Finally, The Seasonal Rains Begin, Bay Fishing Improves Written by: Stan Gabruk owner of Master Baiter´s Sportfishing & Tackle After weeks of horribly intense humidity the seasonal rains have finally begun bringing relief for a short time anyway. Now this is a funny situation how it will affect fishing in our area. The rains in […]
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!
We have been experiencing uncomfortable humidity for the last week or so and we finally had our first rain of the summer season. Nothing serious or heavy, but the first time normally is just that, light and mildly refreshing. Fishing now has been anything but mild with Black Marlin spreading out to El Banco and they´re still at Corbeteña as well. This will become almost a dull and boring story as we come into Fishings High Season. Now this is not tourism high season, no we´re talking fishing high season. Yellowfin Tuna are also starting to move in a little more each day. Dorado, Sailfish and even Rooster fish are here for the taking. With the seasons being ¨off¨ the fishing grounds are deserted and stuffed with bucket list fish. The only thing missing now is you!
The seasons are changing to our normal warm and humid conditions. With these warm weather conditions comes warm weather. To be specific it means we have our annual surge of warm water species (fish that is) moving into the area. This season is no different as we see an increase in Blue and Black marlin. Striped Marlin dwindling in numbers as they migrate north to Cabo as would be expected. Some local-ish Yellowfin Tuna action is welcome and right on time. To me it´s always funny how as tourism slows to a crawl here in Puerto Vallarta as our world famous fishing grounds explode with bucket list fish for the vacation adventurer. Streaky bites, changing currents, and plenty of bait in the water makes for an interesting combination of factors that combined make your fishing day unique. Dorado at the buoys, the commercial guys hate me telling you this, have been hot and then cold. Some days you´ll find your fill of fish, other days they don´t want your bait and still other days…., well you could spend a lifetime trying to understand seasonal fluctuation both normal and unexpected.
Everyear we come to expect certain things. But after a few years of really up-side-down fishing, I have learned, with many others, it would be easier to predict what my ex-wife was going to do next. Normally what is happening now, happens in April. Some days the fishing is incredible, other days will have you pulling your hair out. Having said that Striped Marlin are all over the deep water locations with Bull Dorado.
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.
Welcome to another amazing week of fishing here in Puerto Vallarta. This year we´ve been blessed by the fishing gods with warm water in the middle of winter. With these warm water temperatures running around 78 degrees we have some serious fishing happening here and now. Plenty of bait in the water insures these summer species like Bull Dorado, Striped Marlin and Sailfish won´t be leaving anytime soon. As we move into spring, it looks like this years fishing season may be something to remember.
Wow, if you think you have a clue about what the fishing is going to be like today, tomorrow or next week you´re a crystal ball is better than mine! Last week I though the fishing had finally turned into winter conditions, yet here we are with Sailfish off El Morro and the Marietta Islands, Sailfish! They never left! Water temperatures are still running in the mid 70´s, with plenty of bait the mixed summer and winter species living and eating in the same area are likely to hang for a while. Strange, yes.. But if you´re out there fishing in this mixed up season, you`re catching fish you shouldn´t be seeing!
Normally come March, I am almost apologizing for the poor fishing and cookie cutter reports. But this year, as was a few years ago, the water is full of summer species fish. Amazing, but true, we won´t discuss El Nino quite yet, but whatever the cause, there were and possibly still are 120lb Yellowfin Tuna off El Banco about ten miles to the north of the high spots. In a word, ¨Strange¨ at best! We all know fish are where you find them and for now anyway, they can be found off all the world famous fishing grounds of Banderas Bay.
Yellowfin Tuna at Corbeteña, it´s February and I´m writing about Yellowfin Tuna running 130 lbs at Corbetena in February? Warm currents continue from Japan to the west coast cutting off the cold water we are used to getting come this time of the year. Now we´re seeing species we should not really be seeing at our world famous fishing grounds. Yellowfin Tuna are not the only species out there that will surprise you amigos. The season is now upside down and from here out, who knows what´s going to happen. Cookie cutter fishing reports, not here amigo.