Bay Fishing Explodes with Sailfish Dorado and Marlin

Here we go again folks! It’s been a strange and wonderful week, but the “norms” these days are anything but normal. Remembering it’s still a “La Nina” year with a strange mix of Hurricanes, strange water temperatures and even stranger currents, anything is possible. Water temperatures are perfect for Sailfish Dorado and Marlin, blue water in all the deep water fishing grounds and mostly blue in the bay. Plenty of varied bait and favorable seas. With the seasonal Tropical Rains finally kicking in gear, we have a beautiful trash line and plenty of fish. Sailfish, Dorado, Marlin, Tuna, pick a fish and set your sights. But like always, no matter how perfect things seem, we know there are always challenges in the world of fishing. Right now, if you’re here in Puerto Vallarta and you’re not at least on the water for a six hour fishing trip, then you’re missing out on short day fishing, with long day species results!

For the last week, we’ve had plenty of Yellowfin Tuna action around Corbetena. With plenty of Tuna which are mostly in the 30 to 60 lb range. The surprise is there are days north of the “rock” with Yellowfin Tuna anywhere from 80 to 200 lbs! Sailfish are running the area as well with possible Blue or Black Marlin running anywhere from 250 to 450 lbs. Dorado are also in the area, but they’re mostly small with some larger ones to 35 lbs. Bait conditions are incredible in this area, with Skip Jack Tuna spread out in massive bait balls. Catching bait alone is an “arm burner”. Blue water and perfect conditions are ingredients in a perfect day on the water. FYI, no information on El Banco, but who knows, things could be happening there with Marlin and Tuna. With Corbetena on fire, not many are spending the extra fuel money and time to get there.

Now we’ve been talking weeks about how about five miles off the point of Punta Mita Sailfish and Striped Marlin were running wild. But things are changing and now the entire area from El Morro to north of Sayulita has been a fishermen’s playground. North of Sayulita at the reefs Rooster fish have been there one day, gone the next. Hard to predict what’s happening there. Find a buoy and it’s a Dorado wonderland. With plenty of bait including Skip Jack Tuna, Google eyes, Flying fish, Sardines, Google Eyes and the list goes on. It seems in the area from El Morro dead bait has been working well as well. Amazing with so much bait, dead bait and lures are working when live bait doesn’t. Keep that to yourself for now!

And we come to the big story for the week, you like how I put that? The Bay! The bay has turned into something super strange and wonderful. There is a ridge that goes from the Los Arcos area to Corbetena. When we get these strange current’s we see bait ride that ridge current straight into the bay. Now it seems that Sailfish, Striped Marlin and even a Black Marlin at 225 lbs have been boated in the bay this past week. In fact there are so many sailfish in the bay that my recommendation if targeting Sailfish is a six or eight hour trip in the bay. 8 hrs. in the bay, I never make that recommendation, but with the level of action and the different areas on-fire, the whole bay is fertile territory. We’re not seeing many Jack Crevalles, a winter season indicator species. But we have plenty of Bonito and Skip Jack Tuna in the bay as a very attractive fish magnet and great reason to stay in the beautiful Bay of Banderas. Dorado are all over the bay, but the Los Arcos area has been the most consistent. The area in front of Nuevo Nayarit (aka Nuevo Vallarta until the recent name change), about four miles out Borekin boated a 225 Black Marlin in the bay!! I’ve never seen a Black Marlin of this size boated in the bay. Magnifico boated two Sailfish and several Dorado in a six hour trip the morning I wrote this article. Put the trash line in the mix and you’ve got yourself something as close to perfect conditions in the bay as you’ll ever find. Quickly, the bite is still morning and midafternoon. Live bait has been working, but if not, dead bait and lures that mimic Dorado are the secret.

Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!

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                     Written by Stan Gabruk, owner Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle