Reader Questions Driving Time

On some trips I have more time to stop and smell the cactus.


In the letters to the Editor column last issue,
Dear Gary,

I read with incredulity your account of driving from the border to
Mulege in one day. I’m a 78 year old Baja traveler, who has made
this trip numerous
times, and rather than writing a letter to WON challenging your
assertion, I want to ask how fast you traveled in the open road, 60,
70, 80 mph?

It’s about 615 miles from the border to Mulege, and you say you
started “in the gray”, which I translate as first light. On October
28, that’s about 6:30 AM at the earliest. You say you arrived in
“late afternoon”. Let’s say that’s 5:30 PM, which I think is
generous, but let’s go with it. That gives you 11 hours to make 615
miles, or an average of 56 miles an hour.

The best I’ve done in one day is Guerrero Negro. Admittedly, I always
stopped for breakfast and lunch, and an occasional potty stop, but
still I’m flummoxed by your trip. Even saying you only stopped once
for fuel and never for anything else, you still had to navigate
through slow areas like TJ, Ensenada, Maneadero, Colonet, San
Quintin, El Rosario, Guerrero Negro and the Santa Rosalia Grade, plus
Santa Rosalia itself, a pretty slow slog. And, what about the
military stops to check for guns and drugs?

You’ve got to clarify how you did this. If inexperienced Baja
travelers think they can do anything approaching your feat, there
will be a lot more mini shrines along the road.

Best regards,

Bill, San Diego

Here is my answer:

Bill

I have been driving Mex 1 since it opened in the early seventies. I have no idea of the number of times I have driven it which seems odd since as you will see I keep pretty detailed records of my trips.

Not all my trips are destination oriented where I need to be somewhere at a certain time and on those trips I have more time to stop and smell the cactus. The biggest negative of a trip that is destination oriented and time is of the essence, is that I don't take the time to take photos or visit with friends.

I don't advocate anyone driving above their comfort level on Mex 1 or for that matter on any other highway.

I try to time my crossings to take advantage of the traffic, hence the early morning. When I first began driving Mex 1, I crossed earlier but now restrict my driving to daylight hours. The result is little or limited traffic in Tijuana and I am usually past Maneadero before the locals in Ensenada are stirring and I usually get through San Quintin after the buses and trucks that transport workers are on the road.

I know where every curve, every town and even every pothole (almost) is located. This makes a big difference in how I drive. I choose the opportunity to pass other cars carefully. As an example on the straight stretch south of Santo Tomas after the' topes' and before going up the grade, it is important to pass any trucks along that stretch. If not, you will go up the grade slowly behind a struggling semi-truck. There are many other similar situations that can have a definite impact on the driving time. You mentioned Military checkpoints, my experience is that they seldom inspect southbound travelers, but as I travel frequently, I'm often waved through.

As far as fuel stops are concerned, my one-ton, self contained van carries ample fuel, and I only make three fuel stops on the way down. I do not have to make stops for anything but fuel. I seldom stop at a station that has a line of cars waiting.
Because I carry with me all the conveniences of home, I don't have to stop for breakfast, lunch or whatever, which probably saves several hours.

Your time to drive to Guerrero Negro is about right considering your breakfast and lunch stops, and an occasional potty stop. I arrived at Gro. Negro at 2:30 p.m. so if you factor in your stops, we were not that far apart.
I have included two tables for that trip: one that lists my fuel stops and times and a second that is a record of the "Find Me Spot" reports posted on my blog. Note: At Viscaino I didn't take a full tank as they would not give me the full peso to dollar rate.

Trip Fuel Stops

10/28/2009
Rosarito Beach 6:30

San Quintin 10:00

Viscaino 2:45
Santa Rosalia 4:30


Find Me Spot Report

10/28/2009 6:13 0-7378327 32.54074 -117.049 Border
10/28/2009 7:25 0-7378327 31.90313 -116.732 Ensenada Toll Gate
10/28/2009 10:21 0-7378327 30.42571 -115.881 Maneadero
10/28/2009 12:09 0-7378327 29.72609 -114.712 Catavina
10/28/2009 14:23 0-7378327 27.96645 -114.012 Guerrero Negro
10/28/2009 17:18 0-7378327 26.88578 -111.951 Mulege


He responded to my reply;

Gary, What can I say? You've convinced me it can be done. I thought you had made a factual mistake in your account. Thanks for the details, and my hat is off to you. Like you, I love to "smell the cactus". I'll sometimes just pull off the road and hike into the desert.
Glad to hear you don't drive at night; that livestock can be rough on your vehicle.
Best regard,
Bill B

Three Weeks on the Road

John Yancey, San Clemente, CA landed this whopper while I was at Lopez Mateos.

My latest Baja adventure began when I crossed the Tijuana border at gray light on October 28^th. Aside from stopping for fuel, I kept the ‘pedal to the metal’ and by late afternoon I crossed the bridge over the Santa Rosalia River (also known as the Mulege River). ..the same river where the snook mysteriously reappeared last March after many years of absence.

The effects of Hurricane Jimena that had slammed into the area in early September were still apparent. My usual stopping place, the Hotel Cuesta Real, was still full of mud and was being dug out. Since the hotel no longer had Wi-Fi I needed to find another place to stay.

Mike and Roz Reichner have a home on the river. When I had visited them on my last trip, they were in the middle of restoring their house after it had been six feet under water. They emailed me a few days earlier to report Roz’s early morning encounter with a small snook in her nightgown! I decided to stop and hear first-hand about her snook! During dinner they confirmed my often quoted line ‘by the time you hear about a Baja snook, it’s too late.’ And it’s true. Invariably by the time the news travels very far, the bite is over.

Midday the following day, I picked up a Tel Cel 3G USB card from my friend in Lopez Mateos that would allow me to connect to the Internet anywhere there was cellular service. Unbelievably, I only had to pay $30 pesos a day (less than $3.00 U.S.).

My second night, I stayed at Theresa Comber’s East Cape RV. Theresa also owns a two local charter boats. Over dinner that night, she entertained me with stories of her adventures as a female entrepreneur in Baja and she brought me up to date on the current East Cape fishing conditions.

The following day, I stopped by La Playita to visit Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas. As we talked there was a steady parade of pangas unloading both large tuna and wahoo. As Eric and several helpers hung a 180+ pound tuna on the certified scale he commented, “We have been seeing huge tuna every day for the past few weeks. Yesterday we had a 247 pounder.” Needless to say that was exciting news for WON’s Tuna Tournament.

I checked in at Tesoro Hotel, where the WON staff was based, and I picked Yvonne up from the airport that afternoon.

For the next two days, Pat McDonell led the WON team consisting of Mike Packard, Rich Holland, Judy Passerello, Carolynn Collett, Jonathan Roldan and wife Jill, Chuck and Rhonda Buhagiar, Mike and Andrea Bohn, Gary and Yvonne Graham and Kit McNear in preparing for the big event.

Seeing the 383 pound tuna that shook Cabo was an exciting event. Crowds suddenly appeared to watch the unloading of this huge fish. That was the biggest, fattest cow of a tuna that I had ever seen in my entire life…a definite WOW! Thanks to everyone’s help the 11th Yamaha/Western Outdoor News Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot lived up to its motto fish hard, party harder and the event was an over- the-top success!

During the tournament, Kit McNear whispered to me about the snook snap going on in La Paz Bay. We agreed to meet in La Paz after the tournament and catch a few ourselves. Every time we bumped into each other we smugly nodded, knowing that there was chance for a trophy snook in our future.

When I arrived in La Paz the night before, however, for the planned snook trip, there was a cryptic email from Kit. Trips off… the bite is over!

But I enjoyed a great dinner at Jonathan and Jill Roldan’s Fubar Cantina located right on the Malecon that evening. The meal was outstanding, and the Cantina was hopping with sports enthusiasts who had come for the good food and the Monday Night Football.

Since there are no RV parks in La Paz, I spent the night in my Roadtrek van parked right on the Malecon.

My final stop was Lopez Mateos. There had been no reports of snook so I arrived with no expectations. On the last two days of the trip, we landed SEVEN snook! Smugly, I remembered,“ by the time you hear about a Baja snook it’s too late!”

So if you hurry…

Gary

I can be reached at roadtrekker1@verizon.net

Hillbilly Country Club

When I spotted Barbara Morris, Randy Matz, Fred and Tawnya Stevens sporting t-shirts with Hillbilly Country Club emblazoned across their backs, I knew there had to be a story there.

The Western Outdoor News Tuna Tournament draws some of most interesting and unique competitors. When I spotted Barbara Morris, Randy Matz, Fred and Tawnya Stevens sporting t-shirts with Hillbilly Country Club emblazoned across their backs, I knew there had to be a story there. It was in the branding.

The four were harking from Coalinga, California, which they quickly pointed out was just three miles beyond the ‘cow smell’… 100 miles north of Bakersfield.

Basically they are fresh-water fishermen who spend most of their summers fishing the Wishon Lake in the Sierra foothills. Randy Matz dreamed up the name Hillbilly Country Club and it stuck for them and other friends from Coalinga who fish trout every summer on the lake.

It was also Randy who had read about the WON Tuna Tournament for years. Three years ago, while they fished from a pontoon boat, which they refer to as ‘dry dock’, he mentioned it again. A few beers helped them decide to give the saltwater tournament a try.

Their first year, Team 7 caught a qualifying fish that put them in the lead for nearly an hour before it was replaced by a larger fish. They still felt as though they were winners. Before the event was over they had won enough swag that they needed an extra bag to get the goodies back to Coalinga. Their prizes included Costa Del Mar sunglasses, Reactor watches, Baja Fish Gear and Eat Me Lures. Their pictures were all over the WON paper, and their photos in the promotional ads constantly reminded them to sign up again.

This year was their second WON Tuna tournament. They signed up for the early bird and were given their lucky number 7 again. When I first spotted their t-shirts, I knew that here were some folks who were bound and determined to have a good time. They even had the tournament motto on the sleeves of their shirts, fish hard and party harder!

Day #1 at the weigh-in, I kept watching for them, but they never showed up. They had not gotten the “catch” part of fish harder, but I figured out that they did understand the party harder! When I saw them later that night at the Yokohama Fiesta, they were whooping and hollering like any good hillbilly!

Friday night, we bumped into them at Solomon’s Bar. Not only had they not caught anything to bring to the scale, they hadn’t even won any raffle prizes! Bummer! Though their smiles and laughter convinced me that win or not, they were enjoying this event. When they finished their drinks and headed for the Reactor Squid Roe party, I reassured them tonight would be their night.

Sure enough when I bumped into them early Saturday morning on my way to the Pete Gray Let’s Talk Hookup show, they were quick to show me their three new Reactor watches and Costa Del Mar glasses to go with them.

With high hopes at the final dinner, their goal was to win the Alaska Kingfisher trip. They didn’t win the trip but they did manage to win another Reactor watch…all four had matching wrist jewelry. And they agreed that since they didn’t win the trip, they were going to pay and go anyway.

The Hillbilly Country Club has already decided to return to Cabo for the 12^th Annual WON Tuna Tournament. They are not sure whether it is the fishing, partying, raffles or all the great people they meet during the events, but Team 7 has already booked their boat and are making plans for next year. I can’t wait to the next t-shirts.

Magdalena Bay – a tangy taste of ‘old baja’

Be aware that both ramps have issues when the tide is low

The outstanding offshore fishing in front of Magdalena Bay has taken on almost mythical proportions over the years. From October through December the schools of marlin, wahoo, tuna and dorado are consistently the largest found anywhere in Baja; conversely, the number of boats fishing here is minimal compared to other Baja destinations. With its old Mexico charm still unblemished by tourism and North American influence, Mag Bay has become the topic of many discussions and my email has been filled with questions about this area.

With its popularity growing, each year the number of local boats large enough to access the offshore action comfortably has grown and many yachts traveling to and from Cabo plan their trips each year to take advantage of the outstanding billfish fishery off Magdalena Bay.

Trailer boat access has improved tremendously, attracting more anglers who want to captain their own boats. Both Lopez Mateos and Puerto San Carlos have added new cement ramps which will accommodate larger trailer boats. The recently completed launch ramp and pier in Lopez Mateos is on the southwest side of town (25°11'19.20"N 112°07'00.60"W. In Puerto San Carlos the ramp is located on the southeast side of town (24"47'05.21"N 112"05'37.53"W). Be aware that both have issues when the tide is low.

From Lopez Mateos access to the Pacific through the Boca de Soledad is only five miles from town. However, departing and returning through the Boca (mouth) is not for the faint of heart. It would be wise to either follow another boat through the first few times or hire a local panguero to lead you out.

The channels between the barrier islands are like saltwater rivers and allow everything from tiny baitfish to giant whales to travel in and out of the bay. For those who do not have their sights on offshore fish, inside the bay and the esteros are spotted bay bass, grouper, corvina, sierra, jacks, mangrove snapper, pargo, pompano, halibut and snook.

Ed and Emilia Brennan’s hotel, Hotel Brennan, is the newest hotel in Puerto San Carlos. They offer clean rooms and good service. They will even arrange whale watching or sportfishing for their guests.

Steve Warren’s, Mag Bay Tours, began as a primitive surf camp on Magdalena Island fifteen years ago. In addition to the surfing, whale watching, bay fishing, and eco-tour camps, Steve provides support services for trailer boats visiting the bay. His services include food, fuel, water and lodging.

Bob and Diana Hoyt’s, Magdalena Bay Outfitters, based out of Lopez Mateos, offers rental houses, several boats, including a 26’ catamaran and a 28’ Boston Whaler, for day trips offshore and additional pangas for bay or estero trips. The Hoyts also own Whales Tale Inn, located on the shore of Santa Maria Bay on Mag Bay Island, a five cabin complex providing one of the few places in Baja where you can still ride ATVs to explore the miles of beaches or to fish for roosterfish and other near shore species. These cabins also serve as a jumping off place for faster access to the offshore fishing grounds. They also offer fuel and support services for visiting trailer boats and they have formed partnerships with several larger sportfishing boats for clients who want multi-day charters.

Jeff Petersen’s, Lopez Sportsman‘s Lodge in Lopez Mateos, offers a rental house and pangas, as well as a 28’ aluminum catamaran landing craft for offshore or estero trips.

A welcome addition in Lopez Mateos is the availability of Mexican fishing licenses near the new launch ramp.

On the heels of Olaf and Patricia, this year the marlin season has not yet begun; baitballs which are usually common thus far are missing. The tuna, dorado and skipjack have produced in typical outstanding fashion beginning 8 to 10 miles outside the Boca’s. Fish inside the Esteros, have been easy to come by using the live shrimp purchased from the local commercial panga fleet, but landing the bigger fish is more difficult. Don’t forget the fluorocarbon leader!

For those of you who think that the Baja you originally discovered has vanished, Magdalena Bay will provide you with the tangy taste of ‘old Baja’ that is as intoxicating as an icy margarita.

The Death Valley Surf Casting

The red patch was emblazoned, “THE DEATH VALLEY SURF FISHING CLUB”.

Several years ago I wrote a feature on Tom Miller, Baja legend and author of The Baja Book, first published in 1974. Tom introduced me to the Baja beaches in the mid-seventies and his book became my Baja bible, providing the most up-to-date information at the time about Baja and its beaches. This book, and others he wrote, inspired me to a lifetime of fishing Baja.

A few years later, I attended a Vagabundos del Mar convention in San Diego where I met my Baja fishing heroes which included Tom, Ray Cannon and Burt Twilliger. For a young Baja neophyte like me it was a exciting event, and Tom and I became friends.
Ray Cannon and his tales of Baja California which were published in Western Outdoor News had stimulated Tom’s lifelong interest in Baja. And Tom was elated to be asked to take over the Baja column for WON when Cannon retired in 1977.

For the next 15 years, until his death in 1992, Tom would call, and when I answered, I would hear, “Hey buddy,”…the unmistakable effusive greeting of my Baja buddy, Tom Miller.
”I am going down to Baja for few days to checkout this or that beach. You want to go?” More often than not my answer was an enthusiastic “yes”! Soon we would be on some deserted beach, eating a variety of fresh caught fish while Tom, talking a mile a minute, would tell or retell one Baja story after another.

One night Tom said he had something to show me, and out of his backpack he fished a red patch which was emblazoned with “THE DEATH VALLEY SURF FISHING CLUB”. “This is my new fishing club,” he smugly said, “What do you think? “

I had long forgotten about Tom’s club until I received the following email from his daughter, Diana Miller Johnson, last week:
“You have no idea how wonderful it was to read your 2007 article, Sentimental Journey about one of your fishing trips with my dad, Tom Miller. I found a PDF of it while searching the Internet. What a great surprise! THANK YOU. I loved your last paragraph.”

Was it my imagination, or could I still hear Tom whooping and hollering, an occasional “hookup!” piercing the air? No, it was probably just the sound of the roaring surf….

“I remember Dad speaking of you. May I ask a favor? On your trips to Baja would you occasionally take a pair of cheap rubber flip flops of the kind Dad lived in and leave them high up on a Baja beach. Draw a circle in the sand around them as he usually did. The thought is that someone who frequents that beach and perhaps fishes there would find them and put a few miles on them. And perhaps in that way take Dad on another Baja adventure along with him. It is something I used to do but landlocked now in Arizona I don't get to the beach anymore. “

I am on another of my Baja Roadtreks now, chasing down the snook rumor in Mulege, then on to check out the roosterfish at Magdalena Bay and finally on to the Thetis Bank to cash in on the rumored wahoo snap.

In between all of that, you can bet your sweet bipee that Diana’s request will be honored…often. I have the flip flops onboard and a pair will be deposited on all of the beaches I visit. However, in this Internet era, I can’t resist attaching a note to them with my email address…kind of a Tom Miller Baja version of a “note in a bottle”.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If you are interested in becoming a member of The Death Valley Surf Casting Club, http://deathvalleysurfcastingclub.com/

Gary can be reached at roadtrekker1@verizon.net

Gorilla Season

Heather DeRamus, Richmond, Tx., A lady weighing half its' size and it took her three hours caught this 200 lb yellow fin tuna at the Jaime banks near Cabo San Lucas on the “La Brisa” a 31ft. Bertram in the Pisces sportfishing Fleet

While it is common to hear of football-size to seventy-five pound tuna being caught throughout southern Baja, it is seldom that reports from the entire lower half of the peninsula are peppered with accounts of the triple-digit, monster-sized yellowfin tuna. Recently however, from East Cape to the tip of Cabo, encounters with these behemoths (sometimes dubbed as gorilla’s for both their size and tenacity), have been reported.

Just seeing these golf-cart-sized fish air borne, chasing small flying fish down, is a sight that you will never forget. Birds crashing, spinner or spotted porpoise darting to and fro, and large tuna leaping…this is exciting stuff…a run and gun experience that will provide a bigger rush than that third cup of Starbucks.

Big or not, these huge fish are as skittish as a Mexican jumping bean and will disappear as more and more boats converge on them, so if you get to the party late, your only reward will probably be watching anglers on other boats being railed by fish larger than they are.
Many are hooked but few are landed simply because the under-gunned angler’s tackle is not up to the task. Tackle should be outfitted with a minimum of sixty pound line, or better yet eighty if you hope to land one. Fluorocarbon wound on leaders with circle hooks and a good harness are also a must.

The most successful technique is to fling the largest live bait you have in the tank in front of the traveling porpoise. Leave your reel in free spool and use your thumb to slow the swimming bait. When the bait is picked up let the fish run and then throw the reel in gear and hang on. The intensity of the first run is just a prelude to the battle before you. Tackle and angler failure are not uncommon in what can quickly become an extended battle. Dead boating a large tuna swimming in elliptical circles is far tougher than fighting one that is being forced to swim by keeping the boat moving forward ever so slightly.

There are few fish in the ocean that are as tenacious as a giant tuna and will require all the strength and will to win that you can muster. Those who are successful will barely be able to join in the celebration of the catch because of exertion.

Recently Mark Rayor, owner of Vista Sea Sports, landed a 201 pound tuna near his home at East Cape. “When I saw the tuna inhale the live horrilito,” Mark said, “I knew we were in for a fight. On its first run, it took the 80 pound spectra down to where I could see the arbor on the spool of the Accurate reel. We had the fish to gaff after about five hours, but missed the opportunity. It took another three hours more to get another shot at it. We had the drag down so tight it took both hands for us to pull the 60 pound mono off of reel after we landed the fish. The reel got really hot, but the drag pressure never changed and the drags never got jerky.”
“Remind me never to do that again without a harness,” he added.

Another recent success story is the “Sultan of Spring”, 87-year-old Togo Hazard from San Diego, CA, who was featured in this column last year. Still going strong, last week Togo was on his boat, the Dottie B, and landed a respectable 158 pound fish near Gordo Bank.

The 11th annual WON/Yamaha Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot is just around the corner on November 4th through November 7th! With the Gorillas already on the scene, this should be a good time to make a quick trip to Los Cabos to get in a little practice before the event. There is a special Early Bird Entry offer of $15,000…deadline Oct. 9.

Baja Bush Pilots Begin Disaster Relief

Taking aim at the midsection of Baja, beginning at Magdalena Bay and up to San Ignacio, it literally reduced a number of towns and villages to ruble.

Jack McCormick and the Baja Bush Pilots were among the first to respond to the disaster.

The images of the villages, homes and roads after Hurricane Jimena made its way across the Baja Peninsula reflect some of the most severe devastation that I have ever seen in all my years in Baja. Once Jimena passed the tip of Baja, leaving only rain and minor damage, many dismissed it as the hurricane that couldn’t shoot straight.

But Jimena wasn’t finished. Taking aim at the midsection of Baja, beginning at Magdalena Bay and up to Santa Rosalia it literally reduced a number of towns and villages to ruble.

Jack McCormick and the Baja Bush Pilots were among the first to respond to the disaster. Jack is the publisher of the Airports of Mexico flying guide. His work with the Mexican Government takes him from Baja California to Mexico City and sometimes as far south as Panama. Following in his father’s footsteps, he leads trips of pilots on amazing adventures as they explore Mexico and areas farther south. Jack and his mission are clearly unmatched; his efforts have made flying south of the border simpler for other pilots.

Jack and a few other BBP members flew down on September 4th, taking photos and getting a first-hand look at the damage to the area. After four days of assessing the needs of the towns and villages hard hit by Jimena, they worked out the logistics to the areas affected before they returned on September 9th.

“Our first two days were spent working with the Mexican Red Cross and flying the workers throughout the region to determine what items were needed. Then we spent the following two days working out the logistics for setting up headquarters for receiving, sorting and distributing the items throughout the area.” Jack stated.

The Red Cross determined that the greatest needs are in a box-like area encompassing more than 12,000 square miles beginning around Lopez Mateos north to Campo Rene on the Pacific side, then across to Santa Rosalia, and then north to just above Mulege. In addition to the major villages, the small villages and ranches located within the area were another major concern as all land access is cut off for most of them.

The Governor of Baja Sur and the President of Baja Sur Red Cross both requested the assistance of the Baja Bush Pilots in developing a plan for distributing the Red Cross survival food and water to those trapped in remote areas. They also requested the assistance of the BBP members in delivering other items such as tarps and medical items.

Baja Bush Pilots have enlisted the help of other member volunteers who will be arriving to help with the unloading and distribution of emergency supplies. The first group is scheduled be in Mulege Friday and with the help of locals, they will start receiving and distributing the donated items.

They are planning an airlift beginning on Friday, September 11th and continuing for the following ten days, or longer if necessary. They have 50 fixed wing aircraft and five helicopters that have already been volunteered to assist in this rescue effort. As of this writing, they have deployed ten medical evacuations for people injured as a result of Jimena.

In southern California and the southwest U.S., the Baja Bush Pilots have coordinated with Cruz Roja and the Baja California Civil Protection agency, and they are now flying down emergency medical supplies.
If you are interested in supporting this effort, the Baja Bush Pilots are looking for the following items: Basic first aid and OTC medical supplies, cooking pans, utensils, camp tents, plastic tarps, rope, flashlights, lanterns with batteries, cloth shoes, clothing, blankets, light bedding and of course, cash donations. After the roads open, heavier items will be sought for donation and carried by truck to help rebuild the homes.

To volunteer your help with their airlift efforts, email Jimena disaster relief coordinator, Jack McCormick at Jack@BajaBushPilots.com or visit http://www.bajabushpilots.com/ (480) 730-3250 .