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Dude…I Don’t Feel So Great…

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Dehydration, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Heat stroke, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Mexican Independence Day, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sun stroke, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on September 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

This might be a popular way to "hydrate" while in Baja, but it's not the best way to keep liquid in your system and can lead to other problems besides a hangover.

DUDE…I DON’T FEEL SO GREAT…

Originally published the week of Sept. 27, 2010 in Western Outdoor News

 

It can happen so fast.

            The last time I saw it happen, I wasn’t even sure what I was seeing.  One moment, the guy was sitting on the terrace of our bar here in La Paz enjoying the afternoon sunshine and another cold beer and in a nano-second it suddenly changed.

            I saw the guy smiling and laughing and the next, he simply tipped over.  Like someone threw the switch. Lights out.  Chair went over.  He hit the floor.

            The next few seconds were pandemonium.  People scrambling all over.  I heard “heart attack”…”give him air”…”get an ambulance”…”the guy is out”…”someone help my husband…”

            I looked through the melee of people and all the instruction giving.  At times like that it’s a bit like herding cats.  Everyone in panic mode.  Everyone is a doctor.  People actually arguing while a guy is flat out on the floor. The wife is wailing.  She has no clue.  They’re in a foreign country and she’s not being much help either.

            Then, the guy just sits up.  Just like that.

             Kinda woozy, but grinning. “C’mon, man…” He’s pushing people away from him.  Why are you all lookin’ at me? He’s puzzled.  “What am I doing on the floor?”

            We try to keep him down and comfortable. Call the paramedics anyway.  He doesn’t want all this fuss.  Just wants to get up and get another beer.  “I’m on vacation, man!”

            But the place collectively ramps down and breathes and sighs. None larger than my wife and I since we own the place, but deep inside we suspected the problem.

            It happens quite often actually.  More than folks know.

            Call it heatstroke.  Sunstroke.  Heat exhaustion.  Whatever.  It can be pretty serious and can disguise itself pretty well.  Just this morning when we were putting out our fishermen and one guy thought he was coming down with the flu that night…

            “I was chilly and my head hurt and I was aching. My stomach was upset and I was shaking so much we turned off the air-conditioner in the hotel room.” 

            Fortunately, his buddy (who works out alot)   fed him some gatorades and water and a good night’s rest he was fine.  But both had spent the previous day fishing all day in the hot Baja sun pulling on fish.  They thought they had drank enough waters, but on afterthought figured they must have been de-hydrated.

            Two weeks ago, some of our fishing clients ate at a restaurant and complained of “food poisoning” late that night.  I got called to their hotel room.

            I’m no doctor, but food poisoning usually seems to kick-in 3 to 6 hours after eating.  The both said that they went to town for dinner came back to the hotel and went to bed exhausted right away already feeling badly.

            They had fished hard all day.  It was clear from the blazing sunburns on their shoulders and the “racoon” pattern on their faces that they had only worn sunglasses on their heads…no hats involved.   They admitted to having drunk only one or two small bottles of water, but quite a few beers.  The only food all day had been some tacos they had just eaten and a bag of chips while they were fishing.

            I had some Pedilite (given to kids when they have the “runs” to replace fluids) and Gatorade and told them to drink some and see how they felt in an hour before I called the hotel doctor about food poisoning.  An hour later, they were much better.

            “Heatstroke” is a real medical emergency and  can be extremely serious.  Basically,  the body can’t cool itself down fast enough through normal means such as dissipation through the skin or by perspiration.  You’re overheated, Bucky!  In hot conditions or under strenuous activity, e.g. fishing in the hot Baja sun, you’re wide open. 

            Symptoms can be deceiving and sound like so many other maladies…(hangover? heart attack?  bad tacos?)

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • headache
  • cramps and muscle aches
  • dizziness
  • weakness
  • rapid pulse
  • elevated temperature
  • confusion
  • difficulty breathing
  • seizure

 

Caught early and recognized, it’s very treatable and very preventable.  Mostly it’s common sense. 

Get the person cooled down.  Shade.  Fan them to promote cooling and perspiration.  Liquids.  Ice packs under the armpits help too.

The best is prevention.  Stay as cool as possible. Hydrate!  Liquids with caffeine or alcohol actually help DE-HYDRATE you so take it easy.  Drink beverages that replace the electrolytes you’re losing out there in the sun.

The guy in our restaurant who fell over had traveled all day.  He was so excited about his trip that he didn’t eat.  He drank coffee on the plane.  He had lots of beer all day.  He had been sitting in the sun for several hours watching the ocean with buddies at our bar.  He was older.  He had not been drinking water.  Duh!

He got up and walked out helped by his wife, but he sure scared alot of people.

Read more:

http://www.medicinenet.com/heat_stroke/article.htm

_____________________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been the Baja Editor at Western Outdoor News since  2006.  He and his wife Jill live in La Paz and own the Tailhunter Fishing Fleet as well as run the Tailhunter Restaurant and FUBAR Cantina.  He can be reached directly at riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or through their website www.tailhunter-international.com

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MY FIREWORKS PARTY

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Mexican Independence Day, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on September 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Ahhh...3...2...1...VIVA MEXICO! Give me the danged match! I can't wait. I just hope we don't set the roof on fire!

 MY FIREWORKS PARTY!

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Sept. 12, 2010

Some guys grew up always wanting a Harley or a Daniel Boone musket or a jet plane.  We get some of our dreams. Some we don’t. 

 

Others…well…they fall by the wayside.  Somehow owning the Batmobile isn’t as realistic now that I’m older either.   My wife always wanted a pony as a little girl.  She got a little ceramic statue.

 

I’ve always had a fascination with fire…well, specifically fireworks.  I mean, didn’t you?  Sparklers!  Pin wheels!  Fountains!  Those “Piccolo Petes” that you could make blow up if you pinched them off with dad’s vise grips.  I even liked those “snakes” that looked like something your dog left in the yard!

 

I’m always going to be a little boy at heart! 

 

Well, I guess I’m finally going to have a dream come true.  We just bought a full-on professional fireworks show to blow off in front of our Tailhunter Restaurant here in La Paz.

 

I’m not talking about some bottle rockets and a string of firecrackers.  Eight hundred bucks just bought us 90-exploding-seconds (yes…that’s right a minute-and-a-half for 800 bucks!) of full mortar-blasting-boom-rockets-red-glare-fun.

 

Talk about burning money.  I can only imagine what a full 15 or 30 minute show must cost some of these other places like Disneyland or Vegas where they really put on a show! But, Jill says it’ll be good for business.  An investment. 

 

That’s the kind of cost-benefit argument I’d use with my parents when they said no to a bb-gun.  You know the stuff you laid on mom and dad… It was an “investment” in teaching me responsibility and safety.  Plus…it keeps me out of the house.   Blah blah blah. In reality,  I just wanted to ping the neighbor kid and shoot the hell out’ve cans and annoy  the crows. 

 

We have “professional” rocketeers/pyro-technic guys setting up on the beach across the street from us.  I just hope they face them towards the bay since we have a 3 story bar with palm-frond roofs! 

 

Two years ago we saw another “professional” show here in La Paz at a wedding and they ended up lighting the local palm trees on fire!  It was pretty comical watching gardners at the hotel trying to put out the 30 foot palm trees  with garden hoses that only shot 6 feet high!

 

There’s no way this little-boy-small-business-guy like me could get away with this back in the U.S.

 

Anyway, the reason for the celebration is Mexico’s 200th Independence Day Sept. 15th.  We hope you’re somewhere in Mexico for it and, if not, we’re sorry you’re going to miss it.

 

We figure we might as well go all-out for it with costumes and decorations and the afore-mentioned fireworks show.

 

I’ve always liked how Mexico does it’s national holidays.  Unlike say,  our 4th of July in the U.S. where we have 24-hours to party then back to work the next day, Mexico starts their parties half-a-day ahead of time. So you really get a holiday that’s about 36 “official” hours long!

 

Anyway, when someone has a 1/2 day of work who works anyway?  It’s a play day.  Officially speaking…No work stops about noon. Beer bottles start cracking open.  Everything stops except the party.  It goes all night and then the next day…EVERYONE has the day off to sleep it off or continue the party!  I like how they roll!

 

In a “normal” year celebration, whole chunks of every city and pueblo close down for massive parades, street fairs and block parties.  The preparation itself is massive. Being Mexico’s 200th birthday promises to be even bigger.

 

Independence Day is Christmas/New Years/ Labor Day and Memorial Day rolled into one and magnified by 10.

 

A month before hand, buildings were already getting decorated.  People were planning parties.  Street vendors pushing 4-wheel carts were selling Mexican flags and banners.  People buy airline tickets to visit family or to be near the biggest parties just like folks plan to be in Times Square when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve!

 

Except in Mexico their “GRITO” (the yell) is coordinated.  Instead of every location waiting until midnight to yell out like the U.S. does at New Years, in Mexico they do it differently.

 

When the clock hits midnight in MEXICO CITY, the whole country is in synch no matter what time it is in Mazatlan or Puerta Vallarta or Monterrey.   In order to commemorate Father Hidalgo’s brave declaration of independence from Spain, the entire country yells out at one time!  All zillion-million Mexicans scream out in time with Mexico’s President broadcasting from the capital…

 

“VIVA MEXICO!”

“VIVA MEXICO!”

“VIVA MEXICO!”

 

…and then the fireworks start!  And I get to light the big sparkler and see what an 800 dollar fireworks display buys me for 90 seconds!

 

Some dreams do come true! Heh-heh-heh…

 

I guess at some point, I’d better start looking into  pony for Jill…

 

 ______________________

Jonathan Roldan has been the Baja Editor for Western Outdoor News since 2006.  He lives with his wife Jill in La Paz where they run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet since 1996 and also own and run the Tailhunter Restaurant and FUBAR Cantina.  wwww.tailhunter-international.com  You can reach him directly via e-mail at riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com

 

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VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE! July 31, 2010

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications on July 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

There are alot of reasons some guys catch fish and others don't. Sometimes it's just an unlucky day. That happens. But sometimes there are other factors. There are two sides to every story!

VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Aug. 4, 2010

Since the mid-90’s, I’ve been getting people out fishing down here in Baja.  I’d have to say we’ve had several thousand people entrust a day or more of their vacations to us to catching some fish.

We do catch fish.  Thankfully, the fish-rich waters of Baja sure makes that easier and people have a good time.  They come year-after-year.

Fairly or unfairly, we often get all the credit when the fish jump in the boat but conversely we also feel the pain of our clients (or get blamed) when the fish don’t cooperate.

Frankly, nothing gets me scratching my head harder or knots up my gut more than the folks who don’t do as well as the others.  I think any outfitter, guide or person who works in a charter operation worth their salt feels the same way. 

All things being equal with conditions, gear, boats, etc. for whatever reason, someone gets a big goose-egg.  The only boat that doesn’t catch fish.  I hate seeing those long faces.  I take it personally. 

We like success.  A good day on the water means happy customers. 

At the end of the day, I love hearing the excited success stories.  Nothing better than a customer who can’t stop gushing or finish a sentence because they are so excited.

“…and then this HUGE  fish came up and…”

“…but I grabbed my rod which started to…”

“…and I thought to myself, but my heart began to…

“…best day I’ve ever…” 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take a high-five over a kick in the butt anyday.  I mean,  I KNOW how all the other anglers caught their fish.  But…I’m more intrigued and sometimes worried about the angler who did NOT catch fish, especially when everyone else had a banner day.

I think Michael Jordan might have once said, that he made the game-winning basket many times in his career, but the shots he missed were the ones that he remembered and tormented him the most.

For us it’s the same way.  I love seeing the smiles and knuckle-bumps, but it’s the guy with the dis-spirited face, that bothers me the most.  Everyone caught fish and there’s one or two guys that just missed out.

I always try to talk to the clients.  Find out what happened.  Sometimes, folks are pretty surly when they don’t catch fish, but most times they’ll talk.

There’s a million stories.  Bad bait.  Too much current.  Not enough current.  Too warm.  Too cold.  Full moon.  Green water.  Bad captain.  Whatever…

The good thing about fishing in Baja is that, folks rarely have a bunch of bad days.  More often than not, a bad day can just as easily be followed by world-class explosive days. Then suddenly amazingly, the world is a bright and shiny place again for the aggrieved fisherman.

But, on the bad days, I have always made it a point to talk to my captain about a bad fishing day as well.   I want to hear their side of the stories. 

Sometimes it’s just “one of those days.”  Even the best captains and anglers have a bad day.  But, have you ever wondered what the captains thought?

Here’s some captains comments I’ve heard over the years…

“No patience.”

“Too many toys. Too much gear. Wanted to use them all.”

“Wants to fish their own way or the way they caught fish in Puerto Vallarta”

“Too many ‘captains’ in the boat.”

“Hard to fight a fish with a beer can in one hand.”

“Does not want have any help.”

“Wanted to do too many things in one day.”

“Wanted to fish for a fish that isn’t here this time of year.”

“Trying too hard.  Too serious.”

“Too many people in the boat.”

“Wanted me to watch their kids AND run the boat AND catch fish”

“Won’t get out of the chair.”

“Too anxious.”

“Girlfriend spent day yelling at him.”

“Did not want to spend the money to buy bait. Said it was too expensive.”

“Expected fish to be in the same spot as last year.”

“Spent the whole time in the cabin eating/ sleeping/ blending drinks”

“Hungover.”

“Spent the day throwing up and got angry for not catching fish.”

“Had too many rods.  Could barely walk around the boat.”

“Thinks he knows more than the captain.”

“Didn’t wake up on time and started late.”  / “Wanted to go in too early.”

“Doesn’t follow the fish.”

“Insisted on tying his own bad knots.”

Two sides to every story!  I tend to take both sides with a grain-of-salt when the captain AND the client have contrary stories and figure the truth lay somewhere in the middle.  But, again, the good thing is that in Baja, tomorrow is always a whole ‘nother day!

 _____________________

Jonathan Roldan has been the Baja Editor and columnist for Western Outdoor News and Publications since 2004.  He and his wife, Jill, own and operate Tailhunter International fishing in La Paz since the mid-90’s as well as the Tailhunter Restaurant and FUBAR Cantina.  Jonathan can be reached via e-mail at riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com

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