That's My Story

YOU’RE GOING TO FEEL A LITTLE PRESSURE

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the week of May 21, 2007

PHOTO 1: Protestors lining up outside the Mar de Cortez Hotel in Cabo San Lucas. The city is riled and angry over the passing of the new fishing legislation that adversaries say will virtually wipe out sportfishing in the Sea of Cortez and is funded by commercial fishing interests in the mainland who have Mexican politicians in their back pockets. Later almost 150 sportfishing boats would line up outside the marina in protest and one boat was burned. More protests are planned.

PHOTO 2: Dead marlin symbolically laid into a coffin and tied to the roof of one business. Residents of Cabo San Lucas have taken to tying and wearing black ribbons and arm-bands in solidarity. Locals are vowing “not to go quietly” on this matter. One local official said that he is hoping violence can be averted as both the PAN and PRI political parties have joined the fray against the new regulations, something rarely seen where BOTH opposing parties actually agree on something.

PHOTO 3 : On the roof, protestors laid banners and other symbols of protest and the office of Fishing and Agriculure was duct taped closed by protestors symbolizing how the government has not raised a voice over this heated issue.

THE STORY

“You might feel a little pressure.” Famous last words of the doctor before he sticks it to you one way or the other and you know darn well, he’s a lying rat bastard. It’s gonna hurt like hell.

Well…guess what? You’re gonna feel a little pressure yup…it’s also going to sting…A LOT!

If you ever wanted to pick a fight to jump in on, this might be it, amigos. Y’know, I usually try to keep it light and easy here on this column. I have an abhorrence for politics and politicians after years of working as a reporter and later an attorney, but sometimes you gotta amp it up.

I will not be surprised if there are repercussions for writing this column this week, but what the heck. Maybe, it won’t matter anymore! When I asked some of my associates to comment, some declined because of retribution by certain “interests.”

I know a lot of you don’t know that I have my own fishing fleet operation here in La Paz and generally, I try not to tout it and keep it separate from this column to hang onto some semblance of credibility with you. This isn’t a space to self-promote, but I think in 3 years of writing this column I hopefully have a bit of cred with the readers.

Get ready because Baja fishing as you know it and love it just changed. Be afraid. Be very afraid. With a sweep of the pen, sportfishermen, tour operators, hotel owners, restaurants…so many hard working people who rely on the sporfishing industry and what it has meant to the Baja just got rubber-gloved, to put it lightly. And that is not a cough that you hear.

Just last week, on May 15th, new Mexican legislation named NOM-029 went into effect. It slid right in and can’t say we weren’t warned. I hate talking politics. I’m just the fishing guy. But, after two Mexican presidential administrations shot down the idea, the new administration under President Calderon didn’t waste time.

See if you can follow the reasoning here and why people are more than upset south of the border down here.

I am not a tree hugger. However, under the guise of “ ecological well-being” to “protect the sharks,” the Mexican government will no longer issue any more permits to take sharks under NOM-029. Yay! Huzzah! Bravo! High five!

But, as they say in the info-mercials before sticking you…BUT WAIT!

No new permits? Whoop-dee-freaking-doo! There are already more than 4000 boats that can use their existing permits! More than 300 permits have been issued to boats larger than ’89 feet. More than 200 permits to boats less than 89 feet. More than 600 to pangas with up to 6 pangas able to work off a single permit. Ever gotten into a dorado bite and seen how many “incidental” dorado you can catch in an hour? Using current methods, that’s about 1.5 million additional hooks in the water every day.

And, here comes the gaff…there’s no restriction on “incidental catches.” Supposedly while fishing for shark, its (by the way) no big deal if marlin, dorado or other “incidentals” are caught. Hooks laid out for miles along the ocean sure don’t discriminate. No bag limits. No daily totals. Sportfish can be caught and sold just like any other fish. And they can catch all they want because it’s “incidental.” On top of it, the new law permits the commercial boats to come within the 50 mile limit. Hell, I’ve seen tons of these boats 50 feet from shore fishing ILLEGALLY. Guess what happens now that it’s LEGAL to do it?

Oh, and guess who’s supporting this? Commercial interests in Ensenada, Sinoloa, Sonora and even some U.S. interests. Are we surprised?

And it’s making some strange bedfellows and pissing off a lot of people.

This past week, almost 150 sportfishing boats in Cabo San Lucas gathered in protest. I mean, half these fleets often don’t even talk to each other in this highly competitive market place. And…they burned boat. Yup. Fried it and sank it right there at the arches in protest to make sure EVERYONE saw it and knew what was up. That’s about the largest concentration of boats short of D-Day or the Bisbees Tournament. Might as well forget the Bisbees now. Heck, might as well forget the jackpot trip you, Joe, Marty and Dennis have every year on the Gordo Banks. Ain’t no more fish, Bucky!

The morning the law went into effect, one source said that as many as 70 commercial Mexican boats were lined up ready to steam up the Sea of Cortez to start their “harvest.” As you read this, unless there has been an unlikely moratorium, they are already stacking their catch boxes.

