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!

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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.”

“STAY OR GO? “

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, history, 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, missions, 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 amberjack, bahia, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, baja, baja fishing, bay, billfish, blogs, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, cerralvo, Cerralvo Island, charter, charters, children, chubascos, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo, Espiritu Santo Island, expatriates in mexico, family, fish, Fishing, fishing charters, fishing reports, Fishing Techniques, flyfishing, freediving, gringos in mexico, guide, holiday, holidays, hurricanes, igfa, images, inshore, international, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Light Tackle Fishing, live bait, living in Mexico, los barriles, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, mexican culture, mexican life, mexico, muertos, outfitter, outfitters, packages, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, reports, roosterfish, sailfish, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea of cortez, sierra, snapper, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing, suenos, tackle, tailhunter, Tailhunter International, techniques, tips, tours, travel, tuna, vacation, vacations, video, wahoo, western outdoor news, wife, women, yellowtail on June 7, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Looking ominous!

STAY OR GO?

Originally Published the Week of June 9, 2015 in Western Outdoor News

You’ve been looking forward to this Baja fishing vacation for ages. You’re all set. Baja is calling you. You can taste that frosty margarita and you’ve packed and re-packed your fishing gear a zillion times.

Checklist. Passport? Got it. Toothbrush? Check. Hat and camera? Roger. Extra socks. Are you kidding? Extra underwear? Hmmmm…nah…you’ll just rinse your shorts in the sink. Unnecessary clothes add weight that could be used for packing fish on the way home!

Even moreso, you’ve promised your boss, co-workers and your mother-in-law you’d bring them all some fish. However, the minute you walk out that door, you’re turning off your cell phone and e-mails.

You’re already humming Jimmy Buffet tunes.

And then, you hear the news. What? Oh no. A storm? A hurricane? Rain on MY vacation? No! No! No! Please oh please no!

It starts with a little blurb on CNN or the little rolling banner at the bottom of the TV screen. But, it’s a slow news day and now your evening news picks it up too. A dozen words of dread. You would swear they did it just to jab you.

“In other news, for you vacationers, there could be a big storm brewing a thousand miles south of Cabo San Lucas. And now back to Joe on the scene with his story about talking monkeys…”

And pretty soon, everyone on your Facebook page is telling you about it because, of course, they all know you’re headed to Baja! They start sending you graphic images of the weather map showing the tell-tale whirling cloud clusters. As if you didn’t know.

Your e-mail box is getting pinged as well. Well-meaning or envious friends are writing.

“Hey, duuuude, I think you’re screwed. Did you know that there’s this big storm…” Man, that’s not cool.”

Whoa…underwear is really bunching up. This can’t be happening. You’re trying to get some answers and the folks who booked you may or may not be responding. Your buddies are getting into panic mode as well. Rumors are flying.

“Man, I heard from a friend of a friend who was reading online that…”

“The word around town is that…”

This is snowballing. Badly. How do you calm your beating heart and reduce the pucker factor?

Well, keep trying to get in touch with your charter or hotel or booking agent, or whoever booked you. This is where it helps to have someone who actually lives where you are going. An agent who lives in Seattle might not be much help.

Remember that they have a vested interest in you coming down. No one likes handing back refunds. So, take their opinion with a grain of salt and accept it for what it is. The good ones will give you an honest assessment of the pros and cons so YOU can make an informed decision.

Get online and look up the weather forecast yourself! It seems like the most logical thing, but many folks don’t take that first step. There are websites a-plenty including the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and many others.

Even for those of us who live here, believe me. We don’t have mystic powers. We look at those services as well. That’s how we get our weather information. So go straight to the source. If you ask us, we’re often going to give you the same information you can see for yourself.

That doesn’t mean you should discount what your outfitter, captain or charter guy says. Sometimes, there’s a lot of value to having someone simply stick their head out the window and tell you if they see storm clouds or bright sunshine!

Your nightly news might have grabbed the story, but a storm 1000 miles away can do many things before it hits landfall. It could easily peter out. It could veer off. It could turn into a drizzle.

Don’t get worked up for no reason or without all the facts. Or for something that isn’t even a certainty.

Call your airlines. If they are flying in, chances are, it’s OK. But it’s just one more bit of fact to weigh-in.

Here in La Paz, we had something like 18 storm warnings last year in an El Nino season. Only a handful ever dropped rain on us although one of them was a doozy and became the historic hurricane named “Odile.”

As I write this, there’s a storm warning. “Blanca”is heading our way. Everyone is jumpy. The weather forecast changes by the hour. Angst runs high. The memory of what Odile did to us is still fresh.

It’s the 2^nd such storm in about that many weeks. The last one, “Andrea” got everyone worked up too.

When it “hit” us…there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Not a drop of rain. In 4 days, it went “poof!” Adios. Andrea did rain on someone’s parade way out in the Pacific, but not on Baja. We fished as usual.

With lower Baja so close to the equator, storms can just be part of life. It’s tropical. Storms blow through. With this current El Nino weather pattern, more storms than normal will be around.

Storms come up sometimes with zero notice and unleash for 15 minutes then disappear. It can be raining in one area, but 100 yards away no rain falls at all.

The weather forcast can show “rain”, but it rains in the mountains 20 miles away which are technically part of the city. In the city folks ar eating ice-cream cones with not a cloud in the sky.

That’s when simply asking someone to look out the window can be worth it’s weight in pesos.

Get all the facts. Make a good decision before you cancel your plans and have to tell your boss you’re not bringing him any fish.

That’s my 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:

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.”

DREAMS SO CLOSE

Posted in Baja, fishing blogs, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, Mexico, tagged amberjack, bahia, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, baja, baja fishing, billfish, blogs, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, Cerralvo Island, charter, charters, children, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo, Espiritu Santo Island, expatriates in mexico, family, fish, Fishing, fishing charters, fishing reports, Fishing Techniques, flyfishing, gringos in mexico, guide, holiday, holidays, igfa, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, Light Tackle Fishing, live bait, living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, mexico, Tailhunter International, video, western outdoor news on May 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

DREAMS SO CLOSE

Originally Published the Week of May 26, 2015 in Western Outdoor News

Everyone has story. One of the joys of living here in Baja is finding out how other folks ended up here cast upon these frontier shores. I get asked all the time.

As interesting as some folks might think my own exodus is, I think other people have a far more compelling tale.

We’ve all heard the stories of undocumented folks who braved the fences, the coyotes, the elements, law enforcement and more to come to the U.S. I don’t want to get into the ugly politics of all that. It’s a big issue no doubt.

Jaime is a young man, I often see down at the fishing docks. We often chat. He picks up odd jobs cleaning boats and doing light maintenance around the docks. At night, he works part-time as a bartender.

“I make about $20/day when there’s work. Sometimes, there’s no work.”

Jaime grew up in Loreto. Dad took off. Mom passed away early. He had a younger brother and they moved in with a kindly tia…auntie…who had her own hard-scrabble life, but took them in.

As a kid he loved working on the fishing boats and pangas and often got invited to be an ayudante (deckhand) as he got older. He got pretty good. The extra money from the gringos helped a lot.

An older gringo with a small cruiser took a shine to the smart youngster and his fishing talents. With each passing season, Jaime fished more and more with the gringo.

From ayudante, he found himself running the boat and charters for the gringo. The bond became quite paternal. It was hard not to like this skinny good-natured-hard-working kid with the big smile.

Just after his 18^th birthday, the gringo bought him a ticket to visit him in Las Vegas. Jaime had never really gone to far beyond the rusticity of Loreto so you can imagine the impression Las Vegas had on the young man.

The Gringo had a flourishing air-conditioning business there in the desert of high-rises and neon. A widower for many years, he had a big house and a big heart.

He asked Jaime to stay. Over the next few years, he taught Jaime to repair air-conditioners. He enrolled him in night courses to get his high school GED. The bright Jaime was a quick-study. He also proudly got his citizenship.

“I was so happy. It was like a dream come true to come from living in an old block and wood house in Loreto to having a job and education and being part of the a great country.” He looked wistfully away. “I was making sixty-dollars-an-hour and it was like being a king.”

He always had an interest in marine biology and planned to enroll at the UNLV.

He applied for loans and grants, but while waiting to enroll he was so motivated, “I would go to the university and just sit in on math and science classes and take a desk in the back so I could listen. It was so interesting and exciting. I couldn’t wait.”

Then, he got a collect call from his brother who was still back in Loreto.

After all those years, dad had shown up again. Kid brother was living with dad. Kid brother had gotten into some trouble and had called from jail. Dad had a heart attack and died.

Please come home to help. You’re needed.

Dutifully, Jaime packed up for a short trip back to Loreto.

In the ensuing weeks, he spent all his money taking care of his father’s funeral and affairs. He lent money to other family and friends. Everyone had a hand out. His brother’s legal woes drained the rest.

Eventually, he ended up here in La Paz at one of the larger hotels. Trying to earn enough money to go “home” to the U.S. while working as a maintenance worker wasn’t going to be easy.

And then, he got a phone call from Las Vegas.

The gringo had suddenly passed away from a stroke. There was no place to go home to now.

Jaime worked two years struggling and trying to make ends meet on Mexican minimum wage which was about $8 a day.

“I think of how lucky I had been to live in the United States and how much I missed my friend and the work. It seemed my dreams had come true.”

And then the hotel went on strike. And the doors closed. The hotel held all his funds and benefits in their accounts. And he was out of work.

It has been 7 years now. The hotel has never re-opened. He still holds hope that someone will buy the hotel and his funds will be released. Interest has been accruing and he says, “It’s enough to go back to the United States.”

But, it doesn’t look promising.

So, he bounces from odd jobs to odd jobs. His work ethic hasn’t changed and he’s creative and industrious…and hopeful.

“To me, I had it all. I’m stuck here but I still have the American dream of being better. I still want to go to school and be a marine biologist. With God’s help…

His voice trails off. He sighs.

“I have to go clean some boats,” he says. And walks off.

The news is packed with stories of those who arrive illegally and stay. Some try to do it the right way. And still the dream eludes. So close…

That’s my 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:

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.”

PREPARE FOR THE WORST?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged amberjack, bahia, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, baja, baja fishing, bay, billfish, blogs, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, cerralvo, Cerralvo Island, charter, charters, children, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo, Espiritu Santo Island, expatriates in mexico, family, fish, Fishing, fishing charters, fishing reports, Fishing Techniques, flyfishing, freediving, gringos in mexico, guide, holiday, holidays, igfa, images, inshore, international, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Light Tackle Fishing, live bait, living in Mexico, los barriles, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, mexican culture, mexican life, mexico, muertos, outfitter, outfitters, packages, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, reports, roldan, roosterfish, sailfish, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea of cortez, sierra, snapper, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing, suenos, tackle, tailhunter, Tailhunter International, techniques, tips, tours, travel, tuna, vacation, vacations, video, wahoo, western outdoor news, wife, women, yellowtail on May 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

On any given day in the Sea of Cortez, anything can happen!

PREPARE FOR THE WORST?

Originally Published the Week of May 14, 2015 in Western Outdoor News

I’m often asked about what kind of gear to bring or for suggestions about gear for coming to fish here in Baja. Depending on the time of year, location, or species sought, that response can get pretty lengthy.

Given what airlines charge for travelling with your gear and just all the hassle of hauling it around, there’s a thin line between bringing too much stuff and not enough. Of course, we want to bring ALL our toys to play with, right?

There’s that old saying about “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” When that’s applied to Baja fishing that doesn’t have to be so cryptically sinister or mean anything bad.

To me, that means if you’re going to put a bait or lure in Baja waters, you never know what’s going to happen. Be prepared for the “worst” …to get your backside kicked and handed to you at any time or any place!

I’m reminded of a time when I was out on the panga perhaps almost 20-years-ago. I was personally guiding an amigo who wanted to go out and fish light tackle.

Being from Washington, the guy brought a lengthy salmon rod…small…thin…whippy and about 8’ long. It was rigged with 20-pound test.

With my captain on the tiller, we motored out’ve the small bay. We had just passed over the drop-off where the turquoise waters gradually turned to the deep cobalt of the Sea of Cortez. We were still within a few hundred yards of the shore.

Anything can happen.

A few tossed handfuls of sardines and we got swarmed by a school of small dorado. My guy pinned on a bait. Fish on! Instant bendo.

On the light rod, it was a kick. I kept the fish around with chum. He caught and released 1…2…3 fish and had the biggest grin. This was exactly what he came for. “This is better than salmon fishing for sure!” he grunted between lifting and cranking.

Fish number four took a deep dive under the panga and my guy leaned hard into the thin rod as it strained in a near-parabolic arc. The drag sang.

And then it stopped. And the strain on the rod diminished although the line remained taught. Strangely the line was coming up. At a weird angle.

Suddenly, my captains started yelling, “Marlina grande! Marlina grande.”

There off the starboard side a big marlin came up through the blue. Like a big greyish-blue submarine surfacing through the depths, the marlin was laconically swimming aside us.

And it had a small dorado in crosswise in it’s mouth! And my guy’s hook was in the in the mouth of the dorado! And the drag started to squeal again…Oh-oh…

“What do I do?” he yelled.

I instructed him to keep a high stick and told the captain to start the motor! It’s not like this kind of thing happens to me all the time.

And there we were, now attached to a dorado… that was attached to a marlin seemingly happily making it’s way. It was like a big aquatic dog that has a big bone in it’s mouth. Not a care in the world.

My guy couldn’t set the hook. The hook was in the dorado. All he would do was hang on! And that’s what we did as the big marlin leisurely bulled through the small waves oblivious to us.

No one was gonna believe this. What could we do? Watch and grin. It wasn’t exactly under our control at this point.

After about 50 yards, the big fish started submerging on a gentle decline. In no particular hurry it was headed deeper.

The rod and reel took on the full weight of the fish.

“I can still feel the dorado shaking his head!” said my fisherman incredulously.

Wow. I figured this wasn’t going to last long. Something was going to give. I mean, 20-pound-test-line and a salmon rod is like hunting elephants with a b.b. gun.

Down went the big fish. Out spun the line. The rod strained, arched and doubled and looked like it was going to break as we stopped the panga. The entire front end of the rod was now in the water. I had no doubts who would win this tug-of-war!

Then…SPROING! The rod suddenly went slack. Oh no! The inevitable happened. Story-book fish gone!

All three of us momentarily exhaled in a communal shrug. Limp rod. Limp line. Happy but limp spirits to go with it.

And then the rod suddenly arched again and the line zinged tight…And we were on again!

And, in the time it took to type this sentence…a wahoo goes ballistic out’ve the water snagged on the hook and line!

WHOA!!! And before the words could barely leave our mouths. SNAP! The line cut.

And the waters went silent. And the rod went straight…again. And we looked at each other…again. And broke out laughing.

No one would ever believe this. A sardine bait became a dorado…became a marlin…became a wahoo. Became an incredible story.

You just never know what’s gonna happen when you fish Baja waters. Prepare for the “worst!” But really. Nothing could have prepared us for what happened that day.

That’s my 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:

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.”

“Meet My New Fishing Buddy”

Posted in 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, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charters, dorado, east cape, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, 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, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia de los suenos, bahia de muertos, baja, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, charters, dorado, east cape. panga, el sargento, fish, Fishing, fishing reports, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, girls, guides, holidays, inshore fishing, isla cerralvo, isla espirito santo, island, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, las arenas, light tackle, loreto, marlin, mexican, mexico, outdoors, outfitters, packages, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, sailfish, sea of cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, sports, Tailhunter International, techniques, tours, travel, tuna, vacations, ventana, video, wahoo, women, yellowtail on September 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Fishing “buddies” are changing a bit these days!

“MEET MY NEW FISHING BUDDY!”

Originally Published the Week of September 6, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

We always try to make a point of personally greeting each and every fishing clients who comes to visit us when they come from the airport. After so many e-mails and phone calls prior to the trip, it’s great to finally put faces and names together…for all of us…clients included.

Several weeks ago, we were waiting at the hotel for two sets of brothers. Bob and Pat Brown and John and Terry Terrell were coming fishing together. Super.

But, what a surprise when they stepped out of the airport van to greet us. “Pat” turned out to be “Patricia” and “Terry” was “Teresa!” Two couples!

After a laugh and some quick scrambling to re-arrange their hotel rooms to get king beds, I had some thoughts. Several days before, half our fleet of pangas was occupied by couples. Even one of my long-time captains commented about it.

As I sit here and write this, I would say 40 percent of our clients fishing with us this very moment are women…that includes several wives…two sets of sisters…a daughter-in-law…and two single gals getting away from their guys for a quick fishing trip (tables turned!)

And this is panga fishing! That means no big shiny cruisers. It’s an open boat pushed off the beach old-school style!

Times are changing.

Fishing and Mexico aren’t just a guy’s domain anymore. But, with increasing frequency, we’re seeing an increasing number of couples and women in general. I attribute it to three things.

First, I think the ladies themselves have changed. They are much more outgoing. They’re used to travel. They’re used to a little adventure. They’re up for it. The younger ones grew up being outdoors and active. The older ones, don’t sit at home on the couch anymore either now that the kids are out-of-the-house! They’re on the move!

Many of the ladies can hang with the guys anyday and can keep up with them…and then some! They fish…they hunt…they camp…they shoot…theyswim and dive!

They can be as hardcore as the boys! Just try to elbow one trying to get to a screaming rod and you’re likely to get elbowed right back! And do NOT ask them if they need help! They’re just fine thank you!

Secondly, Mexico is changing. Facilities are better. Roads are better. Hotels are nicer. Heck…10 years ago, we were still wondering if we would have ice, let alone air-conditioning. Now there are spas and white-tablecloth restaurants. They can fish like crazy and still get a massage and pedicure in the afternoon right before pool time and happy hour. Oh…and there’s shopping. (most places!)

Also, Mexico itself is more welcoming. It’s exotically close. It’s a familiar culture, language and food. It’s easy to travel to and easy to get around. The country caters very well to visitors.

Lastly, I think us guys have changed too. We still love and need our “man-cations” with the bros, but it’s good knowing our ladies can hang with us too and frankly, from what I’m seeing we like hanging with them also.

Honestly, when I met my wife, Jilly, about 11 years ago, and found out she liked “football, fishing and beer…” Whoa! I had to buck up a bit. She was definitely worth a 2^nd look and, as one of my buddies advised me, “Jonathan, she’s a keeper!”

So, I kept her…and so far she hasn’t tossed me back either! And I wouldn’t think of going fishing, camping, diving or traveling without her.

I’ve taken her rapelling on cliffs, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, paddleboarding, surfing and hiking. She’s about to get her scuba certification and she’s asked many times when we’ll have time so I can take her on a “real long range fishing trip of at least 10 days!” She’s working up to run her first 10K. She’s the one who wants to take ME to fish for peacock bass on the Amazon River and fish for catfish in SE Asia plus hiking Italy (while taking cooking schools). Amen!

I was talking to one couple that came into our restaurant after a great day of fishing. The wife just gushed and gushed about what a fun day she had and how she couldn’t wait to go out again the next day. It was the first time she had ever gone fishing. It was the first time she had been on the ocean. It was the first time she had been to Mexico.

She pulled out her camera to show me that she had caught the biggest fish of the day…even bigger than her husband’s fish! He grinned and rolled his eyes, but you could tell he was beaming as well.

I asked her how come she had never gone fishing with him before. She smiled. She said she always wanted to and quietly was always envious of all his fishing trips. She then took his hand. She looked at him and said, “It’s because he never asked me!”

Gents…it might be worth asking. Find yourself a new fishing buddy!

That’s our story!

Jonathan

_______________

______________

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: Box 1149, Alpine CA 91903-1149

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:

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.”

http://www.tailhunter-international.com

“OOPS! Now What?”

Posted in 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, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charters, dorado, east cape, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, 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, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, baja, baja sur, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo, charters, donations, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, fishing reports, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, marlin, mexican, mexico, outfitters, packages, panga, pargo, roosterfish, sailfish, sea of cortez, snapper, spearfishing, Tailhunter International, techniques, tips, tours, tuna, vacations, wahoo, yellowtail on August 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Oops…you really didn’t mean to kill that fish! That’s a buzz kill. What ya gonna do now?

OOPS! Now What?

Originally Published the Week of Aug 22, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

It’s a dilemma I see all the time with our fleet here in La Paz as well as elsewhere I have been fishing. Anglers wrestle with it all the time. It’s the “Oops Event.”

It usually pops up in two different situations.

In the first one, you’re fighting a fish. It’s a big one. Usually, it’s a billfish like a marlin or sailfish or you hook onto a sportfish like a roosterfish or a jack crevalle.

You un-intentionally killed a fish. You were going to let it go either because they just don’t taste good; or you don’t like to eat fish; or you didn’t intend to bring any home. More likely, you’re just a good-guy-sportsman and planned to release the fish anyway. It died. Even after you tried to revive it. Oops!

Or, hey…I’ve been there. In the heat of battle, you’ve got the adrenaline running and the sweat pouring off your head and you didn’t speak up fast enough. And dangit…you WANT this beast in the boat for a photo! Well… An overzealous gaff swings and now there’s a dead fish on the boat. Oh man…Oops!

Alternatively, in the other situation I see, anglers fish a few days. They fish within limits. The have a great time. They get what they want. Release what they don’t. All-in-all, just another great fishing trip to Baja.

Until, they pack up their fish to leave. They start dropping frozen fish into the coolers and realize… “Hey, oh-oh. We’ve got way too much fish. It won’t fit in the ice chest and the airlines is gonna charge an arm-and-a-leg for being overweight.” Oops.

Now what? Dead fish on the deck. Too many fish in the box. Ice chest too heavy. Oops!

I hear and see it pretty much every week. When the fishing is running, it’s a common dilemma. It happens. No fish slaughter was intended. No one broke any rules. There was no malicious intent. It’s just that suddenly there’s either an un-intended dead fish or there’s more fish than you wanted or needed.

I guess to me it’s really simple and there’s (to me) obvious solutions, but I’m asked about it often enough that it’s worth a column.

There’s several options.

First, feed yourself! You’d be surprised when I tell people they can take fish to any local restaurant and have the eatery cook up fresh fish. You should see the quizzical looks when I make the suggestion. Really? You can? They will?

I mostly get this reaction from first-timers, who sometimes have a hard time wrapping their minds around the idea that you can just bring a bag of fish into a restaurant and have them cook it up. When it hits them, they bust out the big smiles. And the smiles get even bigger AFTER dinner when I ask them how it tasted. It’s like an epicurean epiphany of sorts!

It’s just so uncommon to do that in the states, but here in Mexico, it’s pretty much given that some of the BEST meals you can have is taking your own fish to a restaurant to have it cooked up. Baja veterans look forward to it as one of the highlights of their trip. It doesn’t even have to be a fancy restaurant.

We do it daily in our own Tailhunter restaurant here in La Paz with our own clients. As I often tell our diners “nothing will ever taste better than fish that was swimming around that morning. That fish’s bad day will be YOUR great dinner!”

Secondly, remember. Nothing gets wasted.

If you visit the touristy cities, or never leave the tourist areas, it’s hard to conceive that many many people in Mexico virtually live on beans, tortillas and rice. If that.

Sadly, that well-dressed waiter serving you that lobster dinner on the white table cloth has never actually eaten lobster or a piece of fresh tuna or dorado. How would he ever afford it? Believe it or not, most folks have never been fishing. That’s what gringos do.

Or the smiling senora who diligently cleans your hotel room every day, probably goes home to a houseful of kids each night. She makes-do with some dried machaca meat and beans or cup-o-noodles made with boiled water for dinner and some cans of Coke.

That great taxi driver who shuttles you all around town, earns 20 bucks a day after a 12 hour day. On a good day. He goes home to a 2 BR apartment with a wife, 3 grown kids and 2 grandkids all living there and somehow that 20 bucks has to stretch.

Even in the pueblos, scarcity is even a bigger part of life. Commercial and sportfishing captains and crews eat OK, but well…

Donations of fish are welcome, but most don’t have big refrigerators or freezers. I know some that literally have the size-refrigerators kids put in their dorm rooms. So, there’s not a lot of space for fish. But, they have the means to catch food to eat.

However, friends and neighbors often do not have that ability. So donations of fish to any of these folks will usually be greeted with a huge grateful smile. Gifts to captains and crews get spread to the neighbors.

Even heads and carcasses that fishermen usually just toss into the garbage have huge amounts of meat on them and make great soup. Nothing gets wasted.

As a third alternative, most established fishing operations have charitable connections. Be it a church, senior home or orphanage or the like. If you leave fish with them, they’ll be sure to get it to folks who need it.

Bottom line is that never ever dump your fish. There’s always someone who will be grateful for it! Your accidental “oops” can be turned into grins.

That’s our story!

Jonathan

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______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

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

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, P.O. Box 1149, Alpine CA 91903-1149

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“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.”

“COVERING THE SPREAD”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo, charters, dorado, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, Fishing lures, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, holidays in mexico, 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, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, baja, baja sur, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, charters, dorado, east cape, el sargento, espirito santo island, fishing blog, fishing blogs, fishing reports, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing video, flyfishing, freediving, holidays, inshore fishing, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, marlin, mexican, mexico, outfitters, packages, panga, pargo, roosterfish, sailfish, sea of cortez, sierra, snapper, spearfishing, Tailhunter International, trips, tuna, vacations, wahoo, yellowfin, yellowtail on August 5, 2013| Leave a Comment »

“COVERING THE SPREAD”

Originally Published the Week of Aug. 8, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

Lately, at least here in Southern Baja, there seems to be a dearth of live, or even dead bait. It happens. You still have to do your best to raise fish. I mean, you’re already here. It’s no one’s fault that the bait gods just didn’t happen to smile on your particular vacation dates. So be it.

Be prepared. Get ready to troll. Cover some water. I get asked all the time what would I recommend.

I usually don’t get hung up on having every color in the rainbow. The days when I neede two kinds of every conceivable lure is long gone and disappeared with the days of cheap airline tickets. Besides, I’m too lazy and too old to carry that much gear anymore.

Now, I bring one dark and one light colored trolling feather in small, medium and large. That’s it. If my fishing partner or partners is bringing gear, I cut it back even further. Let them carry the extra and pay for it!

But, honestly, agree among yourselves who is bringing what. Gear can be shared as can the weight and the cost.

No sense in duplicating efforts and, given the penchance for airlines to charge for every extra bit of weight, it’s ridiculous to bring tons of stuff that will never get used. Besides, you can only troll a limited number of lures at a time. There’s no logic in bringing 20 or 30 lures! Fight the urge. You can do it!

Once you’re on the water, there’s a number of schools of thought on how to drag your lures and presenting a spread to the fish. Veterans have their own multitude of theories and mine is just one guy’s opinion.

I used to subscribe to the technique of running light-colored lures during the brighter hours and the darker lures in the darker hours. Lots of fishermen do well with that. But, for many years, now, I’ve been most productive with staggering my lure colors.

I run my brighter lures further back in the pattern. I run my darker lures closer to the white prop wash. If I have the ability to run more than 2 lures, I stagger them where one dark lure is right in the wash. Another dark one on the edge of the wash and then two brighter ones staggered further back beyond says the 3^rd and 5^th wave behind the boat.

I believe the darker lures have a better presentation in the white water or near the white water where they create a more visible silhouette to the fish.

Regarding trolling speed, my general rule of thumb is somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-8 knots. But I vary that. The important thing is how the lures are swimming behind the boat.

I want the most action I can get from them so they create some kind of commotion. I am also often reminding folks that pretty much any fish that has the ability to bite one of these feathers has the ability to swim way faster than the boat. So goosing the throttle a few nudges to get the lures swimming correctly is a no-brainer.

That brings up another important variable. Not all lures are created equal. There are pusher heads (flat faced/ concave faced) . Bullet heads (shaped like bullets natch). Bubble/Jet heads (drilled with holes to make “smoke” bubble trails). Slant heads (cut on an angle to dart back and forth or jump). And others.

All of them have different characteristics. Some work better at different times than others.

My general rule is the rougher the water, the more action I want from my lure to cut through all the surface disturbance on top of the water. I want them to stand out as something “different” up there to potential predators.

To that end, again, trying to save space and weight is to pack bubble/jet heads or pusher head designs. I like dragging them behind the boat so that they come jumping out of the face of trailing waves then dive back into the water with lots of splash and action.

Several stray suggestions:

If you only have small feathers or lures, consider making larger lures simply by sticking one inside of another. Also, if you want to get down deeper, especially when nothing is close to the surface, either stick a torpedo sinker or egg sinker behind the head of the lure or simply tie a torpedo sinker to a leader ahead of the lure to make it swim deeper.

Give it a try!

That’s our story!

Jonathan

_______________

______________

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: Box 1149, Alpine CA 91903-1149

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:

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.”

http://www.tailhunter-international.com

“Ouch That’s Gotta Hurt!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo, charters, dorado, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, Living in Mexico, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, baja, Cabo San Lucas, Cerralvo Island, diving, dorado, el sargento, espirito santo island, fish, Fishing, fishing liceneses, fishing reports, Fishing Techniques, fishing tips, fishing videos, flyfishing freediving, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, marlin, mexican, mexico, outfitters, panga, roosterfish, sailfish, sea of cortez, sierra, snorkeling, spearfishing, sportfishing packages, Tailhunter International, tours, tuna, vacations, wahoo on July 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

If only it was as easy as finding a KINKO’s to print them out!

OUCH THAT’S GOTTA HURT! (..again)

Originally Published the Week of July 23, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

So, often we hear the phrase “shot itself in the foot.” So-and-so screwed up again and “shot itself in the foot.” Sadly, when it comes to Mexico, you have to scratch your head. Give it a shake and wonder, if it has as many feet as a centipede. How many times can it cap a round into it’s own tootsies and keep walking?

Maybe you’ve already heard the latest.

You can’t get a Mexican fishing license in Mexico. Chew on that for a minute. Mexico has no fishing licenses.

You must still have a Mexican fishing license. They inspectors are still out there. But, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone that will be able to sell you one down here.

Here in La Paz, at our Tailhunter operations, we normally have licenses to sell. We sell a heap of licenses every year to our clients; our competitors clients as well as walk-in anglers. We don’t make anything on them. It’s a nice convenience for everyone and we’re happy to do it.

Previously, getting a fishing license was a 2-3 day ordeal and test of stamina and resilience, even here in big La Paz. You filled out several forms. You had to go to the CONAPESCA office. Then off to the bank to pay the fee. Then bring your bank receipt back to CONAPESCA. Big difference from buying things over-the-counter at Walmart!

So, being one of the few places allowed to sell the fishing permits in 10 minutes is a wonderful convenience for everyone involved.

Several weeks ago, we were informed by CONAPESCA (Mexican Fish and Game) that they didn’t have any more licenses this year. Not just us. Everyone!

Loreto. East Cape. Cabo. And not just us in S. Baja. It was the WHOLE of Mexico.

We spoke with Tracy Ehrenberg from the Pisces Fleet in Cabo San Lucas and she phoned the main offices of CONAPESCA in Mazatalan. Here’s their “We-shot-ourselves-in-the-foot” story.

Try to follow this. According to Tracy, the new head of CONAPESCA simply “didn’t budget” for the printing of enough of the paper licenses to sell for the WHOLE COUNTRY. Think about that one. What no KINKO’s?

So, while some smaller outfits or out-of-the-way places might still have a stash of permits, they government is counting on YOU to purchase your fishing licenses online before you come down to Mexico!

There’s a few problems with that. First, not everyone has computers. Second, not everyone has printers. Third, not everyone is computer savvy enough to navigate the Mexican website that sells the permits. And…

Fourth, the website is about as primeval like it was built by a first-year intern as a school project. It’s difficult to figure. It makes mistakes. It crashes all the time. It sometimes takes your credit card, but gives you nothing to print out. It’s very frustrating.

Several weeks ago when I notified our own clients about the situation, and posted the problem on our fishing reports, I must have gotten 20 phone calls and e-mails a day from livid, confused and frustrated anglers.

In fairness, eventually, with enough persistence, everyone got their licenses. It eventually works and it seems that someone there at CONAPESCA has put the website on a larger server. It doesn’t crash as often.

But, Mexico tourism didn’t need another SNAFU like this. It’s supposed to be making it easier and more stress-free to visit, not throw another hurdle in the way of a vacation! How many times can it fire a round into it’s foot again?

Can you imagine the outcry if all the Fish and Wildlife operations in the U.S. “forgot” to print up enough fishing licenses or hunting tags…and yet still enforced them with inspectors out there in the field and on the water?

If you’re coming down, just make a note about the licenses and bear through it. Here’s how to do it:

Here is the website: https://www2.ebajacalifornia.gob.mx/Pesca/

• Click the American flag and it will be in English

• You want to purchase the fishing license for the “FEDERAL ZONE.”

• Do not be alarmed at the price…it’s in pesos!!! So just divide by 11 or 12 and that’s the rate in dollars and it will show up on your credit card statement in dollars.

• If it’s slow or doesn’t work at first, try again later. With this announcement, everyone in southern Baja has to purchase their licenses this way!

There is also some other alternatives:

You can also get them from CONAPESCA San Diego, but must send a cashier’s check. They also process the paperwork the same day and will mail you your permits. Here’s the link: http://www.conapescasandiego.org/. Their phone number is: 619-233-4324

There’s a third option as well.

In Southern California, a number of well-known fishing tackle stores sell them and, if you can’t go to visit, they will take your information over the phone or via e-mail. They will process the form for you and mail you out your fishing fishing licenses. It’s fast, it’s easy. But they have limited amounts as well, and after they sell their stash, they’ll be having trouble getting licenses as well.

Also many of the sportfishing landings in Southern California, especially in San Diego all have fishing licenses to sell. That’s another alternative.

Most of the time, the website works fine these days. Just persevere if it doesn’t work the first time. There’s also the other aforementioned ways to get your license.

Don’t cancel your trip. Just take a breath and know that it’s as frustrating for us down here as well and we don’t want you being surprised when you get down here and there’s no fishing licenses.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

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Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

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

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, P.O. Box 1149, Alpine CA 91903-1149

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“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.”

“Leaving Something On The Playing Field”

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LEAVING SOMETHING ON THE PLAYING FIELD

Originally Published the Week of July 9, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

In all the years down here in Baja, one of the funnest things I ever did had nothing to do with being on the water. It had a lot to do with being on this planet.

But there we were…us and a handful of fishermen running up and down the aisles of the local La Paz grocery store tossing handfuls of everything in the basket. Money and cost be damned!

It was like turning kids loose in a candy store!

Remember those old TV shows where the winner got 10 minutes to put as much of anything the could find into the shopping cart before the buzzer rang? That’s what it was like. Gleeful fun. Giddy fun.

Store attendants looked on in horror!

Jimmy was putting bags of rice and beans in his cart and piling that-up with cartons of eggs.

Mike was literally doing a balancing act by pulling cans of soup or vegetables into his cart and making a mess dumping boxes of cereal and soap and juice into his overflowing cart.

Terry had parked in the produce section. He was busy bagging tomatoes and apples, onions and oranges and trying to squeeze watermelon underneath near the wheels.

On the other end of the store, Larry already had some huge frozen hams in his cart. He had just laid wasted to the bacon, poultry and hot dogs and was now assaulting the dairy section for milk, yogurt and butter. See, Larry run!

Laughing like a little kid, I found Mario in the liquor aisle putting jugs of wine on top of boxes of cookies…donuts… and potato chips!

I looked at him puzzled…”Not exactly healthy stuff there, Mario!”

“Hey…they’re OLD…they’re not DEAD! They should have some fun!” he yelled back.

I had to laugh. All of this “largesse” was headed to one of the old-folks home here in La Paz. Yes…”old but not dead and certainly entitled to fun!”

As soon as all of this was loaded into the van, we were headed there to the senior home to play summer-time Santa Clause…a total surprise!

Every year this group pulls this crazy stunt. Their last day in town is a “run through the market” followed by a visit to the senior home to big smiles, hugs, and grateful handshakes from a group so often forgotten.

The seniors are so often forgotten. They’re not cute. Many can’t speak. They sit for hours just staring. One of the gents gets a special smile as he pulls the bottle of tequila from the boxes of groceries and flashes a toothless grin! I would have bet the barn that he squirrels it under his shirt and sneaks back to his room!

But they aren’t the only ones. We have another group of anglers that takes all the fish from their last day of fishing. They donate it to whatever cause seems to be the most needy. Sometimes, it’s the seniors. Sometimes it’s the kids.

It doesn’t matter. It seems that they fish especially hard that last day because they know that even “junk fish” like bonito will be more than welcomed. Jack crevalle and triggerfish all go into the ice chests ready to fillet!

Again, the smiles are priceless.

I have another group of good-Joes. They fish with us and eat at our restaurant. They automatically put up $50 bucks a head. They order and eat off the $50.

They order a 10-dollar burger or plate of tacos and nachos. The remainder is a donation to charity. If they have 10 or 20 guys…that can be a nice sum that buys a lot of dry goods, toiletries, rice, beans and yes…pampers and toothpaste.

Others aren’t so grand, but bring whatever they can.

A dentist brings cases of the extra sample toothbrushes sent to his office. He has us give it to an elementary school near Las Arenas. A doctor gets boxes bandages.

A guy who sells paper products brings note pads and colored-pencils. Kids who treasure each piece of paper act like gold, bust out huge smiles.

Another group collects old sporting goods cast-off by their own kids who have outgrown them. They come down with baseball gloves, a catchers mask, some old rubber bases and deflated soccer balls and basketballs that can be inflated again. Old sweaty baseball hats with MLB logos are treated like winning lottery tickets.

Eyes glow. Handshakes exchanged. No words necessary. It’s universal. Win-win. Priceless friendship and gratitude.

Things that we so often take for granted like toothpaste and soap and shampoo are a luxury. We go through sports gear as fast as we visit our sporting goods store and see a new model that promises to make us stronger, faster, or better.

We don’t give 2^nd thoughts about how important something like pampers or socks or clean t-shirts might be. Or just what a treat a cheap sip of wine might be even if served in a Dixie cup.

You always hear athletes talking about “going all out” and “leaving it all out there on the court or field.” Give it your all. Regret nothing.

Here in Mexico, leaving even a little something behind on the playing field is makes everyone a winner.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

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______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

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U.S. Office: Box 1149, Alpine CA 91903-1149

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:

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.”