For weeks and weeks I´ve been waiting for things to improve as we have been stuck in a transition period where we wait and hope the wait is not too long. For now it looks cautiously like the season may have turned the corner now as we see our world famous fishing grounds filling with the summer species we have been looking for itjust depends on where they´re and what your fishing budget looks like. But the good news is the fishing is good, not great, but it´s getting better. This trend should continue and as far as Dorado moving in, it was July before we had a chance to boat a gold and sapphire beauty last year. So we should consider ourselves lucky and thank our lucky fishing stars for the sight but positive changes.
It was funny, a few of my Captains and First Mates came in the shop yesterday to inform me that we now have Sailfish, Dorado and Striped Marlin moving into the area. Now these guys were talking about El Banco and Corbeteña. The two world famous deep water fishing grounds we have outside of Puerto Vallarta. This is big news, we normally see Sailfish move in through the month of March. This year they were here, but they left as the water suddenly chilled to frigid which of course forced them out of the area as fast as they moved in. So they have been waiting like everyone else for some positive signs and this would be one. I heard of a few Yellowfin Tuna coming in at 140 lbs about fifteen miles off the high spots north, Stay tuned….
Robert Pedigo landed this 427.9 lb Yellowfin Tuna at the Tres Maria Islands eighty miles out of Marina Vallarta… He had an epic 9 day trip and also landed 3 other fish over 300 lbs and 3 other on the high 200 lbs and he lost 2 other big fish that were on the highs […]
Welcome to spring fishing! What does that mean, well you never know until you make it out to the fishing grounds. Days like these can be frustrating to those hoping to enjoy the day on the water with arm burning action. For now if you are one of those ¨guys¨ looking for Rooster fish at the Marietta Islands you´ll be rolling the dice amigo. The blankets of Squid have filtered out or have been eaten by every species in the bay. Some days you come in with fish, other days you come in with your hair in your hands pulling it out in frustration. For those of us who live here in Puerto Vallarta we know we´ll have days like this, but we really don´t believe it until we´ve had a few days like this.
Come this time of the as we spring forward into fishing season we hopefully begin to see Sailfish and with any luck at all by mid April we´ll have Dorado (aka Mahi Mahi). For the last couple of years Dorado took their time finding Puerto Vallarta (PV) and did not show up until mid July so we´re just happy to have these gold and Sapphire Colored Blue Plate Specials swimming in our World Famous Fishing Grounds. The other good news on the agenda is how Sailfish have shown up again in the Golden Triangle. This is the area between El Morro, Corbeteña and El Banco. Along with the Sailfish there have been some Striped Marlin released as well. It may be a little early in the season to talk of any frenzies, but we are happy that Dorado is showing early. High Season for fishing begins now and there is no turning back until next January.
Conservation is an interesting thing, that is until it starts taking money out of your pocket. Then it turns into something you or rather ¨they¨ either ignore or just pretend isn´t worth any bother / attention since nobody’s in Mexico to enforces this anyway. So why worry, make money, nobody knows they are there. Well that was for the most part true until the news stories made national news of Yellowfin Tuna being boated off the *Tres Maria Islands
For the last few years now the fishing has been anything but normal and so far and there is no reason to think things are going to change. Normally from February to mid April the water temperatures are in the mid to very low seventies. Since we are in another La Nina year, the cold water version of El Nino, you would expect cold water. But this is not the case, especially at El Banco and Corbeteña where water temperatures are hovering above eighty degrees. Basically these are summer water temperatures with currents from Hawaii cutting off the cold water from the north. It explains why we have seen Football Yellowfin Tuna at El Banco and Corbeteña. Find the Spinner Dolphin and the Footballs will be with them. Striped Marlin are still at our world famous fishing grounds, but not many. Sailfish and Dorado are also out there if you have the luck of the Irish. I guess to put things in a nut shell, you´ll have to work a little to find fish and it may take some time, but the good news is there are fish to be had.
People have come to look to Puerto Vallarta to find Monster Sized Yellowfin Tuna during the summer around El Banco and Corbeteña for the most part. But lately there have been those who have been venturing out eighty to a hundred and thirty miles one way to have the chance at a world record sized Yellowfin Tuna. These select few fishing in either private charters or cattle boats are of course heading to the Tres Maria Islands (aka The Prison Islands) (Tres Marias Client Risk Info). If you follow the rules or laws as they are also known as, you can boat a world record sized Yellowfin Tuna on any given day. They can also be forty pounds as well. You have to ask yourself is the risk worth the time and money? The answer: It depends on how bad you want to the Strongest, World Class, and Possibly a World Record Fish amigo!
Ok, twenty minutes after I wrote the last weeks report everything got better at most locations. Yellowfin Tuna for the fanatics have gone into the Monster Size mental frenzies…
As unpredictable conditions continue we are seeing some days with fish, others with nothing. There seems to be strong currents constantly swirling pushing fish out…
