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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of July 13-20,2020

“ANGLERS WORK HARD FOR FISH UNTIL…”

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of July 12-20, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO FISHING REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…(Part 1)

Suitable for framing with great colors and a great ocean! Our amiga, Alicia Clegg with a fresh mahi for the camera!

Behind the mask, Jess, Sean and Adam with a striped marlin at Bahia Muertos. The fish hit a bait then snagged on the side making it extremely difficult to reel and a tough fight for over an hour which exhausted the fish. The guys donated a majority of the meat as good sports.

It’s a keeper! Quality over quantity! He didn’t get many, but Al Vasquez from Santa Ana with a beautiful bull dorado caught outside La Paz Bay.

There’s a some nice bull mahi running around. Early in the week, there weren’t many dorado around or you could find them, but they weren’t interested, but some that were caught like this one by Santiago were gems!

They’re not much for eating, but they’ll put of an incredible battle just off the sandy beaches like this jack crevalle that Jesse is cradling for the photo! The fish was released.

It’s just what he wanted! First wahoo for Jim Stahlman and first wahoo of the season for us. The fish ate a blue Rapala.

Martin Santiago with family members, Tony and and Sergio hold a fat roosterfish they released.

 

Alicia again with double fisted mahi.

The week started out kinda slow and picky. After Tropical Storm Christine moved through the winds on the backend left us with some blustery days that really made fishing tough and we had to work hard for bites. Captains really pushed hard trying to find fish, but the winds not only made it choppy, but pushed cold waters up from the deep resulting in off-color green water more reminiscent of spring-time seas instead of July water.

Either fish weren’t showing up and were lock-jaw or we saw schools and they just weren’t interested in chewing.

Consequently, the first few days of the week resulted in a mixed bag of school-sized dorado, bonito, and not much else, although there was lot of inshore action on small roosterfish and tough jack crevalle which provided some great action for our folks using light tackle. Some smaller cabrilla and pargo and triggerfish also wound up on the lines. Lots of fish tossed back.

As the week went on, waters cleared and consequently fishing improved…somewhat!

More dorado came through with some fish up to 30 pounds. Several marlin were hooked, lost and/or released. We got our first wahoo of the season as well, some larger roosterfish came back. Everyone who wanted fish, got fish, but not as much as expected and we had to push a little harder than normal for this time of year. However, with waters turning blue again, we’re looking forward to a better week.  Got our first wahoo of the year too so that might be a good sign!

BUT WAIT!!!!! (Fishing Report Part 2)

Just as I was about to publish all this…the ocean exploded!

“Wow! And we still have 4 more days to fish. Plus we got dorado too!” Captain Pancho put Kelly and Diego Jimenez and grandson Roman from Loveland, Colorado on the first tuna of the season!

From Utah, Bryan Richardson brought his boys, Cole and Cameron down and hit it just right on their first day on the water with a load of fish to take home!

…and yes…they also caught dorado in addition to all that tuna. They say they released and lost way more fish than they caught!

Uh yea…not who’s gonna clean all of those?  Everyone disappears when it’s time to clean the fish!

.

I was in the process of posting the report.  Everything was ready.  The video was set up.  The photos were edited and ready and was about to press send and all of a sudden…WHAM!

The fishing blew up at Las Arenas…off the charts…off the hook!

“We could have put 50 fish in the boat!  We kept 9 but released and lost almost as many.  We could have stayed there all day. We ran outta bait and had to go buy more!” 

“The fish were in shallow water and we could see the tuna swimming under the panga!”

“We got tuna, then went over to the buoys and the dorado went nuts! I don’t remember how many we lost and released.  I had my GoPro camera under water filming it all!”

There were already plenty of tuna and dorado in the box and decided to go for roosterfish and pargo and those went crazy too.  We released so many fish!

My…how things turned around.  Best day of the year so far!  Will it continue?  I have no idea.  We can only hope this is the start of good things!  We’ll keep you posted!

That’s our story!

Jonathan & Jilly

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing
http://www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter Sportfishing
8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

“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.”

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing
www.tailhunter.com



Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing
8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942
 

Phones: 
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of July 6-13, 2020

WE’RE BACK FINALLY AND FISH ARE BITING!

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of July 6-12, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

 

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

 

Not bad for a first-try to get a roosterfish off the bucket list, but Albert Vasquez from Santa Ana CA hefted this big rooster off Las Arenas before releasing it.

Big schools of big jack crevalle are providing lots of action off the sandy beaches. Mateo Saffon from San Diego poses with a tough jack with the sands of Punta Arenas just in the background.

Great colors, great guy! Bennett Clegg fishes with us yearly and loves ultra-light tackle. Not many fish more fun on light tackle than dorado and he hit some nice jags of mahi north of La Paz and limited the box. Check the calm water!

Big smiles and a nice bull for Lorena Balanzar just learning to fish. She’s visiting from San Diego CA and was fishing from Bahia Muertos.

Bennett just takes some great photos! Here he is again with another dorado, but this one taken near Las Arenas on the day when the winds and waves really started to rip it up!

Love this photo! Murray Scott with his first roosterfish while Al Vasquez tangled with the big jack crevalle…cousin to the rooster, but without the fancy headgear. Both fish were released.

Alway fun, no matter the size, but especially if it’s one of your first fish. Lorena holds up a rooster that’s headed back into the water to grow bigger.

Dorado fishing this past week was better for our La Paz fleet as the waters were more protected from the bashing received by south-facing beaches due to Tropical Storm Christina. Al and Murray took for dorado this day and had some fresh fish for dinner cooled up in town.

FISHING

The week started OK, but then hit a bump when Tropical Storm Christina hit southern Baja. It dump some rain on the Cabo area and forced the closure of the port there as well as on the East Cape. Up in La Paz, we didn’t get the rains or flooding, but south-facing beaches got slammed by big waves and high winds and forced everyone to come in early one day and the next day, no one could even push their boats off the beach.

However, with each day after that, waters got clearer and warmer again as the weather settled down .

Good catches of 10-20 pound dorado could be found in various scattered areas between Espirito Santo Island and Cerralvo Island. Inshore fishing for big schools of tough jack crevalle provided plenty of action along with big roosterfish in the 10-50 pound class in the same areas.

We had one wahoo that was hooked and lost so we know they’re around. Also some big pargo were lost in the rocks in the same place that produced some decent-sized cabrilla. We saw marlin again this week, but couldn’t get them to chew then the weather changed and they took a powder. Should be back this coming week.

Sportfishing slowly getting back to speed after the quarantine, but restrictions still exist for other operations which require maximum 30% occupancy and it is expected that the beaches and malecon will still be closed for another week.

TRAVEL

Here’s some observations on my traveling back home here to La Paz from the states…

  • The plane was half-full.  Either because they weren’t sold out or because of social distancing.  It looked like couples were kept together, but solo travelers seemed to be seated at least 2 seats away from each other.  This was American Airlines.
  • Everyone on the flight wore masks.  Once we were in flight, there was pretty much no interaction with the flight attendants.  The days of food and drink service might be a memory.  We were given a little bag that had a little bottle of water; a small bag of pretzels and a small packet of hand gel.  Just as we were boarding they said any flight less than 900 miles would not have food service and we needed to purchase food and drinks before we got on the plane.  Of course, they said that 5 minutes before boarding so no one could get anything.
  • Landed at Los Cabos Airport and it was eerie.  Maybe it was just the time-of-day because it was an early flight, but there was not a single aircraft on the tarmac!  There was not a single person on the tarmac.  Not baggage handlers, drivers, ground crew or anyone!  It was like a zombie movie.
  • Inside the terminal it was the smoothest I have ever seen.  That’s because instead of hundreds of people trying to get through immigration, there were maybe 10 total people.  It was a breeze.
  • Gotta tell you that everyone we ran into had the biggest sincerest smiles.  They were really really happy and welcoming and wanted us there.  Everyone had a squeeze of anti-bacterial gel in their hands for you as well.
  • I had to fill out a questionnaire asking the usual…Have I had covid?  Have I been around anyone with it?  Do I have any symptoms?  Etc.  etc.  I had to sign it, but then no one collected it!
  • Customs was crazy easy!  They just wanted us to come on in!  Normally, everyone has to put every piece of luggage on the x-ray machine.  You also have to press the “red light/ green light” inspection button.  EVERYONE got the GREEN LIGHT and almost no one had to put anything through the x-ray machine.  Everyone kept smiling at me saying, “Welcome to Mexico!”  I think everyone of them would have hugged me or shook my hands if they could!
  • Walking out to the shuttles, everyone offers to wipe down your luggage or give you cleaning wipe or offers you some gel!
  • Looking at the shuttle vans lined up, you have to step in a little tray of antiseptic then onto a mat before you climb into the shuttle.

  • Almost after everything you touch someone seems to come up behind you and wipe it down.  Even with taxi’s and shuttle vans drivers seem to be constantly wiping or spraying antiseptic in their vehicles.
  • Everyone wears mask and there’s very little griping.  People just accept that it’s part of life right now.
  • Restaurants and hotels and other businesses are very careful to observe the 30% capacity rules.  Businesses that don’t get shut down.
  • Tables are spaced and since there’s not many folks there, service is great and probably some of the best I have seen down here in all my years.  They are very attentive.
  • Traffic is very minimal on the road.  On the water, there’s almost no boats.  You have the ocean to yourself!

My final word…

After almost 4 months of a quarantine that was much much more rigid than we had in the states, I think no one is taking being able to work or tourism for granted.  There’s no unemployment or stimulus checks here.  People want and need to work and know how important tourism is to this economy.  So, the smiles and welcoming attitudes are genuinely sincere.  Nothing and no one is taken for granted.

To me, it seems they are going above-and-beyond and taking extra measures in health and sanitation in regards to tourism here in Baja Sur.

Whether you believe that masks, social distancing, anti-bacterial gels and controlled occupancy does one bit of good, the folks down here want YOU, the traveller and guest that THEY are doing everything they can to assure you that they have as many bases covered as possible.   No business is even allowed to re-open unless it passes a rigid sanitation inspection and certfication process…not just that it’s clean, but also so that protocols are in place to maintain that standard including re-training all staff members.

The other side is that they also want to protect themselves from outsiders, especially visitors from the U.S. where Covid-19 is much much more rampant than here in Mexico.

Hope to see you down with us real soon!

That’s our story

Jonathan & Jilly

 

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing
http://www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter Sportfishing
8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

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

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of June 29-July 6, 2020

MARLIN DORADO OTHERS MAKE GOOD SHOWING

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of June 29-July 6, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

 

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

Nice looking bunch of fish for the day from Ismael Hernandez and Paul Rodriguez holding with two bull dorado apiece while fishing out of Bahia Muertos south of La Paz. Both anglers live in La Paz.

Captain Pancho took two of his friends Omar and Chema from La Paz out fishing from Bahia Muertos. They hooked 3 marlin and released 2 of them. This one could not be released but the meat was welcomed by the three families.

One of the marlin released by Captain Pancho and his friends.

There are some good numbers of sizable roosterfish prowling the La Paz beaches right now. Big ones like this one caught by the Barta Family from Colorado was hooked near Punta Arenas while they were staying at Rancho Costa resort. The fish was released.

Captain Ramon ( “Moncho”) with the Tailhunter Fleet took out the son of one of his friends. Young Paul Rodriguez, Jr. from La Paz poses with his great looking bull dorado.

Another local, Erick was out and poses with one of his dorado. Great colors!

More pretty colors and a healthy roosterfish caught and released by Jovani who lives in La Paz.

Alisha Clegg and husband Bennett have fished with us many years and always do well. They started fishing this week just a bit south of us on the East Cape and Palmas de Cortez. They’ll be fishing with us later this week in La Paz. They caught and released 3 striped marlin.

Bennett Clegg in on the action too with another caught and released striper to start the day.

The Cleggs also put some fat football tuna in the box as well. Hopefully, the tuna will follow the Cleggs to La Paz this week.

I could sum it all up in 3 sentences. Fishing is pretty great. Weather is pretty hot. Tourism is slow but getting a little better.

Warm water species typical of this time of year are getting on on the action although truthfully, there’s not really that many folks in town and even fewer that are fishing. Mostly, it’s our captains and friends or locals taking themselves out. The city, like the rest of Baja Sur, has only been open for about 3 weeks now and the wheels are taking a bit to get up-to-speed.

Normally, this would be prime time, but many businesses are still cleaning and sanitizing as well as implementing the health protocols required by the government. Like everywhere else that has opened up their economies, Baja is watching it’s covid infections surge as well. The government says it was not unexpected although they are certainly worried about new spikes, just like in the U.S.

Baja is currently in Level 5 Orange.

Initially, many locals ignored the restrictions about masks and social distancing as well as only 30% maximum occupancy of hotels, restaurants, businesses and beaches. Consequently, this past week, the government has shut down the beaches once again, although they indicated this may only be for a week or two.  This pretty much includes all of the beaches from Mulege all the way down the Peninsula. The only exception are the beaches in Cabo San Lucas which remain open.  However, in Cabo, they shut down all watersports business like kayaks, booze cruises, parasailing and scuba, but kept sportfishing open.

Sportfishing is not affected in La Paz even with the beaches closed.  Hoewever…The La Paz Malecon is also closed except for vehicles and bikes.  Likewise, alcohol sales have been limited to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

One other thing is the the border between the U.S. and Mexico is still closed through the latter part of July.  However, this does NOT apply to travel by plane, rail or boat.   That being said, I know lots of folks who seem to have crossed the border going both way via car without any real problem.

 

Empty beaches once again.

However, the fishing has been fairly solid although things change from day-to-day and place to place. It’s difficult to get a good read on anything since there’s just not the usual boat traffic on the water.

However, blue water species like marlin, tuna and dorado have come in, pretty much marking the summer season as waters get warmer.

Some boats are hooking (and releasing) multiple marlin which are mostly stripers in the 90-120 pound range. One huge black marlin of about 400 pounds was landed by some commercial fishermen in a panga when the massive fish got tangle in the grapples of their anchor and anchor line.

Dorado numbers are increasing as well with quality fish up to about 30 pounds which we normally don’t see this early. With lots of bait along the beaches, roosterfish and other jacks such as pompano and jack crevalle are providing great inshore action. Some of the roosterfish are running between 50 and 70 pounds and most getting released.

Bottom fishing on the reefs is producing pargo, snapper, cabrilla and triggerfish.

CRAZY STORY

Commercial fishermen were out in a panga when this huge black marlin estimated at maybe 400 pounds got tangled in their anchor lines and snagged itself on the grapple hooks of the anchor.  Check out the photo and the two videos!  In the photo, you can see the anchor!

That’s our story!

Jonathan & Jilly
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing

www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing

8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

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

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

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of June 12-19, 2020

WE ARE FINALLY OPEN – (MOSTLY!)

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of June 12-19, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT & UPDATE

 

The BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

Luis lives in La Paz and got out with his neighbor for a day of fishing and put up this nice brace of pargo liso (mullet snapper)..

Nothing wrong with this fat pargo that probably ended up getting cooked up whole! Omar lives in La Paz. Locals were permitted to fish during the quarantine which ended earlier this week.

Our own captain Pancho with a barred pargo for the family. Cerralvo Island in the background. He says there’s roosterfish along the beaches!

 

LOTS OF IMPORTANT INFO…

La Paz has been downgraded to Level 5

 

The State of Baja Sur, which includes, La Paz, Cabo San Lucas, the East Cape, Loreto and Mulege has been re-opened!  Finally.  But it’s with some precautions!

_______________________________

IF YOU HAVE RESERVATIONSSend us an e-mail to let us know you’re still coming!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE RESERVATIONSWe can set up everything from fishing, hotels, scuba, snorkel, day tours, airport shuttles and more.  Write to us!  We’re still pretty full, but have some choice spots, but now that Baja is open, reservations are coming in pretty fast!

Jonathan@tailhunter.com

JONATHAN@TAILHUNTER.COM

____________________________

 

 

Like everything else these days, this is gonna take some getting used to.

 

As you’re reading this, Baja is slowly re-opening after some 3 months of lockdown.  This is happening, despite the fact that Covid-19 still seems to be raging right along.

 

But that depends on who’s statistics you’re looking at and who you’re listening to.  Not too different from the U.S. actually.

 

Be that as it may, as of June 16th, Baja Sur begins it’s emergence into a new and unexplored era.  But, it’s not like they’re throwing the gates wide open.

 

Baja remains in a cautionary state and there are still restrictions.

 

For instance, restaurants, hotels , beaches and other locales must grapple with the requirement that occupancy will not exceed 30%.  This is further, complicated by the mandate of 4 square meters per person.

 

I was never good in math, but I think that’s 43 square feet per person?   Either way, that’s A LOT of social distancing.

 

There’s a lot that goes into opening up for tourism.  Everything has to be sanitized to-to-bottom.  Businesses must  obtain a certification of health as well.

 

Staff needs to be re-trained.

 

Imagine a 100-room hotel or a restaurant.  Every piece of bedspread; matress; curtains and surface must be cleaned after 3 months of being closed.  But, it also has to be sanitized as well.  Every air duct. Every air-conditioner. Every nozzle has to be cleaned.

 

Most hotels also have restaurants and bars.

 

In all fairness, it’s a work-in-progress.  There’s no blueprint for this and it’s gonna take some time and tweaking.

 

However, if you’re planning to come down, here’s what you should be expecting and how you can make things go smoother.

 

Bring a bunch of masks.  You’re going to have to use them on the plane and you will probably want to use them at the airport.  You will definitely need them once you land.

 

Just like you’ve learned already, keep your hands clean.  Wash often.  Bring sanitizer along.  Restaurants and hotels will put supplies in rooms and other public areas.  But, bring your own.

 

Check with your airlines.  Some airlines are allowing larger bottles of sanitizer on the plane these days.

 

Bring wipes!

 

Airlines are going hardcore on their sanitation processes, but you know thay can’t get every little spot on and around your seat.  No telling who the last person was in your seat.

 

So wipe-wipe-wipe.  Tray tables, latches, switches, the entertainment console or any knobs need to be touched up.

 

We may have seen the last of in-flight food and drink services.  Check with your airlines.

 

Once you’re at your destination, it won’t hurt to hit up your room before you do anything else.  You have no idea about that last guest.  Or how long it has been since the room was occupied or how well it was cleaned.

 

Wipe down phones, TV’s, remotes, faucet handles, table and sink tops as well as light switches.  Unfortunately,  don’t count on there being a stocked hospitality refrigerator any longer.

 

Don’t forget to wipe down any luggage.  You don’t know who’s hands have been on it.  Baggage handlers; drivers; bellmen have probably all touched it.

 

What about restaurants?  Eating out is at least half-the-fun when travelling.  But, remember in the new “normal” no more than 30% occupancy and 4 square meters allowed per person.

 

So, it’s probably good to have reservations.  Be prepared to wait for a table during the busiest times.

 

Each table must be disinfected after someone leaves.

 

The table will probably not be “set.”

 

Linens, utensils, adornments will be set up in front of the new patrons when the guests are seated.  We’ll also have less interaction with your waiter and don’t be surprised if there is no menu.

 

Menus will be digital or perhaps on a blackboard.  Food comes out of the kitchen with foil or some kind of cover.   I guess the days of the buffet are gone as well unless someone is directly serving it to the customer.

 

Beaches?  I have no idea how they will calculate 30% occupancy.  As of this moment,  no groups allowed larger than 5 are allowed.  Groups are required to stay a 1 ½ meters apart from each other.  Beaches will also only be open during specific hours.

 

No mention about whether masks must be worn on the beaches.

 

For sportfishing, scuba, snorkeling or other water sports, your guess is as good a mine about how to manage social distancing on a vessel.  But, I guess once the boat is off the beach or out’ve the marina, it’s going to be hard for anyone to check.

 

Knowledge is power.  And, in these times, knowledge is safety, no matter if you’re travelling or staying home.

 

Everything is a work in progress.

BORDER CLOSURE EXTENDED

The closing of the border has been extended through July because of the infections along the border.  The closure DOES NOT apply to travel by plane, water or rail!

OTHER NOTES

  • Smaller hotels and boutique hotels are open or opening
  • Larger hotels like La Concha Beach Resort and Hotel Perla will be open at the beginning of July
  • Costa Baja Resort is largely open

That’s our story!

Jonathan & Jilly!

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing
www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing

8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

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

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

Read Full Post »

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of June 1-12, 2020

YES!  NO!  Uh…MAYBE!  STAY TUNED!

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for June 1-12, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

Dennis Gaetz lives in San Pedro near Bahia Muertos where we usually launch our pangas and got out for a day with his wife. He shows off a tasty pompano.

 

Debbie Gaetz with a jack crevalle she caught while fishing with her husband (photo above). Too bad the jacks aren’t real good eating. Although sportfishing is prohibited right now, locals are permitted to subsistence fish. Apparently there’s alot of bait and they saw alot of roosterfish, but the roosters wouldn’t bite.

Our folks in Bahia Magdalena who work with us were out catching some food. Captain Saul was out with family and has a nice pargo on the line.

Some really good eats! From the Bahia Magdalena shallows in the mangroves an ice chest with some fat grouper.

 

It looked like there was a ray of hope there for a bit regarding opening Baja for tourism again.  Indeed, there was a bright spot as June 16th was repeatedly bandied about as the day the quarantine and lockdown would be lifted.

 

Health inspections were taking place.  Businesses were sending employees to classes to learn about new health protocols.  Hotels and restaurants were digging themselves out from almost 3 months of dusty Baja darkness.

 

It seemed there was a green light in the distance and everyone was moving towards it.

 

But wait.  Not just yet.

 

That green light still sits at the end of the tunnel, but it’s gotten a bit dimmer.  Or perhaps it’s because it has moved further away.

 

I waited to post this latest update and report because I knew that last Wednesday, Governor Carlos Mendoza Davis, the governor of Baja Sur, was going to post a new state address about the re-opening.    He was going to give a more definitive word about what was going to happen after June 15th.

 

Well, last Wednesday, the governor broadcast the message and all it did was leave alot of us scratching our heads; others pulling their hair out; and others just laughing at the ambiguity of the message.  I sort of get it.  I’m glad I’m not a politician right now.

In a nutshell the government has broken down re-opening into six “traffic light” segments based on how bad they think the infection situation is.  Here’s the chart.  See if it makes sense:

 

The governor’s new “traffic light” chart. Every business will get assigned a color which will be announced after June 15th. The chart tells you what a business can and cannot do.

 

Every business or entity will be judged by and given a “light.”  That will determine if they can open and then, in what capacity they can operate.  All of this, of course, is also based on how badly the pandemic is doing at that particular time.   And, just because you have a certain “color” designation does not pre-clude that your color can be changed at any time.  Kinda like a kid’s game board…up…back…sideways.  Do not pass “Go.”  Skip ahead 2 spaces…etc.

 

Shutting down again is not out of the question…just like the rest of the world.

 

However…Governor Mendoza Davis is not going to tell anyone their color UNTIL JUNE 15th…NEXT MONDAY!

 

It begs the question…how is anyone going to monitor this?

 

That hotel gets a green.  The one next to it is a yellow.  One restaurant is red.  The other is an orange.  Who is counting the number of people on the beaches or parks to make sure that only a certain percentage are on the beach or park at a given time?  Who is measuring the distance between tables in a restaurant?

 

And this is based on so many conflicting reports.  Just in the last few days here’s what I pulled from Mexican news sources.  Many contradict their own stories:

  • Some World Tourism Organization declared Cabo to be the first “safe” destination on Baja’s Pacific Coast (but no one has heard of this organization)
  • But…Health officials say the virus is spiking again and thing are opening too soon
  • Many businesses have received their official “health certification.”
  • But…Health officials say the the peak of infections has not yet hit and Baja Sur is one of the new hot spots in Mexico
  • Some tourists are already filtering back into Cabo
  • But…most hotels cannot yet open
  • The government says the curve has flattened according to the statistics
  • But…other groups says the numbers are skewed and falsely reported in order to get the businesses open again
  • The severe lockdown is still in place for locals and non-essential businesses
  • But…many people are ignoring it.  Businesses found in violation are simply given a warning.  People in violation are told to go home.

 

And on and on…

 

 

The lifting of the Baja quarantine was predicated upon the diminishing number of infections in the area. Compared to the rest of the country, Baja, as a whole, was doing pretty good.  Only a handful of cases compared to other areas.

 

However, in the past week or so, there has been a steady up-surge in Covid infections attributable possibly to a number of variables.

 

For one, about 2 weeks ago, local residents largely ignored social-distancing and came out in numbers for parties related to Mothers’ Day as well as Childrens Day.   Police busted hundreds of secret parties.  Numerous groups where chased off the beaches.

 

Add to that the fact that locals have just been antsy.  Police can’t stop everyone.  They can’t be everywhere.

 

So, out everyone went.  Social distancing be damned and folks just started getting out.  Vendors started selling.  People were out shopping.  Folks were eating out.  As soon as police cleared one beach, folks just drifted off to other beaches or other areas.   Social media was used to warn each other about areas to avoid where police might be checking.  A big game.

 

And to some degree, the police either stopped caring or realized the futility of too few resources for too big a job.

 

And, so up go the numbers.

 

Many businesses that had planned to open after mid-June are now saying that they will wait for an “official” word to re-open.  Others have not even started to open.  Others don’t care.  They have to work and so they open and hope not to get caught.  Most stay closed.

 

As one business owner told me, “I can’t afford to bring back all our staff and pay them to clean up and sanitize our place and take health classes.  Then, they will only have to sit around waiting for a real opening date.  Or I send them home again.  I can’t afford to do that nor do I want to do that to my employees.”

 

So, he will just wait.

 

In fact, Baja’s government is now being accused by health administrators of covering up their true infection numbers so that they could jumpstart the economy.

 

In the rest of the country, the virus appears to be raging, especially in urban areas where social distancing is difficult and medical attention is already inundated.

 

The government says the worst is over. The curve is flattening.  Health officials scratch their heads and say, Mexico is just heading into the worst of it as bodies stack up in hospital storage rooms and morgues still not officially reported Crematoriums can’t keep up.

 

The entire country…all the Mexican states…have been painted red by the health ministers.  Red as in “Code Red.”

 

However, the individual states are being left to decide for themselves whether and when they will make their moves to re-open.  Like everywhere, it’s a precarious decision.

 

For now, as far as I can discern from the numerous new reports that emanate daily, Baja is on hold.  Wait-and-see.  Until after June 15th.

 

Ports and marinas are slated to be open by June 16th.  The border closing is supposed to terminate (driving only) by June 22.  Beaches are supposed to be open June 30th.  But wait-and-see.

 

International Terminal 2 at the Cabo Airport, maybe not until July.

 

But, if there’s no hotels, airlines, restaurants or other services open, it’s going to be very difficult to ramp up the tourism machine…just yet.

 

Head towards that green light in the distance, but pump the breaks and slow it down a bit.  We finally have tickets to fly home June 23rd.  But, that may change if we have no place to live and hotels aren’t open yet.

 

Personally, I think things won’t be back until July.   I can guarantee one thing.  Probably everything you just read and saw on this report will change by the time you’re seeing this.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

Social distancing? What’s that? Beer is flowing again!

Breweries have been re-opened and have been deemed “essential” to business and are now trucking out cases as fast-as-they-can to re-fill shelves and refrigerators after many weeks of no beer sales!  Yes…even THAT beer with the unlucky name of a certain virus is back on the shelves too!

YES! It is indeed essential!

 

 

No matter what…please take care of each other and be good to each other!  These are trying times indeed.

Jonathan & Jilly
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing

www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing

8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

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

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

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of May 14-23, 2020

DELAYS and a NEW NORMAL?

La Paz  – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of May 14-23, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

Secret parties being held all the time! Despite the quarantine.

Curfew time is 8 p.m. everyone off the streets, but locals use Facebook to let others know where the checkpoints are or where patrols will be.

This last weekend alone more than 8,000 people were chased off La Paz beaches which have been “closed” almost two months…supposedly. At one point, law enforcement confiscated everyone’s picnic gear, beach gear, floatie toys and ice chests.

_____________

No fishing to report – Ports/ Marinas and all sportfishing and water activities continue to be closed and under quarantine.

_____________

The news from Mexico and Baja continues to be conflicted and baffling…to say the least.

 

Amid reports that the State of Mexico and Mexico City seemingly keep setting records each week for infections and deaths, more than 300 “less infected” areas have started to ease their quarantines.  This is occurring despite warnings that Mexico has not even faced it’s worst infections…yet.

 

So, some areas have started re-opening.  Some industries like mining, auto manufacturing and construction might be re-starting.

 

Baja is not one of them.

 

Originally, slated for re-opening June 1, the government now says it is more likely to keep things shuttered until June 15th…or later. For, sure it definitely doesn’t look like anyone is opening up June 1st.  Everyone from hotels to restaurants and airlines is back-peddling now.

 

This comes in the face of many hotels, restaurants and other businesses, and airlines who were already making plans to open their services at the beginning of June.

 

The U.S and Mexico also agreed to continue with the border being closed until June 22. However, this does NOT apply to air, sea or rail travel.

 

The problem is that Baja is among a handful of Mexican states where the virus has not abated.  In fact, in areas such as Mexico City, many reports say that the infection and death counts are highly “under-reported.”

 

It sounds a bit like China.  Experts hypothesize that the real statistics might be as much as 3 times higher than reported.  As of this writing, there are  more than 66,000 confirmed infections with more than 7000 deaths. Numbers that might only be 1/4 or 1/3 of the actual numbers.

 

In Baja, the big issue is that Baja Norte,  which includes the border cities such as Tijuana and Mexicali are seeing very high numbers.  It is being lumped together with Baja Sur (which includes Los Cabos, La Paz, Mulege and Loreto) which has relatively few cases.

 

It’s somewhat like grouping North Carolina and Southern Carolina together.  Two different areas.  Different cities and populations, etc. Or comparing New York and North Dakota.

 

However PER CAPITA, Baja has among the highest infection and death rates in the country.  It’s always in the top 4 or so.  And that’s not good and has the health officials concerned.

 

The tourism zones of Cabo and La Paz have been quarantined now for over a month.  All non-essential businesses are closed.  So, are hotels, beaches and restaurants.  The ports and marinas are closed so no sportfishing is allowed either.

 

There’s also 8 p.m. curfews and many other restrictions.

 

However, as one of my gringo amigos living in La Paz told me, “The locals either ignore the restrictions or don’t give-a-s#@t!  They party…sneak out to the beaches…have secret gatherings…you should have seen Mothers Day and Childrens Day!”

 

“The authorities are supposed to enforce the quarantine, but it is very arbitrary.  Anyway, the locals use social media and other clandestine means to avoid checkpoints and to inform each other when the police are searching areas.  It’s like a big game to not get caught!  Many folks during the daytime wander downtown as if nothing is going on.”

 

So, bottom line is that no one really knows what’s going to happen.  There are a lot of moving pieces.

 

And, I have to ask, what is the new “normal” going to look like?  Do any of us even know what normal will look like in our own towns and cities in the U.S.?

 

In Mexico, we come to fish, dive and party and spend time with family and friends.

 

Fishing might be the vehicle that brings us to Mexico, but it’s the whole ambience that keeps us coming back.  We come for the beaches, the great food, the nightlife, the shopping, and more.

 

I have no doubt that when Baja opens up again, it’s going to take time to get on it’s feet again.  Whether things open up in early June, late June or whenever, it’s going to be a slow opening.

 

Officials predict 20-30% of all restaurants will not be able to open.  I know our own Tailhunter Restaurant in La Paz had to be closed permanently as a casualty of the pandemic.

 

I think fishing will be some of the best ever.  The fish have been left alone for months.  But, which operators will still be running?  I once heard that Cabo has over 500 “charter” operators.  But, what now?  Many could not afford the high slip fees in the marinas during the quarantine.

 

And what about the hotels and restaurants.

 

New sanitary protocols will have to be in place.

 

Does that mean social distancing in restaurants? In hotels?  Wearing masks around town or to go to night spots or shopping?  What does that mean for tours like snorkel tours or booze cruises where big groups get together?  Hanging out on the beach with a mask or walking the waterfront or marina but not after a certain time or keeping social distancing?  How are rooms going to be cleaned?  Everyone will have to be re-trained.

 

How is all that going to work out?

 

I just don’t know.   We’re all figuring it out as we go.  Everywhere.

ON THE GOOD NEWS FRONT! THANK YOU ALL!

Hugo, our awesome Tailhunter team member, amigo and popular driver for our fishermen to Las Arenas/ Bahia Muertos was hospitalized about 2 weeks go with Covid.  It was touch-and-go for a bit.

Happy to say that he has been released and is re-cuperating at home!

I made sure to alert him to all of the e-mails, and facebook messages and prayers that you all sent on his behalf.  He saw them all and said to thank you and tell you that the messages were “the best medicine.”  He’s looking forward to getting back on his feet and seeing you all again in La Paz very soon!

That’s our story!

Jonathan and Jilly

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing

www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing

8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

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

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

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La Paz – Las Arenas/Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of May 7-May 14, 2020

LOTS OF CONFLICTING REPORTS (SOUND FAMILIAR?)

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for May 7-14, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

 

Maybe the La Paz Malecon will be open after May 30th? Almost feels like there should be some tumbleweeds blowing across the street.

Police checkpoints are still in effect with “supposedly” only 2 persons per car and an 8 p.m. curfew.

 

A man in a beer store stands behind a sign reading “I don’t have beer” following the shortage of beer, after the breweries countrywide closed their production due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Monterrey, state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on May 5, 2020. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP) (Photo by JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images)

 

View of empty fridges and freezers in a store due to the shortage of beer, after the breweries countrywide closed their production due to the COVID-19 coronavirus in Monterrey, state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on May 5, 2020. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP) (Photo by JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images)

 

TUEDAY May 12- Mexico recorded it’s highest number of deaths for a single day of 353 fatalities. (Mexico Daily News)

 

Short story…no fishing to report.  Ports and Marinas still closed down as well as beaches and hotels.

So…

Since the beginning of the Baja quarantine, I’ve been doing my best to keep y’all posted. Folks are asking where I’m getting my info. As I may have mentioned, I’ve become a news junkie lately.

 

For my wife and I and our employees in Mexico, our livlihood and your vacations depend on it.

 

So, here’s some links below that have daily updates. The three newspapers are in Spanish, but will translate to English automatically. Might not be grammatically correct all the time, but you’ll get the idea.

 

One thing you’ll notice is that what the governor of one Mexican state says is often different from what the Mexican President says…is different from what a city mayor says…is different from what the business people say…and is completely different from what the health officials and doctors say.

 

And everyone LOVES to point fingers!

 

The curve is up…the curve is down. This is “under control.” We are “not ready for this.” It’s the “President’s fault.” We don’t care “what the government says.” Face masks work. Face mask don’t work. Blah blah blah…

 

Sound familiar? As different as we are, the more we are the same.

_______________

As of today:

Mexico – more than 40,000 cases / more than 4,000 deaths/ more than 123,000 suspected cases
State of Baja Norte (Tijuana, Ensenada/ Mexicali/ San Felipe ) 2,300 cases/ 365 deaths
State of Baja Norte (Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Loreto, Mulege) 373 cases/ 22 deaths

The Baja quarantine is still in effect until May 30th, with health officials saying the next week or two will be the apex of the pandemic.

HOWEVER…just as I was putting this report together, the governor or Southern Baja, Carlos Mendoza Davis, and the health officials are now saying they probably will NOT re-open June 1 as it is one of several Mexican states where the virus has not flattened.

Click this link:

BAJA ON HIGH ALERT – AS VIRUS SPIKES

 

_______________

Here are the links with explanations with some of my comments:

WIKIPEDIA – COVID 19 Pandemic in Mexico

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Mexico

 

Great site updated daily. It chronicles almost a daily diary of the progression of the disease in Mexico from day 1 to the current day. If you like charts, graphs and maps, this is a one-stop information source.

COVID 19 DASHBOARD by Johns Hopkins University COVID 19 MEXICO by Johns Hopkins University

 

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.ht ml#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

 

https://conabio.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html #/06ab0b883d6b42e0bf4fef1ff0b56d25

Incredible interactive maps of every country, city, state, province, county IN THE WORLD that is infected with the statistics charted every day. You can spend hours on these. But, completely interactive press, click, enlarge, scan…very thorough.

BAJA CALIFORNIA NEWS

 

https://www.bcsnoticias.mx/lapaz/

 

Takes a bit getting used to having Spanish translated to English, but this covers La Paz/ Cabo/ Loreto/ Mulege and areas in between with headline news, government, politics, sports, tourism, etc. Stories are short and concise.

MEXICO DAILY NEWS

 

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/

 

Good writing and in English! Short stories like a smaller version of USA TODAY. Main stories are free. A few of the more in-depth stories you need a subscription for $2.50 a month. But, I haven’t needed it yet. I think even if COVID wasn’t around, I think I would enjoy this website.

THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWS

https://www.diarioelindependiente.mx/

 

This site IS EXACTLY like reading USA TODAY. Lots of good short articles about Baja, Mexico from news to sports to culture plus international news.

By the way, because a lot of these articles are translated from Spanish, “PEACE” is actually “LA PAZ” which is the the word for “Peace.” So, whenever you see that they are referring to the City of La Paz.

In a past life many many galaxies and lifetimes ago, I was a TV, radio and newspaper reporter. I was also a litigation attorney.  There’s always several sides to every story.   I learned to read and watch ALOT of different sources.  Everyone slants their news or their version of events one way or the other, either intentionally or unintentionally.

You’re really doing yourself a disservice if you only get your news and stories from one source.  That’s why I read from so many different sources and suggest you do the same.  You’re smart enough that you can sort out what’s truly relevant to you and where each source if really coming from.  Kinda like if you only get your news from CNN or FOX or only read the Los Angeles Times, etc.

My personal opinion, for what it’s worth, is that Baja Sur is gearing up to open after May 30th.  That includes restaurants, hotels and other facilities.

Many locals have been ignoring the restrictions from the beginning or finding ways to circumvent the quarantine whether that be having private parties; descending on the beaches; using social media to find their way around police roadblocks, operating past curfews and blackmarketing “non-essential items.”  Once businesses start re-opening, it’s going to be hard to shut them down again.  Or keep people inside.   Even if that is in defiance of the quarantine.

Remember, this isn’t like the U.S.  There’s alot of people living together in small spaces.  There’s often no TV.  There’s no internet.  Without work, there is no food.  I think they will have a difficult time keeping people inside.

But…also, just because businesses re-open does NOT mean tourists, the lifeblood of the economy, will return in right away or in big numbers.  That’s the key.  Hotels and restaurants might unilaterally shut themselves down if no one shows up.

And then again, it begs the question on all our our minds.  What will the new “NORMAL” be like?

I think fishing will be just fine.

But, if beaches are technically still closed.  If restaurants are still closed or no one is in them? If the bars and clubs aren’t really open or if not really anyone is on the street, that’s all part of the vacation and fun…it’s the “BAJA EXPERIENCE.” Will tourists still come?  Will fishermen still come?

Your guess is as good as mine.

We are planning to be back home the first week of June…all things considered.

 

 

Hope you find these interesting and informative.

That’s my story!  God bless.  Be well. Stay well, amigos!

Jonathan & Jilly

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International


Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  https://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

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

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of April 30-May 6, 2020

LOCALS REMAIN HOPEFUL

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of April 30-May 6, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

Although no one is allowed to be Sportfishing, if there’s a bright side to the quarantine which is set through May 30th, is that we’re witnessing Mother Nature on the rebound. As we have seen throughout many places in the world, the absence of a human presence has demonstrated a remarkable change in wildlife and the environment.

Local waters and skies have been among the clearest that many people can remember. Trash on the beaches has disappeared.

There are reports of baitfish and sportfish showing up in numbers, locations and sizes that we haven’t seen in a long time. The variety has been incredible. Inshore rock and reef fish like pargo, yellowtail and amberjack are crashing shallow water baits like sardines, ballyhoo and mackerel. Yellowtail have even been seen in the marinas. Big roosterfish are cruising the beaches, but also schools of the roosters are right on the malecon where normally thousands of people are walking and driving every day. Dorado schools with fish up to 30 and 40 pounds are wondering where everyone went. Tuna over 100 pounds are at the islands. Add in jack crevalle, sierra, bonito, cabrilla and others and it’s great to see.

I can only say that when we finally kick off the season, things should be super hopefully with big hungry fish!

Among so many complaints we are hearing these days is that there’s NO BEER! Although there aren’t any real shortages of mechandise in the markets, one noticeable space on the shelves is the beer aisle. Because breweries like Modelo (makers of Corona and many other brands) as well as Tecate (which also brews and distributes a number of brands), were labeled as non-essential businesses, they were shut down.

So, like toilet paper in the U.S., beer has become a crisis item. People hoarded it at the beginning. Now, if any shows up on the shelves, it quickly disappears. Markets are jacking the prices up to 300% of normal retail. As well, an illegal closet industry of people selling beer from their homes, online like Facebook, or out’ve the trunks of their cars has sprung up.

Because so many people were ignoring the quarantine, the governor has changed the curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m.  No one out after that hour.  No more food sales allowed.  Any businesses that defy the rules (as many were) are subject to 17,000 pesos fines.

ONE OF OUR OWN!

Our Don Hugo! Good friend and gentleman is in the hospital.
Although La Paz has relatively few cases of the virus among more than 150,000 residents one of our Tailhunter Team members is now hospitalized.

If you’ve gone to fish with our Tailhunter Fleet at Bahia Muertos/ Las Arenas you were probably driven in our van by Hugo. He’s a great fun guy and a big favorite of our fishermen and their families. Always smiling and he’s been an incredible part of our team.

Since the shutdown, Hugo has been working picking up odd-jobs as a carpenter which was his trade when he lived in the U.S. He started to show symptoms about 2 weeks ago and is now hospitalized in serious condition with the virus.

Our prayers and best wishes are with our amigo. If there’s a bright spot, it’s that we’re glad he’s in La Paz which has some of the best medical care in the state and the best facilities for handling the disease.

Hugo getting clowned by Captain Gerardo.

When will this end?  When can we start fishing?  Alot of hotels and restaurants are gearing up to open as soon as the quarantine in Baja ends on May 30th.  Airlines are saying they will start flying again in June as well.  Assuming there are no drastic changes that hit the country, we can only be optimistic!

That’s our story!

Jonathan & Jilly
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing
www.tailhunter.com



Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing
8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942
 

Phones: 
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of March 23-March 30, 2020

YELLOWTAIL AND OTHERS WONDERING WHERE THE

FISHERMEN WENT!

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of March 23-30, 2020

 

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

 

Captain Pancho got out one day with his son and were dragging a Rapala when they hit up this big husky yellowtail.

Visiting his dad in Bahia Muertos, Miles Wagner from Colorado Springs, Colorado has time off from school so he’s been fishing the last two weeks and found a some sweet spots of pargo on the far east side of Cerralvo Island near La Paz.  This is that time of year when the big pargo liso like this come into the shallows to spawn.

Prime time ceviche if I know what Gary Wagner will do with this nice sierra. Despite being a member of the mackerel family, sierra have a delicate white flesh that is incredibly tasty.

Captain Luis fishes with our Tailhunter La Paz fleet and has been fishing with family north of La Paz but was out alone and stuck this pair of slugger yellowtail towards Espirito Santo Island using live bait.

Gary’s got another yellowtail to put in the fish box!

 

Mixed weather conditions but generally flat seas and a decent bite on yellowtail and other species.  Just no one really fishing except locals and captains with family and friends.

 

     Temps are warming up into the 80’s and so is the fishing.  The yellowtail have been biting in a number of areas and are taking sardines, mackerel, ballyhoo live baits as well as chasing slow trolled Rapalas, Yo-Zuris or jigging with iron.  The fish have been chunky at times too!  Some of the fish running up into the 30-pound class.
     In those same areas, we’ve also had amberjack biting with some hefty fish over 50-pounds.  Plus pargo, cabrilla and snapper are willing to bend rods as well.  Plus add in bonito, jack crevalle and sierra and there’s no shortage of biters.  Offshore a few yards, the possibility of dorado and even tuna (rumored) plus big squid are in the area.
_______________
BREAKING UPDATE…Just as I was finishing this up,  Gary Wagner sent me this story about tying into a tuna he estimated at 300 pounds:
“..last Thursday was the only day of the week that was fishable. So Miles and I ran out to Cerralvo Island. After catching some Pargo, white bonita, Cabrilla and all the Skip jack you could ever want, we tied into a Tuna. Not just any tuna but the Tuna from Hell. In our 6 hour and 15 minute fight we got to see this 55 gal drum about 10 times. Over 300 lbs, we hooked the Tuna at 8:30 in the morning in 50 ft of water, and then the Tuna headed for Mazatlan. Took us due East 2 miles then turned and headed right back to where we hooked it. Then out again, the fish turned and eventually broke us off in the rocks on the North end of the Island. We were using a top shot of 30# Flouracarbon with 50# braid, so we really couldn’t pull his lips off. One heck of a father and son memory, we both could use a Chiropractor right about now.”
Here’s Miles Wagner just a few hours into the fight…
__________
     But, like I said, there’s no one around.  Things are pretty quiet.  Hotels have staff on reduced hours or skeleton crews.  A few hotels are either closing or in the process of closing.  Bars are closed if they are just selling alcohol, but restaurants remain open…or trying to stay open and hoping to stay afloat with food delivery.
     The Marina in Cabo was closed this past week to all boat traffic and water activities and it is expected that La Paz might not be far behind.  We’ll see.  Changes coming daily.

JILL JONATHAN and LA PAZ

     Jilly and I are still in the states dug in and hunkered down like everyone else.  Our last two fishing/ hunting expos in Salt Lake City and San Diego, respectively, got canceled so we’ve come off the road and are in the same “wait-and-see” mode like most folks.
     The few reservations we had for late March and April have all postponed until later in the year.  Flights down are limited or non-existent as airlines have drastically curtailed flights.  But, even if we went back home to La Paz, what then?
    Not only are there no fishermen, but town is pretty empty.  Mostly, it’s our captains fishing with their friends and family to put some meat on the table.  Although there’s generally no mandatory closures in La Paz, since no one is around, many places are shuttered.  New regulations have closed down bars that only serve alcohol, but restaurants like Tailhunter have been allowed to stay open because we also serve food.
     However, we’ve had to move tables apart and found it necessary to severely curtail hours and regretfully, have had to let some of our employees go.  Hopefully, we can remain open and keep our employees working.  Just like in the U.S. we’re trying to augment business with take-out service and food specials.
     Baja is taking the virus pretty seriously especially because of the state’s reliance upon tourism and the handful of cases in Baja have mostly all been related to folks who traveled or came in contact with travelers.
     Mainland, Mexico, on the other hand has not been very quick to re-act.  President Obregon has told the people that it’s not time to panic and they should continue with social activities, eating out, and getting together.  He says Mexico is ready for anything should the virus blow up, but even one of the governors came out this week and said, “Poor people are immune from the virus.”
     However, Mexican health authorities are bracing themselves.  Mexico has serious problems with diabetes (10% of the population); obesity (right up there with the United States); hypertension; heart disease and other health issues.  However, it does not have the ability to cope with an outbreak.  Mexico City alone has 15 million people, but only 400 ICE beds in the whole city.  Plus, especially in the cities, social distancing will be very difficult because of the population density with many people living in close proximity.  Plus, even if closures are put into effect, something like 60-70% of the working population live day-to-day and hand-to-mouth in small mom-and-pop stands or tiny businesses.  If they don’t work, they don’t eat.
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CAVEAT:  WITH THINGS CHANGING SO RAPIDLY ANYTHING WRITTEN HERE IS DONE WITH THE FACTS AT THE GIVEN MOMENT.  BY THE TIME YOU ARE READING THIS THINGS COULD HAVE AND PROBABLY WILL HAVE CHANGED.  I ONLY CLAIM ACCURACY FOR THE FISHING PART! AND OUR WISHES THAT YOU AND YOURS STAY WELL!
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     So, with Jill and I, we do not want to be the ones who perhaps bring an infection to our friends, family and employees.  It’s about social responsibility.  Although we feel fine, we could be carriers.  Even if not, we could easily pick up something in the airport, a car, the airplane…this virus is so resilient that I have problems with anyone going down to Mexico right now “for fun.”
     I’ve had e-mails from folks asking me about going down “because the fishing is good; airline prices are cheap; and there’s no one else on the water!”   Just my personal opinion, that until we get ahead of this thing, folks who go down right now could be the one that’s responsible for killing someone.  And they’ll never know it.  No way to know who is contagious because the virus can be completely asymptomatic.
     So, we’re hunkered down for the time-being just like you.  We’re working like crazy from home (reservations for later in the year are still coming in).  Jill is making big batches of soups and casseroles to store for later.  She’s organizing her office.  I’m cleaning out the garage and trying (failing) to get in some work outs!  We’re not hoarding, but we’ve got enough toilet paper.  We’re watching movies we’ve never had time to watch together and catching up on a bit of reading and staying in touch with family on FaceTime.
     Trying to stay well and keep others well.  I hope you are well and stay that way also!  Please take care of each other and let’s take this seriously so we can get back to normal and hopefully catch some fish!
That’s our story!
Jonathan & Jilly
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing

www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter Sportfishing

8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

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

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

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La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of March 2-10, 2020

EARLIER THE BETTER

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of March 2-10, 2020

MEXICAN MINUTE VIDEO REPORT

The Big Picture and the Rest of the Story…

Not a bad day! Three yellowtail and this hefty yellowfin tuna on a quick run across the channel to the far side of Cerralvo Island for Rafael Guarte who took this tuna on a live mackerel.

Our local ace, and one of the best fishermen around, Roger Thompson hoists up a Cerralvo Island wahoo just off the beach.

Rack of yellowtail ready for the freezer and grill!

Mostly windy and cold again, as erratic weather north of the border certainly affected conditions south of the border. However, earlier in the week, there were a few windows of opportunity when winds laid down. Or, in some cases some anglers raced to fishing spots…caught fish…then raced back in as the winds got stronger.

Basically, earlier in the week, at least for a brief while, it was better and earlier in the day it was better to fish.

That being said…

I’m surprised by some of the species that did come in when the anglers could get out.

There were some small jags of dorado which is surprising insofar as dorado are warm water species. However, also several tuna biters as well as wahoo close to shore mixing it up in the same areas as the more seasonal yellowtail.

The ticket to the tuna and yellowtail was being able to get some live mackerel, especially around the east side of Cerralvo Island all the way near Los Pilis which can be quite a run, especially if it’s windy. The mackerel weren’t always there and, in general, live bait of any kind can be difficult to obtain because of the winds.

When the bait can’t be obtained, yo-yo iron jigging for the yellowtail has been effective and they will also grab a rapala as will the wahoo that apparently have come into the area.

Additionaly species we saw this week included some big jack crevalle, bonito, barred pargo and cabrilla.

WHALE WATCHING TRIPS THIS WEEK

Here’s some video from our Tailhunter Whalewatching Trips at Bahia Magdalena:

There’s still time to book a trip.  Contact us at Jonathan@tailhunter.com. Or check the website: http://www.tailhunter.com

 

PACKING UP AND HEADED SOUTH…to ARIZONA

The Fred Hall Fishing and Boating Show in Long Beach was simply off-the-charts for us.  The Long Beach Convention Center was mostly packed shoulder-to-shoulder for five straight days and especially around our Tailhunter fishing booth!

Thanks to all our friends and Tailhunter Nation for showing up and giving us such a fun good time and also for all of our new amigos and all the folks who signed up to come fishing with us in 2020.  This show is the largest saltwater fishing show in the world and it’s the 76th year for this massive event and, Jill and I always have a non-stop party going on at the booth.

Thank you, especially to everyone who came by the booth to wish me happy birthday and for all the cards, gifts, food goodies and high-fives.  Plus a big shout-out to all our amigos who came to party with us for a few hours at Joe Jost’s Bar in Long Beach.  I’m beyond grateful for all the smiles and good times!  Tailhunter Nation rocks!

So now, we’re on our way to Arizona for the:

INTERNATIONAL SPORTMANS EXPO

Westworld

Scottsdale AZ

Friday to Sunday (Mar. 13-15)

 

Here’s a link for more info: ISE SPORTSMANS EXPO – SCOTTSDALE AZ

Hope to see you there!  Jilly and I will be in the booth all 3 days.

That’s our story!

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan & Jilly

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter Sportfishing
http://www.tailhunter.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter Sportfishing
8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

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

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

Read Full Post »

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