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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

CRIME & HONESTY IN BAJA – PUBLISHED Oct. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOOR MAGAZINE BAJA BACKBEAT

CRIME & HONESTY IN THE BAJA

Several weeks ago, I was having dinner in a beachfront restaurant with a bunch of my fishing clients. It was one of those famous great warm Baja sunsets. The restaurant with it’s white sand floors; requisite Tecate beer white plastic chairs; and palapa roof blended nicely with the aromatic garlic shrimp and grilled dorado being delivered in heaping portions to the table. Generous baskets of fresh warm torillas moved from hand to hand while generous dollops of salsa dropped into make-your-own tacos. As is typical among vacationing fishermen, the conversation drifted and rambled raucously between the day’s great fishing; the strength (or lack thereof) of various mixed drinks; and who-did-what-to-whom.

In the middle of all this, one of the group named Taylor stood up and announced that he had a story to tell. Taylor is an extremely successful salesman and adept speaker. He had kept the table rolling all evening with his philosophical observations on life.

“Today was one of best days I’ve ever had,” he started. “In fact, it was enlightening day.” He had everyone’s attention.

“This morning at the hotel, I put about $800 into a money clip and stuck it into my pocket. This afternoon, that money was gone. I looked all over my room; the hotel; the pool…everywhere! I really had no hope of finding it. As a last resort, I sent to the hotel receptionist and told them I had lost my money clip.”

“How much money was in it?” asked the receptionist? “Eight hundred dollars,” replied Taylor. “It’s right here, Sir. One of the camaristas (cleaning ladies) turned it in.”

“I was speechless,” said Taylor. “I come from a place where no one gives anyone a break. In my work, it’s dog-eat-dog. There are some of YOU at this table that would probably not have given me my money back!” he said jokingly. “However, I was always told that there are so many banditos in Mexico and here some little gal returns my money. It just made my trip that anyone could be that honest in this day and age and I just want you all to know that!”

I informed him that she probably turned in the equivalent of about 3 or 4 months salary and his mouth dropped. He went on to say he made sure to find the young lady and thank her plus give her a reward and proposed a well-received toast with his amigos.

I bring thousands of clients into Baja and one of the most frequent questions I receive is about crime and honesty. “Is is safe to bring my family?” “Can we walk the streets?” “What are my chances of being robbed?” “What are the chances we’ll get shook down by the policia?” I sometimes really just have to shake my head. I won’t deny there’s crime and some places are more dangerous than others, but I can say the same about many places in the states too. However, many of the questions I get are almost as unfounded as my Mexican friends asking me if it’s true that drive-by shootings take place daily on every Los Angeles street corner. (It’s what they see on Mexican TV all the time.)

I can only speak from personal experience and quite a few years of living and working in the Baja. I would say that crimes follow people and where there are the greatest concentrations of folks like Tijuana , Ensenada, Mexicali the incidence of crime will be highest. This is especially true nearer the border cities which also have higher numbers of transient population.

However, speaking in general of the majority of Baja, the response I usually give folks is that if you use common sense, it’s no more dangerous than most American cities and probably safer. Ergo, I wouldn’t leave the proverbial diamond ring on a barroom table and expect anyone to know anything about it 10 minutes later. Nor would I leave my wallet on the beach and expect someone to return it…but then again, someone just might. I mean, when was the last time you left your house or car unlocked in your home town? Where I live in La Paz, a city of almost 200,000, that’s pretty common.

One example I like to give was actually told to me by a Mexican police officer. In his example, if you were to lose your child in the U.S., chances are you’d think the worst. In Mexico, your child would probably be in someone’s home watching TV and 10 people would be out looking for you instead. When they found you, you’d be the one to get scolded for losing your kid! He admitted that unfortunately there is crime, but debated whether it was worse in Baja than anywhere else. Again, he stressed the use of common sense, e.g. do not camp on remote deserted beaches; do not leave valuables lying around; do not flash cash. He said that these were things people should do even in their own home towns. As far as trouble with police, he said most police take their jobs very very seriously and consider themselves professionals. Unfortunately, there are corrupt people and it’s unfortunate that so many old stories of mordida (bribes) are hard to extinguish. However, I still remember his words, “Americans should remember that we welcome our neighbors, but they should remember that they are guests and should act like guests. Our laws are our laws and just as America has it’s own laws. You would not go to a neighbor’s home and act improperly.”

More often than not, stories of great kindness and honesty abound. In one of my favorites, my amigo was traveling up the Transpeninsula Highway on his way back to the U.S. He stopped to eat in Loreto and accidentally left his briefcase with money, documents and identification, but didn’t discover it until he was nearly to Ensenada many hundreds of miles away. Frantically, he was able to call back to the restaurant where he had eaten. To his great relief, he was informed that someone was actually driving up the highway to find him. They had found his address and had intended to find someone to bring the briefcase across the border to his home some 700 miles away. He backtracked to meet the driver and gratefully found his briefcase and his contents fully intact.

In my own travels up and down the Baja, I’ve had my car towed out of sand by cows. I’ve had my busted vehicle stored for months by strangers until I could come back to get it. They never asked for a dime. I’ve been fed by folks who slept on dirt floors. One amigo drove 100 miles to a gas station and back to bring me gas and a hose clamp and refused to accept anything from me except some cans of soda and beer. I had one small hotel owner actually take out newspaper ads offering a reward for anyone who could help me locate a valuable camera I had misplaced because he felt so badly that I had lost it. (It was completely my own fault.) A famous sportfishing writer who came to see me when I lived on the East Cape accidentally left his own camera and diving gear in a duffle bag in the back of a taxi. It was worth thousands of dollars, but he climbed on a plane and flew off. He didn’t realize it was gone until he had been home a few days. The taxi driver didn’t realize it was in his back seat until several days later either ,but promptly and apologetically returned it to me to make sure it got to my friend.

Bottom line, you’re no more in danger in Baja than if you were at home. It’s probably no worse and in many chances, much better than in your own hometown. Sure, things can happen in Baja and do, but more often than not, they are aberrations as thousands vacationers visit Mexico yearly and have incredible experiences. Baja welcomes you, but still try not to leave your money on the floor!

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

HURRICANE WEBSITES – PUBLISHED Sept. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS SEPT. 2004

HURRICANE WEBSITES
At the time I’m writing this, we just got through one of those weeks when it seems 90 percent of the conversation here in Southern Baja had to do with the weather. Still smarting from several slammer hurricanes (chubascos) in 2003, locals and anglers alike spent the week worrying about whether the most recent growler on the radar screen (“Xavier” for anyone checking) would or would not hit the Baja peninsula. It was a nerve wracking on-again-off-again week! Captains and clients eyed the southern horizon nervously each day on the water. “Are those clouds the hurricane or is that just a wall of normal high clouds?” Vacation planners kept hotels, fleets and airlines jumping answering weather-related questions and “what if?” scenarios. “Will I get a refund?” “Will the airlines cancel it’s flights?”

All for naught…this time! The hurricane never hit. Some breeze, a little chop, perhaps a smattering of rain and it was like going to the doctor and finding out all you had in your aching stomach were one too many burritos and uh…a little “wind.” The chubasco veered out into the Pacific then north before blowing itself out over un-populated desert. No flights were cancelled. No fishermen had to “wait-it-out” at the Giggling Marlin. The hotels never wrote a single refund check!

However, folks were understandably nervous. In a land that gets very little rain except when it falls all at once, running and falling water can be extremely destructive. The land can only absorb just-so-much! Drains about as old as the conquistadores that weren’t meant to handle anything more than spilled beer have been clogged with dust, dirt and trash since the previous rainfall. Electricity, gas and water, often taken for granted in the U.S., even in the worst times, don’t have backup systems to deal with emergencies. Roofs made of tin, palapa or other materials only get tested when it rains (never!) and arroyo bridges that get washed out each year seem to take EXACTLY 360 days to fix….just in time for the next storm! If your house gets washed away, there’s no FEMA check in the mail; no disability insurance; social medical program or unemployment check to look forward to! Further, in a land where the tourism dollar makes the wheels go-round, any type of interruption in the height of the season can literally ruin a fleet, hotel or other business.

Technically, in Baja, the “hurricane season” encompasses early June and into October. Now, that doesn’t mean that if you visit Baja you’re in for it. It only means that most hurricanes hit during those periods, but frankly, your chances of running into a chubasco are about as likely as say . . .rain in Los Angeles from December to April. Could happen…most likely not! Frankly, Baja sees the majority of it’s tourism…anglers, divers, vacationers, families, adventurers during those “hurricane” months so it can’t be all that bad.

However, one of the cool things is that technology has now enabled us to keep an eye on things via the internet. It’s amazing how many folks glue themselves to their computer screens if anything ominous shows up on the Baja weather situation. One of the two sites, we use most often are:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

which is the United States National Weather Service’s Hurricane Center. Even the Mexican TV stations use it to predict the path of potential storms and we see the NOAA maps on the Mexican TV at night. The site is great in that it gives regular breakdowns, advisories and discussions of storms identifying them as actual “hurricanes,” “tropical storms” and the like. What’s of special importance is the fact that the site posts maps predicting the path of the storm over both 3 and 5 days time periods showing potential areas of rain and flooding along the course of the storm.

Another site that we use a lot is the “Weather Underground.” The site rocks. It provides specific weather for dozens of major Mexican cities plus gives forecasts for the coming days. Even for fun, this is a handy and fascinating site that can be found at:

http://www.weatherunderground.com/global/MX.html

This site has up-to-the-minute weather info, winds, forecasts, moon phases, photos, radar images, current temperatures, etc. It’s just packed with info that would be helpful even if you’re not headed to Baja! In addition to these sites, there are many fishing/weather sites dedicated to giving you up-to-date info and the numbers are growing all the time. These are just two recommendations.

As I am on the water almost daily, these are great helps. However, in Baja, often the best way to tell the weather is to simply LOOK OUTSIDE! Baja is a vast area with terrain that can vary from mountains to deserts and hills to plateaus, not to mention several thousand miles of coastline and thousands of square miles of attenuate ocean. In all my many years here, I have discovered that there are probably as many micro-climates as there are topographical features. What might be happening in one spot is not necessarily true only a few miles away or even several hundred yards away! I have seen hurricanes turn and go sideways not even spilling a drop. Over the course of a few miles, I have gone from rain, to sun to wind to even fog. Many times, my fishing boat has been getting soaked with rain yet, a boat a quarter mile away never even gets under a cloud!

For instance, folks often ask me about a prediction for “rain” or “thundershowers” in the East Cape, Loreto or La Paz. However, sticking my head out the office window or climbing out on the deck of the boat, it’s as dry and sunny and hot as a toaster! Not a cloud in sight. Wassup? Well, as I figured out one day, the many mountains in these regions are often clouded. Technically these mountains are part of the adjacent city and are getting precipitation. The mountains only a mile outside of La Paz, for example, are technically “part of La Paz” and while it’s visibly raining on their summits, anglers and tourists on the beach are still slathering on the suntan lotion and at the end of the day, I know I’ll still be seeing a lot of lobster-red bodies that never saw a cloud let alone any rainfall! So, despite what you may be reading off the websites, there’s still much to be said for looking outside or calling ahead!

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

HURRICANE WEBSITES – PUBLISHED Sept. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS SEPT. 2004

HURRICANE WEBSITES
At the time I’m writing this, we just got through one of those weeks when it seems 90 percent of the conversation here in Southern Baja had to do with the weather. Still smarting from several slammer hurricanes (chubascos) in 2003, locals and anglers alike spent the week worrying about whether the most recent growler on the radar screen (“Xavier” for anyone checking) would or would not hit the Baja peninsula. It was a nerve wracking on-again-off-again week! Captains and clients eyed the southern horizon nervously each day on the water. “Are those clouds the hurricane or is that just a wall of normal high clouds?” Vacation planners kept hotels, fleets and airlines jumping answering weather-related questions and “what if?” scenarios. “Will I get a refund?” “Will the airlines cancel it’s flights?”

All for naught…this time! The hurricane never hit. Some breeze, a little chop, perhaps a smattering of rain and it was like going to the doctor and finding out all you had in your aching stomach were one too many burritos and uh…a little “wind.” The chubasco veered out into the Pacific then north before blowing itself out over un-populated desert. No flights were cancelled. No fishermen had to “wait-it-out” at the Giggling Marlin. The hotels never wrote a single refund check!

However, folks were understandably nervous. In a land that gets very little rain except when it falls all at once, running and falling water can be extremely destructive. The land can only absorb just-so-much! Drains about as old as the conquistadores that weren’t meant to handle anything more than spilled beer have been clogged with dust, dirt and trash since the previous rainfall. Electricity, gas and water, often taken for granted in the U.S., even in the worst times, don’t have backup systems to deal with emergencies. Roofs made of tin, palapa or other materials only get tested when it rains (never!) and arroyo bridges that get washed out each year seem to take EXACTLY 360 days to fix….just in time for the next storm! If your house gets washed away, there’s no FEMA check in the mail; no disability insurance; social medical program or unemployment check to look forward to! Further, in a land where the tourism dollar makes the wheels go-round, any type of interruption in the height of the season can literally ruin a fleet, hotel or other business.

Technically, in Baja, the “hurricane season” encompasses early June and into October. Now, that doesn’t mean that if you visit Baja you’re in for it. It only means that most hurricanes hit during those periods, but frankly, your chances of running into a chubasco are about as likely as say . . .rain in Los Angeles from December to April. Could happen…most likely not! Frankly, Baja sees the majority of it’s tourism…anglers, divers, vacationers, families, adventurers during those “hurricane” months so it can’t be all that bad.

However, one of the cool things is that technology has now enabled us to keep an eye on things via the internet. It’s amazing how many folks glue themselves to their computer screens if anything ominous shows up on the Baja weather situation. One of the two sites, we use most often are:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

which is the United States National Weather Service’s Hurricane Center. Even the Mexican TV stations use it to predict the path of potential storms and we see the NOAA maps on the Mexican TV at night. The site is great in that it gives regular breakdowns, advisories and discussions of storms identifying them as actual “hurricanes,” “tropical storms” and the like. What’s of special importance is the fact that the site posts maps predicting the path of the storm over both 3 and 5 days time periods showing potential areas of rain and flooding along the course of the storm.

Another site that we use a lot is the “Weather Underground.” The site rocks. It provides specific weather for dozens of major Mexican cities plus gives forecasts for the coming days. Even for fun, this is a handy and fascinating site that can be found at:

http://www.weatherunderground.com/global/MX.html

This site has up-to-the-minute weather info, winds, forecasts, moon phases, photos, radar images, current temperatures, etc. It’s just packed with info that would be helpful even if you’re not headed to Baja! In addition to these sites, there are many fishing/weather sites dedicated to giving you up-to-date info and the numbers are growing all the time. These are just two recommendations.

As I am on the water almost daily, these are great helps. However, in Baja, often the best way to tell the weather is to simply LOOK OUTSIDE! Baja is a vast area with terrain that can vary from mountains to deserts and hills to plateaus, not to mention several thousand miles of coastline and thousands of square miles of attenuate ocean. In all my many years here, I have discovered that there are probably as many micro-climates as there are topographical features. What might be happening in one spot is not necessarily true only a few miles away or even several hundred yards away! I have seen hurricanes turn and go sideways not even spilling a drop. Over the course of a few miles, I have gone from rain, to sun to wind to even fog. Many times, my fishing boat has been getting soaked with rain yet, a boat a quarter mile away never even gets under a cloud!

For instance, folks often ask me about a prediction for “rain” or “thundershowers” in the East Cape, Loreto or La Paz. However, sticking my head out the office window or climbing out on the deck of the boat, it’s as dry and sunny and hot as a toaster! Not a cloud in sight. Wassup? Well, as I figured out one day, the many mountains in these regions are often clouded. Technically these mountains are part of the adjacent city and are getting precipitation. The mountains only a mile outside of La Paz, for example, are technically “part of La Paz” and while it’s visibly raining on their summits, anglers and tourists on the beach are still slathering on the suntan lotion and at the end of the day, I know I’ll still be seeing a lot of lobster-red bodies that never saw a cloud let alone any rainfall! So, despite what you may be reading off the websites, there’s still much to be said for looking outside or calling ahead!

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

Baja Seasick Remedies -published Sept. 2004 – Western Outdoor News

BAJA SEASICK REMEDIES


I just got off the water with clients about an hour before starting to write this column. In fact, I’m still sitting here in front of my laptop looking out over the Sea of Cortez and I realize I still have sand on my feet and some dried fish goop on my forearms. It was one of those banner days, amigos. We worked an area called Boca de Alamo on the pangas on the northern East Cape and it was the type of day when the waters go flat. You can’t tell where the sky ends and the waters begin. The sun seems to go from zero to a huge orb of white in nano-seconds and the fish come to the bait like tossing a French fry in front of a 9 year-old!

Conversation came around to seasickness. I don’t know how or why, but I think it was because I noticed a patch behind someone’s ear at the same time I saw one panga troll slowly by with some poor hombre draped over the bow like he was either sleeping it off or just praying someone would stop the danged boat. . .All of this in the middle of a pretty decent dorado bite with guys screaming and yelling and generally having a great time. There’s that ONE guy not having such a good time. If you’ve never been seasick, I pray you never do. If you’ve been seasick, you know what I’m talking about. You want someone to drop kick you into oblivion to put you out’ve your misery.

The client I was guiding for had been really worried about getting sick and I told him that it CAN happen, but generally, the Sea of Cortez is a lot more gentle than say…some lakes! Anyway, I told him to park a patch behind his ear if was really that worried since there’s no sense in ruining his day…let alone anyone else’s day! (MY day in particular to be honest!) But, being his first time panga fishing on the Sea of Cortez, he was pretty amazed and said he really hadn’t needed the patch at all. . .unlike the guy that had just gone by in the passing boat.

I guess seasickness has plagued folks since the dawn of dirt. I worked on quite a few boats and you’d be amazed how many crews and skippers do get sick from time to time and how we cope with it. I’ve certainly heard some doozies about how to cure it! It’s a lot like curing hiccups…except if you’re wrong, the consequences are a lot more…uh…let’s say “colorful” and uncomfortable!

One I heard involved sticking a lit cigarette in your ear! I’ve heard this from several people. Picture that. It’s a bit funny like sticking chopsticks in your nose at a sushi bar. I am told that putting the lit cigarette in one ear creates some kind of vacuum in the inner ear that helps stabilize the mechanism that causes the imbalance. Guys swear it works.

Another is drinking a lot of beer. OK. No laughing. En serio, amigos! Sounds like another fisherman’s excuse to tip a cold one, but some anglers drink beer on boats “to keep my balance and prevent seasickness.” I didn’t say these work. I said I’ve heard some doozies. All these years, here in Baja I just thought fishermen were drinking beer” because.” No other reason needed. As in “I drink beer because!” I had no idea there was an actual medicinal motivation!

Most recently, I heard that if you pinch your nose while you’re getting nauseated and inhale like you’re hyperventilating, it will also knock down the urge to visit the rail. Most assuredly, it will probably cure hiccups!

I dunno, I guess if you do al three…stick a lit cigarette in your ear; drink a beer AND pinch your nose while inhaling the comedy aspects should be enough to cure any mal de mar!

Seriously, however, I do get to deal with the issue quite often and fortunately, it’s not as bad as some folks think when they come fishing in the Baja, at least in the Sea of Cortez. It can be a whole different story on the Pacific side. Anyway, first rule of thumb is that prevention is better than the pain. If you think you’re gonna be sick, take something ahead of time. You paid all this good money to be here with your family or amigos. Fishing is a special time. Don’t blow it away because you’re blowing chunks. Take your seasick tabs or use the patch or whatever works for you whether it’s a band or electrical device or staying off the greasy foods. Think about not only your comfort, but also the comfort of your amigos around you. When the dorado come tearing through the chum and someone yells “hot rail” it’s pretty embarrassing when It’s YOU coming down the rail and everyone is diving out’ve your way. Maybe, when all is said-and-done, you really will not need the prevention, but take the precaution rather than finding out too late. It’s definitely too late when you’re turning green and the label on your medications say “Take 2 tablets THREE hours before travel.” You’re already toast!

When I’m guiding, I always bring a few things of my own in case someone says they might get queasy or they are already getting queasy. I bring chewable children’s Dramamine or Bonine. You don’t need water and you don’t necessarily have to take it before the event. All the better, if I can get the client to take the stuff before going fishing. I also carry generic meclezine. (No, not mescaline!) It’s the active ingredient that’s in many popular travel sickness medications. It’s cheap. It’s available over-the-counter AND it doesn’t make the client as goofy and sedated as some of the other types of medicines. It also doesn’t last as long in the angler. If it turns out to be a flat day, bueno! The stuff is out’ve their system instead of lingering all day.

For on-the-spot first aid, I always carry some crackers, some ginger tablets, and some Pepto Bismol with me. Ginger ale or ginger cookies work OK too, but the tablets are best. I’ll give them to clients who get past the point-of-no-return. It helps in most cases to knock down or knock out the nausea or hold down the acid.

Finally, it seems to go without saying, but doggone it, get enough sleep. Try not to see how late you can stay out at Squid Roe or win the Macarena contest at the Giggling Marlin Roe the night before you climb on the cruiser. Go easy on the nachos and jalapenos at Tio Pablo’s in Barriles or El Nido in Loreto before you board the cruiser. And, for Pete’s sake don’t try to “improve your balance” too much all night by chugging Coronas or sticking lit cigarettes in your ear! You’ll never live down the photos your amigos take of you.

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

NOTHING LIKE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE – PUBLISHED AUG. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOORS MAGAZINE BAJA BACKBEAT COLUMN

NOTHING LIKE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE



A few years ago, I was running boats outta Los Frailes on the southern East Cape of Baja down below the hotel corridor of Bahia Palmas. It was another promising morning, as are many in Baja. Baja mornings are like that when you’re headed out to the fishing grounds. You know what I mean! No matter what the day was like before, today is a new day, amigo! Anything can happen!

Whether it’s the first day on the water after weeks of angst or just the anticipation from yesterday’s outing, there’s always that current of excitement coming down to the beach or landing in the morning. It’s controlled chaos! You can smell it and taste it and it’s in your very marrow…the Baja sun starting to break through…the morning chill getting edged out quickly by the heat you know is coming…a bit if diesel mixed with salt mixed with a bit of smoke from the cookfires on the beach and wafting from the hotels…the chatter among other fishermen…the horseplay…the guys who aren’t quite awake or shaking out the marguerita cobwebs…the vets dragging themselves out with swagger and purpose or simply taking their own sweet time…the rookies so jacked up either talking big or quietly looking nervous and absorbing every word and nuance of the vets…the low idle rumbling of the boats as they move in and off the beach or hold their positions in the line-up…the little cacaphonic snippets of Spanish and Spang-lish jumping back and forth…boat to boat…dock manager to captains…anglers to captains…

“Hola, Miguel? We gonna catch some big tuna today?”
“¡Claro que si, Señor Jackson! ¡Andalé! Today we find the big porpoise school for you! Watch your step!”
“That’s what I like to hear hear! Miguel! Gotta win back my money from Bob today!”
“Shut up, Jackson. What happened after that 4th tequila last night? What boat am I on today? Who am I fishing with? Where’s my gear? Oh my head…”
“Boat number 5…Boat number 5…where’s the Jones group for the Brisa del Mar? Your boat is ready! Jones group…Did anyone wake those guys up? Hijole…los cabroncitos! Hahahaha…
“¡Vamanos! Vamanos! The fish are waiting, Señores! “
“OK, Miguel! Hey, Greg, do you have the bait money? I bought yesterday, Butthead!
“I bought the beer last night! Man, I’m so fired up. Gonna catch me a bull dorado today yes indeedy! ” (belches while holding a beer and scratching self).
“Oh man…I was gonna change my line last night!”
“¡No te preoccupes, Senor! Are these your lunches?\ Vamanos! “
“Oh my head…”

You get the idea. You know what I’m talking about. And then there’s the gear! It was on one of these mornings that I’m reminded of how all the techno-gizmos we bring fishing are often no match for that little something called “local knowledge.”

I hadn’t been working this stretch of coach very long, but I had been out guiding almost all season on the pangas and mini-cruisers for the hotel I was working for at the time. However, on this particular day, a group of clients had paid me to accompany them on their own cruiser instead of using one of the regular boats and crews. I think we must have loaded half a tackle store onto the boat that day! Chingon…there were a lot of gold reels and bent butt rods on that boat! They even has some kind of custom designer hooks made in France or Italy or somesuch! As we loaded, a few kids were on the beach and one of them asked for a few hooks and leads. One of the guys dug into his 50 pound tackle bag and pulled out a few loose hooks and weights. We watched the smiling kids trudge down the beach with their fishing line wrapped around beer cans and soda bottles. Oh, if it could only be that simple again, I remember saying to myself!

Pulling away from the beach, I waved and smiled at a few of the hotel crews who now had a day off. They were going to take out one of the boats to catch some fish for the worker’s camp. As much as I like fishing with clients, I enjoy fishing with the amigos.” W ish we were all going out together. I knew they would be missing a day off work, but they had been going for several straight weeks and figured it would be good for ‘em to play for the day.

Well, as is sometimes the case, its was one of those Baja days when the ju-ju just isn’t with you. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. The hot sun and slow drone and vibration of the motor soon killed off the small-talk. It dropped the hungover guys into slumber and had the rest of the clients well on their way like slow-motion bobble head dolls rolling with each swell. We trolled mile after mile of seemingly deserted ocean! No matter what I did in the cockpit, none of the fancy electronics, state-of-the-art rods and reels or “flavor-of-the-month lures” could raise a sniff from even a needlefish! When you’re guiding and being paid for it…gawd…these are the WORST days as it feels like there’s an ever-growing bullseye on your back as if it’s YOUR fault the fish aren’t biting!

Suddenly racing up our stern came one of the hotel boats and I could tell it was my amigos from the docks! Life stirred on our own boat as they came abeam about 30 yards and smiling and waving held up a sailfish and several tuna. Since, they didn’t have a radio on their boat (not all that uncommon back then!), I couldn’t converse, but we all smiled and waved back. Good for them! They certainly got our attention and they slowed down and put out their own trolling rods to our starboard. Using hand motions, and a lot of yelling and laughing they wanted to challenge us for a case of beer! Well..now we’re talking! My clients got jacked up again! A little excitement and friendly competition! Shirts vs. Skins! Home team vs. Vistors! I looked around at our weaponry…we had it all! But we hadn’t done a thing all day! But I had to smile because I saw my amigos drop back some pretty interesting lures behind them and started to laugh. I told my clients that I thought we had just been hustled and that they should get the case of cerveza ready!

Well, over the next 3 hours, we didn’t get a strike. Nada! Not even trash fish! But the boys next door? Don’t ask…hammered one more sail…two dorado…and another tuna! My clients couldn’t believe it.

As we all got back to the beach later that afternoon, there was a lot of good-natured yakking as beers got exchanged and my friends willing shared a good portion of their fish with my clients. However, my amigos refused to tell my clients what they had used for bait or lures, despite much cajoling!

Later over dinner…“You said we got hustled?” said one of my clients .Laughing, I said, yes. I explained. I saw it when they first put their lures into the water. You see, without the benefit of the 100 dollar lures we had been dragging all day, I saw the “local team” using splashers and jigs made out’ve Orange Crush and 7-Up soda bottles! They drain half of it out, depending on how deep they want them to run. They also put crumpled aluminum foil; gum wrappers and other shiny trash into the bottles along with some shiny pop tops; a few pebbles for noise and rig it all up like a jig or splasher. I’ve even seen them paint eyes and stripes sometimes! The things jump, and bubble and kick up quite a commotion!

“You got home-towned, amigo!” I said with a grin.
“Well, how come we didn’t do the same thing?” said my client
“You were pretty adamant about only using all the fancy stuff you had brought down and besides, if I had rigged up something like that, you’d have all laughed me off the boat,” I explained.

“You’re right. Doggone, I learn stuff everyday! Fortunately, it only cost us a case of beer and tonite, I’m gonna scrounge up some soda bottles from the trash!” He said grinningly pulling on a puff of his Cubano and blowing a big old cloud into the warm Baja night. “Tomorrow is another day. Ask those guys if they wanna bet TWO cases tomorrow and we’ll have some fun!”

As I walked later that evening with the clients down the beach…me to my house and them to their rooms, we passed one of the beach fires on the sand. We noticed it was the same group of kids that has asked for some hooks and lead that morning. The kids were sucking their fingers and laughing obviously enjoying a great barbecue, but stopped when we approached. One stood up with a big grin as he recognized my clients.

“Gracias por los “hooks,” Señor,” he said. “¡Mire (look)…!”
He opened a battered dirty ice chest and we all squinted inside as our eyes adjusted to the firelight…full of lobster and pargo…Increible! (Incredible!)

“Dang.” I heard someone in the group say. (It wasn’t exactly the word used, but you get the idea.) “Maybe I”ll stay in the beach and fish with these kids tomorrow instead” said someone else in the group.

We all laughed as they took the path to up to their rooms and I walked smilingly down the beach to my own little place. Just another day in the Baja. . . and tomorrow would come again! Andalè pues…

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

ESSENTIAL GEAR – PUBLISHED AUG. 2004 -WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS

ESSENTIAL GEAR
In my business taking folks out fishing here in Baja, I get to see a lot of pescadores unloading off the airplanes or piling out of vans or onto our boats each day. Standing among our drivers and captains, we often shake our heads at how much stuff gets brought own. It’s pretty amazing! Bag after bag and box after box and tube after tube…not to mention…here comes the 150 qt. marine ice chest!

This is not an unusual conversation at the airport as I often greet the guys coming in: “Hey Mr. Jones! Welcome to Baja. Hope you had a good flight! The vans to the hotel are outside at the curb. Is this all your uh…stuff? “

“Great to be here finally, Jonathan! Yup, this is just MY stuff! “(shaking my hand and huffing as he puts down the camera bag, small duffel, snorkel bag and followed by a porter, looking like a Himalayan sherpa with a six foot stack of tubes chests and luggage!) The other nine guys are right behind me and are ready for anything…blue marlin…sailfish…giant tuna…dorado…yellowtail…You name it! For the next TWO days of fishin’ , it’s gonna be beer and bendo!” says Mr. Jones with a grin as he leads the posada to the vans.

TWO DAYS?????

I shake hands and high five ‘em all and watch the parade of amigos and porters akin to a 3 month African safari conga line to the waiting vans and drivers who sigh knowing there’s some serious loading to be done! I can only smile and shake my head. God bless ‘em all for bringing all the toys because it wasn’t too long ago that I just about needed my own personal entourage to haul my gear to Baja. By golly, if the ladies can bring a change of clothes and accessories for any vacation event, then I think I need 15 rods and reels; 20 jigs; every manner of hook; 5 each of every type of sinker; 30 assorted feathers…blah, blah blah…I MUST have them!

For you Baja veterans, tell me it isn’t true! You will spend 2 hours packing your clothes consisting of 3 “lucky” t-shirts; one pair of fishing shorts ( you swear you’ll rinse ‘em out each night!) and (maybe) few pairs of underwear! Yet, you will take 3 weeks to pack and re-pack your fishing gear “just so” and you’ll do it several times a week. You are soooo busted!

Well, after working in Baja now for almost a decade and, being on the water sometimes hundreds of times yearly , I can tell you now that we’ve both been busting our collective humps for nothing!

Sure, bring it if you need it and always remember that if you lose it, there’s often no place to get another of those freaky-awesome-propeller-lures with the polka dots and aluminum tinsel skirt. However, one of the joys of fishing the Baja is the mere simplicity of it all! Think about it. When all was said and done, how much did you really use on most trips? Some hooks? A few leads? Maybe a heavy iron to the rocks? (That Leatherman you left in the cantina does not count!). There’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple! Just remember the local kid with the sparkplug and old mono wrapped around a beer can that outfished you on the last trip!

First things first, do a little research. Talk to the fishing fleet operator or person who booked your trip. Read the online boards and keep track of the fishing trends or the regular fishing reports submitted on these pages you’re holding.

What type of fishing are you going to be doing? Live bait? Trolling? Deep jigging? Surf? Bring what you need.

Who are you fishing with? Amigo, if your buddy is bringing 10 rods and you’re bringing 10 rods and each of you has 10 of the same-colored feathers and jigs, you’re only doubling yourself and your boat is gonna look like a porcupine out there and maybe hampering your ablity to move around the boat or fight fish.

More importantly, what type of fish will most LIKELY be biting in the place you’re going to fish and at the time you’re going to be there? I’ve actually had anglers ask me things like, when is the best time of year to catch blue marlin in San Felipe or how many dorado can they expect to catch in Loreto in DECEMBER! In the Baja, I guess anything could happen, but the likelihood of it happening is about like my chances of someday being able to grow more hair on my head! Pack your gear accordingly and I’ll keep my bandana on!

For the most part and under normal circumstances, the following would be my essential Baja quiver if I was going to be fishing on a boat. If you’ve never been down, hopefully, this will give you some ideas. For you Baja vets, you’ve got your own style, but maybe this will give you some ideas to save your back, not to mention the back of the bellman, porter, or skipper who has to help you schlep it all.

OUTFITS:
1 Thirty-pound live-bait outfit
1 Forty –pound live-bait outfit
1 Fifty or Sixty pound meat stick that could be used for trolling or deep jigging
Make sure the line is new and drags are smooth. Shorter beefy rods with quick tapers are probably better than long rods, not only for packing purposes, but more importantly casting distance is not that important (just move the boat!) Further, the shorter stick will give you that backbone you need when that bonito bite turns into a bull dorado; sailfish or yellowtail!

TERMINAL TACKLE:
Again, it depends on what you’re fishing for. I would bring one dark and one light-colored feather (pick your favorite) in sizes to match what you’re fishing for. I would bring 3 casting irons (one medium and two heavies). I’d pack a few crank-type baits like Rapalas, Yo-Zuris or other reputable brand matching the targeted species. Bring an assortment of hooks. I guarantee that you will NOT need 100 of every size for a typical 3 day Baja fishing trip! Same with lead. Be picky. If you’re not doing bottom fishing, there’s no need to bring those 12 oz. torpedo sinkers. Pack a few swivels and a few odds and ends and yes…bring that funky lure that always catches fish no matter what.

ESSENTIALS:

To this, add camera, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, windbreaker, duct tape and plastic bags as well as your travel documents (two copies for safety). You would be surprised how many anglers forget some or all of these things. If you take medications take a few extra days supply.

NOW STOP BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF!

Of course none of this is meant to cover all conditions, odd situations, seasons and species of fish. But, it’s a basic beginning and an END! Remember, these are just the basics, but in most situations, you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck. You’ll tweak it to fit your own style. By all mean, however, don’t forget the freaky-awesome-propeller lure with the polka dots. It might just be the hot jig for the trip. OK, bring two in case you lose one! I gotta go re-arrange my tackle box again. The red lures go here. The chrome ones go there…

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy



FALL TUNA – PUBLISHED AUG. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS

FALL TUNA
You know, there’s nothing quite like a tuna and the feel of that first run as it jams and rips off line racing wherever tuna race to! Pound-for-pound, with perhaps certain members of the jack family (aka yellowtail and their kin), nothing kicks like a tuna! You tuna boyz know EXACTLY what I’m taking about. You KNOW the adrenaline rush! You know that feeling of rod-bending power where the fish is pulling so hard you’re praying on the rail for fear that the force of the fish is literally going to jack you over the side like a ragdoll and you know there’s bruise forming where the gimbal is rammed into your gut! You KNOW that first run that doesn’t stop as you high-stick that puppy and watch the line peel. Dang! Can I have an “AMEN!” Listen, you’ve probably caught that marlin already and you know that the 120 pounder with the pointy face was fun, but (yawn), it was a wussie punk compared to the 40 pound dawg of a yellowfin that just rolled on your bait!

Say what you will about the taste of the meat, but as a fighter and gamefish, the popularity is hard to argue among sports anglers, especially in Baja waters. I mean, there’s a reason that San Diego landings pile up with anglers climbing all over each other when the albacore siren goes off. There’s a reason that long range boys salivate over thoughts of big yellowfin off the Ridge or Mag Bay. Did someone say there’s big paddies off San Quintin? Why do my reservation lines and e-mails suddenly spike and tank-topped anglers tumble out onto Baja airplane runways when the tuna bite is on? Why is the WON Tuna Tournament so popular? This is tuna time, Baby!

Simply put, tuna kick butt. If you’ve never done the tuna tango, ask someone who has! A lot of you S. Cal and SW United States anglers know the beast of which I speak. However, I still get a lot of anglers , especially folks from other regions, who just don’t have any idea what we mean until they actually get bit my “Mr. T.” I’m not even necessarily talking about big tuna or even prime time tuna like yellowfin, bluefin, bigeye or even albacore. What about bonito and skipjack?

Many of you have heard something like the following…

“Sure, you may have caught your 30 pound king salmon on the Kenai in Alaska and high-give for that 5 pound hook-jawed German brown you got in the Rockies that busted your chops on the flyrod, but, amigo…that’s just a 12-pound bonito on the end of your rod and it’s taken you up the rail for 10 minutes already! “ Ah yes…feel the power!

Often, late summer and fall fishing can be spectacular for the yellowfin tuna that roll into Southern Baja waters. These are not to be confused with yellowtail, which are members of the jack family, but rather these are the critters that, along with albacore, often end up in your Chicken-of-the-Sea can and are also known in some places as “ahi,” or “Allison tuna.” Ranging in size from 5 pound “footballs” to 200-300 pound “gorillas,” Baja is a prime world-class destination for catching these sluggers.

There’s any number of methods for catching tuna. Often found as schooling fish, trolling is one of the most common methods of locating fish, especially fast movers. To cover the most area, feathers are regularly used. Many anglers will run their colors with the darker colors at dawn and dusk and the brighter colors during the daytime. Personally, I prefer a different method. I don’t think color makes that much difference (heresy!). I subscribe more to the theory that swimming action, movement and shapes are more important! Therefore, I like to use lures that have heads or actions that cause the jig to pop, shimmy or wiggle. I like to run my darker lures closer into the prop wash to create darker shadows in the white water and my lighter-colored lures outside to catch more reflection off the sun and water. Finding moving porpoise or birds working an area are definitely worth checking out! If I know that fish are “fer shure” in an area, either because of birds and porpoise or just because the area looks promising or I’m lucky enough to have electronics, I won’t wait for the fish to come up! I’ll bring the lures down to the fish using deeper running jigs like lipped-lures, heavy runners and the like, making sure to watch my boat speeds so that the lure “swims” properly.

If I’m bet-the-farm-certain that the fish are around, I’ll slow troll by cranking down the RPM’s on the motor. I like dropping back a live bait, if I have some, like a small mackerel or sardine coupled with the occasional one or two live baits (If I’m using sardines) tossed into the wake. Now-and-then, a small handful also goes over.

One of the lesser known tricks I picked up years ago from one of my skippers when I’m working the cockpit or doing the chumming, is to pop the eye out of the bait before launching it. I know…OK…I’m being mean and all, but by doing this, the bait will flip around on the surface a bit longer in circles generally causing a commotion in the wake rather than quickly jetting off. Can’t tell ya how many times that produced instant boils as the fish fly up to the surface to feed! Once they’re up and boiling and the frenzy is on, pin baits on hooks and get ‘em going!

One of the most effective and often unknown or ignored methods for taking tuna, especially the larger ones, is called “chunking.” The San Diego long rangers have used if for years with devastating effect and it works just as well from your private boat or panga in Baja. Essentially, it consists of taking “chunks” of other fish such as other tuna, bonito, bait fish, junk fish and tossing these cuts into the current…one or two at a time from an anchored or drifting boat.

Another chunk is then hooked and set adrift with the rest of the chunks gently floating and drifting down with the current. Line is continually peeled off a free-spooling reel to keep the baited chunk drifting naturally. The cardinal rule is “Dead bait does not swim!” If your slack line suddenly goes tight and starts “swimming away,” it’s time to slam the reel into gear because someone has your bait in it’s mouth!

In Mexico, my first experience with this technique was watching in somewhat restrained horror as my panga skipper (who now works for me!) took a few handfuls of our precious live sardines (that I had just paid 20 bucks for!) and killed it by tossing it rudely into our plastic bucket to die. To that, he added some of the already dead guys at the bottom of the bait tank. I watched incredulously as he stripped off a bunch of line from my reel into a small pile on the deck and pinned a dead sardine to the hook. As he let the boat drift, he then took all the dead bait and dumped it over the gunwale. Grabbing my hooked bait , the captain tossed it also into the slowly sinking morass of silver slivers and scales. Was this guy nuts? I looked on skeptically as my slack line and bait sank away into the depths with the rest of the mess when suddenly WHAM!!! My line goes tight and my skipper yells, “Reel! Reel!” I kick in the brakes and the rod goes bendo! I look up from the now-straining reel and my skipper just flashes a broad smile and taps the temple of his head knowingly! Ahhhhhhh…chunking! That’s what he was doing! I had done it on long range as a passenger and when I had worked boats. but never ever thought it might be applied to other applications!

Since that time many many years ago, that technique has been responsible for countless tuna. It works especially well when nothing else will. It works when nothing seems to be able to bring the fish to feed on the surface. If I’m guiding, it’s the technique I will most often employ, especially when things slow down.

Being diver and always bringing a mask and snorkel aboard, I’ve had many an opportunity to see how and why this works. I’m no marine biologist or expert on fish behaviour, but this is how I figure it. Fish are like people. No one likes chasing their food around. It’s why we LOVE our buffets! All you can eat right in front of you! It’s nice to have your chow all lined up for you when all you have to do is open your mouth!

I’ve seen some pretty impressive things underwater while fishing like this. As the bait drifts down, it tends to disburse because of current and gravity. The secret is keeping the hooked piece of bait among the other pieces. That’s why we keep the line slack and the reel out of gear to keep the hooked bait drifting naturally. If you let the line tighten the bait ball drifts away. By the same token, if you let your bait drift too long all the bait drifts and falls away as well. Time to start over! However, it’s pretty fascinating watching the tuna feed on these candy chunks! A tuna is a powerful fast fish, but I’ve seen them slowly and lethargically literally swim around the chunks and leisurely slurp up one chunk…then another…then another! Well, surprise! One of those pieces has YOUR hook in it! Often, I have seen the tuna continue to lawnmower through the bait zone even after it has picked up the hooked piece. I’ve caught dozens of tuna and found their stomachs gorged with chunks or whole pieces of bait! That’s why if you’re on the rod and reel and your bait starts swimming away, it’s time to grab your socks and throw the danged reel into gear!

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy



FALL TUNA – PUBLISHED AUG. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS

FALL TUNA
You know, there’s nothing quite like a tuna and the feel of that first run as it jams and rips off line racing wherever tuna race to! Pound-for-pound, with perhaps certain members of the jack family (aka yellowtail and their kin), nothing kicks like a tuna! You tuna boyz know EXACTLY what I’m taking about. You KNOW the adrenaline rush! You know that feeling of rod-bending power where the fish is pulling so hard you’re praying on the rail for fear that the force of the fish is literally going to jack you over the side like a ragdoll and you know there’s bruise forming where the gimbal is rammed into your gut! You KNOW that first run that doesn’t stop as you high-stick that puppy and watch the line peel. Dang! Can I have an “AMEN!” Listen, you’ve probably caught that marlin already and you know that the 120 pounder with the pointy face was fun, but (yawn), it was a wussie punk compared to the 40 pound dawg of a yellowfin that just rolled on your bait!

Say what you will about the taste of the meat, but as a fighter and gamefish, the popularity is hard to argue among sports anglers, especially in Baja waters. I mean, there’s a reason that San Diego landings pile up with anglers climbing all over each other when the albacore siren goes off. There’s a reason that long range boys salivate over thoughts of big yellowfin off the Ridge or Mag Bay. Did someone say there’s big paddies off San Quintin? Why do my reservation lines and e-mails suddenly spike and tank-topped anglers tumble out onto Baja airplane runways when the tuna bite is on? Why is the WON Tuna Tournament so popular? This is tuna time, Baby!

