Great Fishing, Subtle Changes, Marlin, Tuna, Sailfish and Dorado, Oh Ya!

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

Welcome once again to a wonderful “cookie cutter” High Season fishing report. Once we get into this mode things will pretty much be the same weekly with few changes. Subtle changes can make all the difference though. Water temperature being one of them, right now we’ve seen a subtle drop which indicates changes are on the horizon. For now we’re still It’s all about world class fishing with just about perfect conditions. For those looking to boat a “finned fantasy” now would be a good time to be on the water. For those who are “budget challenged” we have short day options that are fun and affordable. If you came to Puerto Vallarta and didn’t get on the water, then you missed half what Puerto Vallarta has to offer!

The deep water fishing ground of Corbetena and El Banco have been doing well. El Banco has been showing signs of Black Marlin that have been short in numbers season. At Corbetena we’re still seeing nice sized Yellowfin Tuna to 225 lbs but the trick is being on top of the bite. For now if targeting Yellowfin Tuna it’s all about the afternoon bite. With a bright but half full moon right now Yf Tuna are feeding all night, so the early bite is weak at best. Sailfish are picking up in numbers and size. Blue Marlin are still in the 400 to 700 lb range but spread out. Dorado running up to 40 lbs or larger is another subtle difference that matters. The water temperature here at the Rock has dropped a bit to 80 degrees and will continue to slowly drop as we move into the winter fishing season mid-February. For now the conditions are perfect with high visibility blue water. Inside information: Dead bait and lures are working at least as well as live bait. Be sure to remember this and it should help your chances but keep this to yourself amigo.

The entire area between Punta Mita to Corbetena is alive with action. One thing to remember is fish move, they don’t’ stay in one place. So nailing down one location can be accurate for a few days, but no more than a few days. You always need to be prepared to use fuel, budget operations that refuse to “move” are the most expensive operations of all. Especially when you could be catching fish a few short miles away but the price you paid is for limited fuel use. If you’re in the area off Punta Mita there are Blue Marlin, Sailfish and Dorado in this whole area. The back side of El Morro has been killing it with Sailfish and just a few miles off the point there have been 400 lb blue marlin. So the whole area between Punta Mita, El Morro and Corbetena are fertile fishing grounds. Make sure you have the “fuel” to get to the fish.

Inside the bay is on “automatic”! It may seem Dorado are thinning in numbers, but the bay if full of Whale food which most of our favorite target species are eating as well. Having said that there are still Dorado 20 lbs, some much larger. Bonito are mostly bait size but still great tasting, Sailfish are roaming the area around Los Arcos and La Cruz. Jack Crevalls are coming into the area and are between 25 and 50 lbs of serious arm burning action. Football Yellowfin Tuna to 45 lbs are at Yelapa, but these Tuna don’t bite like normal. You need Sardine chum and patience. Experienced and knowledgeable captains will already know this. Sierra Mackerels around the Marina buoy in the morning is great action for younger people without it being “too” challenging for first time fisherman.

We’re finally seeing a slight drop in water temperatures and this is an indicator of the soon coming changing currents and fishing season. Dead bait surprisingly enough is still working well with Dorado colored lures. Live bait is working but the situation can change so be ready to change your baits up. The bite is strange, Tuna are a late afternoon bite just before sundown. But for the other species the bite is still happening shortly after 08:30 in the morning.

We’re doing the Shared Panga trips, two people, $275 usd, eight hours, half the Panga. Contact me and submit your name and we’ll do what we can to Hook you up! My tour expert Benjamin at Benjamin@masterbaiters.com.mx can handle all your tour needs, Airport transfers / Private Excursions and custom day trips. Whale watching and more. PV is wide open and Covid is not killing tourism. PV is among the safest places in the world right now, ignore the media liars. Hotels, restaurants, bars, gyms and movie houses are open with the standard restrictions. So PV is open and waiting for you to arrive amigos, stay safe.

Until next week, don’t forget to Kiss Your Fish!

Web page:  www.MasterBaiters.com.mx , Local Phone at: (044) 322 779 7571 or our international number is: 011 52 322 209 1128 10 to 9 local time. #MasterBaitersSportfishing on Instagram, Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Master-Baiters-Sportfishing-Tackle/ ..The trade name Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk.