We don’t need fancy tablecloths and fancy glasses to have the best food ever! Plastic tables are no problem!
Never judge a place by how it looks on the outside!
Judge a place by how many people are eating the food that comes from inside!
If she’s cooking in the cocina are you kidding me? She KNOWS how to cook!
You’ll never find this place on YELP or Trip Advisor, but tell me this doesn’t look 5-star-good!
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Originally Published the Week of Jan. 20, 2016 in Western Outdoor Publications
There’s a lot of things over the years that I’ve sworn off for my New Year’s resolution. I won’t get into the list, but most of my resolutions never worked anyway. Action wasn’t quite as strong as the intent.
But, one thing I have never tried to give up was eating good food. Even for Lent. Not candy. Not baloney sandwiches with crushed potato chips. Not black olives. Not mac ‘n’ cheese.
I’d give up watching Batman or reading my Mad Magazines before I’d give up Swanson TV-dinners (yes, even that yummy brown-gravy-Salisbury- steak with the crusty-dry brownie in it).
I’m a foodie. I like to eat. I’m also Asian. Food is part of our culture.
And I’m blessed enough to live smack in the middle of the kind of food I love best…Mexican food!
Given the choice between a hot dog or a microwave burrito with questionable ingredients , I’d probably take the burrito bomb. That’s how bad I am.
There’s a place up in the mountains between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. It’s a hole-in-the-wall. Well, more like a hole-in-the-rocks. It’s run out’ve a modest little hillside-home tucked into big boulders and a stand of trees next off the gravel of the road.
Plastic chairs. Plastic table cloths over plastic tables. Real flatware, but it’s paperplates. You grab your own Coke or Sprite out’ve a refrigerator on the concrete patio. No beer.
Mama, her daughter and dad serve food out’ve an enlarged window that goes directly to their kitchen. And, it’s not unusual for about a dozen people standing outside that window. Tour buses and shuttle vans cram the driveway.
No wonder. From out’ve that kitchen, mama and the family steam up the best tamales in the mountains. Homemade masa. Sweet roasted pork. Green olives and bits of California chilis and potatoes too.
Out’ve that kitchen come their famous empanadas. Pastry dough stuffed with beef and deep fried until hot golden and crispy. Served with chunks of fresh moist homemade mountain goat cheese and red salsa fresca.
They make 300 tamales a day and 200 empanadas. Once they sell out, they close the kitchen window. Sometimes that lasts until lunch time. Sometimes not.
But there’s no paper bill at the end. You tell them what you ate. They tell you how much it costs. They trust you.
I know another place. Again, run out’ve a home. You’d only know about it because a local had told you to walk around the back and into the patio. And a lot of folks know about it. You’ll find tables, chairs and the soccer game on the TV that never ends.
There’s no menu. Papa and mama walk out and tell YOU what they have in the kitchen. Or you can ask. If they have it or some variation of it, they’ll whip it up for you.
Papa says, there’s no camarones (shrimp) today, but the chickens out back laid lots of eggs and mama just made a big batch of salsa verde and salsa roja.
Just trust him.
Out comes a huge plate of “Huevos divorciados” (divorced eggs). One fresh fried egg gently laid on warmed red salsa and another fried egg laid on the warm green salsa.
The two eggs are divided by a fat strip of homemade refried beans chunky with bits of Mexican chorizo sausage that mama makes fresh and cooks over a big skillet on an open flame.
If you want “bistec” (beefsteak) healthy chunks of beef are also grilled, seasoned and served on the eggs with hot handmade flour tortillas. Coffee is served in chipped ceramic mugs. None of them match. Fifty pesos…about $3.50 for everything.
Take some to go. Papa shakes everyone’s hands and reminds you that Sunday, mama is making menudo and birria (goat soup) so come early before all the rancheros come in to nurse their Saturday hangovers. The spicy soup is guaranteed to force all poisons out’ve their pores!
Seemingly, along all Mexican roads, countless mom-and-pop food stands dot the highways. Some are little more than carts-on-wheels. Some are metal and wooden booths. Some are actual homes.
But, if you really really really want to get into local Mexican eating, outdoor food stands are mandatory. Beef tacos, seafood tacos, pork tacos (carnitas), roast chicken, pork sandwiches (tortas), shrimp cocktails, skewered shrimp, tamales, soups, clams and oysters, Mexican hot dogs…if you can eat it, someone is selling it and it’s all pretty darned tasty.
But, progress is on the way.
New roads. New highways. Traffic is being re-routed so folks, especially tourists can get from Point A-to-Point B faster.
There’s that famous quote about the journey is just as important as the the destination.
The problem is that the super highways are blowing right past the old roads with the cracked pavement, the gravel and the little barrio neighborhoods. They’re bypassing all these family-owned little eateries.
If you really want to know a people and it’s culture, you won’t find it in a big faux steakhouse or white-table-clothed-venue. Eat where the locals eat.
I’m all for the new roads and highways. But, don’t forget the road-less-traveled. There’s some great culinary treasures waiting for you. Getting there should be part of the fun!
Originally Published the Week of Jan. 6, 2016 in Western Outdoor News
So…the calls and e-mails are coming in. A lot of my buddies and clients got gift certificates for Christmas to their favorite tackle stores, Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas and other big boy toy stores.
Like Nordstroms at a shoe sale for the ladies!
Oh, the excitement! Oh the carnage! Plus all the holiday sales are on and the big fishing and hunting shows are start up too!
What should I get?
What do I need?
What’s the best?
If I can only get one rod or one reel which one should I buy?
Listen, I’m a big fan of online purchases. Living in Mexico, we just can’t just go out and buy a lot of things available in the U.S. Amazon and UPS are my best buddies.
But, there are certain things that are just best purchased by putting them in your hands and trying them out. Like shoes…I never buy shoes online. They never ever fit! One company’s size 8 is another company’s 10.
Lots of fishing gear can be like that too.
If you have to buy online, of course, buy the best you can afford. Check the ratings. Check the reviews. Talk to buddies. Name brands that everyone uses are generally gonna be just fine.
But, if you can actually go to the tackle shop or store, all the better. I have several hundred rods and reels…I think. I used to also sell tackle in a tackle store. I know many of the great manufacturers and still deal with many of them as friends. Not all things are the same!
Take reels for instance. I know one manufacturer that’s quite famous and they make great state-of-the-art reels. But, I’ve been to their factory for purchases.
I can pick up 10 of the same model and no three of them will be exactly alike. Some seem to free-spool a little better. Some seem to crank a little better. None of them are bad, by any means. But, some just have a better “feel” to them.
Those of you that are hunters or have been in the military have told me certain rifles or pistols have that same “feel” as well. A car or motorcycle can feel that way.
In my free-time, I love to play one of my growing collection of guitars that take up far too much space in our little place. Any guitar player will tell you that in a guitar store, if you have 10 exactly the same guitars, not a single one will play the same!
So, if you’re headed to buy a reel, ask to take several out of the box and give ‘em a spin.
Put ‘em in your hand. By all means, take it off the counter and ask to put it on a rod that’s similar to the one you’ll be using. I think you’ll find there’s a difference. Check out the drags and the freespool, especially.
Same with rods. Having been in the industry now for several decades, many anglers don’t realize that just because two rods are rated 20lb-50lbs, they are NOT necessarily equal.
Is it for a spinning reel or a conventional reel? Is it a bait rod or a jigging stick? Is it meant for trolling or bottom fishing? A good salesperson at the store SHOULD be able to tell you. Usually, that’s NOT the guy at Walmart or K-Mart although I have found some who do know their stuff.
Even moreso, what’s the “action” on the rod. Is it “lively?” Good for casting a bait with a softer tip or stiffer for a jig? Does it have a “quick taper” that “shuts off” and helps you lift a fish. Or, is the rod shut-off (stop bending) closer to the butt and more foregiving? Again, a good sales guy or gal will know!
Do you know that even all fishing lines are not equal? Two lines rated at 30 lbs. can be very different. One might break at exactly or close to 30 pounds. The other might actually break closer to 40 pounds! (They’re not lying…surely it can withstand 30 pound pull!).
But, ever wonder why sometimes two guys fishing the same line…same color… and one guy is getting bit more than the other? Or his bait swims better?
When you buy line, take a look at the line diameter. The good brands have it printed on the side of the spool
Two lines rated the same can be different. The guy getting bit more might have purchased the line that has the smaller and limper diameter. His bait swims better. His line has less visibility in the water. He’s getting bit!
I’ve actually seen very cheap off-brand discount line that’s not even consistent. I took a micrometer to it and the diameter of the line over several yards varied considerably! Almost like it had bumps in it! You get what you paid for!
Casting jigs aren’t the same either. Go to your favorite saltwater tackle store where the guys really know their stuff. Take a Tady or Salas, Raider, Sumo or other “candy bar” type jig off the rack. There could be 50 all the same color and style.
Hold it by the ring and using your same hand let the lure spin slowly while hanging down. Finding two that spin correctly with the correct balance is what the pros do! Impossible to do if you can’t hold the lures in your own hands.
Like I said, I’m a big fan of online shopping. But some things are best when you can touch, hold and feel them!
Best fishes for a Happy New Year! May the fish be with you!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
Originally Published the Week of December 22,2015 in Western Outdoor News
It’s that time of year. We live in Baja all year, but just before Christmas, Jill and I come up to San Diego for the holidays. Oh joy… about 11 months of mail is waiting for us.
But, speaking of joy… there are also so many wonderful Christmas cards to sit down and read. It makes for a nice evening of reading for us in our hotel room while we play all the rented Christmas TV shows…Charlie Brown’s Christmas…The Grinch…Miracle on 34th Street…
Many cards contain letters. So many of them say things like, “You may not remember me, because you have so many clients, but…”
Or, “About 8 years ago, my family and I visited you and we will never forget…”
Or, “Jonathan, you can’t possibly remember that giant roosterfish my dad battled…”
I’ve gotten to the point in this wacky fishing career when I realize I have more days behind me than ahead of me. But, my old brain and heart have a big memory bank full of Kodak moments…
I remember squinting into your first Baja sunrise. Full of expectation and anticipation. We bounced across the flat sea and the sun shred the morning chill. You gave me a thumbs up and a big grin that said it all.
I remember that day you finally hooked that marlin. And it beat you up, but you refused to hand over the rod. I was proud of you.
I remember that day sitting up in the flybridge with you. The trolling lures were skipping behind us and the stereo blared the Eagles. We sang “Take It Easy” at the top or our lungs as we toasted those icy Tecates.
I remember all the hooting, hollering and high five’s as those schools of dorado slammed into us fighting for our baits! Every rod bent. Ever reel screaming. Bloody decks and barefeet!
Do you remember how tasty those crummy sack lunches were in the early days? Why do baloney sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs taste so good when you’re fishing? Even when the beer got warm!
And that day that giant school of spinner dolphin stayed with us for hours playing in our bow waves?
Remember the day your buddy was locked in fighting that big sailfish and you guys yanked his shorts down around his ankles?
I’ll never forget when you proposed to your wife out there on the beach at sunset and then we surprised you all with the mariachi band. I think everyone had a tear in their eyes.
I remember when we took your dad’s ashes out in the bay then scattered flowers. He sure loved his time with you fishing. I will miss him.
I”ll never forget the kindness when our van broke down in the middle of nowhere and a guy in his pickup truck gave us a ride to his little ranchero and his wife cooked up the best huevos, beans and tortillas ever on a smokey little wood stove.
I remember Mary’s first fish…and her 2nd…and her third. Like a little kid at Christmas. And you were worried she wouldn’t like Mexico or fishing. I’m glad you married her!
I remember that other time you guys all streaked through the hotel, but your buddy then locked you out’ve your room leaving you all in the hallway butt-nekkid! Then being chased by hotel security!
Or the time some of you kidnapped the hotel statue and put it in your brother’s bed. Man, he screamed when he woke up!
Or the time you duct-taped the toilet in your cousin’s hotel room after he passed out the night you all had a taco and beer chugging contest?
Or the first time you brought your son and dad to fish with us? And both of them hooked giant roosterfish at the same time. I still have that photo of the three generations. I remember how proud you were when your son said, “Dad, let’s release them.”
There was that other time your buddies caught you tying bananas to their hotel doors. I never saw you run so fast!
And there was that other time you fought that big tuna…stand up. I told you not to use that light gear. But you “manned-up” for two hours in that hot Baja sun. Then lost the fish. I felt for ya, Bro. Those are the ones you surely never forget.
What about the time you brought your granddaughter? She outfished you every day and wouldn’t let you forget it. And that was just fine with you.
And do you remember how good that warm sand felt between your toes as we watched sunsets; ate clams and tried to figure out a way never to have to go home?
Sure…I remember!
On this Christmas, I look back at all of you who have enriched my life and taught me so much. You have gifted me in so many ways and allow me to do what I love.
It’s never been about the fishing. That’s just the vehicle that brings us all together. Like Christmas…ultimately it’s about the smiles. We will always be fish brothers and sisters.
They say that once you visit Baja, you never leave because a piece of the Baja goes with you. You may spend only a tiny bit of your life with us, but the time you spend with us stays with you for a lifetime.
It works both ways. I have a treasure chest of memories.
Feliz Navidad y Que Dios te bendigas por siempre. Merry Christmas and may God bless you always.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
It’s been a long season. Time to pull the boats out. Time to take it “poco mas tranquilo”…a little slower!
TRANQUILO!
Originally published the Week of Dec. 8, 2015 in Western Outdoor News
You can tell the season’s changing now. The obvious signs are here in town. It’s that slow gap between the end of summer, but not quite Christmas…yet.
Town is kinda empty. Tourists are mostly gone. Fishermen? Gone for weeks now. Snowbirds filtering in from their frosty homes in Canada and the Dakotas.
It’s not as hot during the day. A subdued Baja sun casts longer shadows. There’s always a breeze.
Nights are cooler. Visitors are still in shorts and t-shirts. Us locals are more prone to long pants and sweatshirts.
Chatter in the neighborhood coffee cafes tend towards the “chilliness” of the weather (“We used two blankets last night!”) and the upcoming holidays (“My wife is cooking her chicken mole this year!”).
Chatter comes easy. Coffee is savored slowly while cold hands wrap around chipped mugs.
Everyone is moving at a slower pace.
You may have heard that Mexico is the land of “manana.” (Tomorrow). Right now, add “tranquilo.” (Slow and calm).
Don’t move if you don’t have to. If you have to move…Tranquilo! Take it easy. No rush. No stress.
You hear it a lot. Como estas? How are you?
Tranquilo.
How are things?
Tranquilo.
Are you busy?
Tranquilo.
How’s the family?
Tranquilo.
A little different from the hecticness in states. Here in Baja, many folks have their Christmas decorations and trees already. If you head to the store to buy decorations, they’re sold out.
There’s no Thanksgiving in Mexico to act as a speed bump before Christmas! After Halloween, we slid right into the holidays.
Lots of the Christmas gift shopping is already done. Much of Mexico had their “Buen Fin” (Black Friday Shopping) several weekends ago.
I inadvertently wandered into that madness to buy some stuff for dinner and got crushed by the holiday shoppers! Twenty minutes to find parking. Twenty minutes standing in the check-out line. Sheesh…my bad. Feliz Navidad!
The rush is over!
And so what do we all do now? For the last 9 months all of us have been working pretty much 7-days-a-week. The next three months are “tranquilo.” Sort of.
If you ever wondered what your favorite captains and “Baja guys” do when you’re not there, I’m sure it’s similar to what my crew will be doing.
For the captains, it’s time to clean and repair gear. Time to scrape the hulls; paint the fiberglass; and finally take in the motors for that long overdue 4-zillion-hour scheduled maintenance.
For those who had steady work, they can kickback a little during the off-season. Or work to help supplement their savings.
A good number of the guys head off to fish commercially at the islands or at the various fish camps that dot the Baja shoreline. They’ll drag big coolers full of ice with them; fish for a few days and stay in the fish camps.
It’s more economic to just stay out at the camp. After several days, they’ll bring the fish back to the waiting trucks from the seafood wholesalers.
Life in the ramshackle sites is a combination wild west mining camp and outpost trading post. Think about a bunch of guys camping…it’s the same no matter what the country or culture. Exhausting solitary daytime work. Campfires and camaraderie… beer, beans and and tall tales on the beach at night.
Some of our other guys…
Chalo and Pepe usually take it easy in the off-season. Old-timers. They’ve put in several decades fishing. It’s been another long good season. Let the young guys go shiver in the fish camp!
These two guys take their rifles up in the mountain every few weeks to hunt deer and pigs.
Gonzalo goes to town and helps his family with their little restaurant. Brother Chuy leaves his panga on the trailer and goes to work picking chilis for the local chili ranchers.
Julio has a mechanical background and gets boat repair jobs in the shipyard. Omar drives a taxi several days a week while Luis has a part-time job driving a truck for the city.
Marcos has the best tranquilo off-season of all. He’s still single. He has a concrete block house with a tin roof and chickens in the yard. But, he also has satellite TV.
He sits on the couch with a beer in one hand and the TV remote in the other. He loves watching American football and Mexican soccer in his undershirt and shorts.
So, the other captains tell me. He’s a popular guy. No wife. No kids and a TV with sports. The other captains love hanging out at Casa de Marcos!
Gabriela makes all our breakfasts and lunches for our fishermen nine months of the year. Her neighbors love her kitchen fragrances. She’s been making Christmas tamales for weeks and freezing them for the holidays.
Miguel is one of our shuttle drivers. He is working in a toy store and on weekends he dons a Santa outfit to wish everyone Feliz Navidad at the town square near the mission.
With the doves and pigeons. For tips. Because it makes the kids smile.
Life outside the fast lane in Baja. Until next season. Manana.Tranquilo. Take it easy.
That’s our story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
Originally Published the Week of Nov. 23, 2015 in Western Outdoor News
It has always been on my bucket list of things to do since living in Mexico all these years.
But, we got invited by friends of ours…to a LUCHA LIBRE (Mexican wrestling) event and just couldn’t turn it down. How could we? The husband had been a former “luchador” himself going by the name of “El Domelador” (The Demolisher).
So, on a chilly fall evening, Jill and I found ourselves wide-eyed and open-mouthed in the middle of several thousand screaming fanaticos in a hastily thrown together concrete outdoor basketball stadium under the stagelights. And we were screaming ourselves having a blast.
The event was sold out. There were lines around the neighborhood block to get in. Our friend, the “Domeledor,” got us ring-side seats to see The Apache Sisters; Stardust; Cibernetico; the Super Doll; The Psycho Clowns and the Renegade Texan among others.
Pudgy hombres in tights…skinny guys in their kids’ pajamas…fat guys in yoga pants…masks…facepaint…glitter…overweight ladies in stretchy body suits. . .elaborate costumes and others that looked like discards from the Halloween bargain bin. Every match was great.
Some guys looked like steroid body-builders. Some looked like they had never seen a gym or the only weights they ever lifted were 12-oz. cans of beer and super-sized burritos.
A lot look like your fat uncle or neighbor next door. Or his wife. One luchador, we found out later, was almost 70-years-old and the bony knees and elbows and hanging arm-skin were not fake!
Some were “professional.” Most were not. At least not full-time. We found out later that “El Elegido” was actually the guy taking tickets at the gate before he event!
But they could sure entertain and the crowds loved them! There thumps and punches; stomps and kicks. And unlike American wrestling, there was much more emphasis on flying bodies as well as tumbling and acrobatics. And, different. The inside ring is canvas-covered wood. It’s not padded. No spring underneath. A thump is a thump!
The interaction with the crowd is more than half the fun. In unison, the “family” crowd chants things that had us cracking up and aghast.
I mean, can you imagine 1000 people all chanting at Hulk Hogan (in Spanish) in the U.S. with…
“Assh___e! Assh___e! Assh—e!” and then him laughing and pointing at the crowd and flipping them the middle finger?
Or the crowd singing “He’s a jerk-o..f” at the referee? And the referee grabbing his crotch and turning to the crowd and telling the crowd, “Shut up Cabrones!”
Or two luchadores pounding the frijoles out of each other then freezing to smile at someone with a cellphone camera then resume smacking each other around?
All in fun.
And I learned a lot too.
Is it rigged? Not as much as you think!
The Domeledor explained to me that it’s a lot of “entertainment” but he would come home with plenty of bruises on his face and arms. His chest would have lots of broken blood vessels. His wife told me about him coming home with lots of swollen lips and faces.
They would not choreopraph the actual moves, but they would train very hard on jumping, flipping, twists and “combinations” of multiple moves.
The one who “orchestrates” things is actually the referee who would guage the mood of the crowd. He would calculate the cheering and the crowd favorite and how things would go.
The referee would whisper to the luchadores about when they needed to speed things up…do a “crowd pleaser move”…and when someone would take a fall. Or hit harder. Or throw the other guy through the ropes!
Yes, there are good guys and bad guys. The “technicos” are the good guys and the “rudos” are the “rude ones” who break the rules. Sometimes the crowd loves the “technicos” and sometimes they root for the “rudos.” It all depends on who is pleasing the crowd more. The bad guys are always the most fun.
He told me about some of the “tricks” of the ring. Here come the “spoilers” for those of you who are really into WWE wrestling…
When someone stomps another luchador, the “slap” is often the sound of the opposite foot stomping the mat or the louder slap is the hand slapping against a thigh.
Face punches and slaps are the sound of the palm hitting against a chest or the palm of another hand…like when you clap your hands.
Smashing a chair against your opponent’s head, one uses the soft part of the folding chair that bends easier and the forward part of the seat that easily folds back to absorb the hit.
However, spit is real. These guys spit A LOT!
But, make no mistake…for all the fake stuff, hits, kicks and punches do land accidentally It’s all part of it. It takes practice to make a hit sound and look violent. But, even a fake hit can hurt.
According to my Domeledor amigo, anonymity is EVERYTHING. That’s why they wear the mask. The Demeledor has lived in La Paz almost his whole life.
He was a champion free-style wrestler in mainland Mexico before he became a luchador and then wrestled for about 10 years in La Paz, where we live. He has rarely ever revealed his identity and still guards it religiously.
They live behind the mask and facepaint and when appearing for any public events they never show their faces. In fact, one of the biggest disgraces is for a luchador to have his mask taken away from him by an opponent. There goes the magic. Sometimes an old luchador will do it as a form of “falling on the sword” in retirement or when a luchador wants to change to another personality.
My amigo explained to me that the promotion company actually owns the “personalities.” The actual wrestlers are usually just “employees.” Employees can get hurt…quit…get fired…but the personality can endure for years or for decades.
So, someone named “El Diablo” might not be the same guy all the time even though El Diablo has dominated his matches year-after-year. Or the guy might put on a different mask and be called “Superfreak.”
Sometimes, just like circus families there are families that are wrestling families and the son or grandson continues on with a family character.
Money is not very big. They earn a meager salary or portion of the gate. Most of the money comes from a percentage of the abundant t-shirts and costume sales at the arena or stadium. There’s no insurance. There’s no workman’s compensation. If you’re hurt, they find someone else to put on the mask.
But, as my friend explained, there’s nothing like the adrenaline of being “in the ring” and having everyone cheering for you or calling you a “cabron.”
Or being able to turn around and flip the one-fingered salute to several thousand people and have them laugh!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
All the fishermen for just one of so many Baja tournaments! This one the Los Cabos Western Outdoor News Tuna Jackpot.
BENT RODS and BIG SALTY HEARTS
Originally Published the Week of Nov. 10, 2015 in Western Outdoor News
As I write this, we have just completed the first day of the 16th Annual Western Outdoor News Tuna Jackpot Tournament here in Cabo San Lucas. If you’ve never seen or participated in something like this, or any major sportfishing tournament, add it to your bucket list.
It’s an incredible spectacle.
This year, we have 143 fishing teams and almost 600 anglers. Add in non-fishing friends, family, crews, sponsors, celebrities and support staff, this is a 5-day fiesta on a massive scale for about 2000 people! This makes it the largest tournament in Cabo San Lucas. Actually, it’s the largest in Baja.
In terms of prize money, the awesome Bisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin tournament has a bigger payout. But, almost $700 thousand in prize money here right now is nothing to sneeze at and it’s a lot of fun.
This is just one of so many tournaments here in Cabo San Lucas. Bisbees actually hosts two tournaments here in Cabo and another on the East Cape. When international tournaments like this current Western Outdoor News Tuna Jackpot; the Bisbee’s; and others take place, they can pretty much take over a town. From the largest cities to even the smallest fishing pueblos, where it can be the social event of the season.
It’s like that for tournaments in from Loreto, to the East Cape and Ensenada to Mulege naming just a few. The circus comes to town. And the music, clowns and hoopla come with it.
I heard one disgruntled ex-pat grumble under his breath that, “The tournaments bring nothing but noise and traffic and turns the town into ‘gringo-landia.’”
I found that rather amusing. Here was an ex-pat gringo living in Cabo San Lucas, a world-wide tourism mecca, complaining that Cabo was too “gringo” during the tournaments.
That’s like saying Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles or East Los Angeles is too “Mexican.”
The grumpy guy had a point. Yes, a lot of gringos come to town for tournaments. I mean, that’s the point.
But, they bring a lot more than just noise, traffic and a lot of whoop-dee-doo at the margaritas bars. All these visitors fill hotel rooms; eat at restaurants; use gas; buy bait; rent boats; use services; buy a lot of t-shirts and souvenirs; etc.
Even our own tournament here right now in Cabo…2000 people have to sleep somewhere. They consume a lot of food and spend a lot of money.
Today 143 boats full of fuel, bait, boxed lunches and cases of beer went out. That’s a lot of economic well-being for the locals. That’s a lot of charter boats and crews, captains and gear.
That’s a lot of tax revenue as well. And, as I write this, they’re going out again tomorrow and still have 2 more days of events.
And this happens with all of these “gringo” events. Wealth gets spread around!
A lot of “wealth” comes back in terms of prize money also. Sure, there’s money and prizes to be won. You hear so much about some of these big-money events.
But, what often isn’t publicized is how much these sports events benefit the local communities in other non-direct ways.
Last year, after devastating Hurricane Odile rampaged through Baja, this current tournament raised enough donation money and sales from t-shirts and other items to build 15 complete homes for families who lost their houses to the storm. Several huge truckloads of clothing and shoes were also brought down as well.
This year, donation are benefitting Cabo Smiles International which provides dental and oral surgery for impoverished kids. As I write this more than $3000 is already in the kitty.
The Bisbee Tournament organizers have been donating to the communities for many many years on many levels. For instance, two weeks ago, they donated marlin provided food for a reported 1600 people.
Many folks think the popular “Stars and Stripes Tournament” is all about Americans. Actually, the “stars” stand for the kids who benefit from medical supplies and medical equipment and the “stripes” are the striped marlin of the tournament.
Since 1993 in Loreto, the “Fishin’ for the Mission” Yellowtail Tournament has benefited not only the historic Loreto Mission, but also the Loreto orphanage. This tournament is very unique because ALL of the money goes to charity as well as extra funds raised during the tournament through sales and auctions.
The Lynn Rose East Coast Classic Tournament is another prominent example of generosity in Los Barriles on the East Cape. For many years, the money raised has built playgrounds as well as provided school buses and vans for the local kids.
In La Paz, where we live, smaller scale events have raised supplies for school kids; food for the senior citizens homes; scholarships for underprivileged families.
These kinds of things go on weekly at events up and down the Baja peninsula. Without a lot of fanfare or recognition.
I am reminded that as a gringo myself in Baja for 20 years, we are guests of Mexico and American ambassadors to this host country. We are grateful that we are allowed to do what we do and bring down other gringos to share so many things that Baja has to offer.
By the same token, we’re grateful to all the big hearts who take away memories, fish filets and Kodak moments, but also leave something behind because of their generosity. It’s win-win all the way around.
That’s my story!
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
Originally Published the Week of Oct. 28, 2015 in Western Outdoor News
Every now and then, I pull out just random bits and pieces that I want to pass onto you in this column. There’s no particular theme or subject, just some things you might find interesting and hopefully useful on your Baja journeys!
Just a little more than a year ago, we were in a much different condition here in Southern Baja. Hurricane Odile, the strongest storm ever to hit Baja with winds over 150 mph, had left a path of destruction unseen in our region.
Although the majority of tourists stranded during the storm were home, a month after the chubasco, many of us were still without electricity, water, and phones. We were the “lucky ones.”
At least most of us had places to sleep in albeit damaged domiciles. The hardest hit, usually the poorest, lost everything they had when their homes were leveled by the winds, rains and floods.
Many of us with businesses, suffered extreme damages. Some irreparably and thus causing many lost jobs.
A year later, many of the scars are still there. Many homes never were repaired and, like many businesses, stand vacant. Broken windows, uprooted trees and damaged roofs and piles of rubble that were merely piled and pushed aside can still be found.
But, Baja and it’s resilient folks rebounded well. The new Cabo Airport that was going to take 6-8 months to repair, started receiving flights in a month, even though, it was still missing walls and a roof.
The military and police quickly restored order and the power companies worked around the clock to get the grids back up. They were still going weeks after Odile had left.
Donations of food, water, clothing, generators, water-makers poured in. And, bit-by-bit, Baja stood up again and got onto it’s feet.
(Sidebar note: As I’m writing this, the Pacific mainland side of Mexico is bracing for Hurricane Patricia, which forecasters are saying could be the STRONGEST HURRICANE EVER RECORDED ON THE PLANET IN HISTORY. Category 5 with winds of 200-250 mph. As of the time you’re reading this, we’ll know more. Hoping for the best for our amigos to the south.)
Speaking of airports and travel, the new pedestrian Express Bridge from the U.S. to the Tijuana Airport should be opening by December. The 525-foot private bridge, will allow folks to park their cars; check in; and walk to the airport. For a small fee.
But, the popular new Tijauna airport will now be more accessible and should be a win-win for everyone. Southern Californians will no longer have to drive their vehicles across the border to park or take shuttles from the U.S. side.
Currently, a growing number of Americans, especially southern Californians, utilize extremely economic flights from Tijuana to access destinations like La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. Additionally, the airport is a major hub for airlines flying to numerous tourist destinations on the Mexican mainland as well as Central America and South America.
Making it easier will generate more airline business. Certainly, it will make it a lot easier than having to get through the border then navigating the circuitous series of boulevards and sidestreets of Tijuana to get to the airport.
“MANANA!” Similarly, all of southern Baja is waiting for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to open the new highway…basically cut the ribbon…for the new toll road that will ostensibly reduce the drive from the Los Cabos area to La Paz in half. Currently the drive takes 3-4 hours.
Given that the state capital of La Paz strangely has no direct flights from the United States into the city, everyone must fly into Cabo San Lucas then make the long drive north. Although a pretty drive, it makes for a laborious travel day for Americans wanting to visit the capital. Commercially, as well, it will save time and expenses for commercial traffic between the two areas.
The new highway has been opened for weeks and, tourists and locals alike are anxious for the ribbon cutting which keeps getting postponed. Actually, the better word might be “frustrated” as hotels and businesses are especially left wondering and waiting. All we keep hearing is “next week!”
Lastly, if you’re planning to come down and visit us here in Baja or anywhere else in Mexico, you should strongly consider changing more dollars for pesos than usual. I know a lot of folks are coming for the holidays and also for fishing tournaments.
Everyone down here still loves U.S. presidents on green paper. Don’t get me wrong.
However, with the devaluation of the peso in recent months, you can get anywhere from 13-18 pesos for the dollar. That means, having pesos in hand goes a lot further when you’re here travelling.
For example, a taco plate and beer on a menu costing 100 pesos a few years ago, or a taxi ride of the same price, would be $10 U.S. when the rate was 10:1 (pesos: dollars). Now, with the dollar growing stronger, 100 pesos is really maybe only $6 or $7 dollars U.S.
If you pay in dollars, especially with small vendors like the taxi driver or a street cart, they might not have change or the change will surely be in pesos. You’ll lose a bit on the transaction coming and going.
Many Mexican banks won’t let you change money, even if you have an account. We have found that the best places and the best rates can be found at the airport, money exchange kiosks in cities and interesting, the larger food market chains.
Safe travels all. Bien viajes!
That’s our story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico http://www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
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Website: http://www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 8030 La Mesa, Suite #178, La Mesa CA 91942
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Originally Published the Week of October 15, 2015 in Western Outdoor News
In my many years in the fishing industry, sometimes I think I’ve forgotten more fishing information than I will ever need. As I get older, I seem to forget even more and faster!
I had the privilege of learning from some great old-timers back-in-the-day. First I had Japanese, Filipino and Hawaiian uncles and older cousins who were patient enough with a little kid who had the attention span of a sardine. I don’t know how they put up with the kind of kid who would eat the bait and throw rocks in the water!
All having come from the islands, these were all “watermen.” They could not only fish the beejezzus off anyone I have ever known, but knew things like reading water and weather; tides and waves; currents and structure. No GPS. No internets or FAX reports. Fishing and the ocean weren’t just sport. In many cases, it was food. No fish…no eat! Pretty good guys.
And then, there were the captains I worked with in my years as a deckhand. These were guys who had to make a living of getting customers hooked up and keeping them happy. Fish counts mattered. Happy return customers were the lifeblood.
And then, there have been the twenty years in the Baja working with our own fleet captains here in La Paz. These are brown- weathered men who are a wonderful combination of the others. They fish to feed their families. But similarly, it is also a business…taking sportsmen out to catch fish. You’re good or your family doesn’t eat. You go drive a taxi or harvest chili at a rancho.
And, I’ve picked up a few things over the years. Whether intentionally or not, these guys imparted quite a bit of “water-wisdom” my way.
There were certain “true-isms” that caught on and have always served me well.
You know some yourself:
“No angles no tangles” (keep your lines straight in front of you)
“Big fish. Big Bait” (Bigger the bait, the bigger the fish)
“Twenty percent of the guys catch 80% of the fish.” (the 20-80 rule)
You get the idea.
But one that has really stuck with me was a gem told to me by a skipper I worked for about 20 years ago right here in La Paz. I was working as his deckhand and galleyman on a 65-foot-Hawthorne.
We had some difficult clients aboard. It seemed no matter what was biting or what we were catching, they always wanted to “move the boat” and “go somewhere else.”
The fish were never big enough or a voracious enough. Every time, one of the clients would speak to the skipper, the sentence started out, “ If I were the captain…” or “If I were running the boat…” or “If we really wanted to do some fishing I’d do…”
Well, wanting to keep everyone happy, the skipper would pull lines and spent 45 minutes zigging and zagging around the ocean. Then, we’d hit a spot. We’d stop and he’d tell everyone to toss bait. Everyone would get bit.
Within an hour, the bitching would start again.
So, the captain would pull out. Zig-zag around then stop again and everyone fished. And then an hour into the bite, here come the whining.
And the captain would make another move. And so the cycle went all day.
In the galley, the skipper came up to me and told me, “These knuckleheads will never be happy. I’ve been zigging and zagging and they don’t even know I keep coming back to fish the SAME spot. Just from a different angle.” He grinned and winked.
“Don’t ever leave fish to find fish.”
The skipper is long gone. The boat has moved to the scrap yard somewhere. But, I never forgot.
Several weeks ago, I had a panga client who fished for a number of days. He started out well with some good catches. But, every night, he would come back to the hotel and chat with our other clients.
If someone else did a bit better with a different captain, this client wanted to change to that other captain. Or he wanted to fish at a “different spot.” Every day, a different captain. Every day a different area or many different areas.
Every day, he did worse and worse. And every day, he’s again talk to others at the hotel and find out others did better than him. And he got more and more discouraged. I saw the spiral.
I finally sat him down and told him he was bouncing around too much. And, I also told him the story about “leaving fish to find fish.” It was his vacation and he was certainly welcome to do what I wanted. And, I’d do my best to assist.
However, what he was doing was counter-productive and a waste of time and energy. Even worse, he wasn’t enjoying himself.
I told him to stay the course with one captain for the next few days. Stop worrying about catching more fish than everyone else. Just fish. And fish where the captain wants to fish.
The captain is the expert and wants to catch fish as much as he does. Take it down a notch.
And he did. And he caught fish. And each day was better. And by the end of the week, he was catching more and bigger. And he got that smile back too.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The fish aren’t always biting better at the next fishing hole either.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
Trying something different could often be the difference and the fish of a liftime like Kit Luu who rocked this big wahoo using a lure that no one else was using.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO NOT CATCH FISH
Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Sept. 29, 2015
“How can I be a better fisherman?”
I get asked all the time. What’s the secret? What do I need to do? How can I catch more fish?
The obvious answer of course is, “Go fishing!”
The more the better. You won’t get better watching fishing shows at 6 a.m. sitting on your living room couch with a bear claw, cup of coffee and your bathroom slippers. Like anything else. Put in the time.
Of course, everyone wants to catch fish. I’ve been fishing all my life and probably fish more in a year than most anglers will fish in a lifetime. I’ve run a fishing operation for 20 years.
And I still have so much to learn! There is not a day on the water that I don’t learn something new.
I consider myself more than above-average-for a fishermen. Just a tetch. On a good day. And some days are better than others.
However…the fish has a brain the size of the tip of my finger. With all my fancy gadgets, hi-tech wizardry and supposedly big evolved-brain (my wife laughs!)…the fish usually get the better of me.
The day that every cast to every kind of fish…produces a strike …every time. And it happens all the time in any waters or conditions, is the day I will know I’ve mastered the art.
That’s not likely to happen.
But, that’s what makes fishing fun. There are so many variables that go into making that fish open it’s mouth. And there’s a completely different art to getting the fish to the boat once he’s on the hook too!
It’s actually the guy who tells me he’s “hardcore” and acts like he knows everything that gets me the most nervous. They are usually in for the biggest let-down if the fishing isn’t up-to-par. And also the biggest subsequent meltdown and tantrum-thrower as well.
Obviously, it’s never HIS fault. Plenty of blame. It’s the bad captain. The bad outfitter. Bad boat. Bad moon. Bad bait. Never just “bad luck.”
Look. Everyone wants to catch fish. That’s the whole point. That’s why we go on these vacations. To catch fish.
But, if you want to get better…if you want to take it to the next level…if you really want to be the guy they say, “Man, that dude (or gal) is the hot stick…”
Step outside the box.
Sure, you can do what everyone else is doing. And you’ll catch fish. And you might get better at however it is everyone else is catching fish. But, to get really better, take a chance.
Catch a fish or two. Then do something different. If the bite is wide open is a perfect time to try something different.
If everyone is using bait…heck…anyone can catch fish on a live bait. Try switching to iron. Or a a rubber swim bait. Or a top-water popper. Something that no one else is using. Or that you have never tried before.
You would be surprised how often the guy trying something different gets the biggest fish. Ask guys who throw iron!
Go to lighter tackle. Or, walk on the wild side and whip out a flyrod or really hit the edge and use fresh water gear like a bass rod, spinning rod, flipping stick or noodle rod.
Or ask your captain or guide to fish for a fish species that no one else is catching. What’s the worse that can happen?
You may NOT get it right the first time. But, you have to take the chance.
Don’t be afraid of NOT catching a fish.
Whatever you’re doing might not work. Throwing iron or a lure for the first time, might feel awkward and dangit, you hate those time-wasting backlashes. You might feel weird being the only one not hooting or hollering like the other amigos who are bent on fish. They might look at you like you’re a kook.
But resist the temptation. Keep at it. If something isn’t working, tie on something else.
If everyone is fishing the surface, go deep. If everyone is deep, try something on top. Work that water column. Different fish feed at different depths! Everyone using blue and white lures? Drop down the pink lure for grins and giggles.
I had a friend who was a dynamite rock guitarist. He played with Sammy Hagar and some big stars at Cabo Wabo in Cabo San Lucas. He was quite the star down here.
But, he told me he never got better until he tried a little country…a little jazz…learned some blues…dabbled in finger-playing on an acoustic guitar.
He said it was hard at first sounding like a cherry newbie. But, it made him a better guitarist and a better musician. It gave him new perspectives and appreciation. It also got him more gigs because he was now more versatile.
Fishing can be like that too.
Don’t be afraid of the sour notes. Don’t be afraid to not get bent. Don’t be afraid to grab something different out’ve your tackle box and open up all kinds of new possibilities.
You’ll get better. Guarantee it.
That’s my story!
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of September 17, 2015
This is your yearly public service announcement about the sun because the last memo was too long ago. Also, I’m tired of trying to convince fishing clients here this year that they:
Don’t have the flu from some “bug on the airplane.”
Don’t have food poisoning from the “fish tacos” at a street vendor
Drank bad “Mexican water” brushing their teeth at the hotel
It wasn’t the “extra powerful” tequila shot at dinner
Whether you call it “heatstroke,” “heat exhaustion” or “sunstroke,” it’s all the same and it disguises itself well. Especially in a country where there are so many other stereotypical culprits to be blamed from the food, to water, to contaminated dust to bad tequila, it’s an easy and common mistake. (Not to be confused with “too much tequila.” Big difference but same effect. )
More hangovers, headaches, chills, sweats, bad tummies, Montezuma’s revenges, muscle cramps and other maladies have been blamed on “Mexico being Mexico” than the real bad guy.
And he’s one of the reasons so many flock to Baja!
It’s Senor Sol. Mr. Sunshine. Yes, that yellow orb and object of worship in the sky. The focus of suntans and daydreams. Afterall, what would Mexico be without it’s sun as a giant magnet of tourism?
But, when not respected, the sun is not your friend.
At the minimum many folks are at least conscious of using sunscreen to protect their skin. That much is ingrained in our social psyche.
But, if you don’t use it correctly by re-applying it during the day, it won’t work. If you don’t put it on the tops of your ears…the tops of your feet…the tops or your exposed thighs…you’ll pay in pain later. Your back, arms and face are just a start and you probably shouldn’t be out there fishing without a shirt anyway. That blazing red skin is a very real burn just like if you had been touched by a flame.
I see long-time residents here in La Paz who have had too much sun. I’ve seen their leathery skin that looks like my old baseball glove or seen the skin lesions where melanoma has popped up. It’s not pretty.
But beyond the obvious burn factor, there’s the heat. And to so many coming down to enjoy the Baja, that heat is a the sneaky bad guy. Even during recent months when the sun hasn’t always been shining because of overcast, the heat is still capable of doing damage.
And it’s not so obvious as simply turning red like a sunburn.
Even on the overcast days, the sun is beating behind those clouds. It’s producing humidity from those clouds as well as huge amounts of evaporation from the ocean.
For example a few weeks ago, we had a day that was a “manageable” 101 degrees here in La Paz. Seemingly no big whoop.
But, with the actual heat index measured with the humidity, it was 127 degrees…in the shade! It’s similar to cold and adding in the wind chill. There’s temperature. And there’s the REAL temperature!
Maybe because it has been an El Nino year and we haven’t seen as much sun as normal, I’m seeing more anglers not wearing hats. Not wearing sunscreen. Taking off their shirts. Not drinking enough water.
We encourage water intake contantly. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Don’t measure water intake by how much you pee.
The heat is drawing moisture from your body with every breath. You’re sweating out a lot too. Losing salt and electrolytes. If you’re fighting fish or involved in other activities from snorkeling to kayaking and zip-lining to camel rides, you’re losing fluids.
Hate to break it to you, but alcohol does not count as “hydration.” If you are drinking, take it easy. Drink water in between the cervezas or margaritas.
On top of it, the food in Mexico is high in sodium (salt). Hey…that’s one reason it tastes so good! But, from salsa to chips, everything is salty. Carne asada, shrimp, guacamole…it’s all laden with salt let alone that delicious rim of your margarita! Push that through with more water.
Obviously, stay as cool as possible. Stay in the shade as much as possible. Don’t be a knucklehead and ruin your vacation.
I understand. Sometimes you’re just having too much fun and forget the common sense. It happens. But, at best it can ruin your vacation. At worst, you could end up hospitalized.
We had one client several weeks ago who insisted he didn’t need a hat and only drank alcohol for two days. He was having a blast catching fish. Exerting himself in the sun. We ended up sending him to the doctor for dehydration when he got the shakes and turned stone-white and clammy and started throwing up. He missed a day of fishing too. That wasn’t worth it.
It’s not the first time, someone didn’t listen to us or their bodies or common sense. The problem is that most folks don’t realize it until AFTER the FACT.
It’s when they’re done with fishing or swimming. It hits when they are sitting down to dinner or relaxing by the pool (and still drinking cocktails and sitting in the sun) that their body starts reacting. This delayed reaction is a big reason folks blame bad food or a bug or bad water. “Must be that ceviche I ate.”
If it does start happening. . . Get cool. Stay cool. Stop exerting yourself. Drink liquids. Replenish potassium and nutrients with Gatorade or Pedilite or similar. The gentler the better. I like Pedilite myself. It’s the stuff they give kids and babies who have the runs. Less sugar in it.
If you can eat, be gentle. Most restaurants have a consommé (chicken broth) or somesuch that you can add some rice or crackers to. If you’ve got a charter master or someone handling you there and in charge, let them know.
Take it easy and you’ll be up and about again in no time, ready jump back into it!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
______________
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
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That's My Story 