Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just dancing through life
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A story for Sharksbaja
Okay! Here is one I wrote about fishing, from a non-fisherpersons viewpoint. I sent it to several Cabo Fishing Fleets. Their responses proved to me
that they were extrememly unreasonable when it came to anything that just might reduce their income by even one peso.
Their attitude, to a person, was--we catch, tag, and release--and to hell with the fishies that don't survive.
So on to the story!!!!
Catch of the Day
Listen to Soka, the Marlin, discussing his experiences with other members of his family as they slip ever deeper into the blue Pacific just off the
Cape of Cabo San Lucas. ?Damn those air sucking, beer guzzling, fat assed, so called ?sport fisherman.? They fly into San Jose de Cabo International
Airport. Jump into an air-conditioned cab and head for one of those fancy hotels. Yea, the ones that stretch all the way from the Cape up to San
Jose. They don?t even check in until they have downed a few cool ones in the air-conditioned bar.?
?These guys and gals really believe that they are great sportsmen?they see themselves as a Hemingway, Ray Cannon, or even as a Gene Kira. Listen to
me because I know. They are no such things. Why, Hell! They pay up to $1,400.00 a day to charter a 35 to 46 foot Bertram sport fisher. It has all
of the bells and whistles that they need to track us down. Would you believe that the boat only costs a little over a half a million used before they
add the Penn reels, $275.00 to $700.00 per reel. Then come the poles and other junk.?
Junior Ukie, ? Uncle why do they do such stupid things? I heard the other day that they pay about ten bucks just for a hook and those little flags
like aunt Ziku wears cost them about twenty dollars.?
Soka, ? It is all very confusing to me! They spend all of this money so that they can brag about what fantastic fishermen they are. It?s nutty they
sit up there in the ?fighting chair? most of the day hoping the Mexicans will bring them to where we are hiding. They guzzle beer, eat box lunches
and spread white stuff on their reddening noses and cheeks. Watch out for those boats that are driven by Pedro. He and his guys they have the
reputation as the greatest hookers of Marlin and sailfish around. No, I tell you it makes no sense at all.?
Ziku chimed in, ?You brothers and sisters remember when that big gal hooked me last year. It was almost a fight to the death. I dove and ran and
sounded. I dove under the boat and then I ran as hard and for as long as I could. I could hear people on all of the boats cheer as I did the tail
walk. You talk about unfair; there she sits on that 46-foot boat with twin 555 diesel engines trying to land a little old lady like me. Anyway, they
wore me down and landed me. I was about gone when they ripped the hook out of my mouth, tagged me and tossed me back into the sea. They act like it
didn?t hurt. It didn?t hurt them but I tell you that hook really tore up my mouth. I had trouble eating for months.?
None of the Marlin could understand why the ?air sucking? people continued to slaughter and maim them even as their numbers dwindled. They could
understand the need for all things to kill for food and survival. They all remembered the stories handed down from generation to generation about
when the ?native air suckers? caught one of their kind every once in a while from a tiny canoe. Great, great, great Uncle Og told the story of an
Indian, paddling a reed boat over by Los Mochis, who hooked one of their large old ancestors and got pulled all the way across the sea to what is now
called La Paz. It is told that the Indian won that bout and feasted on the ancestor for days. Even today the Mexicans honor the Marlin with much
ceremony. They believe that to eat the meat of a Marlin will make them strong and valiant.
Uncle Soka continued. ?I can understand that they would want to eat of our flesh to nourish themselves and become stronger. But I will never
understand how they can stuff our brothers and hang them on a wall as a trophy. A trophy to what?wasting money and good meat.?
?I tell you youngin?s when you hear those terrible boats and see those bubbles?dive deep and don?t even think of eating until the coast is clear.
It?s the only chance we have to escape those ?air suckers? and survive as a clan.?
Sportsmen indeed!
Bernie Swaim
?September 2003
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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I'm not going to touch that one. I'm going to let that fish go
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
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Thanks Bernie
Nice first-fish retrospect. Now if only the fish could talk(or scream).
Remember fish; "it's most important to massage ones ego".
Bernie, ya gotalota gumption! Keep it up
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Alka-Selzer Hooks
I knew the guy, Chad Atkins. He was sitting, standing, lurching near the bar at Rancho Leonero as he let us know how he felt about the hooks to be
used in the fishing tournament which would begin just 39 hours from now. ?Screw MC. Screw MC users and all the sponsors who are pushing this crap.?
He was jawjackin? about the Multi-Coated Hooks which had been declared mandatory by the tournament board. At first I thought he was just exercised
about which company got the OK to provide the hooks, or the cost, about $12 per hook.
He went on. ?I?m not takin? my whole crimping kit out there, have my sleeves dancin? all over the deck, fumblin? around makin? leaders and rigs on
board, while we?re supposed to be fishin?.?
I?d heard it all before. Another hard-head who didn?t get the message. Tournament fishing has come a long way from keep all the fish to tag and
brag, water measure and all release, circle hooks and now the MC hooks. The new hooks were catching on. Here and at other fishing resorts the
managers tell the bartenders to cook a hook or two in a c-cktail glass every shift. That way, everybody gets to watch, touch, feel, be a part of
something. In sea water you can almost see the things dissolving in the glass.
Gamakatsu beat Owner by just 20 days when the hooks in the little bags full of gel hit the market. They won the big prize, got a jump on Mustad,
Owner, the other big hook sellers. As tournament directors around the world learned about the strength tests, the 48 hour dissolving time, the cost,
they began to get in line. The hookmakers were still taking flack about the fact that the gel packets looked like condoms, that all bets were off
about hook life after the packets were opened. Members of Billfish Groups, now dedicated to the use of the hooks, could finally feel they were doing
all they could do for the fishery wherever their tournaments were held, whatever game fish was the object of their contest.
I suppose every salt water fishermen, especially those who fish for billfish, wondered just how long it took his hooks, in the mouth, gill or gut of
a fish he released, to rust out. Bar room chatter would always include some conjecture about days or weeks for ordinary hooks but in their hearts and
minds they knew better. All of them had found, at one time or another, a rusty hook in their tackle cupboard that was still sharp and strong; a rusty
relic that had never been used, was shiny and bright 10 or 15 years ago when it was purchased. Not enough to say ?well this thing?s been here in the
drawer all this time, not in salt water?. Serious sportsmen are willing to buy, rig and use disposable hooks; same-day hooks make for short-time
rigging but the fishermen can now check the rig, the leader, just before use, be assured everything looks good.
When ole Chad sobers up tomorrow he?ll buy some MC hooks, take his kit aboard, crimp and grumble. Later he?ll brag about using the hooks to whoever
will listen to him back home.
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
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Quite the yarn Osprey...
But a little far-fetched, or maybe not. I wouldn't say they were theoretically impossible but not for another 20 yrs or so. Wish it were true though.
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bajaden
Nomad
Posts: 496
Registered: 4-7-2005
Location: Ensenada
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Mood: vicarious
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I think Im going to go watch a re-run of Grizzly Adams......
Its no fun having a battle of wits with unarmed people.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just dancing through life
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bajaden
Grizzly Adams has never belonged in Baja. Sorry! Dreams and imagination have always held sway against the blowing sand and the raging surf here in
Baja. Pulling together, fighting the elements, AND helping friends--THAT is Baja--not TVa re-run. Hid if you will but you will miss oh too much.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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