El Nino has given us all here fishing in Puerto Vallarta a real gift. We’ve seen Dorado into late April, we’re still seeing Striped Marlin, and up until just a few days ago, we’ve had great Yellowfin Tuna Action. Water temperatures have remained fairly high throughout the entire winter fishing season as we continued to see summer species in what is normally off-season months for Yellowfin Tuna and Marlin. But it’s now late April and we can’t get around the annual ‘spring has sprung’ slowdown. For a few weeks now we’ve seen fishing being on and off. There are many possible reasons for this, massive amounts of bait are one. But the most likely is mating season has begun for many species. Fish that are not taking baits in the morning, will in the afternoon. Yes amigos, love is in the air, or rather water in the fish world of the Bay of Banderas. Right now the biggest question is: Who’s going to get lucky, you or the fish?
After many weeks into the winter season regarding fishing in Puerto Vallarta, we’re still seeing summer species in plentiful amounts if you’re in the right place at the right time. El Nino this year has really messed around with our seasonal fishing calendar. Species you would never expect to be available at this time of the year, Dorado, Sailfish and Striped Marlin to name a few, actually never left the area. So here we are on the cusp of spring and we’re still sending people out after Yellowfin Tuna. As we slowly move into breeding season, the fishing can be a little erratic. And we can’t get around that, but this isn’t happening much. Remembering we’re still in the winter fishing season, we’re seeing Grouper and other very cold water species moving into the bay. So stay positive, the fishing is great!
Every year about this time, we see the beginning of the spring rollercoaster when it comes to fishing in Puerto Vallarta. This year we’re seeing fluctuating water temperatures and clashing currents. Oddly enough the El Nino conditions just complicate things with summer species in the middle of winter. Now we’re not complaining and we know what to expect, but the simple fact is that winter fishing, never really turned into winter fishing this year! Going on four weeks now El Banco, which has been all but dead previously, suddenly came back to life. Yellowfin Tuna at 60 to 80 pounds are running with Spinner Dolphin and with the massive amounts of bait in the area, these conditions are likely to continue. With water temperatures at their lowest for the season, to have Yellowfin Tuna in the numbers we’re seeing them in, is a gift from the fish gods. But few things in fishing are perfect and the downside of this is that on some days, you can’t turn a Tuna’s head to take advantage of what you’re offering. Welcome to the Rollercoaster!
Puerto Vallarta’s extended fishing season continues as we are still boating 60 to 80 lb. Yellowfin Tuna all over the El Banco area. That’s great news for sure, but the simple fact is Puerto Vallarta fishing goes through the seasons just like all the other fish locations around the world. We’ve been very lucky this year with the El Nino conditions. But it looks like the Dorado have finally gotten tired of the cold water and have moved on. Sailfish and Striped Marlin are still running around the neighborhood, but the odds of you boating one is less every day. Now this all may sound like ‘doom and gloom’, but in reality it’s happening very late in the fishing season. But you can’t get around spring and when we come to this time of the year, the seasons are beginning to change both in the climate and in the fishing season. Now what’s strange, we never really came out of the summer fishing conditions with all the summer species hanging around even with the dropping water temperatures. What can you look forward to? Well in about 12 weeks, we’ll be gliding back into the summer fishing conditions once again.
You know, we’ve been in this El Nino Rollercoaster for many months now. Which by the way followed a La Nina stretch of about two years. To say the present current situations, water temperatures and species specifics is confusing would be an understatement. To be boating (catching) schooling Yellowfin Tuna or Chasing Spinner Dolphin in March is the sort of thing that only happens in an El Nino World. Now when you’re fishing in Puerto Vallarta’s world famous fishing grounds, you welcome this ‘weirdness’. Extending the summer fishing season into late winter fishing excitement in the form of Dorado, Sailfish and Striped Marlin is welcome to say the least. Now you’ll need to push a fair amount of water, but the simple fact you have 60 to 80 lb Yellowfin Tuna at your disposal should push the fuel cost, mentally at least, aside. While the fish maybe spread out, meaning thin but in most of the fishing grounds, we should remember to thank our lucky stars for the great fishing Puerto Vallarta is experiencing right now!
On a weekly basis now, I seem to be the biggest pessimist in the area. I keep thinking the fishing is going to turn and I’m sending people out “hoping” they catch fish. Then my crews send me pictures and I turn into an optimist. So I give up, the fishing is great until further notice. Why would I say this, because the fishing in Puerto Vallarta is much better than I would expect it to be! Even with cool water temperatures, several of our warm water species are still hanging around and the only reason is bait. Krill, Sardines, Goggle eyes, Flying fish and the list seems endless. So we now know, bait trumps cold water. I’ve learned my lesson and my inner optimist is excited for what news the next fishing day will bring. This week we saw Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna and Dorado and if that doesn’t turn you into an optimist, when winter species should be moving in, then you may have turned into ‘me’!
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.
As we move deeper into Summer the conditions still could not be better. Outside the bay the blue water is clear and just beautiful. A deeper blue than the Caribbean, the visibility is amazing. Bait is everywhere and varied in species. Bullet Bonito, YF Tunas favorite bait is all around the point of Punta Mita and in the bay. Flying fish in the four inch length are all around the reefs and the Marietta Islands. Goggle eyes, Chorras (bonito, small tunas) are boiling all over the place. Once again it´s a bait smorgasbord, all you can eat for fish. Sounds like a good thing right, well the down side is there should be more fish here than there are. Maybe this is just my impatience, it is still a little early in the Big Game Fishing season, it´s like Christmas and the presents aren´t under the tree yet, but you know they´re coming.
