08-22-2008, 08:22 PM
The following picture shows a group of happy anglers in front of the Los Arcos Hotel in La Paz, Baja California, in 1953.
Could our small party of four fired up fishermen travel south of the border and have as great a time as this group did 55 years ago? You be the judge.
[inline "La Paz 213.jpg"]
The first thing we needed was a contact in La Paz. That's were Jonathan Roldan's Tailhunter-International came in. Jonathan is an American who lives in La Paz and will arrange everything for you. More on him later.
We landed at La Paz International via Delta Airlines. Our driver was waiting for us and started our trip off right. "Buenas tardes, senores, would you like a sooda, agua, or cerveza?". Yep, there we were sucking down beers in the van on the way to the hotel!
[inline "La Paz 010.jpg"]
Our home in La Paz: The Hotel Los Arcos Cabanas. This is how it looked on the outside.
[inline "La Paz 009.jpg"]
This is how it looked on the inside.
[inline "La Paz 006.jpg"]
This is what our room looked like. I'll spare you the pictures of the pool, the bar, the restaurant, and the beach across the street. As you can see, we were really roughing it.
Fishing started the next morning at 4:30 am. While we were waiting in front of the hotel to be picked up, a vehicle pulled up, a man got out, greeted us with a big
, and delivered our meals for the day. Breakfast was egg buritos, fejoiles, and cut up mango & melon. Lunch was shredded beef buritos, chips, fruit, two colas, and a bottle of water. Ice was also loaded in our coolers. Everything was packed up and off we went on the 40 minute ride to Las Arenas.
[inline "La Paz 045.jpg"]
Las Arenas panga fleet ready to launch, in the predawn darkness of the Sea of Cortez. Each small panga carries one captian, two anglers.
[inline "La Paz 051.jpg"]
We enjoyed this awesome baja sunrise on our way to buy live bait.
[inline "La Paz 053.jpg"]
The bait boat. This guy sits a mile offshore, his panga half full of bait and water, selling live sardines to fisherman for $10-$20. I did'nt see a PFD in his boat. The live bait is used for fishing and chumming.
[inline "La Paz 054.jpg"]
Above picture shows the bait tank in our panga. Okay,it is really not a bait tank, water is poured in the bow section of the panga and is added when ever necessary. This boat will never have a bait tank pump burn out!
[inline "La Paz 065.jpg"]
Eric sits on the fish box. This shot shows the size of the panga we shared.
[inline "La Paz 108.jpg"]
Tuna boil. Things a heating up!
[inline "La Paz 114.jpg"]
Bent rod!
[inline "La Paz 118.jpg"]
Captian Archangel gafs the first of many Yellowfin Tuna. We fished early morning for Yellowfin, late morning/early afternoon for Dorado.
[inline "La Paz 070.jpg"]
Dorado comes to live bait!
[inline "La Paz 076.jpg"]
And more Dorado! We motored about 40 miles down the coast chasing Tuna and Dorado.
[inline "La Paz 078.jpg"]
Refuel at sea. Captain Archangel refills the gas tank on the way back to the beach.
[inline "La Paz 093.jpg"]
Our Vessel back on the beach. The boat captians run them right out of the water. Hold on! Cleaning fish in the background.
[inline "La Paz 130.jpg"]
A few of the fish we caught on this awesome day.
[inline "La Paz 088.jpg"]
Our group: Eric, Bob, Sean, and BaySport. Every boat that went out returned with fish. Today, the world is a happy place.
[inline "La Paz 095.jpg"]
What did we do when we were not fishing? Enjoyed La Paz of course!
And that was just the first day of fishing!
Eric and I came home with about 70lbs. of frozen fillets. Delta Airlines allow two checked luggage each, at 50lbs. Delta has no problem hauling ice chests. The hotel will freeze your catch, and has a large scale so you can get your ice chest right at 50lbs.
Jonathan will bend over backwards to make your trip great!
