When Jonathan Roldan was departing for a year-long job at a remote hotel on the East Cape of Baja, he needed a break. He had already had multiple careers as a fishing guide, deckhand, chef, broadcast journalist, 900-number entrepreneur, and, most recently, an attorney. A year in Baja would be a nice break from his stress-filled life as a courtroom litigator. After he got fired from that hotel job, he drove up to La Paz -a mere six dollars in his pocket, to start over. He built what he refers to as “a little lemonade stand” and started selling fishing trips.
From those humble beginnings, hawking fishing trips, guiding by day, packing the catch, and running his one-person taxi service by night, Roldan did everything to keep his clients happy. He went from selling on commission for other skippers to owning a panga of his own. Eventually, he and his wife Jilly would build Tailhunter Sportfishing into a thirty panga fleet, a waterfront bar, a transportation company, and a staff of nearly 50.
Tailhunter operates two full-time sportfishing fleets to provide clients with the absolute best fishing in the best conditions. The La Paz-based fleet fishes north around the fertile Espirito Santo Island. The Las Arenas Fleet operates off the beach at Bahia de Los Muertos and fishes the legendary waters around Cerralvo Island. As Roldan likes to say, he’s blessed to be a part of his client’s vacation, a maker of their Kodak moments.
Please note at approximately 40:00 minutes, we had some technical challenges, and the sound quality and volume drop off.
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