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La Paz – Las Arenas Fishing Report from Tailhunter International for Week of Sept. 14-21, 2014

Posted in amberjack, Bahia de Los Muertos, Bahia de los Suenos, Bahia de los Suenos fishing, bahia magdalena, Baja, baja fishing, Baja fishing reports, Baja sportfishing packages, baja sur, Baja Vacations, beach, bonito, cabo san lucas, cabrilla, catch-and-release, Cerralvo Island, Cerralvo Island Fishing, charters, circle hooks, Costa Baja Resort, day trips, dog tooth snapper, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito, espirito santo island, family, family fishing, fish, fish report, fishing, fishing and hunting shows, fishing charters, fishing guides, fishing reports, fishing tackle, fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing video, fishing videos, flyfishing, Fred Hall Fishing Show, fred hall fishing shows, freediving, girls fishing, gray whales, grouper, holidays, Hotel Perla, idaho sportsman show, IGFA, International Fish and Game, International Sportsmans Expo, ISE, jack crevalle, jonathan roldan, kids, La Concha Beach Resort, La Paz, la paz baja sur, la paz fishing, La Paz Vacations, la ventana, La Ventana Fishing, Las Arenas, Las Arenas fishing, light tackle, mag bay, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, Mexican sportfishing outfitters, Mexican sportfishing packages, mexico, mexico fishing, Mexico vacations, Muertos Bay Fishing, outfitters, Pacific Northwest Sportsmans Show, packages, panga, pargo, pompano, Portland Expo Center, rainbow runner, sailfish, scuba, sea of cortez, sierra, sierra mackeral, snapper, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing packages, squid, swimming, tailhunter, tailhunter international, Tournament fishing, travel, tuna, Tuna tournament, vacations, wahoo, Washington Sportsmens show, Western Outdoor New Tuna Jackpots, Western Outdoor News, whales, whalesharks, whalewatching, women fishing, Word Records, world records, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, tagged accommodations, amberjack, araiza, bahia, baja, Baja sur, bar, bay, beaches, billfish, blogs, bonito, cabo san lucas, cabrilla, catch-and-release, Cerralvo, certified, charter, children, chubasco, Costa Baja resort hotel, cubera, day trips, deep sea, discount, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tour, eco tourism, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, fishing, fishing and hunting shows, flyfishing, fred hall, freediving, girl, grey whales, guide, holiday, hotel cantamar, hotel el moro, hotel marina, hotel perla, Hurricane, Idaho Sportsmans show, IGFA, images, inshore, ISE, isla, island, jack crevalle, jillene roldan, jilly roldan, jonathan roldan, kayak, kids, la concha beach resort, la gaviotas hotel. hotel posada, la paz, La Ventana, Las Arenas, light tackle, live bait, lodging, los barriles, mahi mahi, mar de cortez, marina, marlin, Mexican, Mexico, muertos, norbert, Northwest Sportmens show, Odile, offshore, package, packages, paddleboards, palmira, panga, pargo, photography, pompano, Portland Expo, reports, restaurant, roosterfish, sailfish, san jose del cabo, scale, sea of cortez, seminars, sierra, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing, suenos, swim, swimming, tackle video, tailhunter, tailhunter international, techniques, tips, tour, tournament, tours, tuna, updates, vacation, video, wahoo, weather, whales, whalesharks, whalewatching, wife, woman, world record, yellowtail on September 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

BIG AND ANGRY! ODILE sat right on us.

Odile’s tracking path up the Baja

HISTORIC STORM RIPS INTO BAJA

La Paz – Las Arenas Fishing Report for Week of Sept 14-21

What a week!

I could be writing for many many pages over what has happened since our last fishing report a week ago, but let me try to summarize everything. You can surely look up alot of this (especially photos and video online by googling it!) but since I’m writing this and we do not have much electricity and only sporadic and very slow internet, I have to be brief before I lose the signal again. Most of the La Paz photos are mine. Others from friends and clients. Others taken from the internet with appreciation and apologies in order to tell the story.

WHAT HAPPENED:

A bit more than a week ago ODILE appeared on our weather radars with some trepidation. It gathered speed and power, but like more than a dozen storms before it, the weather models showed it coming our way then glancing out to see giving us maybe some a bit of rain and wind. We were all relieved. The week before, Hurricane Norbert had come at us and didn’t do much other than keep our boats off the water for two days. No harm to anyone or to property.
Last Saturday night, ODILE did something even the experts didn’t expect. It turned rapidly back right into Baja. Predictions had it anywhere from a Category 2 to Category 5 Hurricane (5 being the strongest). Hurricane Sandy that hit the East Coast last year was a 3.
Being that this was a 4 day holiday weekend, everyone was ready to party. No one paying much attention to the weather and gearing up for the huge Independence Day Festivities.
We watch the weather daily and warned as many as we could and geared up for it. Most in La Paz thought it would be “just another strong storm.” We knew differently. We hunkered down and advised our clients to do the same.
Around midnight it slammed into La Paz. Hurricane ODILE ripped in with 110-140 mph winds. Turned into the strongest hurricane in Baja history.

Even after it has passed, 30-40 mph winds continued to hit La Paz the morning after.

WHAT IT WAS LIKE

It was like being inside a vacuum cleaner full blast with giant trains blasting through. Tree branches shattered. Entire trees pulled up by the roots came crashing down. Furniture blew. Glass breaking everywhere. Our ceiling collapses. Roofs lifted off. Cement walls knocked over.
Power lines falling. Paint peeled off walls. Bark completely stripped off trees. Telephone pole and power poles snapped in half or at ground level. Rain and wind both coming in sheets. Sound so loud you can’t talk or hear a yell. Vehicles tipped over. Beach palapas tossed topsy turvy in the air like the little umbrellas in tropical drinks.
Statues knocked off pedestals. Signs ripped off buildings. Metal sreet light poles, not just broken, but twisted like licorice until they snapped. Rocks and boulders tumbling from hillsides. Boats blown off their anchor and moorings. Many sunk. Many blown aground across the bay. Boats in yards knocked over like tenpins. Entire sides of high buildings stripped off a cat had clawed them.

AFTERMATH

The storm came through quickly that literally, it was over fast. By the next morning, everyone was out and surveying the damage. Most were relieved. But that’s when it really got worse.

LA PAZ

Lots or property damage. No water, power, cell, electricity, gasoline. Many many trees torn up by the roots. Debris everywhere. 30-40 boats in the marina sunk. Power lines criss-crossed across road. Power poles and trees snapped off and fallen across homes and crushing walls. Road blocked.
Airport shut down.
Several persons missing with their boats (later found deceased)

Many old trees were pulled up by their roots and were knocked or blown over.

Debris everywhere. Many trees and plants were completely denuded.

Beach palapa flipped upside down after it snapped and tossed 30 yards up the beach.

Phone lines and power poles askew

La Concha pool turned into a green murky pond of debris.

CABO SAN LUCAS

Entire neighborhoods flatted and destroyed
New Airport destroyed
Widespread destruction in hotels and homes
Estimated 30,000 tourists stranded with no flights
Estimated 25,000 people in shelters

Entire neighborhoods in Cabo were destroyed.

Many lost everything. Many of those didn’t have much to begin with.

The remains of Cabo Airport.

IN THE PAST WEEK SINCE HURRICANE

LA PAZ

Many areas still without water or power, but slowly coming back. Most of the hotels have power and water by day 4.
Cell phone reception in many areas returned by day 3
Gasoline shortages critical for a few days with rationing or running out, especially as folks from Cabo San Lucas migrated up and started to purchase gas. Same with food shortages. Many of the larger markets and stores are empty, but getting better after 1 week as supplies come in.
Some looting reported, but has been controlled
Boats in the marina or those that have been abandoned and grounded have been looted.
Airport semi-open after being closed for a few days. There are some commercial flights starting next week. Volaris Airlines sent down several empty planes to help with evacuations.
It took us 5 days to evacuate all of our clients through the La Paz Airport and through the La Paz Ferryboat taking. Many took another 2-4 days to finally get home to the U.S. Some were stuck in airports for several days sleeping on floors waiting to get flights.
It looked like Hurricane Polo was going to kick us again this weekend, but it tempered down to a tropical storm and now threatens only some rain this weekend and during the week. GRACIAS A DIOS! But, it’s like dog-piling on a guy with two broken legs.
Town is packed with refugees and escapees from Cabo San Lucas trying to get away or just looking for a roof and water or here trying to purchase gas and food or supplies. There are ZERO hotel rooms available at night. Even the littlest hole-in-the-wall place is booked with people waiting to get in. Even if the hotel does not have full water and power, people are happy to be away from Cabo.
As La Paz is the capital of the State of Baja Sur and the seat of government, crews have been working around the clock and hundreds of techs from mainland Mexico along with equipment have been brought over to get electricity and communications back on the grid.

Destruction in downtown La Paz

The roof of one downtown Pemex gas station in La Paz came crashing down.

The La Paz waterfront malecon soaked and sloshed

CABO SAN LUCAS

By everyone’s account, this is going to take a long time to re-build.
Thousands of troops and police have been brought in to get control.
It has been described as a war zone. Destruction is everywhere.
Looting has been widespread. All the big stores have been emptied.
Gangs roaming the streets with weapons and machetes have been reported
Citizen groups have banded together to protect their neighborhoods and homes and using rocks, re-bar and bricks to defend themselves against attacking gangs.
Much gunfire heard at night
False roadblocks have been reported in order to hi-jack cars
The airport has two runways open for military, government and humanitarian flights to help with lack of food, water and medicine. 80% of the city still has no power or phones.
Estimates that half of the 30,000 stranded tourists have now been evacuated a week after the hurricane.
The U.S. State Department has recommended that folks get to their nearest Cabo or La Paz Airport and special flights are being used to evacuate, but expect long waits.
Many many people driving to La Paz to escape. Roads are damaged, but passable. Roads north of La Paz up to the U.S. are down in some places due to flooding and damage, and expect waits, but it’s usable most of the time. Work going on constantly. All of those communities…El Rosario, Constitucion, Loreto, Mulege, etc. all sustained their own damage from ODILE.
They say that by this week some airlines like Alaska will be running flights in and out’ve Cabo San Lucas.

140916-cabo-looting-kns-1204_62e29c9c46116c1a02a0343ca344a7c1

Looting in Cabo San Lucas. Diapers and cereal for the kids. Cup o Noodle for Mom and Dad. But Captain Morgan too?

It got ugly during the looting

What’s left of Cabo Walmart

TAILHUNTER

We had some REALLY GREAT FISHING going on before the hurricane! Dangit, the storm spoiled it all. When the storm hit, we had several dozen folks here and the aftermath was the most difficult. Many of our folks never got to fish at all. However, thankfully, no one was hurt and our biggest situation was (1) Getting the home and evacuated safely and (2) While they were stuck here making them as comfortable as possible given no water…electricity…cell phones…and dwindling food.

Almost all of our folks were at La Concha Beach Resort thankfully so it made it easier than other times when we might have dozens of folks scattered among, 3, 4 or 5 locations. The folks and staff at La Concha were and continue to be magnificent. Much of the hotel was damaged. Of the more than 100 rooms only 20 did not sustain damage. Even 1 week after the storm, there is still no water or power fully established.

However, the hotel folks worked round the clock. Many of them sleeping at the hotel and working by candlelight or digging out rooms and grounds from debris, fallen trees, broken glass and shredded walls. A limited menu was served during special hours in the lobby since the restaurant glass was blown out but they really did a good job on the food.

Our drivers, Jorge and Esteban were freakin’ heroes. Despite their own problems at their own homes, they ferried our people to and from markets…to and from airports and the ferrys…at all hours at their OWN expense…just to help out and always doing it with a smile and good sense of humor even in the most stressful times even when their own families needed their presence. There was nothing they wouldn’t do.

Kudos also to our guests…who hung in there during a trying time with patience and good will and all the laughs possible under the circumstances. They were all stars. No one losing their cool. No one going “Ugly American.” No one blaming anyone, but rather helping each other and bonding and hanging tough. Thankfully, everyone got home or is on their way home. No one injured. No one hurt. I’m just sorry that their vacations took such a turn.

Tailhunter Restaurant is open. Our own staff kicked butt and cleaned up most of the damage and allowed us to open 3 days after the storm with a limited menu, but open when many others still were closed. Many of our “new friends” are from Cabo San Lucas and just relieved to be here and we’ve been sharing our phones and internet signals with them so they can reach out. For many, this is their first time in La Paz. We are still having trouble with ice and some food items, but each day it’s been a bit better.

As for the fishing…well…regretfully, we’ve had a load of cancellations understandably. We’re telling everyone who postpones that they will get 100% credit towards their new dates. We have had no banks open or available all week. Banks aren’t even answering their phones. Not even an ATM, so doing business has been problematic. But we’re still here and we’ll pull out’ve this. Losses have been huge, but could have been worse and there are so many others who have it much worse than us.

But, as for yesterday, we have been putting a few stranded folks on boats and there’s still dorado out there! We can actually see rooster fish breaking just off the beach outside the restaurant. So the fish are waiting! They haven’t been biting really well because the waters are really messed up, but if we don’t get any more turbulence, waters should clear up and fish will be back…we hope!

Will keep you as posted as we can signal and phone reception allowing. Thank you for all your good wishes. We’ve literally gotten hundreds of e-mails, phone messages and facebook messages and simply cannot answer them all.

IF YOU WANT TO HELP

Jill put together these links if you’d like to help and make donations:

La Paz Rises

https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Paz-Rises/636793356437674

Links for donations and other info will be up and hopefully it can be of use as a clearing house for info.

FANLAP (Judy’s kids)

http://icf-xchange.org/donateonline/index.php?webkey=losninosdelapaz

Cruceros (search, rescue etc)

http://www.gofundme.com/en7dtw

Waves for Water

http://www.gofundme.com/en7dtw

Baja disaster relief fund (Mexican Red Cross/International Community Foundation)

http://icf-xchange.org/donateonline/?webkey=bajadisasterrelief

God bless. That’s our story

Jonathan and 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 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: https://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“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 Fishing Report from Tailhunter International for Week of Aug. 10-17, 2014

Posted in amberjack, Bahia de Los Muertos, Bahia de los Suenos, Bahia de los Suenos fishing, bahia magdalena, Baja, baja fishing, Baja fishing reports, Baja sportfishing packages, baja sur, Baja Vacations, beach, bonito, cabo san lucas, cabrilla, catch-and-release, Cerralvo Island, Cerralvo Island Fishing, Chad Schearer, charters, circle hooks, Costa Baja Resort, day trips, dog tooth snapper, dorado, east cape, ecotourism, el sargento, espirito, espirito santo island, family, family fishing, fish, fish report, fishing, fishing and hunting shows, fishing charters, fishing guides, fishing reports, fishing tackle, fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing video, fishing videos, flyfishing, Fred Hall Fishing Show, fred hall fishing shows, freediving, girls fishing, gray whales, grouper, holidays, Hotel Perla, idaho sportsman show, IGFA, International Fish and Game, International Sportsmans Expo, ISE, jack crevalle, jonathan roldan, kids, La Concha Beach Resort, La Paz, la paz baja sur, la paz fishing, La Paz Vacations, la ventana, La Ventana Fishing, Las Arenas, Las Arenas fishing, light tackle, mag bay, mahi mahi, marlin, mexican, Mexican sportfishing outfitters, Mexican sportfishing packages, mexico, mexico fishing, Mexico vacations, Muertos Bay Fishing, outfitters, Pacific Northwest Sportsmans Show, packages, panga, pargo, pompano, Portland Expo Center, rainbow runner, robalo, roosterfish, sailfish, scuba, sea of cortez, sierra, sierra mackeral, snapper, snook, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing packages, squid, swimming, tailhunter, tailhunter international, Tournament fishing, travel, triple tail, tuna, Tuna tournament, vacations, wahoo, Washington Sportsmens show, Western Outdoor New Tuna Jackpots, Western Outdoor News, whales, whalesharks, whalewatching, women fishing, Word Records, world records, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, tagged bahia de los muertos, bahia de los suenos, bahia magdalena, baja, baja joe, baja pirates, Baja sur, bay, beaches, billfish, blogs, bonito, cabo san lucas, cabrilla, cantamar hotel, catch-and-release, Cerralvo, certified scale, charter, children, Costa Baja resort hotel, day trip, deep sea, discount, dog-tooth, dorado, east cape, eco tour, el sargento, espirito santo, family, fish, fishing, fishing and hunting shows, flyfishing, freediving, girls, gray whales, guide, holiday, hotel el moro, hotel marina, hotel perla, Hotel Posada, IGFA, images, ISE, isla, island, jack crevalle, jill roldan, jonathan roldan, kids, la concha beach resort, la paz, La Ventana, Las Arenas, light tackle, live bait, los barriles, mag bay, mahi mahi, marlin, Mexican, Mexico, mosquito fleet, outfitter, Pacific Northwest Sportsmens show., packages, panga, pargo, photography, photos, Portland Expo, reports, roosterfish, roosters, sailfish, san jose del cabo, scuba, sea of cortez, sealion, seminars, shark, sierra, snapper, snorkel, spearfishing, sportfishing, stories, swimming, tailhunter international, techniques, tips, tournament, tours, trolling, tuna, vacation, video, wahoo, Washington Sportsmens show, whale sharks, whales, wife, women, world records, yellowtail on August 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Another pretty solid week of dorado fishing with some really nice bulls taken including this sweet one that jumped a bait and bent Steve Dorsey’s rod fishing north of La Paz.

Captain Adolfo poses with our Colorado amigo, Frank Kunze who fished with us all week and had a good shot of dorado including this nice bull he got on the flyrod after just missing a rooster on the fly. He’s on the beach here at Bahia de los Muertos.

Ed Sakuda was on his first visit to fish Las Arenas and we think he’s “sold” on coming back with 3 days of dorado fishing. His sister Caryn and her husband Mark Aizawa from Pasadena CA get in the photo too!

Daniel Llerena from Buena Park had never fished salt water before and his dad hadn’t fished in salt water in more than a decade! The two of them came down and got in two quick days of fishing with some great results! Dan was fishing with Captain Joel when he put the hurt on this mahi.

Lee Carlson from the Denver Colorado area, spent 6 days on the water with us fishing with both our Tailhunter fleets and shows off one of his better bull dorado he got near Cerralvo Island.

Dan Hayler and his family all got together on one of our mega pangas for a day of fishing on the bay and had a nice day of action. The family is from Upland CA.

marlin dan and gino llerena tags small 8-14

Gino and his son Daniel Llerena got in two quick days of fishing and made the most of it with some nice dorado as well as this striped marlin on light tackle. Cerralvo Island in the background.

Kelly Soo Hoo has fished with us before and did really well. This time she brought her son, Nick, for his first experience. Nice had a great time and got a variety of fish including these very tough jack crevalle!

From Bankor, Pennsylvania, Rich Normyl had a full hand of mahi. Check out the storm clouds coming up behind him at Bahia de los Muertos!

The whale sharks have returned to La Paz bay. Dan Hayler took this great photo of a “baby” whaleshark of only about 20 feet in the shallow bay water. They can grow to over 50 feet long and are true sharks, but are gentle and have no teeth and eat plankton.

This is what 15 minutes of rain produces on the La Paz waterfront right in front of our Tailhunter Restaurant Bar.

CRAZY WEATHER PACES FISH BITE

La Paz – Las Arenas Fishing Report for Week of Aug 10-17, 2014

Even with the week of “super moon” we still had a pretty decent week of fishing going on. Even with the tropical thundershowers late in the week that were almost like baby hurricanes, the fish still bit. But it was a bit of a challenge. But, like I said, the fish still bit.

The super moon was beautiful over Baja waters, especially here in La Paz over the bay making it much like a postcard with the huge bright moon shimmering over the bay and the palm trees.

The big problem was more of these afternoon thunderstorms that crashed into us late in the day. Fortunately, mostly after the fishing was done. But something to watch. Blue skies would darken quickly. Incredible lightning storms would follow then almost simultaneously thunderclaps that would sound like they were right overhead. During one 2 hour period during one storm, over 70 light night strikes were counted. During another storm, a bolt hit a palm tree on the malecon waterfront area igniting it which then caused it to fall on the palapa roof of a popular bar. The bar caught on fire then burned to the ground with huge flames 30 feet in the air.

Within minutes of the thunder and lightning the rains would cascade. Huge rolling waves of sheer water flooded streets and turned many into rivers and lower areas and arroyos into raging category 2 or 3 cauldrons that would’ve been the envy of whitewater kayakers…except they were all brown mud!

Cars suddenly found themselves up to the doors in water and many stalled. Neighborhoods found themselves turned into islands with people trapped in long rainy lines unable to leave the area and others in the opposite directions unable to return home. Off the La Paz cliffs, mini-Yosemite-like waterfalls tumbled 20, 30 40 feet to the roads along with rocks and boulders. In a one hour period during one storm, more than 3 inches of water descended on La Paz.

But, like I said as far as fishing, at least most of this was all taking place later in the day or evenings when the fishing was done.

LAS ARENAS

There was only one day during the week when we decided it wasn’t worth it to fish Las Arenas because of the stormy conditions. The rest of the time, for the most part, Las Arenas was pretty much as good as it has been all year. Relatively speaking.

We actually even had small sardines to use for bait and we had flyfishers hooking rooster fish, dorado, jack crevalle and bonito.

The dorado were 5-15 pounders with a few 20-30 pounders as well. If a boat found the right spot, limits were pretty easy. Roosterfish, while not as plentiful as earlier in the season were still around with most in the 10-30 pound class. Bonito, jack crevalle and even some barred pargo gave us some variety.

LA PAZ

Our La Paz fishery has been the most consistent all year. Some days are better than others, like anywhere else, but 9 out’ve 10 days, the fish are around and biting. Even on that 10th day, I’m not sure what the issue is, but anglers and my captains will tell me…”The fish were all around. We could see them or they would sniff the baits, but just wouldn’t take the baits!”

That was usually made up for on the other days of fishing when the dorado would be found in many areas from just inside the bait to the island and then around the point to El Rosario and Las Cruces.

Generally, the fish were 10-15 pounders although there were still persistent squirts in the 5 pound class around. But, larger 20-30 pounders were not uncommon. We also hooked some marlin and sailfish with most being released as well as some stray rooster fish that ran about 30 pounds near Espirito Santo Island.

That’s our story!

Jonathan and Jill