Exotics Stay for the Holidays - Baja Bytes Sportfishing Reports and Features

Exotics Stay for the Holidays - Baja Bytes Sportfishing Reports and Features

Stripers and Snook kick-off 2023 – Baja Bytes Sportfishing

Stripers and Snook kick-off 2023 – Baja Bytes Sportfishing

CRAZY MARLIN WEEK IN CABO – Baja Bytes Sportfishing

CRAZY MARLIN WEEK IN CABO – Baja Bytes Sportfishing

Almaco Jack Attack – Baja Bytes

Almaco Jack Attack – Baja Bytes

http://roadtrekker.blogspot.com/2008/

Doing the Drone

EVER SO CAUTIOUSLY, I moved the left stick forward and watched as it leaped into the air.

There’s no doubt that 2014 will go down in history as the “Year of the Drone" within the fishing community. Forget the latest and greatest tackle innovations or super-duper electronics. Nope, this year the buzz is definitely about drones and who can take the most awesome photos with them.

            The list of people who have purchased the flying cameras is growing faster than I can keep up! So far, my WON column partner, Jonathan Roldan, and Ali Hussainy, President, BD Outdoors; Erik Landesfeind, and Barry Brightenburg all determined they had to have one. If you search the web, you’ll find plenty of entertaining videos that were shot with drones by crews and anglers on the sportfishing fleet.

            I, too, couldn't resist; mine arrived in mid-May. By the time it actually got here, I had watched hours of U-Tube videos on quad-copters in general, and had logged in many how-to hours on the DJI Technology Phantom 2 Vision Plus website, the drone that I actually ordered.

            The day it arrived, I cautiously unpacked the carton and followed directions, being very careful when I assembled the Quad Copter. That’s probably not an accurate statement since all that was required was that I tighten the self-locking propeller blades and charge the battery before it was ready to fly. But truthfully, I wasn't quite ready! I felt a little bit intimidated by this 24- x 24-inch bundle of technology resting on our coffee table.

            I studied the instruction manual from cover to cover – all 75 pages – for several days. I devoured the information on the camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, software and cell phone app – all of which needed to be understood before I took on the challenge of flying this machine that had set me back about $1,500. I had not been this nervous about taking control of boats that had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and yes, a few owned by others that were even more dear than that!

            Okay, call me crazy, but the only thing I had ever flown was a model airplane tethered by a control line which I flew in a circle … often crashing it before the full circle had even been completed.

            Early one morning, after days of procrastinating, drone in tow Yvonne and I walked across the street to the park. Going through the checklist printed on the underbelly of the unit as carefully as a 747 pilot, with great trepidation I turned on the controller, and started the drone. Ever so cautiously, I moved the left stick forward and watched as it leaped into the air. Thank God I knew to let go of the stick so it could spring back to the center! It hovered at 30 feet or so and I began "Doing the Drone" for real.

            For the next few weeks, I flew at the drop of a hat, taking off from my front yard overlooking the lake.  To begin, I flew pretty much straight up and down, and then slowly, as my confidence grew, the flights extended farther. I flew it to the edge of the lake, as well as a block or so in either direction, going higher and higher until I sent it to 250 feet and lost sight of it.

            There were remarkably few mishaps. I discovered the dreaded death spiral when I descended too quickly causing the drone to drop like a stone! I was in luck! My error was high enough for me to slow the drone’s descent down so instead of a crash, well, we will simply call it a hard landing. No fault, no foul, aside from a nicked up prop or two that a little sandpaper took care of.  It was ready to resume training, but the question is, just who was training who?

            Then it came time for me to head to Baja. I safely stored it in the trusty Roadtrek for the drive down to East Cape in its own custom case in early June. 

            Upon my arrival, I flew it often.  Mark and Jennifer Rayor's beachfront home; at Rancho Leonero; at East Cape RV and then I headed up to La Paz for WON Panga Slam.

            Jonathan Roldan, Tailhunter International, my WON column partner, and I flew them together at Muertos and Balandra Bay.  Swapping tips we began to grasp the possibilities that the drone offered. Some of our Drone images ended up in the La Paz Panga Slam story. I even had the courage to fly it out for the beach shot at Chileno Bay at the Stars & Stripes tournament’s shotgun start.

            Jonathan had two clients who attempted to use theirs from a panga and ended up float-testing them (by the way, they don't float). Both were a total loss; however, one was insured.

            At this point, almost every flight drew a crowd full of questions. The best description I've come up with is that it’s like an incredibly stable tri-pod in the sky with the difference that the drone will hover in the same place when you release the two joy sticks until you sort out what you want to do, sort of like a “pause” button. 

            "Doing the Drone" has gained momentum within the fishing community.  It has added a dimension that has been missing in this serious challenge of fishing.  Find a drone overhead and you’ll find grown men once again playing with their toys.    

A foot for Jesus

A foot for Jesus
Gary Graham

 

Greg had accomplished his dream of not only catching his first striped marlin, but catching the largest fish he had ever caught as well.

Around Christmas two years ago, I wrote an article about a very special Christmas gift, the fulfilling of an impossible dream of my friend and retired Los Barriles sportfishing Captain, Jesus Araiza, who had lost his right foot below the knee through his battle with diabetes, "Baja's Feliz Navidad spirit sparkles."  To refresh your memory here is the link to that column:  http://www.wonews.com/Blog.aspx?id=1565

Through the kindness and efforts of many good Samaritans, Jesus was fitted for a special prosthesis and began adjusting to the new apparatus. One of those involved in a major way was Greg Birkholz, Arroyo Grande, California, who arranged to have not one, but two "Renegade" feet manufactured by Freedom Innovations, (http://www.freedom-innovations.com/) and donated to Araiza.In early 2001 Greg, himself, was riding his new, big Harley Davidson when it traveled across a center line and collided with an oncoming truck.

 “I lost the below-the-knee portion of my left leg requiring me to be fitted with a prosthesis with a "Renegade" foot that I've worn ever since. Also, every limb in my body has some metal in it," he sighed sheepishly.

 Birkholz is an avid sportfisherman in central California and upon hearing of Araiza’s reputation as one of the finest Captains at East Cape, Birkholz expressed an interest in he and Jesus fishing together in Baja.  

I immediately began organizing the trip and contacted Axel Valdez, Sales and Marketing Director, Buena Vista Beach Resort, who without hesitation, agreed to provide Birkholz and his wife, Lindy, with a week’s stay plus a day’s fishing aboard one of the hotel's cruisers.

Always following up on details, I visited Jesus at his home two weeks prior to the planned trip.

Everything was on schedule. 

The Birkholz's arrived earlier this month on their very first trip to Baja and I flew down the same day.  However, after arriving, I called to confirm the fishing trip the following day and the tone of Jesus’ voice told me all I needed to know.

“Oh, my friend,” he began, "I have a problem with the prosthesis and think I better be 'a lotta be careful' and stay home."

Of course I was disappointed at the news and knew that Birkholz would be. It was impossible for me to visit him that night but I was anxious to find out what the problem was.

I met the Birkholz’s and left them enjoying their dinner on the porch under a star-filled sky on a pleasant Baja night…a perfect beginning.

Although we were all disappointed that Araiza was absent, Felipe Valdez, Manager of HBVBR had reserved "Tres Hermanos" for the following morning and we headed out toward the rising Baja sun. The weather was perfect. Trolling, we spotted a few striped marlin but none took the bait. Greg's excitement heightened with each spotting. Then suddenly we were in the midst of a large school of cavorting porpoise and among them we could see yellowfin tuna chasing flying fish. But as more and more boats arrived at the melee, the tuna fled, frightened by the crowd. And still no bites for Greg.

Then suddenly the deckhand, Theodoro -- ironically a grandson of Araiza's -- spotted the unmistakable sickle-shaped tail of a striped marlin pursuing the bubbling bright-colored lure in our wake. As fast as you could say ballyhoo, one was slipped back alongside the lure. The marlin snatched the bait and turned away from the boat as Greg placed the rod butt in his butt-plate and plopped down in the fighting chair.

The tug-of-war went on for more than an hour as Greg slowly gained line, only to lose it back to the fish. Finally at one hour and seven minutes, Greg had his fish at the side of the boat and after taking a few photos, the fish was released. Greg had accomplished his dream of not only catching his first striped marlin, but catching the largest fish he had ever caught as well.

During the rest of his stay he caught dorado, explored East Cape on an ATV with Lindy, and visited Jesus. He discovered that Jesus's prosthesis was too large and a new smaller one would have to be designed. 

So more good Samaritans were recruited and old ones revisited. Larry Cooper, http://www.bajaenterprises.com/, a longtime Los Barriles’ resident who is in a wheelchair loaned a spare to Jesus. Charlene Wenger, RN, owner of the newly opened East Cape Health Center, 

http://eastcapemedical.com/how_we_got_started volunteered her staff including Dr. Enrique Toledo Rodriquez and his assistant, Viggo Ross, to create a mold for the new device. Paul Boe, who has been involved from the beginning, will travel to La Paz in late August to meet with Jesus and correct the problem.  

So what began as a special Christmas gift given by countless friends and strangers to a fishing captain who has spent 63 of his 77 years fishing in a small Baja village, has continued ‘paying it forward’, and a trip for one of the givers, Greg Birkholz, evolved into a continuing good Samaritan adventure for both old and new volunteers who graciously continue to donate their time and talents to help others.  This is the best of the best!