Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘marlin’

“SOMEDAY IS ALREADY HERE!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Five hours...214 pounds on 60 pound test line...one leg...alot of heart!

Big check aside, there was a larger story behind the win at the Western Outdoor News Tuna Jackpot Tournament in Cabo San Lucas

SOMEDAY IS ALREADY HERE

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Nov. 17, 2011

If you’re in the travel / fishing business like we are, you get alot of ” We’ll get out your way someday!”  or “One of these days, we have to try doing something like that!”

 

You smile.  You nod.  That’s great. Sure thing. 

 

This past week, my wife, Jill and I spent a great time working with the wacky crazy fun crew of Western Outdoor News at the 13th Annual Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot.  Imagine throwing a five -day  party for about 600 of your best friends. 

 

It’s alot of work, but far outweighed by the smiles and fun.   With over 100 teams from around world participating, how can you go wrong with a tournament that has the motto, “FISH HARD!  PARTY HARDER!”

 

Ringmaster and WON Editor Pat McDonell pulls out all the stops as tournament director to make sure everyone has a good time.  The best thing is that you see so many of the same faces every year.  Many participants tell us this is sometimes the ONLY fishing they do all year and look forward to ONLY fishing in this event…because it’s such a kick.

 

This year, Jill worked the papers and stats helping to  keep the tournament central booth manned and everyone straight.  I thought I had the “easy” job of working the weigh scale with Pat. 

 

Not so.  There were alot of fish to weigh!  It was pretty crazy.  Drama right to the end.  As it turned out, it was historic!   More fish were weighed than ever.  There were so many fish over 100 pounds, let alone the bigger slugs.  (23 fish over 100 pounds and 3 over 200 pounds).   I was pretty much covered with fish goo by the end of the day. 

 

And there was the winner…214 pounds of tuna muscle.  And it was worth almost 37 grand in prize money.  Yay! 

 

It’s quite a story.

 

Oroville Henseler fought this thug fish for almost FIVE hours.  He was a FIRST TIME angler.  When we saw his rod and reel, it almost looked like a rental rod.  No fancy upgrades.  No two-speed gears.  No aircraft precision.  It was a simple out-of-the-box Penn 6/0 reel.  His rod…I dunno…a no-name-brand from what I can tell.  Better suited for 20-pound dorado than 200- pound gorilla tuna.  Granted, he had 150-pound Seagaur leader, but his mainline… only 60 -pound mono! 

He refused to pass off the rod for all five hours.  He wouldn’t hear of it.  Imagine dangling a 200-pound refrigerator over the side of a building on a string and hanging onto it…for five grueling hours in the Baja sun on a rolling boat.  That’s manning-up on a fish!

 

But that’s not the story…the real story.  The winning story.

 

See, Oroville Henseler came all the way out from Springtown, Pennsylvania.  Yes, THAT  hotbed of ocean-fishing.  Oroville had never fished in a big-time tournament.  Heck, he hadn’t even been ocean fishing before. 

 

Six months ago, he never imagined himself standing on the winner stage with a big fat check in one hand and his wife, Cindy, holding his other hand and holding back tears of her own.

 

You see, about 6 months ago, Oroville Henseler from Springtown was more concerned with staying alive and maybe walking again.  He had lost his leg in an industrial accident when his shoelace got entangled in a machine.  Surgery was unable to save his leg. 

 

Fitted with a prosthetic leg, he had one of those life-changing experiences you hear about.

 

As the story is told, just two weeks before the tournament, he decided to go.  A big -time tournament was on his new “bucket list” and he said no more “what if…” moments in his life.  He plopped down the credit card and stepped up. 

 

As he stood up there in the lights accepting  the roaring congratulations and applause from more than 600 people, politicians and dignitaries at the awards banquet at the Cabo marina, he was choked up.  I could see his eyes tearing up. His metal bionic leg sticking out from a pair of jeans shorts.   A Kodak moment of moments.  

 

Winning.  It’s not about the money. It’s about saying “No more somedays.” There might not be time for “someday.”  Someday is already here.

 

That’s our story!

Jonathan

 

______________________________________________________

 

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!    

 

 

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

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

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:
http://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.”

Read Full Post »

“LOST FISH CAPTURED MEMORIES”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, kids, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Win some...lose some. It's part of the sport. But certain fish leave lifetime memories.

LOST FISH CAPTURED MEMORIES

Originally Published the Week of Sept. 22, 2011 in Western Outdoor News

I think I was about 9-years-old and my uncle had taken me out on my first real trip in Mexican waters.  It was a multi-day trip on the old party boat “Holiday.”   I had never fished the big boys before and was obviously thrilled like any little boy. Sky high and feet off-the-ground-excited. 

 

That day we got into a big bluefin and albacore bite.  It was exciting and like a proverbial three-ring-circus.  Bent rods. Screaming reels. Blood splattering. Guys cursing and yelling and big thick fish bodies hitting the deck! Oh man…pandemonium like a little kid had never seen!

 

I didn’t know what I was doing.  My uncle got lost in the melee.  I had an old Mitchell Garcia ocean “coffee grinder” spinning  reel as I hadn’t yet learned how to use conventional gear.  I think I had 30 pound line purchase from Thrify Drug Store.  I had a beat up Roddy fishing rod.  Being a little brown kid,  I wanted to stay out’ve the way so I wandered to the bow all by myself and cast an anchovie as far as I could!

 

As soon as it hit the water, there was a huge splash.  The reel was in gear so it was almost launched out’ve my hands!  I remember digging my heels in and slipping down on my butt but still holding onto the rod which was now torqued against the gunwale with my knees arched and my feet braced against the Holiday’s white fiberglass…and holding on for dear life.

 

I somehow managed to stand up.  I did the best I could to just hang on.  I turned the handle when I could.  Gritted my teeth and remembered the butt of that spinning rod digging into my chest and hurting under my armpit. Forget backbone!  That rod was like a big noodle in my small hands and almost doubled with the big fish!

 

Oh, please! Oh please! I remember frantically looking around hoping someone would come help me. But everyone was jammed back in the stern.  No one missed the 9-year-old by himself up at the bow.

 

I don’t know how long I held on up there.  Maybe 15 minutes?  Time has little relevance when you’re on a big fish let alone when you’re 9 years old and can barely tell time!

 

I really didn’t know what else to do!

 

“Hey, there’s a kid in the bow with a fish!  Someone go help him!” I heard a booming voice yell from the wheelhouse above me.

 

Bodies came running up.  Hands wrapped around me and around my rod. I didn’t look up.

 

“Hang in there, kid! Oh man, you have about a 50-pound bluefin on there!  You been up here all alone?  That’s the wrong outfit to be using for these fish!”

Certain things get etched in your brain.  I remember those words to this day more than 40 years later.

 

I was straining for all I was worth.

 

“Hey, it’s coming up!  It’s coming up!  Get the gaffs! “

 

I turned the handle of that old Mitchell.  It was like pulling a refrigerator up the side of a building. 

 

“Oh wow.  It’s a big one, Kid! Just a little more.  Just a little more!”

 

I peered over the side of that tall rail.  What I saw was the fat blue and silver body that seemed close enough to touch.  The eye of that massive fish must have matched my own that were the size of pizza plates.

 

That fish looked right at me.  Then it surged with one last burst.

 

The rod dug into my groin and chest and I remember my knuckles getting slammed against the wooden rail.

 

And the line popped…then and there.  KER-SNAPP!

 

Where?  Where’s MY fish? 

 

I found myself crumpled on the deck.  Alone.  All I remember was people walking away and I think I heard, “Tough luck, Kid.”

 

Looking back, the deckies were busy in the stern with other bent rods.   They had other things to attend to, but for a 9-year-old, I wanted to cry.  I wanted someone to tell me how I lost that fish.  And why? 

 

I wanted someone to pat me on the back or give me some props.  I wanted an “Attaboy.”  But you don’t get an “attaboy” for losing fish.  My uncle didn’t even know I had been up there in the bow. Where was my mom, dangit! She’d understand. 

 

To this day, I remember that eye still looking at me!

 

I remember Micheal Jordan once saying he won alot of basketball games with last-second shots.  But he also said that there were other games when his last-second shot clanked off the rim.  He said he remembers those games he lost more than the games he won.

 

I have caught many big fish over my fishing career.  But…I remember more every big fish I lost.  Perhaps none more than that first one adventuring into Mexican waters almost 50 years ago.

__________________________

 

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!           

 

_________________________

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts