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.
When we come to this time of the year, everything is in a state of flux. With changing currents, then one day there is blue water, the next is the clean green water comes back. This is not unusual, in fact it’s more or less normal. It’s just very early in the summer fishing season to have more stable conditions as we continue the seasonal transition, nothing complicated. But we are seeing subtle and constant improvements by the day. The strong currents of a few weeks back that brought with it the larger Black and Blue Marlin have relaxed. For now we have most of the favorite species people are looking for. Sailfish, Dorado, Tuna, Marlin and more are already here. Sounds great, I know, but the whole thing needs some time to jell. Right now with all those famous species, massive amounts of warm water bait has come with them. Now this is a double edged sword, too much bait means it’s hard to get these fish to check out your “presentation”. Not enough bait, and they all leave. The good news is these species are filling in the entire area in all the different fishing grounds right now there are serious possibilities. With so few boats heading out in this slow part of the year for tourism, what I’m seeing could be just the tip of the iceberg. People are catching fish, but first you have to be on the water for the “action to begin”.
Welcome back to another incredible week of improving fishing. We aren’t quite up to the level that’s considered world class, but we’re right on time. Coming out of the winter fishing season, everything is in a state of flux as should be expected this early into the fishing season. Water temps have dropped a little, the clean green water is moving in and out. Blue Marlin made an appearance at Corbetena. Corbetena is stuffed full of bait and even a Wahoo or two have shown up. We’re moving forward into what feels like another world class season, but like always, it’s a day at a time.
In the world of world class fishing, not every day is a perfect day. The fishing grounds of Puerto Vallarta are considered some of the best in the world. Yet we still have to pay homage to the changing season, changing currents and of course changing water temperatures. We also know we have a seasonal swing from winter species to summer species. Conditions are changing and there’s no escaping that. Right now we’re in the middle of this seasonal change, which means there are some days are better than others. With plenty of bait in the area, the down side, temporarily I might add, is we now are experiencing red tide. Red tide, which is created by dead or dying plankton has taken over the entire area. We’ve seen this now for about a week and it could last for a brief while longer. Red tide is a normal condition and fishing in this red water is difficult at best. While not preferable on any level, this is a short lived condition. As you read this article, keep in mind things have probably already changed. Fish are out there, your challenge is finding clean water, even if it’s green. If not for the red tide, we’d still be dealing with “pregnant” fish!
This week we’ve built on the outstanding fishing conditions of last week. With the seasonal rains, we now have a trash line! Water temperatures have stayed much the same and with the changing summer currents we have plenty of bait at all our world famous fishing grounds. For now there have been some surprising changes, weird actually. For those willing to take the risk, longer duration trips can produce larger Yellowfin Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish and more. For the family guy looking for a fun day on the water, shorter duration with plenty of action. For now I can’t remember a better July when it comes to fishing. With Hurricanes pushing fish in the area, I can’t imagine conditions being any better than they already are for July. That doesn’t mean you won’t have a “bad” day now and again. But for now the fishing is great and should only improve from this point onward into fishing’s high season!
