We have fish, but they’re cruising with erratic currents and stuffed full of fresh bait. Varied water temperatures, varied water conditions and species normally not in the area for this time of the year. Being a person who’s supposed to be “more or less” an expert on the subject in the area. I have to tell you, this is driving me crazy. It’s hard to predict what’s happening on a daily basis. All I can really do is tell you what happened. Everything else right now is a “roll of the dice” Some days you’re coming up all winners. Other days, you’ll be wondering “What Happened”? And I’d be right there with you!
Normally at this time of the year we don’t talk much about “breeding” fish. But normally we don’t have to deal with La Nina. Normally we don’t have species like Dorado in the area in the middle of “winter” fishing, even though It’s Spring. So much of the frustration we’re seeing in our fishing season is from species that “shouldn’t be here”. We all know it’s a “mixed up season”. So the locals are full of eggs and we have to deal with that. The good news is Jack Crevalles are taking bait again. Dorado that are here are still fickle, but beginning to take surface baits. Striped Marlin and Sailfish, again two species that are either “super early” for their normal season are showing signs of taking bait. With strange water temperatures and currents, species that shouldn’t “be” here, are because of La Nina, it can be hard to figure out. But the silver lining is the bay fishing is incredible with smaller species, like normal. And as the remaining Whales filter out, the near future for fishing in Puerto Vallarta is looking better by the day!
We’re finally seeing some changes for the positive when it comes to fishing in Puerto Vallarta. Water temperatures are holding. Striped Marlin and Sailfish are still off Punta Mita and most of the deep water fishing grounds are “on vacation” until further notice. But it’s March, the time of the year we normally start to see Sailfish return to the area. You may say “Sailfish, they’ve been here since before December”. And you’d be correct, but they shouldn’t have been frankly. I understand why visitors to Puerto Vallarta (PV) hoping to catch a billfish or Yellowfin Tuna. The only problem with that is, they’re on the wrong side of the calendar. Strangely Enough we can still provide a “Shot” at a Sailfish or Striped Marlin, which in itself is a strange thing. As fisherman/women we always deal the cards dealt. Right now Corbetena or El Banco are on vacation until further notice.
Strangely enough we’re in the third week of the “Bubble”. It’s strange, but this freak situation of warm water hanging off the point of Punta Mita continues. Water temperatures seem to have stabilize a bit for the moment. Massive bait in the form of Squid and Red Crabs are all around the area as our yearly transition period continues. With plenty of action, everyone fishing in Puerto Vallarta right now are getting their fill of action. If you’re looking for Billfish or just a family day on the water, we’ve got you covered!
We’ve come into a time of the year where we just don’t really know what to expect when talking about fishing in Puerto Vallarta. The title isn’t code, it’s a recipe of ingredients. It’s a mixed bag where if you have all the ingredients measured out in the right mix will make your day on the water memorable. We’re in a “La Nina” year and what’s happening is unpredictable and confusing at best when trying to predict the near term “fishing” conditions. We’re in a transition period where summer species if not already gone like Dorado, Blue Marlin and Sailfish, for the most part soon will be. Normally, once we get ready to enter February we have an “Indian summer” of fishing. Late season Dorado normally come down from California. But this year, who knows. The fact of the matter is we know what we have right now. Predicting the future when it comes to fishing is easy if your crystal ball doesn’t have a crack in it like mine!
Fishing in Puerto Vallarta continues to be world class this week with all the most popular species. Marlin are picking up in numbers and size. Sailfish, Dorado and even Yellowfin Tuna are all at our world famous deep water fishing grounds with blue water everywhere and plenty of varied baits. Water temperatures are holding steady and of course the climate here in Puerto Vallarta is nicer every day as we enter high season in Puerto Vallarta.
After what I thought might be a temporary thing, Dorado numbers have exploded. In fact fishing in Puerto Vallarta is all about Dorado right now. It’s now October, the fishing from now until hopefully New Year’s will be the best of the year. The local climate is calming down and it feels like an early winter. But for now a bay trip to Corbetena is well worth the time and money. With mostly dirty water, once you’re past the Marietta islands things change. If you’re in the south end of the bay, things are different and now even larger Dorado are in the bay. So sit back and let the Dorado Show begin.
Fishing in Puerto Vallarta is never a sure thing if targeting only one species, but if you are looking for action we always have that. I know my reports lately seem to be a little “cookie cutter”. But if you’ve been reading my articles here in the past, you know this is the time of the year when the fishing seasons change. I call it a “Transition Period”. In a “normal” year the tourism season is normally over. With Covid restrictions winding down, we’re seeing a “second High season” in June. Thankfully we have Stripers still running the area, Yellowfin Tuna are small but out there. Blue Marlin are sparse and Sailfish are hard to find. What does this all mean? It means the fish are out there, the question is: Are you willing to do what it takes to boat a Bucket List fantasy?
Well it’s not quite a cookie cutter report, but when the fishing is world class you and great you sound like you’re repeating yourself. No matter how you look at it, the fishing in Puerto Vallarta is incredible. We could call this article “Dorado City”, but the title is a little too short (Ha Ja). What we are long on is arm burning fishing action. Don’t want a long day, perfect. Looking to save some money, the bay is on fire. Want larger fish, we’ve got all the world class species you could hope for. Frankly, that’s pretty much the fishing report. Don’t worry, I’ll share the details while you try and stay calm.
I have to tell you, I was wondering what happened to our fishing season. We had plenty of blue water just full of bait. But we weren’t seeing decent sized Dorado, the Marlin were here, just spread out so that meant burning fuel! The worst part was I couldn’t with any confidence say “You’d boat a Marlin or Dorado”. Well now I can! In fact Marlin are very thick, Dorado at varying sizes are essentially at every fishing grounds we have. Sailfish are also picking up in size and numbers as we normally expect. We’re moving out of the Hurricane season, that doesn’t mean we won’t see any more, but the possibility will diminish by the day. It’s this time of the year that built Puerto Vallarta’s reputation as being some of the best fishing locations in the world!
