Just like a rubber band, fishing has snapped back after yet another unsuspected Hurricane a thousand miles out to sea! Yes this is a long way, but it still puts high pressure on the water, which of course chases the fish in the area out. For now We´re also seeing Wahoo at Corbeteña, Rooster Fish at the Marietta Islands, Dorado and Sails at Punta Mita. Yes folks, fishing has turned the corner as the days get shorter and the temperatures come back into more normal ranges. Puerto Vallarta is beginning to rock amigos, time to get your butt in gear.
Strange title I know, but it´s appropriate and to the point. More tropical storms, warm water and challenging fishing conditions for sure. A more appropriate title would be ¨fishing in soup¨. Even though the water is still warm, we have all the fish you could hope to find right now, but they are on the smaller side. For the visitor looking for something for the dinner table, we can still fix you up amigo. Deep water locations are tapering off, but still producing. Punta Mita, once again is the place to be and those in the area are boating Sailfish, Dorado and small Blue Marlin. Yes folks, we have fish!
Lets´ just go straight to the bottom line, El Banco and Corbeteña, take your pick, Big Black Marlin pushing 700 lbs are turning into tournament winners at your favorite secret spot. Yellowfin Tuna, we have your addiction covered with 250 lb and larger at the rock and on top of the high spots at El Banco. It doesn´t really matter where you are go, you´ll be boating fish we mostly talk about for nine months and fantasize about for the summer! Seriously, no fluff, the fishing is what our jaded clients and locals have come to expect. So you won´t find much fanfare, this is what is supposed to happen anyway.
The Marietta Islands have been hot and cold, hence the pedal to the metal title. Some days last week, too much bait, couldn´t get a strike for nothing! But boy has that changed. Dorado in the 35 lb range are all around the island. Red Snappers to 30 lbs and abundant, Bonito, Sierra Mackerals, Sailfish and even some Rooster fish (not many). Roosters could be coming in now, so stay tuned, this would be great for the fly fishing or light tackle guys! Anything is possible right now, so get out there. With Spinner Dolphin in the area the Football Yellowin Tuna (Footballs) are in the 40 to50 lb size range, so keep an eye pealed! Eight hour trips are well worth the time and the fuel dollar, so get out there, this is fishing season, and it´s a great season!
The air is warm, the humidity is way up and all of a sudden these cold currents show up out of nowhere! That´s right amigos, just when you think it´s going to be a great day fishing, the water gauge shows water temperatures that are hitting a chilly 75 Degrees. As a result Black and Blue Marlin have moved out of the area for the moment, that´s the down side. The up side; Striped Marlin are back in the area and they´re good sized running 300 lbs, but you won´t see Striped Marlin occupy the same areas as Black Marlin with their preferences in water temperatures being at different levels. Having said that the fishing is great, but you may have a mixture of winter and summer species fighting for your bait!
With water temperatures at unseasonable highs, it´s more like summer fishing than winter fishing. Winter and summer species are streaked throughout our world famous fishing grounds and anything is possible. Dorado are still hanging out and have moved into the bay, which is a good thing. Monster Yellowfin Tuna at the Tres Maria Islands. Spinner Dolphin at El Banco and Corbeteña mean ever welcome Football Tuna to 70 lbs. And with Striped Marlin in the area, there seems little to complain about when it comes to fishing in Puerto Vallarta. For fair weather fisherman, you finally can have your cake and eat it too! It may be Global Warming, it may be El Nino once again, but whatever it is, we´ll just thank the stars that it seems to be continuing.
Every year I wait for the second week of June, to me this is when the second tourism season begins. Kids are out for the summer, teachers are free to travel and the fishing turns into something spectacular. Water temperatures are a perfect 82 degrees (rising nicely) and as blue as you´ll ever get it with bait moving in daily in massive amounts. We´ve also seem some unusual things happening with Sailfish moving in to the shore areas and taking baits as fast as they can find them. The deep water locations are doing well also with Yellowfin Tuna, Skip Jack Tuna, Marlin and more. For all you Anglers and Danglers there is fish to be had as fishing is GOOD right now. If you´re in the area or just reading about the area, Puerto Vallarta Fishing is right on time amigos.
Everyone knows that when October finally arrives Pesca or Fishing will be at it´s yearly best. Magazines and fishing programs know this as they begin to move into the area where they will document and film our World Class Fishing. The area between Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas will soon turn into Tournament city. The largest of which occurs mid October in Cabo San Lucas with the Bisbee´s Tournament. This is a three million dollar prize in cash and cars! The entry fee is huge, but the fish are here and the time is ripe for Huge Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, and of course Yellowfin Tuna Monsters / Cows… Mooooo.This past week we had reports of Monster Black Marlin coming out of Cabo San Lucas of close to 1,000 pounds depending on the report you read. Now I know we are not Cabo, it´s only 350 miles out of the Bay of Banderas. This means that particular fish passed us at some point which is a great indication of what is possible at this time of the year in the enter region!
For the last eight years I have seen every guy with a line of credit and a thirty foot Gradey White center console put out a shingle and declare his superior quality and performance. They will have nice, shinny newer boats, of course they want to be the star, so you’ve got yourself a ¨hot-shot¨ owner / operator running his own little circus. After all, if this guy can catch fish in (fill in the blank), then he can fish anywhere. They have the new shinny Black Barts.. and can talk a good game. They may or may not catch fish. Lets face it, in PV there are times that if you just show up, you will look good and come in with lots of fish! Me, give me the guy with experience, not the prettiest boat, and not running one single Black Bart Lure. These are the guys who grew up in the area, know the bay like the back of their hands and well, to be frank, for a price will teach that new guy with the new boat where to find fish and what they need to do! But they don’t teach the instincts a good, local captain will have. You can build a reputation on those guys, and around those types. Now managing them can be another thing… Hahahaha…..
Corbetena or the Rcik is one of the best fishing grounds we have in Puerto Vallarta. Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Snapper, Marlin, Dorado, they´re all here and ready for you to show up with something tempting! Prices are down, the peso is cheap to the dollar, what the hell is keeping you away now?
