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GOOD ENUFF

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, camping, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charters, deep sea, dorado, driving, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, family, fish, fish farming, fish pens, Fishing, fishing blogs, 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, hurricane, 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, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, midriff islands, outfitters, packages, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, passport, planning, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tiburon island, tourism, tours, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 13, 2019| Leave a Comment »

nolan and me 2 edit

GOOD ENUFF

Originally Published the Week of Jan. 16, 2019 in Western Outdoor Publications

In addition to our fishing fleet, we have a little bar and restaurant in La Paz where lots of our fishermen trade stories; watch sports; and have a few cold ones.  Most will tell you it’s a fun little place.

 

We also have live music a few nights a week.  Our guys are pretty good.  But anyone is welcome to join in.

 

If you think you can strum a guitar; carry a tune or bang two tin cups together, step on up.  Put your beer down or bring it with you.

 

I guarantee, alone or with the band no matter.  We love it.  The band loves it.  The crowd loves it.  You’ll love it.

 

Enthusiasm counts for a lot more than talent, skill or ability.

 

I’ve played guitar for years.  I’ve played in bands.  I’ve been in front of crowds.  But, by my own standards, I’m a hack.  I get by if I have to.

 

But,  I was hesitant to play with our guys at first.   I don’t know why, but I didn’t think I was good enough.

 

It was the leader of our house band who finally said, “Are you good enough to have fun? If the answer is ‘yes’ then come on up to the stage.”

 

And that kinda did it.  I’m not as good as these guys, but I’m good enough to play WITH these guys and I have a world of fun.   And they have fun with me on stage and the crowd seems to enjoy it too.

 

For some reason, I got two e-mails this week from two different dads. In both cases, they wanted to come fish with us in La Paz.

 

One wanted to bring his young son.

 

Another was going to bring a son and an older daughter, but not his youngest daughter.

 

I also got a phone call from guy who had never fished in salt water, but was hesitant.

 

In all three situations, “not good enough” was mentioned.

 

I had to think about that for a moment before responding to each situation.

 

I rarely hear that someone “isn’t good enough.” Not about fishing.  How good do you have to be?

 

No matter how much someone tries to make of it, I’ll tell ya a secret.  In almost 5 decades of fishing, it’s NOT rocket science.  Fishing is not curing cancer.  Fishing is not winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

We often forget that.

 

And for some reason, I remembered about my guitar playing.  I only have to be good enough to have fun.  That’s all.  Have a good time.

 

I asked each father if their kids enjoyed the outdoors?  Did the kids like fishing at all? Do they have fun?  Did the fathers have fun with their kids?

 

Both answered in the affirmative.

 

I put the same question to the freshwater guy that was nervous about saltwater fishing.  He didn’t want to look foolish or under-gunned if he came to fish with us.

 

“Well, do you have fun fishing?”

 

“Yes, I love it!”

 

Well, what’s stopping you?  Step on up.  If it’s a kid, they’ll never get good at all if you don’t start ‘em somewhere.   Same with the freshwater guy.

 

If you’re good enough to have fun, you’re good enough.  That’s all you need to know.

 

You don’t need to be stronger or bigger.  You don’t need to have all the best equipment. You don’t need more experience. That will come.

 

I’m in my 60’s now.  I have a new first grandson myself.  He’s not even two-years-old yet but we’ve already taken him fishing.

 

Some would say he’s not old enough.

 

Heck, he’s not even potti-trained yet!  That will come, right?

 

But, he had fun so that means he’s already “good enough” and I can’t wait to take him again.  Or the younger sister that just got born two months ago.

 

We’ll have her on the water in good time and I have no doubts she’ll have fun.

 

I won’t be around to see either of them fishing when they’re  60.  But, I hope they remember their grandpa taking them out.

 

Time is precious.  Moments are precious.  Get those kids out.  Get yourself out.  Tomorrow is already here.

 

You’re good enough.  Jump up.  Jump in.  The water is fine!

That’s my story!

 

signature June '18 two 1

 

Jonathan

 

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

 


Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”

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One Star

Posted in bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo, charters, christmas, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, fishing trips, fishing videos, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids fishing, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico life, outfitters, panga, pargo, pompano, road trip, Salt Water Fishing, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, sierra, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 30, 2018| Leave a Comment »

mojave

ONE STAR

Originally Published the Week of  Dec. 30, 2018 in Wester Outdoor Publications 

 

It was my first Christmas in Baja almost 25 years ago.

 

It wasn’t where I really wanted to be.  At least, not at that time of the year.  Not really at that particular point in my life either.  But there I was.

 

Sitting on my beat-up plastic ice chest.  In the dark.  In the moonlight on a chilly desert evening that was doing it’s best to creep through my thin sweatshirt and grungy army surplus pants.

 

I was in Baja.  Kind of in the middle of nowhere.  At night just off a lonely stretch of road not far outside a small fishermen’s pueblo.

 

Pretty much outta gas, outta money  and out’ve prospects.  And almost outta batteries in my flashlight.  Great.  Just great.

 

When morning hit, all I knew was that I’d be headed down the road to somewhere that only tomorrow knew.

 

Obviously, I also knew that I wasn’t going to be coming home for Christmas.  Because well…for the time being,  my mini-van was home.  Right here.  Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that I’d be in Mexico for Christmas.

 

Pulled off the shoulder on an empty highway.

 

My Christmas “dinner” that night was a sumptuous feast of canned chicken soup cooked on my single burner camp stove.  Washed down with the last warm Coke I had sloshing in the melted ice water of my cooler.

 

And tonite, like many nights lately, I’d be hunkered in my old mini-van.  Living large.

 

I unrolled my sleeping bag and shook it to make sure no critters had crawled in.  The winter nights are cold, windy and clear in the desert.

 

Sleeping in the van stretched out among my gear wasn’t luxury. It was a necessity.

 

“Come to sunny Mexico!” say the brochures.  “It’ll be fun!” they said.  “It’ll be WARM!” they said.  Someone screwed that up.  Mostly me. Plans had gone catawompus…left of center.

 

This sure was a different Christmas.

 

No gifts.  No family or friends.  No Christmas parades or shopping.  I would have been grateful for a cold turkey sandwich let alone a hot plate of mom’s roasted bird covered with gravy.

 

I used to bitch about hearing Christmas carols for weeks before Christmas.  And the endless Christmas TV shows.   And now it would be great to hear even one corny Rudolph song.  One Frosty.  One RUM-Pa-Pum-Pum little drummer boy.

 

Where are you Charlie Brown?  I know how you felt when no one liked your little tree.

 

No cell phones back then. I couldn’t even call anyone to let them know where I was or how I was doing.  Those were my “knucklehead days.” They weren’t talking to me much back then anyway.

 

I really didn’t need to hear, “I told you so…”

 

But still…

 

No gaudy Christmas lights.  Nothing except a few lights coming from the hardscrabble little pueblo I had passed about a mile back down the road.

 

Just another typical dusty cluster of concrete block homes set in the saddle of some low hills.  Mini- trucks that probably never had hubcaps.  A  rider-less kid’s bike left against a fence, probably when someone got called for dinner.

 

Just like me.  Stuck in the middle of nowhere and not really going anywhere either.  At least not this Christmas night.

 

Especially in the dark, a colorless Baja landscape except for the faded wind-scoured Coca Cola and Tecate signs someone painted a generation ago against a wall.

 

And some tired  political graffiti about voting for somesuch guy who promised to change all this.

 

       “SOY TU REPUESTA! Juntos por el Futuro!” (I’M YOUR ANSWER! Together for the future!)

 

Right.  Politicians and promises never change.  No matter the country.

 

I had passed through the pueblito earlier,  but decided it would be better to pull off the road outside of town.  No sense causing a stir with a strange van parked on their road with an even stranger guy sleeping inside.

 

From my distance, there was surely no sense that it was Christmas.  No colored lights.  Surely no music or semblance of a holiday.  Just me singing the blues in my own head.

 

No other lights except the stars on a clear dark cold night. The kind of stars you can see when there’s no other lights.  And shooting stars too.

 

And one shooting slowly over that little town.

