BajaNomad

estero beach fishing

memo - 6-23-2008 at 02:43 PM

This morning two friends of mine went down to the Estero Beach launch ramp to fish from the beach. They have both been fishing here for a decade or more. Two gill netters were stretching their net across the beach and launch ramp to snag fish on the incoming tide. My friends attempted to wave them off when the Mexicans yelled and gestured and told the Gringos to go home. Now, it is my understanding that gill netting in the Estero bay is illegal but the law is never enforced. This aggression and hostility I hope does not represent a new trend in Baja. The bad publicity has already taken a toll on tourism. Hopefully Estero Beach will act to preserve the good vibes we all love in this area.

[Edited on 6-28-2008 by memo]

Cypress - 6-23-2008 at 02:56 PM

Gill nets have a priority in the waters of Baja.:)It's one of those "feed the family" things.:no:

memo - 6-23-2008 at 02:58 PM

Yeah, Cypress, but I guess it depends on whose family you are trying to feed.....

CaboRon - 6-23-2008 at 04:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by memo
Yeah, Cypress, but I guess it depends on whose family you are trying to feed.....


....They simply are not thinking of their grandchildren....

Sad isn't it.

CaboRon

ELINVESTIG8R - 6-23-2008 at 05:05 PM

Estero Beach owners must have given them permission to do so if the gill netters were on their property. I used to use a Fanta soda bottle wrapped with fishing line; two hooks and a spark plug to fish off the rock wall on the south west corner of the Estero Beach Hotel. We used to pull out some good sized halibut from there. Of course that was 40 years ago.

DENNIS - 6-23-2008 at 05:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by memo
My friends attempted to wave them off when the Mexicans yelled and gestured and told the Gringos to go home.


If it's a matter of "it's our country, not yours" lets bring that attitude to the world. The world needs to know how Mexicans are thinking these days.

lizard lips - 6-23-2008 at 08:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ELINVESTI8
Estero Beach owners must have given them permission to do so if the gill netters were on their property.


They don't need the permission from the owners (Novelo family) to do that. Anyone can go on the federal zone and they can not stop them.

TonyC - 6-23-2008 at 10:06 PM

No way I'm down with gillnetting, or with the gingo go home remark. However, maybe they were responding to what they interpreted as an aggressive gesture on your friends part when they confronted them to leave. Two parts to a story, theirs (Mexicans) and yours. Did your friends report them to the federales, or police? Should have let them (Police) deal with the gillnetters, if they do nothing....there you have it.

Like Cypress, and CaboRon said, they'er thinking short term, and the goverment needs to lead the way. That confrontation could have escalated.

[Edited on 6-24-2008 by TonyC]

ELINVESTIG8R - 6-24-2008 at 05:06 AM

All I can say is Viva La Baja...I wonder if I can still catch the same sized halibut I used to from the rock wall at Estero Beach some 40 years ago?

[Edited on 6-24-2008 by ELINVESTI8]

memo - 6-24-2008 at 08:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TonyC
No way I'm down with gillnetting, or with the gingo go home remark. However, maybe they were responding to what they interpreted as an aggressive gesture on your friends part when they confronted them to leave. ]

I probably should have mentioned my friends had been fishing at the beach for a while before the gill netters saw them and intentionally dragged the net across the beach and launch ramp directly in front of them. These gill netters have been working the bay for weeks, dragging out huge netfuls of big croakers, halibut and anything else caught in their net. But we hadn't seen them this close to Estero Beach until yesterday. They were spoiling for a fight, but my friends, wisely, did not oblige. But things could get ugly if it keeps up.

memo - 6-24-2008 at 08:44 AM

TonyC, I didn't mean to attribute my reply to you but I haven't quite figured out how to use this forum yet. Sorry.

