Here we are again, a week has gone by and things have changed considerably! The bait issues at Corbetena and El Banco have gone away. Sailfish and Marlin have returned to both Corbetena and El Banco. All the deep water locations have blue water and mature Trash Lines. Dorado and Sailfish are also on the menu, thanks to the fish gods. We’ve even seen some decent sized Yellowfin Tuna as well. Two days after I wrote the last article, things changed drastically as Skip jack Tuna moved back into Corbetena, El Banco and Punta Mita! While water temperatures are still warmer than we’d like, we’ll have to endure since this warm water isn’t going anywhere soon. All the necessary “elements” are here now. The only question is if you can put those elements together. If so, the results will be the stuff memories are made of and will last a lifetime!
This week it seems like we’ve been riding a rollercoaster. Some days are incredible and some days are not as good as we would like. But every day is a new day and we’re seeing slight, yet important changes in conditions. We’ve also seen heavy rains in the mountains and in the local area. Everything seems to be in a “flux” situation where one day you can have great arm burning action, the next you’re wondering what happened? The fact of the matter is fishing is an inexact sport where we’re all vulnerable to the whims of the weather and the fish gods. The secret is to be informed and ready to go in a heartbeat. Having said that, this week is definitely better than the last week with the challenges of no bait at Corbetena, but there were fish if you could make bait. This week things are much the same, but like always, not everything is the same. Small improvements can mean big differences in targeted species and the amount of action you can expect. Right now you’re rolling the dice, the only question is, how lucky are you?
As I’ve been saying all along, this is an El Nino year and we’ll have to wait and see what Mother Nature dishes out to us. For the last couple of weeks the fishing has been “fair”, but that’s reversed itself and we’re seeing warmer water than we like and a lack of bait in our deep water fishing grounds. I’m sure you can see the direction this report is going. I look forward all year to write incredible and exciting fishing reports, but I’m reminded by the present conditions, that maybe I’m putting the “Cart before the horse”. Having said that, it’s not a “doom and gloom” scenario by any means. But for now if you’re targeting Marlin at the deep water fishing grounds of Corbetena and El Banco, you’ll need “bait insurance” in the form of tuna tubes!
Tournament season has started and even though it’s still early in the season for peak fishing conditions, they’re not bad. With abundant blue water, plenty of fish and now a Trash Line, conditions are good. We’ve had a pretty good run for the last two weeks since the Hurricane passed, but like all good things, they come and they go. We’re not seeing the 35 lb Dorado in the bay any longer, but we’ve still got nice sized Dorado at Los Arcos, but the Dorado have spread out in the bay now. We’re getting a steady stream of Marlin these days, Sailfish are picking up in numbers and are in more locations. Water temps are up, no bait issues. Day by day the conditions take a click in the right direction. For now things aren’t quite as good as they were after Hurricane Beatriz. Those were freak conditions where if you were here to take advantage of the situation, you had some unforgettable action. Looking forward, I feel very positive for the season. With more fish moving into the area, we know conditions will only improve.
The month of May as you know, isn’t the best time of the year to target world class species like Yellowfin Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish and more when it comes to fishing here in Puerto Vallarta. Now that doesn’t mean the fishing is bad and this week we’re seeing many “positives”. It just means if you want to target a summer species, then you’re a little early for the party amigos. Now if you’re in town looking for a little action fishing in the bay, then we can help you out! Right now your best bang for your fishing dollar is either six or eight hour fishing trips. With water temperatures ticking up slightly, warmer currents moving in from the south are bringing with them even more bait. But the surprising news is Rooster fish are back at Caballeros and small Dorado are moving into the bay. That’s a bit of a surprise, but we’ll just be thankful and take full advantage of another fun day fishing in Puerto Vallarta.
