That's My Story

PHOTO 1: This is what the Baja is about and we often take it for granted!

PHOTO 2: This is what it’s about too. Big spaces and quiet time.

PHOTO 3: And from those of us on this side of the counter, we’re blessed that we get to share the enthusiasm and invite our friends to come play!

WELCOME TO THE BIG SANDBOX!

Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of March 5, 2008

Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, we’ll be in our booth at the Long Beach Fred Hall Fishing and Boating Show. It’s at the Long Beach Convention Center March 5-9. We’re not in the WON booth so don’t look for us there! We’re in our own booth in our usual spot on tackle row next to the Izorline, Accurate Reels and Calstar booths. Hope to see you!

We’ve been on the road now for 2 months hitting San Mateo, Sacramento, Denver, Portland and most recently, Monroe (just outside of Seattle). This is the first time in months I’ve had an opportunity to see copies of WON and read all the e-mails.

Amigos, thanks for the support and I’m glad you’ve enjoyed reading my ramblings for almost 4 years now. This was supposed to be a temporary gig until Pat could find someone else and it turned into a pleasant several years of you allowing me to spill my Baja on these pages. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to follow such grand footsteps and Gene Kira, and Fred Hoctor and Ray Cannon.

And now, my amigo, Gary Graham graces the pages. Gary rocks. He’s an IGFA record holder, a member of the Outdoor Writer’s Hall of Fame, and has forgotten more about Baja than I’ll ever know! You’ll enjoy him and his style and he has the ability to do a lot more hardcore reporting and roaming that I’m not able to do from my operations in La Paz. I’m honored to share the space with Gary and I appreciate my amigo and editor, Pat McDonell for supporting my writing all this time.

I’m getting a lot of e-mails from readers surprised to find out that I own and run a fishing operation in La Paz. Yup. That’s what I do. . .365-days-a-year. However, other than to use it as a context for a column or story, I never wanted to pimp ourselves on these pages. I never once told you to come fishing with us and probably mentioned competitors more than our own operation. I felt if I mentioned our operation, it would ruin our journalistic credibility in the column. I didn’t even advertise in the paper.

Anyway, you haven’t heard the last of me and, I’m sure Gary will be roaming the aisles at the show so you should go up and say howdy to him if you see him. He’ll probably be with his lovely wife Yvonne who has a fishing resume a mile long herself.

I’ve been doing these outdoor fishing and hunting shows now for over 20 years and if you’ve never been to something like the Fred Hall Fishing and Boating Show, you really owe it to yourself to come down.

Old Baja veterans, you can just tune out the rest of this, but in doing these shows all over the country, I am still amazed at how many folks really don’t know Baja or even realizes what it is and that it even exists. Especially if you live in Southern California or any of the American Southwest, you just take Mexico for granted. Baja and the concept of just “running across the border” is so much a part of our consciousness that we don’t think twice about what it is and what it has meant to us and is becoming.

But, run out to Denver or Seattle or talk to some Canadian folks or even folks in the San Francisco Bay area and “the Baja” is often an alien concept. Isn’t that the place were there are banditos and dark seedy bars? Isn’t that where everyone lives in shacks or time shares? You can fish there?

More than once, I’ve drawn blank stares when talking to folks about it in my booth. More than once, I’ve been asked questions like:

“Baja California is part of Mexico? I’ve been trying to find it on map of California!”

“If is really a part of Mexico, how come it’s called ‘Baja CALIFORNIA?”

“How can that long strip of land be part of Mexico when it’s not attached to Mexico?”

“Do they speak Spanish in Baja like the people in Mexico or do they speak Californian?”

You get the idea. Remember how fun it is to take kids to Disneyland the first time and watching their eyes go wide? That’s what it’s like turning new folks onto the Baja we take for granted.

They can’t believe there is a place where you can actually see the sunrise and the sunset over the ocean…on the same day. Or that all of Mexico is not like Tijuana and that white sand beaches, blue water and rolling deserts and mountains await. It’s hard to explain to them water that’s 80 or 90 degrees and Baja “formal wear” is a t-shirt under your Hawaiian shirt.

You tell them about what a giant fish boil looks like at sunrise with tuna or dorado ripping the surface chasing every bait in the ocean or and birds diving as well; or schools of dolphin as far as the eye can see; turtles swimming on the reef and grey whales playfully bumping the pangas.

And you tell them about the evenings when the sun decorates and re-paints frescoed skies every 5 minutes with a palette of purples and orange and fuschia and the aroma of sizzling carne asada and chiles wafting over the beaches. Lights begin to dot the shoreline interrupted only by the plop and hiss of another icy cerveza being opened and poured. Laughter drifts up from the somewhere down the beach and someone’s car radio plays a barely audible rancho tune that carries across the water.

We do these shows and take it for granted that everyone already KNOWS about the Baja, but so many are still just discovering it. And for those of us who get to be on the other side of those counters or who are blessed to get to write about it, it makes the Baja all that much more special. We get to tell new friends about our special sandbox just across the border and invite them to all come play. It’s fun to watch the lights come on!

See ya this week in Long Beach!

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

PHOTO 1: Nice rack! Not a bad day fishing for Jorge Romero. Four nice yellowtail out’ve Muertos Bay. These are some nice fish. The yellowtail bite has been on for the better part of a month now. These are actually some of the “smaller” fish as there have been others ranging over 40 pounds.

PHOTO 2: Now here’s a slugger. These yellowtail are almost close enough to shore to fish them from the rocks. This 30 pound class fish ate a sardine simply flylined on live bait, but it doesn’t take much to get them. Most of the fish have been caught either with live bait with little or no weight since the fish are in shallow water or else with iron jigs quickly retrieved.

PHOTO 3: Not one of the better photos I’ve ever posted on my fishing report. Neither Captain Mundo or Esteban Romero would look up as they were trying to hold up the slippery fish. Yes, the pargo liso are already in! They’ve been around for a few weeks now and seemingly more and more are coming into the shallows to spawn. However, so much attention has been focused on the yellowtail that not many anglers have been fishing the frustrating pargo even though the pargo are literally right under the boats sometimes and you can see them schooling through the rocks. That’s the problem…THE ROCKS! Hook one of these bad boys and you get zing-powie’d into the rocks before you can set the hook!

YELLOWTAIL – PARGO – OTHER SPECIES STILL BENDING RODS OUT OF MUERTOS BAY!

La Paz / Las Arenas Fishing Report for March 2, 2008

I would hardly say fishing is “torrid” but considering it’s still winter and off-season, there’s some fairly nice fishing going on around La Paz. Once the waters warm and the winds start kicking down a few notches, no reason to believe things aren’t going to bust out nicely.

There’s sure a lot of species around!

That yellowtail bite out of Las Arenas/Muertos is still going on. It’s been rolling the last month or so. The big fish showed up earlier this season and the cool thing is that they’re literally so close! Sometimes within minutes of leaving the beach, you’re already fishing. Additionally, the quality of some of these fish has been amazing. We’re not talking little punk yellowtail. These are 20-40 pound toads!

The fact that the ‘tails are so close is almost a bit of a curse. There’s an old saying, “Don’t leave fish to find fish!” Well, with the fish being right off the beach, who knows what else might be biting in some of our other hot spots?

We do know that pargo have been in for a bit. Check out the photo above. The pargo liso schools seem to be in early and are getting thicker as they move into the shallow areas to spawn However, if you’ve ever fished pargo, you know how frustrating it can be to see these huge schools of big fish swimming by your panga and how most of the time they’ll take you right into the rocks and bust you off. Incredibily frustrating so most of the anglers have been chasing the more cooperative (I say that respectfully) yellowtail!

But, like I said, there’s other species around too. Cabrilla are around up to about 2-3 pounds (seabass) and sierra and roosters are also there to catch if you wanted to target them not to mention bonito and skipjack for fun and sport.
We’ll keep you posted!

