Big roosterfish highlight panga outings
BY LANDON THOMAS
LA PAZ, BCM. – I have been traveling Baja now for nearly a decade. I have done caravans to surf 14 hours south of Tijuana, booze cruises in Puerto Vallarta, 3-day strike missions to Bahia Los Angeles for surface iron fun, the list goes on. I’m not sure why I am giving my résumé, I’m just trying to paint a picture for those who most likely have no idea who I am.
Anyway, moving forward. I have been traveling with my close family friends who have been all over Mexico, and I have been lucky enough to catch invites on their excursions. Last year, they went to the Oyster Festival in La Paz, and it has been the talk of the town since. This year, me and my girlfriend got the invite, and what does any guy normally do when invited on a vacation? Yep, sneak a fishing trip in the group itinerary.
My brain instantly went to the long-time WON contributor (Baja column) Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter Sportfishing. He got my group set up with two pangas for a full day. With a pickup time of 4:15 a.m., we were greeted with a van that picked us up from our front door and a warm breakfast. Coffee was offered, but we didn’t have time for that. Fish were waiting, c’mon.
We were targeting roosterfish, and right off the bat I was hooked up on a 40 pounder. Shortly after we were tight on a 50 pounder and it was probably my friend’s fifth fish of his entire life. It gave him some serious work. My girlfriend brought in the last rooster of the day when it was time to go look for dorado.
Unfortunately no one was home after a valiant effort. The second panga in our group was having trouble finding roosters and kept pushing through the end of the day. It was the bottom of the ninth, on their way in, and they clocked a pair of dorado. These were to be fileted and taken to the Tailhunter Restaurant for dinner. On our way home, we had to drop the fish at the restaurant so Jonathan could portion it for dinner and vacuum seal the rest.
As a bar connoisseur and beverage drinker, the Tailhunter restaurant has their game dialed in. All drinks with fresh fruits, no juice. Their mango margarita is made with mangos from the tree next door to the restaurant. The hospitality and attention to detail is really unmatched, from top to bottom. The food, service and drinks are top tier, and it is a must visit if you are in La Paz.
I’m going to close with a short blurb and some insight to Roldan and his attention to detail for his anglers and their experiences. This man is working 7 days a week 15-plus hours a day until November. Pretty incredible how much he cares about his people and their experiences with him. Cheers Jonathan, you beyond impressed us and cannot wait for next time. I look forward to returning and a friendship!
For more info, visit Tailhunter.com
