SIT ON YOUR HANDS LOSE YOUR VACATION!!!

Published originally in Western Outdoor News Week of March 27, 2007

This is your public service announcement.

It’s crunch time, amigos.

Everyone is making their vacation plans to go places this spring and summer to catch fish or hunt or whatever. I’ve written this before but if you’re waiting around to get your passport and you have a trip in the next three months, you could be cutting it awfully thin!

Just in case you’ve been hiding in a cave and not seeing any news the last 3 months, this is the year that ANYONE flying in North America MUST have a passport to make sure you’re not a terrorist. Although I recently had someone walk up to me at one of the fishing shows and ask me, “Where in California is Baja California?”, it IS in North America for those of you who slept through your 8th grade geography classes.

Let me put it this way, it’s pretty easy to get OUT of the U.S. You just want to make sure they let you back in AFTER your vacation!

The State Department has warned to expect long delays in getting your passports as they’ve been overwhelmed by an unprecedented demand as more than a million new applicants a month have put a Hulk Hogan headlock on the agencies resources.

Even if you pay extra to expedite your paperwork, the government says to expect EXTRA delays of up to six weeks. Normally, it takes 6 weeks to process under ordinary conditions. Currently it’s taking up to 10 weeks or more and there’s no guarantees. The fees are $97 for normal processing.

Expedited service for which you pay extra, normally takes 2 weeks from the date you apply. The powers-that-be now tell us it is at least 3-4 weeks to get your documents. Expedited service charges $60 in addition to the $97.

If you don’t get your passport and it’s less than 2 weeks until your planned trip, there’s some recourse, but it’s not easy. You’ll have to make an appointment at one of the Federal Passport Agencies in a number of major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle.

However, even with an appointment, it’s like waiting for the cable guy to come to your house. DMN…”Don’t Mean Nothing!” Reportedly lines snaking out and around the buildings are not uncommon. Some folks have reported standing in line for days trying to gain entrance. Even then, there’s no certainty that you’ll leave with your passport in hand.

Don’t mess your up your vacation. If you need more info: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html is the link.

As a sidebar, the airwars between Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines is heating up as both carriers are now competing for the ever increasing Mexican travel dollar. Alaska has a 75th Anniversary Rate now if you buy tickets prior to March 31 and use them before November. For instance, rates as low as $250 round trip from Los Angeles to selected Baja locations can be found. Calling direct to the airlines seems to be the best way to secure these fast-disappearing seats. Delta has some competitive rates as well.

But you can’t use any of them if you don’t have a passport!

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

BITE TANKS! WINDS COME UP! ANGLERS COME UP SHORT!

La Paz / Las Arenas Fishing Report for March 25, 2007

PHOTO 1: Not such a good week on the fishing with winds and difficult bait situations making it a tough go. However, the pargo are in and a few were pulled out've the rocks. Hooking them is one thing this time of the year but putting them into the boat in the shallow waters is another issue. This is a "small one." Our amigo, Esteban Romero of La Paz holds up this one at Muertos Bay. No doubt some slabs ended up with garlic and butter and some great tortillas that night knowing Esteban!

PHOTO 2: Popular Capt. Raul "Papa" Martinez, holds up one of 4 yellowtail caught this particular day by Dean Huthman who took the photo. This was the smallest one caught that day. Dean only went fishing one day and had a banner time. However, this was a week ago! This past week, the yellowtail bite really tapered off as winds again kicked our butts. Raul never smiles. In working with him for almost 10 years, I have dozens of photos and not a single one smiling from one of the best captains in La Paz.

THE FISHING REPORT

What a difference a week makes. Buoyed by last weeks fishing where everyone got fish and we thought the season had finally turned on, this week came crashing down. I feel real badly for our anglers this week. They put in the effort as did our captains, but dangit...just no controlling Mother Nature. As I'm writing this today, (Sunday) guess what...no winds again, but no one is fishing today! But all week when I had anglers...I mean, for those of you who have fished with us before....how often is it rough enough to get seasick? That's such a rarity, yet it was a little bouncy this week. Wind contributed also to an upwelling of colder water as the winds came from the south. Colder water meant off-color water. Winds also pushed up against the bait spots so it was tougher to get bait. Hijole... Listen, this is Baja. Maybe you get one or two off days, but rarely a whole week of it!

All that being said...there were a few hookups around the islands. A few yellowtail were hit, but more were lost. Our counts would have looked better if hookups equaled fish in the boat, but hey...that's fishing and Lord knows the rocks have taken way too many fish from me! Same with the pargo and cabrilla. They were definitely there, but tough to get inside when you're bouncing around.

Now, you can see why it's the off-season. Just one of those things. We'll keep you posted on what's up.


ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

You have no doubt heard of kayak fishing. A few weeks (or was it months) I wrote about guys fishing off windsurfers. If you have high speed, click this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGDlBb-642w Check out marlin fishing on waverunner! Great footage!


AIR FARE RATES END MARCH 31

Don't forget...Alaska has some incredible rates if you purchase by March 31 and travel before November to La Paz. A number of our clients jumped on the rates and hit prices as low as $250 round trip. That's unheard of since the days of Aero Cal. They only fly on certain days, but you need to contact the airlines directly! They have partnered with Delta Air and it seems like they are covering all days of the week because we have clients flying in one airline and flying out on the other airline. Check it out. Don't get left out.


SPEAKING OF ALASKA...

That's where were are this week...Anchorage, Alaska! This is our final outdoor show of the season so we've packed up our booth and brochures and our Hawaiian shirts and we'll be preaching the gospel of sunshine in the great white north to our northern fish brothers. The show runs Thursday to Sunday so, if you're in the area stop by and say hi. I know this sounds ironic, but I think our booth is in the ice skating rink!


That's my story! Have a great week!
Jonathan

Jonathan Roldan's Tailhunter International
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
Phone: (626) 333-3355
FAX: (626) 333-0115
E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745Mexico Office:
Carr. a Pichilingue KM 5, Numero 205, La Paz, Baja Cal Sur, Mexico

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

PASSPORT CRUNCH TIME - SIT ON YOUR HANDS STAY HOME!

Published the week of March 27, 2007 in Western Outdoor News


This is your public service announcement.

It’s crunch time, amigos.

Everyone is making their vacation plans to go places this spring and summer to catch fish or hunt or whatever. I’ve written this before but if you’re waiting around to get your passport and you have a trip in the next three months, you could be cutting it awfully thin!

Just in case you’ve been hiding in a cave and not seeing any news the last 3 months, this is the year that ANYONE flying in North America MUST have a passport to make sure you’re not a terrorist. Although I recently had someone walk up to me at one of the fishing shows and ask me, “Where in California is Baja California?”, it IS in North America for those of you who slept through your 8th grade geography classes.

Let me put it this way, it’s pretty easy to get OUT of the U.S. You just want to make sure they let you back in AFTER your vacation!

The State Department has warned to expect long delays in getting your passports as they’ve been overwhelmed by an unprecedented demand as more than a million new applicants a month have put a Hulk Hogan headlock on the agencies resources.

Even if you pay extra to expedite your paperwork, the government says to expect EXTRA delays of up to six weeks. Normally, it takes 6 weeks to process under ordinary conditions. Currently it’s taking up to 10 weeks or more and there’s no guarantees. The fees are $97 for normal processing.

Expedited service for which you pay extra, normally takes 2 weeks from the date you apply. The powers-that-be now tell us it is at least 3-4 weeks to get your documents. Expedited service charges $60 in addition to the $97.

If you don’t get your passport and it’s less than 2 weeks until your planned trip, there’s some recourse, but it’s not easy. You’ll have to make an appointment at one of the Federal Passport Agencies in a number of major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle.

However, even with an appointment, it’s like waiting for the cable guy to come to your house. DMN…”Don’t Mean Nothing!” Reportedly lines snaking out and around the buildings are not uncommon. Some folks have reported standing in line for days trying to gain entrance. Even then, there’s no certainty that you’ll leave with your passport in hand.

Don’t mess your up your vacation. If you need more info: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html is the link.

As a sidebar, the airwars between Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines is heating up as both carriers are now competing for the ever increasing Mexican travel dollar. Alaska has a 75th Anniversary Rate now if you buy tickets prior to March 31 and use them before November. For instance, rates as low as $250 round trip from Los Angeles to selected Baja locations can be found. Calling direct to the airlines seems to be the best way to secure these fast-disappearing seats. Delta has some competitive rates as well.

But you can’t use any of them if you don’t have a passport!

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

MISGUIDED FISH ATTRACTING DEVICES

Published in WESTERN OUTDOOR MAGAZINE Spring 2007

I will always believe that the most creative people in the world are fishermen. We have a knack for turning whims in to “needs” and if we “need” something badly enough we will create it if we can’t find it. There is always a better mousetrap to be invented. Just take a look at a fishing catalog sometime and see how many different lures there are to catch a single fish!

At one place I worked, we got the creative “bug” over cold ones after a long day of hopping from one dorado spot to another. It’s pretty amazing how an afternoon post-fishing lubricated with cold ones can often produce the best ideas.

Along with the owner of the place I worked for, we all acknowledged that dorado had a tendency to gather around floating structure or debris. That could be a paddy of sargasso weed; some trash; part of a tree or some branches that were hanging on the surface. That’s why after a storm, dorado fishing could be so dynamic as a result of all the trash, grass and weed lines you would often find a few days after any kinds of rains that washed stuff into the ocean.

So…like busy little elves….we drew things in the sand and the ideas flowed as nicely as the cold beers. And off we went…

We went out to the junk yard and found old beat-up wood pallets and plywood sheets. To the plywood sheets, we drilled and punched out big holes to let the sunlight through. To all of them we stapled strands of plastic plants, bits of rope, strands of torn cloth…anything that would hang down. Boy were we clever! Hammer, drill, staple, cut! Buzz buzz buzz!

After two days, we were ready. You can see where this is going.

Using one of the hotel owners pangas we drove them out into the bay and strategically dropped them into the ocean. We could hardly contain our excitement. Whoo-weee…this was gonna be great. How come no one thought of this before? It was like Edison had just discovered the light bulb! We were certified geniuses. If this worked, we might even market it!

To sweeten the “honey hole” we also tied a few strips of dead bonito under our “FADS” (Fish Attracting Devices) and also tossed a few handfuls of live sardines at them as we pulled away knowing the little baits would congregate under each device helping to attract dorado and hopefully, other fish!

How could they resist? They floated perfectly on the surface. Light filtered perfectly through the holes and planks and the stuff we stapled under it combined with the baits and scent of the bonito were too good to be true!

It took us about 90 minutes to place the 6 devices. Then we went back to the first we had planted out by the point. BAM!!! Three nice dorado. The second one produced a nice bull. The third had 2 smaller dorado, that we released, but fun just the same. Most of the dorado would be released, but we found that after releasing fish the bit would shut off.

No worries. Onto the NEXT FAD we’d charge! We found that if we waited about 2 hours between hitting one FAD, it loaded up again on fish.

This was just incredible. It was like “dorado-on-demand!” and we giggled and toasted each other all day catching and releasing a good day of fish. Just a “grinner” of a day!

Using only circle hooks, we released most fish in good shape keeping only a few for dinner. We also hooked two marlin that came off, but it just verified that we were really onto something and couldn’t wait to see what would happen the next day after the FADS had the an entire night to load up again.

We fished until dusk, then turned and headed back to the beach full speed with some nice fillets; a bunch of Kodak moments; and heads too big for our hats about our “discovery.” Just wait until tomorrow!

About 200 yards from the beach it happened. KARUMP!

We found out why no one had done this before. In a moment of inattention and forgetfulness, we had just hit one of our devices! A crack in the fiberglass hull and a bent prop were the result. So much for genius. Down tumbled all the dreams of selling these in info-mercials!

We were thankful that we were close to home and had a kicker motor to get us back It wasn’t quite so boisterous that night as we worried that someone might hit one of our devices in the dark. So much for thinking this through.

We spent the next morning looking for our artificial paddies using a friend’s panga. Each of them still had fish after “resting” for the evening, but we sadly picked up each one and mentally went back to the drawing boards. Each sentence that afternoon beginning with the words, “What if…?”

Fishermen are a resilient lot!

That's my story...

WHAT WOULD FRED AND RAY SAY?

Published Originally in Western Outdoor News the week of March 12, 2007


I am actually tapping this out on my laptop while in my booth here at the Fred Hall Fishing & Boating Show at the Long Beach Convention Center. Hijole! What a massive show this is! Everyone is here and it’s really a lot of fun. Great to see so many friends and make new ones and thanks to all of you who have come by the booth to say hi and that you’re enjoying the column or (laugh) to give me a piece of their mind about something too!

For us vendors, it’s almost like you better be here or you don’t exist! Sort of like the Academy Awards. Anyone who is anyone is here and there’s even a lot of other folks I’ve never heard of.

You’re who?

You’re where?

Your fleet runs out’ve where?

Since when?

Funny, I’ve never seen you there. Oh, your real office is in Des Moine, Iowa, but you “visit” Baja for two weeks out’ve the year for your timeshare and you’re retired now so you thought you’d give it a shot at a fishing fleet because no one has ever done it “correctly” before. But before you retired you fished Baja once a year for 10 years and know the waters backwards and forwards. You gotta start somewhere. You bet! Knock ‘em dead!

I exaggerate, but you get the idea. It actually is a lot of fun and the folks you meet in this industry are mostly just great down-home folks you’d love to have more time to share a taco, a cold one, and a good story.

But has anyone noticed the change in marketing the Baja?

I remember when operations used to advertise that they had “real drinking water” or “year-round pool” or (the real luxury)…ICE! That was a winner. Air-conditioning was a plus. So was a freezer for your fish. You were living high back in the day.

And you know what? Sometimes the air-conditioner just didn’t work. Sometimes the tap water in the room was a funny color or breakfast was a little slow. Heck, sometimes the generator at the hotel would conk out and…heaven forbid…they had to light up the place with candles! You just rolled with it and had a good time and accepted it was the Baja. They don’t call it “La Frontera” (the Frontier) for nothing. It was part of the charm and attraction.

Now, I see blurbs offering, “nanny services (don’t get me started),” “breakfast in bed,” “in-room aromatherapy sessions,” “real estate seminars,” “spinning classes,” “morning power-walk” and “fluffy robes” in each room. Etc.

I never met the legendary Ray Cannon, but I bet he’d be doing horizontal 360’s and my predecessor at Western Outdoor News, Fred Hoctor. . .I can hear his gravelly voice going off about this. Fuzzy robes? He would always give me an earful as if it were MY fault. Can you imagine either of those grizzly Baja vets in shorts and Nike shoes doing a “morning power walk?” What I remember of Fred was that “aromatherapy” better smell like a beer and lime and if either guy was walking fast it wasn’t for cardio. It was to catch a boat on the beach or because someone yelled “food’s ready!”

I have one long-time client who has been visiting for years. He still sports long hair in a pony-tail and beard. Looks a lot like a Harley biker straight off the Hollywood casting room because he did ride when he was younger, but is now a respected and successful businessman. He could cuss and fish and drink with the best of the Baja rats. He brought his wife with him for the first time several years ago. After fishing one day, I asked if he was headed to the pool for his usual happy hour like normal.

“Nope. I committed to go on a “de-tox cardio walk” with my wife. After that we have him-and-her massages and facials. He rolled his eyes, laughing smirked, and shrugged and tied up his 150 buck “walking shoes.” We both laughed out loud.

The Baja is changing. The people coming to Baja are changing. I’m trying to picture Fred Hoctor in a fuzzy robe. Or Gene Kira in a spinning class.



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

CHOCOLATE CLAMS!

Published the week of March 3, 2007 in Western Outdoor News



Photo: As you can see, it's not ALWAYS about fishing! Sometimes the fish don't bite, but just hanging out in Baja has it's priceless rewards like our amigo Roy Morita from Modesto, CA who has "assumed the position."

So, let’s talk about foraging for food in Baja . . .

So there we were. Long day of dragging lures through the water round and round the island. Long day of soaking baits. Who’s the one who wrote the “fishing hot spots” chart, anyway? (Not blaming YOU, Gene Kira!).

But, I don’t care who you talk to or what magazines you read, some days in Baja you just don’t catch fish! At least not anything you’d care to drop in the fish box, let alone put on your table. Sorry, but I’ve just never considered needlefish something to get excited about even though apparently Ray Cannon loved the scaly snakes! Blech…

We had been so certain of catching fish, not only had we bet each other huge sums of cash and beer…OK, 20 bucks and a 6 pack…but we didn’t have anything set up for dinner either. You know what it’s like with us guys. We have every condiment in the ice chest from salsa to salad dressing and mustard to garlic salt and 3 kinds of mayo, but absolutely NOTHING to put it on. Reminds me of my school days with cabinets and drawers stuffed with everything except something to eat.

And now the three of us looked at each other like goofs on the beach. Sitting in our lawn chairs each hoping to be struck be divine inspiration and intervention, we were too far to drive anywhere; too lazy to take initiative; and each hoping the other guy would figure it out. Much like we just hope our wives will suddenly make dinner appear on the table each night! The smashed Oreos and chips in the boat just didn’t sound very appealing.

That’s when Gerardo wandered by. He was a local kid and always there in the afternoons to clean the boat or do other odd jobs for a few bucks. Great kid. We usually invited him to eat with us so we told him of our plight. “No pescado, Gerardo!”

In Spanish, he said, “Why don’t you go get some chocolates?’

Sorry, we don’t want candy.

He explained that if we simply put on our snorkeling gear and swam out to about 6 feet of water, dinner was waiting! He said that chocolates referred to “chocolate clams” that had brown shells. Nothing to do with chocolate. But in the sand, we’d see two little valves sticking out. If we dove down quickly and dug fast with our hands, we’d find los chocolates!

So, with nothing else going on. Out we went. And wow…clams the size of a kid’s fist were there for the taking in the clear warm waters. In about an hour of snorkeling, we had about 100 clams.

Here’s where the fun came in. Out came the barbecue grill only feet from the water. Beach chairs ringside. Fire on! Get those coals going! Beer on ice! Popping each shell open revealed gorgeous succulent orange meat, much like the color of sweet shrimp. With a quick fresh water rinse and a squirt of lime, a New York restaurant would’ve served a dozen of these for a days wages! Half-shell my eye! Incredible!

But the best part was opening them and popping them on the grill. This was Gerardo’s idea. A little squeeze of lime…a little smear of dark roasted chipotle chile…and a tiny dollop of white Mexican ranchero cheese. They would sizzle and bubble and we’d grab them off the grill…go through a juggling act of burned fingertips and suck them into our mouths washed down with a chaser of icy Pacifico. Ahhhhhhh…clam after juicy clam.

And there we sat. The four of us. A window seat at the finest table in Baja. A burning orange and purple Baja sunset. Our toes in the sand. A campfire of Baja gentlemen charter members of the Order of the Sleepless Nights. The music of a warm late spring breeze coming up off the Sea of Cortez going to rest for the day. Slurping and laughing. A stack of empty clam shells rising at our feet. I just hate it when the fish don’t bite!

We’ll be in our booth this week at the Long Beach Convention Center for the Fred Hall Fishing and Boating show Wednesday to Sunday March 7-11. Come by to say hi.



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