BD Goes Fishing in RANCHO LEONERO
TACKLE & TRANSPORTATION
When traveling down to Rancho Leonero, there are a few key rules you must follow to avoid hassle or damage to your tackle. For your rods, pack them into a rod tube and wrap the tips with a towel or something soft to protect the eyes during the flight. Most Mexican airlines mandate tubes to be no longer than 8 feet. We brought one tube and stuffed it with 7 rods. It arrived safely, with zero damage to the rods. For your reels, you must check them! You cannot carry on reels if they have any sort of line spooled on. The best practice here is to pack a hard shell cooler or hard shell suitcase with all your reels surrounded with padding like towels or clothing. You can also use this checked item to pack your jigs/lures. As expected, you cannot carry on any sharp hooks. Keep in mind, that there is no tackle shop in Rancho Leonero, you must bring all your lures from home! Pack a variety of Jerk Baits, Crocodiles, Poppers, Surface Irons, Cabo killers, Rangers, and any other topwater lures you may have. Throw in a few sets of pliers, and fluorocarbon from 30lb to 80lb, and you are ready to fish!
Not planning on bringing rods or reels? No problem! You can rent a surf fishing rod from the resort for $20 a day. But you must bring your own lures!! The charter boats come rigged and ready! If you are fishing inshore or offshore on a ponga or charter boat, you do not need to bring your own rods/reels. Don’t be afraid to throw in a few sabikis or a cast net so you have the option to fish live bait from the beach!
SURF FISHING
From first light to sunset, fishing from the beach is a great way to stay hooked up on various inshore species. We saw Cabrilla, Lady Fish, Jacks, Roosters, and much more. Most of the fish we caught were hooked near rock reef structures, there is a great reef right out in front of the resort, along with other reefs within walking distance north and south of the resort. Targeting structure is not the only way to catch surf fish, bait balls blowing up on the surface were a common sight all throughout the day. Roosters, Jacks, and other top water species will surround a school of bait fish and destroy them within casting distance! One second you are sitting at the bar having a cold Pacifico, the next second you are running down to the sand ready to cast on a fresh foamer! Jerk baits, Crocodiles, Poppers, and Surface Irons were the ticket when fishing from the beach!
KAYAKS & PADDLE BOARDS
The resort has an assortment of kayaks and paddle boards for guests to rent if you want to get past the surf and into deeper water. You can chase down foaming bait balls, or drop bait down to the bottom with a dropper loop if you want to relax and get a few bites. Most of the kayaks come with a rod holder or two, the best practice here is to let out a good amount of line, and slow troll a topwater lure or live bait while you scout the area for breaking fish. We saw some very large jacks breaking right in front of the resort, and even hooked a dorado 1/3 of a mile out!
CHARTER BOATS
The resort has a variety of charter boats and pangas for the guests to book during their stay. The captains are experienced and know the fishery well. Let your captain know in the morning what you wish to target, if those fish are around, the captains will do their best to get you hooked up! You can fish the inshore zones for Pargo, Roosters, Bonito, and others, or head offshore to troll for Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado and more! There is no lack of fish in this fishery, leverage the knowledge of your captain and prepare for a warm day on the water! Don’t forget to tip your crew! Just like any other charter boat, these crew members work hard for tips. Make sure to board the boat with cash in your pocket so you are not scrambling at the end of the day.
4X4 RENTALS
One of the coolest ways to fish in East Cape, is chasing down breaking fish in 4X4 vehicles. This is surf fishing in a way that most people never get to experience. Our team was loaded up into two, 4 seater off-road vehicles, and we bombed down the beach stopping on bait balls and casting topwater lures into schools of fish all afternoon long. These 4×4’s come equipped with rod holders and coolers so you can spend all day ripping up and down the beach!
RANCHO LEONERO RESORT ACCOMMODATIONS
The resort is right on the water, with a pool, bar, and patio dining area that looks right into the Sea of Cortez. The kitchen is great! There is a 3-hour window for breakfast, a 3-hour window for lunch, and a 2-hour window for dinner. If you happen to miss a meal, you can order a quick quesadilla or nacho plate from the kitchen staff. The food was amazing! There is no shortage of talent in the kitchen. From buffet-style meals to individual plates, we were able to feast every night after a long day of fishing. As for the bar, beers are cold and cheap! There is a full bar, so any drink you crave can be made in just a few minutes. Once again, don’t forget to tip! The resort staff works hard to ensure the satisfaction of their guests, let them know how much you appreciate their hard work with a good tip! The rooms are equipped with top-tier air conditioning, so when it is time for a siesta, you can duck out of the heat and recharge! If you are planning a trip, have a look at the different room styles that fit the needs of your party. Click here to view the 34 different rooms!
Overall, the BD team had a blast at the Rancho Leonero Resort! Great fishing, great food, great drinks, and great accommodation! If you want to experience one of the most abundant fisheries in Baja, we highly recommend booking a trip to Rancho Leonero!
RANCHO IN ACTION
MEET OUR TEAM
RICKY FISCHEL: CONTENT MANAGER
Ricky grew up in Southern California and has been fishing from a young age, after being introduced to the sport by his father. He brings years of extensive fishing knowledge and social media experience to the team. His passion for fishing is evident in all aspects of his life, most recently he was lucky enough to find himself working on a Viking Sportfisher, where he fished destinations ranging from San Diego to Cabo.
CAMERON GAMBLE: COMMUNITY MARKETING MANAGER
Born and raised in Southern California, Cameron has been an avid waterman since an early age. From surfing to fishing, he has travelled the world always chasing the salt. His love and
knowledge of fishing stems from working as a deckhand aboard the Prowler in San Diego for their final 3 seasons before retirement. Cameron transferred his profession from fishing to marketing after receiving a degree in Marketing and Communication Studies in 2019.
Over the past few years he’s been living in Australia working as an Operations Manager for a
Digital Marketing company, recently moving back to his home break in San Diego.
NATE LINDSAY: PRODUCT MANAGER
Nate has been fishing SoCal waters since a very young age, catching his first yellowtail at 6 with his father. He stayed in San Diego for his college education, attending UCSD and then SDSU for his Masters in Business. He has assisted multiple startups achieve success over the years and has a background in sales and entrepreneurship. On the water, he has worked on multiple charter boats and yachts as well as assisted with commercial fishing operations.
JESSIE DEVRIES: CLIENT & MEDIA OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Originally hailing from the windy city of Chicago, Jessie brings experience in marketing and project management from the retail industry. She relocated to San Diego to come help this team of salty watermen by leading our account management and client operations. Jessie grew up fishing the ponds and lakes around Chicago and has been inshore sound fishing, offshore ocean fishing, and surf fishing since she was little on vacations to the east coast.
JEFF BARR: DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY & DATA SERVICES
Dr. R. Jeffrey Barr is the Director of Technology and Data Services at BD Outdoors. He is a lifelong fisherman with a passion for diving and spearfishing throughout Southern California and Baja. Jeff also has a PhD in marine biology with an emphasis on fish population dynamics. In other words, he’s a giant fish nerd.
IRA WALDMAN: JUNIOR MARKETING COORDINATOR
Ira was born and raised in Portland, Oregon where he first found his love of fishing with trout, salmon, and steelhead. Over the years he grew to target any species he could find in the Pacific Northwest including albacore, musky, and sturgeon. After graduating high school, Ira moved to San Diego to attend the University of San Diego where he is double majoring in Marketing and Business Economics. During school, Ira worked in the fishing industry doing photography, social media management, and catalog design. At BD, Ira is responsible for managing surf and inshore content as well as photography on various projects such as Rancho Leonero.
TREVOR HANSEN: PRESIDENT OF BD OUTDOORS
San Diego local Trevor Hansen is no stranger to the fishing scene. Having grown up fishing half day and full day boats out of Point Loma, he eventually graduated into boat ownership where he has been in the pursuit of gamefish ever since. Trevor has found himself making annual fishing excursions down into Baja since a young age and there is no fishery around the world that doesn’t excite him. He is most thrilled about entering into the next phase of his fishing career which involves passing on the passion to the next generation, his 3 groms.
REANNA BURNWORTH: ACCOUNTING
Reanna is a San Diego native and began bookkeeping for BD Outdoors over a decade ago (Bloodydecks back then). As the BD Outdoors family of businesses has expanded so has her role within the company. Reanna’s first introduction to Sportfishing was during grade school helping resupply a family friend’s Party Boat at H&M Landing during the busy summer fishing season. She spends her free time beach combing the coast of La Jolla with her family and dog.
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