 

And a goofy thought.

 

About another town. Many many years ago.

 

In the middle of nowhere.  No lights.  Maybe some non-descriptn dusty block houses not unlike these.

 

Folks inside just going about their lives. Simple dinners over.  Maybe going to sleep. Just another day. Snuff out the candle or lamp.   Another night.  Nothing changes.

 

Including the night sky.  The same sky.  The exact same stars.  No changes.

 

Yea.  It’s the same night sky.  Gotta be. Thousands of years.  They don’t change.

 

Tried to wrap my tired brain around that one.

 

Maybe the only ones who took notice were some guys on the nightshift watching their animals.  Guys like me, trying to fend off the cold.

 

Who looked up.  Just like I was doing.  Because there was really no place else to look.

 

The story says they saw something up there. In the night sky.  Two milleniums past.

 

And maybe these same stars saw something as well.  Down here.  In a desert town.  Middle of nowhere.

 

Somehow there was a promise that night.  A hope?  Maybe not graffiti’d on a wall.  But something happened that night.

 

And these same stars were there. Back then.

 

And maybe some guys hanging on a windswept desert hill saw something up there too.

 

So say the stories.

 

Or maybe they were just tired and ate some cheap chicken soup.

 

That part wasn’t in the stories.

 

But it was getting colder and the wind was coming up. I climbed into my van and into my sleeping bag.

 

And, for some reason, Christmas wasn’t so bad or lonely anymore.

 

RUM-Pa-Pa-Pum…

 

That’s my story

signature June '18 two 1

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

 


Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”

 

 

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CAN’T HAVE TOO MUCH

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 island, charters, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, freediving, giant squid, historical, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids fishing, La Paz, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexican culture, mexican food, mexican food stands, Mexico, outfitters, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, sierra, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 16, 2018| Leave a Comment »

images (1)

CAN’T HAVE TOO MUCH

Originally Published the Week of Dec 18, 2018 in Western Outdoor Publications

In my last column, I had written about the fact that when fishing in Mexico, live bait sometimes just isn’t available.  This can be especially true during the winter months due to weather or other variables that can’t be controlled.

 

So, what do you do?  Cancel the trip and go back to your hotel room?  Throw or troll lures all day?

 

Over the years, I’ve often been asked about bringing down frozen bait like squid.  Frankly, I never say no.  Even if there’s plenty of live bait available, if someone wants to bring some down or buy some, that’s fine by me.

 

It’s one of those things like being rich…or being too skinny…you can’t be too rich or too skinny.  Relatively speaking.

 

And in my book, bait is one of those things that it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  I’d rather have too much than not enough.

 

To me, the best universal bait in Baja is squid.  Pretty much everything eats squid.  There are even times when squid works better than live bait.  For example, I’ve hooked some of my largest tuna, on squid.

 

Trolled, chunked, cast, jigged…it all works.  And it’s better than nothing and sometimes it’s better than anything.

 

But, you don’t just want any kind of squid.

 

Leave that frozen stuff they sell at the bait shop home.  Fresh dead squid is the best.  Believe me, fish know the difference.

 

If it’s fresh caught and never been frozen, all the better.  That would be my first choice.

 

Rather than bring it down to your Baja destination, see if one of the local markets has some fresh squid or the fish sellers at the farmer’s market in town.  It’s not only fresh, but it’s as cheap as you’ll find it short of catching your own.

 

Absent that, if you’re bringing some from home, again hit up the fresh stuff from the seafood market or fish counter at the supermarkt.  If it has to be frozen stuff, make sure it’s table quality squid that’s for human consumption.

 

To bring it down, you’ll have to freeze it anyway.  If you have a vacuum sealer, great. If not, use small ziplock-style freezer bags and portion it out, so you use only what you need for the day.

 

There’s nothing worse than defrosting a 5-pound chunk of frozen squid on a boat in an ice chest, bait tank or…in the sun!!!

 

It’s not only going to make a stinky mess, but at the end of the day, you’ll have issues with the un-used squid and storing the goopy glop for the next day’s fishing.

