Flyin Blind in Sayulita, Nayarit, MEX

[Zed]

I took a trip to Sayulita end of Nov, w my mom and another couple I've known since I was about 10ish. Just some background, a couple years ago my mom was on a trip to the UP in MI (Isle Royale), and while on that trip she took a fall and blew up her knee. She spent a few days hobbling around an island before getting off and getting to a Dr. Turned out she had a tibial plateau fracture (in the least) which is a non-weight-bearing injury that she had limped on for a week already.

Once back home in CA, she needed some help and being an only child, there's some responsibility I needed to take on. And I did w/o much griping. Ha! A couple months later, the above mentioned couple (Doreen and Carlos) was taking a trip to Nuevo Vallarta to their timeshare, and they asked my mom to go to rest and relax since she was laid up anyway. My mom begged me to go with to help her travel, speak Spanish, cook fish etc but I was reluctant as 2 days after the return I had a trip already planned with my dad, Rossman, down to Bahia Asuncion which was more expedition than 5* resort.

I wasn't comfortable w my time spread so fine, and I thought her rehab would be better off at home. Plus her cats and house watching duties would cost extra $$$. Finally I relented and said I would go and help her out in spite of my better judgement. 12hrs later she changed her mind and decided she wasn't comfortable going anyway. She felt terrible for not listening to my reason --even though I was ok not going in the first place-- and felt she owed me for all my help and hardship.

Fast forward to last Nov and between Doreen and Carlos and my mom, and some good beta from Anthony (yakhanded) they booked a trip as a "thankyou/I'm sorry" to Sayulita which was a compromise between their "resort" type needs and my fishing/exploring needs.

We left OC in the rain on SWA and they were excellent. No sneaky charges for my rod tube(2rigs)/gear and they waived an overage fee due to my moms bag being 54lbs. I packed 4days worth of paddle clothes/trunks plus some plain clothes, my kayak seat w 2 built-in rod holders, 2 tackle boxes, one w a full spectrum of hard jigs from small Krocs to heavy iron, and one box of trolling plugs and sticks and poppers, and my lightweight CaboGaff built from a composite hockey stick shaft. I still had room and weight allowance in my duffle so I stuffed in my PFD too and I was still under 40lbs.



I still had no idea if I could find a kayak to use. Research was fruitless. Best I could find was "Oh si, there are kayaks..." but no specifics of where or how much or what kind. I was ready to wing it and just go find one once I had boots (or sandals) on the ground. The info I did find about kayakfish guides was dated and they weren't in business.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon, in Puerto Vallarta after a painless flight/customs. We had a driver waiting, and after a stop at WallyWorld for groceries we arrived in Sayulita in the dark.



The compound. Casa Primavera is on the L. A suite of 2 b/rs w full baths below, and a full living room, kitchen bath, deck and my loft, upstairs. I would get up early, make coffee, gear up, and have the run of that level as the others were sleeping downstairs. Worked well.



Monday I went looking for a kayak. The first rental place I came to was all surf and SUP. I asked about kayaks, and was told, "No one kayaks. Only surfing. You want to surf?" I turned around and looked at the break where 20guys were battling on the peak for shoulder high bumped up sloppy waves.
"No I don't want to surf. The waves are better at home. I want to paddle a kayak."
"No kayaks."

I hadn't seen any either, so I my anxiety was bubbling up again. I continued up the beach and found another congregation of rental places. Down a side alley I found a pile of kayaks but w no one near that looked like they rented them. I started asking around and found a guy, Alex, that would rent to me. I told him I wanted it for the week, and he showed me how it worked. It was basically a checkout system, where you just tally your hours "so you don't spent a lot of $$$". I didn't want to walk a half mile every morning before light to get the yak, drag it back to my place to rig then launch/fish/land and then do the opposite every day.
"Por la semana."
"OK" but he thought I was crazy for it.
Then the owner, Felicia (A gringa(which is now offensive to me because Canadians are also gringos)) comes out and asks why I want the kayak at 0600. It's dark then.

I explained my aims for the week and where I was staying and where I would store the yak (behind the beach-side gated wall in the compound of the Casa.) Everyone was on the same page. They said to see Lalo (person #3) as he slept there and he would rig me up in the morning. But you know it's dark?

Tuesday morning I was there ready to go, no Lalo. Nobody. It's MEX time, I guess. So I loitered around and finally found Lalo rolling out of the rack. I chose a Cobra Explorer, which was my first kayak I bought new, and I knew its limitations well enough. There was a Cobra tandem, which I immediately thought "leaky bucket" for some reason, and there was a pair of short, keel-less unknown kayaks. As I was dragging the yak and heavy ass paddle back to the casa to rig, I met Felicia on the beach, and she says, "See I told you it was too dark at 0600." Well if Lalo was around I would have launched already. But I reaffirmed my plan and pointed to the Casa as that was where I could be found. Still no $$$ exchanged.

Rigging my seat I found a key padeye was gone, so I had to jerryrig it crossways and crooked. I brought a drybag along, and anything important went in there, I lashed down my tackle/gaff, strapped the rods so they stayed in the holders at least and pushed out into the surf that was what I'd rate as a bigger than an average LJ launch every day. I took 2-3 in the face every morning and a bronco ride landing. It ended up shipping over a gallon of water each day that needed draining.

Long lens from the patio.



My first cast of the trip, out around Punta Sayulita, flushed a bunch of 2ft needlefish back at me. They took off greyhounding at me, causing me to say oh shit! and duck down on deck, waiting for a flight of arrows to stick but they settled a leap or two short.

Back toward town.



Toward Pta de Mita.



Jack Crevalle



I worked down the way from the point toward Pta de Mita to my S Most point, but coming back up the line was a royal bitch. The prevailing wind plus current were pushing that way and it was a serious slog coming back. The conditions were not "nice". It was lumpy every morning w an annoying NE wind --I assume was from the approaching then tropical depression that was once hurricane Otto, that F'd up Costa Rica/Nicaragua, crossed the isthmus, went out W then turned N to make landfall again around Colima. It was very similar to our weather when an eddy sets up and the SE blows all night. Surfers call it morning sick. It's not really too windy but it's bumped up and crap.



After recovering from that I went a bit more up the way past town and then back to the takeout, which was a less than graceful bailout in hipdeep water as a wave broke behind me.
Days species:
Jack crevalle
Sierra macks
Ribera cabrilla
Flag Cabrilla
Hawkfish

Day 2 I went out to the point and found it to be worse washing machine conditions and ripping current. I figured it could get worse, so I punched out 3mi from the point.





After a good 8+mi day in lumpy pushy far from good conditions I went back to the takeout w a big fat stinky skunk.

Third day I went up the beach to San Francisco (San Pancho), contouring the coast, along the backs of the waves. I got caught a couple times not paying attention, and had to scramble over a feathering wave but mostly I was w/in a couple casts from shore. It was amazing shoreline. Jungle to the sea and deserted beaches.





Town of San Francisco.



Just caught more of the same smallish fish. Everywhere I went including from the deck at the Casa, I saw fish working. It was mixed jacks, sierra, and footballs I couldn't ID. I would toss what I had at the breaking fish, even hit them on the head but nothing would bite where I assumed it was 100%. All of my fish were coming either blind trolling, or after a few casts along a nice bit of shore.

Still no fish to feed the family. And yes, I take that shit personally.

Fourth day was the nicest conditions and I pushed way up past SF along the shore to the last point I could see from the Casa, just over 5mi as the booby flies. It wasn't lights out fishing but I picked up the same critters here and there. Well past my turnaround time, I pointed for home and took a line about 1/2mi offshore. On this track I spotted the biggest gathering of birds I had seen yet, but they were a mile away easy. Lets see, at least 20min to get there, the wrong direction, and would they even still be there?

Nope. I'm staying on (behind) schedule and heading home. It's late. A few minutes later, the birds popped up half the distance away. Aw well shit! Right turn Clyde, and outside I went. As I got closer, the birds, now seen as boobies, were more scattered and wandering. But just a boatlength in front of me a dolphin spouts, head-on coming to check me out. Well good sign. I started throwing jigs in the zone, but firing blanks it seemed. Finally I get a good cast in front of 4 footballs busting the surface in formation and ZZZZZZzzz. Ho-LY crap, the drags do work!

Got that fish on board and IDd as black skipjack.



Then I had a blast casting to breaking fish, picking up another half dozen or so in the 4-10lb range. That was some good fun even though black skippies have shown for me in Dana Point, LJ, Asuncion, Cabo, East Cape, LA Bay, Gonzaga and Encantadas. Still it was good action.

Back toward home. Casa is just below the smoke.



Friday night, after 4th paddle day, tropical rain started with frequent lightning and thunder. It wasn't windy but it made up for it in electricity. About 2300 half asleep and in tune w the thunder, I hear mortars. Thump thump thump, right next door. I rolled out of bed and craned out the window to see a kickass fireworks show which was for La Semana de la Virgen de Guadalupe, after the transition from Dia (Mez) de Los Muertes in town.







Day 5 was a rainout. Although glassy, it rained all day, w occasional lightning. I could have gone out, but the lightning was a wildcard plus I had 3 older generation, non fishing or kayaking hens telling me not to go.

To the NW. Navy Patrol Boat at anchor.



To the NE, and the main break in Sayulita. Not many people out in the rain, anyway.



Day 5 Sunday. The front that we left in OC a week prior, finally reached Sayulita leaving windy, and still rainy weather. Worst conditions yet. Blown and gray. No go.

Monday, day 6. Still blown, but better. Morning was a wash though, but I held on to the kayak, hoping for one more shot in the PM, which didn't materialize. Had it been Day 1, I probably would have, but it wasnt "good" plus no surface activity seen since the weather came.

In the afternoon I walked down to the yak rental folks to let them know I was going to keep it overnight one more just in case. I walk up and ask to see Felicia, but Lalo asks me if I want to rent a kayak. "No. Yo tengo su kayak." His eyes got big and he gets Alex and Felicia. Apparently none of them communicated w each other, and they had no idea where I or the kayak was, didn't know my name, didn't know where I was staying. I lold, but apologized for the miscommunication.
"Yeah, you didn't look like someone that would skip out, but we didn't even know if you came back, or if you and the kayak were lost at sea."
I lol'd again.
"Felicia I saw you on the beach. I pointed to Casa Primavera. I told you the yak would be behind that wall while I was responsible for it."

"Well we just didn't get it. I guess I was too involved w thinking you were going out in the dark."

Tuesday. Departure day. We had a PM flight so we had time to kill. I walked over w the yak and negotiated my week. I had it for 7 days, used it for 4. She said she wouldn't have rented it the weather days anyway, so wouldn't charge me for those. I told her, "I have $2100 for the week."
She did the math and mentally dickered over it then said. "How about $2400?"
"I have $2100," stacked and rubber banded.
"OK that's great."
lol

Made my apologies to Alex because Felicia thought it was his fault they lost the kayak. Then went for one last tour of town.

Chirpy little house gecko.



Oh yes, katydid.



Big as a f'n kiwifruit!



Beachside road "Pescadores" over to Playa de los Muertes and the cemetery. Flags for Dia de los Muertes.



Kitchen decor. Los Muertes.



My loft.



My last espresso in Paradise.




Each day, if they were around, we would have lunch in or out --Carlos made a pot of pintos we ate through the week. Excellent -- or I would go grab some tacos. Dinner we ate in town at various restaurants or cafes. Seating spills into the street, and it was nerve wracking eating w your back to general Mexican traffic on narrow streets. But the food was excellent, and everything in town costs less pesos than expected. It was amazingly inexpensive. $100pm could last you (me) 3 meals w cokes. We bought 2 kg of camaron and 2 kg of dorado (yes bought. So what?) through the week and each kg was about $130-$150pm. I recommend. Would go back.