Paradise Tackle Ambassador

Captain Jason Bailey

Captain Jason Bailey began fishing and discovered his passion for it during his childhood, around 40 years ago and he hasn’t stopped fishing since.  Suffice to say, describing Jason as being passionate about fishing, is a huge understatement.

What was initially a hobby for him during those formative years, has become a present-day lifestyle and business for Jason. “I worked in the corporate healthcare arena, much of it as a senior level executive, for 25 years and although I enjoyed it and making a difference in peoples lives, I often dreamt of turning my love for fishing into a career.” Much of what started turning this dream into reality for Jason was his first big game fishing trip to Cabo San Lucas in 2006. It was also that trip, where Jason first met Victor Vargas, who founded Top Anglers Sportfishing Charters back in 1991. “It’s a pretty incredible story” commented Jason. “I had received a referral to Top Anglers from an employee of mine in 2006, whose father and brothers loved to fish Cabo and always used Top Anglers, so I contacted Victor to make a reservation.”  Jason found himself “hooked” on big game fishing during that trip and he and Victor developed a close friendship over the years, spanning many successive charter trips for Jason with Top Anglers. During one of those fishing trips several years ago, and over lunch in Cabo, a partnership was formed between Victor and Jason. “I hadn’t mentioned my desire to leave the corporate arena and make a new career out of fishing to anyone, not a soul, when Victor expressed an interest in taking on a partner…it was just one of those situations where two people have the same ideas and vision and so it manifested itself.”  In an interesting twist, the father, and brothers of Jason’s one time employee who originally referred him to Victor, are still fishing with Top Anglers and just did their most recent charter in 2021. “They’re some of our longest-term regular guests and have been fishing with Top Anglers for about 20 years now” added Jason.

 In 2021, with the idea and desire to expand, Jason started a sister sportfishing charter company to Top Anglers, located in Morro Bay, California. As the owner and operator of Fin Chaser Sportfishing, Jason targets the abundant species of big rockfish off the Central California Coast such as lingcod, cabezon, and vermilion with his charter guests, along with California halibut and salmon during their migration up the California coast. Jason likes to share that aside from his main goal of getting his charter guests on big fish out of Morro Bay, his vision has also been to create a pipeline of anglers from California who are equally passionate and fish with Fin Chaser Sportfishing, down to their Cabo operation.  “It’s really a nice compliment of charter services…I’m with folks on the boat all day who enjoy fishing and I get a lot of questions on fishing Cabo and Cabo in general with its notoriety as the marlin capital of the world, so it gives me an opportunity to share stories, pics and answer those questions” he adds.  

 Jason expresses his excitement with being a Paradise Tackle Co. Pro Ambassador. “I’m always looking for relationships and quality strategic partners that bring value to the parent company, our charter operations and to our guests; our partnership with Paradise Tackle is both that and a win win.  The Paradise Tackle line of quality gear is what helps us create great experiences and memories for our charter guests,” said Jason. “I’m also very excited about the large numbers of bluefin tuna that we saw off the California coast this past year and how our partnership with Paradise Tackle will help us to go after them this season.”