Pete Thomas Outdoors

'Ranch' hand a master at catching roosterfish from the beach

Baja California's East Cape region is special for many reasons. It's tranquil and remote. The desert landscape is beautiful and sunrises, over the vast Sea of Cortez, are often spectacular.

(Note: A version of this story apears on the GrindTv.com Outdoor channel)

But the region also is special because of an exotic-looking type of game fish that thrives along its shores: roosterfish, or pez gallo. This is the "Roosterfish Capital of the World," and during a recent visit it became apparent that Gary Barnes-Webb, a former professional hunter from South Africa, is the undisputed roosterfish king.

Barnes-Webb is general manager at Rancho Leonero, a secluded bluff-top resort named after the late wildlife cinematographer Gil Powell, or "the one who knows lions." The "Ranch," as it's referred to by regulars, is reachable from the highway via a long dirt road that traverses a desert in which horses and cattle range among towering cactus.

Roosterfish are like lions only in that they generally prowl in small groups. They're often visible from shore, their comb-like dorsal fins slicing through the water as they herd sardines and mullet. They sometimes chase these fish onto the sand. John Ireland, Rancho Leonero's owner, bought the spread decades ago after witnessing this unique spectacle.

Visitors are mostly Baja adventurers and fishermen. Anglers typically target marlin, tuna, and dorado offshore, but set aside a day or two to fish for roosterfish and jack crevalle, their close relatives, from aboard skiffs or cruisers.

(Roosterfish are caught only for sport, as their flesh is dark and oily, and because almost all of them are released, the fishery remains robust.)

Barnes-Webb prefers to "hunt" roosters from the beach, in his ATV. Like the roosters, the hunter first seeks schooling bait fish, which he catches with a cast net and places in a bucket, then he looks for the roosters in the emerald-green water in which they teem.

"There are two ways to fish," he says. "You either let the fish come to you, which is what you do in a boat, or you go after them, which is what I do from the beach."

Barnes-Webb had recently hosted pro golfer Nick Price, during a brief period when large roosters seemed to be everywhere, and were being caught at up to about 80 pounds by anglers aboard boats (the world record is a 114-pound specimen caught north of the East Cape in 1960).

Price landed and released a 65-pound rooster (pictured in second image).

During this expedition finding bait and, thus, finding roosterfish, was more challenging, but Barnes-Webb is persistent. He and two guests (including this reporter) roamed the coastline for parts of three days, finding enough bait to catch two or three fish per day.

We encountered ospreys, horses, cows, and pelicans, but the only people were sporadic groups of locals on the beach, and fly fishermen on ATVs, being guided by Jeff DeBrown. DeBrown said his clients can handle fish up to about 60 pounds, but larger fish are too powerful to be caught from a stationary position on the beach.

Fly anglers do surprisingly well, Barnes-Webb says, but not nearly as well as someone possessing live bait.

"Why try to fake them out with something artificial when you can give them what they want?" the roosterfish hunter explained.

Among the catches were a 29-pound jack crevalle, a couple of smaller jacks, and five or six roosterfish, all of which made for entertaining bar chat back at the Ranch.

-- Pete Thomas

Photos (top to bottom): Gary Barnes-Webb with roosterfish, Nick Price, Gary and Scott Thomas cruising in ATV, Scott with giant jack crevalle. Credit: Pete Thomas

Potential world record yellowfin tuna caught off Cabo San Lucas, could be worth $1 million

A giant yellowfin tuna, a potential world record possibly worth $1 million, was caught Tuesday off Cabo San Lucas.

Guy Yocom of Dana Point, Calif., landed the  behemoth aboard his 61-foot yacht, El Suertudo (The Lucky One), about 180 miles south of the resort city at Baja California's tip.

Yocom, 55, said in a phone interview that the fish was weighed twice on certified scales. One weight was 421 pounds and the other was 427.5 pounds. The angler is having the scales delivered to San Diego for calibration to determine an official weight.

Both weights are heavier than the current all-tackle world record, a 405-pound yellowfin caught in 2010 off Magdalena Bay, north of Cabo San Lucas.

That angler was Mike Livingston, who was aboard the San Diego-based long-range vessel Vagabond. Livingston's record broke a record that had stood for 33 years.

Tracy Ehrenberg, who runs Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, was first to break the story about Yocom's catch with quotes and precise details. She was in touch with Yocom shortly after El Suertudo, skippered by Greg DiStefano, pulled into port Wednesday morning.

Yocom said his group of seven anglers and crew had been targeting huge tuna in the hope of winning a prize in the "Hook a Million" contest offered by Mustad hook company. The contest, which runs through the end of September, pays $1 million to the angler who sets the first new International Game Fish Assn. record during the contest window.

Of course, the record still has to be approved but Yocom said his group followed IGFA regulations to the letter. Also, since the $1 million is paid over a 50-year period, the prestigious all-tackle world record, if approved, is the most rewarding aspect of his catch.

"I didn't realize what a big deal it was till now," he said. "Because I've been getting phone calls from people I haven't heard from in a while, telling me what a big deal it is."

The fight, on 100-pound-test line, was a surprisingly short 55 minutes.  The giant tuna was among several smaller tuna that had been swimming with dolphins.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Guy Yocom (with rod and reel) and group pose with yellowfin tuna that could become a new IGFA all-tackle world record. Credit Mario Banaga / Pisces Sportfishing

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Robert Redford stars as 'perfect guest' at Rosarito Beach Hotel

The Rosarito Beach Hotel considers all visitors to be important guests, but during June and July one guest in particular stood out.

He went by the name of Mr. Miller but there was no disguising who really was staying at the Baja California resort: Robert Redford.

The legendary actor occupied a two-bedroom penthouse on the 17th floor of the Pacifico Tower, and while he undoubtedly enjoyed spectacular ocean views and famous Baja hospitality, this was a working trip.

Redford was across the border for the filming, at nearby studios, of director J.C. Chandor's "All Is Lost," about a lone man's struggles against the sea.

For the spacious seaside hotel, which is still rebounding from negative publicity generated by drug cartel-related violence in Baja California, the business was much appreciated.

Production staff, including Chandor, occupied 140 rooms. Redford, 75, chose to stay at the hotel over a nearby mansion to be closer to his colleagues.

The actor and hotel staff reportedly did a good job of maintaining secrecy. Redford relied largely on room service and attempted to hide beneath a baseball cap when he did stroll about the hotel grounds.

He was described in a news release as the perfect guest.

Jorge Morales, a waiter at the hotel's Azteca restaurant, said that only one guest that he knew of recognized the true identity of Mr. Miller during his many restaurant visits.

"I told the customer that [Redford] was making a movie and was very tired," Morales said. "Please don't disturb him."

Morales was Redford's personal waiter and often served the actor Puerto Nuevo-style lobster and Don Julio tequila.

Before checking out, the actor posed for photos with Morales and other staff members. They, in turn, were struck by how unassuming Redford turned out to be. "The guy being so famous, how could he be so humble?" Morales said.

Redford also displayed a sense of humor. When asked to identify his favorite Mexican food he responded, "My favorite food is tequila."

He's the latest of many Hollywood stars who have visited the Rosarito Beach Hotel. They include Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and John Wayne.

Of the drug violence among rival cartels, which two years ago made daily headlines and frightened many tourists into thinking all of Mexico was unsafe, Redford said this: "It's unfortunate, since there are so many areas of Mexico that are safe to visit. More people should know."

"All Is Lost" is due to be released in 2013.

-- Top image shows the Rosarito Beach Hotel. Credit: ©Pete Thomas. Second image shows Robert Redford on the pier in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel

For some, G20 Summit in Los Cabos can't end quickly enough

The G20 Summit, which gets underway today in Los Cabos, apparently has disrupted business and tourism beyond what was expected.

Eric Brictson, who runs the Gordo Banks Pangas charter fishing operation from Puerto Los Cabos Marina, said the marina was "completely shut down" before dawn Monday, in a last-minute decision that has made Brictson and several of his clients very angry.

"We had eight charters scheduled, all far in advance," Brictson said, via email. "Some people left really early this morning to drive down from La Paz. Another group was a family of three generations who had planned their early summer vacation a year in advance, spent a small fortune in plane fares, hotel accommodations, rental cars, etc.

"They came only to fish, have no other dates where they can switch to and now are so disgruntled that they will never return to Mexico.

"This G20 Summit is supposed to promote foreign investment and more tourism and this is how they treat people that are bringing all of the money into their country... This type of decision should have been made far in advance, not in the morning when people are arriving for their much anticipated fishing trip."

Actually, it had been announced before last week that beach and nearshore portions water access would be restricted from Gordo Point north of the marina to Cabo San Lucas. Pisces Sportfishing posted a map showing the restricted area on its blog last Tuesday.

The summit of world leaders and finance ministers is being held at a new convention center in San Jose del Cabo, about 30 miles north of Cabo San Lucas.

Puerto Los Cabos Marina is located in San Jose del Cabo, just north of the Holiday Inn. About 20 charters depart from the marina each morning.

Brictson's fleet targets big-game species of fish mostly to the north of this area, at spots in the Sea of Cortez such as the Gordo Banks.

Tracy Ehrenberg, who runs Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, posted a story about the summit Sunday on the company blog. The Pisces yacht division will host an event for the first ladies.

Of general ocean tourism during the summit Ehrenberg stated: "Basically we can do bay cruises, go to the Pacific, or in the Sea of Cortez if we stay five miles offshore."

Ehrenberg also reported that on Sunday morning a bus carrying federal policeman overturned in the Costa Azul area of southern San Jose. "It was a horrible accident, closing down the road for a while," the report stated. "It appears at this time the accident was due to speeding. The bus was rented and flipped completely over, with its fifteen passengers. Ten policemen were injured, two seriously."

Peace and calm is expected to return to the region at midweek, after the conclusion of the summit.

-- Image showing soldiers in the hotel zone in San Jose del Cabo is courtesy of Pisces Sportfishing

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Hurricane Carlotta intensifies along Mexico's west coast

Hurricane Carlotta on Friday afternoon was upgraded to a Category 2 storm and was still intensifying, with a hurricane warning in effect from Salina Cruz north to Acapulco.

This stretch of coastline is dotted with small villages, including Puerto Escondido, a  popular surfing destination. The storm's center is expected to move over or near land between Puerto Angel and Acapulco on Friday night or Saturday.

A hurricane warning is a call for citizens and tourists to take steps toward protecting their lives, property and pets. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," stated the National Hurricane Center in a 2 p.m. public advisory. The storm boasted maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

A hurricane watch is in effect to the south of Salina Cruz and north of Acapulco, to Tecpan de Galeana. But people as far north as Puerto Vallarta ought to be prepared for strong winds and heavy rainfall at some point over the next several days.

The states of Chiapas, Guerrero and northern Oaxaca can expect an estimated 3-5 inches of rainfall through Sunday.

Carlotta's proximity to the coastline has many people worried. The storm is predicted to weaken somewhat before re-intensifying, before ultimately weakening as it tracks to the northwest along the coast through the middle of next week.

Ed Kunze, a longtime resident of Zihuatanejo (north of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero), stated via email:

"I am a bit nervous about Carlotta. I bought another five-gallon jug of drinking water, for a total of 15 gallons. Tomorrow I will fill the truck up with gas, as well as get an extra 15 gallons for my small generator.  If the electricity goes down, then the pumps at the gas station and drinking water place won't work.

"Today I got cash out from the bank. Banks can't disperse cash without electricity either. Also, tomorrow I am buying extra toilet paper, and a few more dry foods.

"I am probably better off than 99% of the people, but it could be bad. I am following the reports and updates regularly. Of course, all my friends say it will blow past and out at sea, as they always do, but I am an engineer and feel we are due. Plus, I have seen zero places in town preparing or even thinking about it."

Hopefully, those within the warning and watch areas are, in fact, doing what they can to minimize the storm's impact.

-- Image showing Hurricane Carlotta on Friday is courtesy of NOAA

Divers locate missing fishing boat, Erik, in Sea of Cortez

The Mexican fishing boat Erik, which sank nearly a year ago in the Sea of Cortez, leaving one person dead and seven others missing, has been found.

The Contra Costa Times reports that the discovery of the 105-foot sportfishing charter boat, positioned vertically on the sea floor, was confirmed by a relative of one of the victims and a survivor.

(The search was spearheaded by family members of one of the lost anglers, Al Mein. Though the vessel was found, divers had not yet been able to get inside to search for bodies.)

"It is bittersweet," Charles Gibson, who survived an ordeal that began in a fierce electrical storm, told the newspaper. "This story seems to never have an ending, and I don't know if it will in my mind and for the families of the missing."

The Erik, whose home port was San Felipe on Baja California's northeastern shore, carried 44 people on what was supposed to be a week-long expedition when it capsized at 2:30 a.m. near Isla San Luis, about 75 miles south of San Felipe and two miles from shore.

Nineteen fishermen -- mostly from Northern California -- and 16 crew members were rescued in a dramatic operation that was launched after the cook, after his rescue by a local skiff fisherman, managed to alert authorities.

Dena Jacinto, Mein's daughter-in-law, told the Contra Costa Times: "We're so excited that we found the Erik. It's definitely a step in the right direction to bring closure to the families."

The discovery of the Erik has been reported to Mexican authorities.

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How does the California DFG count points on deer antlers?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:

Question: How does the Department of Fish and Game determine the antler count on each side? Do the eye guards count? I would like to know also about your website on the "bucks taken" point count and totals. I have not seen the count for "forked" bucks? I do see the count for taken bucks as "TWO" point? Aren’t the two point bucks "spike" bucks? Aren’t spike bucks illegal to take? (Daniel C.)

Answer: I think you may be confusing the methods used in the East to count antlers on whitetails with the way we assess mule deer antlers here in the West. Minimum antler counts are to ensure the animal is old enough to be harvested. Additional counts help give an idea of relative age and body condition. Fish and Game laws in California count only the points on one side, and eye guards are not included. A "spike" needs only a one-point antler on at least one side, but it could be on both sides and still be a spike. A "forked horn" has at least one branch on one side on the upper two-thirds of the antler, but both could be branched. For example, 1 x 2 or 2 x 2 are both correctly "forked" horn and not a 3-pt or 4-pt and so forth. A 2 x 3 buck is a 3-pt and not a 5 pt and so forth.

For a complete description of how California defines antler count and antlerless deer, please go to section 351 in the 2011-12 Mammal Hunting Regulations available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/.

Q: I live in a mobile home park in a rural community in San Diego County. We are being told we cannot feed the wild Canada geese around our community lake because the managers are very mad at the geese for the droppings.

Is it legal to feed the geese actual goose food (e.g. a source of food that is put together for them and purchased from a feed store)? If not, can a person be fined for doing so? Are these geese endangered or a protected species? What are the regulations? (Phillip L.)

A: No, it is not legal to feed the geese. California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 251.1 prohibits the "harassment" of wildlife, which can in some circumstances include feeding. Harass is defined as "an intentional act which disrupts an animal’s normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering."

Q: My name is Austin. I am eight years old and I love to learn and study ocean animals. I want to have a salt water tank and am doing research before I get one. I wanted to find out if you are allowed to get a fish from the ocean and keep it as a pet. Like a lionfish or Mandarin fish. If you could answer my question I would like that. I don’t plan on doing this, I am just wondering if you can. (Austin Holtz)

Los Cabos military presence grows in advance of G20 Summit

Frequent visitors to Los Cabos might have made plans to to avoid the Baja California Sur resort destination in the days leading to the June 18-19 G20 Summit of world leaders and finance ministers.

The gathering, at a new convention center in San Jose del Cabo, will attract thousands. A very heavy security presence already is evident.

"They have battle ships stationed off of our marina area and PT patrol boats are racing all about with heavy artillery -- they have snapped our docks' lines several times already," Eric Brictson, who runs a sportfishing business at La Playita in the San Jose area, stated via email.

Brictson continued: "Very high security in all directions, all of the military hardware, even saw a couple of tanks."

From Thursday through next June 19 (next Tuesday), the toll road will be restricted to the transportation of official delegations. Tourists and residents will need to take the old road to and from the international airport through San Jose del Cabo.

Cabo Villas has posted a list of important information for Los Cabos tourists and residents on its website.

It states that beach and ocean access will be restricted from the Holiday Inn (formerly the Presidente Intercontel Hotel) in San Jose del Cabo south to Punta Ballena just outside of Cabo San Lucas.

This probably means that surfing and snorkeling spots such as Zippers, El Tule, Chileno Bay and Santa Marina will be off-limits through at least next Tuesday.

Tourists and residents throughout the region should travel with official identification.

Those in Cabo San Lucas proper, at the tip of the peninsula, will not be as affected.

It should also be stressed that most big-game fishing areas will be accessible in the Pacific and in the Sea of Cortez.

"Some news are reporting that the port will be closed to all traffic, but the truth is there is only a small restricted area from Punta Ballena to Punta Gorda, and 5 miles from shore," stated Pisces Sportfishing on its blog. "So do not be worried, we are still going fishing, and we are still going to the good fishing grounds, all it takes is a small detour."

Brictson added that his fleet has been fishing mostly to the north of the restricted area and then echoed what many business owners in the area might bethinking: "I will be glad when it's all over with."

-- Image showing a navy vessel in Puerto Los Cabos is courtesy of Eric Brictson

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Anglers hit bluefin tuna jackpot aboard San Diego's Royal Star

Anglers aboard the Royal Star on Wednesday  made the first major bluefin tuna haul of the 2012 San Diego long-range season.

Skipper Tim Ekstrom gambled after leaving Alijos Rocks, west of Baja California, and ventured far offshore in an attempt to find the prized tuna, which typically begin to show off Baja in late May.

The move was successful and the vessel was alone over the schooling fish, which was an unusual surprise given that airplane spotters are quick to locate schooling bluefin for purse seine vessels, which are then quick to scoop up the precious cargo.

Ekstrom stated in his website report: "Feast your eyes on today's photos and reminisce about days of old; the days when we targeted vast quantities of quality offshore Bluefin less the flying circus that has annihilated the fishery since.

"Today there were no boats, no pens, no planes, just us and a whole sea of opportunity to ourselves. We didn't score big in numbers but in significance and relative proportion we made a big score."

The score was 24 bluefin averaging 60-75 pounds, with one weighing 106 pounds.

Pictured at right is Shimano team angler John Kuch, who is credited with making the first bluefin catch aboard the Royal Star. (Danny Lynch caught an 18-pound bluefin last Saturday aboard the Sea Adventure 80.)

Ekstrom continued: "Let's hope that many like this will be filling sport anglers' sushi platters from this point on."

-- Image is courtesy of Royal Star Sportfishing

Warden finds marijuana, drug-running boat near Morro Bay

Last Sunday about 180 bales of marijuana, weighing about four tons, were discovered floating off Dana Point.

On Thursday a Department of Fish and Game warden found a 30-foot skiff on the beach north of Morro Bay, and after following footprints in the sand he discovered 22 bales of marijuana (pictured).

Interestingly, in the first discovery, about 15 miles offshore, a boat was not found. Could the skiff -- a panga like those used by Mexican fishermen -- be the same vessel that lost the four tons of pot?

Perhaps not. That might have been too large a load to fit onto a 30-foot boat.

But inside the panga were several barrels containing more than 400 gallons of fuel for the outboard engines, and between Sunday and Thursday the speedy vessel, conceivably, could have made it to Central California.

In any event, it seems there's a lot of drug-running going on these days off California, so boaters and fishermen should be alert.

The panga was discovered at the northern boundary of the Piedras Blancas Marine Protected Area (MPA) within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Police from several agencies searched the area, using dogs and all-terrain vehicles, but did not round up any suspects. They are still investigating.

-- Image showing helicopter and bales of marijuana discovered off Central California is courtesy of the DFG