The Baja Chronicles 2006

We just retuned from our annual trip to baja, and were pleased to have a few friends join us again this year.  A few co-workers (Dave and his wife Natalie plus their neighbors Ryan and Amy) came along, as well as ChuckE and Freddie as well as their "significant others" Mercy and Melissa. This made for a great group and a LOT of fun.

Since we would be down there for ten days we stopped by a small tienda on the way in to fill our empty coolers with supplies.  Dave and Ryan haggling about their purchase...



The next morning Me, Jelly, ChuckE and Freddie we hit the water.  We went way outside trying to avoid the needlefish that were THICK in shallower water.  While needles are entertaining for the first five minutes, they become an irritant real fast.  They shred your bait, fray your leader, and dull your hooks.  Unfortunately the needles were relentless this year. 

After we got about a mile out the needles thinned a bit and Jelly's bait got picked up.  Jelly was new to circle hooks this year, but he did an amazing job for a 12-year old kid.  He shouted that his clicker was smoking, and then I could hear him turn the clicker off and start his pledge of allegiance...too funny.  As he was feeding it the bait me and Freddie watched a nice hen dorado porpoise by...Jelly finished his pledge, put it in gear, and he was on. I tagged along to help if he needed it and enjoy the show...



After about 30 minutes or so Jelly got his first quality dodo to color and he about $hat himself with excitement.  He was worried about sticking a big fish himself so called for the gaff and I was thrilled to assist.  Huge props to ChuckE for the "on the water" father and son moment...



Jelly was super stocked to whip his fish out of the bag back at the landing.  He slung it over his back and walked up to the fish cleaning station with a huge smile on his face.  Unfortunately the tank top in this photo had to be tossed!



Best I could do that day was a little skippy...

 

I had planned on following Jim Sammons advice of using these skipjack for dorado bait, but my good friend Dave (a food, wine, and sushi maniac) insisted we bleed it and eat it as Poki.  Dave had brought Poki mix, and ChuckE had brought an entire Asian market in his suitcase so we went for it.  I popped the gills and slid it in the bag.  Back at the room I carefully trimmed it and cut it up into 3/4"cubes.  We added the Poki mix (Hawaiian salt, seasonings, and seaweed) as well as a little sesame oil and green onion.  It was unbelivably delicious.  One of my best raw fish meals EVER.  You gotta try it...



The next day we got into a decent grade of toro (akak jack crevalle).  While these are generally considered inedible, they are a GAS to catch.  Super-strong and with unbelievable stamina... a true gamefish and worthy of a release...



Freddie also got quite a bit of toro love...



Then while nowhere near rooster habitat, my buddy Dave got slammed by this quality rooster on a sardina.  Then I got smoked yoyo-ing iron and we had a nice double going.  Dave's rooster was a beauty.  It kept him busy for quite a while...



I made a portable Fish Easy 245 with a cool shoot through that simply dropped in...it was mighty handy.  We used plano bait buckets as a receiver from the bait panga, then we transfered the sardinas to bait tubes which worked extremely well.  The footwells of my Hobie Quest rental boat made also made a great auxillary bait tank.  Sardinas would stay alive for about a 10 minutes in the Plano, an hour in the footwells, about five hours in the bait tubes...

 

Freddie getting a fresh load of sardinas from the bait panga.  Live bait was $5 for all we could carry on a yak.  Getting to the bait panga was a bit of a timing hassle this year, but it generally worked out just great...



Besides his big dodo, Jelly had a steady pick on small peanut dorado.  This kid is starting to make me look bad...



To add a little authentic flavor we took a van to La Ribera, a small local town, to watch a regional championship soccer game.  The field was compacted dirt, it was still about 90+ degrees and humid, and these guys played for keeps for 1.5 hours of non-stop action.  An excellent diversion that I would highly reccomend.  As we sweated our butts off just spectating, I couldn't imagine playing in those condition...these people love futbol!!!  The evening was capped off with a genuine soccer brawl as an angry fan rushed the field and started throwing puches at the opposing team.  The game went to about 11 at night.  My kid's loved it...



Jelly hooked up with some of his baja buddies from previous trips and they began to work the slings in the afternoon for triggers and perico...both great for cerviche.  Jelly, Dave, and Joey have no idea how good they have it...



Jelly also got into some toro and started snapping pics with his own camera...