So....get a passport, and contact Jonathan at [url "http://www.tailhunter-international.com/"]http://www.tailhunter-international.com/[/url]
BaySport
[signature]
Could our small party of four fired up fishermen travel south of the border and have as great a time as this group did 55 years ago? You be the judge.
[inline "La Paz 213.jpg"]
The first thing we needed was a contact in La Paz. That's were Jonathan Roldan's Tailhunter-International came in. Jonathan is an American who lives in La Paz and will arrange everything for you. More on him later.
We landed at La Paz International via Delta Airlines. Our driver was waiting for us and started our trip off right. "Buenas tardes, senores, would you like a sooda, agua, or cerveza?". Yep, there we were sucking down beers in the van on the way to the hotel!
[inline "La Paz 010.jpg"]
Our home in La Paz: The Hotel Los Arcos Cabanas. This is how it looked on the outside.
[inline "La Paz 009.jpg"]
This is how it looked on the inside.
[inline "La Paz 006.jpg"]
This is what our room looked like. I'll spare you the pictures of the pool, the bar, the restaurant, and the beach across the street. As you can see, we were really roughing it.
Fishing started the next morning at 4:30 am. While we were waiting in front of the hotel to be picked up, a vehicle pulled up, a man got out, greeted us with a big
, and delivered our meals for the day. Breakfast was egg buritos, fejoiles, and cut up mango & melon. Lunch was shredded beef buritos, chips, fruit, two colas, and a bottle of water. Ice was also loaded in our coolers. Everything was packed up and off we went on the 40 minute ride to Las Arenas.[inline "La Paz 045.jpg"]
Las Arenas panga fleet ready to launch, in the predawn darkness of the Sea of Cortez. Each small panga carries one captian, two anglers.
[inline "La Paz 051.jpg"]
We enjoyed this awesome baja sunrise on our way to buy live bait.
[inline "La Paz 053.jpg"]
The bait boat. This guy sits a mile offshore, his panga half full of bait and water, selling live sardines to fisherman for $10-$20. I did'nt see a PFD in his boat. The live bait is used for fishing and chumming.
[inline "La Paz 054.jpg"]
Above picture shows the bait tank in our panga. Okay,it is really not a bait tank, water is poured in the bow section of the panga and is added when ever necessary. This boat will never have a bait tank pump burn out!
[inline "La Paz 065.jpg"]
Eric sits on the fish box. This shot shows the size of the panga we shared.
[inline "La Paz 108.jpg"]
Tuna boil. Things a heating up!
[inline "La Paz 114.jpg"]
Bent rod!
[inline "La Paz 118.jpg"]
Captian Archangel gafs the first of many Yellowfin Tuna. We fished early morning for Yellowfin, late morning/early afternoon for Dorado.
[inline "La Paz 070.jpg"]
Dorado comes to live bait!
[inline "La Paz 076.jpg"]
And more Dorado! We motored about 40 miles down the coast chasing Tuna and Dorado.
[inline "La Paz 078.jpg"]
Refuel at sea. Captain Archangel refills the gas tank on the way back to the beach.
[inline "La Paz 093.jpg"]
Our Vessel back on the beach. The boat captians run them right out of the water. Hold on! Cleaning fish in the background.
[inline "La Paz 130.jpg"]
A few of the fish we caught on this awesome day.
[inline "La Paz 088.jpg"]
Our group: Eric, Bob, Sean, and BaySport. Every boat that went out returned with fish. Today, the world is a happy place.
[inline "La Paz 095.jpg"]
What did we do when we were not fishing? Enjoyed La Paz of course!
And that was just the first day of fishing!
Eric and I came home with about 70lbs. of frozen fillets. Delta Airlines allow two checked luggage each, at 50lbs. Delta has no problem hauling ice chests. The hotel will freeze your catch, and has a large scale so you can get your ice chest right at 50lbs.
Jonathan will bend over backwards to make your trip great!
So....get a passport, and contact Jonathan at [url "http://www.tailhunter-international.com/"]http://www.tailhunter-international.com/[/url]
BaySport
[signature]
]