Once we enter mid-June, we get past a rough spot where the season and Spawning for many species end. We see massive amounts of baby Dorado get larger by the day. We see Blue Marlin move in, Sailfish are picking up in numbers and it’s all about Blue Water! Water temperatures are now in the perfect range of 84 degrees. Bait is everywhere and Hurricane Barbera is passed us by 250 kilometers pushing even more fish into the area. ‘High Season for Fishing’ is here again as we see the very beginnings of our summer species beginning to move in. Blue Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, Roosterfish and more are available to those both lucky enough to be in Puerto Vallarta and secondly, those with the fishing budget to get that ‘Bucket list’ fish you’ve always fantasized about.
Here we are at the end of May ’25 and we’re looking to the weeks ahead of us as we seem to be entering a normal, summer pattern. We’re even seeing the first Hurricane of the season as it passes the Bay of Banderas. We will normally see these Hurricanes push fish into the area as they pass our world-famous fishing grounds here in Puerto Vallarta. It’s part of the fishing cycle we missed last year. Water temperatures are about where they should be and the water is getting bluer by the day. Sardines are hanging out around the area, so we’re still seeing Rooster fish, this has been happening now for the last three weeks and their bite is still strong. It’s still Spring conditions; fish spawning is an issue we’ll need to deal with. Tournaments are already starting to spring up from Barra Navidad to San Blass. Blue Marlin are showing up in the surrounding areas, Yellowfin Tuna * Monsters are at the Tres Maria Islands. So, there are some positive signs of a normal season after two years of ‘WTF is happening out there’?
As we enter the Spring Fishing Season here in Puerto Vallarta, the Bay of Banderas is alive with action. Presently, we’re seeing the seasonal transitions we experience yearly. Cold water species will be moving out, as they’re beginning to do now, as warm water species begin moving in the area. And in the middle of all this, we see the spring spawning season has begun. Yes folks, the fish are in breeding mode. This is nothing new and it happens every year at exactly this time. So, the fish can be a little fickle, but in reality, if you are a little flexible with your departure time in the morning, the fishing can be great. Right now, it’s a mixture of timing, luck and the local knowledge expertise. It’s all about action fishing, if you can get their interest from the call of mother nature.
Well, we’ve run completely through ‘High Season’ for tourism. The people have for the most part left or are getting ready to leave. The Americans, the Canadians, everyone. Those that are left are the hardcore, salty feet types, aka ‘Pata Salada’. Once we enter May, things change pretty quickly. First you notice the increased humidity, then you’ll notice a slight bit of perspiration. The house is a little warm in the afternoon, so you turn on the A/C for the first time since last November. Water temperatures are increasing along with the climate. Summer is coming on and soon we’ll be roasting like Jalapeno’s in the sun. The water is finally getting blue; the bait is moving in as we see Banderas Bay move into ‘High Season’ for fishing in Puerto Vallarta.
Every year at the end of our tourism season here in Puerto Vallarta, fishing goes into a holding pattern. What we see is the cold-water temperatures start ticking up, little by little. This year it’s been a little different. If you’ve been reading my recent articles, you already know we’ve been dealing with confusing fishing conditions. After unusual drops in the local water temperatures, at the wrong time of the year I might add, it’s been nothing less than frustrating. We’re now seeing drastic temperature increases. With the stretch of ‘iffy’ fishing, things are improving slightly. There are some active fishing grounds if you know where to look. As we move into spawning season, skills are important, but local knowledge and experience means inexperienced Captains and Crews will be making excuses at the end of the day.
As we exit March and move into the spring fishing season, things can be strange and unpredictable. But seldom is it ‘weird’. With the unusual swing conditions from La Nina to El Nino and then back to La Nina or colder water conditions, any resemblance to our normal yearly expectations are now out the window. Water temperatures have dropped again in the last two weeks to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Normally this happens about mid-February, not early March. Dropping water temperatures as we enter ‘spring’? But that’s what’s happening. When you have 120 lb Yellowfin Tuna, Sea Bass, Grouper and Striped Marlin, all in our world-famous fishing grounds is nothing short of ‘weird’. Stay tuned, this is an interesting report this week.
For months now we’ve been trying to figure out what’s happening in our world famous fishing grounds of Puerto Vallarta in the Bay of Banderas! With the rapid switch from La Nina, to El Nino and back again to La Nina condition, to say the seasons expectations have changed would be an understatement. All the normal rules and indicators, helping to predict the coming fishing conditions are failing us miserably. Normally we begin to start seeing Sailfish return to the area in March, but not this year. Normally we can expect some great bottom fishing with the colder water temperatures, but not this year. So we’re going from day to day and doing our best as we move into the spring breeding season. What does this mean? Well, it means smaller species, for now, but this will change soon. The important thing right now is to take advantage of the present conditions and go for the ‘Action Fishing’, Yeha!
At best, when we talk about fishing in Puerto Vallarta’s Bay of Banderas fishing conditions, about all I can do right now is roll my eyes. Why you may ask, it’s because for some reason it seems like the fishing has come to a halt. What we would expect with water temperatures below 70 degrees, is not happening. The warm water species are not in the area, the cold-water species are AWOL it’s got us all scratching our heads right now. But I shouldn’t be surprised, March is like that. Normally we see the Sailfish ‘return’, which means they’ll start picking up in numbers. We’ve still got ‘some’ striped Marlin out there, but it’s a 30% catch at best. It’s a fishing ‘Twilight Zone’ out there and while there is still some action to be had, it’s not guaranteed!
This will be a year to remember, with the El Nino to La Nina ‘double’ flip, the normal types of winter conditions we’d expect, are anything but. We’re now in the middle of our winter fishing season, but it’s not really winter fishing. If that confuses you, then join the crowd. For now, we’re seeing plenty of action in the bay, like normal come March in the Bay of Banderas. Now that’s not as bad as it may sound, heading out for a short day, plenty of action related to Jack Crevalle’s and Bonito is a good thing. But Puerto Vallarta offers options most don’t think about or even offer. Bottom fishing, aka ‘Jigging’ is one of your best winter fishing options.
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.