Gadget - 6-24-2008 at 11:28 AM

I agree the situation could have escalated, but titleing the post "fishing nightmare" seems a little milodramatic IMO.

memo - 6-24-2008 at 01:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
Gill nets have a priority in the waters of Baja.:)It's one of those "feed the family" things.:no:

memo - 6-24-2008 at 01:17 PM

NEWS FLASH: Today I spoke with a team from CICESE coming off the bay after conducting one of their periodic scientific tests. The Bahia Estero is in fact a protected bay and gill netting is strictly prohibited. No exceptions. It's one of those "save the species" thangs.

Cypress - 6-24-2008 at 01:34 PM

memo,:yes: Gill nets! They beat the heck out of hand lines. Less work, don't need bait and you're back to the dock before the beer runs out!:)

ELINVESTIG8R - 6-24-2008 at 02:06 PM

I have to give proper recognition to the gill netters in Estero Bay. At least they are still using gill nets and have not graduated to using high explosives to fish the area.:o

Sallysouth - 6-24-2008 at 02:13 PM

memo,Good work following up with the CICESE.They do a lot of work in that beautiful bay.So now what?The police won't do anything about it, I bet.Last summer my daughter and I went fishing(at Estero) with my Brother in his Klamath, motoring west until we almost hit the waves and drifted back with the current.What a blast!Mija and I caught lots of fish, many each pass, on ghost shrimp,and I hook into something pretty dang big, when bro decided he was going to grab the pole out of my hands and "pull it in"!!:lol:Guess who farmed my biggie?That bay is full of fish and I have seen some nice Halibut come out of there too, right off the beach or rocks.

Cypress - 6-24-2008 at 03:13 PM

Sally "that bay is full of fish" south.:lol::lol:

Sallysouth - 6-24-2008 at 05:06 PM

What what??Did I miss something?Or do I need to change my username??It IS full of fish !I was fed many meals out of that bay since my Grandpa first put down roots there, back in the 50's,and three generations to follow.Ok, so whats so funny?I can use a good chuckle...:yes:

memo - 6-24-2008 at 05:50 PM

Hi Sally, Don't worry, Cypress is just gettin a little dry. I grew a big old row of Cypress trees and I know they need a lot to drink, take a very long time to grow up, and are never really as good looking as you hoped they'd be. They don't do well in Baja unless planted near a busy septic tank.

TonyC - 6-24-2008 at 05:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by memo
TonyC, I didn't mean to attribute my reply to you but I haven't quite figured out how to use this forum yet. Sorry.


Kudos to your friends Memo, seems they handled it better then I may of. I hate gillnetting, but I would hate more for people who care, to get into a situation that Mexicans for the most part condone. The house needs to get clean from within.

Good fishing 40 years ago....if only that were possible today. I'm fishing more these days in Baja Norte than the San Francisco Bay area, because the fishing in S.F. ain't happening like it was.....10 years ago. It's all relative, one reason I love Baja California. Glass is half full.

[Edited on 6-25-2008 by TonyC]

Sallysouth - 6-24-2008 at 07:25 PM

Well, Poor Cyrpess.Hope you feel better!:biggrin:

Cypress - 6-25-2008 at 04:32 AM

Sallysouth and memo, :D I feel great!:lol:

fishbuck - 6-25-2008 at 04:46 AM

So where are the photos or video of this alleged gillnetting?
If someone were to document this illegal activitiy and release it to the press?
Ensenada is no small town. They have media.
That whole bay should be a marine park or something. If they want to be a tourist destination they should clean that bay up!
There must be an organization to fight this somewhere! Don't they have enviormentalists in Ensenada?
Or just charge through the nets. Cut those things to bits!:fire:

standingwave - 6-25-2008 at 04:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by memo
Hi Sally, Don't worry, Cypress is just gettin a little dry. I grew a big old row of Cypress trees and I know they need a lot to drink, take a very long time to grow up, and are never really as good looking as you hoped they'd be. They don't do well in Baja unless planted near a busy septic tank.


Yah... and if no septic tank is available try p1ss1ng in a circle around him, ...them, I mean...:lol::lol: