longer have water pressure holding supporting their bodies. Gravity starts ripping up their insides.

It actually defeats the whole purpose of releasing a fish to live and swim healthy another day.

Our two older anglers were busy fishing. Being older, there was no way they were going to climb into the water. However, to myself and the other deckhand this sounded like great fun!

Here we go…”Hold my beer…”

Slipping into that warm blue water of the Sea of Cortez is always a treat. Waters were calm that day and visibility was excellent. You could see down perhaps 30-40’ below the boat.

Let’s do this!

The guys would hook and fight a fish. We were careful not to get tangled in the lines or get in the way of fighting zooming fish. It was pretty exciting to be in the water.

Eventually, the fish would tire and get brought next to the boat.

We would gently hold the fish with gloves and remove the hook. These sailfish were all sturdy powerful 80-100 pound fish. But after battling, they were actually rather subdued, docile and seemingly exhausted.

Then, we got the even “more brilliant” idea!

In order to revie a tired fish, it’s customary to move them back and forth through the water to help oxygenate their gills which helps to “revive them.”

So that motion evolved into “Let’s hold their tails as long as we can as they swam away!”

So, we would grab a hold of each sailfish by the tail.

…and hold on!

They would leisurely swim down into the depths dragging a knuckleheaded deckhand with them. We would hang on as long as we could hold our breaths, maybe 20-30 feet down then kick hard back to the surface.

By then the fishermen would probably have another sailfish hooked up!

But wow! What a cool experience.

Not many folks could claim to have ridden a sailfish! Oh the stories we would tell!

By the time I had ridden 3, my buddy had ridden two and we were like two giddy kids in the water!

I think we were on our 7^th or 8^th fish and a big one got brought alongside the boat.

Normally, my buddy would hold the tail. I would hold the head and remove the hook as gently as possible. We had done a few fish by this time.

We were getting kinda cocky.

Releasing fish was a no-brainer. We were anxious to take our rides!

So, this big fella in my hands suddenly decided to go ballistic next to the boat! He wasn’t done yet!

And make no mistake, these are powerful apex predator fish built for speed. Sailfish have been know to hit 40-50 mph or more in the water.

This big guy suddenly and unexpectedly thrashed wildly. I let go of it’s head and bill in the massive whitewater of bubbles and foam.

When I opened my eyes…

…the tip of the sailfish bill was about 3 inches from my right eye!

If that fish even twitched a flick of it’s tail, I would not be writing this story now. I would’ve had my skull impaled on the end of a sailfish with a whole different story to tell.

Except I wouldn’t be the one telling it.

I like to think that the sailfish was just exercising a little forebearing restraint to the guys that were releasing it.

For whatever reason, I remain grateful. And terrified.

In our idiotic glee we had forgotten that these were wild animals. Not Disneyland rides.

Nature gave me a quick wake-up call…a masterclass in stupidity.

Eleven sailfish that day.

I jumped back in the boat and stayed there. I think we had caught enough fish for the day. Let’s get back to the marina.