As we enter late June, we normally expect to see an increase in larger Gamefish. But before this can happen, there needs to be bait in the area. Once bait moves in, we see the larger Trophy sized Gamefish follow and that is when the World Class Species of Marlin, Tuna, Dorado, Sailfish, etc come to Puerto Vallarta or the Bay of Banderas to be specific. It´s a balance that happens naturally, when that balance gets weighted to one side, as in too much bait, then there is a lag time until the larger (or any fish for that matter) move in. This is the situation as I write this report, too much bait. I mean every bait under our Tropical Sun is out there in huge amounts! So what does this mean to you looking to boat Moby Dick, well it means you have to have patience and an experienced and equipped boat. You´ll find yourself going through every live or dead bait combination you can think of. You´ll be running every lure you have to see if this will entice the odd fish. If lucky you´ll experience about four strikes which will be your shot to boat a gamefish. Now before you decide not to go fishing, we´ve already seen a week or so of this and it can´t last much longer. When it all breaks loose, and we see the Gamefish numbers pick up, it could turn into something to remember. So don´t get discouraged, be patient, this will change soon.
We´re seeing an early migration into the area, primary reasons are bait and perfect water conditions. Nothing too complicated. At this time of the year we also have seasonal challenges, primarily Hurricanes and Torrential Rains (normally only at periods of two hours or so). For mid June we´ve had our third Hurricane pass us, it was approx. 300 miles out of Banderas Bay, it sent some rain, but not much else weather or swell wise. With the swirling storm pressure, the fish will get kinda funny. They don´t like the pressure so they move out, now they´re moving back in nicely. We are seeing our summer species coming ¨in and out¨, a now you see them, now you don´t scenario. Bait is plentiful, no worries there. Sailfish are getting thicker near the point of Punta Mita, even inside the bay around La Cruz Marina area. Puerto Vallarta is right on time reflecting my fish calendar, with all the varied species you can now call Puerto Vallarta ¨Fish City¨ starting Right Now!
Lots of seasonal changes this week. It’s amazing how slow, yet fast things can be when it comes to world class fishing here in Puerto Vallarta. The rains change everything. The rains wash into the bay small seeds, leaves, nuts, roots, a fish smorgasbord, all you can eat. It forms a line where on the ocean side is blue, clean, clear water. The land side, the direction from which the river dumps into the bay, the water is Coffee colored murky, full of sediment from the local hills. The dividing line or the ¨Trash Line¨ is what forms between these two waters like a curtain. The Trash Line can run shallow or it can run deep, this depends on the currents and how they´re flowing in the bay. Most of the time this will only be about two to six feet deep or thick. This means you´ll need planers to pull your baits under this sediment, your sounders will show you how deep this sediment is and will put your skills and equipment to the test. If your captain is well equipped, you´ll catch fish. The front side of the trash line is a fertile area for larger fish feeding off smaller fish.