TAILHUNTER ROAD TOUR 2008

Well, we’re headed to the big one…Long Beach Convention Center for the big Fred Hall Fishing and Boating show. It starts Wednesday the 5th of March and goes until Sunday the 9th of March. This is the big one you don’t want to miss. Come early! It’s madness and a lot of fun.
Our booth will be in it’s usual spot along tackle row near Izorline, Calstar rods and Accurate Reels. You will NOT find out over where the other travel outfitters are nor will you find me at the Western Outdoor Booth. We have always had our own Tailhunter Booth so please come by to say hi. We kick off at 2 p.m. Wednesday and it’s a great place for the whole family.

BOOKINGS for 2008

We’ve been on the road since early January doing all these outdoor fishing and hunting shows. We’ve been in 8 states in 2 months and having a blast. However, I just wanted to give a shout out to you if you’re thinking of booking with us…especially our amigos and regulars…reservations are rolling in DAILY! Let us know ASAP if you want to come down because dates are filling fast and we want to be sure we can take care of you and get you your favorite captains. Especially in the captains part…your favorite guy is also in big demand by our other clients and it’s first come-first served when someone asks for a captain so give me a shout so we can hook you up!

Hope to see you in Long Beach!

That’s my story!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: http://www.tailhunter-international.com/

Phone: (626) 333-3355

FAX: (626) 333-0115

E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.com

U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745

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

“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.”

SUNNY SIDE UP!

I was talking to some of our fishermen hanging out at the beach one afternoon swapping stories about the day of fishing. Some of the wives and girlfriendshad joined in and everyone was enjoying tall cold ones.

One of the wives had been laying on a towel listening to the banter and obviously enjoying the afternoon Baja sun. It was obvious she was getting redder every time I glanced at her.

She sat up and said to no one in particular, “Is the reason I get sunburned so easily here because Baja is closer to the Equator?”

Conversation stopped as no one quite knew whether to answer her question with a laugh and a quick one-liner or to take her seriously. She wasn’t joking and even in the shade it was obvious that she had that unmistakable glow of a painful sunburn on it’s way.

Despite perhaps the ditzy-ness of the question, this otherwise intelligent woman had a real concern. I had noticed that she hadn’t used sunscreen, but instead had put baby oil on herself no doubt to accelerate the tanning process. Everytime I see that I think of basting a turkey.

However, working down here in La Paz, the well-being of our clientele is a real concern. We want everyone going back home with big smiles, perhaps a few extra pounds from the good food and, if they’re lucky some great stories of fishing adventures. Sunburn isn’t on the agenda, but it’s an unavoidable and real danger in a place that’s “so close to the Equator.”

Everyone guards against getting sick from bad water or bad food, but hardly anything thinks about getting sick from the sun. Either short term pain or long term damage and I hate seeing folks waddling around the pool like boiled lobsters or sending them home painfully red.

To that end, I keep a handy supply of extra hats around as well as little sample packs and bottles of sunscreen and pass it out generously. Everyone hits the faces and arms, but I also remind them of the tops of their thighs and especially the tops of their feet which get branded with the criss-cross patterns of their sandals and flip-flops.

Half my time it seems is telling guys to put their shirts back on or lather on more sunscreen. In the case of some of my Alaskan or Canadian friends who’s skin doesn’t see sunshine for months, we literally drag them into the shade after just a few minutes of exposure.

I’m not a dermatologist, but I spend a good portion of my year and most of my day in the sunshine working on, near or under the water. I was fortunately born with brown skin and spent most of my early years also out in the sun. However, I’ve already had my first little bout with skin cancer (just a little spot), and as I get older, I’m growing more heady about how I treat my skin down here.

In Baja, the sun comes at you from all angles. It hits from the sky and it also bounces up at you reflecting off the water, fiberglass, and other materials. It’s relentless so I don’t head out without my big brimmed had; loose long sleeved shirt; and waterproof sunscreen. Despite that, I still get tanned so the sun is getting through!

I used to be of the mind that as long as I put on enough sunscreen, I’m fine. So I thought.

I went to the Skin Cancer Foundation Website http://www.skincancer.org/sunscreen/sunscreens-explained.html and was surprised at what I found.

Basically, sunscreen blocks the sun and helps prevent sunburn. That is really all it does. It does not prevent skin cancer, but does aid in helping block some of the stuff that can contribute to the Big C.

According to the site: “Sunscreens are chemical agents that help prevent the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the skin. Two types of ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) , UVA and UVB, damage the skin and increase your risk of skin cancerskin cancer. UVB is the chief culprit behind sunburn, while UVA rays, which penetrate the skin more deeply, are associated with wrinkling, leathering, sagging, and other effects of photo-aging (over exposure)photoaging. They also exacerbate the carcinogenic effects of UVB rays, and increasingly are being seen as a cause of skin cancer on their own.”

All the mumbo-jumbo about SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is only the measure of a sunscreens ability to protect you from UVB rays…that’s the stuff that burns you and makes you red. It’s not much of a defense at all against the deep damage of it’s counterpart UVA rays which can be causing serious mischief with your skin sans the red flag of a sunburn.

But here’s how the SPF code works. The example given by the Skin Cancer Foundation is this. If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to get red, SPF 15 theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer or about 5 hours. I have clients that toast up in 10 minutes of Baja sun. SPF 15 would theoretically give them about 2 ½ hours of protection.

But there are caveats. First, no SPF no matter how strong is 100 percent effective. Second, regardless of strength, no sunscreen should be expected to be effective longer than 2 hours so you have to keep lathering it on.

Here’s another danger according to the website. Most folks don’t put on enough to begin with. No, I’m not talking about those weird hand prints and marks showing where you missed! Experts suggest at least using at least an once for each application or you are actually getting only a portion of the SPF protection. For you fishermen, that’s about a shot glass of tequila’s worth!

“During a day at the beach, one person should use one-half to one-quarter of an 8 oz. bottle/” Further, it should be applied about 30 minutes prior to exposure to allow it to properly “bind to the skin.”

Since I hate putting anything even remotely greasy on my skin, I’ve only been using about a squirt of sunscreen of sunscreen. I figured I’m already brown so I don’t need that much. Mistakenly I often waited until I was already in the sun to dab it on when I should have been slathering it on like good barbecue sauce on ribs.

If you do start to toast, it’s obvious. Get out of the sun and into the shade. In actuality, “Sunburn literally cooks the protein in the skin,” according to Dr. Zoe Draelos, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the Wake Forrest University School of Medicine.

The doctor recommends soaking a washcloth in skim milk to soothe skin. The coolness helps with the pain and the milk creates a protein film that helps ease the onset discomfort.

I’m getting older. A lot of my fishing amigos who have been with me for years but are older than me are coming down with one type of skin cancer or another. It’s not pretty and I’ve already lost a few. One after the other.

Being warm and toasty is nice. But, cuidate mucho (be very careful) say my Mexican friends. Even the captains wear long pants and shirts and use sunscreen…the smart ones.

That’s my story. If you ever need to reach me, e-mail me at riplipboy@aol.com

PHOTO 1: Captain Archangel grimaces as he lifts gaff on a big Muertos Bay yellowtail caught by Kathy Nimon of Madera CA She and her husband, Mike, had a banner day on the big jacks.

PHOTO 2: Alot of you know Captain Victor. You KNOW it’s a big fish when you can see him with a double chin! Take a look at how fat this yellowtail is. It’s not long. It’s fat. Even it’s head looks weird, but that’s alot of good eating. Juan Chuy Valdez is the lucky angler. Check out how flat the water is and how close to shore they are!

BIG PHAT YELLOWTAIL STILL HANGING OFF MUERTOS BAY BEACHES!

La Paz / Las Arenas Fishing Report for Feb. 23, 2008

That school of yellowtail right outside of Muertos Bay at Punta Perrico continues to bend sticks with incredible hawg fish between 20 and 40 pounds. These are really trophys and it’s not that it’s a big school of fish. It’s a school of BIG fish! Every drop doesn’t result in a toad, but if you’ve ever wanted at trophy yellowtail, the last 4 weeks or so have been as good or better than any in recent seasons for sheer quality of fish. You could get blanked. Or you could end up with anywhere from 1-6 of these big forktails. You could be in one boat and get a goose-egg and the boat next to you could put 3 big yellowtail on in a row. The next day you’re the lucky guy sitting on the honey hole. There’s just no rhyme or reason. One thing’s for sure, if you don’t have a line in the water or aren’t fishing you DEFINITELY will not get bit!

The choice bait has been sardines, but caballito as well as mackerel when available have been even more choice for these fish. Personally, I like throwing the heavy iron and yo-yo-ing at full speed on these fish and letting them rip the lure. Only problem is that these fish are NOT in deep water and the place is infested with rocks, boulders and crevasses. Any hesitation on the retrieve and you hook the bottom and there goes an 8 dollar jig!

No telling how long this bite is going to last, but I will tell you that the ONLY reason we’re not fishing straight out of La Paz more often is that the winds are still blowing from the north. When the wind shut down, I can only believe there will be more of these yellowtail in more spots that we can fish, especially around Espiritu Santo Island. For now, the yellowtail are literally 50 yards off the beach and 5 minutes away from our departure beach and that’s fine with me!

TAILHUNTER ROAD TOUR 2008

Well, we just wrapped up another outstanding show at the Evergreen Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington just outside of Seattle. This was our first time doing this show and we sure had a good time. Met a lot of new folks and friends in the area and a lot of them are sure anxious to find some sunshine and to get away from the rain! We’ve been on the road now since the first week of January. We’ve been to shows at San Mateo, Sacramento, Denver, Portland and Seattle.

Our next stop is the big one…Fred Hall Fishing and Boating Show at the Long Beach Convention Center March 5-9. This is the big stage…the grand event for Southern California. You don’t want to miss this one. It’s humongous. Our booth will be in it’s usual spot right in tackle alley. We’re not out where the other outfitters are located. We’re right in the middle of the tackle section next to Izorline and Calstar rods across from Accurate Reels. Come see us and have a great time!

See you then. We’re hitting the road!

That’s my story!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website: http://www.tailhunter-international.com/
Phone: (626) 333-3355FAX: (626) 333-0115
E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.comU.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: , 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Cal Sur, Mexico

“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.”

FULL MOON – SCHMULL MOON! JUST GO FISH!

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the week of Feb. 18, 2008

I’m back in Baja at the moment, but for the last 6 weeks, I’ve been bopping around the western U.S. attending all these great outdoor fishing and hunting shows. Let me tell you.

The U.S. has been going through some of the most outrageous winter weather in 2008 and there’s nothing like traveling through places like Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Idaho when it’s 20 degrees below zero. The wind is blowing another 60 mph and the blizzard completely blots out the road in front of you!

All-in-all, we’ve had a great time and our upcoming shows in Seattle, Long Beach and Salt Lake City promise not to be so nasty. However, after these shows, I have nothing but the healthiest of respect for you truck drivers and other carriers out there who deliver the load every single day on these roads through the worst of conditions.

Of course, these shows have a lot to do with folks looking to make vacation plans to Baja for the upcoming year. Right next to, “What’s the best times of year to come down?” I get, “So does a full moon make any difference in the fishing?”

I guess my take on the full moon is a bit slanted.

Anyone in the business of taking people fishing can back me up on this. Whether the moon is full, half or half-crocked, it’s our jobs to put people on fish. We don’t have the luxury of telling you, “Nah, don’t come down those dates, Mr. Smith, the moon is full.”

A fishing day is a fishing day. Our livelihood depends on our success. Our success determines whether anyone ever comes back. I know I’m really reaching for excuses when I pull out the, “It’s-because-the-moon-is-full” excuse. So I don’t. I’ll blame currents, wind , shabby bait or bad burrito lunches before I use the moon as an excuse.

As one of my colleagues once told me, “Using the moon as an excuse is for people who can’t fish and you better get out of the business.”

So, let me put in my two cents since so many have asked me.

I used to always try to fish the dark of the moon before I got into the business. It was habit. It was luck. It was superstition. Whatever. I usually did well. Better than most, but sometimes you gotta fish whenever the window of opportunity presents itself.

If the boss or significant-other gives you a pass and the moon is full, you don’t turn that down. You go fishing. “Sorry, Honey, I’d rather mow the lawn than go fishing with the guys because the moon is full.” NOT!

I have been fishing most of my life and fishing the Baja for several decades. In the last 10 years alone, I’ve fished as many as 300 or more days. That’s more than most folks will fish in their lifetimes.

Some of the most incredible fishing in my life has taken place when the moon was in it’s blazing glory. No rhyme. No reason. When the fish are hungry and you have the right bait and you present it to them just right, they’re gonna eat.

Even moreso in Baja. Perhaps the tuna might take a powder, but there’s a zillion other species like roosterfish or pargo or yellowtail that would be happy to chase your feather or inhale your caballito. The beauty of fishing Baja is that there’s always something biting!

But there’s another theory I have and I’ve watched this for years.

Yes, a lot of fish are caught during the darker moon phases. I see that yearly here in La Paz where I am located. But, there’s also a lot more fishermen here during those darker moon phases. If the bite is on for say, dorado, then by sheer numbers of lines in the water, the dorado counts will look outstanding. No doubt.

However, when the moon is in it’s brighter phases, there are overall fewer anglers on the water. Fewers lines, boats, and less traffic on the honey holes. However, check how many fish are being caught PER ROD! That’s the key. So what if 20 boats catch 4 fish per boat and you only get two? Even though the counts show 80 fish, that’s a long day between fish. When there’s less traffic on the water, I’d rather see 10 boats catch 8 fish each!

What I’ve seen is that there are more fish per angler! Fewer anglers catching more fish per person. I like those numbers a lot.

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

PHOTO 1: Juan Carlos Vizcaino and his son, Juan Carlos Jr., hold up a toad yellowtail taken at Punta Perrico this past week. The yellows are hitting right off shore. One day the fish are there are grumpy and the next they’re skittish, but there’s no doubt they are BIG fish and here earlier than normal.

PHOTO 2: Just had to post up this second photo of Juan Carlos, Jr. who is just 14 years old. Fishing two days, these trophy yellowtail are 40 pound class fish and tough as they come with bursts that want to take them straight to the rocks. Junior is holding up a nice cabrilla (seabass as well). These fish are literally about 5 minutes away from where out boats push off. That’s alot of great eating there!

YELLOWTAIL A BIT MORE SKITTISH THIS WEEK BUT THE FISH ARE ALL SLUGGERS!

La Paz/ Las Arenas Report for Feb. 17, 2008

It was a bit of an up-and-down week for our fishing. The big yellowtail are still here, but it was definitely an issue of quality over quantity. Again the hot spot was just out of Muertos Bay near Las Arenas and the fish are again fairly close to the beach.

However, the numbers were down this week in terms of numbers. However, there’s no denying just the hugeness of some of these fish. If you’ve never seen a 35 or 40 pound yellowtail, they are simply gorgeous fish, especially just out’ve the water. Big thick silver and yellow bodies that always seem to be ready for just one more bulldog run.

I wish we could check out some of the other spots that normally hold yellowtail north of La Paz, but some days the wind just rips. It literally howls. It’s one or two days of calm, then two or 3 days of rip! Anyway, no sense in running out there and getting hammered and wet when a van ride to Muertos Bay is just as easy and the fish are close.

Ideally, if you have larger baits like caballitos and mackerel, it’s like waving a steak in front of a lion, but the sardines are working well. So is yo-yo fishing the heavy irons. Colors such as blue and white as well as scrambled egg (looks like we….scrambled egg…some yellow, some brown and a dash of red for catsup or tobacco!). Casting and winding as fast as you can on the retrieve can generate an back numbing shock! The secret is to keep winding and not stopping to make sure the fish is solidly hooked.

Other species…none of our fishermen caught any,but a number of HUGE giant squid have been washing up leading me to believe the big wigglies are here…somewhere, down deep. Just no one fishing for them and for sure…NO SWIMMING. One of the captains told me some of these squid were in the 70-100 pound class!

Anyway…we’re also getting sierra, cabrilla, lots of bonito and skipjack as well as some snapper.
By the way, all week, we’ve had Carnaval in La Paz. What a hoot. Wild. Five days of music and fun and a packed waterfront!

TAILHUNTER 2008 ROAD TOUR HEADS TO SEATTLE/MONROE WA

If you’re in the Seattle area, our 2008 Tailhunter Road Tour will take us to the Monroe are at the fairgrounds for the O’Laughlin show. The fishing/hunting show is Thursday to Sunday. Come out and see us! It’s been great to see everyon so far at San Mateo, Sacramento, Denver and Portland. We have a limited number of comp tickets for the Monroe show, but do have a ton of discount tickets.

CABIN FEVER CLASSIC FILLING UP!

Cabin Fever Classic is April 5-9 and we have a limited number of spots left! For all the details, send us an e-mail!

That’s my story!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: http://www.tailhunter-international.com/

Phone: (626) 333-3355

FAX: (626) 333-0115E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.com

U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745

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

“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.”

PHOTO 1: Yellowtail season arrived early this year! For the past two weeks in a bite that has only gotten better, yellowtail like this big toad hefted by Megan Garrison have been hitting not to far off Muertos Bay near Las Arenas as well as other spots. The size the proximity of these fish has been surprising as some of the fish are being caught only minutes from where the pangas are departing and big fish like this are not uncommon. We usually don’t see fish of this quality and numbers for another month or two.

PHOTO 2: Yellowtail are willingly eating the sardines but if you can get them, caballitos (small jacks) are especially deadly, especially on the larger forkies. One other hot ticket is yo-yo iron (lure fishing) like this one being held up by Ross Yamamoto of Los Angeles.

No doubt this is one of the best and earliest yellowtail bite we’ve had in a few seasons! Although it’s still winter and windy, the big yellows have shown up big time with fish in the 20, 30 and even 40 pound class! Not only are they big, but the fish can be relatively close to shore with some fish taken only minutes from the beach but also near some of the drop-off points and around both Espiritu Santo and Cerralvo Islands.

This is exciting stuff because normally, we don’t see this kind of action on yellowtail for a few months and the fish are eating a vareity of baits as well as chasing iron like blue and white as well as zuchini colored lures. Nothing quite like firing an iron out…cranking a few times…then feeling like you hooked the bottom…except line starts peeling off and the rod goes BENDO!

In addtion to the yellowtai…what’s this? Tuna? Is that possible? For the second time this winter, we’ve got yellowfin tuna in the reports! No way to know if these are hold-outs from the awesome tuna season we just had or if these are new schools, but commercial as well as some of the sport pangas got a quick spanking of breezing yellowfin at the north end of Cerralvo, El Bajo Seamount and at the south end of Cerralvo as well. However, before all the fleets could really pursue and check it out, winds got snotty and it became just too much craziness to get out there. We’ll keep an eye on it for you!

In addtion to the yellows and phantom tuna, we’ve still got roosters in the chumline along the sandy spots and smaller pargo and snapper also got into the boxes. Air temps are in the 70’s and most days are really sunny with variable winds.

ALASKA AIR

Came across a little nub of a trick this past week. Alaska is one of the carriers that flies to La Paz 3 times a week. They also offer a handy VISA card like so many airlines. We’ll, if you apply for one of their cards, you get a basketful of 20,000 airmiles right off the bat. However, you ALSO get a companion ticket for $50! (with taxes, it’s about $125 or so). Several of our clients got VISA’s this week then used the companion ticket to get a 2nd ticket to come down to fish! SWEET! Every year, you get another companion ticket! Check it out!

FILLING UP – ROAD TOUR 2008

As I write this, we’re just packing up from our booth in Portland after an awesome run at the Northwest Sportsman’s Expo. The show was packed shoulder-t0-shoulder for 5 days and I’m hoarse from all the talking. Great to see so many of our old amigos and meet new ones. We’re now headed up to Monroe, Washington for the Seattle Show. Hope to see you there. The show is February 21-24. C’mon out!

That being said, we’re taking reservations daily. I know alot of you have written or called telling me you’re planning your dates, but just a heads-up that many dates are filling rapidly! Boats and rooms are going to if you’re even thinking of coming down to fish, give a shout so we can make sure to take care of you.

Speaking of filling up, there’s still great spots for our 8th Annual Cabin Fever Classic April 5-9. It’s 3 days of fishing and playing at La Concha Beach Resort. Cost is $750 per person. E-mail us for more details. It’s a blast every year!

That’s my story!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website: http://www.tailhunter-international.com/
Phone: (626) 333-3355
FAX: (626) 333-0115
E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: , 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Cal Sur, Mexico

“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.”

COME TO MEXICO! GET A DISCOUNT!

Originally published the week of Feb. 5, 2008 in Western Outdoor News

It you want to make changes, it’s a well-known true-ism that you don’t punch them in the nose. That will only get YOU punched in the nose in return. If you really want to get some results. Hurt people in their wallets. Most conflicts do eventually come down to economics.

Well, ever since the latest outbreak and increase in road violence in northern Baja, tourists have been doing just that. They’re going to Disneyland…or the Colorado River…or Palm Springs. They are definitely NOT spending shopping weekends in Tijuana or running down to San Quntin for some fishing or Ensenada for a few days of fiesta.

If they’re not traveling, then they’re not spending. All the political clout in the world will not do as much as a bunch of local businesses clamoring that their government MUST do something as gringo revenue has dropped off sharply in the past few months. Mexican businesses are feeling the pinch and they demand action.

Statistics have shown that last year alone, tourism declined by as much as 1.5 million visitors. That loss means a lot of hotel rooms, margaritas, tacos, gasoline, fishing boats, ceramic Tweety Birds and Elvis-painted-on-velvet were not purchased.

Gringos got tired of hearing all the bad news and seeing no improvement. Mexican businessmen are in an uproar.

Alarmed at this, Mexico is going all out to bring YOU back. They are pulling out all the stops. Are you ready for this? Are you ready to pack the car up for a quick road surf trip down the Mexican highway this weekend?

According to one Mexican official, “We’re not going to put up with this anymore!” and promises a hard line against bandits, organized crime and corrupt police.

So…

They’ve started a new program called, “Get Your Passport!” and are printing up all kinds of posters, banners and ads proclaiming, “We Want You Back!” Turn on the spin machine.

According to the program, if you have your passport, you get DISCOUNTS at restaurants, hotels and from other vendors. That’s it. That’s the program. Discounts!

Hold me back! Whoo-hoooo!!! Honey, get the family and round up the neighbors, it’s safe to drive across the border again. Pack the longboard, beers, and ATV’s.

Listen, I agree to some degree that a lot of this crime stuff is overblown and amplified. It’s news. It’s dramatic. It doesn’t happen every day or to every single person who drives across the border. Tons of people live in northern Baja and commute and visit back and forth across the border daily. No problems. Not a hint of problems.

Further, not all Mexican people are banditos either or waiting to pounce on gringos from behind every bush. That’s ridiculous. But so many people get painted with the same brush! To think that would be like my Mexican friends who ask me if they will get shot on street corners if they visit Los Angeles because they see so many bad TV news stories about drive-by shootings. Just as crazy!

But there’s no denying that violence has been on an increase on northern Baja especially for gringo drivers. That is a serious problem. And there’s no denying a real fear that exists. Visitors aren’t shying away if the fear isn’t real.

However, giving me a discount to step into the rattlesnake cage isn’t going to diminish my fear of snakes or guarantee the rattler won’t bite me!

I give the Mexican government credit for trying. I hear they’re even going to give polygraph tests to the cops.

Can you hear that? It’s me sighing. You can’t even trust the cops…many of whom are good hard-working professionals struggling in a system that’s a mess from the get-go in a society just trying to survive watching rich gringos coming into their country seemingly loaded with money.

But there’s corrupt cops a-plenty (as there are in EVERY country including the U.S.) and smart banditos who put police lights on to pull over unsuspecting motorists and roust them.

I don’t know the answer, but giving me a “discount” if I have my passport ain’t it. I think most folks will still pass and head to Vegas instead where the only banditos are one-armed and only take your quarters.

Oh, did you also hear, as of Feb. 1, passport fees went up. No discounts! Check it out online:

http://www.gadling.com/2008/01/30/passport-fees-go-up-february-1-2008/

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.