New Book: The Angler's Guide to Trailer Boating Baja

This one looks good... saw it on another web site: http://www.bajatrailerboating.com




[Edited on 1-8-2015 by David K]

okay, good... I sent him an email after I saw this book on another forum (one that gets neary zero activity, compared to here)... On the link to the book, there are tons of photos, sample pages from the book, and he even spelled Puertecitos correctly!

He's got a Merc on his boat. Nuff said.

Quote:

Originally posted by bigeye He's got a Merc on his boat. Nuff said.

Zack is a pretty good fellow and knows his boats well, as he does fishing the Sea of Cortez. He's the son of a Baja neighbor and has many years of experience...fishing on his Dad's Mako, Pez Gallo, and on his own Kencraft throughout the Cortez. He's a good researcher and has written some good articles for Western Outdoors, Trailerboating, Baja Fish Gear, some forums pertaining to fishing like BloodyDecks, Saltwatersportsman, etc.

Nice boat, indeed..like me, he thinks that Kencraft of his makes a terrific Cortez fishing platform; in particular the 21' Kencraft Challenger center console....a very solid boat by one of the top quality boat-builders. I 'searched' the one below on Boatrader.com to show another one. I like the Mercs, too. Verados and EFI are proven engines, but I prefer a 4-stroke..for noise and range. Of course, Yammies are bulletproof nowadays, and you almost never see a Suzuki in the shop.

Zack leans mostly towards the do-it-yourself action and more remote areas. Experiments a lot with launching and fishing techniques for out-of-the-way places in Baja. I have seen him in some of the damnedest places...Mag Bay, Bahia de Tortugas, San Lucas Cove, running offshore from Conception Bay..he gets around. His book might be a good reference tool to have if you are considering trailering a boat to Baja...and fishing of course.

Next stop for our trailering boat excursion is Asuncion ..and wherever I can manage Lindsay's Law to catch a fish. Be forewarned, shari and Juan! We love Pacificos, but can abide/imbibe Tecate, also.

[Edited on 8-2-2008 by Pompano]

I wonder if used the old launch ramp for that size of a boat once he got out to punta chivato? The picture looks like it was taken on the road out there. I too like the hull pompano, but for my tastes, if I were to consistently trailer a boat up and down Mex 1. I would want something a little lighter. Now, if you were to leave it down there, well that is a different story. That is not what the book is about though is it.

Thanks for the mention, David K!

Diver: Must have been someone else asking around. My plan from the beginning was to avoid all advice and conventional wisdom and instead go find everything out firsthand.

Pompano: Hey Roger--good to hear from you! Actually the boat in your picture is the old Challenger 215--discontinued around 2005. It was 21'5", an extremely safe big-water boat, if a little ungainly with all that freeboard aft. Much heavier, bulkier, and drafts quite a bit more than mine, which is a Challenger 206. It's 20'6" x 8'3" with an 18-degree vee. They now sell it as the Sea King 210CC. Word on the street is that the new wood-free Sea Kings aren't as solid nor as well-finished as the older boats, but I can't vouch for that firsthand. My '98 206 is built like a tank. And after what I've put her through, I can say that with some confidence. Very versatile, adaptable little skiff with the best head-sea ride of anything under 23 feet I've ever run (downhill ride leaves something to be desired, though).

bigeye: Yes, lighter and shallower would have made researching the book easier, but to my way of thinking a solid, seaworthy 20 or 21 is about the best all-around Baja trailer boat--assuming you're fishing both sides and want to get offshore. Tougher to launch and burns more fuel than some alternatives, but I fish Thetis Bank from Puerto Lopez Mateos, Isla Tortuga and Ildefonso from Mulege, Cerralvo from La Paz, etc. It's a matter of personal preference, but I'm willing to haul the heavier rig in return for being able to go farther, safer, in a wider range of conditions. And it's definitely do-able. You name the spot, Christine's been launched there--Estero de Coyote, Asuncion, Bahia de Tortugas, Concepcion Bay beaches, Ens. de los Muertos, etc.

bigeye and Pescador: That said, Chivato is about the only place I haven't launched. The book is primarily about short-term trailer-boat trips--like 2 to 14 days--and for that kind of trip, Chivato just isn't a great destination. The road out there is brutal, supplies and services are minimal, and fuel is a problem. With a car-topper or kayak, it's great, and of course it is if you have a place there. But for a shorter trip with a bigger boat, it makes a lot more sense to stay in Mulege, San Lucas Cove or Santa Rosalia. From Mulege or SLC, you can be at Chivato in 20 minutes by water, and all three are vastly easier logistically than Chivato.

BajaBruno: Yes, Gerry's book is rather remarkable that way. Mike Bales' "Launch Ramps of Baja California" was a great little guide, but it's now 17 years old. I never thought of competing with "The Baja Catch," but rather hoped to do something that would complement it. The only thing it lacks is information about towing, launching and fishing from substantial trailer-boats. I'm trying essentially to fill in the blanks for folks' that want to tow bigger boats down and maybe fish offshore beyond the range of tin boats.

The Preface for the book, here: http://bajatrailerboating.com/main_pages/preface.html , addresses the background and research.

ZT

Don Alley on Paula's account:

I go the book.

Good work! Excellent book! Thanks!!!

End of Year Special!

Email from Zach arrived with this special message for Nomads who may need gift giving ideas for the Nomad fishermen/women...

"... let the Nomads know I'm selling my book for $22.50 (25% off) through the end of the year."

Castaway$,

I love The Baja Catch, too, as much for the funny, engaging writing as the content. I've worn out two copies, lost one, and I'm now on my fourth.

My idea from the start was to do something that would complement--not compete with--The Baja Catch. The main things it misses, as you point out, are offshore fishing, live-bait fishing, and launching and towing offshore-capable boats.

So I do emphasize offshore fishing and live-bait fishing more than Kira and Kelly. But I should make it clear that The Angler's Guide is probably 80% travel and boating guide and 20% fishing guide.

More than anything else, it's a resource for people who take trailer boats to Baja. My goal was to include everything you'd need to know to plan a trailer-boat fishing trip anywhere in Baja -- when to go, where to stay and what to pack, plus detailed driving directions and times, availability of fuel, ice and supplies, washdown facilities, tide and weather resources, navigation notes, basic where-to how-to fishing advice and complete contact info.

That said, there is a 28-page, 13,000-word chapter on fishing, organized by species, plus location-specific fishing info in each launch-spot chapter. Here's an example of the species-specific info:

Calico Bass (cabrilla: cah-BREE-yuh or calico)
Calico bass are found only in the Pacific from about Punta Abreojos north. Because they live in areas where it's difficult to set a gill-net, Mexican commercial fishermen pretty much leave them alone, as do visiting anglers who are typically after bigger game. The result is that Baja calicos—at least south of Ensenada—are far larger on average than those north of the border. A typical fish is 2 to 3 lbs., 6-pounders are common, and 8-pounders turn up fairly often. Double-digit fish are rare even in Baja, but they're definitely around.

The easiest place to find and fish for calicos is along the edges of kelp beds. Current is crucial; you can catch a few bass if no current is running, but the stronger the current, the better the fishing. If possible, find a spot where the current runs parallel to the kelp edge so you can drift along just beyond it. Best of all is a current strong enough to pull the kelp a few feet below the surface so you can drift and cast right over it.

Calicos love small mackerel and jacksmelt, but they're way more fun to catch on artificials. The single most consistent calico lure is a 5-1/2-inch plastic Fish Trap or similar swimbait in a brown-red, brown-orange, or green-red pattern on a 1/2- or 3/4-oz. triangular leadhead. "Christmas tree" is my personal favorite. Cast it right to the edge of the kelp, let it sink 5 or 10 feet, and then retrieve it at moderate speed. Most bites will come as the lure sinks. If you're not getting anything, let it sink a little farther on each cast.

Many of Baja's kelp beds are absolutely teeming with calicos. If you're catching small fish on every cast, try switching to a 1- or 1-1/2-oz. leadhead and a 6-1/2-inch swimbait, which discourages some of them. If that doesn't work, resist setting the hook on the first strike. Often, if you let the little guys peck at your lure for a few seconds, a bigger fish will chase them away and inhale it.

Another way to select out the larger fish is to cast surface iron (see "Fishing with Metal Jigs" in this chapter). This works best when the kelp is pulled below the surface by the current. Fairly drab patterns that are predominantly olive green or brownish yellow usually work best, although mint green is sometimes deadly, as are green and blue mackerel-striped jigs.

The most exciting place to fish for calicos is on "boiler rocks"—shoreline or offshore rocks where swells "boil" up and then recede. You're not looking for actual breaking waves, just surging whitewater. Larger calicos sometimes feed right up in the wash, or hang just below the offshore edges of these rocks.

Maneuvering within casting distance of boiler rocks requires the utmost caution and attention, especially in Baja, where you're entirely on your own in the case of an accident. Always have a confident helmsman at the wheel, paying exclusive attention to running the boat (i.e., not fishing), and always keep the engine(s) running.

Both plastics and surface iron will catch boiler bass. The trick is to cast them right to the water's edge and retrieve them with a receding wave. If possible, try to stop your lure at the edge of the rock and let it fall a few feet. Boiler bass are larger on average than kelp bed bass, so be ready for savage strikes, and grind for all you're worth to get your fish out of that minefield of rocks and surge.

The best outfit for Baja calicos is a big baitcasting reel spooled with 20-lb. mono and matched to a stiff, 8-foot graphite rod. Some big-bass specialists are now filling their reels completely with 65-lb. Spectra, which they say actually slices through kelp fronds when a fish gets wrapped, and using a short leader of 20- or 25-lb. fluorocarbon.

P.S. Pic attached of my own personal best, an 8-1/2-pounder (weighed before release, not estimated) caught on a cold morning at Geronimo on a Q-105 skiff trip.


[Edited on 12-2-2008 by ZThomas]