The heat was on to start catching some quality myself...the kid was starting to really pile up the numbers.  I went back to my spot and fly lined sardinas while yoyo-ing more iron.  On the second or third drop I picked up this rooster which made my trip.  To get it on iron in deep water was fun and bizarre.  Many thanks again to ChuckE for sharing the moment and snapping the great shot.  Big boy was released unharmed...



Jelly, not to be out done managed to get invited on a few ride alongs on the panga while I stayed glued to the yak.  It wasn't long and he was quickly back in the lead.  He snapped this awesome shot of a yft at the boat...



Jelly and David had a great time on the panga and Jelly added a lot more meat to the cooler...and ruined another shirt!



All the while the girls kicked it poolside and enjoyed the tranquility of baja...



Elsie tried to learn to snorkel.  She doesn't quite get it yet.  The abalone are safe for a few more years...



On Chuck and Freddies last day (and Chuck's b-day), Chuck got slammed as soon as we got to the zone...



He was hoping to get a yft on this trip, and he could not be denied on his b-day.  When he got it to color the tone of his voice changed DRAMATICALLY.  I was glad to return all of the photo karma Chuck had given us so I hung out to document the show.  Chuck still on it...



Chuck's patience paid off with a nice 20# yft...an absolute blast on the yak!!!!



Chuck looked like he had been shot.  He was however thrilled to be wearing a lot of tuna blood.  Chuck called it a trip and paddled off to base...



Freddie hung out a bit longer and we got some more toro...



And we both got some pompano.  Pompano aren't quite as exciting as some of the other species, but they are great table fare...



After Chuck and Freedie left, the weather pretty much sucked, and I would get blown off the water early by a strong northern wind...



However the turn in the weather allowed me to get off the water and get some great time with the family.  We rented a little sight seeing panga for a few hours and the girls were thrilled to see flying fish, jumping mantas, and a pod of jumping dolpins.    Elsie even loved just playing in the bow spray...



All in all it was another epic trip to baja...great times with the family, good friends all around, and great times on the water.  I am certain we will be doing it all again next year, and I am so thankful to have a entire family that considers the baja experience their "dream" vacation.  While international fishing travel for a family of five is a lot of work and a pretty good pile of dinero, it is absolutely worth it.  Just need to figure out how to make it all fit in the minivan 


















 

PINCH ME!,I'M IN DREAMSVILLE!!..SWEET TRIP!You guys were on it!Beautiful story and go-along pictures.Can any of you use a Yak-caddy?on the next trip?P.M. me   "Fist-Pounds to ALL!!!"

great diversity of fishing pics. Yellowfin from the kayak looks like a blast! My wife and I will be there August 11- 15. We plan on bringing portable Matrix, plano bucket and bait tubes too. I cant wait!

WOW!!!!

Jelly is an animal! Great trip. Thanks for the re-cap and pictures, Sean!

Thanks.  Jelly is indeed good to go these days, he is a certified fishing maniac.  We literally had to manage his water time to keep him from over doing it.

What a nice bunch of smiles to start the day with.  Thanks for sharing.

Awesome stuff, super-dad!   

Great pics.
Great Family fun
Great B-Day present chuck

You guys kicked ass.

Jason

grooovey stuff 

Looks like a blast! I can't wait to go. Maybe next year. We'll have to talk!

CHEERS!

dumb question: Are those hobie the fleet boats down there or did you guys transport them for your own use?

thanks for the great report scwafish.

that elsie is one happy kid.

J

welcome back sounds like another great trip...........lots of great fishing and catching

what a birthday present 20# yft from a yak

Yakuza-The Hobies are from the "fleet" but there are only a few of them.  If I had any legitimate gripe about the Ranch it is the fleet.  It is 80% tired, poorly maintained ancient crap (there are lots of beat down Scrambler XT's with broken everything) or unrigged (there was a nice FND but with no rod holders)...niether of which works for me.

There are currently only two decent Hobie Quests, two Outbacks (which cost extra) two P-15s and a Scupper TW.  On a given day we would have to jockey for the good boats, although they were very accomodatng, it didn't leave much for anyone else.  I have considered road tripping to fish on my way down and then have my own yak to use.

JM-Elsie does have a zeal for life!

Mahi-lets roll!

Hey Sean,

Great photo essay - it was an awesome trip!  being towed around by that rooster makes the top 10 catches of my angling career.  That YFT pic that Chris snapped is frameable!  That kid's a serious slayer - you should be proud.

Tight Lines,
Dave M.