Simply put, tuna kick butt. If you’ve never done the tuna tango, ask someone who has! A lot of you S. Cal and SW United States anglers know the beast of which I speak. However, I still get a lot of anglers , especially folks from other regions, who just don’t have any idea what we mean until they actually get bit my “Mr. T.” I’m not even necessarily talking about big tuna or even prime time tuna like yellowfin, bluefin, bigeye or even albacore. What about bonito and skipjack?

Many of you have heard something like the following…

“Sure, you may have caught your 30 pound king salmon on the Kenai in Alaska and high-give for that 5 pound hook-jawed German brown you got in the Rockies that busted your chops on the flyrod, but, amigo…that’s just a 12-pound bonito on the end of your rod and it’s taken you up the rail for 10 minutes already! “ Ah yes…feel the power!

Often, late summer and fall fishing can be spectacular for the yellowfin tuna that roll into Southern Baja waters. These are not to be confused with yellowtail, which are members of the jack family, but rather these are the critters that, along with albacore, often end up in your Chicken-of-the-Sea can and are also known in some places as “ahi,” or “Allison tuna.” Ranging in size from 5 pound “footballs” to 200-300 pound “gorillas,” Baja is a prime world-class destination for catching these sluggers.

There’s any number of methods for catching tuna. Often found as schooling fish, trolling is one of the most common methods of locating fish, especially fast movers. To cover the most area, feathers are regularly used. Many anglers will run their colors with the darker colors at dawn and dusk and the brighter colors during the daytime. Personally, I prefer a different method. I don’t think color makes that much difference (heresy!). I subscribe more to the theory that swimming action, movement and shapes are more important! Therefore, I like to use lures that have heads or actions that cause the jig to pop, shimmy or wiggle. I like to run my darker lures closer into the prop wash to create darker shadows in the white water and my lighter-colored lures outside to catch more reflection off the sun and water. Finding moving porpoise or birds working an area are definitely worth checking out! If I know that fish are “fer shure” in an area, either because of birds and porpoise or just because the area looks promising or I’m lucky enough to have electronics, I won’t wait for the fish to come up! I’ll bring the lures down to the fish using deeper running jigs like lipped-lures, heavy runners and the like, making sure to watch my boat speeds so that the lure “swims” properly.

If I’m bet-the-farm-certain that the fish are around, I’ll slow troll by cranking down the RPM’s on the motor. I like dropping back a live bait, if I have some, like a small mackerel or sardine coupled with the occasional one or two live baits (If I’m using sardines) tossed into the wake. Now-and-then, a small handful also goes over.

One of the lesser known tricks I picked up years ago from one of my skippers when I’m working the cockpit or doing the chumming, is to pop the eye out of the bait before launching it. I know…OK…I’m being mean and all, but by doing this, the bait will flip around on the surface a bit longer in circles generally causing a commotion in the wake rather than quickly jetting off. Can’t tell ya how many times that produced instant boils as the fish fly up to the surface to feed! Once they’re up and boiling and the frenzy is on, pin baits on hooks and get ‘em going!

One of the most effective and often unknown or ignored methods for taking tuna, especially the larger ones, is called “chunking.” The San Diego long rangers have used if for years with devastating effect and it works just as well from your private boat or panga in Baja. Essentially, it consists of taking “chunks” of other fish such as other tuna, bonito, bait fish, junk fish and tossing these cuts into the current…one or two at a time from an anchored or drifting boat.

Another chunk is then hooked and set adrift with the rest of the chunks gently floating and drifting down with the current. Line is continually peeled off a free-spooling reel to keep the baited chunk drifting naturally. The cardinal rule is “Dead bait does not swim!” If your slack line suddenly goes tight and starts “swimming away,” it’s time to slam the reel into gear because someone has your bait in it’s mouth!

In Mexico, my first experience with this technique was watching in somewhat restrained horror as my panga skipper (who now works for me!) took a few handfuls of our precious live sardines (that I had just paid 20 bucks for!) and killed it by tossing it rudely into our plastic bucket to die. To that, he added some of the already dead guys at the bottom of the bait tank. I watched incredulously as he stripped off a bunch of line from my reel into a small pile on the deck and pinned a dead sardine to the hook. As he let the boat drift, he then took all the dead bait and dumped it over the gunwale. Grabbing my hooked bait , the captain tossed it also into the slowly sinking morass of silver slivers and scales. Was this guy nuts? I looked on skeptically as my slack line and bait sank away into the depths with the rest of the mess when suddenly WHAM!!! My line goes tight and my skipper yells, “Reel! Reel!” I kick in the brakes and the rod goes bendo! I look up from the now-straining reel and my skipper just flashes a broad smile and taps the temple of his head knowingly! Ahhhhhhh…chunking! That’s what he was doing! I had done it on long range as a passenger and when I had worked boats. but never ever thought it might be applied to other applications!

Since that time many many years ago, that technique has been responsible for countless tuna. It works especially well when nothing else will. It works when nothing seems to be able to bring the fish to feed on the surface. If I’m guiding, it’s the technique I will most often employ, especially when things slow down.

Being diver and always bringing a mask and snorkel aboard, I’ve had many an opportunity to see how and why this works. I’m no marine biologist or expert on fish behaviour, but this is how I figure it. Fish are like people. No one likes chasing their food around. It’s why we LOVE our buffets! All you can eat right in front of you! It’s nice to have your chow all lined up for you when all you have to do is open your mouth!

I’ve seen some pretty impressive things underwater while fishing like this. As the bait drifts down, it tends to disburse because of current and gravity. The secret is keeping the hooked piece of bait among the other pieces. That’s why we keep the line slack and the reel out of gear to keep the hooked bait drifting naturally. If you let the line tighten the bait ball drifts away. By the same token, if you let your bait drift too long all the bait drifts and falls away as well. Time to start over! However, it’s pretty fascinating watching the tuna feed on these candy chunks! A tuna is a powerful fast fish, but I’ve seen them slowly and lethargically literally swim around the chunks and leisurely slurp up one chunk…then another…then another! Well, surprise! One of those pieces has YOUR hook in it! Often, I have seen the tuna continue to lawnmower through the bait zone even after it has picked up the hooked piece. I’ve caught dozens of tuna and found their stomachs gorged with chunks or whole pieces of bait! That’s why if you’re on the rod and reel and your bait starts swimming away, it’s time to grab your socks and throw the danged reel into gear!

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

DON’ PUT AWAY RODS – PUBLISHED AUG. 2004 – WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS

FALL FISHING IS NO TIME TO PUT AWAY RODS!


Well, I guess the trolling rotation has come around and I’m up and putting my best colors out for the team and into the prop wash! Hope it’s long and productive for all of us!

It seems that just when we were finally getting used to the summer bite around Baja and trying to figure it all out, fall is here. While I’m sure a lot of you might be thinking more about new school clothes for the kids and football in the states, don’t miss out on what’s happening south of the border!

Even when I was in California and working boats up north, it never surprised me that just about the time everyone was putting out the last embers of that Labor Day barbecue, they were also stashing their rods and reels too! Take a look at the counts at your local landing sometime. It’s like the numbers of anglers fall off the edge of the planet! It seems that some folks think that the fish just roll off the chew and stop biting once summer is over! I notice that even moreso here in Baja. With the exception of some weeks when the big tournaments rumble into Cabo and the East Cape, things get a bit ghostly at times! But re-think that! Fish aren’t reading any calendars…at least not the type you and I hang up on our refrigerators! On the contrary, fall fishing can be some of the best fishing of the season. I mean…there MUST be a reason that all the big money tournaments by Western Outdoor News, Bisbeees, Gold Cup, etc. are held in the fall!

But, it’s not just the well-know spots like Cabo and the East Cape! From the Pacific border of Esenada to San Quintin and south. And on the gulf side from Rosalia to La Paz and all the little pueblitos, bahias, puntas and playas in between, the fall is ripe for some outstanding fishing! Even before I set up my operation in Baja, I would always set out my calendar and chart up all the spots I was going to fish during the coming year. I would ALWAYS circle September or October in Baja and make at least one or two trips. The hardcore boys and Baja vets know what I’m talking about!

There’s a few reasons that the fall months can be especially good for you:

First, chances are, it’s gonna be a little cooler than in the summer. It can still be hot and there could still be bouts of humidity, but generally speaking, you’re not looking at the blazes of July toasting your coconut.

Second, again generally speaking, the summer storms are over, especially the deeper you go into the fall. Waters can be just as warm as summer without the air heat as well as clear and flat…just perfect for spotting those tuna boils 100 yards away; that kelp paddy up swell; or those finning dorado or tailing marlin! As well, water visibility can be incredible for getting bait, or if you’re a diver or spearfisher, for some awesome underwater activities.

Third, crowds are gone. Absent showing up right in the middle of Cabo’s Squid Roe during a tournament, many of the summer crowds are gone. Pick your spots. You could be the ONLY person on the beach or the only panga on the honey hole! Smaller crowds translate to less fishing traffic hammering the fish. Baja has more than 2000 miles of coastline so there’s a lot of choices without having to bang elbows and combat fish with 20 other boats on the same meter mark! Fish still have to eat. You might as well be the person to feed ‘em and drag a lure across their faces or drop a bait on their heads!

Fourth, prices seem to go down. Air rates often drop after Labor Day although they could , of course, be higher during tournament dates or to popular locations. Same with hotel rooms, in that there are some deals and packages to be had if you look around. Hotels want heads-on-beds! If you’re driving the Baja, look for less tourism traffic near the border as well as along the Transpeninsular. Hotels will have better vacancies. . Gas availability will generally be better. If you stay away from driving during holidays, you also tend to get fewer cargo trucks and local traffic as well.

There’s a few caveats, no doubt. Like all places near the ocean or involving ocean activities, I speak only in generalities because things can and do change. The deeper you go into the fall, the greater the chances the winds will come up and start rolling out’ve the north. This is especially true inside the Sea of Cortez. If you start looking too deeply into say…November, fishing could change drastically in terms of species and weather. Where I am in La Paz, winds could start shifting in late October. Same for the East Cape. Loreto and points north could get winds even earlier. Or not! Also, book as far in advance as possible to get the best rates and availabilities and if at all possible…Do NOT travel on Sundays! Everyone wants to go places on Sundays (like back to work the next day!) and it’s traditionally the most crowded and most expensive time to travel.

Just some food for thought, amigos. Fall is a great time for the Baja!

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July 3, 2006 by riplipboy

WINTER TACKLE TWITCHING – Published Dec. 2004 – Western Outdoor News Dec. 2004

WINTER TACKLE TWITCHING

I’m a professional fishing and diving guide in Baja, Mexico. I’m used to being in HOT weather., but as I’m here in the states at the moment on business, I”ve got a jacket and my wool boots on. Yes, it’s winter and off-season for fishing. I’m sorting through all the thousands of fishing photos I accumulate all season and keeping fishing videos playing on the TV in the background, jumping every time the clicker sounds off on a fishing reel.

So what now?

First things first, it’s a good time to go over your gear. Check what you lost and replace what you busted. Don’t wait until the fishing reports are starting to rage in the spring or summer and everyone and their brother starts to scramble. Sure, there’s the holidays and relatives and those unbeatable underwear sales after Christmas, but a little forethought goes a long way right now.

Check your rods for nicks in the guides that can shred line at the worst possible time. Get those replaced or re-wrapped. Finally give your rods a proper cold water and soap wash, then lightly spray and wipe with WD-40 that will give it a nice sheen again and help remove some of the minor dings. Store them covered or at least standing straight up or straight across in an un-stressed position. Make mental note to return the rods you borrowed, especially your neighbor’s classic Sabre rod you’ve now had for 2 seasons. Resist the temptation to wave your rod in the air like a sword when no one is looking. Kick gravel in driveway as you realize there was no warranty on that $29 swap meet rod you broke on that barracuda. Curse yourself for spending so much money and the vendor who “ripped me off, man!”

Take a look at your reels. Bust a lot of tuna or yellowtail this season? Go hand-to-fin with a marlin or two? Get rid of all the old line. Check the drags. Replace them if necessary. Take the reels to a shop and have a full maintenance done on them. Again, a nice light coat of WD-40 helps to buff them up. Don’t put line on them until you’re ready to fishing again so that the line doesn’t retain memory and go stiff on you. Mentally remind yourself that this is what you’re going to say when you return the borrowed reels with no line on them to your brother-in-law.

Terminal tackle? This is the fun part. We call it “tackle twitching!” You know what I’m talking about. This is where you plant yourself in front of your TV during football games and spread everything out on the floor. Even if you’re in your boxers put some shoes on so you don’t impale your foot on a hook! You then sort and re-sort all the red lures, chrome jigs, half-ounce egg sinkers and every single hook over and over and over again into their neat little compartments and make mental notes on what to replace. You take out the feather and trolling lures and you make them “swim” through the air making “whooshie” noises as you envision some sea critter attacking it in a froth of foam. You take all the rusty stuff and put them in a “special” container. You know darned well that you might just need that $2 rusty hook again sometime so you add it to the thousands of “vital” rusty hooks you’ve accumulated over the past 10 years. You also make a bold mental note that you now MUST visit the tackle store which now takes on the importance of say . . .attending your daughter’s graduation! You also make mental notes as to what fishing trade shows you must NOW attend in order to get the best deals and how you’re going to justify all this to your significant-other under the guise of “saving money in the long-run!”

Oh, by the way. . .check your freezer! Remember all that albacore you absolutely HAD to fillet for canning, smoking and giving away to your brother-in-law, the gardner, neighbor and mailman? Forget it. That was 4 months ago. The foil-wrapped/ zip-locked plastic bags in cold storage are so freezer burned that the only thing you can do is steam it for the cat. Make another mental note to release more fish this year. Uncle Joe can catch his own fish!

Take out all your fishing magazines from the pile in the bathroom library. That’s right. .. the one on top of the clothes hamper. Stack them by region and dates, freshwater and saltwater. Remind yourself that this is the year you make a real FILE system for these. Throw away anything dated more than 3 years. Make a mental note not to let so much steam from the shower ruin the great photos. Re-read several articles about that new Mexican resort you’ve always wanted to try. Drool at the pictures of big tuna and dorado. Imagine the warmth of hot sand under your bare feet and salivate at the thought of an icy Pacifico exploding at the back of your throat. Start to cut out advertisements reminding yourself to call and check on prices. Spread map on floor while sitting in your boxers. Put t-shirt on and watch that fishing video again. You start to make a mental list of your fishing chums who will stop whatever they are doing to go with you. How much vacation time do you have? Can you invite the boss? Hmmmm. .. some of the guys wanted to make this a “couples trip” this year. “NO!!!” you scream from the depths of your brain as the testosterone levels rise like a billfish to the bait. “That’s what Vegas is for!”

It never hurts to dream! Best fishes to you and yours for the coming year and season!

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