That&#039;s My Story

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-53311

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

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

ALL FORKED UP

Posted in airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charters, chubasco, circle hooks, crankbait, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, history, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricane, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, storm, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, waterspouts, weather, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, bahia magdalena, baja, bay, beach, billfish, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, Cerralvo Island, charter, costa baja resort, deep sea, deep water, discount, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, Fishing lures, fishing reports, fishing shows, fishing tips, fishing videos, flyfishing, grey whales, guide, holiday, Hotel Blue, hotel perla, hotels, hunting shows, hurricanes, igfa, inshore, international, International Game Fish Association, jack crevalle, jill roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, la concha beach resort, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, lodging, los barrels, mahi mahi, marlin, offshore, outfitter, packages, panga, pargo, pompano, rooster fish, roosters, sailfish, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, shallow water, snapper, snorkel, sport fishing, swim, swimming, tailhunter, Tailhunter International, tailhunter restaurant, todos santos, tour, travel, trolling, tuna, vacation, wahoo, weather, whale sharks, whales, wife, women, world records, yellowfin, yellowtail on November 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The tough-fighting, great-eating dorado or mahi-mahi

It’s a treat when visiting Mexico to have your own fresh-caught fish cooked up. But, is that fish ALWAYS a legal fish to be eating?

ALL FORKED UP

Originally Published the Week of Nov. 23, 2016 in Western Outdoor News

One of the great rewards of being down here in Baja and doing what we do is turning folks on to new experiences. For many, it could be the first time out’ve the country…or the first time to Mexico.

For others, maybe it’s the first time fishing; going snorkeling; or seeing dolphin. There are so many things that we take for granted. If you’re a regular reader of my columns, we don’t even think twice about so many of them.

For example, this past season, we had a wonderful large family come visit. As I put them on the fishing boats in the morning, one of the nice ladies told me, “This is our first time seeing the ocean!”

Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

They had never seen the ocean! It was like the time a few years ago when my dad told he had “…never seen the orginal Star Wars movie or any Star Wars movies.” Everyone has seen the ocean. Everyone has seen Star Wars! Haven’t they?

Never seen the ocean.

Wrap your brain around that for a moment. Think what it might have felt like climbing into a relatively little fishing panga at sunrise to go fishing and all the things that might be going through their minds.

Probably like Columbus headed west across the ocean with a lot of faith that he’d be coming back.

The questions the family asked me started making sense.

“Will it be deep?”

“How big will the waves be?”

“Is this an ‘ocean’ or a ‘sea?’

“What if a shark wants to jump in the boat?” (One of the kids asked that one…which drew some nervous laughs from the rest of the family!)

Happily, they put on brave faces and stout hearts and went out about 200 yards and came back with big smiles and lots of fish and stories to tell to the folks back in the Midwest.

One of the other great experiences…a treat for us Baja rats, but eye-opening to newbies is having your fresh caught fish cooked up for you.

Having our own restaurant puts us at ground zero when it comes to visitors eating fresh fish and especially their own catch.

As I often tell folks contentedly telling me about the great fish dinner, , “Nothing better or fresher than fish that was swimming around this morning!”

And it’s true.

Real? Fresh? Fish? Folks are blown away to find out that fish that has never been frozen, canned, shipped, transporated or processed can taste so much better when prepared and eaten straight away.

Whether it’s plated up as tacos, grilled, broiled, fried…or whatever…then served up Baja style with fresh tortillas, frijoles ,rice, some home-made salsas or sauces…Well, fewer things are better and surely a highlight of your Baja visit.

But, there’s a few things you should know about restaurant fish in Baja.

Almost any restaurant will be happy to cook up your fish. Speaking from experience, it’s a lot easier if YOU have already cleaned it.

Having you show up with 5 big pargo or 3 tuna straight out’ve your ice chest that still need to be cleaned is gonna take awhile. The restaurant might not be equipped to actually clean and dress out a fish for you. They might not know how!

Also, if the restaurant is in a rush and busy, it’s hard to pull one of the kitchen staff off his station and have him clear a spot just to clean fish. Many restaurants don’t have a “fish cleaning” station per se.

But, that aside, by all means, bring in your fish. Any and all fish are welcome!

What many folks don’t know is that there are some fish that are prohibited from being on a restaurant menu here in Baja. Two of the most common fish that come to mind are dorado (Mahi-mahi) and roosterfish. Also, totuava.

All 3 of those species are prohibited from commercial fishing. So, by law, a restaurant can certainly prepare YOUR fish that YOU caught and brought (Totuava is completely endangered and prohibited). However, that restaurant cannot legally purchase species like roosterfish or dorado and sell them to you or anyone from on our menu.

Restaurants are only allowed to sell “commercially” legal fish. To date, roosterfish and dorado are solely for “sportfishing” purposes. That means YOU with your hook and line . Roosterfish and dorado are prohibited from commercial harvesting.

Likewise, the restaurant can cook YOUR dorado or roosterfish, but it cannot legally purchase that fish from you (because it was sport caught) or from a commercial business. So, chances are, if you see roosterfish, dorado or totuava on a Mexican menu, it probably shouldn’t be there.

There are several reasons for this.

For one, there’s certainly the ecological impact commercial fishing would have on these species. Commerical and sportfishing pretty much wiped-out the tasty totuava population years ago.

The Mexican government…so far…has recognized that roosterfish and dorado are extremely important to the tourism/fishing industry and are a valuable resource. Translated, that means, they are worth a lot of tourist dollars. They don’t want it going the way of totuava.

There’s also the health issues.

From the perspective of a restaurant, purchasing fish from a non-regulated source like from a fisherman or from illegal harvesting could pose a health fish. Simply, in the chain-of-handling, there’s no way to know that the fish is safe to eat.

There’s no assurances (as far as that goes) to quality-control and inspection. Was it taken legally and correctly harvested and within the size and weight limited specified by law? No way to be certain.

Eat fish. Eat YOUR fish. Eat fresh fish on the menu too. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask what kind of fish you’re eating or raise an eyebrow if you see something wrong on the menu.

That’s my story!

Jonathan signature

Jonathan

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

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR Top 5 – Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-53311

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

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

“CALL OF DUTY SURPRISE”

Posted in airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, chubasco, circle hooks, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged bahia, bahia magdalena, baja, bay, beaches, blog, Cabo San Lucas, charter, children, day tour, day trip, deep sea, discount, east cape, eco tour, el sargento, family, fish, Fishing, freediving, girl, grey whales, guide, holiday, images, inshore, isla, island, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kayak, kids, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, los barriles, mexican, mexico, muertos, offshore, outfitter, packages, paddleboard, panga, photos, reports, salt water, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea of cortez, sealions, snorkel, sportfishing, suenos, swimming, tackle, techniques, tips, tour, vacation, western outdoor news, whale sharks, whale watching, whales, wife on February 9, 2015| Leave a Comment »

CALL of DUTY SURPRISE

Originally published the week of Jan. 22, 2015 in Western Outdoor News

There are certain things you do in any job that get tagged “Grin and Bear It.” They are the things you MUST do because it’s part of the job and, as much as you’d rather be elsewhere, you at least have to look like you’re enjoying yourself.

Whether you’re a big-time executive…a parent…drive a truck…fly rocket ships, etc., there are those parts of your week that can’t be avoided.

Like having to get dressed up to go to a relative’s house for a holiday and “make nice” when you really want to just sit on the couch in your own home and your saggy sweats and watch the big football game.

In our business, we label them C.O.D. Days…”Call of duty.”

For that that could mean waiting up past midnight for clients that have a delayed flight that doesn’t come in until after midnight.

Or hunting around at the last minute for (a) sunscreen (b) hat (c) fishing license (d) cell phone (e) all of the above. Because the client (a) lost (b) forgot (c) never had the thing in the first place.

Y’know. Stuff like that. A “Call of Duty” event.

It was like that the first time I got tabbed to go whale watching. I knew it was a cool event but one of our other guides had a family emergency and, at the time, I was low man. You know what they say about things flowing downhill.

It was going to be all day. I didn’t think it would be that eventful. I wasn’t looking forward to driving 3 hours from La Paz to Bahia Magdalena and 3 hours back. Having to make small talk all day. And, I had seen whales before elsewhere. No big whoop-dee-doo.

As it turned out, it was me that was the doofus. It turned out to be almost a life-changing event.

The clients were pleasant, lively, conversational and fun! That always helps on a fun drive through the dessert to Bahia Magdalena that starts in the dark at 6 a.m.

The drive takes 3 hours, but there’s a great stop for a huge Mexican breakfast of huevos rancheros with chunks of grilled beef, fresh tortillas, toast, chilaquiles (breakfast nachos) fresh juice and hot coffee to kick off the day. Any other day, I’d have wanted to take a siesta after a breakfast like that.

When we arrived at the Bay, I was surprised how many people were there. Families…tour groups…school kids…It was quite an enterprise. I bit like a Disneyland atmosphere rife with excitement and anticipation and groups lined up then boarded pangas to head out onto the bay.

It was quite an amusing production line! Boats came back and unloaded one group and another group would board.

Given how much each person paid to go out and with 6-10 persons in each panga, these panga captains were doing banner business. Good for them. Most were hard-scrabble commercial captains and the income for the three months of whale watching season from January to March is welcome.

It’s amazing how things have changed. Several centuries ago, grey whales were almost hunted to extinction. But, as with so many things, if you can label it “eco tourism” and make a living at it, the winds of capitalism blow favorably.

Again, good for them. Win-win for all! Especially the whales!

From where we were on the land, the bay is extremely narrow and occasionally, whales could be seen breaching not far away as folks oo’d and ahh’d from the beach and pointed.

We boarded our own panga with about ½ a dozen other folks. Having been on other whale watch tours before, I hoped we would MAYBE see one or two and go off chasing them around with everyone trying to get a glimpsing or photos.

Not this time!

Within minutes we were in the calm waters of the bay having our first “interaction.” A mom and her calf. The mom stayed about 20 yards off our starboard but the calf…all 15 feet of it…seemed curious.

Our captain suggested we all splash our hands in the water. Little by little, the baby got closer . Until…it was right next to the boat.

Eager hands reached out to touch the “little guy.” It seemed eager itself and seemed to enjoy being petted. Cameras whirled and clicked. Video cameras jockeyed for position. People laughed and smiled.

I did the same. For a brief moment, it’s eye came out and looked at us and I reached out and gave it a rub! I pulled back laughing as if doing something I wasn’t supposed to do. Like getting caught with the cookies.

And everyone laughed. And it seemed to wink then moved along the side of the panga as if asking everyone to “rub me more.”

It blew a misty flume of water that showered everyone and had everyone ducking with laughter and covering their cameras. And the baby moved away under mom’s wing. “That’s enough playtime with the funny creatures in the boat, Junior.”

That day, I think I counted more than 40 whales. I would touch at least 4 or 5 and most whales were within a few yards of us all day.

One would leave and two would pop up. We’d see others glide beneath us or others spy-hopping (holding vertically in the water to see what’s going on!).

It turned out to be an amazing day.

After a few hours we returned to shore to a huge shrimp and lobster lunch that again had me wishing for a hammock siesta, but the long drive back kept me smiling. The clients were passed out behind me asleep.

The whales are here in Baja until mid-March or so. It’s the longest migration of any animal on earth as they come from the Bering Sea each year to the calm lagoons of Baja to give birth and mate. Give it a try!

That’s our story!

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Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:

“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.”

“South of the Border…a Little Nip…Tuck…and Troll”

Posted in airlines, aquaculture, bahia de los muertos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, chubasco, circle hooks, Dehydration, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, green, Heat stroke, highway, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged accommodations, airport, amberjack, bahia, bahia magdalena, baja, baja sur, bay, beach swimming snorkeling, billfish, blog, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, cerralavo, charter, children, day tour, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tour, el sargento, fish, Fishing, flights, flyfishing, freediving, girl, gray while, grey whale, guide, holidays, hotel, igfa, images, inshore, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, liso, live bait, los barriles, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos, offshore, outfiter, packages, panga, pargo, photos, pompano, report, roosterfish, sailfish, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea of cortez, sierra, snapper, snorkel, sportfishing, suenos, tackle, tips, trips, troll, tuna, vacations, video, wahoo, weather, western outdoor news, western outdoors, whale, whaleshark, whalewatching, wife, yellowtail on January 19, 2015| Leave a Comment »

For your next vacation…perhaps a little fishing and some grill work or a facelift?

SOUTH OF THE BORDER..a LITTLE NIP…TUCK…and TROLL!

Originally Published the Week of January 22, 2015 in Western Outdoor News

Tourists cross the border to Baja for any number of reasons. There’s the food. There’s shopping. There’s the great beaches and hotels. And, if you’re reading this column, well, of course there’s the fantastic fishing.

But, there’s another side of tourism that doesn’t get talked about a lot. It often goes unreported, but more than 700,000 foreigners, mostly Americans and Canadians go to Baja for medical treatment every year.

Some are fairly routine.

“I bring my family here to fish every year,” explained Wilson, one of our clients at Tailhunters in La Paz. “But we also get our teeth cleaned too,” he added with a grin. “ It costs me $150 dollars just for my kids back home, but here in Baja, it runs us only about $20 each!”

Josh, from California, spends several weeks in Baja each year. “There’s a terrific Chinese acupuncturist in La Paz who helps me with some nerve and muscle damage I have from Viet Nam. Compared to back in California, I can go several times a week in Mexico.”

Others are a bit more urgent.

Over my almost twenty years working in Baja, I’ve had clients come to have surgery for a torn rotator cuff; carpal tunnel syndrome; hip repair and knee surgery. To most, they’ve told me the care was great, but moreso, the costs were a fraction of what they had expected to pay back home.

In some cases, there were emergencies. There’s not too much worse than getting hurt while on a vacation.

Of course, there’s the usual…hooks-in-fingers…allergic reactions to bug bites…jellyfish stings…cuts…scrapes…dehydration…heat stroke.

But, in some cases, treatment was critical. A client who got a little too much margarita jumped into the shallow end of the pool. He went head-first and broke his neck. There have been several acute appendectomie and a broken bone or two (alcohol involved!).

In all cases, treatment was fast, quick, competent and especially in the emergency cases, surprisingly good and cheap.

John had an emergency root canal in the middle of his fishing trip. “It was incredible. The dentist spoke English and the facilities were as modern as any I’ve ever seen. It would have cost me thousands back in Los Angeles with our family dentist.”

Ralph’s side pain in the middle of the night turned into appendicitis and he was rushed to surgery.

“I got a private room for almost a week. Great nurses. Doctors who spoke pretty good English. They even called my family doctor to check on me and they had the hospital commissary make American food for me. “

He added, “At the end, when they gave me the bill they apologized that it was so high. I couldn’t believe it. Laughable. It was so low, I used my credit card and felt like I should have put a tip on it! Easily 10,000 dollars more at home in Utah.”

Other treatment, while perhaps not so urgent, to some is even more important. Baja is quite a center for cosmetic surgery as well. A nip…a tuck…a bigger/ smaller boob…a bit of lipsuction on the love handles.

Indeed, some of the cosmetic surgery clinics advertise “vacation packages” that include hotel and other amenities. You have a little work done under the radar. Recover quietly in sunny Baja. You return with a certain “glow” and no one is the wiser!

Like anywhere else, there’s good and bad practitioners. But, I’ve personally always had great care. Many of the doctors I’ve met and a good number of dentists actually received their training in the United States.

However, I always suggest asking around. If a doctor’s place looks like it’s down a back alley and has folding chairs, it’s probably not a good gamble. I won’t kid you that fraud is rampant and there’s guys out there that literally purchased their diplomas to hang on the walls.

But the good professionals have a track record and grow. Their professionalism in appearance is usually a good indicator of their abilities.

There are still some “doctors” who plant themselves next to pharmacies in little hole-in-the-wall offices. They are literally sitting at a folding table. You walk in or walk up.

There might be a hallway of folding chairs each with someone who wants to tell the doctor their problem. The line moves fast. There’s no medical history taken. No temperatures taken. No names given.

Pay 5 bucks or whatever the going rate is . Tell the “doctor” what’s wrong. No real diagnosis. He just tells you what drug he thinks will help. He writes you a “prescription” for the pharmacy next door. Off you go. Next in line “por favor.”

Hopefully, you’ll never need any emergency care on a vacation, but especially with growing medical costs, Mexico is a viable alternative for many people.

A little fishing…a little sunshine…a margarita…While you’re there, suck some fat. Grow your boobs. Cap some teeth. More folks do it than you might think. Multi-tasking Baja style!

That’s our story!

Jonathan

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______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

GREAT TIME TO VISIT

Posted in airlines, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, chubasco, circle hooks, donations, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, farm-raised, fish, fish farming, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing hooks, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, Heat stroke, highway, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, storms, suitcases, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged accommodations, amberjack, bahia, bahia magdalena, bay, beach, billfish, blog, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, camping, catch and release, cerralvo, certified, children, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, Fishing, flyfishing, freediving, girl, guide, holiday, hotel, igfa, images, inshore, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kayak, kids, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, lodging, los barriles, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos, offshore, outfitter, packages, paddle board, panga, pargo, photos, pompano, report, reports, roosterfish, roosterfish foundation, sailfish, san jose del cabo, scale, scuba, sea of cortez, sierra, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing, suenos, Tailhunter International, techniques, tips, tour, travel, trip, trolling, tuna, vacation, video, wahoo, wife, world record, yellowtail on November 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

This time of year is a good time to find your own little beach…and maybe something else too!

A GOOD TIME TO VISIT

Originally Published the Week of Nov. 25, 2014 in Western Outdoor News

I have an usual method to measure the “ changing-of-the-seasons” here in La Paz. My sure-fire way to know that the warm-weather tourist season has ended is goofy, but simple.

I walk outside our Tailhunter Restaurant and use the street as my measuring device.

For about 8 months of the year, getting across our main street from one side to the other is an exercise in agility, patience and frustration. The long straight “malecon” that runs along the ocean-front of our city is like a mini-dragstrip. Perfect for parades. Perfect for marches. Perfect to see how fast your car accelerates.

And that’s what it’s like getting across the street. No one stops. Pedestrians beware. Cars have the right-of-way. That’s the unwritten law most of the year. There’s two kinds of folks…the” quick” and the “quicker.”

Then, about now, it changes.

The shadows get longer as the sun rises and sets at a lower angle. The bay gets breezier. And, for some reason, people…and drivers slow down. In fact, there’s just less people. And using my “measuring stick” of a street, I can cross at leisure. As many times as I want. I can even stand in the middle of the street and take photos. Ho-hum…

Where’d everyone go?

About this time, except for the influx of snow-birds, tourism just kinda slows down. There will be a spike for the holidays like Christmas, but for many areas, from November to March, Baja changes from the “land of mañana” to “the land of maybe not even mañana…maybe the -day-after-manana.”

But, it’s a great time to come down.

Depending on your perspective, winter is Baja is either warmer or cooler!

It’s surely cooler than April to October when the legendary Baja heat sends visitors cranking on their hotel air-conditioning units or spending their waking hours at the poolside swim-up bar. Humidity is nil. Daytime air temps in the 60-80’s are more the norm. You night even use a blanket at night. It might actually be a good idea to pack a pair of jeans or slacks and a sweatshirt! Some areas of Baja actually get “cold” by Baja standards and frost is not uncommon and you’ll see us locals in down jackets and watch caps.

Conversely, if you’re from say…the Pacific Northwest…Canada…the East Coast…you’ll find the winter months to be head-and-shoulders over shoveling snow or drying out from rain.

You’ll get a grin watching us residents “bundle up” while you saunter down the marina or beach in shorts and send Instagram selfies to your envious neighbors back home while holding icy margaritas. Bargaining for silver jewelry for your wife beats crawling under your car to put on snow chains.

Further, as I alluded to above, crowds are down.

Be the only ones in a restaurant. The hotel staff call you by name. The bartender remembers your favorite drink. No lines for attractions.

Actually find a beach where you’re not dodging beach balls or forced to listen to someone else’s obnoxious boom box. Walk downtown and around town and sit and watch and listen, immerse and discover without a time-share or t-shirt sale dogging your every move.

If you plan to fish, winter-time fishing might put a whole different spin on Baja fishing for you. Cooler waters and perhaps windier conditions might predicate completely different types of fishing for you. Winter or inshore species you hadn’t considered like yellowtail, pargo, cabrilla, amberjack and others will surprise you. Shoreline fishing and beach fishing can produce sierra, rooster fish, jack crevalle and pompano and perch.

And there’s a good chance the waters won’t be crowded and the shorelines will be deserted!

And there’s that aspect again…just not many folks around.

And that’s good. There’s opportunities for bargains and deals. Taxi drivers need fares! Negotiate to have a personal driver for all your days. Or negotiate for a better deal with the rental car agents who all work on commissions.

Restaurants, eager for patrons have deals on drinks and food. Many of the smaller hotels, and oftentimes the most charming, will often negotiate as well, especially if it’s off-line and person-to-person. Ask for a deal on an extra night or two! All they can say is “no.”

Same with tourist vendors. Alway wanted to try snorkeling? Want to do that glass-bottom boat thing? Want some horseback riding or try that off-road ATV? Ask for a deal. Winter is the perfect time.

Bottom line is that often you’ll see a whole different side of Baja and Mexico during the winter months. Even for frequent visitors who usually only show up during the peak warmer months, they find a completely different complexion to their favorite Baja locations this time of year. For many it becomes a favorite. And a hidden secret they sometimes aren’t eager to share lest the crowds come back!

That’s our story!

_______________

______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:

“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.”

A DEARTH of ‘DINES

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NO MAS????

A DEARTH of ‘DINES

Originally Published the Week of May 27, 2014 in Western Outdoor News

It’s an early Baja morning and the sun was just starting to light up with golden blue hues against the western horizon. The heat would soon follow, but for now, the dawn was still freshly-tinged with the salty residue of the retreating night.

It is early enough that skippers and anglers alike still hunched shoulders in windbreakers and sweatshirts against the nippy breeze and spray knowing full-well that the sun would soon throw open the furnace blast of another Mexican day. But, there was no hiding the anxious anticipation of another grand fishing day in the Sea of Cortez.

The panga motored as quietly as possible into the little rocky cove. Several other pangas were already up against the craggy shoreline of the island. In the bows, a skipper or assistant could be seen with cast nets draped over shoulders and squinting sunglassed-covered eyes into the shallow waters.

The captain of this particular launch cut the motor and drifted toward a little warren of rocks. He jumped lightly forward to the prow. Readied his net and with a circular fling; expertly tossed the cast net into the air where it hung; pancaked open; and fell flatly into the waters.

As the captains pulled the drawstring of the net enclosing the snare and drew it towards the waiting panga and anxious anglers, something appeared wrong. Usually, the “pull” of the net would be evidenced by some bit of strain and effort by the captain.

But, he pulled the net effortlessly up.

Normally, with a grunt, the skipper would heave the bulging net up-and-over above the live bait well and with another pull a “zillion trillion” thrashing, splashing, struggling dark-backed sardines (‘dines) would tumble en masse into the waiting waters of the bait tank.

Two or three quick tosses more and the panga would be loaded. Then it would be a sprint to the fishing grounds heavily bulging with hook-sized bait and high on anticipation for another day of bent-rods and bloody decks.

But, this time there was no grunt-and-heave. The net came up virtually empty. Four mini-sardines…FOUR…were released into the bait tank. A dozen more net tosses and 90 minutes of searching and scouring produced only a handful of baits for their efforts.

Each fruitloss toss-and-retrieve caused shoulders to sag.

Nothing like starting the fishing day where elation and anticipation backslids into deflation. No bait?

The other pangas did not do much better. They would end up making the best of the day with sliced bonito; a few live ballyhoo; some scrounged mackerel and some chopped-up squid. Just not quite the same as being able to chum handfuls of sardines into the water to get the fish going.

It’s been happening with increased frequency in Baja waters. Especially this year as a combination of variables seems to be combining for a “perfect storm” in terms of bait.

Part of it can’t be helped. It’s nature. Nature does what nature does and it’s like trying to stop sand from getting in your hot dog at the beach. It’s gonna happen.

This appears to be an El Nino season. But, moreso, the scientists are saying maybe it’s a “super” El Nino season with the warmest water and air temperatures in the history of recording el Nino conditions.

The cycle pops up every few years and, in a nutshell, means warmer ocean conditions along the Eastern Pacific coast along the western side of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Warmer waters mean more storms; higher incidence of hurricane. It’s the reason folks in Washington encounter stray dorado and tuna that lose their way in the warm currents and head far more north than their usual comfort zone.

But, these warmer waters mean the colder waters from the deep trenches don’t come to the surface. The cooler waters bring the nutrients. The nutrients bring the bait fish. The bait fish provide food for the sportfish. Are you following this? One big circle of nature. And tag…this is us this year. Warm waters = less bait.

The other side of the equation is perhaps more ominous. Some would say even a bit sinister. Because we’re doing it to ourselves. We can’t do much about El Nino. But, us humans aren’t doing much to help ourselves either.

It’s the fish pens. You’ve heard of them. The controversial but apparently successful capture of juvenile tuna and yellowtail in huge nets then raising them in a net-like corral. Grow ‘em big and sell ‘em off. It works. It’s great. It’s economical.

Supply and demand. The planet craves seafood. Heck, it needs food period! The fish pens help fill the need. If it didn’t work, they wouldn’t be using it.

Here’s the rub. Everyone gets the impression that fishing farms are “green.” And there’s a lot of controversy about that. I guess it depends who you’re reading.

But, I’ve read that it takes anywhere from 3-10 pounds of “bait food” to grow a tuna one pound bigger. . So, let’s see…to grow a 50 pound tuna? Do the simple math. Hmmmm…that’s a lot of food. It has to come from somewhere.

Arguably, wherever they have set up these “pens” they have depleted the bait stocks. Pretty much raided everything in the waters that could be used or ground up into fish meal. It reminds me of those days when the cattle or sheep came to an area and ate all the grass that held the soil. Resulting in dust bowls. Are we headed for a “toilet bowl?” Are we destined to be live-sized versions of the Tidy Bowl man adrift in blue water?

Here, in La Paz, the head of La Paz Tourism, Sr. Pedro Aguilar told me that the fishfarmers are prohibited from taking bait in the bay and around our two islands. However, our local sportfishing captains tell me that the bait guys from the pens are out at night scouring those very areas capturing all the bait they can get.

The other side is that all the “waste” product has to go somewhere and it’s going right into the waters and creating a whole separate ecological issue. Tons of “fish poo” isn’t a good thing, especially in these shallow areas where the pens are located and ocean currents aren’t there to sluice out the after-product.

If you’ve ever even seen what your kid’s goldfish can do to a home fish bowl after a few days of not changing the water, imagine what a net load of fat tuna can squeeze out.

It’s not just here. It seems to be happening all over. And again, we have the challenge of balancing the need for food; the ecosystem; the sportsmen…and then, of course the corporate interests.

So…a double whammy curse on us. And I don’t know what to do about it. Awfully discouraging.

That’s our story!

_______________

______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:

“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.”