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The
Issue: Meat Packing/Transportation
Comments: BRING ZIPLOCK FREEZER BAGS. Bring a lot of them.
Also bring a permanent magic marker. These are probably the number
one and two forgotten items.
For those new to Baja big-game fishing, the following is how the
meat game works. At the end of each day your fish are transported
from the boat to a cleaning house (the Fly-Hut). You mark your
room number on plastic bags and give them to the fish cleaners
who hack your fish into manageable hunks and put them into your
pre-marked bags. The bags are then loaded onto trays and eventually
locked up in the Hotel’s freezers.
There is one slight problem with the system. How to put this delicately?
Punta Colorada seems to exist somewhere near a dimensional anomaly.
This anomaly lies directly on the path taken by the resort employees
who transport your fish from the Fly Hut to the meat lockers.
It has been known to alter mass itself. So much so, that the filets
from a 300 pound Tuna may only amount to 25 or 30 pounds by the
time they reach the freezers...
OK, so I exaggerate (just a little). But pilferage has sometimes
been a problem in the past. Most of us are willing to overlook
a limited amount of this sort of thing, seeing as how some of
the workers probably depend upon the sale of "borrowed"
fillets for their livelihoods. The sad fact is that fish thievery
has on occasion occurred on a scale exceeding what most of us
consider to be reasonable. Consider carrying your own fish to
the freezers. If you’re feeling socially ill at ease at reducing
the take-home pay of your processors, you can always do as I do
and donate one or two of your extra fish as a tip (when I’ve
actually caught any fish, that is).
Another benefit of managing meat from cradle to grave is reduced
spoilage. Sometimes when the fishing is too good, the Fly Hut
boys can’t keep up with the workload. This happened in 1996
and many of us found upon thawing fish at home that most of our
Tuna (a fish with delicate flesh) had spoiled from prolonged exposure
to the heat.
If you decide against leaving your fish at the Hut and taking
your chances, you have two options. You can either clean your
fish at sea before you land or stand by while the fish cleaners
do their work in the Hut, and then carry your own meat to the
lockers. Cleaning fish at sea is a practice that is more often
than not unsupported by the boat crews. If you go this route anyway,
read up on the Mexican fishing laws to ensure that you do it Legally.
I will not quote Mexican laws because I have no interest in retaining
any liability if a misquote or typo results in your landing in
"agua caliente", but be advised that they do have regulations
that address fish cleaning. The last time I looked there was a
stipulation requiring fishermen to leave a patch of skin of a
specified size on each fillet to enable identification of species.
I heartily recommend obeying all Mexican laws while in country;
you can find up to date listings of their fishing regulations
on the web.
Another way to help preserve your fish is to use a vacuum packer.
If you have one, this is unquestionably the best way to pack fish,
but requires a little dedication. You’ll be squatting on
the floor of your cabaña packing bags of fish while your
buddies are engaged in the "post-fishing belly-up-to-the-bar
ritual" traditionally followed after a day at sea. (Back
to list)
The Issue: Coolers
Comments: Of course you’ll need a cooler to pack your
catch home in. I’d recommend no less than a 48 quart, unless
you’re not a fish eater, or are severely limited on freezer
space.
Airline regulations dictate maximum bag size, but I believe that
a 72-quart is the upper end without chancing added oversized bag
fees. Keep in mind that if you have connecting flights and must
carry your bags through customs before checking in to your subsequent
flight you may incur additional fees at each check-in.
You’ll also need packing tape, the kind with embedded fibers
is the best, but duct tape will also do. Your cooler will have
to be securely sealed for the return trip. Don’t skimp on
this item or you may be inadvertently sharing your catch with
everyone else that checked a bag onto your flight. I personally
prefer to use a liberal amount of packing tape overlain with duct
tape to provide a better liquid seal. (Back to
list)
The Issue: Bar Tabs
Comments: Each and every year there is minor mayhem on
the last day of our stay when the bar/room tabs are handed out.
There has been speculation in the past, mostly by guys insisting,
"I couldn’t have drunk THAT much", that creative
accounting is employed by the bar keeps. Whether or not this is
true, I’d recommend that you simply don’t put drinks
on your room tab. If you do, then be prepared to take it like
a man and pony up your share on the day of reckoning. IT IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH ROOM TO SETTLE ITS’ OWN TAB. Talk
to your roommates and come to an agreement ahead of time as to
whether or not you will put any drinks onto your tab.
[TIP: Bring lots of small bills (US is the standard). If you
want a drink and the bartender doesn’t have correct change
(a regular occurrence), they will put that drink on your room
tab.] (Back to list)
The Issue: What Else
Will I Need To Shell Money Out For?
Comments: All your transportation to and from your home
and home airport is your responsibility. Transport to and from
PC and Los Cabos Airport is provided for in the price of the trip,
although you should expect to shell out a few dollars in tips
to the driver each way. For this and the numerous other reasons
listed in this article, I reiterate the need to carry small bills.
Lunches on the boats are included while drinks are not. Each night
your crew (you and three others who will be sharing a boat) will
have to order the number and types of drinks and choice of lunch
you require for the following day’s fishing.Drinks for the
boat usually cost something like $1.50 per beer, $1.00 per soda,
and $.75 per water. Keep track of your daily boat orders, they
wind up on your room tab. I bring a small pocketsize notebook
with me just for this purpose and record all ordered items when
I order them.
[TIP: All the bottles of beer/soda/water you bought the night
before will be in a cooler loaded onto your boat each morning
by Hotel staff. At the end of the day you may forget to remove
unopened bottles to take with you. Don’t expect to find much
left in this cooler the next day. Make a point of taking your
remaining drinks with you at the end of each day, or of specifically
telling the Captain that you want them saved!]
Each boat is equipped with trolling rods for your use. The rods
are generally stout 4 - to 5- foot all roller sticks coupled with
Penn Senators. Some of the boats now sport Penn Internationals,
although these craft are in the minority. Light tackle is not
provided. If you bring only one rod and reel I’d recommend
something 20 or 25 pound test class. Cast ability is a plus, but
not always a necessity. Many times you just want to be able to
drop live bait back to schooling tuna or dorado that aren’t
big enough to put up a fight on the boat gear.
At the beginning of each day your cruiser will dock alongside
the bait boat and load up for the day’s fishing. For Billfish,
Pargo, and Roosterfish you will want large baits, primarily (Mackerel
and Cabalito). Sardines are great bait for Tuna and other species
(when available). It’s best to discuss this with your boat
mates beforehand so you can tell the Mate what you want to fish
for and how much of each bait for him to convey to the bait guys.
The mackerel size bait usually goes for about $2 apiece, the sardines
run about $5 or $10 per scoop. I usually get four to six Mackerel
and a scoop or two of sardines depending upon the size of the
bait tank on the boat. Limit your bait based upon the size of
the tank. Most of the older cruisers we use have smaller bait
tanks and mortality can be excessively high in a crowded tank.
The distances sometimes involved between areas where different
species are caught make it advantageous to form a plan ahead of
time and try to stick to it. For instance, if you are going for
big Bills, you’ll likely be making a long run off shore,
a decision that precludes fishing for any of the near shore species.
To do this you might opt for big baits only. For fishing closure
to home or for mixed bag fishing you might stock both large and
small baits to enhance your flexibility.
At the end of each day you are also expected to tip the Captain
and Mate. This one is entirely up to you, although I will suggest
that you consider how hard they work for you when reaching into
your pockets. They have only so much control over how many fish
you catch. If the fish aren’t biting well, but the crew keep
trying hard and exhausting every available resource in trying
to get you on fish then please reward them. I also suggest added
rewards for boating large fish or on days of plenty. Lastly keep
in mind that if you tie into that fish of a lifetime and end up
at sea into the night, a very large tip is traditionally awarded
to the crew(s) that support your efforts. (Back
to list)
Issue: I have my own
big game rods and reels, what should I bring?
Comments: If you plan on using all of your own gear, I
recommend four or five full big game trolling rod/reel rigs in
the 50 to 80 pound class. A "drop-back" rig with 40
to 80 pound line is also ideal for casting live bait to Billfish
on the surface as well as to breezing or breaking Tuna. I also
recommend three smaller rigs (15 to 25 pound class) per boat to
cast sardines and chunk bait to anything from Dorado to Roosters.
A note on light tackle: I don’t care how "tough"
your salmon or steelhead rod is it is not suitable for this type
of fishing. I have seen two expensive rods of this class go home
in more pieces than they arrived in and have heard of many more.
Choose solid glass or graphite blank rods that are built for near
shore fishing and are capable of handling Tuna up to 30 or 40
pounds. (Back to list)
Issue: I have my own
tackle, what should I bring?
Comments: The boats provide you with basics. You will have
a quality fishing experience whether or not you bring your personal
arsenal along. There are, however, several items that may enhance
your rate of success. In addition to this there is that certain
feeling of gratification produced when a big fish is caught on
your lure.
Skirted lures, cedar plugs and "Marauder" type lures
are carried on the boats in a wide assortment of colors and reasonable
selection of sizes. They do not carry Rapalas, swim baits or surface
plugs and in my experience carry only a small selection of hoochies
if they have any at all.
Hi-5 Custom Lures of Cabo San Lucas are a long time sponsor of
this event. Owner Ken Matney lives in Cabo and fishes the area
with regularity. His finger is on the pulse of the region and
he knows better than most what patterns are hot. For those interested
you can correspond with him via phone or email (phone is sometimes
difficult) and have him build you a few lures to add to your selection.
He will personalize the lure with your name or other short text
at no additional charge. While shipping from Cabo to the U.S.
is difficult, he will have a boot set up at the tournament where
you can either pick up lures ordered ahead of time or have a hot
pattern made overnight.
Although successful trolling lure patterns and colors change with
changing conditions, the most widely used on the East Cape are:
black/green (Mean Joe Green), black/purple, Green/Yellow (Dorado),
green/yellow w/red (bleeding Dorado), yellow/orange, yellow/orange
w/red, pink or pink/white, brown/orange (petrolero), green/red/white
(Mexican flag). Others work as well, but those above have been
the most often successful for me over the years I’ve fished
southern Baja.
I carry a myriad of hoochies in a rainbow of colors. They are
cheap and easy to make and can sometimes be the only item being
bit, as happened when the big Tuna were in back in ’99. Many
rods were bowed and the Tuna category was won with cheap blue
K-Mart hoochies passed around by Tim Tyler.
I like Rapalas in the mullet, mackeral, purple/black, and fire
tiger patterns. I don’t bring and rrarely use Mauraders or
hoo-bombs because Wahoo are not typically present in large numbers
during July.
I like to bring my own hooks. Popular hook sizes in my bag are:
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9/0-11/0 live bait hooks
as well as 14/0 circle hooks for Bills, Rooster and Pargo.
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2/0-4/0 live bait hooks as
well as 4/0-6/0 circle hooks for Sails, Dorado and Tuna.
-
#1, #2 and 1/0-2/0 live bait
hooks for school sized Tuna, Dorado and smaller inshore species.
Other items of use are ball-bearing
swivels with coast lock or other snaps for trolling lures and
ball-bearing barrel swivels for slow trolling live bait. The boats
stock them, but I bring my own, anyway. I use minimum 250-pound
sized swivels.
Small rubber core or egg sinkers are also very useful when you
have to get bait down to the fish. Regular barrel swivels are
also nice to have when using the egg sinkers.
Lastly, I bring fluorocarbon leader material in sizes ranging
from 20 pound to 180-pound test. I don’t expect everyone
to stock leader like this, but sometimes a little less visibility
can make the difference when you’re trying to get bit by
a fish who isn’t quite sold.
Feel free to check with us via email or phone if you have questions
on whether or not your equipment is adequate. (Back
to list)
Issue: Snorkeling/Spear-fishing
Comments: The rocks directly in front of the compound are
a pretty cool little dive. You can find all manner of colorful
sea critters there. The night dives are even more spectacular.
We routinely find moray eel, needlefish and the occasional lobster
on our after dark forays.
