BajaNomad - Made it back! - Powered by XMB

Made it back!

striperphil - 10-30-2012 at 06:25 PM

Well, we're back from our first trip to Baja, and I want to thank all of you who helped with advice. It paid off!

We touched down in San Jose / Cabo last Sunday, stood in line in customs for quite a while as 5 other planes landed at almost the same time. Found our cabbie and headed to Rancho Leonero on the East Cape.

I've never seen anything like Baja. It is without a doubt the roughest, most inhospitable piece of dirt on the planet. I'd hate to get dumped out in the middle of that place, don't think I'd make it a single day.

When we arrived at the ranch, it was like an oasis. Very beautiful resort overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Awesome setting. The water was as calm as a lake when we got there, so I wasted no time in rigging a spinning rod and hitting the beach. I tied on a soft plastic jerk bait and immediately started catching fish. Within a few hundred yards of the resort, I caught 2 ladyfish, 2 Toros, and 5 Pargo. I hooked a couple of fairly good pargo, but I couldn't get them out of the rocks. Still, a lot of fun.

Next morning we got on our boat and headed down the beach to hunt for roosters. We raised a couple of decent looking fish on live bait, but didn't get the hook in anything. Finally, I got on the front of the boat and started casting a Rapala xrap around the rocks of the jetty a couple of miles below R Leonero. Caught lots of fish this way. 5 roosters, 5 Toro, assorted fish I wasn't familiar with, and a really nice Pargo that we had for dinner. The roosters were all small, but still one of the coolest looking fish I've ever seen. Check that one off my bucket list.

The next morning I had set up a beach fly fishing trip with "The Reel Baja". Jeff picked me up on a four wheeler at mid-morning, and off we went. The plan was for him to cast a hook-less teaser plug as far out as he could, and tease the fish in close enough for me to cast a fly. He raised a couple of fish, but they wouldn't follow the plug in close enough for me to get a shot. After a couple of hours, we gave up and broke out the spinning tackle. Caught 1 small rooster and several jacks. Covered several miles of beach, and never saw another person. Amazing. On the way back, we stopped at a taco stand in the little town where the new resort is being built and ate lunch. The shrimp / scallops tacos were great.

Spent the afternoon snorkeling on the reef behind the resort. Unbelievable number of fish in those rocks.

Next morning, back on the boat. Sloooooow fishing. Long story short, we caught one dorado. Everyone at the resort was very disappointed in the fishing during the week. That night, I took my wife's Ipad out on the back porch of our bungalow to catch up on the news and found two big taranchalas right in the middle. Went back inside and caught up on the news there.

Next day we hired a driver and toured Baja. Drove across the peninsula to the little town where the "Hotel California" is located. Forget the name of the place. Had a great lunch at the hotel and did a little window shopping. Hopped in the taxi and drove on down to Cabo after that. Did the usual stuff in Cabo, had a couple of beers, bought a couple of Tee shirts, and took a boat ride out to the arch. Very touristy, but incredibly beautiful place. Got off the boat ride just in time to see some locals butcher a 460 lb marlin that had just won the Bisbee's Blue & Black tournament. They made quick work of it! After a quick pass through Cabo Wabo, I'd had about all of the street coyotes and their hard sell tactics I could stand, so we jumped in the taxi and headed back to the ranch.

Our last day of fishing was out best. We went about 10 miles off shore to begin trolling for marlin/ sails/ dorado etc. We were getting out lines when I looked down at the short line with a big Islander lure about 20 ft off the stern and saw a huge mouth open up and try to eat the thing. I hollered MARLIN, and everybody turned around, but the fish had sunk back down by that time and they thought I was nuts. I began to wonder if my eyes had been playing tricks on me too. Then the fish came back up and the big bill took a couple of whacks at the lure but the fish was never hooked. The mate tossed a bait out to the fish, but he didn't eat and we never saw him again. Still....heartstopping. We trolled for a couple of hours with nothing, when a sail came up on a outrigger lure. I dropped back a ballyhoo to him and hooked up. We weren't going home without a billfish, I caught the sail. After that we raised another sail, but didn't get a hook up. We did catch a couple of nice dorado and a few skipjacks.

Maybe the highlight of this day came when we passed a piece of floating wood and I told the mate that I saw fish under it. He said it was just a piece of rope, and while we were debating that, a HUGE humpback whale surfaced right beside the boat. I've never seen anything like that in my life. Awesome sight.

Next morning, I walked down the beach and caught a few more Pargo and Jacks. Then it was off the airport and back to Kentucky. All in all, the fishing was a little slow, but the experience was great. Stunningly beautiful country, and very nice people, despite the language barrier. I'll post pics later if you would like to see. Thanks again, Phil

BajaRat - 10-30-2012 at 06:30 PM

The town..Todos Santos. Sounds like a great trip. It's in your blood now ! :cool:

vandenberg - 10-30-2012 at 06:39 PM

Nice report.
Glad you liked our adopted country.