How has the government responded? Is that the sound of one-hand clapping? They have said absolutely nothing!

Protestors even went to the office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Fishing and taped it shut in a symbolic act regarding how local government authorities have been strangely silent about all this. Folks, they’re vowing to take it to the streets and not go quietly.

Greenpeace originally backed NOM -029 as might be expected since the law purports to “save the sharks.” But now, Greenpeace is back-peddling in a wave of controversy already heaped upon them by their protests against the new marina in San Jose del Cabo. Greenpeace is now saying it was mislead in the facts they were given and interestingly now finds itself actually somewhat aligning itself with the sportfishing industry with whom they are often at odds.

As if to underscore how much fishing directly and indirectly contributes to the Baja economy, a 200 million dollar development project on the East Cape(that’s another can ‘o worms for me, but I applaud the brass nuggets) was canned this week by investors after the new laws went into effect. It would have included hotels, golf courses and a marina. There was a lot more than 200 million dollars that just went by the wayside in terms of jobs, tax revenue, etc.

If you’d like to see the full run-down on this whole mess, click this: http://www.seawatch.org/mail_campaign/norma_press_release.pdf and get the scoop. Minerva, from the Minerva’s Tackle Store whom many of you know, has been spearheading a lot of this and is the contact point. Also, if you’re ticked off enough and want to try to make a difference, Sea Watch has put together an incredible webpage whereby you can customize your own angry letter to every single agency or public official that matters. http://www.seawatch.org/mail_campaign/norma_letter.php is the link. Fire this to every single person you can as fast as you can.

As you’re reading this, they’re already fishing YOUR vacation fish as well as your kids’ fish too. Anyone wanna hire a short brown funny looking column writer and former fishing fleet operator? Resume and references upon request. I wish we could dial up more fish as easy. Once gone, they’re gone.

AFTERWARD: The day after I wrote this story, I was out on the water off Cerralvo Island, a commercial boat with a spotter plane was already setting up lines and nets off the island ready to start harvesting. Additionally, another commercial line boat was reported 5 miles off Los Barriles on the East Cape.

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

YOU’RE GOING TO FEEL A LITTLE PRESSURE

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the week of May 21, 2007

PHOTO 1: Protestors lining up outside the Mar de Cortez Hotel in Cabo San Lucas. The city is riled and angry over the passing of the new fishing legislation that adversaries say will virtually wipe out sportfishing in the Sea of Cortez and is funded by commercial fishing interests in the mainland who have Mexican politicians in their back pockets. Later almost 150 sportfishing boats would line up outside the marina in protest and one boat was burned. More protests are planned.

PHOTO 2: Dead marlin symbolically laid into a coffin and tied to the roof of one business. Residents of Cabo San Lucas have taken to tying and wearing black ribbons and arm-bands in solidarity. Locals are vowing “not to go quietly” on this matter. One local official said that he is hoping violence can be averted as both the PAN and PRI political parties have joined the fray against the new regulations, something rarely seen where BOTH opposing parties actually agree on something.

PHOTO 3 : On the roof, protestors laid banners and other symbols of protest and the office of Fishing and Agriculure was duct taped closed by protestors symbolizing how the government has not raised a voice over this heated issue.

THE STORY

“You might feel a little pressure.” Famous last words of the doctor before he sticks it to you one way or the other and you know darn well, he’s a lying rat bastard. It’s gonna hurt like hell.

Well…guess what? You’re gonna feel a little pressure yup…it’s also going to sting…A LOT!

If you ever wanted to pick a fight to jump in on, this might be it, amigos. Y’know, I usually try to keep it light and easy here on this column. I have an abhorrence for politics and politicians after years of working as a reporter and later an attorney, but sometimes you gotta amp it up.

I will not be surprised if there are repercussions for writing this column this week, but what the heck. Maybe, it won’t matter anymore! When I asked some of my associates to comment, some declined because of retribution by certain “interests.”

I know a lot of you don’t know that I have my own fishing fleet operation here in La Paz and generally, I try not to tout it and keep it separate from this column to hang onto some semblance of credibility with you. This isn’t a space to self-promote, but I think in 3 years of writing this column I hopefully have a bit of cred with the readers.

Get ready because Baja fishing as you know it and love it just changed. Be afraid. Be very afraid. With a sweep of the pen, sportfishermen, tour operators, hotel owners, restaurants…so many hard working people who rely on the sporfishing industry and what it has meant to the Baja just got rubber-gloved, to put it lightly. And that is not a cough that you hear.

Just last week, on May 15th, new Mexican legislation named NOM-029 went into effect. It slid right in and can’t say we weren’t warned. I hate talking politics. I’m just the fishing guy. But, after two Mexican presidential administrations shot down the idea, the new administration under President Calderon didn’t waste time.

See if you can follow the reasoning here and why people are more than upset south of the border down here.

I am not a tree hugger. However, under the guise of “ ecological well-being” to “protect the sharks,” the Mexican government will no longer issue any more permits to take sharks under NOM-029. Yay! Huzzah! Bravo! High five!

But, as they say in the info-mercials before sticking you…BUT WAIT!

No new permits? Whoop-dee-freaking-doo! There are already more than 4000 boats that can use their existing permits! More than 300 permits have been issued to boats larger than ’89 feet. More than 200 permits to boats less than 89 feet. More than 600 to pangas with up to 6 pangas able to work off a single permit. Ever gotten into a dorado bite and seen how many “incidental” dorado you can catch in an hour? Using current methods, that’s about 1.5 million additional hooks in the water every day.

And, here comes the gaff…there’s no restriction on “incidental catches.” Supposedly while fishing for shark, its (by the way) no big deal if marlin, dorado or other “incidentals” are caught. Hooks laid out for miles along the ocean sure don’t discriminate. No bag limits. No daily totals. Sportfish can be caught and sold just like any other fish. And they can catch all they want because it’s “incidental.” On top of it, the new law permits the commercial boats to come within the 50 mile limit. Hell, I’ve seen tons of these boats 50 feet from shore fishing ILLEGALLY. Guess what happens now that it’s LEGAL to do it?

Oh, and guess who’s supporting this? Commercial interests in Ensenada, Sinoloa, Sonora and even some U.S. interests. Are we surprised?

And it’s making some strange bedfellows and pissing off a lot of people.

This past week, almost 150 sportfishing boats in Cabo San Lucas gathered in protest. I mean, half these fleets often don’t even talk to each other in this highly competitive market place. And…they burned boat. Yup. Fried it and sank it right there at the arches in protest to make sure EVERYONE saw it and knew what was up. That’s about the largest concentration of boats short of D-Day or the Bisbees Tournament. Might as well forget the Bisbees now. Heck, might as well forget the jackpot trip you, Joe, Marty and Dennis have every year on the Gordo Banks. Ain’t no more fish, Bucky!

The morning the law went into effect, one source said that as many as 70 commercial Mexican boats were lined up ready to steam up the Sea of Cortez to start their “harvest.” As you read this, unless there has been an unlikely moratorium, they are already stacking their catch boxes.

How has the government responded? Is that the sound of one-hand clapping? They have said absolutely nothing!

Protestors even went to the office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Fishing and taped it shut in a symbolic act regarding how local government authorities have been strangely silent about all this. Folks, they’re vowing to take it to the streets and not go quietly.

Greenpeace originally backed NOM -029 as might be expected since the law purports to “save the sharks.” But now, Greenpeace is back-peddling in a wave of controversy already heaped upon them by their protests against the new marina in San Jose del Cabo. Greenpeace is now saying it was mislead in the facts they were given and interestingly now finds itself actually somewhat aligning itself with the sportfishing industry with whom they are often at odds.

As if to underscore how much fishing directly and indirectly contributes to the Baja economy, a 200 million dollar development project on the East Cape(that’s another can ‘o worms for me, but I applaud the brass nuggets) was canned this week by investors after the new laws went into effect. It would have included hotels, golf courses and a marina. There was a lot more than 200 million dollars that just went by the wayside in terms of jobs, tax revenue, etc.

If you’d like to see the full run-down on this whole mess, click this: http://www.seawatch.org/mail_campaign/norma_press_release.pdf and get the scoop. Minerva, from the Minerva’s Tackle Store whom many of you know, has been spearheading a lot of this and is the contact point. Also, if you’re ticked off enough and want to try to make a difference, Sea Watch has put together an incredible webpage whereby you can customize your own angry letter to every single agency or public official that matters. http://www.seawatch.org/mail_campaign/norma_letter.php is the link. Fire this to every single person you can as fast as you can.

As you’re reading this, they’re already fishing YOUR vacation fish as well as your kids’ fish too. Anyone wanna hire a short brown funny looking column writer and former fishing fleet operator? Resume and references upon request. I wish we could dial up more fish as easy. Once gone, they’re gone.

AFTERWARD: The day after I wrote this story, I was out on the water off Cerralvo Island, a commercial boat with a spotter plane was already setting up lines and nets off the island ready to start harvesting. Additionally, another commercial line boat was reported 5 miles off Los Barriles on the East Cape.

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

BIG ROOSTERFISH SHOW UP AT LAS ARENAS BEACH!

La Paz – Las Arenas Fishing Report for May 12, 2007

PHOTO 1: Pam Kenneally of Quartz Hills had some kind of day. First time fishing Baja and first time fishing La Paz as well as her first day of fishing, she and her husband and friend got 4 huge roosters on bait near the Las Arenas lighthouse. Pam got two of them herself. They took great pains to release and revive each fish except this one which had swallowed the hook. Meat was donated.

PHOTO 2: Dave Manning of N. California took a gamble and had Captain Yofo take him outside to the buoys where some dorado had started to show up this past week. It paid off with one of the nicer and larger bull dorado of the early season. Capt. Yofo is behind him.

Photo 3 : Bob Hughes is a professor at Oregon State University. He came for some sun and fish this past week and got a number of nice pargo including this slugger “barred pargo” aka “pargo mulatto.” Great eats and highly prized!

Photo 4: He wanted his first rooster and Ray Laney of Palmdale CA took this one mere yards off the Las Arenas beach as it exploded through a school of big jacks (see photo below!). Ray and his friends released a number of big fish.

PHOTO 4 : They may not taste great, but no one seems to argue that it’s a tough combatant on rod and reel. Shane Vroman of Quartz Hills was on his first trip to La Paz and a huge school of jacks was terrorizing a bait school right in the surf near the Arenas lighthouse. Over a few days, Ray got mega bent on these jack crevalle and big-eyed-jack. This fish was released. They don’t taste too good, but make up for it with attitude.

PHOTO 6 : More than a decade ago, Tom Mooney of Fresno was one of my first customers. This past week he returned to La Paz and fished a couple of days with us. Check out this nice fat cabrilla. He was fishing north of La Paz around Espiritu Santo Island.

PHOTO 7 : Talk about variety! That’s what it was like this week with fishing with our Las Arenas fleet more productive than fishing out of La Paz. Ray Laney (Left from Palmdale) and Shane Vroman (right from Quartz Hills) show off their first day catch consisting of big eye jacks, cabrilla, pargo and roosters. They released just as many as they took.

THE STORY…

What a rocking fun week! I was on the water myself a few days and, for the most part, it was just one of those killer blast weeks when the sun shone, the waves flattened and the fish bit. We never knew WHAT was going to bite, but doggone…it was fun.

Let’s start at the top! Take a look at this week’s photos!

ROOSTERFISH!!!!

Yea…the pez gallo finally came out to play at Las Arenas. They’ve been teasing the last few weeks, but the fish that put Las Arenas on many fishing maps decided to do some rod bending! For those of us who fished this week, it was easy to see why the call Las Arenas, arguably the roosterfish capital of the world!

If you were over at Cerralvo Island where we had to get most of our bait, there were little coves almost teaming with small roosters. I wouldn’t even call these punk fish! I was out one day with Jeff and Kim Howard from Portland and we must have hooked ten 2-4 pound fish in minutes. It seemed some of the baits were larger than the fish. But boy…were they voracious! It was great fun on light tackle and we released all of the fish.

Over towards the lighthouse, between the lighthouse and the old Las Arenas Hotel (which by the way just got some new owners!), and right up in the surf, if you stood on the bow of the panga, you could see the dark schools moving in and out. Another day, I was with Shane Vroman and Ray Laney (see their photos above) and was up pointing out fish from the bow. The dark shapes held a combination of roosters, jack crevalle and big-eyed jacks. They could sure tear it up. Any member of the jack family has so much attitude that even smaller ones came to the boat stubbornly. There were so many fish inside that another of my friend, Jay Mirakoshi, who guides flyfishermen was fishing from the beach and suddenly I saw him doing twirls in the knee deep water as he was trying to cast.

Actually, he had his flylines wrapped around his legs! A school of jacks was swimming all around him and through his legs causing him to twirl until he was tangled! You could stay out in this area all day and keep fairly hooked up all day. The fish would eat flies, live sardines, slow trolled spoons and fast-trolled smaller rapalas.

But…the big boys were on the OTHER side of the lighthouse!

Again, standing on the bow spotting fish, the crystal waters would be empty until dark shapes started to move around and they would almost go right for whatever baits you were slow trolling. Sometimes they were jacks or smaller roosters, other times, these huge combs would suddenly emerge behind the boat and slash the baits and make your toes curl. Early in the week when I was with Shane and Ray, they guys had their lines dragging behind the boat when the back of a rooster big enough to put a saddle on and take a ride suddenly rolled up on Shane’s bait like the Loch Ness monster.

Now, get this…we’re only in about 6 feet of water! The comb stood a good 18 inches out of the water! It startled the hell out’ve all of us including Shane who gut-reacted and literally yanked the bait away from the fish in surprise almost like he didn’t want the fish to get it. (Shane’s actually a good fisherman!…but the surprise factor just had such an unnerving effect!). I try to explain this to anglers all the time about how big these fish are and how close to shore they can be!

Well, he more than made up for it. Next day, Ray and Shane and his wife Pam went back to hunt the big PG’s and got 4 big boys in the 30-50 pound class (Pam got 2!) including a bunch of jacks. This time, they took the time to go get the big 18 inch ladyfish to use as bait. You can imagine that any fish that can wrap it’s choppers around an 18 inch bait is gonna be a slugger!

All the big PG’s were released and they spent tons of time reviving each one, except the one in the photo above which swallowed the hook. (The meat was donated to the pueblo).

But their experiences were not unusual. Other anglers from our fleet and others hit into the jacks, sierra, and roosters as well.

In addtion, there are still good number of pargo lisa, dog tooth and paro mulatto (barred pargo) along the rocks at Punte Perrico and the SE end of Cerralvo Island although as the saying goes…”many are hooked…few are landed!”

As for the wahoo…yup…they are still here! Early in the week one of the pangas found a dead whale floating and nailed 10 wahoo and 2 tuna. The skipper (who used to work for me!) didn’t bother to radio in anyone else and his fellow skippers jumped his butt when he got back to shore. Next day, everyone went looking and found nothing. What a few of them DID find were dorado!!! Yea…they’re starting to show up too. Not many, but we know this is the vanguard for the body of fish.

But, back to the wahoo. I’ve had boats trolling the big rapalas back and forth early in the morning off the south end of Cerralvo. Most are getting bit and will show you the teeth marks on their lures. But for whatever reason, nothing is sticking! But no doubt…the teeth marks on these lures are the signature bite of Mr. Hoo!

One boat encountered a big school of porpoise and ran around it trying to hook tuna. Nothing happened until a bait was dropped over the side. Zzzzzzzztttttttttt….wham! Something hit the line and went straight down and down…and down until the line broke. I think it was a BIG tuna.

Marlin are around too. We got a few. Hooked a few. Lost others. Many are still not eating quite yet. One of my good amigos here, Robert Hefner said, “one day it looked like there were HUNDREDS of them on the surface!” (his words not mine!). Even if Bob was exagerrating by a little bit…that’s ALOT of billfish no matter how you look at it!

Honestly…most of the better fishing has been around Las Arenas this past week. It’s still a tad windy around the La Paz side but the deciding factor is just that the fishing has been more consistent around Las Arenas. Since I have my fleet on both sides, we’re flexible enough this time of year to be able to move folks where the fishing is better. That’s not to say there aren’t fish on the La Paz side. Our boats that have gone out are finding some great cabrilla and pargo fishing. It’s just a matter of time before La Paz opens up too!

I think the ticket here right now is to realize that things are variable. Conditions change weekly and daily. You have to fish for what’s there. Some species have a higher probability of being caught. If you gamble on some species, you could hit the jackpot or you could get a goose-egg. If you fish for what’s biting, you’ll get better results. And anything can happen!

HEADS UP – BITS and PIECES

1. For those of you who keep track of such things and for some reason do not like Mexican beer, the bar at Los Arcos Hotel now serves Heineken, Bud, Bud light, and a few other foreign beers! Cheers!

2. Bring a hat and the heavy sunscreen. It’s already HOT!

3. Restaurant Wars!!! For those of you carnivores who love to eat at the Buffalo Barbecue but sometimes find that it’s gotten so popular that you need reservations, there’s a new place called “Tres Virgines.” (Three Virgins). They built it across the street and about 40 yards down the road from the Buffalo Grill. It’s got a brick courtyard and big fireplace. Tons of ambience and a more variety on their menu than the Buffalo. I’m still a big fan of the BB, but this new place is pretty nice too. Just one more choice! The Buffalo is not standing still. Report have it that Chef Carlos is building a pasta house across the street from the Buffalo too!

4. The charming garden restaurant on the malecon waterfront known for years for it’s live jazz music and varied menu known as “The Oasis” has changed. It’s now called “The Jungle” as in “Welcome to the…” and is now an outdoor drinking bar and nightclub. Will miss the Oasis.

That’s my story!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website: 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: Carr. a Pichilingue KM 5, Numero 205, 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.”

ROARING SILENCE

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the week of May 15, 2007

Photo: Needs no explanation! Sunset on the Sea of Cortez…

It’s amazing what you don’t hear if you just listen.

Many years ago when I was younger and dumber than I am now, which isn’t saying much, I decided to go sky diving. I didn’t tell my parents who will probably be reading this now and be shocked. I just went. Don’t ask permission. Ask forgiveness. I actually got hurt doing it, but that’s another story.

What amazed me, however, was something I had never heard before. As that chute opened and my heart and brain neurons stopped hammering each other in fear, I drifted downward through a cloudy haze. And I heard it. Listen. Absolutely nothing. The sound of “nothing” was so profound you couldn’t miss it. ,

You think you hear nothing? Stick your fingers in your ears and you still hear things around you or your own body. Step outside your home at night or someplace you think you’re alone and you’ll hear the hum of electrical currents, the air conditioner, traffic, the rustle of trees or bushes. Perhpas a distant plane. There is always something

“Nothing” sounds like a blank piece of paper looks.

. Climb to the top of a mountain and you’ll probably still hear something. Lock yourself in a closet or dive to the bottom of your pool and you’ll still hear something.

There are few places on the planet where you can still go to hear nothing. It was like that skydiving. Utter silence. Not a bird. Not a car. Not even the wind because I was drifting the same speed as the wind.

But, Baja might still be one of them.

I used to live in an old adobe house with a palapa (palm) roof. Ten miles down a dirt road and 100 yards up from the beach, I was in a bit of an arroyo so I didn’t get much of a breeze. I was far up enough from the beach that the calm bay in front of me rarely had waves that made a sound. Electrical hums? I didn’t have electricity. I lived by candles, torches and flashlights! Does an occasional coyote call count?

With no electricity, I obviously had no TV and I was too remote to catch radio, but what grand evenings of entertainment I would have after work. I’d pull up an old lawnchair and prop my feet up on my low stone wall. My dog would join me. And we’d sit. For hours.

And we’d let the Earth talk in silence. Shooting stars by the dozens would criss-cross the sky and you could actually see the Milky Way and indeed, there were more stars in the sky than grains of sand on the beach!

Electrical storms out to sea play a silent staccato of flashes on the horizon as lightning strobes the distant night like an artillery barrage from an old war movie.
You never saw lightning per se…only the nano-second light bulb explosions reflecting off the nighttime marine lair. Two… then three… then six… and then one… followed by three more and with no rhyme, reason, rhythm or pattern to be discerned. But one minute was never like the next and it continued for hours.

Occasionally, a ship would pass in the inky night. I never saw the boat, but you make a guess and judge the lights of the cabin and rigging. Too far to hear an engine. Too dark to make a shape. A cruiser? A sailboat? Where were they going and who was aboard? Yachties on holiday or fishermen on their way?

And down the beach, campfires flicker from the commercial fisherman’s shanty camp. An occasional headlight blinks and illuminates figures but again, too far to hear the stories you know are being told about great catches and ones that got away. Now and again and an aroma wafts by with the smell the cookfires, simmering tortillas, rice, beans and fish.

A few boats push off the beach lantern lit and bobbing in the beach surf. Out past the windline. Perhaps a bit of nightfishing or jigging for squid. I can’t see the pangas and the ocean might as well be a big black pit, but the illumination of the onboard lanterns tells me there’s activity on the water.

But as the night goes on, the campfires burn less brightly and glow only to finally wink and die. And more stars shoot by overhead Jimmy the dog has already stretched out asleep and I too turn in. No words. None needed. Just another Baja night of purely silent entertainment. I blow out the lanterns. And I can still smell the tortillas from down the beach carried by the onshore wind. Morning comes soon enough.

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

WAHOO BOIL! MARLIN CHEW!!! BLUE WATER SPECIES FINALLY TURN OUT TO BITE!

La Paz/ Las Arenas Fishing Report for May 6, 2007

Whoa…what a week, amigo! Let me let the fishermen tell it…

“I’ve been coming here for 20 years and never even got on esniff of wahoo. I got two in one day!” said one of our anglers.

“It was like a boil of wahoo there at the sound end of the island!” added another.

“My buddy had never hooked an ocean fish before and he goes and ‘tail-hooks’ a marlin..not tail ‘wrap.’ The hook actually got stuck in the fish’s tail and we fought it over 2 hours!” said another.

“There were marlin everywhere. We hooked one on light tackle and the striper took us to the rack for over an hour efore busting off. We were gonna release it anyway, but that was great fun!” commented another.

Just today, I had Scott and Eric Zimbler from Los Angeles out at Las Arenas they Scott told me, “We got 12 different species today and even some that the captain couldn’t identify!”

Paul Shepherd from San Jose wrote this:

“Needless to say my bro and I had a great time . I’ve never seen him cut loose like this , ever . On our last fishing day we smoked e’m , over 25 Sierra & 20 Roosters & the 2 days prior included Amberjack , Pargo , Green Pargo , and a numerous array of other junk fish , but hell’a fun. For a grand total of 80 + fish in 3 days . John was reeling in fish all day long .” (many fish released!)

Hard to top that, amigos. I was expecting the bluewater fish to turn on any day, but you just never know. For weeks we’ve been seeing the fish around, but they just weren’t biting. Well, it’s hard to know if fishing has turned the corner or not, but for this past week it sure got my hopes up and we’ll soon find out. It’s still a bit more windy than we’d like, but for our anglers fishing this past week, what a surprise1

I think we got more wahoo this past week then we got all of last year. We had several great years but then last year, the wahoo bite tanked. I think we got 4 wahoo all season. However this past week, bait, dark Rapalas (CD 18 size in black and purple or else black and white NO WIRE) were the rig of choice!

All of this was for our Las Arenas fleet. As well, bull dorado also showed up at the outer bouys also. Say what? Yup…not alot, but the ones that were caught were quality 20-40 pound fish! Like I said, it was just a matter of time.

Inshore for our Las Arenas boats…sheesh…talk about species…roosters, cabrilla, pargo, snapper, bonito… I had Eric and Scott Zimbler out today and they got 12 different species…”Including some that even the captain couldn’t identify,” said Scott. So…offshore, blue water species. Inshore pretty much the gamut of our inshore species. This is pretty typical of this time of year…you just never know what’s gonna bite.

For our La Paz fleet…no doubt there’s fish around. Big roosters, pargo, yellowtail are around the high spots, but again that wind is just so unpredictable. When it’s rough, it’s pretty bumpy and one moment the wind are coming from the south and the next from the north. But unless you’re pretty hardcore and enjoy getting bounced and wet…we’ve been switching alot of our clients to fish Las Arenas instead. That’s the nice thing about having two fleets available to our clients. We can move folks around to the better conditions and fish. Even if the wind is blowing, at Las Arenas, the fish are more consistent, closer and the waters are calmer.

We’ll see how long this bite lasts and hopefully, we’ll keep this rolling. We’ll keep you posted, but this is pretty exciting stuff!

OTHER STUFF!

If you weren’t in La Paz this past week you missed out. Not only were were celebrating Cinco de Mayo, but it was also the celebration of the Founding of La Paz. Three straight nights they closed down the waterfront malecon and turned it into a mardi gras style street fair with booths, music, games and pretty much non-stop party. I keep forgetting that they do this every year until it suddenly drops on us. Great fun.

If you’re trying to decide whether to fly down here on Alaska or Delta, both of them have great rates, but all other things being equal and having flown both of them, I gotta give the nod to Alaska.

They have larger planes. They allow you to bring your rods with no charge. If you have overweight or extra items, it’s $50 bucks instead of the 100 dollars that Delta charges. Alaska also sells food on their flights as well.

But…there’s drawbacks…if you fly through Los Angeles you do have to stand in a few lines. You stand on one line to get your boarding pass from a machine…much like and ATM. Then, you take all your stuff into another line to show them your boarding pass. After that…it’s off to see the folks at TSA to ex-ray your gear so that’s another line. Then, off to the other line to take off your shoes and get your hairspray taken away.

Just some observations.

LASTLY

Thanks to all of you who have been reading my columns in Western Outdoor News this past 3 years. Last week we received an award from the Outdoor Writers Association for the column. Pretty neat stuff! Very honored to be in some elite company.

That’s my story!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan’s Tailhunter International
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
Phone: (626) 333-3355FAX: (626) 333-0115
E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: Carr. a Pichilingue KM 5, Numero 205, 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.”

WAHOO BOIL! MARLIN LIGHT IT UP! BLUEWATER SEASON FINALLY TURNS ON! ROOSTERS, PARGO, SEABASS ROLL INSHORE!

La Paz – Las Arenas Fishing Report for May 6, 2007

AS one of our anglers told me this week…”It was like a boil of wahoo out there! I couldn’t believe it! My captain told me people come out here for years and never even get sniff, but I finally nailed my wahoo!”

Another said, “I didn’t get a wahoo, but I got bit and couldn’t get ’em to stick! But, we did hook marlin and that was awesome to get them on light tackle! I never expected that. We fought one fish for almost 2 hours before it busted off and what a great time! We were going to release it anyway.”

“We tailhooked another! Not tail “wrapped.” Tail “hooked!” added another of our anglers. “The hook actually got stuck in the tip of it’s tail and took us for a ride for over 2 hours!”

“I was more than happy to be catching the big bonito, sierra and roosters, but I got two wahoo my first day!” interjected another of our guys.

What can I say, amigos? That kinda says it all. It was still windy…winds shifting daily…sometimes several times a day from the north and south making it tougher to fish out’ve La Paz, but we had most of our clients fishing out’ve Las Arenas instead where the fish were more consistent, closer and had more variety. Who’d have guessed this would be the week!

I was sure it was just a matter of time because we’ve been seeing the big boys for several weeks, but they just wouldn’t go. Well, this past week they went off! We still got great action inside on the pargo, cabrilla, snapper, roosters and sierra, but the bite off the south end of Cerralvo Island surprised everyone!

Bait and fast trolled Rapalas (CD-18 size in black and white and purple and black…NO WIRE!) were the hot tickets. Oh…almost forgot…at the buoys offshore from Las Arenas…bull dorado too! Nice 20-40 pound fish. Not alot but enough to make it worth the trip and certainly nothing to sneeze at which is very encouraging that maybe the season has turned the corner!

For our La Paz boats…the issue is the wind. When the winds don’t blow, there’s fish to be had…yellowtail, big roosters, pargo and snapper. But again…it’s been tough to predict. I’ve had long-time friends here tell me they’ve not see so much springtime wind as they’ve seen this year. If you’re willing to get bumped and maybe a little wet, there’s fish to be had. But, that’s the advantage for our clients…I have TWO fleets…Las Arenas AND La Paz so we’re able to stay flexible and move our clients around to where the conditions and fishing are more accommodating.

Don’t know how long this bite will last, but you can be sure we’ll keep you posted.

BITS AND PIECES

If you weren’t in town this week…you missed a helluva party! Not only was it Cinco de Mayo, but it was also La Paz Founding week so they had 3 full days/nights of mardi-gras style party. Every night for 3 nights, the malecon along the waterfront was closed to street traffic and massive street-fair/parties took place. Music…food…gaming. Wow…nothing like a good street fair.

Lastly…if you’re trying to decide whether to fly Delta or Alaska down here, I give my nod to Alaska. Fares are comparable although maybe Alaska has a bit of an edge. However, all other things equal, Alaska has bigger planes. Alaska allows rods without charging. If you do have overweight or extra baggage…as long as it’s under 100 pounds, it’s 50 bucks. Delta charges 100 bucks! The only drawback is if you’re headed through Alaska Airlines terminal in LAX. What a zoo. You go to a kiosk to electronically get your boarding pass (it’s like an ATM machine). Then, you go to another line to check your bags using your boarding pass. Then, you go to another line with TSA to get your stuff ex-rayed. Then…you have to go through yet another line for the individual screening wehre

PASS THE GREY POUPON!

Originally published the week of May 8, 2007 in Western Outdoor New Baja Column

A number of seasons ago, I got an e-mail from a prospective fisherman who asked me if they had “caffeine free diet Coke.” According to him, “my wife won’t go if they they don’t have her favorite beverage.”

For some of you reading this, your initial reaction might be one of amusement as in, “We’ll shucks, honey, if you REALLY can’t make it, then I guess I’ll have to ask my buddy Bill to come instead. That’s a shame that backward country has no caffeine-free Diet Coke. I’ll REALLY miss you!”

That was quite a few seasons ago. I’m not sure how I responded back then to the e-mail, but back then, I really had no idea if such a specialty item was carried on market shelves.

But fast forward to 2007.

If you really want to know what’s up in Baja, don’t look at the houses or cars in the neighborhood. Check out the local market. That’s the true bellweather of Baja.

Years ago, you’d have gotten a puzzled look asking for Diet Coke, or any other “diet” beverage. There was Coke and there was Pepsi and some stores carried a whopping 2 six packs and that was it! Maybe a whole case if you were lucky.

The largest stores had your bare essentials and you were happy to have them. Meat, some fruits, maybe 2 types of bread, tortillas, salsas, canned goods (SPAM and Campbells Soup), and, if they had refrigeration, dairy products like some cubes of butter and local cheese. Milk was condensed or came in waxed boxes. Toilet paper, soap and cleaning detergents rounded it out. Oh…and beer. Either the Pacifico line or the Tecate line. Some Corona too. Maybe.

The face of “modern Baja” is now the mall and the mega grocery store!

Not only will you find all the diet drinks, but count on unheard of things like rootbeer; bottled ice tea; the latest fad energy drinks; beers from Germany and Japan; even fresh fruit “juice bars” where you can get fresh-squeezed juices or “designer” juice bars in the store that will squeeze it, mix it, fortify it and make smoothies just like in the states.

You’ll also find (of course) pseudo Starbuck-style coffee bars so you won’t have to do without your triple expresso late’ mocha grande; delicatessens with steaming Mexican dishes; roasted chickens; fully stocked bakeries turning out breads and pastries; and foreign food section that sells things such as wasabe and nori to make sushi as well as goose-liver pate, hearts-of-palm, olive oils and Belgian chocolate!

One of the mega stores in La Paz even has…get this…a “cheese tasting bar” stocked with everything from local cheese to gruyere, provolone, romano and French blue cheese among others. There’s an “olive tasting bar”; and a “whole foods bar” with granola, oats; bran; dried fruit and nuts sold by the kilo.

The shelves have everything from your kid’s favorite breakfast cereal to fifty kinds of potato chips and luncheon meat including Virginia ham and Canadian bacon.

After checkout the kid who does the bagging will gladly walk you and your groceries out to the car. A “parking” attendant helps you pull your car out’ve the parking space and on your way.

That little “backward” country has both feet in the new century. Bienvenidos a la frontera! (Welcome to the frontier!)

I guess your wife is coming along after all!

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

Photo 1: Shawn James from Los Angeles and his dad Jack James from Washington, D.C. had always promised to fish together. They finally pulled it off and had a great time this past month in La Paz.

CONSISTENT INSHORE FISHING WITH LOTS OF VARIETY AS PELAGIC BLUEWATER SPECIES START TO SHOW UP!

La Paz / Las Arenas Fishing Report for April 29, 2007

PHOTO 1: Randy Breault and his son Philip from the S. Francisco Bay Area made their first trip to La Paz combining fishing and scuba diving. Here they show off a nice mixed catch at Muertos Bay including sierra, pargo lisa, cabrilla (seabass) and pargo mulatto (barred pargo).
Photo 2: Cole Chavira from Encinitas CA has made many trips to La Paz and always does well usually outfishing the adults. He hung this pretty dog tooth snapper on a jig off Cerralvo Island.

PHOTO 3: You’ll find few fish as tasty or as good looking at this fat cabrila being held by Shawn James of Los Angeles who was fishing north of La Paz around Espiritu Santo Island with his dad, Jack.
PHOTO 4 – Steve Marabella is going to hate that I’m going to call him one of my “poster boys” but Steve always seems to come out with some great catches whenever he comes down. Steve is from the San Pedro CA area and his holding onto a nice pargo lisa (mullet snapper) that he pulled out of the rocks off Punta Perrico.