PHOTO 1: The prized dog-tooth or cubera snapper get huge. This is a big fish, but they get alot bigger. They live in the rocks and are ferociously powerful fighters in their home turf and have everything on their side against you.

PHOTO 2: In the spring these big pargo liso aka mullet snapper come up in schools into the shallow areas which of course...are full of rocks and ledges. By the time you realize you're bit, you're already too late to stop these bad boys.

PHOTO 3: This is a slugger 40 pound yellowtail. Blistering short runs and tenacity make these highly prized but most often you find them near lots of structure where they hold all the advantages.

STOPPING THE BULLRUSH!

Originally published the week of March 24, 2009 in Western Outdoor News

Having just come off the fishing-show circuit and traveling most of the western U.S. with a lot of the other outfitters from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, I know a lot of you are watching the fishing counts in Baja. This is the time of year when there’s a lot of anticipation for spring fishing.

Yellowtail, pargo and grouper season are here. It’s almost like a fever and when word gets out that these big boys are around, you can feel the energy, not just when we talk to folks face-to-face, but even in the calls and e-mails we get as folks book their trips or inquire about coming down.

Springtime is generally bad-boy season. For a lot of Baja anglers, marlin, tuna, dorado, etc. just don’t hold their interest like the “bad boys in the rocks.” Not just for eating, but because of the sheer tenacity of these species and the sport. “Bad attitude” is an understatement.

Whether you’re discussing yellowtail, pargo or grouper, you’re talking about fish with big heads, powerful shoulders and bullish personalities, not to mention finicky tastes. To that, add the fact that they are in their home turf…rocks, reefs, structure…and it’s often not a level playing field…uh water!

While these species might migrate to some degree, at this time of year, they become “homeguard.” They’re not venturing too far from their neighborhood of razor sharp rocks, caves and ledges. Yellowtail might make it out a bit but their first inclination is to head right back to cover Pargo and grouper are already either in shallow rocky water or coming out’ve caves and crevices to feed and pounce on meals.

Do the math.

With any of these species, you suddenly realize you’re bit. In the nano-seconds or so that it took your hands or your brain to compute that it’s not just your bait wiggling, about 10 yards…30 feet of line spun off your reel. Your rod bends 3 feet. You lift it another 3 feet to set the hook. That’s 6 feet. You’re now 36 feet behind and in the hole…so is the fish!

`He’s already back in his hole or travelling through the rocks! When you set the hook and it bites into the fish’ jaw, the fish puts on the jets and burrows deeper. Zingpowie! There goes the line. You lose. Less than the time it took me to type the last sentence, you’re toast and your panga captain is patting you on the back. Your buddies are laughing something about you being a “farmer.” Dejection. Shame…You try to shake it off. They’ll “get theirs” you mumble back.

It happened so fast. It’s hard to explain. Your imagination blasts Powerpoint programs of how big that fish might have been. Man, so THAT’s what it feels like!

All you can do is reload. Pin another bait on and drop down.

But that’s what makes this so fun and challenging. Guys talk all the time about popping tuna-after-tuna or dorado-after-dorado to the boat. In Cabo they’re racking a dozen or more marlin-a-day these past few months.

But how often do you hear a guy tell you he put “limits” of pargo, grouper or yellowtail on the boat? A good day is 1, 2, 3...maybe! If he does hit limits, he’s usually shell-shocked and sweat drenched. Yes, it happens. But it’s often the exception rather than the rule.

The biggest thing with these fish is you gotta turn their heads. You have to stop the bull-rush. Once they get up that head-of-steam, you’re already on the losing end. The fish has the edge.

So often I see anglers, even experienced ones, get bit and set the hook. Then, they get their elbows and knuckles slammed against the gunwales. They understandably hold on for dear life and wait for the fish to slow down so they can lift the rod and pull.

Well, unlike a tuna or dorado that may have hundreds of feet of water below it, you don’t have that luxury with these fish. The bottom is right there. They are already in the structure. The fact that you waited, put you behind the 8-ball. As soon as you get bit, you have to pull like a madman and fight the urge to lay the rod down.

Lift that stick and put as much pressure on the fish as possible. Turn the handle if you can. This is where all you guys who bought those expensive two-speeds with big drags and low gears will finally figure out why you spent the money!

Chances are you will probably still lose the fish. That’s just the way it is. But, it’s an awful lot of fun!

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

PHOTO 1: On so many levels, Mexican taxi drivers can be your best friends on a visit to Mexico whether you're a first timer or returning vacationer.

PHOTO 2: Make a friend and most taxi drivers will hang with you to make sure you're OK even getting you back to your hotel after a fun night on the town, even when you've run off with someone's Mexican flag...

JOSE AND JESUS HAVE YOUR BACK

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of March 10, 2009

If you ever want to know anything in Mexico, talk to a taxi driver. Forget the concierge at your four-star resort. I think stereotypically, taxi drivers are the same around the world.

They are a great mix of a little bit of hustler; bit of shaman; bit of scheister; huxter; and general purveyors of knowledge big and small. They are like walking talking guide books and far better than a phone book!

They can be as paternally watchful over you and your family like a favorite uncle or cousin or happy to be a frat boy with you careening around town on an all-night bender.

If you’re new in town and a first-timer, a Mexican taxi driver can be your best friend. Forget for a moment the little electric fan attached to side window or the colorful yarn-dingle-balls stuck with Velcro to the inside of the windshield. Or the foam dice from the rear-view mirror. Forget the two massive speakers playing Creedence Clearwater Revival from the rear or the tuba and accordion sounds of rancho mariachi music…

OK…so maybe the motor pings a bit and you can feel the brake pads pushing metal to metal…

With Jose at the wheel (singing along to a cassette with “Proud Mary!”) and a plastic statue of Jesus on the dashboard you’re in good hands! (I know one guy that loves 70’s disco music and at night while driving flashes his ceiling lights like a strobe for the clients).

Actually, most of the drivers I know take much pride in their jobs and their vehicles. They’re like modern day cowboys and know that their ponies are their livelihoods.

Even if the motor rattles, they do their best to keep ‘em shiny! In between fares, they meticulously polish their cars to remove the Baja dust that settles on everything within minutes. When they get a call, they come running!

Any cab driver worth his weight in salsa knows who has the best fish tacos. He knows the best beaches. He knows where they make the strongest margaritas and where to get the best deal on souvenir t-shirts. Forget walking around with the Auto Club guide book looking like a tourist. Jose has your back.

Ok, so he’s also probably watching the backs of his family too. Usually, every place he takes you is owned or operated by an uncle or cousin. But, that’s OK too. Roll with it and he’ll probably get you a discount or at least some extra beans and rice and you can always count on a big smile.

You are very important to any driver. Fares don’t come easy. Competition is rough and there are 50 cabs for every tourist. I once heard that in Cabo San Lucas alone there are something like 30 different taxi cab companies, not to mention tour bus and shuttle bus operations.

You really do have a choice to ride with someone else and most will go out of their way to do extra things. Do you need some special service like running to the market to get you a case of beer or pick up a kilo of carne asada and tortillas for the beach? Send Jose.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Nothing is written in stone. Taxi drivers, like anyone else, are businessmen.

If you need him for several hours strike a deal. Need him to come back later? strike a deal. Most taxi drivers I know would much prefer knowing they will be busy, especially with the same customer, than waiting in line at the airport or hotel for a fare that may or may not show up.

Some of the best friendships I have seen develop over these many years with our clients and locals are with taxi drivers. Befriend a taxi driver and believe me, they’ll remember you when you come back.

Bring him a new CD or cassette for the radio and you’ll make a friend for life and won’t have to listen to “Proud Mary” twenty times either! “Beeg wheels kip on torning…”


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