Wouldn't live anywhere else.

jbcoug - 10-30-2012 at 07:16 PM

Sounds like a great trip and YES, we would like to see pictures! I love that area.

John

vandy - 10-30-2012 at 07:36 PM

Did you know that marlin you saw was worth almost $5,000 per pound?
It won the Bisbees Black and Blue tournament, along with other pool "side bets".
Over $2,000,000 I was told.

Wasn't the man who caught it from Kentucky? His first billfish?
(edit) Oh well. KC Missouri

[Edited on 10-31-2012 by vandy]

DianaT - 10-30-2012 at 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by striperphil
....

Maybe the highlight of this day came when we passed a piece of floating wood and I told the mate that I saw fish under it. He said it was just a piece of rope, and while we were debating that, a HUGE humpback whale surfaced right beside the boat. I've never seen anything like that in my life. Awesome sight. .....

That is enough to make you return! Yes, post the pictures. Glad you had a great time!

striperphil - 11-5-2012 at 03:34 AM

Having trouble posting pics. I resized them, but they don't show up. Any suggestions???

vandenberg - 11-5-2012 at 08:38 AM

Your pics need to be under 50K or they won't post.
Easiest way is to host them on another site, photobucket for instance, and then post them. That way you can post a serie of pics and you don't have to resize them

Udo - 11-5-2012 at 09:20 AM

I'll second what Vandenberd recommends.
Seting up an account is easy and free. Once you download the photos, you may title them if you wish.
When done, chose the medium size photos to post. Then copy and paste the bottom line on the photo you wish to post on Nomads.

BTW...great report striperphil.

David K - 11-5-2012 at 10:59 AM

Hi striperphil,

When you upload your photos from your PC folder onto Photobucket.com, first click the "customize your upload options" link (in blue)...

Then pick "640x480" for a nice size photo to appear here or "800x600" for the biggest size that won't distort the Nomad page. Then click SAVE!

Now, upload photos onto Photobucket...

When you want to add photos here, use the link "IMG" of the links that show when you put your mouse on the photo in your Photobucket album.

Copy that IMG link and paste it here on Nomad with your story... You can post several photos. I suggest double spacing between photo links and you can add captions so we can know what the photo is of.

Remember, when using Photobucket or another remote hosting web site, you DO NOT need to pre-reduce the image to under 50 kb. That will only make the photo too tiny or grainy.

David K - 11-5-2012 at 11:14 AM

You didn't use the correct link... IMG or add the tags that make the photo show here [img] and [/img]

When you click on your links, look over on the right... SEE "IMG code"?

That is what you put here...

Here is your first photo:

OOPS... you didn't select 800 pixels or less when uploading, so I had to remove the photo otherwise, it stretches Nomad off the screen. Please review my notes... we only want to help.

Re-load your photos at 640 pixels into a new album "Nomad" or ? and then post them here. Thanks!

[Edited on 11-5-2012 by David K]

jbcoug - 11-5-2012 at 01:14 PM

Enjoyed your pictures, looked like you had lots of fun! I really enjoy that area as well. Where is the scallop taco place? Hungry people want to know.

John

striperphil - 11-5-2012 at 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jbcoug
Enjoyed your pictures, looked like you had lots of fun! I really enjoy that area as well. Where is the scallop taco place? Hungry people want to know.

John

It's in the little town on the coast about 2 miles south of Rancho Leonero where the new marina and golf complex is being built. I think the new resort is going to be called "Cabo Riviera". Not sure of the town's name. They really were good though.

dtbushpilot - 11-5-2012 at 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by striperphil

Quote:

Originally posted by jbcoug
Enjoyed your pictures, looked like you had lots of fun! I really enjoy that area as well. Where is the scallop taco place? Hungry people want to know.

John

I'm sure you were at "Mariscos La Costa" in La Ribera, one of our favorite places for lunch.....dt

striperphil - 11-5-2012 at 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dtbushpilot

Quote:

Originally posted by striperphil

Quote:

Originally posted by jbcoug
Enjoyed your pictures, looked like you had lots of fun! I really enjoy that area as well. Where is the scallop taco place? Hungry people want to know.

John

I'm sure you were at "Mariscos La Costa" in La Ribera, one of our favorite places for lunch.....dt

BINGO!

Paulina - 11-5-2012 at 09:06 PM

Sounds like, and from looking at your photos, it looks like you and your friends had a great trip. Thank you for taking the time to post your report.

P>*)))>{

willardguy - 11-5-2012 at 09:28 PM

great trip report! :bounce: