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.”

DECISIONS DECISIONS

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, christmas, chubasco, circle hooks, crankbait, 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, 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, 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, storm, 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 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, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito santo island, family, fish, Fishing, Fishing lures, fishing reports, fishing shows, fishing tips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, 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, saltwater, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea lions, sea of cortez, shallow water, snapper, snorkel, spearfishing, sport fishing, swim, swimming, tailhunter, Tailhunter International, tailhunter restaurant, todos santos, tour, tournaments, travel, trolling, tuna, vacation, wahoo, weather, whale sharks, whales, wife, women, world records, yellowfin, yellowtail on December 5, 2016| Leave a Comment »

flyfishing

DECISIONS DECISIONS

Originally Published the Week of Dec. 7, 2016 in Western Outdoor News

About this time of year, I get a lot of “Santa” questions. It’s either from wives, girlfriends or kids asking what to buy for the guys.

Or, honestly, it’s a lot of guys thinking about buying stuff for themselves because of the sales. Or for their “buddies.”

When I worked and managed a tackle store many many years ago, I enjoyed the many ruses that guys used to buy their toys.

Of course, the most common one was simply paying cash so the purchase wasn’t traceable to the home budget. They would then boldy “hide” the new gear somewhere in the deepest recesses of the man-cave/garage so it wouldn’t be found.

More cleverly, two guys would conspire together.

Each guy purchased something the other wanted. It was wrapped and they exchanged the “gift.” Come Christmas morning, each announced joyfully to his respectively family, “Oh my! Look what my best fishing buddy bought me!”

Some guys would come to us at the tackle store with a “Santa’s list” of their own.

They knew full-well that their wives would come to the tackle store to make a purchase. It was their sincere hope that our staff would steer the thoughtful wife in the proper direction. “Oh honey! How did you know that’s what I always wanted? You’re the best!”

Well, the holiday season is upon us again.

Whether you’re purchasing for yourself or for someone else, there’s a few tips for hopefully scoring the right thing.

Of course, like everything else, a lot can be done online.

If you’re looking for stocking stuffers, it’s a great place and there’s all kinds of deals to be found. If you have no inclination, time or ability to visit an actual tackle store then purchasing online is a no-brainer.

This is where you can find stuff like pliers, dikes, and lures. Stuff for boats and the things that go along with fishing like camping and outdoor things work well. What guy doesn’t like electronic fishing gadgets?

Books and videos are also great gifts. If you know proper sizes, it’s hard to go wrong. If in doubt, look into a gift certificate. This is especially true for clothing and footwear.

A number of charter operations also sell trips online that make a great gift. Or, give some thought to an actual fishing vacation. To someplace like Baja (hint-hint)!

You can also purchase fishing licenses online. That includes Mexican fishing licenses as well.

But, there’s some things that you probably shouldn’t purchase online if at all possible. Like a few other things in life.

For one, some items are just a bit too pricey to pick the “right one” to someone in a backroom or warehouse no matter how good they might be. Especially, if it’s a gift.

Or, if you’re not very knowledgeable about the item to begin with! It helps to talk to a real salesperson.

For another, some things in life just need to be touched and held and examined before you lay down your cash. Things like shoes or jewelry come to mind.

Additionally, no matter what you think, often no two items are the same!

That includes some fishing gear. Unlike say, a TV set…or a set of pots and pans…or a box of chocolates, I bet most folks don’t realize that no two fishing reels are alike. Guns can be like that. Guitars are like that. One item has “the feel.” Others just don’t have it.

I’ve been in a store and asked them to take out a certain fishing reel. I can try five of the exact same model, especially conventional reels. And no two will be exactly alike. The drags might feel different. One free-spools like a dream. The others might be a bit sticky.

Rods can be that way too. Depending on what the rod is going to be used for, the grips might be different. More important to me is the “taper” and the backbone of a rod. Where does it shut off (bend)? It’s something I like to check with my own hands.

Nothing against, Walmart, because there’s some good gear there and great folks, but if you can get to a tackle store that really knows their stuff you’ll be better off. You might pay a little more, but maybe not. However, you’ll get a better handle on making a good purchasing decision.

Even in some of the mega outdoor stores like Bass Pro or Cabelas find that “one guy” that knows his stuff. If you live in some place like Denver or even northern California, the staff might be more on top of salmon or flyfishing. But, I’ve found there’s usually that one guy who can steer you right.

If all else fails…gift certificates or gift cards.

Personally, I better get on my own horse. I haven’t even started yet!

That’s my story!

Jonathan signature

Jonathan

______________

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

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

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

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

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

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-53311

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

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

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

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

______________

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

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

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

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

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

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

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-53311

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

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

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

“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

_______________

______________

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!

_______________

______________

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

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“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

_______________

______________

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.”

YES YOU CAN…MAYBE

Posted in airlines, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, chubasco, circle hooks, 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, Heat stroke, highway, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, hurricanes, ice chests, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged amberjack, bahia, baja, bay, beaches, blog, boise, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, central washington, cerralvo, charter, children, column, costa baja resort, day tour, discount, dog tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tour, el sargento, espirito santo, fairgrounds, family, fish, Fishing, flyfishing, fred hall, freediving, girl, grey whales, guide, holiday, hotel, hotel perla, igfa, inshore, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kayaks, kids, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, live bait, livestyle, living, lodging, long beach convention center, los barriles, mahi mahi, mexican, mexico, moving, muertos, northwest, offshore, oregon washington, outfitter, pacakges, panga, pargo, pompano, reports, retirement, roosterfish, roosterfish foundation, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea of cortez, sealion, sierra, snapper, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing, sportsmans expo, suenos, swimming, tackle, Tailhunter International, techniques, tips, tour, tournament, travel, tuna, vacation, wahoo, weather, western outdoor news, whale, whalesharks, whalewatching, wife, world record, yellowtail on March 2, 2015| Leave a Comment »

LIVING THE DREAM? IT IS POSSIBLE!

YES YOU CAN…MAYBE!

Originally Published the Week of March 3, 2015 in Western Outdoor News

Admit it. At least once…probably more than once…maybe even several times today, you said to yourself, “I’m gonna blow this place and just move to Mexico!”

Or, you’ve entertained thoughts of simply leaving no trail and vanishing into the Baja to put your toes in the sand; a cold one in your hand and create your own Corona Beer commercial. C’mon. You know you have!

The grass is always greener on the other side. Heck, I’ve lived in Baja almost 20 years and there’s times when even I get fed up and say, “I’m done with this. I want In-N-Out burgers; push-button convenience; and roads that don’t puncture my tires and wreck my suspension.”

But seriously, Baja is high on the “leave-it-all-behind” list. In fact as a whole, Mexico is the #1 vacation and retirement destination for Americans. Some have a plan. Some don’t. Some just wing it.

I once met a guy. He was in construction and got crushed in the latest economic fubar a few years back. Frustrated with trying to stay ahead of the game. Decided he’d had it and was going to make his own game.

Sold what was left of his business. Bought a big RV and tied his boat to the back of it. Strapped his surfboards on the roof and came south. No forwarding address.

Last I heard, he was living on the beach south of La Paz on the Pacific side. I won’t tell you where. He actually had a girlfriend come looking for him once who looked me up hoping to locate him. It wasn’t like I had an address or he had a phone.

He had built a little palapa over his RV. He was teaching surfing lessons. He had built a little public shower out’ve old pallets and bamboo and PVC tubes. Fifty cents for 10 minutes of hot water. Discounts on shower time if brought him a 6 pack of beer!

There was another guy many years ago. His family came down looking for him. His wife had passed. His kids were grown and off doing their own thing. He hadn’t had much contact with them. His exit was a little more dramatic.

All he said was, “I’m driving to Baja.” His family didn’t think much of it. He was retired and was a travelling kind of guy. But, as a former executive, he at least kept in touch with folks.

After five weeks, no one had heard from him.

They came into La Paz putting up “HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?” posters everywhere. It had a fuzzy black and white photo of a smiling guy on an ATV named “Bradley” from Phoenix.

They had been up and down the Baja hanging posters searching for him. As I watched them put one up in front of our offices, I could see the angst, frustration and fatigue. They told me the story. All I could say was that I’d keep my eye out.

Several days later, I happened to be out on the sidewalk and saw a tall scruffy bearded guy in cargo shorts and sandals looking intently at the photo. He saw me looking. He looked back and smiled. I raised an eyebrow at him. You?

He raised a knowing-eyebrow back. Looked back at the faded flyer. Smiled a crooked smile and kept on walking. Hmmm….

Similarly, I’ve run into others who only go “by first name only please!” Or have openly told me they don’t want their photos taken or “I haven’t used my real name in years, and I like it that way.”

Usually said with a laugh. But, they are serious. They have disappeared into the “frontera” (frontier) of the Baja.

Some folks just don’t want to be found. They have their reasons. Some are being chased…family, wife, kids, the IRS. Or not. Others come to chase something else. A vision. A dream. Themselves. Everyone has demons and angels.

I haven’t quite figured out my own motivations for 20 years in Baja myself. I’m still working on it!

The stories can continue. Yes, it can be done. And many do it.

But, most aren’t quite so dramatic or abrupt.

But, before you put out the “closed” sign on your business; bid adios to the U.S.A. and just sail, drive or surf into the Baja sunset, think first.

Don’t crack that beer just yet without some due diligence and a well-thought out exit strategy.

I guess the most important thing. Figure out how you’re gonna eat. As good as beans, tortillas and cerveza were on your vacation, it gets old after awhile. And dorado fillets don’t just jump into your refrigerator.

If you’re not bringing a coffee can full of cash, then it would be a good idea to figure out a source of income.

That means Mexican bank accounts and well, perhaps all the things you were trying to get away from in the first place. Because, you need documents, documents, documents…starting with a passport…immigration forms…and that’s just to start.

If you hated bureaucracy (bureau-CRAZY) in the states, just wait until you get a taste of the Mexican version which is even doubly-mind-boggling, if you’re a gringo.

So, much for disappearing because now you’re back “in the system. “ And then there might be taxes to pay. So, you hate the IRS? You may have to now pay taxes in TWO countries.

And don’t forget if you start buying things, like land; a home; a car (with driver’s license of course!) and other things. You’re leaving a trail.

So many have the impression that it’s “looser” in Mexico, but like anywhere else, there’s criminal laws, labor laws, civil laws; property laws, immigration laws etc. And like anywhere else you respect the law.

Compliance isn’t optional. And the last thing you ever want to do is run afoul of Mexican law.

If none of that matters to you and nothing I’ve written has discouraged you, then come ahead! There’s a sandy beach, blue water, the friendliest folks and a lifestyle unlike anything imaginable waiting for you! I’ll buy the first beer. See you down here!

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: 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.”

AVOID LOOKING LIKE A TOURIST IN MEXICO

Posted in airlines, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charity, charters, chubasco, circle hooks, 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, Heat stroke, highway, holidays in mexico, hurricanes, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, luggage, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, pack for a purpose, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, rental car, rentals, road trip, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, saving money, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, squid fishing, storms, suitcases, Sun stroke, sustainable, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, vehicle, wahoo, waterspouts, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged accommodations, amberjack, bahia, baja, bay, beaches, billfish, blog, blogs, bonito, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, catch and release, cerralvo, certified scale, charter, children, chubasco, day tours, deep sea, discount, dorado, east cape, eco tours, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, Fishing, fishing and hunting shows, flyfishing, fred hall, freediving, girl, grey whales, grouper, guide, holiday, hotel, hurricanes, igfa, images, inshore, international gamefish association, ise, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, Jonathan Roldan, kids, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, live bait, lodging, los barriles, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, mexico, muertos, offshore, outfitter, package, panga, pargo, photos, pompano, reports, roosterfish, roosterfish foundation, sailfish, saltwater, san jose del cabo, seabass, sealions, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, suenos, swimming, tackle, Tailhunter International, techniques, tips, tour, travel, trolling. casting, tuna, updates, vacation, video, wahoo, weather, western outdoor news, western outdoor publications, whales, whalesharks, wife, yellowtail on February 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »

It’s all about having fun! But how you do it is as important as what you do! Smile for the selfie!

AVOID LOOKING LIKE A TOURIST IN MEXICO!

Originally Published the Week of Feb. 17th, 2015 in WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS

Well, we’ve been at this almost 20 years now running our fishing ops here in La Paz and we see almost 1000 fisher-persons a year. I love to people watch. It occurred to me that there’s some tips and observations to pass on about avoiding looking and acting like a tourist.

Don’t be afraid to speak Spanish. No matter how limited. Do your best! It’s appreciated and encouraged.

Don’t be an idiot and speak “Spanish” by simply adding an “El” to the front of every word or adding “O” to the end of every word. For example, “I want-O el plate-O of el chips-O ” will only get eyes rolling. Don’t laugh. I hear this more often than you think.

If someone doesn’t understand what you’re saying in English or Spanish saying it 10 times or saying it LOUDER is not going to help!

Don’t be the ugly American and complain out loud and try to make everyone understand YOUR English. Saying, “How come you don’t understand English?” isn’t going to make you any amigos.

Lose the sandals or tennis shoes with black socks. Or the leather Thom McAnn shoes with black socks…especially if you’re wearing shorts. Come to think of it, lose the white socks with sandals too!

Don’t be a cheapskate. Tip for service! Minimum wage in Mexico is about 8 bucks A DAY! So, even a dollar or two is much appreciated. Ten percent is nice. Fifteen percent rocks!

Try to restrain yourself. Starting sentences with “Well, back in America we do it differently” or “Mexico does everything backwards…” is bad form. Don’t be insulting. You’re a guest!

Americans love to walk around with shirtless. It took me years to realize, it’s bad manners. Sorta of like coming to dinner wearing your jockey shorts.

No one is impressed when you pull out rolls of cash. Be discreet.

Smile dangit! It’s universal. Works in all countries. You’re on vacation.

Never call someone over with your palm facing up and beckon with your fingers, “Come over here.” That’s how you clean parts of your anatomy. Better with your palm down and beckon with your fingers like you’re pawing.

Make a friend for life. Ask to take their photo! Mexicans, especially the ladies, LOVE to have their photos taken and are very photogenic. It’s considered quite a compliment.

The universal “bro-handshake” with every cool guy is the casual side-to-side hand slap (low five) followed by the knuckle bump. Try it! Deckhands…captains…waiters…taxi drivers…Now you’re one of the guys!

Eat where locals eat. Eat at carts or little hole-in-the-wall places. If there’s others eating there, eat there too! It’s a sure sign that it’s better than the place next door where no one is eating.

Try something new on the menu or, if you’re in the company of locals, ask if they’d suggest something. Don’t scrunch up your face when they tell you what it is. Just because it has a strange name, doesn’t mean it tastes bad.

For sure, order what they serve. Don’t go to a seafood place and then order the steak that’s way down on the menu. If you want a steak, go to a steak place.

There’s no such thing as a “typical Mexican restaurant.” There’s places where locals eat and there’s places where tourists eat. Taxi drivers tell me all the time, that gringos ask for a “typical Mexican restaurant.” The taxi driver doesn’t know what to say. Tell him specifically what kind of food you’re looking for!

Lose the camera. Or at least be courteous. Respect privacy and use common sense. Folks love to have their photo taken, but no one likes having a video camera or your big zoom lens zero on them.

Share what you have. Bag of chips. Candy. Fishing gear. Fish.

Be remembered forever. Leave or bring a gift. A t-shirt with a logo or a baseball hat are highly prized and expensive in Mexico. Especially if it might be something that reminds them of you. Everyone loves souveniers. That shirt from the company picnic will be treasured a long time.

Pull up your pants. You might be “gangsta” back home, but locals think you look ridiculous. They’re laughing behind your back. Come to think of it, they’re doing it back home too.

“Please” and “Thank you” in Spanish or English is always understood and appreciated. At the very least!

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: 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.”

“CALL OF DUTY SURPRISE”

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

CALL of DUTY SURPRISE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not this time!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It turned out to be an amazing day.

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

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

That’s our story!

_______________

______________

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some are fairly routine.

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

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

Others are a bit more urgent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s our story!

Jonathan

_______________

______________

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: