PHOTO: Dining is an event in Mexico. A little slower. A little less rushed...

OBSERVATIONS FROM TABLESIDE

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of July 28, 2009


I’ve been here now in Baja for about 15 years. It’s been a wonderful diversion of a career from what I thought I’d be doing at this point in my life. It’s funny how life takes funny turns. Will I be here in 15 more years? Quien sabe? But I’ll enjoy the ride for now.

The longer I’m here, the more I understand and don’t understand about Mexico and it’s wonderful culture and people. It would be wrong to say things are “wrong” or “stupid” just because I come from a different perspective.

When one comes from somewhere else, it’s important to remember that I’m still a guest here and just because folks don’t do things the way I would like or am used to, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I think many Americans are used to “our way” (which is not always correct to begin with) and hence impose “our way” on everyone else!

Let’s just say there are things I am learning that are “curious” and make me grin, smile or scratch my thinning hairline…especially about dining observations now that we have a bar and restaurant.

For instance, I recently found out why it’s rare to find carnitas taco (pork) stands at night and why more fish taco stands are found in the daytime. As one amigo explained to me, Mexicans think eating pork at night will make them fat. Probably true, but so will a giant plate of cheese and bean-covered nachos! Or nieve (ice cream). Or quesadillas too! Never stopped anyone from what I can see.

The reason there are more fish and seafood taco stands open in the day time is simple pragmatics. Most street vendors don’t have electricity so other than using ice, there’s no way to keep the seafood fresh. Plus the fresh seafood comes from the markets in the day time.
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Slice of lime in your beer? Another curiosity. It’s a gringo thing. Locals laugh at it. It’s the result of a certain beer company’s advertising campaign.

Same with tequila chased with lime and salt. Too many movies! Wanna drink like a local in front of locals? Toss the lime away and down it straight up! Salud! (Cheers!)

Speaking of food…”Where the rice?” “What, no beans?” “I want to go to a REAL Mexican restaurant.” I hear this all the time.

It’s a bit like going to China and looking for a “real Chinese restaurant.” Real is a relative word usually colored by your perceptions of your “real Mexican restaurants” back home. Often, it’s some chain restaurant made to look like an old ranch or adobe.

Hence, when you come down to “REAL Mexico,” don’t expect chips to magically appear on your table until you eat yourself full. If you ask, you MIGHT get a cereal-bowl size portion of chips. Anything more and you’ll probably get charged.

Rice and beans are usually not found on the combo #2 plate either. If they have them, order them separately. You’ll usually find these things included only in gringo-fied restaurants attached to tourist eateries in hotels or in tourist areas.

In fact, at most restaurants, they have a specialty. If it’s a seafood restaurant, don’t be the odd one out at the table wanting steak. They probably won’t have it or it’s been sitting in the freezer for awhile. Likewise, a carne asada eatery probably won’t have shrimp either!

While I’m on restaurants, ever notice that you really have to ASK for the bill when you’re done eating? Feeling ignored?

Americans eat early and run…gotta go! We eat and when we’re done…we’re done!

In Mexico, Mexicans generally eat later. Local restaurants fill at 9, 10 and 11 p.m. They eat leisurely. They drink coffee and after-dinner drinks. And they linger and talk. That’s Mexico-style. A carry-over from more gentile times or the Spanish/European manner of dining. Don’t’ rush me!

Once you’re done, you’re not. The waiter will keep an eye, but generally just leave you alone. It’s not rude. It’s Mexico!

That's my story...
Jontahan

Jonathon Roldan is the Baja Editorfor Western Outdoor News and his column appears every other week. He can be reached in La Paz at: riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com

PHOTO: Kevin Pierre came out from New Jersey for his first shot at Baja fishing with us in La Paz and said there were so many dorado at times around the boat they could have caught dozens of fish. He olds up one big bull on the beach at Balandra just north of town.


DORADO DILEMMA

Originally published in Western Outdoor News the Week of July 14, 2009

I got a bone to pick…so to speak…with dorado. It’s their fault.

Fewer fish are prettier; more fun; more feisty; or more tasty to most people than dorado (aka mahi-mahi or dolphinfish…not to be confused with Flipper). Until you’ve seen a lit up school of dorado tear into baits like neon rockets or seen their acrobatics once hooked, you truly can’t appreciate these great fish.

For those of us working; living; or who fish the southern half of Baja from about Santa Rosalia to Cabo San Lucas, these fish are truly the bread-and-butter sportfish species. I would venture to say that, short of needlefish, mackerel, and bonito, more dorado are caught by sports fishers than any other species.

In fact, you know all those souvenir t-shirts you buy, right? They all have marlin on them. It’s the picture of dorado that should be the icon on the t-shirts, not the marlin.

Not everyone can catch a marlin, but ANYONE can catch a dorado. Let me put it this way. People may come down for the glamorous marlin, but it’s working-class dorado that keeps anglers coming back.

I would guess that more dorado fillets go back in coolers than any other fish. The dorado, is the economic backbone of the southern Baja fishing industry.

No dorado. No anglers. No money. Check out the sportfishers flying flags in Cabo and the East Cape and you’ll probably see more dorado flags than others.

Any 10-year-old can hook 30 fish in a fishing day or any 30-year-old-acting like a 10-year-old can put 30 fish in the boat. No fish is easier or more exciting to catch. When the dorado are on, it’s like fishing for bluegill with a cane pole and bobber. It doesn’t get much easier.

And that’s the problem. It’s too easy. And, in all respect, to a most-excellent fish, they are stupid fish. They are born. They grow fast. They reproduce. And they eat. In fact, they’ll eat just about anything. They will chase livebait…deadbait…lures…feathers…squid…strips of bonito…pieces of other dorado.

When you hook the first, the common procedure is to keep that first one near the boat. The fish are such social and inquisitive feeders that it draws the rest of the school to the boat. As long as one is on the hook, the others stay around and will themselves get hooked. Like I said, not real smart.

But lose a fish or release a fish and the whole school (and your day of fishing) can be over as quick as it started. Bye-bye. Adios. Seee-yaaa! Just as fast as the frenzy started, it’s over.

So, let alone farming (losing) a fish, you surely don’t wanna let any go, right? Logic dictates that you surely don’t want to release any fish if you don’t have to, right?

Well, there’s the dilemma. You can catch dozens of these fish. But the limit is TWO. That’s right. Two. Whether they’re two pound squirts or 50 pound bulls, the limit is two dorado.

Back in the day, I remember putting 20 or 30 fish in the boat. Non-stop action. Didn’t think twice about it. Now I cringe when I overhear some at the bar pound his chest and announce, “We got 35 dorado today!” And I saw the guy on the beach and 70 percent of those fish were five pound babies. Nothing to brag about.

The limits on dorado have been two for a long time, but it was rarely enforced or at least leniently enforced. Inspectors shrugged at 5 or even 10 fish. That’s actually a lot of meat!

Or, in the alternative, I have seen more fleet operators and captains self-monitor themselves to restrict over-fishing. They’d either pull off the spot and call in a buddy; start releasing smaller or female fish; or go to lighter tackle.

But now, we’re seeing an increasing amount of vigilance. Inspectors are checking licenses AND limits. And, in the long run, that’s a good thing.

But to many gringo fishermen, it’s the last straw and they believe it’s another idiotic attempt to target gringos. However, as one inspector told me, “We’re going after locals as well as gringos and, we’re actually penalizing more Mexicans than Americans. Americans are usually OK. We don’t want to harass the tourists. Mexicans have a habit of always taking too many fish and NEVER having licenses or permits.”

But two fish? Dumb dorado. You’re too easy. Two fish can be caught in 10 minutes. Then, the day is done. It just doesn’t make sense. Who’s going to pay for a vacation for just two fish?

We’re working on legislation to bring it up to five. Don’t even get me started on why Mexican commercial fishermen are allowed to catch 1000 and I can only catch two.

Dumb fish. Why are you so easy to catch? Dumb laws. Dumb people. But few are dumb enough to go fishing for just two dorado.

That's my story!
If you'd ever like to reach me her in La Paz, I"m at riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or http://www.tailhunter-international.com/

Jonathan