Puerto Vallarta Fishing is Explosive, This is PV At its Best!

Puerto Vallarta Fishing is Explosive, This is PV At its Best!

Written by Stan Gabruk, owner Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle

Right now it´s like fishing in a bucket, you name the fish you are targeting and I will tell you how to get to them. I know that makes me sound like a genius, but in reality any idiot with a fishing pole and a boat can come in these days with something you can be proud of.  Dead locations like the Marietta Islands have come to life. Areas that were slow at best have picked up this week with Sailfish, Dorado and Rooster fish. You want big fish for a trophy? You want smaller fish the kids can catch and not spend too much time on the water under an Equator Sun? Or how about heading out to El Banco where Yellowfin Tuna in the 80 to 200 lb range and are as thick as ants, a direct quote from Capt. Cesar of Magnifico about fishing this week? No matter what you are looking for when it comes to World Class Sportfishing, we have it in Spades! Fishing just turned into Catching. The only thing missing now is YOU!

Every week I look at what is happening in Marina Vallarta and see the results of different fishing boats here in Puerto Vallarta´s fishing grounds. When we hit this time of the year we don´t have to look too far to see something impressive fish wise.  Yellowfin Tuna are on the docks every afternoon, Along with Sailfish, Dorado, even Rooster Fish. If you are one of those who ignored the B.S. the press is spewing in North America, then you are one of the very few who are here in PV to enjoy next to perfect conditions. To hammer this home, the fishing is now better than anything I have seen in the last three years. We all know what the situation is in up north across the border. But the fish don´t know anything about that and are going about their daily business as normal, which of course means chasing bait balls and growing in size!!

One location that has been less than spectacular is El Banco ( or The Bank in English). All of a sudden Yellowfin Tuna have moved into the area and you can expect to hook into one of these Yellowfin Beauties over and over again. Multiple hook-ups are a no brainer, so don´t run too many lines or it will be to your detriment amigo. 80 to 200 lb Yellowfin, Black Marlin from 200 to 600 lbs, even Dorado up to 50 lbs. Sailfish, Cubera Snappers, you name it. They are attacking anything, you don´t even need bait, they`ll hit a shinny hook. So don´t worry what type of bait or how you present it, they don´t care, they will take any bait that looks like something they would like! Start at the high spots, then head southwest about four miles and you are in the right place to catch that finned fantasy!

Corbeteña is still smoking hot amigos.  Yellowfin Tuna are here as well, but not quite as big as El Banco in the 30 to 100 lb range. Now we all know these fish move and this could change tomorrow so check the locations to see what news is coming in before you make a fuel decision. I prefer Corbeteña simply for its flexibility in species and closeness to other spots like El Morro and the Marietta Islands. With plenty of Skippies in the area bait is not a problem. Large Sailfish are thick right now, you have Blue and Black Marlin to 600 lbs, Dorado larger than 35lbs, Yellowfin Tuna as we just mentioned. Cubera Snappers, I mean the place is on fire! Don´t wait, get your butts out there now.

El Morro, another place I have not mentioned in a while has Sailfish, Dorado, Bonito, Skip Jack Tuna, and the list goes on. You can cookie cutter the same for the Marietta Islands. With a little luck you will see some Rooster fish, but nothing you can predict.

Punta Mita has gotten even better after a slow start to the season. Six miles off the point there are Sailfish everywhere. No secrets on the baits, just get something in front of them, they`ll take it.  Dorado is getting more abundant in what is normally a heaven for Dorado. Capt. Tory of Bella Del Mar even came in with a 59 inch Rooster Fish, one of the biggest I have ever seen, but not quite a record. Close and full of fish is a money saving proposition for those who want to stay married. A super panga will put you and three of your friends out for eight hours, cheaper than golf in PV for sure.

Inside the bay we always have challenges to deal with come summer time. People don´t understand that the water coming down from the hills is one thing that may look unsightly, but it is like a vitamin pill for the bay with nutrients. The trash line is a place I have written about again and again. The trash line can make your four hour day feel like an eight hour day with the amount of action right now. Find a trash line in the bay and you will find Dorado to 25 lbs, Bonito, and a host of other players.  This is like a McDonalds for these fish, fast food and well worth the price. This is a great option for those looking for something they can eat and still keep things on the cheap….

Water conditions couldn´t be more perfect. Once you get out past the dirty water that we have in the bay, it gets Deep and dark blue. Water temperatures are hovering in the perfect range (84 to 86 degrees), nothing in the 90 degree range like we have seen in the last few freaky years. Plenty of bait everywhere makes it easy to make bait for your tuna tubes. So conditions could not be better amigos.

OK, Tourism is down, way, way down. If you can get past the regurgitated stories of how drug cartels are taking over Mexico and listen to those who live in the real Mexico, not Juarez, then you will have the fishing grounds all to yourself. There are very few boats heading out in the morning. It´s always good to compare prices, but make sure when you are comparing boats, you are comparing apples to apples. Better boats will never be cheap. You will never get more than you pay for.  Be careful that you are getting or wind up expecting something completely different than that twenty year old picture you were shown. You may wind up disappointed when you walk up to this slow boat from China!!

So conditions are about as good as you will get in summer if you are interested in Big Game or Deep Sea fishing in Puerto Vallarta. Sport fishing companies are doing what they can to hold the line on prices. But as in the states and the rest of the world fuel prices have increased dramatically as well here in Mexico. But losing money is no way to stay in business so I suggest making late summer reservations as soon as possible and lock in the better prices before everyone raises prices, including myself.  That is if you are coming down to do some High Season Fishing!

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. 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 of Stan Gabruk.