Dorado Pick Up, Yellowfin Tuna Footballs Everywhere, Corbetena Comes to Life!
Written by Stan Gabruk, owner Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle
This week we’ve seen a tropical storm from Cancun head west over land which has created the heavy rain we need in the mountains. With the rain water comes organic materials like leaves, seeds, roots all sorts of things which fish love to feed on. The trash line is the fisherman’s friend and we see the level of fish move up dramatically when we hit this time of the year. Short trips of six to eight hours will put you on Dorado, Football sized Yellowfin Tuna, Bonito, Sierra Mackerels’ and the list goes on. Water temperatures are perfect and the amount of bait in the water is mind blowing. The conditions are perfect as we move into fishing’s High Season here in Puerto Vallarta, Stand by for details….
Normally when we hit July we know the rainy season is on our door step and we also know that while we may have to deal with Hurricanes passing us by causing rain and sometimes rough seas, we also know this is when the Monster Yellowfin Tuna come home to Puerto Vallarta! Now we are not exactly seeing the Monster Yellowfin Tuna as yet, but we are seeing YF Tuna in the 70 to 85lb range at Corbetena. Not bad when you boat 15 to 20 of these arm burning demons! Corbetena has also seen Dorado Move into the area in the 20 to 35 lb range, but they are moving into places closer in towards the bay and less expensive fuel wise. So no need to head to the rock just for Dorado. Black Marlin are more abundant, with several in the 400 lb range running with the YF Tuna. Conditions for Black Marlin are getting better by the day so theses Gamefish are worth the fuel dollars and we’re lucky they are here. Sailfish are here as well, but the main players for now are the Yellowfin Tuna and Marlin. The water is very blue at both the Rock and El Banco. Both are doing very well for early season fishing. Another main factor in fishing, water temperatures are still hanging in the 84 to 86 degree range and there are plenty of chorras in the water or smaller SkipJack Tuna (Skippies) or Bonito to use as bait. Lures are working well also, but remember classic lures like Cedar Plugs are old technology that still does the trick. When those hundred dollar lures fall short, remember the old reliable, the fish don’t k now they’re not supposed to hit these! Don’t get caught trying to catch fish amigos. Remember names like Wilkenson, Hi-5, and Cabo name brands as well. They work well and t he price leaves you with more for your buck!
Important to pay attention to the bite, the moon phases right now. I don’t care if you are in the bay or out to El Banco, the bite is happening from about 7:00a.m. To about 11:00 a.m. then things get slow until about 2:00 in the afternoon or so till sundown. Use your time and this information wisely grasshopper!
With the bay on fire with action the few heading out from Marina Vallarta have been coming back with plenty of Football Yellowfin Tuna. Not unusual to see 15 or so 20 to 40 lb Tuna on a boat. Many are heading out to fill the freezer for summer! With good reason, the rains we have talked about in this and past articles have left some dirty water from the hills forming a nice little trash line. But the dirty water is only on the surface as you would expect from mountain rains. There is a lot of bushes, sea weed, logs, just clumps of debris and vegetation where the Football Tuna and Dorado are hanging out. This condition is around the rivers feeding into the bay and farther out. The amount of bait in the bay is insane, surface trolling running poppers is working well also, planers getting Google eyes below the surface dirty water is working. It all works, but you have to be out there to make it all happen.
The Marietta Islands are still producing some Rooster Fish or 30lbs or so off the back side of the islands. They’re have been hanging around but with so many Football Tuna in the bay t he Rooster Fish has faded in the minds of the locals. Same here as just about everywhere around the bay, Football Tuna, Bonito, Sierra Mackerals, Rooster fish, Smaller Dorado, Needle fish and more. The Marietta islands are a great place to drop a few lines, but with other places firing as well not many heading out to this location.
Same goes for Punta Mita, this time of the year there are almost always Sailfish moving in, Dorado love this spot and Sayulita is famous for it’s surprising sized Rooster Fish from shore or Surf Fishing. Magnifico is heading out to check things out and see if we can fill the freezer this week. There are also mature buoys out this way as well, stay tuned we’ll let you know what happens for sure.
Just a reminder, when everyone zigs sometimes it’s good to zag like Magnifico. We know you’re going to catch a bunch of fish around the bay of banderas, why not explore a little in places where others are ignoring. El Morro is one of those places. Cabo Corrientes is always someplace to think about. The River Mouths are perfect for Snook right now and maybe Rooster fish and Dorado…. Everything is perfect for the time being for the Big Gamefish to arrive and they will shortly. A few more weeks and we could explode around here. We are seeing what appears to be close to shore currents this year which make it look like we’ll have a leg up this season and 12 hr days hopefully won’t turn into 16 hr days hunting for Yellowfin Tuna. Keep an eye open and an ear peeled…. For recent news. My blog will have the latest during the week so you can get the latest info there: www.masterbaiters.wordpress.com sign up for notifications of new articles…….
For those of you thinking of entering our local tournaments from Barra to Manzanillo, Master Baiter’s Captains are the best in Puerto Vallarta with many being multi-tournament winners. We keep our prices down as much as possible for tournaments because we like to be in the action too! So if saving some money and not paying double the regular price of a charter per day appeals to you, then contact me about the tournament you are interested in and we will fix you up with tried and true captains, boats and crews with fresh line, top notch equipment and tackle and of course English speaking, professional crews of course! So come be part of Team Master Baiter’s and find out for yourself that “We Won’t Jerk You Around!”
That’s about it for now, until next week, don´t forget to kiss your fish!
As the oldest fishing company in Puerto Vallarta and the only company with any World Recognized Fishing Championships like the WBS Billfishing Series Grand Champions (2000 and 2001) under our belt. Nobody, but nobody in Puerto Vallarta can come close to us in quality or price when it comes to world class fishing boats. We work for your business which explains why seventy percent of my business at Master Baiter´s is return business! You work hard for your precious vacation, money is hard enough to come by, you don´t need to worry about the companies you are dealing with! Remember, at Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle, We Won´t Jerk You Around! If you have any questions on any subject regarding fishing or Puerto Vallarta, feel free to ask!
For questions or suggestions you can reach me at: CatchFish@MasterBaiters.com.mx
The trade name Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property to Stan Gabruk. Always ask to speak with Stan to insure product quality and to insure you are working with the true Master Baiter´s ® and not an imposter