 

Year’s ago, I had some fishing clients who forgot their defrosted squid in the trunk of their rental car.  By the time they remembered it, it was late and after a few dinner margaritas.

 

They figured it would be OK.  It was night.

 

Well, nights in Baja are still 85 degrees and the plastic bag leaked right into the trunk carpeting…right under the rear seats and into the floorboards.

 

Come morning, they couldn’t even get into the rental car without gagging.  Good thing they bought insurance!

 

Once you have the squid ready to use, there’s no end to the techniques.

 

Slow troll a whole squid behind the boat.

 

Pin a whole squid or strips of squid to a trolling lure for scent and action and drag it behind the boat.

 

Pin some on a lure and cast or jig with it.

 

Send some down on a hook with a weight, dropper loop style, and a half-dozen reef beasts will be all over it including, pargo, cabrilla, grouper, snapper and more.

 

Chunk with it.

 

Cut it into chunks and toss handfuls into a slow current as you drift.  In the middle of the sinking chunks bait up another chunk of whole squid on a hook.

 

With your line slack and in freespool, let your baited hook drift down with the rest of the chunks.  This is a dynamite way to get hooked up.

 

Keep your line slack and in freespool so it stays with the rest of the chunks.  If your line suddenly starts ripping up, remember “dead bait doesn’t swim.” Flip the brake and set the hook!

 

There’s some fish, like dorado, that specifically like live bait. Dead stuff doesn’t get them too interested unless they are already in a frenzy.

 

But, you can use the chunked squid as chum. It gets the dorado coming to the boat so you can toss a lure or a whole squid and them and “swim” it back to the boat.

 

You can also cut up and pulverize a bunch of squid and make a chum bucket using a small mesh bag hung over the side of the boat or weighted down and hung at depth to attract fish.

 

If you want to supercharge it, add in some commercially bought fish scent to the bag as well.  It’ll leave a nice slick of scent in the water and you never know what might show up!

 

If you have limited live bait, there’s one really nifty trick I learned years ago from one of my captains.  You can put a live bait into the body cavity of a squid.  It will swim!  Just put a hook into it and let it do it’s stuff.

 

And, as a fallback…if all else fails!

 

Fresh squid great deep fried or made into calamari salad!

unnamed

That’s my story!

signature June '18 two 1

Jonathan

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

 


Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”

 

 

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NOT A SURE THING

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, cerralvo, charters, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el nino, el sargento, espirito santo, family, 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, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, mexican food, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, rentals, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Salt water lures, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, sierra, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, Uncategorized, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 2, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Big yellowtail roger 6-13 tags

Bait…it is what it is and you make the best of it!

NOT A SURE THING

Originally Published the Week of Dec. 4, 2018, in Western Outdoor Publications

With the cooler months descending rapidly over the Baja, a fisherman recently asked me, “Where’s all the live bait that was around all summer?”

 

Good question.  In many areas, live bait gets harder to acquire during the winter months and for good reason.

 

Many “warm month” fishermen who visit Baja assume that bait is ALWAYS around and ALWAYS available to either catch or purchase. They come down in the other times of the year and it’s a different ballgame.

 

For many reasons.

 

First, it’s the weather and conditions.  During the cooler months in the Baja, winds are stronger.  There’s a lot more wave action and rougher water.

 

As many of you regulars know, there are some days when it’s impossible to launch a panga.  Even in a big cruiser, you can go out and just get beat up getting tossed and bounced on an angry ocean.

 

Maybe in my younger days, I’d be out there.  I’m older and smarter now.  Fishing is supposed to be fun…especially in Baja.

 

It’s not an exercise in endurance.  So much nicer to hang out at the pool with a cold one and work on that tan!

 

But those same waves and winds batter the bait areas.  Bait tends to stick together, especially if you’re talking sardines or mackerel.  It’s all about survival.

 

To that end, they like shallow sheltered areas or areas where there’s structure be it rocks, reefs, docks, floating objects and similar. Or at least shallow areas along a beach or bay where they can feed, breed and not be subjected to as many predators.

 

If waves are crashing on those beaches or smashing into rocks and docks or currents are impeding their abilities to stay together, they’ll find somewhere else.

