LORETO PANGUERO--Capt. Alfredo Rubio Quintana of Loreto, who began fishing at the age of 12. Photo courtesy Jeff Petersen.

SPORTFISHING CAPT. ALFREDO RUBIO QUINTANA

March 19, 2005, Jeff Petersen, Loreto, Mexico Fishing Captain Interview with Alfredo Rubio Quintana:

Five years ago, Loreto sportfishing captain Alfredo Rubio Quintana sat with me in the night, in an old trailer behind my house, and began teaching me Spanish. In those days, he had his 22-foot skiff and dreamed of the day he would have a "super panga." Now, he has worked his way into his current boats.

Alfredo is one of six sons born to a Loreto family with only sons. Four of the brothers live here in the Colonia. Of the four, some would play with semipro baseball teams in the States. Alfredo damaged his Achilles tendon last season. He is off his crutches and doing well. He shares this story with you:

Alfredo Rubio Quintana, Loreto, Mexico: "I first fished at Loreto with my father in an 18-foot wooden boat with a 6 horsepower motor. The boat was made from one tree.

"We fished with nets in this boat. That was 25 years ago. I was 12 years old. During those years, I remember many persons every day gaffing jurel and roosterfish right here, from the beach, in front of Villas de Loreto in the Colonia Zaragoza. We would catch jurel and roosterfish in this manner in April and May. In June and later, we would go fishing at the Loreto islands, Carmen and Coronado, and regularly catch 400-500 kilos of fish in a day using hooks and a line.

"Our next Loreto fishing boat was a 20-foot fiberglass boat. It was very narrow, with a 25 horsepower Johnson.

"When I was 17, we bought our first "speed boat." It was a 22-foot La Paz style skiff with a 55 horsepower motor. In this boat my father and I would lead as fishing guides for private boats visiting the Club de Vuelo. The club had four fishing boats with guides including the Pirana, Pirate and Bonita.

"If we were not guiding, we fished commercially, selling what we caught. I remember leaving to fish one Friday with my father with a plan to return in the afternoon. We didn´t return to Loreto until Tuesday. The winds got us and we camped on Isla Carmen until we could cross home.

"At 24, I began working my own fishing boat. My dad continues the same work, as does one brother. The three of us now have four super pangas.

"I remember fishing for Baqueta when I was young. The fish were too strong for me to lift. When I would catch one, my father would take the line and bring it up. We fished one rock for many Baqueta long ago. My father, brother and I have searched since for this rock, but have not yet rediscovered it. We continue to look.

"One day last week we fished for Baqueta at Punta Lobo on Isla Carmen. We caught four, sized 12-15 kilos. A sea lion took the fifth. We used macarela with the spine removed as bait. I now have an email address, rubiosportfishing@hotmail.com, and my telephone from the U.S.A. is 011-52-613-135-0134."

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Loreto and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Loreto may be found at Mexfish.com's main Loreto page.