PV Fishing, Fish Are Where You Find Them
Striped Marlin this one boated on Magnifico are few and fairly far between, but they’re still running the area from Punta Nayarit to Corbetena for the lucky. Magnifico boated two on this day and they were lucky indeed!
Well here we are in the middle of February and the water temperatures are much warmer than they should be. Normally at this time of the year we’re looking at water temperatures in the upper 60’s. And to be fair we did see a week of cold water, then ‘pow’, the water got warm again. If you’re confused, just think about the fish! For now we’re still seeing some of our summer species running our world class fishing grounds in Puerto Vallarta. But the Bay of Banderas hasn’t let us down, we’re still seeing great, action-fishing. For those looking for Sailfish and Striped Marlin, they’re out there, but the numbers are thin, you’ll need a full day fishing trip and you could still come up empty handed. That’s fishing for you, assess the situation and make a decision. But there is always great fishing in Puerto Vallarta if you’re open minded and focused on action and no so much a specific species.
Last week we had all kinds of schooling Yellowfin Tuna at El Banco, then the production Seiners, the giant ships just raped the entire area illegally. So that pretty much wrecked the fishing in this area, but it will come back soon. Which of course leaves Corbetena as our preimer deep water fishing grounds. Right now we’re seeing Striped Marlin and Sailfish still running the area. With water temperatures at a warm 77 degrees, some of the warm water species as mentioned are still hanging around. For those interested in actually catching fish, there are many options, jigging for Snappers or Going for Grouper is always an option that most ignore. Some positive news is the water is finally blue at Corbetena after almost eleven weeks of dirty, cold water. Now there are still areas of the ‘clean green’ water and there are fish in this colder water. But if you find the blue water, your chances of favorable results increase greatly! If you want to take a shot at larger species, then you’ll have to weigh the possibilities. But to be straight up, this is probably not your best bang for your fishing dollar.
If you’re looking for a shorter day, but you still want some decent action, then the area around El Morro and the Marietta Islands are perfect for jigging for Grouper up to 20 lbs. Cubera Snapper and Amberjacks are all there. Now there are Sailfish and some Striped Marlin in this area. Not to mention massive amounts of Jack Crevalles and Bonito. The water is ‘bluer’ by the day and conditions can only improve from this point. For those looking for larger species, this is a good option, but you’ll be targeting a low percentage catch species if chasing Sails and Stripers.
Inside the bay, we’re still looking at ‘Action Fishing’ where you’ll be catching fish in a shorter duration. Some days it can be difficult to find fish in the bay. That’s ‘some’ days. Most days you’ll come back to port with spagetti arms. Jack Crevalles are moving all around the bay, and sometimes they can’t be found. If you do find them, and most are, they’ll be in the 35 lb range. Bonito are also plentiful in the bay and they’re large at 20 lbs. Remember the Bonito, are Arctic Bonito, they’re a member of the Tuna family and they do taste great. I suggest letting the meat sit in a freezer for 24 hrs whick de-bloods the fish and gives it a great taste. Sierra Mackerels are plentiful, but smaller at 12 lbs.. Some strange stuff happened this week, they caught a Striped Marlin off La Cruz. So anything is possible. For now a six hour fishing trip in the bay is your best bang for your fishing dollar. And it’s great for family fishing, and remember there are still whales in the bay. Why not enjoy the whales, do some fishing and we can even put snorkeling equipment on the boat. That’s how you save money and still have a great day on the water.
What to look for? Well my crystal ball fell off the table and what I’m seeing is a little obscure. But for the coming weeks, we should see water temperatures drop. At that point Snapper, Sea Bass and Grouper will be coming in closer to shore. The grouper you may have seen posted are basically babies. As I mentioned earlier, water temperatures are unusually warm for this time of the year. Water temperatures hit 67 degrees, favorable for bay Grouper and Snapper. Then it shot back up to 77 degrees, which the Stripers like. So it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen with the crazy transition from La nina, to El Nino, then back to La nina, I think mother nature is confused. But to be honest, it feels like we’ll have an early summer, which means water temperatures may not hit their normall yearly lows. So I guess you’ll just have to keep reading these articles and keep an open mind. The bite here is still about 09:00, so leaving the dock too early isn’t helping your cause any. I suggest leaving the dock about 08:00 and you should maximize your opportunities to catch fish. But like always, everything can change in three days so stay tuned!
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!
Written by Stan Gabruk
Web page: www.MasterBaiters.com.mx, Local Phone at: Our international number is: +52 322 209 1128. #MasterBaitersSportfishing on Instagram, Facebook: Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle. The trademark Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trademark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk
