A little trip report. Fishing!

We left our wives at home and set out from NorCal on the morning of the 28th. We shared driving for about 16 hours and spent the night in Imperial Beach. The next night among the salt ponds along the road to the new whale watching business at Ojo de Liebre. The balance of the drive was just normal. We did some shopping in Mulege and arrived in San Nicolas with several hours of daylight.

The wind had been blowing for over three days and blew another three before anyone got a fishing day. The bait was plentiful (we were told) about five miles south of Pulpito. Most of the fish were being taken on live macks in the hole off Pulpito or off San Ildefonso.

Several days of good weather made for some great days for the commercial boys. I heard of one two hundred kilo day. My gringo friends with pangas were landing four or five Yellowtails per boat and loosing an equal number of big fish.

20 lbs was not at all uncommon.

I was still checking out recent repairs I'd made on my outboard so we stayed in-shore for our two days on the water and although the birds and the bait and the Garmin all said we were over yellows, we couldn't get a hit. We here very happy with four nice Cabrillas in the 4.5-5 lb. range, along with some smaller ones.

News travels fast in a small village and I was soon approached by a fisherman/mechanic acquaintence who expressed an interest in an 8 hp. Briggs I was getting rid of. We struck a deal and he delivered 20 kilos of Yellowtail filets the next day.

My friend, who is a career cook, and I, spent the next day- and-a-half marinating, kippering (smoke/cooking) and canning 42 half pints of heaven.

The product comes out firm and with all flavors intensified.

Time ran out all too quickly and after a final fish dinner for a few good friends and partners, we had to meet a deadline to get home. The final (second) day of the drive was from Catavina to Mt. Shasta starting at 7:00 AM and arriving to patches of un-melted snow 22 hours later at 5:30 AM.
Team driving, a sleeper, and Dodge turbo diesel power!
[for that other thread: consumption was 19-22 mpg. at $1.85, and at the maximum safe speed. There was a certain 650 miles in my stock tank.]

Two weeks are gone in the blink of an eye, and once the sound of tires slapping on expansion joints fades from my head, I'll have nothing but great stories to tell of my first "Banzai" Baja trip since I was a kid.

[Edited on 3-14-2007 by vgabndo]