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Marina Vallarta Las Palmas I Local 3

Puerto Vallarta Fishing Just Got Strange, Plenty of Bait, Marlin in the Bay?

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

It’s an amazing thing out there right now, nothing is as you would hope for and yet we are ass still positive about the upcoming season. The water temperatures are right, the water is either clear green or blue if you are out far enough. Bait is not an issue, plenty of bait for sure, which is always a good thing! The stage is set, now all we need are the players. That is not to say there are no fish, but if you are heading out to the deep water locations of Corbeteña and El Banco, your fuel dollars can be better spent right now.

Black Marlin Hook-Up at Corbeteña
Black Marlin Hook-Up at Corbeteña

Lets touch bases on the deep, blue water locations of El Banco and Corbeteña. What you have to look forward to is blue water about 28 miles out from Marina Vallarta. You will see lots of bait in the water, but you won’t find any fish. My suggestion on Corbeteña is to head out to the drop, about 15 miles or so west of the rock and see what may be there. There has been the occasional Dorado and Striped Marlin Hook-up, but not enough to get me to open my wallet for ever increasing fuel prices! The Same goes for El Banco, you may find something if you head out far enough, but GuerroAzteca headed out for a two day trip and found nothing but nothing to interested in the baits they were offering. So for the present, steer clear of these normally hot summer locations.

North, quite a ways north is Guyavitos and they have fish, probably. Sailfish and Striped Marlin have been hanging out about 20 miles or so off shore. Dorado are also in the area and the ones that have been boated are of good size in the 30 to 40ish pound range. You will spend the whole day looking for fish in this area, but if you are hungry for billfish, then this is probably you r best bet right now….

Black Marlin, 699 lbs, June 6, 2006, They're coming Now!
Black Marlin, 699 lbs, June 6, 2006, They’re coming Now!

Punta Mita is a little slow right now, but some of these ¨wise guy¨ captains have been setting up buoys of coconut palm leaves in the Punta Mita Area closer in. So if you are not one of the privileged few to know the locations, run the sounder in the usual locations and you will know where to find them. Bait fish and diving birds that don’t move is a strong indication of what is going on there.

The Marietta Islands are less than spectacular right now, again with the clear green water which is loaded with bait in the form of Skip Jack Tuna and Bonito. Rooster Fish are still here in diminishing numbers, but the few that have been boated are in the 40 lb range. But be patient, they won’t be jumping in the boat amigo!  Still for the buck, I would consider this location if you´re flush with fuel cash… There have been a few Dorado here as well, small, but encouraging for sure. Stay tuned….

Romance is at El Faro Bar or in English the Light House Bar
Romance is at El Faro Bar or in English the Light House Bar

Strange enough, the place to be right now is in the bay if you are looking for some decent action. No kidding, Jack Crevalls, Skippies (Skip Jack Tuna) in the 20lb range,  Bonito about the same size. Snappers around the rocks and soon with the seasonal rains on the way, there will be Robalo going crazy near the river mouths as all that organic food like leaves, bugs, seeds, roll down the mountains directly into the fish food chain! Off Yelapa there has been so much bait and the water is perfect temperature that a Black Marlin, 150 lbs only, was boated about twelve miles off the beach. Strange stuff indeed, but I guess it just shows fish are where you find them!

Further south in the bay, Cabo Corrientes specifically is really a great place to head out to with some light tackle.  Skip Jack Tuna a little larger in the 40 lb range are there taking baits like nutz!  Head out to Chimo and drop anything you want, they will hit it lure wise. Lures are working better than live bait for this brief moment in time. Yellow, the Mexican flag (green, white & red), Rapallas, Blue, Daisy Chains, you name it, give it a try on light tackle. You´ll be glad you did. It would not surprise me much if you found Sailfish in the area and maybe some Marlin if you head out a little ways. Of course this all depends on how thick your wallet is!

As we enter June the Marlin normally, notice I say normally…. Come in. We get a week of big Billfish like Blue or Black Marlin mix in the deep water locations. Could be the first, second or even third week, but it has been a pattern now for the last few years and hopefully we can count on this to hold true. Cross your fingers, toes and whatever else you can cross on your body, stay away from crossing your eyes, we wouldn´t want to get anything stuck now would we??

Very few boats heading out in the mornings gives us a pretty thin thread to base a fishing report. But Magnifico has been heading out to the areas I just mentioned and as one of the finest boats in the Marina Vallarta, everyone will agree in the know, if they don´t catch fish, there are no fish to be had. Now they have been coming in with fish, but it has been work. No worries, it´s late May and things will start to pick up again hopefully in Mid June. It´s just a matter of time before we see larger Yellowfin Tuna turn up along with their running mates of Black and Blue Marlin.

With the Bonito and especially the Skip Jack Tuna out there, it is just a matter of time before we see desired results of big fish moving into the area. Let’s hope it’s sooner than later.

I know I write a lot about how you need to be careful with cab drivers. But I had this gentleman come in today, a regular reader, tell me a story of how he left 20 pesos with a cab driver who promised to bring him change in the morning. Ordinarilly this sort of situation would wind up with this trusting sole never seeing his change. You see if a cab driver does not have change, you don’t legally have to pay the guy and frankly I wouldn’t have given this guy the extra trust. But I just wanted to balance out the comments, there are good people who are trust worthy out there… I love Mexico!

Just a reminder, the Marina Vallarta is empty, yet it is still the ¨Other Malicon or Boardwalk¨ in Vallarta. With 15 restaurants and tons of shopping you can find that little something you just have to give _____ insert name… Don’t forget to visit El Faro Bar or the Light House Bar depending on if you speak Spanish or English. It is atop the light house on the boardwalk in the village in Marina Vallarta. With appetizers and a great drink menu they can order Italian food from my favorite restaurant in Marina Vallarta, Dante Ristorante. So tell Teresa in the El Faro Bar that Stan from Master Baiter’s said to come by and check out a sunset in the most romantic view and bar in Puerto Vallarta. You´ll be glad you did…

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