Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna and Bait Issues

So far this summer, we’ve seen at least five hurricanes. Now that seems like a bad thing until you realize Hurricanes push fish into the area. And with five of these scary beasts passing us, the fishing in Puerto Vallarta’s Bay of Banderas is returning to its famous self again. That doesn’t mean the conditions and fishing are perfect, but it’s moving in the right direction. The water is high visibility blue. Water temperatures are in the ‘prefect’ range. Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna and more are moving into the area. Right now, we have fish from El Banco to Marina Vallarta! Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it. But there are always challenges in the world of fishing and this week is no different.  

If you missed my last article, we were discussing how Blue Marlin in the 300 to 500 lbs. range were roaming both Corbetena and El Banco. The reports were exciting so I decided to head out to El Banco and I discovered that yes, there were fish all over the sounder, but there was no bait to be had. The whole day we were able to only catch two ‘Chorras’, a generic term for bait in the correct size range. So, the frustration factor was there. The next day, Capt. Chema from Profetta headed out with his father and they only got two baits as well. But that was enough to troll with and they boated a 625 lbs. Black Marlin! The water was a perfect high visibility blue, perfect water temperature of 86 degrees, smooth seas for the most part and even the weather cooperated. We got rained on, but it was refreshing and frankly none of us are made out of sugar. So that’s the secret and I know better. We should always make bait if you get the chance as soon as possible. Stop in the bay if you have to and get the Chorras, you’ll catch fish. And what fish you may ask? Well Marlin, both blue and black, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna in the 40 lb range is still happening. And if you come across some Spinner Dolphin, there is almost always Yellowfin Tuna footballs running with them. The days prior to this there were Yellowfin Tuna in the 100 lbs range as well. But no Dorado. El Banco is a twelve-hour charter and since I live in Puerto Vallarta, I can head out anytime, so for me this is just part of the game.

My friend Miguel and I headed to Corbetena, trolled lures and Google Eyes the whole way, but no luck. Having said that, Corbetena is closer, lower fuel expense and the action at Corbetena had been better, but we took the chance. Corbetena has the same species and the same issues as El Banco. Again, on the sounder, we could see lots of Tuna at the 150 to 200 ft level, so I’d suggest using down riggers, if you can catch bait amigos. Miguel wants to head out again Sunday, wish me luck.

The eight-hour charter durations that get you out to the Marietta Islands, El Morro and Punta Nayarit are still ‘on and off’. We’re seeing smaller Dorado all throughout our fishing grounds, but they’re very small for the most part. Dorado are gaining size by the week, but most are under 10 lbs right now, but there are 15-to-20-pound family members out there as well. So, it’s the luck of the draw. Roosterfish are still around the Careyeros area, just north of Sayulita at the Marinal Rock. Rooster fish of 30 lbs. and up are on and off here as well. But with Sailfish, Roosterfish, Dorado and lots of smaller species, if you have any bait issues, you can always fall back to the trash line in the bay.

I know we’re looking at 86-degree water temperatures in the bay, but we still have Jack Crevalle’s in the bay and they’re happy to take your bait. Dorado are thick around the mature trash line in the middle of the bay. But most are too small to keep, yet there is the occasional 15-pound Dorado that will keep your interest. For some reason, Sailfish are all over the bay. Anywhere from La Cruz to Los Arcos, you’ll find these finned fantasies, if you’re lucky. Dorado at Los Arcos, they’re on the small side too, but again, there are some larger Dorado that will keep your interest. Throw in Sierra Mackerels, Skip Jack Tuna, Sierra Mackerels and a host of smaller species will make your day on the water memorable. The bottom line here is fuel prices are starting to drop a bit, helping with the fishing budget and we’re still early in the fishing season. There aren’t very many boats heading out, that’s normal for June and July, but ths means you aren’t competing for the same fish.

The secret this week was to make bait early. By that I mean don’t wait to arrive at your chose fishing grounds targeting Marlin and Tuna, without Choras. Now these bait fish or Chorras will go a little ‘wacko’ after being stuffed in a tube that forces water through their gills. So, you can’t leave them in there too long or they’re no good to you. They will also just die, even with the forced water in their gills. So, if you don’t make bait, you won’t find it at El Banco or Corbetena, enough said.

One issues, if you can call it an issue, is the fact we have massive amounts of bait in the area. Sardines are the main reason Roosterfish are still hanging out in the area. But we have flying fish, Ballyhoos (nobody uses Ballyhoo’s for some reason), Google Eyes and the list goes on. So, you’ve got abundant bait in the bay. And bait is sparse at best at the deep-water locations, plan accordingly. As mentioned earlier water temperatures are exactly where they should be for this time of the year. The bite has been a moving target, but the strong bite is from about 09:30 to about 11:30. But the early-birds may have the edge, so get out there early, it can’t hurt. If in the bay, heading out at 07:00 is fine. Running lures wasn’t working, but live bait does. I suggest you run one lure and the rest live bait. Let me know how you do. And be patient, it could take all day to get that Black Marlin, but it will be worth it.

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

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Written by Stan Gabruk

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