To be straight up with my loyal readers, all 54 of you, February is not the best month of the year to be fishing here in Puerto Vallarta, Banderas Bay to be exact. Not that the fishing is lacking, but because most people are looking for Monster fish like Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna and Wahoo to name a few. Now we still have Dorado, Rooster fish and Sailfish if you are in the right location, which is not in the bay amigo. Yes we´re moving into winter fishing which means Jack Crevalls coming out of our ears, billions of Sierra Mackerals that are great tasting, but not large.
Just like a rubber band, fishing has snapped back after yet another unsuspected Hurricane a thousand miles out to sea! Yes this is a long way, but it still puts high pressure on the water, which of course chases the fish in the area out. For now We´re also seeing Wahoo at Corbeteña, Rooster Fish at the Marietta Islands, Dorado and Sails at Punta Mita. Yes folks, fishing has turned the corner as the days get shorter and the temperatures come back into more normal ranges. Puerto Vallarta is beginning to rock amigos, time to get your butt in gear.
With water temperatures at unseasonable highs, it´s more like summer fishing than winter fishing. Winter and summer species are streaked throughout our world famous fishing grounds and anything is possible. Dorado are still hanging out and have moved into the bay, which is a good thing. Monster Yellowfin Tuna at the Tres Maria Islands. Spinner Dolphin at El Banco and Corbeteña mean ever welcome Football Tuna to 70 lbs. And with Striped Marlin in the area, there seems little to complain about when it comes to fishing in Puerto Vallarta. For fair weather fisherman, you finally can have your cake and eat it too! It may be Global Warming, it may be El Nino once again, but whatever it is, we´ll just thank the stars that it seems to be continuing.
Wow, if you think you have a clue about what the fishing is going to be like today, tomorrow or next week you´re a crystal ball is better than mine! Last week I though the fishing had finally turned into winter conditions, yet here we are with Sailfish off El Morro and the Marietta Islands, Sailfish! They never left! Water temperatures are still running in the mid 70´s, with plenty of bait the mixed summer and winter species living and eating in the same area are likely to hang for a while. Strange, yes.. But if you´re out there fishing in this mixed up season, you`re catching fish you shouldn´t be seeing!
Normally in December we see the turn of the season, the days are cooler, the evening cold to those who live here in Puerto Vallarta Year Round. This December as yet has been unseasonably warm keeping our world famous fishing grounds warm and abundant with fish! A machine for Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna. Dorado are still strong around the Marietta Islands, with some nice bulls still hanging out around ignored El Morro. With empty fishing grounds, the seasonal Sportsman has everything he could possibly want. Perfect temperatures, blue water, abundant fishing, deserted fishing grounds, it´s like you´re in the 50´s but with newer equipment. For a short time every year the conditions come together and form the Champaign days of Sportfishing in Puerto Vallarta.
One more time, just when you think you know what the deal is, you don´t. To me it looked like we were going to have a warm water winter this year as we all enjoyed some of the warmer water species that have been hanging around. But the green water returned to the bay and if you are looking at anything under eight hours your chances of boating anything larger than Nimo is dismal at best amigo. Straight up the bay is dead, dead, dead. But not so elsewhere in our world famous fishing grounds.
For years now I´ve been writing articles on fishing here in our world famous fishing grounds or Puerto Vallarta. In a normal season we would be seeing the end of the summer fishing season as the Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna and Sailfish filter out and head south for the winter. During unusual conditions like El Nino or La Nina the word ¨normal¨ does not apply. This year as you know if you read my ¨stuff¨ that we are in the second La Nina year in a row. This came after an El Nino Year. So for the last three years we have seen all sorts of conditions we ¨normally¨ would not have to deal with. So what does that mean to us now? Well all I can tell you is fishing is a mixed bag right now and if you are one of the thousands that have come to expect ´easy´ fishing, then you are in for a surprise. If you are looking for ¨action¨ then we`ve got game amigo. If you´re a little flexible and open to all that can happen, then you´re the person I am writing for again this week.
Everyone knows that when October finally arrives Pesca or Fishing will be at it´s yearly best. Magazines and fishing programs know this as they begin to move into the area where they will document and film our World Class Fishing. The area between Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas will soon turn into Tournament city. The largest of which occurs mid October in Cabo San Lucas with the Bisbee´s Tournament. This is a three million dollar prize in cash and cars! The entry fee is huge, but the fish are here and the time is ripe for Huge Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, and of course Yellowfin Tuna Monsters / Cows… Mooooo.This past week we had reports of Monster Black Marlin coming out of Cabo San Lucas of close to 1,000 pounds depending on the report you read. Now I know we are not Cabo, it´s only 350 miles out of the Bay of Banderas. This means that particular fish passed us at some point which is a great indication of what is possible at this time of the year in the enter region!
