Swine flu issue cooling, but angling tourists still not biting in southern Baja

Fishing throughout Baja California Sur is fair to very good for big-game species such as marlin, dorado, roosterfish, pargo and wahoo.

But angling tourists still aren't biting.

Effects of the swine flu scare linger like those from an actual ailment. Captains are out of work and feeling blue. Hotels and stores are empty. Things just aren't well.

Here are comments included in some of the fishing reports Outposts receives each week:

-- Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas: "This week was the slowest ever in our history for fishing charters as well as for tourism overall in Cabo San Lucas."

-- Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, in San Jose del Cabo: "The recent overreaction to the swine flu situation has proved to be very costly to the entire country of Mexico and particularly so for tourist related businesses. Though it appears that the worst is now over and that the virus was not as serious as once predicted it might be."

-- Mary Landrum, Fly Hooker Sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas: "The number of tourists in Cabo is still far under the normal for this time of year and yet we have had no reports of swine flu in our region at all.  Add the fact that we are far from the border and the drug wars and everyone here is wondering what we need to do to get things turned around. Hopefully over time things will change, and before everyone here goes broke!"

-- Jonathan Roldan, Tailhunter International, La Paz: "Because of the swine flu scare a few weeks ago, a number of anglers canceled trips with many of the fleets until a later date. Well... that meant that airplanes were almost bare! (Thanks to the media for scaring everyone...not a single case of swine flu reported on the entire 1000-mile-long-Baja peninsula!) So, because of the light loads, airlines canceled flights. Some airlines didn't even tell passengers until they got to the counter. Passengers were simply told, `There's not enough people on your flight so we are going to cancel.' "

You get the idea...

--Pete Thomas

Photo: Angela Farrell of Oceanside displays a pargo caught southeast of La Paz. Credit: Tailhunter International.

Comments

[Dale Wilson]

I'm in Cabo writing this. Unbelievably beautiful, not one case of flu. No Gringo's. Bargins. Come on down and be appreciated. Next week in La Paz. Taking a little time to enjoy life and its beauty.