 

Or, alternatively, they’re so scattered so they’re difficult to locate and catch.

 

I often get fishing clients who say, “Two years ago, we caught tons of bait over by the wreck,” or “The south end of the island had tons of bait according to the reports.”

 

“How come we don’t go there to get bait?”

 

Or. . .

“Why is it taking so long to catch bait now?  It was easy last July!”

 

Yes, bait moves, amigos!

 

If there was someplace easier to find or easier to catch, don’t you think we’d be doing it? Duh.

 

Some folks think it’s like a big bait receiver out there in the ocean and you just take a big dip net; throw net; or Lucky Joe rig and get all you want.

 

Like going through the drive-through at McDonald’s.  You order.  You drive up.  No big deal.  It’s not like that.

 

There’s another aspect of the bait dilemma as well.  It’s the human element.

 

If the bait sellers are having a hard time finding bait, it’s gonna take awhile for them to get enough to sell.

 

Or, maybe that’s ALL they might have to sell for the day.  And their prices will be…well…whatever their prices will be.

 

It’s a seller’s market.

 

Better to “light one candle than curse the darkness” is the old saying.  You take what you can get and make the best of it.

 

If you have to wait, you wait.  If you can only get a handful of bait, you go with it. You pay the going-rate.

 

You’re not going to pay a couple thousand on a fishing trip then argue because bait costs $30 instead of $20.  If the bait guy doesn’t sell it to you, the next guy will surely take it.

 

What are you going to do, go fishing with no bait?  Troll all day?

 

You can’t get mad at the poor bait guy who’s been working all morning or night doing his best to have enough to sell. He needs to make a living too.

 

Sure, it’s frustrating.  However, believe me, getting angry with the bait guy, your captain or your outfitter won’t make bait magically appear.

 

 

The other aspect to remember is that if the bait is hard to get, the bait guys may feel it’s not even worth going out.  Why waste the energy?  No one likes to work for small returns on effort.

 

Conversely, during the winter, there’s a lot fewer fishermen on the water.

 

The bait guys might not go out at all if there’s no one to buy their bait in the morning.  You might just have shown up on one of those days. It’s like getting rained on the day YOU decide to go fishing.  No one to blame.

 

 

So, just either be patient or go with whatever is happening.  You might find yourself catching your own bait or using something unusual like chunks of bonito or squid.  Or trolling.

 

It is what it is. You’re still in Baja.  You’re not at work.  You’re not at your desk or whatever you do.  There’s worse places to be.

 

 

In the next column, I’ll chat about some ways to fish dead bait like squid.

That’s my story!

signature June '18 two 1

Jonathan

 

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

 


Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”

 

 

Read Full Post »

REALITY CHECK

Posted in airlines, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, camping, car, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charters, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, 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, 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, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, mexican food, Mexico, Mexico Christmas, Mexico economy, Mexico life, outfitters, panga, pargo, pompano, road trip, Salt Water Fishing, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, speaking spanish, spearfishing, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, vacations, wahoo, weather, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 25, 2018| Leave a Comment »

REALITY CHECK

Originally Published the Week of Nov. 13, 2018 in Western Outdoor Publications

If you spend anytime watching U.S. news or surfing the internet, listening to the radio, or social media, it doesn’t take much to figure the U.S. has a lot of problems.  Yikes.

 

If you even got a smidgen of the TV ads for the recent elections, it was an inundation of mind-boggling battering.  It was numbing.  I happened to be in the U.S. for just two days for a family emergency and it was inescapable.

 

Jill and I still vote (absentee ballot) of course from down here in Baja.  But it’s easy to say at times, “Dang, I’m glad I live in Mexico!”

 

And we do. And we’re blessed.

 

But it wasn’t to escape anything back home in the U.S.  Indeed, we miss the heck out’ve it.  But, through a weird and convoluted series of happenstance, this is where work took me and the business just grew.

 

In fact, I was on my way out of Baja, but it grabbed me by the ankles…pulled me back… and wouldn’t let go.

 

And before I knew it two decades had passed.  And we’re still here.  Funny how careers are made.

 

But, we’re not far removed from being reminded how especially fortunate we are.  Despite all of America’s plethora of problems and shares of idiots, there’s a reason folks are desperate to get in.

 

I mean, I don’t see caravans of people from Chicago trying to bust into Mexico or people from Seattle trying to smuggle themselves into China.

 

We love our many friends and employees here and I have watched their kids grow over the years.  And I wonder what opportunity awaits.

What opportunity lies ahead when 6th grade is the highest level of mandatory education here in Mexico?  Or, even a college degree down here means you’re now qualified to work at the reception desk in a hotel.   Is that really it?

 

I know kids that honestly “aspire” to flip burgers at Burger King.   The bar is not very high.

 

Can you imagine, “When I grow up, I hope to learn to work at McDonalds.”

 

American tourists toss 20-dollar bills around while on vacation.

 

I doubt many of them realize that twenty bucks is 3-days wages for many Mexicans.  Most earn less than 10-dollars-a-day and probably paid 4 dollars to ride the bus to get to work and back home.  And probably having to feed a family.

 

Your own kid working that summer job at Dairy Queen is probably making 100 bucks a day for “spending money.” Not to buy food or pay the family rent.

 

Just the other day, I heard a gringo complain that he had been “ripped off” by a street vendor who didn’t have 75 cents change in American.  C’mon, Man.

 

We know a friend who just found out she has breast cancer.  Serious.  It took a MONTH between the biopsy and diagnosis and the cancer had grown tremendously.

 

But there’s no openings for surgery for THREE months. And even then, the date might come up and there might not be a surgeon available.

 

A death sentence. But, there are no other options.

 

And she’s “lucky.”

 

She has government-provided socialized “medical insurance.”

 

It means everyone has the right to medical care in Mexico.  It just doesn’t necessarily mean you get it “right now” when you need it or the right kind of treatment.

 

If you live in the outlying areas as many folks do, medical treatment means you also have to  travel to a doctor.  I asked one of our captains many years ago what do you do if you can’t get to a doctor?

 

He said sadly, “We just die.”

 

As many of you know, we drive a beat- up Honda down here.  I’m not proud. It’s a junker. But it goes forward and reverse. And the air-conditioning works…sometimes.  At a whisper and often blows dust in our faces.

 

Recently the door handle just fell off.  So, we duct taped it back in place,  You get the idea.

 

Although not stylish, we have the means to get from Point A to Point B.

 

As long as it’s not far.  Or involve hills.  We cannot make the 100-mile drive from La Paz to Cabo San Lucas without overheating.

 

Everyone has a car back home in the U.S.  Or even more than one car.  Last time in Los Angeles, I was  stuck 2 ½ hours driving 20 miles.

 

But, a car here is a luxury.  And we know it.  There are times when we have not had a car and it restricted every aspect of our life.

 

There were several of those early years here in Baja that I did not have a car.  I relied on two legs, my thumb or a generous friend.

 

People make fun of Mexican cars, mine included.  But, it sure beats not having one at all.

 

Back-in-the-day in the U.S., it was a right-of-passage at 16 to get that driver’s license and get a car, no matter how hard you had to work for it.

 

Most adults I know down here do not have a driver’s license. Or know how to drive.

 

What for?  They will never own or have a car in their lifetimes.

 

If you do own one..insurance? Maintenance? They can barely afford gas.  So, make all the fun you want.

 

I was bitching a few days ago because our apartment (once again) did not have hot water.  About 20% of the time, we don’t have hot water.

 

I guess you get used to it, but after a long day, you look forward to that shower and instead, there’s only cold water…it gets old.

 

I was going on-and-on to a friend.  He just smiled then said, “Our house never has hot water.”

 

“Never? “

 

“Not ever. “

 

“How do you shower?  Cook?  Wash clothes?”

 

“Nunca. Never, Jonathan. And sometime no electricity either.”  He shrugged and smiled.

 

“You get used to it.”

 

End of conversation. I shut up.  You take something for granted and you just assume that everyone has it.

 

Reality check and you say a little prayer of gratitude.

 

Oh…by the way, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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As It Should Be

Posted in bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo, cerralvo island, charters, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito santo, family, Fishing, fishing blogs, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, freediving, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, light tackle, Living in Mexico, los barriles, marlin, Mexican, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, panga, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, transpeninsular highway, Travel, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, weather, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 5, 2018| Leave a Comment »

d30039f22ac9eb8ccac8c656dd184b4f

As It Should Be

Originally Published the Week of Nov. 6, 2018 in Western Outdoor Publications

This is my favorite time of year.

 

Late September to mid-December is what I call down-time here in Baja.

 

Much of the crowds are gone.  Kids are back in school.  Families have other things in mind and nothing on the calendar until Thanksgiving.

 

Recognizing that, there’s some great bargains to be had if you work around that holiday.  Airlines consider this “off-season” and have some great rates.  Hotels are often well below capacity so they offer great discounts or can be negotiable if you dial direct.

 

Free breakfast? 

Sure.

Spa time? 

We’ll add that in too.

Tickets to the buffet? 

Not a problem.

How about we throw in a discount for the booze cruise?

Done deal!

And an ocean-facing room too!

 

It’s a pretty time to be down here too.

 

Lots of sunshine, but 20 degrees cooler than the summer with much less humidity.  However, waters still retain much of the summer warmth.  It can be breezy or even windy, but most times it’s postcard perfect.

 

In fact, we call it “non-weather.”  It’s so agreeable, you never even think about the weather.

 

And many oft-crowded places are often empty.  Beaches pretty much all to yourself.  Restaurant staff falling all over you with service.  No reservations needed.  Stores willing to “listen to your best offer.”

 

For fishing, it can be spectacular.  If you can avoid some of the major tournaments going on (or join in and have some fun!), often the waters are uncrowded with sportfishing traffic.

 

In fact, if you check out some of the lessor-visited destinations in Baja and Mexico, there’s very little fishing going on except for you!  However, keep an eye out for the winds and try to pick your fishing days when the forecast calls for diminished winds.

 

Personally, especially as you get into late October and November, there’s just less hustle and bustle.  Things slow down.  There’s fewer tourists around so I think the whole place collectively just takes it down a notch.

 

You take slow walks.  You ride a bike.  You linger over your meals.  You sip instead of gulp.   You watch sunsets. You stop to chat instead of a quick, “Comos estas?” then keep going to the next thing.

 

There’s no place you have to be right now.

 

The shadows are longer. The palm trees rustle in the breeze.  There’s a sparkle on the ocean.

 

Someone is barbecuing carne asada down the street.  Somewhere there’s the lone mariachi trumpet wafting a familiar old Spanish tune you can’t quite place.

 

A young couple walks by in the distance. Barefoot in the sand.  She giggles.  He affectionately punches her in the shoulder.  She giggles, tries to kick him back.  They hold hands.

 

That was you so many years ago.

 

You put your feet up. You hold your cold bottle of beer up to the setting sun and let it shine through the amber glass.  A sip of the icy golden effervescence refreshingly burns the back of your throat.  Ahhhhh…

 

You wonder what the rest of the world is doing.  Or not.

 

You start to take a selfie.  To send to the folks back at the office.  Post on Facebook.  Look where I am.!

 

Nah.

 

That takes too much energy.  Phone off and slipped back into the pocket of your cargo shorts.  Another long draw off the long-neck.  Living the dream.

 

No reason to move.  At some point, you might have to explore where someone is cooking up that yummy carne asada.  But not just yet.

 

There’s more important things to attend to.  Like ordering another cold cerveza.

 

For just a little while, it feels like old Mexico again.   And the world is as it should be.

That’s my story

signature June '18 two 1

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

 


Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”

 

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WHEN BIGGER ISN’T BETTER

Posted in airlines, bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja fishing lures, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo island, charters, deep sea, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, Fishing, fishing blogs, 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, light tackle, Living in Mexico, marlin, Mexican, Mexico, Mexico life, outfitters, packages, packing, packing fish, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, San Jose del Cabo, Sea of Cortez, seafood, sierra, sportfishing, Tailhunter International, tourism, tours, Travel, tuna, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »

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WHEN BIGGER ISN’T BETTER

Originally Published the Week of Oct 22, 2018 in Western Outdoor Publications

It’s always open for discussion, but personally, I don’t think any fish down here pulls harder than a tuna.  It’s basically an explosive muscle with some fins on it.

 

Built for speed and shaped like a bullet, they have no swim bladders and can dive fast, swim fast, and empty a spool faster than any fish I’ve ever experienced.

 

Sure, wahoo have that flat-out greyhound speed of 60-70 mph bursts. But once that short burst is over, it’s not gonna rip off several hundred yards of line yards of line.

 

A yellowtail, amberjack, huge grouper or snapper might bullrush back to its structure or layer,  But, once you work the fish away from the protection, the big part of the battle is won.

 

And think about this.  Folks catch 100, 200, 300 pound marlin quite frequently.  You don’t hear of many tuna of that size being caught.

 

Hooked?  Yes.  Caught?  Not so much!

 

Most anglers I know could bring a 150-pound billfish to the boat in 15 or 20 minutes. Even a rookie.   A tuna of equal size could take an hour or two on the same tackle.

 

They are a special sportfish.

 

But, they are picky sportfish too.   And when the big boys start boiling, your first inclination is to grab your big guns too!  Big fish…big baits…big line…big rods.

 

And that all works fine when the fish go “ on the chew” with abandon.  When all hell is breaking loose and they’re hammering everything tossed in the water and fighting each other to grab lines, then by all means reach into your heavy arsenal.

 

But, often the frustration with tuna is they boil…but will have nothing to do with your offerings.  Or they stay just outside of casting distance and get nervous whenever something approaches like a boat, a jig or a tossed sardine.

 

That’s when you have to make a choice.  Stay with the heavy gear and be ready for the big hit…that may never come.

 

Or do something different.

 

Tuna are a per-snickity fish.

 

Think about this.  They never stop swimming.  The must eat.  That’s all they do is eat to keep up that pulsing swimming physiology and high metabolism.  But, how do you get them to eat YOUR stuff?

 

Go lighter.  Go smaller. Be stealthy.

 

Discard the heavy gear and the prospects of having limp line all day and go to your “small game.”

 

I’ve seen tuna go off when all the angler did was change from 50 to 40-pound test. Or drop from 40 to 30 pound test.  Same fish. Same area.  That’s the only difference.

 

That puts more of the odds in the fish’s favor, but at least you stand a better chance of getting bent.  At least you have that opportunity.

 

The other thing is to go for smaller baits.  Dorado don’t care about your bait size.  Wahoo and yellowtail could care less.

 

For some reason, tuna like the smaller baits.  Live bait is great.  Often, dead works just-as-well.

 

But that also involves other factors.  Smaller baits mean using smaller hooks!  Again, advantage to the fish.

 

Match your hook to the size of your bait.  Don’t match your hook to the size of the fish you want to catch!

 

If your hook is too big, it kills your bait.  If you hook is too big your bait won’t swim correctly.

 

And by the same token, if your line is too heavy, your bait won’t swim correctly either. Just another reason to go to lighter line.  But again, you’re stacking the odds in favor of the fish.

 

One other big advantage involves the eyesight of the tuna. They can see lines. They can see the reflection of light on that mono as it lies in the water and that can make the fish wary.

 

We found down here in La Paz, that fluorocarbon leaders can make all the difference in the world in getting bit. Virtually invisible, the line invites more strikes.  But even a few feet of fluro leader gives you a better shot.

 

But again, fluro is more brittle than mono.  Older fluro tends to also be more rigid and hinders the “swimability” of your bait.  And it can break!  There goes your gorilla tuna.

 

Choices…choices.

 

Heavy gear for that big fish, but maybe never get bit?

 

Or lighter gear and having some fun?

 

If your rod is never bent, then you’ll never have a chance at all.  I’d rather get bit.  It’s a lot less boring!

That’s my story…

signature June '18 two 1

Jonathan

______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.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: jonathan@tailhunter.com

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

_____________

 


Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

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

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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.”

 

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