Puerto Vallarta Fishing Report: Corbeteña Turns into Fish City, El Banco Cools off, Marlin Save the Day, Another day of fishing in Puerto Vallarta!
Corbeteña Turns into Fish City, El Banco Cools off, Marlin Save the Day, Another day of fishing in Puerto Vallarta!
Master Baiter´s® is one of, if not the oldest Sportfishing company in Puerto Vallarta. We get questions all the time asking what we should expect from year to year at specific times. We can make charts, we can form plans and we can find that all of the effort was a waste of time. When coming down to Puerto Vallarta we all know there are certain times of the year when one species or another is going to be more prevalent than others. This time of the year we see Black Marlin begin to take over the fishing grounds of Corbeteña and El Banco or The Bank in English. Between these two locations you can usually expect to boat a trophy sized finned fantasy or Yellowfin Tuna, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Striped Marlin or even Blue Marlin. You get the feeling Corbeteña (or the Rock as it is commonly called) has a ¨thing¨ for Marlin?! Right now there is just about any fish you wish out there, but you have to be a little lucky to come across some popular species!
El Banco this week was a complete bust, nothing much to speak of. Lots of Spinner Dolphin, which are a Captains friend since you can almost always count on football YF tuna to be running with them. But lately this has not been the case. Those hunting YF Tuna have been able to find them heading north between the High Spots of El Banco and the Tres Maria Islands. Now if you want to boat a Yellowfin Tuna, then this is what you have to deal with. And imagine, you can do this all in 14 to 16 hs! A long day for sure, but when you come back with five YF Tuna in the 175 lb range, it kinda all feels worth the work, expen$e and exposure to the elements! Just a few short days ago El Banco was pumping. Things can change before you know it so make sure you contact me for the latest and greatest on the bite amigos. I’ll tell you the Real Deal Fishing Report… even if it cost me money… Hahahahaaa… goes without saying of course!
Just about an hour or 25 miles south of El Banco is Corbeteña or The Rock as we refer to it. With its rock island, deep channels diving straight down and with structure about four hundred yards off the rock, Corbeteña is the most flexible fishing grounds Puerto Vallarta has to offer. With a greater variety of fish on a regular basis, this area has produced many a tournament winning fish! As I mentioned earlier, Black Marlin, Striped Marlin, and Sailfish are the primary players here this week running form 400 lbs to over 800 lbs depending on what you come across that is interested in your bait. No Cubera Snappers or Yellowfin Tuna reports and like normal this can change in seconds and probably will, such is the nature of Sportfishing in Puerto Vallarta amigos! The good news is there is plenty of bait to tempt those in the area interested in eating. Lures of Yellow and Orange with black flecks or a tiger print are working well, sometimes better than live bait. Other colors that are working are blue and grey, again with the black flecks or tiger print on the skirts!
This time of the year we many times will discuss clean water vs. dirty water. With the river mouths pouring rain water down these Adobe Clay hills, the water that pours into the bay looks like coffee. Fish naturally hate having to breath this mud, so they stay away from it at all cost. This week as long as you were more than ten miles out past the point of Punta Mita you were generally in clean, Blue Water. If you were closer in, then you weren´t. Sometimes the silty water is not too green, but then again, only a few species will tolerate this condition, so it’s always best to avoid the green water.
The silver lining or up side to the dirty water filling the bay is the Trash Line. The trash line is where the organic materials like leaves, seeds, weeds, you name it forms a barrier between the green water and the clean or blue water in the bay. These trash lines can extend out twenty to thirty miles depending on the ever changing currents. Dorado are famous for feeding on the trash line along with Rooster Fish. Lately with very few Rooster fish and Dorado, the trash line is still worth looking for, but may be a little disappointing if too far out in the bay.
Now if you´re near the river mouths, this is another thing. With Snook, Roballo in Spanish, they will hang around and be first in line for the smaller fish feeding on that organic mix. So even if the water is dirty, you can make that work for you! But first you need to know of this option. Many ignore the locals and how they fish. Mexicans can’t afford those expensive boats, they make do with surf fishing and anything that will float them just past the surf line! No need to get fancy, just get there!
By now you can imagine the in the bay fishing has been a little on the slow side with the dirty water and indeed that has been the case. But those looking for Rooster fish will find they are not near Sayulita or the Marietta Islands this week. Where they went, who knows, but I had some Western Outdoor News readers come in looking for Roosters today and had to let them in for the bad news after reading about how Roosters were biting. Again, things change as fish move.. And Roosters move on a whim!
The Marietta Islands have been on the weak side with Snappers, Needle fish, Jack Crevalls, Bonito and Skip Jack Tuna being the main players as late. Still worth an eight hour day with the chance of Sailfish. The news here this week is the seasonal rains will also wash logs into the bay. Now the other day there was a log between the islands of El Morro and the Marietta’s that had Dorado in the 25 to 40 lb range. But if you can´t find a log or the equivalent, forget it, Dorado are nowhere to be found and I couldn´t tell you why. Stay tuned for more on this next week….. but if they can find logs, they can find my bait….. at least we know they´re out there!
You know it always amazes me when people come in and spew the same old stuff from their mouths looking for the same old fish in the same old places. The local, old salt captains in Marina Vallarta know that there are many great fishing grounds between Yelapa and Cabo Corrientes on the south end of the Bay of Banderas! For those looking for Rooster fish, these beaches have produced in the past and will again in the near future! Skip Jack Tuna, the occasional Sail fish, Snappers, Needle fish, Skip Jack tuna love this area and the list goes on. Don´t be afraid to ask if there are places that are firing off that the others will never consider. Remember, even though we have these huge world class species of Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuan and Dorado. We also have what we call smaller fish, fish under a hundred pounds, which are still a lot of fun to catch. Most of which are suitable for the dinner table, an extra added advantage for those who get hungry! So keep this in mind next time you ask about the local fish, not just in Vallarta, but anywhere you find yourself. Ask a local who is not interested in selling you a charter, he’ll probably talk your ear off!
Just a quick reminder, the United States is making it harder and harder to accept American dollars. So bring pesos to Mexico and if you get them at your bank, you get the daily bank rate, without paying the local commission…. You can get as much as two pesos per dollar more this way, an additional twenty percent savings on everything you do! When you talk with your banker , give him a day or two to get you r pesos for you and bring them back to him so you don´t lose money on the return exchange fees which add up. You can beat the banks at their own game and not have to worry about getting screwed on the exchange through the hotels, restaurants or even the Money Exchanges (Casa de Cambios) . One other reminder, many Americans are shocked when they discover Credit Cards are not accepted in most normal businesses by individual like myself. Many restaurants and most sportfishing companies find credit card issues spring up on a daily basis and it causes us to drop this option with all the fraud visitors hit us with. I know, you don´t hear much about that , but it is an issue we find impossible to deal with when north Americans cancel charges saying they were never in Mexico…. It also stops all credit card fraud… so you´ve been warned, bring Pesos!
Don´t be fooled by imposters in Puerto Vallarta using my corporate and trademarked name of Master Baiter’s® Sportfishing and Tackle. If anyone other than Stan Gabruk, the owner contacts you via email, you are being scammed! These folks have gone as far as coping my web site almost word for word to confuse my age old clients. You can reach me at my web page of MasterBaiters (dot) com (dot) mx, that way you know you have the original and only Master Baiter´s which is located in Marina Vallarta! Trade Marks on file with proof is necessary!
Until next week, don´t forget to kiss your fish!
As the Premier Fishing Company in Puerto Vallarta, we pride ourselves on service and value to our customers. All boats are insured and have correct and legal operational licenses. Feel free to contact Stan at: CatchFish@MasterBaiters.com.mx. You can also purchase one of my famous shirts online now at: www.MasterBaitersGear.com Blog: www.masterbaiters.wordpress.com Facebook: search for MasterBaiters Stan.. Master Baiter´s is also the only company in Puerto Vallarta that Guarantees your catch with a 30% money back guarantee on full priced charters! We take the risk with you, a t Master Baiter´s®, We Don´t Jerk You Around!
