Living in a tropical place like Puerto Vallarta, Hurricanes can and do happen all the time. Most are hundreds of miles out to sea and frankly the general public doesn’t know anything about Hurricanes until they come close to shore. But this last week we had a slow moving Hurricane that screwed with the fishing for three days. So the report this week is positive and we expect the perfect conditions for Dorado, Sailfish and Blue Marlin to continue. As we move into “High Season” for fishing we’re in tournament season, which of course means the time of the year to boat that “bucket list” fantasy fish. Feeling lucky?
Every year we deal with “low” season action, when in reality the funny thing is “low” season for tourism happens smack in the middle of “High Season for fishing”. And you might ask what that means? You see when the weather in perfect in Puerto Vallarta, that reflects the lower water temperatures in the area. As we know, weather patterns follow water temperatures, nothing new there. Well in “Low” season Puerto Vallarta Fishing is at its best because with the high temperatures, comes warmer water temperatures. Perfect for our most famous species of Sailfish, Dorado, Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna. In fact, it’s Dorado city at all our fishing grounds! And that’s where we are now. But, things are changing, as we enter October, we enter the best time of the year to be on the water in Puerto Vallarta. If you’re looking to catch a fish bigger than your car, now is the time to be booking fishing trips amigo or get left with another year before you do!
Living in Puerto Vallarta now for 22 yrs., I’m what you’d call a “Gringo Pata Salada” or American with salty feet, aka a long time local. And I can relate to this nick name, although through the years I’ve been referred to by many different names by many different types. I’ve watched Puerto Vallarta grow into a cross between a small town and the big city. Puerto Vallarta and area have in the neighborhood of eight million people a year come to this beautiful and safe location to vacation where the dollar goes a long way and the people are famous for their kindness and generosity. Yet at the last consensus, there are less than three hundred thousand people living in the entire coastline of The Bay of Banderas. Which of course encompasses both states of Jalisco and Nayarit.
We’ve been riding a Rollercoaster of storm currents when it comes to fishing in Puerto Vallarta. Right now to find fish, you have to follow the bait. And they’re riding the currents. With changing storm currents this means fish right now are spread out from Yelapa to El Banco. We had a Hurricane pass us last week and for a few days Sailfish and Marlin were pushed into the area. Then we got hit with some heavy rains, which of course means plenty of dirty water washing down the rivers which dumped into the bay. Dirty water pretty much, at the moment this article was written, was in most of the bay, and any fishing grounds that would be normally associated with an eight hour trip. Sounds kinda negative now doesn’t it. This is when you have to turn your head and look in a different direction. Open you mind and think like a fish. What would you do if you were a fish in our local waters?
You know the funny thing about the world of fishing is, you never really know what to expect in the summer in Puerto Vallarta. With constantly passing Hurricanes hundreds of miles out, this affects currents. Currents are fish highways. The ride along and use them to their advantages. This creates crazy currents which can be for good or evil. And along with those currents come bait fish. In fact it’s a bait buffet at all the deep water fishing locations. The bay had a surprising streak of a few days were larger Dorado and even Sailfish were running the neighborhood of Yelapa to Los Arcos. Things are changing by the day, what happened yesterday, well that was yesterday.
Last week you might remember how surprised I was that Corbetena just “crapped” out and for a few days anyway other options were more favorable. This week I’m glad to announce that Corbetena Lives! El Banco has Blue and Black Marlin along with blue water and plenty of bait. With calm seas and perfect fishing conditions we’re moving now into September when things start happening. Even though it’s a La Nina year, which means the water is cooler than normal, the fishing is surprisingly good. When tourism moves into September, Puerto Vallarta fishing finally turns into the conditions that built our reputation in Puerto Vallarta as some of the best fishing ground in the world!
Normally at this time of the year, we’re discussing the “incredible fishing” at Corbetena. But not this week, this week we’re seeing the complete opposite. You see we’ve had tons of heavy rain. Combine this with passing Hurricanes pushing currents in all different directions and all of a sudden, fishing at Corbetena turns into a grave yard! We all know “fishing is fishing” but this is a bit unusual. It’s a La Nina year, we should have close to 90 degree water temperatures, but we don’t. Air temperatures should be much warmer, but they’ve been hovering at 85 to about 88, with high humidity. The panic that these “conditions” could last are unfounded. Remembering I’m writing about last week, this is no indication of what’s going to happen. We all know fishing is like riding a roller coaster, lots of ups and downs. But we have Marlin at El Banco, even if there is almost no pulse at Corbetena. If that’s not bad enough, Porpoise have been stealing your dead bait and chasing your lures. For now that’s all a “pain in the drain”.
For the last month or so, I’ve been declaring “summer fishing” has arrived, and it has. But like most things in life, it doesn’t happen all at once. Daily, as we move deeper into “high season” for fishing in Puerto Vallarta, we’re confronted with several “fishing surprises”. What surprises you may ask? Well, Blue Marlin at El Banco, Yellowfin Tuna at Corbetena and Striped Marlin being boated in the bay? If none of that is surprising, then you don’t know fishing in Puerto Vallarta or you’re jaded. But even the most jaded like myself are felling the excitement. Last week we had some indications that Marlin were moving in to El Banco. But the bay? Striped Marlin being boated in the bay, dirty water an all? Sailfish are all over the place, in fact, in the bay your chances are better to catch a Sailfish than at Punta Mita! If this isn’t exciting to you, then maybe you’re reading the wrong article. If it is exciting, please read on!
For the last couple of weeks the fishing in PV has been on fire. This week, as Puerto Vallarta fishing slows, Sailfish and Dorado are still off the Punta Mita coastline. Marlin are at Corbetena this week as well, but El Banco is showing signs of “life” with Blue Marlin as well. One frustrating thing is fish move. Where they were yesterday is never a guarantee they’ll be in the same place tomorrow. Especially in this time of the year as we have Hurricanes hundreds of miles out causing changing currents and pushing bait and fish in and out. This past week with the weather pattern changing, the pattern is now from the sea. As a result we have some fairly stiff winds for a few days which made the fishing a little rough. But we all know these conditions only last a few days and with all the “positives” the fishing isn’t great, but it’s still good
It’s mid-July now and the calendar tells us we should have warm water, Blue and Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Trash lines and some normal dirty water close to shore in the bay. Everything that is happening is exactly right on time! With plenty of bait in many forms, blue water, smooth seas and about any “warm water” species you could want. The fishing has finally improved to measure up to a “world class” fishing experience. Tournaments have started and at weigh-in, the fish being brought in are “tournament worthy”. Now things aren’t perfect, they never are. But the fishing has gotten to the point where you can pick your fish, if you have the time and the fuel money. For those on vacation now and are “budget” locked, we can help you too. Inside the bay we’re seeing many freaky things, Sailfish are weird, but not that weird. What is weird is Black or Blue Marlin in the bay! I’m at a loss for an explanation, so I’ll keep my mouth shut and just enjoy the action!
