You know it’s funny, every week I’m tasked with the happy responsibility to inform, be a bit entertaining with a bit of a positive spin, but always honest. When we come to this time of the year it can be a real mixed bag. Things can change from day to day. Spring means many species are full of eggs, currents change, water temperatures are in “’neutral” and the fish are moving all over the place. Where they were yesterday, most likely isn’t where they will be today. For that reason you need to be open minded when figuring out your daily fishing plan of attack. Depending on your targeted species, this will determine where you need to go. It also means you may get some bad news, which means you have the necessary information, good or bad. Using this information will help to make sure you don’t waste your day, your money and lose your hair. Spring fishing is a challenge, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, arm burning action. Just don’t expect to find Moby Dick on the end of your line.
ell, here we all are, stuck in a pandemic as Puerto Vallarta gets shut down like the rest of the world! This week’s report is about the bay and the possibilities which are mostly ignored. Fish don’t know there’s a pandemic so they’re ignoring the whole situation. With 68 degree water temperatures we’re still seeing the cold water species like Sea Bass, Snappers and Groupers around the river mouths. But there are some “secret” spots in the Bay where you’ll be alone and catch all you want. The point being you don’t need to go to the deep water locations, especially at this time of the year to get some wonderful action in our world famous Banderas Bay of Puerto Vallarta.
Every year like clockwork we see the changing of the seasons just about the second or third week of January. This means the water temperatures drop, currents change, and abundant “Whale Food” in the form of hard shell Squids, Red Crabs and massive amounts of Krill Shrimp and Squids. And this is just the tip of the iceberg amigos. At times “too much” bait can be a problem for the vacationing Angler looking for a bucket list Fish to be checked off. But never fear, we have fish if you can get them to take your bait.
As we begin to see the end of the peak fishing season we’re lucky to have good if not unpredictable action. Fishing is a “liquid” sport and I mean that in forms of the word. Fish move and they’re moving all around the bay. With winter here the Whales are back as are the Porpoise everyone but fisherman love. For those looking to boat that bucket list fish before another year passes, I’d suggest you “Get it in gear” before the Marlin head for South America.
These days there has been a lot of talk about the Tres Maria Islands. When you ask a Yellowfin Tuna Fanatic, they don’t know much more than the “rumors” they’ve heard and the Pictures they’ve seen. And yes, they’re impressive. For the Pacific side of Mexico, Yellowfin Tuna are revered as the top game fish Sportsmen are looking for. With the secret out, there has been a lot of attention turning in the direction of Puerto Vallarta. I’ve stolen some information and inserted my own slant to develop what seems to be the only real independent description of the Tres Maria Islands. He I have stolen a little history and there’s a little “Wikki” in there too. To my knowledge this is the best description of the area and the fishing conditions available.
One thing is for sure, nothing stays the same for long in “Fish City”. Things have stepped down a notch from last week and we’re seeing what was concentrated around Corbetena and El Banco has spread out again. Marlin and Sailfish are out there, but for the next few days you’ll need to move some water. In layman terms that means you’ll be moving around from El Banco to Corbetena so you’ll need longer days on the water. The good news is there are fish out there!
In the world of Big Game Fishing, nothing ever stays the same from day to day. For the last few weeks it’s been wide open. By that I mean the fish are moving around the area with no real concentration for any real length of time in any one location. So, this means you have to be prepared to move around and find the fish. This is actually normal, but for those on a thin fuel budget this could be an issue if targeting large Marlin, Sailfish or Tuna. We have fish, but we don’t have them in a barrel.
Under big blue beautiful skies Puerto Vallarta is a fishing wonderland right now. Normally we have colder water than we do so it’s interesting to see warm water species all over the area in their “off” season. Yes folks Punta Mita is alive with some of the most desirable species we have and they’re not too far out. An eight hour fishing trip can almost make you think it’s summer! It doesn’t matter what you’re looking to catch, you have a shot, maybe a low percentage shot, but hey, it’s a shot, take a pic!
We’ve had a roller coaster week when it comes to fishing in our world famous Bay of Banderas. We’ve been pretty lucky with relatively warm water temperatures lingering later than usual into late January. This week we’ve seen dramatic changes in water temperatures which means we’re square in the middle of winter fishing with cold water species picking up in numbers as the warm water species bug out. While not surprising or devastating it doesn’t stop people from coming into the shop looking for Moby Dick! Human High Season and Fishing High Season are at opposite ends of the calendar amigos!
Every year we know it´s coming, the end of high season for fishing here in PV. Normally by the second week of the New Year we see water temperatures drop and everything changes. This year we saw this happen a little early, we´ve had 76 degree water temps now for about two weeks. We should see Dorado, Marlin, Sailfish and others bugging out. But that´s not the case as we see larger Dorado being boated, Striped Marlin in a frenzy, Blue Marlin are small but there. So no matter how contradictory it may sound, we have cool water and good fishing
