PUBLISHED IN WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS BAJA COLUMN Week of Aug. 1, 2006

Photo: If I had a hammer...

JUST ANOTHER CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

For any of you that have ever tried to do some construction or a re-model or even just hired a contractor or handy-man to do something around the adobe, you might have an inkling of what I’m talking about.

I have been working on a project now for over a year. Well, not me. I’m busy. Being the smart guy that I am, I hired some folks to do some work for me. Of course, at the outset, it’s all smiles and handshakes and a lot of , “No problema. No te preocupes! (No problems. Don’t worry!) Famous last words, right? Right up there with, “I swear I will NEVER drink again!”

Well, things went on swimmingly the first few weeks. Madre de Dios! These guys were good. And they were cheap. Compared even to the guys you might find to do some yard work at your local Home Depot parking lot, contruction zoomed and I couldn’t believe how little it cost! Guys in ladders. Gus schlepping paint. Guys grittily pushing wheelbarrels of cement in the hot Baja sun! Up-and-up-and-up it went and I felt like saying, “No wonder the danged Aztecs built those pyramids so well and so fast!”

Then, one fateful day came the word…”Uh, Jonathan, we forgot permits for electricity. Oh, and we also forgot a few other things too. But…(here come those famous last words) “Don’t you worry! We’ll have to done “manana.” (tomorrow)

That was over a year ago and I am no closer to completing my project now as I was then. The red tape and cost overruns rivals the U.S. budget in the Iraq. How did this happen?

I have come to learn there is a cultural difference in how we use the word “manana.” It was explained to me by my foreman one hot sweltering day as I sat on a pile of stones that was supposed to have been moved, “manana.”

As he explained to me, when we gringos use it, it means exactly what it means…”tomorrow.” However, I was advised that, although Mexico has often been accused of being the laid-back “land of manana,” it is also because culturally, it’s the polite way of saying, “maybe!” What?

Here’s the rule, according to my foreman. Culturally, many Mexicans hate to disappoint and say something cannot be done. They are being polite. So, being ambigious is the next best thing. Saying “manana” handily dismisses the issue. According to my foreman, he said, “By the time a Mexican says ‘manana’ to you the third time, go find someone else to do the job.”

On the other hand, if someone emphatically says, “Seguro!” (sure thing), you can take it to the bank. He got up and dusted himself off leaving me sitting on the hot pile of stones to contemplate his advice and the construction mess around me.

“So when will you finish the electrical?” I called after him.

“Sure thing, manana!” He laughed.

I just paid him too…


That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com

Published Western Outdoor News week of July 23, 2006

CHEAP FISHING AIN'T ALWAYS GOOD...GOOD FISHING NOT ALWAYS CHEAP!

“I am going to be in Cabo San Lucas next month. Please send me information about your cheapest fishing deal ASAP. “

That’s an e-mail I got the other day. Not too different from hundreds I might get in any given week during the Baja fishing season. I started to reply telling the writer, “Sorry, I’m not in Cabo San Lucas, I’m in La Paz. Good luck. Thanks for asking. Blah blah blah…”

I was going to refer him to some amigos in Cabo, but then noticed that the same blanket e-mail had been sent to about 2 zillion other operators in Baja. Essentially, he had sent the same e-mail from Tijuana to Rosarito and Mulege to Loreto and the East Cape plus La Paz and, of course, Cabo San Lucas. I recognized quite a few of the other e-mail addresses and just shook my head. Many were friends and associates.

I wished the guy good luck and told him that I was in La Paz, not Cabo. I went on to say that although it’s the information “super highway” he was going to get a boatload of responses from all kinds of operators. Some good. Some bad. But everyone of them was going to claim to be the “biggest, best, fish catchers on the wild wooly Baja!” He had let himself in for a super highway traffic jam and a bigger headache of confusion than when he started.

I wished him luck in his endeavors but also warned him of his criterion for making a selection, ergo, “your cheapest fishing deal.” Hmmmm…

I told him of a saying I once heard. “Good fishing isn’t always cheap and cheap fishing isn’t always good.” Think about that.

Even in these pages at WON, we see page after page of “deals” and “offers.” Most are darned great operations that I’ll bet my last dorado on and have been for years. But, you have to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Make sure of what you’re getting.

Here’s Jonathan’s Baja Rules borne of way too many years down here looking for a “deal. Follow me on this…
1. There’s no such thing as free (Those “free beers” on that airflight are not free.)
2. Everyone knows the value of their services. (Each of us knows exactly what our day of work is worth and although there might be a bit of fudging, whether you build houses or are a rocket scientist or drive fishing boats, there’s a point where you will not discount your services.
3. Everyone needs to make a living
4. You get exactly what you pay for.

Using “Jonathan’s Baja Rules” above, apply that to the scenario where you pick a fishing operation based strictly on price. They got a nice website. They promise you fish at a “cut rate” deal. Just because you’re paying 100 bucks less than the next operation, do you think the price of gas to run that boat got cheaper? NOT! But the captain or owner might be less inclined to take you “way out there” where the fish are really biting. Do you think the captain is going to get paid less? He still puts in a full day. Or, if he gets paid less, will he be as motivated to go charging out there with the rest of the fleet or stay out as long for that special “afternoon bite?” If you were in his shoes, what would you do? Human nature 101.

Of course, I’m speaking in generalities. There’s great deals to be had and no one should pay too much. But know what you’re getting and keep my rules in mind!

I used to have guys spend several grand on a trip and several grand on fishing tackle then ask for a pack of “100 hooks for 3 dollars” because they “save money.” None of us (even me) ever gets to fish as much as we want. This whole fishing sport is fraught with variables we cannot control (weather, fickle fish, etc.) so control the things you can control and don’t make your decisions simply based on price scrimping on the important stuff.

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com

Published in Western Outdoor News week of July 17, 2006

Photo: Aero California in the glory days at La Paz Airport

IS HELP REALLY ON THE WAY?

Can’t I just have MY Aero California back, the way it used to be?

It’s been almost 4 months since Aero California’s fleet was grounded from flying from it’s U.S./ Mexico routes for “safety and maintenance inspections.” Thousands of travelers have been stranded and the economic damage all the way around hasn’t even begun to be tallied.

Although a handful of it’s planes have been cleared to get going, the airline itself is still being coy about when and where it will fly. Talk about a “manana attitude.” Aero Cal has been saying, “Next week we’ll fly for sure” since the beginning of April only to disappoint. As of this week, their current timetable is given as July 17th. Oh sure…

Aero Cal was the airline we all loved to hate and make fun of. It was the red-headed step kid that always got the brown end of the stick. It was habitually late. It lost luggage. It served “mystery” meals where travelers often unwrapped their food then looked around at each other wondering what it was. The toilets leaked. Window shades sometimes didn’t work. Water from the air-conditioning sytems sometimes dripped on you. It was called “Aero Scare-O”; “Scare-O California”; and even “Aero Tal Vez”(Aero Maybe) by many of my Mexican friends for it’s its tendancy for arriving late all the time.

But, you know what? It got us there as the most popular and economic way to connect through Los Angeles to destinations such as Loreto, La Paz, Cabo, Puerta Vallarta and others. Something like 200 flights a day. Since it’s grounding, travelers have suffered either no airflights or had to travel on inflated ticket prices on other alternative carriers who charged double and triple what Aero California once offered. That in-service beer and boxed lunch is NOT free when you’re now paying $600 bucks or more from Los Angeles to Cabo!

The biggest problem is that thousands of folks are already holding Aero Cal tickets and wondering what to do with them! Aero Cal is not offering refunds until they get back in the air. No matter what they say, that seems like a big “IF.”

From what I understand, even though a handful of planes have been cleared to fly, how will that handful of 5-7 planes replace what a fleet of several dozen Aero Cal planes used to do? Will there be daily flights? Where will it fly? Only Los Angeles has been slated as it’s sole international destination. The rest of it’s schedule is supposed to be only within Mexico.

Further, my fears are doubled by the fact that I’m told Aero California still owes a palapa full of pesos for back pay; airport fees and fuel. I can only hope they pull it together, but even so, how much confidence will the public have in the planes? Want to be on that very first flight from LAX to Cabo?

However, according to a recent story in the Los Angeles Times business section by Martin Zimmerman (July 10, 2006) http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-airmex10jul10,1,4126442.story?page=1&track=crosspromo&coll=la-headlines-business, if we can get through this season, it seems the skies of Mexico will look like a food fight in the junior high cafeteria. Duck! Here comes another Twinkie!

U.S. airlines such as Alaska, Delta, Jet Blue and Frontier are all making strong bids to jump into the void in the lucrative U.S/ Mexico travel market, especially from west coast points-of-departure such as Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. Mexican carriers such as Mexicana and Aero Mexico are still on stage, but make room for new econo air carriers such as Avolar and Interjet. Avolar, which recently started flying from Tijuana to other Mexican cities in brand new jets, plans to add several dozen more planes and expand into the U.S. Interjet is flying from mainland Mexico and has a similar agenda. Both airlines have been drawing rave reviews from travelers.

Competition is good. I think it will be great for prices (Sure, just like having a bunch of gas stations help keep down the price of gas!) We certainly need economic reliable air travel into Baja and other Mexican destinations. Lord know that places like where I am in La Paz have been strangled by the lack of alternative inexpensive air carries.

But a part of me also laments what all this easy travel will bring to the Baja. “If you build it, they will come” was the line from a “Field of Dreams.” They are already building. They are already coming. And THEY is you and me and we’re bringing with it everything we supposedly ran away from back in the states...urban sprawl, traffic, noise, crime, trash, graffiti and fast food as we import more and more of the gringo lifestyle. Now it will be even easier. I can’t wait to buy my ticket. Help is on the way, but who’s going to save us from ourselves? “Green Grow the Hills” indeed.


That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Published week of July 7, 2006 - Western Outdoor News Regular Baja Column

VACATION 911

Some clients of mine had the type of rough week down here that I would wish on no one. It’s rare, but it can happen as easily I guess as in Mexico as it can in Egypt, Italy or Japan if you’re vacationing this summer.

You’re traveling and you or someone else gets hurt. It’s an accident, but you’re far from home. You don’t speak the language. You have no idea how the phones work. You have no idea what to do or who to talk to.

My buddy’s wife got brushed over a small cliff when a speeding drunken driver veered over onto the sidewalk. It was nighttime and dark. The other members in the group scattered and dove one way. She dove the other, right over a concrete embankment and down a cliff hitting nothing but air until her head and shoulder hit directly on the concrete and rocks below with a snap and a crack. Pandemonium set in with panic. (The diot driver, by the way, stumbles out of his vehicle screaming at everyone else about “running his evening” even though he was on the wrong side of the road. No remorse.)

Fortunately, we were able to get medical help and the right people to do the right things. She was flown home for emergency surgery after some intense emergency room treatment at the local hospital. In the middle of all this, her own husband had a near heart attack which brought in another whole set of doctors and additions to the crisis.

Short of finding yourself standing in your nightie in the dark on a ship named “Titanic” , the above is a nightmare of the worst kind for vacationers. It’s one thing to lose your luggage or have your flight delayed. If you think about it, there’s a big difference between an “inconvenience” and “life and death.” Most things that piss us off in life are usually nothing more than inconveniences of one type or another. It’s really different when all the red lights are going off in your brain.

So, what d’ya do?

Prevention is best. Short of just using common sense and not doing stoooopid things that would get you hurt even at home like drinking and driving; jumping off hotel roofs into swimming pools; or playing with spearguns, sometimes stuff just happens. Just keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings even if you’re on your 5th pina colada.

Bring your medical insurance papers when you travel and, like your passport and i.d., make a photocopy of it and keep it someplace different than your originals. Oh…it also helps to tell your traveling companions where you stealthily hid it too! Don’t be such a clever ninja.

If you need prescripton medications, bring extra, just in case you’re delayed. Bringing a copy of your prescription is also a good idea to show to a doctor or to get additional refills if needed. If you’re traveling with a child, this is doubly important. If only one parent is with the child, carry a notarized letter from the non-traveling parent giving the traveling parent power to make any medical decisions if necessary.

By the way, carry your prescriptions WITH you! Several weeks ago I had a client who arrived, but one of his duffle bags went to Zimbabwe or somewhere. It arrived two days later. OK, the bag had some reels in it. That could be remedied. However, he also stuck his asthma and heart medications in there too! His negligence suddenly became everyone else’s emergency.

Additionally, I usually frown on using my credit cards because of the high transaction fees, but credit cards are ideal to have in an emergency. Don’t use it to buy your kid a t-shirt or for that bottle opener shaped like a lizard. Use it to get medical care or to buy a quick airline ticket home…stuff like that. Understandably, a medical provider is much more inclined to treat you if they know you can pay for it either with a credit card or medical insurance . When you or someone is hurting, you can argue about the 5 dollar aspirin later.

Speaking of insurance, if you’re driving, the few bucks for auto insurance is worth every penny in an accident. In Mexico, they go by the old Napoleanic Code from their days when France ran things here. That means, you’re “guilty until you prove your innocence.” It also means, no treatment until you “show us the money.” It’s not personal. It applies to Mexicans as well as to you. So, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of pain. Your travel agent can also recommend travel insurance whereby in a serious accident, you can be covered for an emergency team from the U.S. to retrieve you and fly you out.

Many folks don’t realize. Most of the better hotels in Baja have a doctor and even dentists on staff or on call. As well, they can be your support to get an ambulance out to you if it’s something major. (Also, they also have first aid boxes usually at the reception desk for the more minor “emergencies” like cuts or Montezuma’s Revenge.) Last year, one of my good friends and clients had a bad diabetic attack and the doctor came right over; did an exam; popped an injection; gave him a pat on the head and charged 40 bucks.

Finally, the cell phone is the lifeline. Many of the U.S. carriers now work in Baja. Check to see if yours has coverage in the area you’re headed to and, if so, pay a few extra dollars and get the international plan for about 5 bucks so you can make and receive calls cheaply. Where I am in La Paz, T-Mobile, ATT, and Cingular work pretty well. Sometimes Verizon and Nextel do also, but coverage is expanding. In the larger cities, coverage is even better. Take a moment and learn to make and receive an international call. It’s easy. Also, Mexico has it’s own version of 911. Call 066 to get an emergency response.

At that moment where you need to have your wits about you, you’ll be better prepared. Safe travels to you all.
That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com

SUPERSIZE ME - published July 2006 - Western Outdoor News

SUPERSIZE ME

Over the last two weeks, I conducted an unofficial and totally un-clinical experiment just for the fun of it.

I charted the fishing results of each of our fishing pangas and/or cruisers. I added up the fish that were caught as well as those that were released. I talked to the anglers and skippers. I checked out perhaps 40 different fishing trips.

I had always wanted to see if there’s any truth to the maxim that, “big bait gets big fish.” When I used to deckhand more regularly and even now that I guide, it always seemed to me that there was some validity to the statement. But, I just wanted to see what happened if I did an informal study.

What I found was interesting. Eight out’ve ten times, the anglers who used the larger baits (mackerel, ladyfish, mullet, caballitos) got the larger fish. Interestingly, the guys who used chunk bait (method of tossing chunks of baitfish into the water and one with a hook into it to entice the fish to eat) also generally got the larger fish.

That’s not to say the guys using say, sardines, had a bad time. On the contrary. Guys using the sardines got more fish and had more action on the whole. Using the smaller live baits, these anglers got bit 2 or even 3 times more often than the guy soaking, trolling or chunking a big bait. But the guy with the larger bait seemed to have the best shot at the larger fish, albeit he might not have as much action as his compadre.

Years ago, a marine biologists buddy of mine told me that fish are a lot like people. Despite their reputations of charging after whatever comes within biting distance of the teeth, fish are lazy just like people. They love to “supersize” and the larger the fish the greater the tendency to be lazy and prefer the larger food pieces. This is because the larger the fish, the more energy it takes to move and hunt for food. Hunting burns energy and requires more food to stoke the fish’s furnace. Eating one big bait is simply easier and more “efficient” for the predator than chasing a bunch of little baitfish around just to get a mouthful. It’s why we order a Big Mac instead of two or three smaller cheeseburgers. It’s wasted energy.

So, next time you’re mucking around in the bait tank and the fish are boiling around the boat, remember that size matters. Pin on a big one and let it fly. Let your amigo have fun with the punk fish. You’re going after the beast!

HEADS UP – Aero Cal might just be up and running by the time you’re reading this. At least, that’s what they say. Or not.

In the meantime…Alaska Airlines has applied to fly the Los Angeles/ La Paz route beginning in late October. Interjet is now flying in various parts of Mexico with plans to expand to Baja at a fraction the cost of Aero Mexico and Mexicana. Avolar Air is flying non-stop from Tijuana to La Paz and other destinations at reduced rates. Avolar started just a few weeks ago and reports are that most planes are full.


That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.
Jonathan

BY ANY OTHER NAME - published June 2006 - Western Outdoor News

BY ANY OTHER NAME

(Origins of the Gringo)

As I’ve often written about in this column, some pretty interesting things come out when a bunch of guys get together after fishing.

Probably more brain power and profound thinking emerges over beer, nachos and salsa than during all those hours spent behind a desk back home when you’re getting paid to think! (Maybe if bosses just supplied every cubicle with beer and happy hour we might be onto something!) You have to be careful what you say in front of me because I have to come up with 52 of these columns a year and I’ve always got my ears open!

Anyway, during one recent sit-down where we were also joined by some of our captains and local friends, we were enlightened about the genesis of the word “gringo” oft applied to tourists, fishermen and basically any non-local.

Story one is the best one. Just prior to World War I when the U.S. sent cavalry troops into Mexico under General Black Jack Pershing to chase down Pancho Villa who had made his own incursions across the U.S. border. But he had a problem. Pancho was the Mexican Robin Hood down here so most of the locals were understandably not real sympathetic to helping General Jack locate Pancho and the boys. “No Senor. We haven’t seen him for many many days, but if you ride over those hills you will surely find him! ” (wink-wink and fingers crossed behind backs).

In those days, men-at-arms often sang marching tunes like “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (Glory Glory Hallelujah); “Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” and other popular war tunes. One of the most popular tunes among the cavalry of that era was, “Green Grow the Hills.” Across the deserts and hills of Mexico, that singing could be heard from a long way off. Nothing like surprising your enemy by singing out loud! That will get them everytime. (Imagine our own troops in the Middle East singing “Highway to Hell” from AC/DC as they patrol Baghdad.)

Well, “Green Grows” became “Gringos” as a way for Mexican partisans to alert their compadres, “Los Gringos vienen!” (The Gringos are coming!) And a new bit of slang entered the lexicon.

Story two…American service men wore “green coats.” Hence “gringos.”

Story three…It’s a bastardization from the Greek word, “griego” which means “stranger.” I have no idea how the Greeks got into this mix, but someone threw that into the discussion about 4 beers into the debate. It was toasted and approved for consideration.

Personally, the one I hear the most lately is “huero.” (“Huera” if you’re a woman.”) It means “blondie.” Don’t be offended if you’re called that. It’s not derogatory. It’s merely a statement of observation that many Americans are light haired. Believe me…it beats what they call me…”chaparito.” (Shorty). In fact, it means “very short.” I’d rather be a taller blonde. Or Greek!

HEADS UP – The Mexican Presidential election comes up July 2nd here in Mexico. President Fox only gets one term of 6 years then has to step down. Certainly that’s important on many levels. Howver, moreso than who’s going to be the next Mexican President, most travelers will be concerned that ‘THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF LIQUOR IS PROHIBITED ON ELECTION DAY!” That’s right. No margartitas or pina coladas at the bar. You cannot buy a case of cerveza at the store or market nor can anyone sell it to you and armed guards will often be seen at many of the more popular places. The prohibition of alcohol on election day seems about as practical as a one-legged-man at a butt kicking contest, but be warned anyway. Stock up AHEAD of time!



That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

ROADSIDE STORIES - published June 2006- Western Outdoor News


ROADSIDE STORIES

The chill of the desert morning gripped us as we drove down the lonely Baja Transpeninsular Highway. Even the emaciated road vacas (cows) so prevailant in the Baja frontier looked even thinner in the cold. My roadweary buddy and I had been driving most of the night. We were bleary-eyed from the lack of sleep and concentration it takes to drive this very special road. Not to mention, we were alternately squinting into a rising sun that was quickly going to start toasting the desert, making it harder to see as we alternately seemed to be in shadows or blinded by light in that early dawn.

Shivering from lack of a heater and somewhere east of here and west of over there and a zillion miles from anywhere, we pulled over to a lonely loncheria (lunch house) so typical of the Baja roadway. Our tires crunched over the gravel dirt and halted in the dust of a building that was not much more than a turquoise cinder block and wooden structure not much bigger than a small mobile home. Chickens scurried and a Mexican hound came out happily to greet us. Scraps of stuff littered the yard. A meek attempt at a corral stood next to the house made of bits of this and that. A skinny horse couldn’t be bothered and a sign above the door advertised in crude letters “Comida Buena” (good food). Well…good enough for us.

A stretch of cramped legs and we poked our heads inside the shadowed doorway. I’m not sure if there was even a door. Eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness but a smiling dark-haired man came to greet us in what was essentially a converted living room. An old sofa seemed to brace a wall and 2 large family tables had been set mid-room.

“Bienvienios amigos! Bienvenidos”came the sound of welcome from our host as he came from the shadows of the rear kitchen. Short, weathered and mustached, he smilingly ushered us to the tables. There were no lights other than through musty glass frosted with dust and scratched by sand and through cracks and holes in the walls where sunshine slid in through lasers of light and dust filtered through everything. I could hear the wind whistle and hum. But it was warm and friendly and we were hungry.

I nudged my partner. The “wallpaper” was made of jigsaw puzzles that had been glued together then pasted to the walls obviously with much pride and care. In 10,000 pieces upon 10,000 pieces… In fact, the room was wall-to-wall jigsaw puzzles. There was England’s Big Ben and another of that famous castle in Germany that was the model for Disney’s castle. A tropical island graced the spot above the old tube TV that probably didn’t work served as a candle altar to the Virgin de Guadalupe. A tumbleweed rolled past the open doorway. Clint Eastwood’s Josey Wales or High Planes Drifter woulda loved this place. If the floor was dirt, it was the best swept dirt floor I had ever seen.

We were given menus, but that was pointless since we found out that they only had tortillas, huevos rancheros, potatoes, onions, beans and fruit. Well, then…that sounded fine and he clapped happily as mama in the back began banging pots and pans and soon the smell of roasting onions wafted out. Our host genially sat with us and poured steaming cups of coffee we held in hands grateful for the heat. Like an old stagecoach waystop, he wanted to know what we had seen and heard “up the road” and where were were going and where we were from. Mama produced heaping stacks of homemade flour tortillas and a slab of butter he said he made himself which melted instantly when slathered in the steaming tortilla.

Dabbing away dripping butter from fingers and mouth, we exchanged names and he shook our hands warmly and explained they didn’t get many visitors. The nearest town was 60 miles away and once a week he went to town to get groceries, gas and water. He made a living by selling goat cheese and of course, the restaurant.

At this point, mama brought out the food…fried eggs with green salsa. Grilled potatoes and onions and torilla chips covered in a delicious melted cheese that we wolfed down hungrily.

Asking how he had come to be so far away from things, he explained that he was actually part Italian and his father had come over from Italy at the turn of the century to fish the Baja waters in search of a better life. Standing up and taking something from the family albums, he showed two indredulous road travelers worn dog-eared-sepia-toned photos of his father and mother, looking every bit like so many other intrepid immigrants who left Europe so many decades ago. Like so many others in similar photos who landed on American shores, the eyes hold you and draw you into the photo. What were they thinking? Some came to New York. Our host’s father chose the harsh environs of the Mexican Baja.

Is this still your father? The photo showed a sandle clad young man holding a rifle with bandoleers hung over his shoulder. “My father rode with Pancho Villa, ” said our host proudly. He showed other photos and explained that his father had been conscripted into the army of the revolution and fought proudly with the great general. “He was an Italian in the Mexican revolutionary army!” He claimed to have fought both the French and the Americans under General Blackjack Pershing as well as the Mexican federal soldiers. “Me? I have a little restaurant in the desert.” He said with self-effacing modesty and a friendly shrug…as if existing in the middle of nowhere was no big deal.

We mopped up every bit of sauce with our tortillas and we stayed to chat for the better part of an hour as he told us more about his father. He told us about caves in the hills with unexplored pre-historic drawings; of areas where fossilized shark teeth were in abundance; and where a steam geyser turns the desert yellow. So much more, but for another time. The road called.

As we climbed back into our dusty truck, he thanked us for our visit and made us promise to visit him again and he would tell us stories of a “barco” from outer space which had landed many years ago. It left strange markings and burns on the rocks that still glowed colors at certain times of the night.

Breakfast cost us 30 pesos each…three bucks. But the stories he told kept us chatting for many miles down the road. We tried to find our friendly host again when we drove through 3 weeks later, but never found this little roadside place. They may all look alike, but each must hold a thousand stories.

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan

THE LAND HOLDS THE KEYS - published June 2006 - Western Outdoor News

LAND HOLDS THE KEYS


A long time ago and in a different life, I spent my first two years in college thinking I was going to be a geologist. Looking back, I think in reality, I just hated being indoors and being a geology major meant we got to go on cool field trips to look at rock formations; scrounge fossilized shells and there was always something neat about outdoor girls in jeans and hiking boots who were in those classes.

When I decided to change my academic endeavors, I never really looked back I never thought Id utilize topographic maps ; geosynclines; techtonic plate movement and reading sedimentary layers, at least, not until I started fishing and eventually trying to make a living in the Baja.

A lot of guys really pride themselves knowing how to read their fishing waters. Look for birds and floating debris. Look for current and temperature breaks. Check out the wind line. “Nervous water” could mean something big is pushing up a bait school. Look for a fin. Scan the horizon for moving dolphin. You get my “drift” no pun intended.

But have you ever thought of “reading the land” as a tool to your fishing?

The land can reveal an awful lot about what might be happening underwater. I’ve seen a lot of bass fishermen who use stuff like this. You see, the Sea of Cortez and indeed the entire Baja Peninsula is a huge geologic book that’s as full of clues as a Dan Brown novel. In Baja, the lack of vegetation means it’s even easier to read and decipher.

The entire land mass of Baja was created when huge techtonic plates shifted (the source of our earthquakes and stuff like the San Andreas fault) and caused a big chunk of land to drift north and one to drift south creating the Baja Peninsula and the massive water-filled chasm we call the Sea of Cortez. The land mass is the result of eons of volcanic, techtonic, and weather activity. Looking at a cliff, you can see layer after layer of sediment. See where that arroyo (gully) looks like a wash down to the water? See how the sand is built up along that point? See those boulders that tumbled down? Hmmmmm…

In the absence of trees that might otherwise block your viewing, stop don’t let your gaze stop at the waterline. Look up! Despite what many of us would like to believe, the Sea of Cortez is not filled with fish everywhere. So, it helps to have some help finding them. Many times what you see on the land is duplicated below the surface.

A huge canyon or a rain gully that has been there for many years washing down rock and sediment from the hills goes right into the water creating a huge alluvial fan of debris below the surface. A great holding spot for bait and fish like roosters, and pargo.

Vertical canyon walls coming straight down often continue to go straight down. Deep waters can be found relatively close to shore. Might not be a bad idea to drag a Rapala or Rebel through there for lurking homeguard yellowtail or amberjack.

See a cliff pockmarked with caves dropping, sloping or terracing down to the water? Imagine those same caves submerged holding grouper, pargo, snapper, cabrilla and other rockfish.

Wind and current whipping around a point of sand will often create a hooke-shaped sand bar extending out from the beach underwater. Look for the differences in water color or current breaks and then try working the area for roosters or if there’s a drop to deep water larger pelagics such as billfish, dorado and tuna could be lurking.

Big boulders and other debris from a landslide is also a tell-tale sign that there could be submerged structure holding fish. See a spine of high spots or ridges descending to the waterline? Imagine those same ridges or plateaus creating underwater seamounts and pinnacles. Even as simple as looking at rock formations that are covered with white bird poop can be a great way to find fish. Foraging birds such as pelicans and gulls will take up residence or stay in areas where bait fish congregate. They eat. They poop. Where bait fish go…you’ll often find predator fish waiting to eat them as well. And that’s where you should be looking too!

La tierra tiene muchas secretos! “The land has many secrets” and they could help you find more fish on your next Baja fishing soiree.


That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan

I AM AN ILLEGAL ALIEN! - Published May 2004 - Western Outdoor News

I'M AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!

I am a fugitive from the law here in Mexico. About 4 days ago, I was informed that I was an “undocumented worker” and technically I had to leave the country.

Over a year ago, I had to revise my working papers here in Baja. I’ve been here 10 years now, but due to changes in the business, we started a revision of my work visa. Let me tell you, even to hear locals tell you, Mexico has more “agencies” for every little thing and each has it’s own rules, regulations and idiosyncrasies. For instance, one agency draws up the paperwork. You have to take those papers to another agency to verify it’s correct. Someone else checks the signature. You have to turn in your supporting affidavits and things like work records, associations, degrees, etc, to someone else. Another agency tells you all the things that were wrong with the paper from the beginning. And then you start over if anything is wrong. Along the way, of course, there’s fees! Often you are told there’s a fee, but you cannot pay that fee to the agency. You have to go to the bank. You pay the money. They give you a receipt. You then wait in line again at the agency to show you paid the fee. You get a stamp.

Well, I got stamped the other day, “DENIED”! In big bright red ink. My work papers had been canceled on the grounds that “I take jobs that a Mexican could perform.” Legally, a foreigner cannot get work papers to do a job that a local would do. Hence, I could not apply to be a waiter, taxi driver, cook, panga skipper, etc. But…you see, I BRING jobs here. We EMPLOY a lot of people. We fill hotel rooms and taxi vans and keep a lot of people working.

I appealed and fortunately, it turned out to have been a clerical error. WHEW! But, technically, until the new paperwork arrived, I was an “undocumented worker.” I was an “illegal alien,” if you will, and was laughingly told I could technically be arrested. Hmmmmm….No thanks!

It made me think about all the stuff going on in the U.S. right now about immigration and work rights. Being down here in Mexico, I think I’m in a unique position. Honestly, I hardly understand all the issues and ramifications. I certainly know how many Americans feel from watching the news as well as how many legal and illegal folks living in the U.S. feel, but I figured I’d talk to some folks on the street who actually live in Mexico and know friends and family that have gone to the U.S. for work. This is by no means comprehensive but wanted to share some of the comments:

Emily Torres (22 year old hotel receptionist) – “People need to work to support themselves. I do not understand all the protests in the U.S., but I know that many of us do not like that we have to move to another country to find jobs. There was going to be a big boycott in Mexico against U.S. companies like MacDonalds and Burger King but we realized that it would only hurt Mexicans who work and own those places.”


Jorge Cota (34 year old taxi driver) – “The United States has a right to use fences. It is like my home. I do not let just anyone come and use my yard or my kitchen without permission. I have a fence so I can only let in who I want. When I have a barbecue I only let me friends come in, not the whole barrio (neighborhood)”

Luz Rojas (33 year old kitchen worker) – “I do not like that people leave our country. It means our country is not taking care of it’s own people if we cannot find work. I know I could make more money if I were like my cousins who went to Tijuana to get to the United States. Their money supports their families in Mexico who do not have enough food. They are all good people. They do not like breaking laws. I know Americans are angry. I do not like that they will say they will arrest everyone. People are only trying to eat. It is a difficult situation.”

Alfredo Gerardo (68 year old businessman) – “I understand people crossing the border. I used to live in the States and it is easier there than here (in Mexico), but our own government is stupid. Americans should be angry. I do not blame Americans. Our own government should create better jobs and lives so Mexicans do not have to be illegally working in the States. It is the fault of the Mexican government.”


AERO CALIFORNIA ALERT – I actually saw a fully dressed flight crew a few days ago and apparently test flights have been conducted between Los Angeles and La Paz, but the airline now says no flights until June 6.

BANDANA ALERT – I don’t often get to see the column because I’m down here in Baja, but was FAX’d copies of the letter from the gent who said I looked like a “gangbanger” because of the do-rag bandana I wear. No offense taken. Not the first person who didn’t like the way I looked. I have no delusions that I’m short, brown and look goofy. Even mom said so. I spend 10 hours a day in the Baja sun. Unfortunately, I grew through my haircut a few years ago and to me, the bandana is light. It’s cool. I can wear it under my straw hat. I can wet it to keep me cooler and frankly, I’ve had a run with skin cancer already. You should try it…the do-rag, not the skin cancer! It’s a necessity, not a fashion statement.


That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan

FLEX TIME IN BAJA - Published May 2006 - Western Outdoor News

FLEX TIME

Late spring and early summer is probably my favorite time to fish the Baja. It’s a great time to be on the water. We’re usually past the winter chill and ahead of the summer heat, not to mention the summer crowds. Beyond that, we don’t measure the change of seasons by the blooming of flowers, we measure it by how the fishing suddenly starts to go off.

This time of year may not provide the biggest fish; or the glamour fish; we often associate with Baja fishing, but from the northern to the southern tip and from Pacific to Sea of Cortez, this is just a fun time to fish, mainly because the variety of fish and conditions keep it lively, interesting and a real challenge. Anyone can pop a dorado during July when there’s 20 of them swarming the boat eating bait, jigs or pieces of your lunch burrito. When the tuna are foaming and licking the paint off the boat, so that you can jackpole them, there’s not much to that either. Don’t get me wrong. I get as amped as the next guy for a dorado or tuna chew, but there’s something special about May and early June.

For one, the waters are changing. Fingers of warm waters are moving in. But, cooler waters are still hanging out. It’s “transition” time for everything. Winds can still happen, but are diminishing. Cooler air temps are being nudged by longer balmier days.

All of this adds up to some great variety on the fishing grounds. Cooler water fish are still hanging out. Cabrilla (seabass); sierra ; various rock and reef fish are still in the fish zones, but with increasing frequency, more amberjack, yellowtail, jack crevalle, pompano, various species of snappers (pargo) including the big mullet snapper, red snapper and dog tooths are up in the shallows, while the exotic roosterfish start terrorizing the bait schools in the shallows.

But, by the same token, with warmer waters moving in you start seeing increased numbers of marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo…the bluewater badboys that put Baja on the map. As the waters get warmer, these species become more pre-dominant. The thing is, you literally never know what you’re going to catch from one moment to the next if you’re soaking a hook. While out on the water just last week, I keyed on the radio chatter and heard boats on hook-ups with everything from sailfish to wahoo and from roosters to pargo. On our own boats, I checked the beach and counted 17 different species had been hooked on that single day alone.

I’m usually not a big advocate of dragging down a lot of gear on a Baja trip, but if you’re coming down in the next few weeks, prepare for some different looks. Just because the tuna or roosters don’t bite on a given day, listen to your skipper and be ready to change tactics. Don’t be myopic about your fishing or get your underwear all bunched.. This stuff is changing daily. Roll with it and have some fun. One day the baits might work. The next your pink ugly lure might be the ticket. The next day the fish will only eat a stinky sock!

Also in certain areas of the water temperatures might spike real fast and warm quickly, the fish will sometimes get lockjaw as they adjust (like goldfish in an aquarium) to the new environment. If the inshore isn’t working head outside and vise versa. If the fish won’t chew the live bait; try plastics or jigs. Work structure. Hunt the porpoise schools. Look for temperature and current breaks. Take the fight to the fish and enjoy a great time to be in the Baja.

AERO CALIFORNIA UPDATES – No flights for the rest of May. However, according to my sources, pilots and flight attendants are on standby and according to the local La Paz newspaper, several test flights have been taken between Los Angeles, La Paz and Mexico City. My neighbors near the La Paz airport hear the jets revving every morning.


That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan

HOW CINCO DE MAYO SAVED THE U.S. - Published May 2006 - Western Outdoor News

HOW CINCO DE MAYO SAVED THE U.S.

I always enjoy seeing how other countries, cultures and nationalities celebrate their holidays. You learn an awful lots by seeing how days like Easter and Christmas are observed.

The one that always got me was Cinco de Mayo. How many of you reading this actually know why Americans seem to go bonkers at their local watering hole yelling “Viva Mexico.” Even to my Mexican friends, it seemed like a fairly minor Mexican holiday. I always felt it was just another excuse to fire up the barbecue and drink beer popularized mostly by a certain beer company that begins with the letter “C” and makes some great commercials.

Even Mexico barely celebrates it from what I can see. It’s kind of a funny circle. Americans THINK it’s a major holiday so they party royal in the U.S. and certainly when they come to Mexico. However, Mexico only seems to wear the party hats because that’s what the Americans expect! In reality, I always figured it was like Mexican tourists coming to the U.S. to celebrate Arbor Day or Flag Day (remember those?). No big whup unless I was a bar owner and it meant increased liquor sales then by all means, let’s par-TAY!

Out of curiosity, I did a bit of research. In reality, while Cinco de Mayo isn’t a top-shelf holiday like Sept. 15th (Independence Day) when it declared it’s freedom from Mother Spain, the battle that took place in Puebla in May 5th, 1862, actually had some important ramifications for the U.S.

It’s the day that 4,000 raggedy and often barefooted Mexican troops faced an army of 8,000 French (yes THOSE French) who at the time, were among Europe’s finest; most veteran; and well-equipped troops. The cocky French were pretty sure that when they attacked, the Mexicans would run in the face of the fancy lancers and dragoons. (Peasant and rebel armies often did that in those days when faced with the spit-and-polish ramrod troops of that age).

The French even came with their newly formed “French Foreign Legion” the equivalent of sending in the U.S. Rangers and Delta guys. Well, the French were pretty cocky and committed all kinds of tactical errors and the Mexican army, some armed with just machetes, didn’t just stand up to one of Europe’s finest…they basically kicked the French in their collective foi gras. For many days later, the Mexican army chased what was left of the screaming French army through the Mexican hills.

You see, after befriending the U.S. just several decades earlier in our Revolutionary War, French sentiment had changed. Emperor Napolean III detested the U.S. and had planned to supply the Confederate troops embroiled in our own Civil War north of the border with guns and other arms which could have turned the war against Abe Lincoln and the north. Just fourteen months after the battle of Puebla, General Lee was defeated by the Union Army at Gettysberg, Pennsylvania essentially ending the confederate threat to the north and preserving the union.

With the confederate forces in retreat, union guns and arms were rushed to the Mexican border to help Mexico expel the French once-and-for-all liberating Mexico from all European rule as an independent nation. At the end of the Civil War, Union soldiers were even encouraged to join the Mexican army to fight the French.

It seems many Mexicans did not forget and it’s a hidden story about how many Mexican Nationals joined the the U.S. Armed forces after Pearl Harbor and as recently as the Vietnam and Persian Gulf War and the current conflicts, how many Mexicans went to consulates in an attempt to fight another war for the U.S and did end up enlisting.

So bottom line and a bit of logic stretching, Cinco de Mayo and 4,000 chippy barefooted Mexicans with machetes saved the Union and your right to drink beer in May…among other things. Viva Mexico indeed! (I found this info on a great website: www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm).

LATEST ON AERO CAL – Pilots and flight attendants have been called and told to get ready to return to work. Mechanics have been seen working on planes in La Paz and inspections are taking place in several destinations. Callers to Aero California have been told the airline “will be back in service around May 22nd.”

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan

LIFE ON THE FRONTIER - Published May 2006 - Western Outdoor News

LIFE ON THE FRONTIER

I was invited to a barbecue a few weeks ago in the casita (little house) of one of our captains. It was Sunday in the late afternoon. A real flojo (lazy) day with nothing in particular to do. Chickens and stray dogs pecked around the hard packed dirt yard bordered by a seemingly impenetrable fence of brilliant bougainvillea and shrub cactus. The ladies bustled around and the kids did what all kids do…giggle underfoot in the haze of dust you just get used to anywhere in the Baja.

The fish and carne asada sizzled off the asadero built on a lopsided brick chiminea and, of course, large ballenas of Pacifico beer insulated in newspaper dangled from every hand. Manly-man time for cousins and brothers and uncles and dads to sit around the fire as guys do every Sunday no matter what side of the border you call home. I had known most of these guys for years, but it’s always an honor to be invited to a home and a special treat to see the amigos outside of our usual work environment on the beaches and boats.

Some of the guys, I hadn’t seen since the end of last season which was about October or November. I’m usually in the states once the season is over repairing gear; doing trade shows; doing promotions and getting ready for the next season. So I happened to ask, “What do most of the captains do during the off-season?”

“Some of us don’t do anything!” laughed one captain. “If the season has been good, we can take some time off and only work when we want to.”

“Some of us do anything we can to stay out of the casa!” roared another to the laughter of all. As if echoing the sentiments of many a married hombre, “ Otherwise my wife gives me too many projectos (projects!) Even if I don’t have to work I find something else to do so I stay out of the house! I clean the boat a lot!”

“Jonathan, most of us do some kind of work during the winter months. Some of the younger captains go to work in the chili ranches.”

“But that is very hard work,” explained a younger cousin in between bites of carne asado taco and licking his juicy fingers. “We work 6 days a week and 10 hours a day. We make 20 pesos (two dollars) a day and we don’t get paid until they sell the chilis, but at least it’s something.”

“Many of the captains fish commercially so they head south or north to work from fish camps and come home every few days,” said another staring into the crackling mesquite fire. “And then some of the guys also carry drugs too!” he added looking up with a smile and wink.

“Andale! Es verdad. (It’s true) they seemed to laugh in unison with about half the guys suddenly cracking up with a story or two about “knowing-someone-who-knew-someone-who-knew-someone-who made pretty good money carrying paquetes (packages).

I just HAD to know more about this…

As it was explained to me, no one asks questions. You get instructions. You make a pick up somewhere in your boat or panga and you bring the “package” from point A to point B. You touch nothing. You know nothing. You see nothing. You are merely a water taxi service. Not something you want to do on a regular basis, but when the kids need food and the car breaks down and mama needs new shoes…

“Es la vida en la frontera, Jonathan. (That’s life on the frontier) People do what they have to do to survive, “ he said and all hoisted their Pacificos for a long wet pull and knowing smiles. “Salud!” (to your heath!)

Bet you always wondered what your favorite captain did when you weren’t down here!

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan

BOOKING YOUR BAJA TRIP - Published April 2005 - FEATURE ARTICLE WESTERN OUTDOORS MAGAZINE

BOOKING THAT BAJA TRIP

(Making It Happen!)

So, you’ve decided to finally step over the line! After hearing all the stories and reading all the literature, you’ve finally convinced yourself to come over to the “other side”…the other side of the border, that is. You’re finally going to plan that Baja trip you’ve promised yourself for ages.

It’s not that hard, but maybe wading through all the information has you confused. You see all the ads in WON. Maybe you’ve been to the fishing shows. Bob from work always books with a certain fleet. Your brother-in-law, Ed, always takes a group of guys each year and uses his favorite operation. You read on an internet board about some operation you want to stay away from. Should you bring your family? (Or not!) You want to catch tuna, but not marlin. You want to fish for those wiley pargo and yellowtail and a roosterfish certainly looks nice. Do you need a cruiser? What’s up with a panga? You heard those were fun. You want a nice place to stay, but you sure don’t want a place that will set you back a month’s mortgage either. And what about when you’re not fishing? Can you SCUBA dive or ride an ATV? Is there shopping? Nightlife? Peace and quiet? Questions…questions…questions…

One of the nice things about booking these days is the amount of information that’s available. Bookstores, magazines, the internet and scores of other sources have just about anything you could want. Baja is one of those places that never lacks for some scribe willing to put pen to paper and write about it. But the other side of the coin is that there’s simply too much information. There must be a way to simplify things.

For the first timer, or even someone who wants to try a new place in Baja, I’d ask yourself several questions

What dates or time of year am I looking at and how flexible am I on dates?
What do you want to catch?
What type of fishing am I interested in doing (Stand up? Trolling? Flyfishing? Kayak? Light tackle? Etc.)
What is my group like? (Solo? Fishing buddy? Significant other? Family?)
What are the interests of my group (Only fishing? Vacation with some fishing? Hardcore? Shopping? Other watersports? Willing to rough it a bit?)
How important is it to be near town?

If you start with at least this “core” of answers you can approach your prospective
agent or fleet or hotel with some concrete requirement so they can best help you with some solutions. As someone who does this for a living, there’s nothing like getting a 5 page e-mail from someone who wants to do everything and has no other ideas beyond that. It takes awhile to narrow it all down.

Once you have a pretty good idea about that jumping-off point, you need to look at getting someone to set it up for you. Of course, you can do it yourself. That is always an option. But then, you might be back at square one? Are you going to call up all 50 different fleets and hotels? Are you going to surf the web well into the dawn reading and comparing websites or checking online for the best plane flights? Factor that into your decision.

You can always call someone who can take care of all or at least the majority of the bookings. Time is money. This is where you need to do a little talking or checking. Who have your buddies used? Which ads do you constantly see in your favorite publications? Who is always at the trade shows or who’s names constantly keep coming up? Who keeps posting the fishing reports? Frankly, word-of-mouth is the best referral in my book. See who others recommend and why. If someone has been around for awhile, that’s usually a good sign. The travel biz is competitive and quirky. Folks come and go, but the good operations have staying power

Get that information then contact those folks. Ask questions. Get a feel for the operation. Do they respond quickly? Are they helpful? What does the price include so that you’re not surprised at the end by finding out you that lunches or bait or transfers are not included. Some operations charge tax and gratuity and include it in your price so make sure that the price they quote is the price you’re going to pay. Additionally, if you answered the questions that I told you about at the beginning of this article, then you’ll have a good basis of questions to ask the operator. Make sure they are the right person for what you want. . You might want to ask if the person you talk to really knows his or her stuff. There are a lot of “agents” out there who do a good job. There are others out there who are merely wholesalers and sit in their offices all day and couldn’t tell you whether tuna bite in June or December. They are reading off a brochure and don’t know if the lobster in one hotel is better than another or if there are kid-friendly facilities available. I know quite a few who have never even visited the cities they supposedly represent or the fishing operations they book for. Try to talk to someone who knows their gig. See if they offer options (choices of hotels, choices of fishing styles, other activities, etc. ) This will help avoid an operator who is only in the pocket of one vendor/fleet, etc. and will give you, the consumer more options on your vacation.


Here’s a few things I would never do when booking a trip:

· Do not wait until the last minute to book your trips. Good rooms and skippers get booked early. The guy or room you get may be great, but could also be the last guy on the beach or the room no one else wants. Airline tickets could also be higher for the last-minute booking

· Do not book your trip from guys on the beach or marina. I run into so many folks who just say, “I’ll find someone down on the beach to fish with.” There are certainly some good independents working the beaches and wharfs, but there are also some bad ones too. How do you know which are which? Who is going to take you for a ride? I’ve run into some good guys and I’ve gotten other guys who never showed up the next day or the boat they showed me the day before was not the boat that showed up on the beach.

· Do not fish for fish that are not there. Don’t get mad if you tell a skipper or crew you want to fish for marlin and marlin are just not there. Anything can happen in the Sea of Cortez and probably will, but your chances of finding a marlin in San Felipe; a dorado in December in San Quintin; a roosterfish in Cabo San Lucas in January or tuna off the rocks in Loreto are slim. Fish for what’s there.

· Do not ever give cash to someone you meet on the docks or beaches for a fishing trip the next day and certainly not anyone you meet in a bar. If they say they need money for gas, then maybe you can give him some money, but if they need gas, then it might be best to find someone who already has gas in their boat. This does not apply to reputable operators who have things all set up, but is geared towards guys you might meet in a bar or on the beach called “coyotes” by those of us who have established operations. Some are good, but others will take your money and never show up the next day.

This is your vacation and you don’t want any surprises especially in a place where you don’t understand the language. Price is important, but it is not the only criterion for booking or not booking with a certain operation. Remember, there are bargains out there, but you really do get what you pay for and nothing is really free. A good trip is not cheap and a cheap trip is not good. As with any major purchase you make, don’t break the bank, but get the best you can afford.

Just remember that the operator can’t make fish jump in the boat or affect the weather, but by the same token, they should be giving you the best opportunity to catch fish and/or give you the accommodations or amenities that you want for your trip.

FISHING THE SOUTHERN BAJA - Published Jan. 2005 - Feature Article Western Outdoor Magazine

FISHING THE SOUTHERN BAJA

For many anglers, mention fishing the Baja, and chances are, it conjures images of blue water and big colorful fish; palm trees and white sand; balmy boisterous party nights; and miles of serene beaches. All of these are inherent in just about any fishing trip or visit involving fishing the southern waters of the Sea of Cortez. It’s a place where contrasts abound, but sun and fun are generally the name of the game whether you’re looking to mix it up with the party crowd and chase your fish on a gleaming cruiser or scaling back to go mano-a-mano on a panga then retire for the evening to a quiet dinner on the beach and counting shooting stars with only the noise of the ocean as nature’s mariachis. Whatever your choice, the one underlying truth is that there are few places on the planet where world-class and world-record gamefish abound and yet are only a few short airline hours away.

Indeed, these are the waters of legend where just two-hours south of Los Angeles, anglers can bust their tackle and test their backs on probably more types of game-fish than any other place on the planet. Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez “the aquarium of the world” with more than 700 identified species of fish and some days, it seems like just about that many fish are available to catch. Certainly, year-round action on dozens of species can be had and, although, there are seasons for various fish, you really just never know what’s going to hammer your line whether it’s January or July. The area is a mecca for both inshore and offshore species and for all different styles of fishing whether from cruisers, multi-day boats; pangas, kayaks, flyfishing or surf.

From thousand-pound blue and black marlin to giant tuna; grey-hounding sailfish to the acrobatic dorado; exotic roosterfish to menacing-looking dog tooth snapper; torpedo-shaped wahoo to grumpy amberjack and yellowtail; the waters from picturesque La Paz to the north down to the the East Cape city of Los Barriles and over to San Jose and the electric city of Cabo San Lucas, sun, fun and fish are inherently entwined. The result is that these waters have become one of the premier fishing destinations in the world.

Generally speaking, like most of Baja, the land consists of rugged volcanic and pyroclastic formations reaching from the mountains and descending to the waters edge. This land mass was formed eons ago when the peninsula separated from the mainland of Mexico. It left the deep nutrient-rich rift now known as the Sea of Cortez. The semi-arid desert landscape is a stark contrast to the teal, turquoise and cobalt waters which kiss it’s beaches. Baja is a harsh land where water is scarce and daytime temperatures range from the 60’s into the low 100’s. The key to success is often recognizing that what’s “above the water” often mirrors what’s “below the water.” Steep cliffs dropping into the ocean probably continue below the surface. Arroyos (washes) where alluvial materials like sand, gravel and rock come cascading down to the ocean during seasonal rains probably create a similar “fan” below the surface and can extend for miles out to sea. A series of mountain or volcanic peaks near the coastline often extend out into the ocean and, over time, have become “seamounts” and “banks.” Tips of islands often have submerged reefs and ridges. Saddles between hills and mountains are often indicative of an underwater canyon extending out from the shore to the open water. All of these are excellent areas to chase your fish. If anything characterizes fishing the Southern Baja, it’s knowing where and when to fish the numerous banks, canyons, steep submarine escarpments and other structures that may be beyond your vision, but hold the kind of gamefish that make for a lifetime catch.

CABO SAN LUCAS and SAN JOSE del CABO

These two cities have been like brothers each with a mind and style of their own. Situated at the very tip of the Baja Peninsula, they were often as different as night and day. Cabo developed from a sleepy pueblito into a jet-setting-party-town where pricey real-estate joined hands with a year-round “spring-break” attitude of fun that attracts an international crowd of fun-seekers. In contrast, San Jose del Cabo (as well as nearby La Playita) retained it’s colonial character of small shops, boutique hotels and sidewalk cafes. (It will be interesting to see what the future holds with the new construction of the San Jose marina which brings many of Cabo’s characteristics with it to the excitement of some and the disdain of others).

Both cities are accessed by generally flying into the international airport at Los Cabos. The two cities are connected by the 10 mile umbilical stretch of beach highway seen on maps as Highway 1, but more commonly called “the corridor.” This is because of the seemingly endless expanse of condos and time-shares, hotels, developments and golf-courses that are becoming the hallmark of this toney stretch of beach. It’s the fishing, however, that really ties it all together.

As mentioned, it will be interesting to see the effect of the advent of the new San Jose Marina, but generally panga fishing from La Playita or from one of the nearby coves was the preferred method of fishing the local waters near San Jose. By comparison, although pangas are certainly available, there are few fleets as impressive as the “navy” of cruisers sitting in the Cabo San Lucas Marina. There’s a reason Cabo San Lucas is called the “Marlin Capital of the World” and if you’re going hunting in these waters, most anglers seem to prefer heading out in the cruisers. That’s not to say that pangas are ineffective. On the contrary, pangas get their share of fish and some of the largest fish every year from this area are taken on these amazing skiffs in the hands of some of the best skippers around. It’s a lot of fun and the panga skippers around San Jose will take a back-seat to no one. However, to reach some of the offshore banks, cruisers are the fishing machine of choice for offshore hunting the bad boys. Not only are the fish big and the waters sometimes distant, but facing the open Pacific ocean, even these relatively tranquil waters can become rough.

The banks off the southern cape are prolific. Facing straight south from Cabo, boats will head west then north into the Pacific Ocean towards the Jaime Bank and Golden Gate Bank where winter marlin and summer tuna, wahoo and dorado can hold court. Directly south, the submarine topography is marked by the steep sides of the San Lucas Canyon and an underwater escarpment that drops from 10 to more than 7500 feet deep in matter of a few miles. Heading east from Cabo but directly out from San Jose are the famous Inner Gordo and Outer Gordo Banks as well as the Gorda Trough that separates the Cabrilla Seamount approximately 10 miles from shore. These are the banks where the San Jose pangas hold homecourt serve as they are easily accessible from the nearby beaches yet are incredible fisheries for all Baja species. Inshore, numerous ridges, canyons and reefs mark the shoreline and the many arroyos visable from the ocean lead to underwater fans and banks that are perfect habitat for numerous inshore species such as pargo, roosterfish, cabrilla and grouper.

THE EAST CAPE

Like everything else, the little pueblos of the East Cape (the rounded hump of southern Baja jutting like an abbreviated “heel” into the Sea of Cortez) with their sugar-sand beaches; palm trees; palapa-roofed homes and “manana” life-style are giving way to multi-home developments and the sounds of “progress.” However, there’s a certain attitude on the East Cape. It contrasts sharply with anything else found in the Baja especially with their nearby city neighbors of La Paz, San Jose and certainly Cabo San Lucas. The little towns, especially Los Barriles, are connected to their civic brethren by Highway 1, but seem to exist in somewhat of a secluded state of self-existence where the folks who live there and visit there crave the perceived isolation of being away from the cities. Call it a bit of a pirate attitude mixed with a dash of Jimmy Buffet soundtrack and you get the East Cape. Ditch the highway. Hit the dirt road. Take off the loafers and Docker shorts and grab an old straw lifeguard hat and flip-flops. An unbloodied t-shirt is formal attire for dinner. Sushi bar? Only if you’re making it yourself. Cabana boy for your pool towel? Better ask your fishing buddy if he’s headed back to the room.

That’s not to say that a visit to the East Cape is san-luxury. On the contrary, some of Baja’s most famous fishing hotels are on this wild-stretch of land and most all amenities can be found from high-tech swimming pools to relaxing massages and air-conditioning to gourmet restaurants. If there’s something missing you probably didn’t need it. Just don’t expect a lot of nightlife. That’s in Cabo or, to a lesser degree, La Paz. Fishing, relaxing, good times with other anglers, and a fat cigar and a beer at night are a typical daily agenda. And, if you’re going to fish, you’d better lock and load.

The boats of the East Cape seem to work the whole ocean at times. As far south as the Gordo Banks and as far north as even Cerralvo Island and sometimes even further, the East Cape fleets seem to go as far as a tank of fuel and a tank full of bait will get them with both super pangas and cruisers available to visiting anglers. East Cape crews may acquiesce and let Cabo be the “marlin capital” but you’ll get a mouthful of argument if you challenge the East Cape’s claim to being “marlin alley.” Also marked by deep underwater canyons, and steep submarine topography, miles of deserted beaches and the only living coral reef in the entire Eastern Pacific (Cabo Pulmo); there’s no shortage of fish. Huge trophies are as easily caught inshore as cruising offshore where waters are generally calmer than those found off Cabo San Lucas since the East Cape marks the entrance to the more placid waters of the Sea of Cortez.

LA PAZ

For many anglers, La Paz is only a recent discovery. Approach any group of Baja veterans and there’s a good chance most if not all of them have been to the East Cape or Cabo San Lucas or other spots. Yet, few, if any will tell you they have fished La Paz. It’s often the last destination Baja anglers attempt to fish.

Surprisingly, La Paz is the largest city in Southern Baja, yet retains much of it’s “Old World” charm. It’s the capital of the state of Southern Baja and the location of the seat of government; the university; and much of the business economy, yet it’s an interesting mix of both the old and the new. It’s modern like Cabo San Lucas, without the glitz and glamour. (Half the city still takes a siesta at mid-day). On the other hand, it’s not quite as tranquil as the East Cape to the south or Loreto to the north, but strolling along the waterfront and eating tacos under a waving palm tree in the evenings are local pastimes. You don’t go to La Paz to do your souvenir shopping nor will you find time-shares on every corner or a Big Mac on every street. Tourism does not turn the wheels of this city-by-the-bay.. However, fishing certainly drives the wheels of tourism. It just doesn’t get all the publicity.

Reached by direct flights into it’s own Marquez de Leon International Airport, La Paz is a fishing anamoly. Anglers to the area actually get two choices to mix and match. They can either fish straight out from La Paz heading directly north out of the Bay of La Paz towards Espiritu Santo Island; the famous El Bajo Seamount; Punta Coyote, the Charro Bank and north Cerralvo Island. These waters can be prolific, especially during the warmer months for dorado, big marlin, sailfish and world-class tuna.

The other choice is a 1 hour van ride towards the southeast. Fleet operators pick up their anglers from hotel lobbies and shuttle them to Punta Arenas and Muertos Bay, which lays it’s own claim to being the “Roosterfish Capital of the World.” (Hard to argue with a 114 pound world record). Boarding pangas, anglers work Ventana Bay; Punta Perrico; the shark buoys; the famous “88 Spot”; South Cerralvo and many others. This area has been described in some publications as one of the finest “light tackle fisheries in the world.” But don’t let the extensive use of pangas fool you. These waters are ripe with billfish, tuna, dorado, wahoo and many much-sought-after inshore species such as dog-tooth snapper (pargo); pompano; jacks; sierra; cabrilla, amberjack; and of course, roosterfish which can all be caught literally just off the beach. In fact, the common denominator with all fishing in the La Paz area is that most all the fishing is close. Anglers are never out of sight of land and much of the fishing, for even the largest species, is extremely close. Being almost 100 miles up into the Sea of Cortez, waters are generally calm and, in some cases, flatter than many inshore lakes. There are some cruisers available, but the majority of anglers opt to use the experienced panga and super panga fleets because of the proximity of the fishing. In fact, even the fishing is fairly uncomplicated and is done primarily with dead or live bait with very little trolling so don’t bring a lot of gear.

As with San Jose del Cabo to the south, it will be interesting to see the affect of construction of the new Costa Baja Marina north of the city and new construction currently taking place at Muertos Bay (recently renamed Bahia de Los Suenos).

Whatever the choice, it makes for good variety; different species of fish; different styles of fishing; and a great location to return to after a fun day of fishing.

SIDE BAR

You don’t need a whole garage full of stuff to fish the Baja, but gear your equipment towards the time of year you will be traveling and the type of species and fishing you will be doing. Talk and get details from your fleet operator or booking agent. Talk to other anglers. Just remember, you don’t need EVERYTHING, but what you don’t bring you may not be able to purchase in Baja. Rental gear ranges from the very good to basically serviceable and pedestrian gear that takes a beating day-in-and-day-out. Personally, whenever I can I bring my own gear unless I know the rental gear very well. There’s an old rule: “Don’t go to war with someone else’s rifle.” If you have ever been on a trophy fish for a long long time, you’ll know what I’m talking about. That being said, here’s a very basic list for a first-timer that can be expanded to your needs.

Outfits

Short rods with a lot of backbone preferred over long rods. A thirty and forty pound outfit for live and dead bait are a good start

A 50-60 pound trolling outfit with roller guides that can also double as a “meat stick” for bigger or deeper fish using bait is a good 3rd stick.

Terminal Tackle

Assortment of live bait hooks to match sardines, caballitos, mackerel or other dead or live bait
Leader material plus several large hooks already rigged on heavy leader
Swivels (dark preferred over silver)
Lead (don’t go crazy. Unless you specifically know you’re going to be working deep waters. If not, a few torpedo and rubbercore sinkers is enough)
Iron – 2 heavy and 2 medium for yo-you and jigging. Make sure one of each has some chrome. Other colors would be blue/white; scrambled egg; dorado; all white
Feathers – one dark and one light small feather and one dark and one light larger jig (if you’re hunting billfish). Make sure the leader is appropriate to the fish


DON’T LEAVE HOME

Rod belt
Hat
Sunscreen
Dikes and Pliers
Camera
Zip lock bags (for fish as well as temporary splash guard for gear like cameras)
Windbreaker or Sweatshirt (just-in-case)
Small bills for tips

NEEDLEFISH - published Feb. 2005 - Western Outdoors Magazine Baja Backbeat Column

NEEDLEFISH

In all my years of reading about Baja fishing, I don’t think I’ve seen anything written about one of the great scourges of Baja sportfishers. I’m not talking about sharks or sealions. I’m not even talking about bonito or even (yak!) mackerel. Instead, let’s focus on a fish that no one even thinks about unless these fish are already well on their way to getting the goat, not to mention the bait and tempers of most Baja anglers.

Called “marciel” or “agujon” by locals, the needlefish…yes needlefish… has to rank right up there with some of the most reviled fish in the Sea of Cortez. Technically, there’s a small needlefish (about 18 inches to 3 feet long) and there’s a large needlefish species (up to 5 or 6 feet long), but since I’m not a technical guy, mostly they are a muy grande pain in the nalgas no matter what their size.

Ranging through most of the Cortez, but especially in the lower sections, these fish are long powerful critters that are almost tubular in shape marked by a long gator-like head full of needle like teeth. Normally silver or blue in color, they can arrive in packs out of nowhere. I have found them in the shallows up near the beach and rocks but it’s not uncommon to find them in blue water as well. However, when they arrive, their aggressive attacks on your lure, bait and tackle can only be described as something a tackle-manufacturer could love. With their rows of needle teeth they will grab and grab and grab s’more until there’s not much left of a slow trolled dead or live bait. If you have a feather, lure or lipped-lure, they will continually shred and rip at the jig until you reel back at best a tooth-marked lure or at worst, merely a head and a hook. Even moreso, the continual attacks can and will shred line so that when a true gamefish hits, you stand the chance of breaking off.

When you hit a “needle zone” , it will appear as though everything thrown into the water gets hammered. Often, you can see long silver “packs” of these predators following the lures or harassing a fly-lined bait. At this point you might as well move somewhere else. Needlefish have a very high nuisance quotient. Inexperienced anglers will think that they are getting bit by gamefish as the needlefish will grab a bait; run; then drop it as the angler tries to set the hook. Larger needles are strong enough to yank a trolled line right out of the outrigger resulting in a false bite and the need to re-set the lures or at least tighten the tension on the rigger clips.

When hooked, they can be incredible fighters on light tackle (but so are mackerel) and will launch themselves out of the water with surprising speed and agility almost like torpedoes leaping and skimming the water for10, 20, 30 or more yards. In fact, they have been known to come zooming at pangas, sportfishers and anglers with blazing rapidity and a mouth full of teeth causing more than a few nervous moments as anglers duck. Countless times, I have seen them move with such speed that they hit the boat and broke their necks or slightly embedded the point of their snouts into the fiberglass side of a panga. If one is coming at you, like a wahoo, it’s best not to be in the way! However, despite the initial fun, after awhile levity inevitably turns to frustration and choice words as anglers realize that the needles are depleting bait supplies; breaking lines; tearing up valuable tackle or preventing baits and lures from getting into the mouths of more glamorous quarry. Terrible is the price I have seen anglers and Mexican skippers alike exact on a captured needlefish treating them like the proverbial red-headed stepchild or worse.

If the needles are hitting, I know it’s going to be “one-of-those-days” when I’ll probably hear about it from my clients (as if I could control the needle onslaught). I don’t like them anymore than the next guy, but perhaps we need to adjust how we look at them.

As mentioned previously, needles are exceptional fighters. On light tackle or a flyrod, the battle can be fast, furious and sometimes one-sided as the needles will slash and tear off huge runs. Get tied onto one of the larger models with a girth comparable to some angler’s thighs and you could be in for one heck of a battle. They are certainly easy to catch. I have seen them take bites out of sardines, squid, mackerel, lures, feathers…even a piece of tortilla I once dangled behind the boat. If you throw a shiny spoon at them, they’ll jump all over that as well. Out of boredom on a slow day, I’ve had hours of fun with needlefish using my fly rod or spinner with one perk being that there are often other species around too such as jacks, bonito and tuna.

As for edibility, most anglers cringe when needlefish are mentioned as food. I think long cylindrical fish make many anglers think of snakes and they disdain needlefish even worse than some anglers turn up their noses at barracuda. As one angler told me, “Needlefish are meant to be disposed of , not eaten!” For many years, I felt the same. However, it was a group of my Chinese clients who enlightened my palate. I discovered that cut into chunks the meat has a slight blue tint to it much like some of the rockfish found in the states. When cooked up, the meat turns flakey white color with the only drawback being the copious number of bones. Nevertheless, it was some of my panga skippers that told me that the chunks can be put into a soup and the meat simply boils off the bones. Add some cilantro, chile peppers, carrots and onions and one angler’s trash fish becomes another angler’s delicious cioppino. Top with fresh tortillas and serve with good friends and tall fishing tales.

That's my story...
Jonathan

GREEN ANGELS OF THE BAJA - published Sept. 2005 - Western Outdoors Magazine Baja Backbeat

THE GREEN ANGELS OF THE BAJA

Where we live down here we have a unique fishery. Despite having a big ocean right in front of us here in La Paz Bay, we also shuttle anglers daily about 45 miles SE of the city to the beaches of Las Arenas. If you’re not used to it, the drive can be long, dusty and hot, but every fleet in town does it and most anglers really don’t mind it too much considering how good the fishing can be.

Well, the trip requires that we go over a set of fairly sizeable mini-mountains from the city and descend down onto the Arenas peninsula. It’s a pretty sight coming down the grade and seeing Cerralvo Island in the distance nestled into Ventana Bay that’s still 20 miles away when first seen. We coast down into the flatlands and down to the beach.

Well, “coast” implies there’s a downhill which conversely implies that at some point to come back to town there’s an “uphill” that must be dealt with. What is a nice morning “glide” down the cactus and mesquite covered grade becomes the “Nine Mile Hill” coming back…it’s the Mt. Suribachi of hills for all the vans laden with tired fishermen, full ice chests, and tons of gear trying to get back to La Paz in the mid-afternoon heat. And for the nice morning descent, it’s the afternoon climb where the mountain exacts is toll. Evidence is scattered along it’s shoulders…burned out chassis’…the rusted carcasses of vans and cars that never made that last climb up the mountain the local fleet drivers have called “the van killer.” The “Nine Mile Hill” devours vans and spits them out so often that the hill is approached with reverence. Air conditioners are turned off; windows opened; low gears are engaged; clients nodding off for the long ride home are warned that ,”We just need to make it to the top then it’s downhill all the way back home.” Climbing it is like the agonizing chug and click of the rollercoaster as it pulls it way to the top of that first big dip. Amaciated Mexican cattle on the side of the road, walk faster than the vans that have to climb back up that hill.

I have personally broken down so many times over the years on this hill that I don’t even panic anymore. It can be pretty desolate on those slopes with nary a vehicle passing by to flag down and the nearest town at least 10 miles away. In the last 2 weeks alone, I’ve seen 6 vans go down, “sacrifices” to the appetite of the mountain monster.

I’ve seen some folks get pretty freaked out getting stuck in the Mexican desert. But that’s where the Green Angels come in. Driving up and down the Mexican highways, these solo drivers can be lifesavers. Provided free of service by the government, the Green Angeles jockey small utility trucks similar to what you’d see the paramedics use in your town. There’s a special relief you get when one of these green trucks pulls up next to your disabled sled.

On several occasions, I’ve been fortunate to get “visited” by one of these guys. I’m not sure they necessarily have a lot of mechanical ability…at least not that I’ve seen, but they know enough. Moreso, they carry stuff you need and wish you had brought: basic tools, duct tape, rope, water, gas, jumper cables, some engine belts, a phone, a shovel…even toilet paper which can sometimes be the most needed emergency necessity of all. They may not always get your vehicle underway, but it’s comforting to see the man in the uniform step out with a smile asking, “Puedo ayudarte?” (Can I help you?)

For the second time in as many weeks, the van I was driving busted a belt on the long climb up the monster hill. Two passing motorists stopped to assist and couldn’t do much. But they stuck around. Then, the Green Angel showed up. He wasn’t able to do much, but it was good to have him there and he radioed for a tow vehicle. We now had 4 vehicles and about 10 people hanging out and things were taking on a festive mood. We had beers in one of fisherman’s ice chests. Someone else had some bags of chips and one of the original vehicles had some barbecued goatmeat. The makings of a party were brewing. Might was well. No one was going anywhere.

The tow vehicle showed up. They couldn’t do much either so they attempted to tow my van up the hill. They overheated within 200 yards of where I had gone down. Another vehicle came up and tried to tow the tow vehicle. It too went down. The mountain was having a vehicular bacchanalian feast! So, now, there were 6 vehicles stopped roadside of which 3 weren’t going anywhere soon. We eventually got off the mountain, but spent a good 2 hours with our mini-fiesta as the beer, chips and goat meat fueled the levity. At this point, the Green Angel came over to me and smilingly joked, “I know everytime you break down on this hill, I can never fix your vans, but you always have great parties on the side of the road. Next time I will bring the tortillas!”

Andale! Like the Lone Ranger of the highway, the Green Angels ride to the rescue where a little humor always goes a long way, even in the middle of the Mexican desert.

That's my story...
Jonathan

PEZ FUERTE THE AMBERJACK - published March 2006 - Western Outdoors Magazine Baja Backbeat Column

PEZ FUERTE THE AMBERJACK

We had dropped jigs on a high spot in perhaps 80 feet of water. The early morning sphere if heat called “el sol” still wasn’t at it’s apex, but already we had shed the light windbreakers hours ago. Actually, looking over at my client, Phil, the last thing he needed was something to cover up unless it was to protect against sunburn. Beads of sweat tinged with melted sunscreen were already stinging his eyes behind his sunglasses. and the strain of the moment was evident from the darkening circles of moisture on his grey t-shirt and straining arms.

His eyes were pretty wide too and I suppressed a grin and giggle. I told him to bring a shorter beefier rod! Instead, being a Southern California “iron man” who loves throwing iron jigs and is proud of his ability to fire ‘em half a football field, Phil was paying the price. His 9-foot jig stick was triple bent and I could tell he was silently praying to the fish gods. I half-expected him to take a knee! OK…don’t listen to me. Have fun!

Actually, we were about ¼ mile of the beach fishing the panga just south of Los Frailes on the lower East Cape. Being a divemaster, I knew this high spot and what could be on it during the early spring months. Our first drop of yo-yo of the jigs were promising.

On the first drop and fast retrieve…WHAM! I didn’t get bit, but Phil was stopped, bent and… (exhale) …UNBOTTONED! He wasn’t expecting that and I laughingly reminded him that when that happens you MUST keep winding to set the hook. Many anglers make the mistake of stopping the grind and trying to set the hook by swinging on the stick. That’s what Phil had done.

Second drop. Settle. Hit bottom. Stop. Wind like hell. Three cranks and WHOAAAAAAA! This time, Phil kept winding until the fish was stuck. Maybe he wished he hadn’t. He high-sticked the fish and fortunately his pressure stopped that first run. I knew there were rocks down there and the first charge was blunted, but his long rod was now helping the fish beat him up on a prolonged fight that had already lasted 20 minutes.

“Yellowtail or grouper?” He asked? “It doesn’t really fight like one!”
“You’ll see,” I grinned back as I rummaged through his ice chest for a beer. (Might as well…not much I could do at this point except verbally coach him!)

When the big bronze fish hit the deck with a thud and two gaffs in it’s flanks, he gasped, “What the hell is THAT?” His forearms were still shaking and he collapsed on the seat.
“Amberjack. About 80 pounds, I’d say.” Was my reply.

Yellowtail gets most of the headlines in Baja but it surprises me that you rarely hear about amberjack. Until someone gets one or a run of these feisty members of the jack family (like yellowtail, pompano, jack crevalle) shows up. Maybe “feisty” is too soft a word. The Mexicans call them “Pez Fuerte.” (The strong fish) If you’ve ever fought the other members of the family or say…a 30 pound yellowtail…imagine a big cousin that can go over 100 pounds. That gives you some idea. The world record is 114 pounds, but I’ve seen larger fish that we just never got to a scale or got eaten before anyone realized.

Technically, seriola rivoliana, the amberjack is not only a great fighter but many folks consider it an even better eating fish than the popular and delicious yellowtail. I’ve had anglers describe it’s flavor as having a tinge of crab or shellfish in it, perhaps because of it’s own varied diet. The bad boy is found in tropical and subtropical waters, often around deep drop offs, high spots and ridges, but in my own experience, it seems that they are more prevailant in Southern Baja waters where waters are a few degrees warmer than say, Loreto and Mulege, famous for it’s yellowtail fisheries. Spring, especially, the late spring then again in the fall seem to be prime time for getting amberjack to go.

When they are running, they will school up. They will eat a bait or chase a jig all the way to the surface. Sometimes they will school up in masses.

I ran a panga for some of my freedivers once. They were in the water and came up empty. I was puzzled because I knew there were amberjack down there for the spearing. However, as one of the divers explained to me with a smile, “The amberjack are in huge schools down there only about 40 feet down. However, they are so thick and curious that they are virtually coming up to the point of the spear and looking right at it. Shooting a fish right between the eyes isn’t sport!”

That may be true for freediving spearfishermen, but I grabbed my handy rod and fired a jig and quickly hooked up. Far be it from me to pass up a quick dinner!

That's my story...
Jonathan

BAJA LOST AND FOUND - published Feb. 2005 - Western Outdoor News Baja Backbeat Column

BAJA LOST AND FOUND

Who of us at some point haven’t had the urge to tell the boss just where to put the stapler; exactly what we think of our significant other; or wanted to be able to flip the national digital one-finger bird to every driver as we sat in gridlock with total impunity? Usually good common sense; morals; the need for the payche