Fishing ‘High Season’ Begins in Puerto Vallarta Fishing Grounds!
You know, during the winter, I feel like I’m making excuses for the ‘tourist high season’ fishing conditions that don’t normally include the species people have been fantasizing about all year long. Once we enter mid-June, we get past a rough spot where the season and Spawning for many species end. We see massive amounts of baby Dorado get larger by the day. We see Blue Marlin move in, Sailfish are picking up in numbers and it’s all about Blue Water! Water temperatures are now in the perfect range of 84 degrees. Bait is everywhere and Hurricane Barbera is passed us by 250 kilometers pushing even more fish into the area. ‘High Season for Fishing’ is here again as we see the very beginnings of our summer species beginning to move in. Blue Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, Roosterfish and more are available to those both lucky enough to be in Puerto Vallarta and secondly, those with the fishing budget to get that ‘Bucket list’ fish you’ve always fantasized about.
Many times, during tourisms high season, the fishing is less than exciting to a person like me. I’m the kind of guy who just wants to catch something. Bigger is not always better, it’s about the action, the fun and the company I’m with. But this changes for me when the Roosterfish start rolling in. These quill headed demons can surprise you with their strength, as they drag you across the cockpit. Thankfully the first mate grabs you by the belt. Starting with Corbetena, all the locals wait for late June, when finally, after what seems like a lifetime, beautiful, blue water returns! With massive amounts of Sardines and Skippies (aka Skipjack Tuna). They’re a perfect size at 4 to 6 lb. range. As the locals find them, they get more excited than my ex-wife gets at a Nordstroms shoe sale. 300 lb Blue Marlin will also be attracted to this bat bonanza as well. Sailfish are also picking up in numbers around the rock. North of the Rock you’ll find Yellowfin Tuna Footballs ranging from 25 to 40 lbs. There have also been some Spinner Dolphin, they always run with Yellowfin Tuna of this size range. Sailfish are also running the neighborhood, but none have been boated. It’s pretty much the same right now for El Banco as well. Blue Marlin, Spinner Dolphin which means Football Tunas. With Massive amounts of Skippies everywhere, especially at El Banco, they’re a favorite bait for every species out there. For now it may still be a little early to head out for a ten or twelve-hour trip, but then again, maybe not. A little secret here is the fact that the old reliable Cedar Plugs, Feathers and Live bait of any kind is working well amigos.
Things are picking up as well in the eight-hour duration fishing grounds. We’re still early in the season, but at the 12-mile mark off the point off Punta Nayarit is seeing many Sailfish, which for some reason wern’t taking bait, but they will at some point. With so many Sardines in the area, a favorite of Roosterfish, we’ve seen sporadic action in the Sayulita Area. There have also been days where at El Morro Roosterfish at 40 lbs. were enjoying the upwellings there. But the place to be for Roosterfish is always the Cabo Corrientes area. That’s the southern most point of the Bay of Banderas and it’s a ten hour duration trip due to the distance. It’s a 35 mile trek inside the bay, with floating trash, turtles and ‘dead head logs’, so it turns into a ten-hour day. Looking back to the Punta Nayarit area, further out from the point there have also been Blue Marlin sightings. And since Dorado are starting to arrive, there could be Dorado anywhere from El Morro to north of Punta Nayarit in the coming days. The water is blue, the bait is there, the only thing missing is you. There are also tons of baby Skip Jack Tuna, we call them ‘Bullets’. When you have this much bait in the area, crazy action is normally right behind.. Stay tuned!
Inside the bay is still the same, but that means there’s plenty of action for those who are either budget or time challenged. We still have many Jack Crevalle’s at 25 lbs. from Nuevo Vallarta to Yelapa. Of course, Sierra Mackerels at 10 lbs. are a morning bite and they’re abundant. At Punta Negra, baby Roosterfish are under 10 lbs., so they’re not keepers, but still fun to catch. Dorado in the 6 lb. range are thick in the Los Arcos area, many are well over 10 lbs, where we separate the keepers from the releases. There have also been some baby Sailfish boated at Los Arcos as well. The water is mostly clean and blue, but close to the rivers and the shoreline it can be a little dirty, nothing new there. With some recent rains in the area, we’re seeing some immature trash lines, when they mature and find their way into the middle of the bay, this will be a ‘day maker’ condition. Just a little secret here, keep this to yourself, but the Dorado off Punta Negra where Garza Blanca is located, are hitting small Rapala lures of green and black.
So, it doesn’t matter what your situation is, there is plenty action that will just begin building from this point forward. Again, the water is mostly blue and the water temperatures at the moment is a perfect 84 degrees, but this will tick upwards before you read this. We seem to have a ‘tiered bite’. That means Mackerels are hitting baits early around 08:00, Jack Crevalle’s are hitting just after 09:00 and the Sailfish (and mostly all the other species) are hitting about 10:30! My advice, be where you want to be early and get ready for action.
A side note. I’ve been having clients sending me messages about articles they’ve read about people being kidnapped, robbed and worse in publications in the States. The articles seem to ignore the fact that the people having these issues are searching for prostitutes (Putas) online, many of which are on Tinder and other dating sites. They meet; they get you interested as they lure you away from public areas where the damage is done. Remember Puerto Vallarta is a world-famous vacation destination where we have millions upon millions of people visit yearly. With numbers like that, there will be crime directed towards those looking into the seedy side of vacation life. Remembering ‘stupid is, as stupid does’, it’s up to you to be cautious in your actions and then you’ll have no problem. It would be nice if the American and World press told you the real deal. But I’m going to drop the real reason articles like this exist, the world governments don’t want you moving to Mexico. They don’t want you to take your money with you as it becomes more difficult by the day to retire in the USA! So keep this in mind and if you have a moment, check out the travel warnings to all the countries of the world from the USA. You’ll find there is essentially no place in the world they will tell you is safe. So be smart, think for yourself and don’t be stupid. You’ll be fine. And remember, if something happens, you can always call me, I have important contacts that have helped many a ‘stupid’ client of mine. Enough Said!
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!
Thank you very much for visiting my site. We do all of this to earn your confidence and your business. If you come in the shop or mention that you’ve been reading my reports, I’ll give you a nice little discount. And as a customer we will freeze and store your catch. This is an exclusive service for Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle’s clients exclusively!
Tours and Services: if you’re coming to Puerto Vallarta and plan on taking any tours, we can provide that service. Many of the tour companies like Vallarta Adventures have shifted from paying commissions and you are better off purchasing these online. We can provide the entire service of reserving your tours. For those that don’t pay a commission, we’ll charge a handling fee so my employees can see a bit of compensation for their troubles. Ask about our Unknown Paradise Tours you’ve never heard of. Let Carlos guide you and work with you. Carlos speaks 8 languages!
Written by Stan Gabruk
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