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Stay toasty on hardwater this winter with layers and insulation.
How a couple of gringos helped turn a fishery into a future — for the fish, and for the families that depend on them.
Destination: Baja
Watch the full film on YouTube now.
In Baja, in the small town of San Carlos, there’s a transformation in progress — one born of obsession, struggle, and the undeniable pull of the sea. The story starts with two American anglers, Rudy Babikian and George Van Dercook, who showed up to fish and organically and somewhat inadvertently built something bigger. They didn’t arrive to launch a business or change lives. They just wanted to chase fish.
They call themselves Los Locos, a nickname coined by Gabino, a local fisherman who became concerned when he spotted the pair miles offshore in a tiny boat. For Rudy and George, sinking boats, running aground, running out of gas — it was all part of the learning curve. They didn’t care. They were young, hungry, and more than willing to take risks.
However, as Rudy and George explored the fishery, something happened — they organically began to engage with the local community. They got to know the local commercial fishermen, mechanics, cooks, welders, you name it. They learned Spanish. They asked for help — and gave it back. Over time, what began as a reckless adventure evolved into something more purposeful.
San Carlos is not a tourist hub. It’s a fishing village. For generations, locals survived by harvesting what they could from the sea. For San Carlos locals, alternatives were highly limited. When Rudy and George arrived, they didn’t attempt to replace this legacy; they simply found a new and sustainable way to lean into it.
The Los Locos team tapped into a deep well of generational knowledge — men who knew where the fish lived but had never held a fly rod. Teaching and getting buy-in on the practice of catch-and-release to lifelong commercial fishermen wasn’t easy. But they learned. Because George and Rudy weren’t just offering a job, they were providing an opportunity for the local fishermen to establish a completely new relationship with the ocean.
Guides who were once pursued by authorities for poaching are now working as full-time sport fishing captains. One guide says flat-out: “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” Another says he never imagined a life like this was possible. Now, at least 60 or 70 families in town rely on the economy that Los Locos brings in. It touches everything — fuel, fiberglass, food, hotels — the list goes on, and on.
Mag Bay is renowned for its striped marlin, but what George and Rudy discovered through impulsive and at times, risky exploration and trial and error was a year-round fishery inclusive of: roosterfish, dorado, snapper, golden trevally, and even cubera snapper from shore.
What Los Locos offers is an experience that perfectly aligns with their ethos: no guarantees, no paved paths, just the promise of exploration. As Rudy puts it in the film, “If you’re looking for a sure thing, it's probably not your fishing trip.” But if you’re looking for something that feels undiscovered, where each day is a puzzle and the rewards are undoubtedly earned, then San Carlos might be the adventure you’re looking for.
What makes Los Locos different is that it’s not just Rudy and George — it’s a dedicated crew of former commercial fishermen, it’s cooks, hotel owners, and other members of the community that now see a new future. What started as recklessness has evolved into resourcefulness. They haven’t built a business for the community — they’ve built a business with the community. And that’s why it works. That organic authenticity built trust. And that trust built opportunity.
Destination: Baja
Watch the full film on YouTube now.
In Baja, in the small town of San Carlos, there’s a transformation in progress — one born of obsession, struggle, and the undeniable pull of the sea. The story starts with two American anglers, Rudy Babikian and George Van Dercook, who showed up to fish and organically and somewhat inadvertently built something bigger. They didn’t arrive to launch a business or change lives. They just wanted to chase fish.
They call themselves Los Locos, a nickname coined by Gabino, a local fisherman who became concerned when he spotted the pair miles offshore in a tiny boat. For Rudy and George, sinking boats, running aground, running out of gas — it was all part of the learning curve. They didn’t care. They were young, hungry, and more than willing to take risks.
However, as Rudy and George explored the fishery, something happened — they organically began to engage with the local community. They got to know the local commercial fishermen, mechanics, cooks, welders, you name it. They learned Spanish. They asked for help — and gave it back. Over time, what began as a reckless adventure evolved into something more purposeful.
San Carlos is not a tourist hub. It’s a fishing village. For generations, locals survived by harvesting what they could from the sea. For San Carlos locals, alternatives were highly limited. When Rudy and George arrived, they didn’t attempt to replace this legacy; they simply found a new and sustainable way to lean into it.
The Los Locos team tapped into a deep well of generational knowledge — men who knew where the fish lived but had never held a fly rod. Teaching and getting buy-in on the practice of catch-and-release to lifelong commercial fishermen wasn’t easy. But they learned. Because George and Rudy weren’t just offering a job, they were providing an opportunity for the local fishermen to establish a completely new relationship with the ocean.
Guides who were once pursued by authorities for poaching are now working as full-time sport fishing captains. One guide says flat-out: “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” Another says he never imagined a life like this was possible. Now, at least 60 or 70 families in town rely on the economy that Los Locos brings in. It touches everything — fuel, fiberglass, food, hotels — the list goes on, and on.
Mag Bay is renowned for its striped marlin, but what George and Rudy discovered through impulsive and at times, risky exploration and trial and error was a year-round fishery inclusive of: roosterfish, dorado, snapper, golden trevally, and even cubera snapper from shore.
What Los Locos offers is an experience that perfectly aligns with their ethos: no guarantees, no paved paths, just the promise of exploration. As Rudy puts it in the film, “If you’re looking for a sure thing, it's probably not your fishing trip.” But if you’re looking for something that feels undiscovered, where each day is a puzzle and the rewards are undoubtedly earned, then San Carlos might be the adventure you’re looking for.
What makes Los Locos different is that it’s not just Rudy and George — it’s a dedicated crew of former commercial fishermen, it’s cooks, hotel owners, and other members of the community that now see a new future. What started as recklessness has evolved into resourcefulness. They haven’t built a business for the community — they’ve built a business with the community. And that’s why it works. That organic authenticity built trust. And that trust built opportunity.
Celebrate the pulse of Baja with limited edition styles inspired by the journey, the fish, and the water that ties it all together.