The best thing about the rocks is their easy accessibility. They
range in depth from the surf line to about fifteen feet deep.
Most of the sea-life is found at between four and ten feet below
surface, making it very reachable for novice snorkelers.
Spear fishing is allowed in Mexican waters provided that you have
a valid Mexican fishing license. Keep in mind that you can only
hunt with hand or band-powered devices. Hunt the rocks if you
want, but unless you have a major hankering for Triggerfish and
Parrotfish you’ll probably be satisfied with the amount of
Gamefish that you’ll put away with rod and reel.
The Hotel Punta Colorada does not provide snorkeling equipment,
so you’ll need to bring your own gear if you want to see
what swims. You’ll need a mask that fits you, a snorkel,
and fins. I’d recommend getting fitted for a mask at a dive
shop. A well fitted mask saves you the hassle of lugging gear
all the way down there, only to find that you can’t see anything
through the waterworks running inside the glass. Most dive shops
will also rent gear if you don’t plan on using it enough
to purchase it.
I also heartily recommend a dive light. During the day, a light
allows you to see what’s hiding beneath the rocks. At night,
you’ll be amazed at how much you can see just by floating
on the surface and scanning the bottom.
We’ve occasionally encountered stinging plankton at night
when the wind blows toward the shore, so if you want go out after
dark bring dive-skins (a light synthetic material body suit usually
worn beneath wet-suits for added warmth and comfort) if you have
them. Don’t worry if you don’t, the stinging plankton
aren’t that common, or that bad (you can always just get
out of the water!).
(Back to list)
The Issue: Scorpions
& Black Widow Spiders
Comments: Yes, there are poisonous scorpions and black
widow spiders afoot around the compound. Unless you look for them
you aren’t too likely to encounter them, but they are there
and do make an occasional appearance.
They are both primarily nocturnal. Although black widows possess
a potent toxin that can be life threatening under the right circumstances,
the scorpions that we have encountered are not especially venomous
to our knowledge. Even though there are plenty of both around,
It took years of fishing at Punta before I saw either. Having
said that I can pretty well find them at will after dark now that
I know where to look for them.
None of us have ever been bitten by a widow and only one of us
has been stung by a scorpion over the past eleven years of the
F.R.E.D. It happened in ‘97 when our illustrious president
Kevin Krause sat down on top of the low rock wall separating the
bar area from the slope that goes down to the beach. Apparently,
he parked his large keister on top of one. According to Kevin,
it was like a nasty wasp sting. The scorpion, I’m sure, tells
an entirely different story...
Scorpions are cold-blooded creatures, and are attracted to heat.
They are drawn to this rock wall that runs the length of the compound
border with the beach for the warmth that radiates from it into
the night. As it so happens, this wall is also a particularly
popular spot for us Gringos to sit upon to enjoy the evening air
and ocean view. Be warned.
You can also periodically find scorpions in shoes. This adds an
interesting facet of risk to donning footwear. I’m not that
adventurous, so I wear sandals. Sandals don’t collect scorpions,
and in my opinion, are much more versatile for the Baja lifestyle.
You will find yourself repeatedly going from rock and concrete
floors to the beach, to the water, and back. You will also have
to wade through water getting into and out of the small pangas
(outboard motor boats) that take you to and from the fishing cruisers.
If you find that you absolutely have to wear shoes or sneakers,
make sure you remember to give them a good shaking out before
putting them on.
I’ve only found black widows at the downslope base of the
rock wall where nobody needs to be at night, anyway. There has
been never been a member report of a widow sighting anywhere else
at Punta over our long and happy history there. Basically keep
within the confines of the compound or the beach at night (do
NOT stray off of the stairs that lead to the beach), stay out
of the desert and avoid the rock wall and you stand a very low
risk of encountering poisonous pests. (Back to
list)
The Problem: Packing
too many clothes
The Solution: Although any that have been once have this
one down, I included it for the newcomers.
You will notice something immediately upon exiting your jet upon
arrival in Cabo: It’s hot. It’s very hot. You will have
absolutely no use for anything more than shorts and light T-shirts.
Trust me on this. The nighttime temperature isn’t much cooler,
so don’t think you’ll need a light jacket or sweater,
although you may need one to get to and from your home airport.
In my eight years of doing this event., I’ve found that two
or three pairs of shorts suitable for wear into or out of the
water, three T-shirts suitable for fishing and drinking (remember
you’ll also be getting a tournament T-shirt on arrival),
two pairs of socks (one for arriving and one for departing), a
pair of decent shorts and shirt (for same), and a sweatshirt (for
same) are more than adequate. I limit my footwear to a pair of
sandals. If you’re Cabo bound on the last night, I ain’t
your mother, so don’t expect me to dress you...
Although a new building was added last year and we have been told
that the facility now sports a swimming pool, Punta Colorada is
in no way, shape or form a luxury hotel. Hemmingway fished here
and the resort is one of the first that was built on the East
Cape. Until the aforementioned additions not much had changed
since Earnest went to Baja. Don’t expect any in-room amenities
or extras besides a bed, blanket, a towel, and hand soap. Bring
all toiletry items you might find necessary. They do have a small
store in the front office that sells most necessary items as well
as souvenir hats and clothing and a few tackle items, so don’t
panic if you forget common items.
(Back to list)
The Issue: How much baggage can I pack?
Will I be billed for an extra bag if I check one and also bring
a rod carrier and cooler? What are the weight restrictions?
The Solution (?): To begin with, airline travel is arranged
for individually by each participant and all liability for you
and your baggage remains with you! I travel fairly extensively
for sporting endeavors and am usually able to get one bag, one
cooler and a rod or gun case onto a plane without added charge.
This is not always the case, and I have also been charged as much
as $75 additional per leg.
You must also think about how heavy your bags will be both coming
and going. Fortunately, your inbound baggage should be light and
the airlines leaving Mexico have been traditionally lax about
bag weight (a potential issue when your cooler may be full of
fish and ice). Having said all this, I recommend that each of
you contact your airline and comply with their baggage regulations
or be prepared to pay the overages. (Back to list)
The Issue: What is there to do in Punta Colorada
besides fishing and drinking?
Comments: Your limited options include snorkeling, swimming,
beach combing, beach walking, beach jogging (only Jim Ferrell
is crazy enough to jog in 95 degree weather) beach strolling,
reading, napping, contemplating your purpose in life, studying
bar-room Spanglish, counting scorpions, chasing wild Mexican cows
(see Jim Ferrell), studying the local desert flora and fauna,
and rehashing old fishing yarns. (Back to list)
The Question: What about
going to Cabo?
Comments: Although not a part of the F.R.E.D., a few of the
more adventurous make the two-hour drive into Cabo San Lucas each
year on the last night. I only mention this that you might plan
on bringing suitable clothes if this is your gig. Those intent
on sampling the Cabo party life usually leave after fishing on
Saturday afternoon, stay at a cheap hotel in town, and raise hell
for a few hours. Amazingly enough, no one has yet been arrested
there (or foolishly admitted it to any of us). Some have, however,
been mugged (ask Steve Gately) and/or have had to sleep on the
beach because they couldn’t find their way back to their
room...
Your bus transfers do not include this trip so plan on paying
for taxi service for the long ride to Cabo. Keep in mind that
you’ll also have to make arrangements for someone to cart
your fish and gear to the airport for you on Sunday. I have never
gone, but it sounds like a real "green-liver" hoedown.
Personally, I’d rather stick around and catch more fish on
Sunday!
Be aware that the award presentation (open bar party) is held
on Saturday evening a few of hours after fishing. If you leave
for Cabo early you’ll miss this and it’ll be all the
more margaritas for the rest of us! (Back to list)
The Problem: I’m
sharing a room with a person(s) who snores:
The Solution: You’ll be sleeping two to four to a room,
so I’d recommend you bring some hearing protection if you
are a light sleeper. Disposable earplugs, the kind you wear at
the gun range, are ideal. These cheap little beauties have salvaged
me many a night of sleep that would otherwise have been lost to
the high decibel nasal trumpeting of a bunkmate. (Back
to list)
Carpe Mollusca!
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