Normally at this time of the year we’re in a “loop”. It’s not summer fishing so we’re not going to see Dorado or most of the warm water species. Striped Marlin are still roaming the area and that’s about the largest fish and only Marlin you’ll find in the area. Jack Crevalles which are “our bread and butter” come winter time are lacking in their normal numbers. So the longer day fishing trips are targeting just a few species which is “normal”. The good news is we’re still seeing Sea Bass, Grouper and Snook. The weather is perfect and the bite is on.
This week’s report is much like the last report, it’s winter fishing. Yes folks it’s all about the colder water, massive Whale food baits, smaller gamefish and the possibility of a Striped Marlin or Yellowfin Tuna! Nothing is easy and with minimal fishing trips for clients it’s hard to get a handle on the daily conditions. But we do know what we’ve been seeing so we’ll go from that starting point. It’s not bad fishing, it’s just not summer fishing, if you have a positive attitude and a desire to give it all a shot, then you’re the guy I’m talking to this week!
A few weeks ago, we saw an incredible drop in water temperatures which of course pushed the warm water species out and rather quickly I might ad. It decimated the local fishing, but things have improved. Water temperatures are now 70 degrees pretty much in all our world famous fishing grounds. So the local conditions have become a bit more attractive as we have more Striped Marlin moving in. Covid on the other hand is causing some tourism challenges, but not when it comes to fishing. For those lucky enough to be “stuck” in Puerto Vallarta you will for the most part have empty fishing grounds. For the moment the fishing is about as good as you could hope for with plenty of action and Whales are just a side benefit!
With the present conditions, things could be better for fishing. Not a great opening statement but things got weird. Water temperatures that dropped drastically a few weeks back have picked up a little. Corbetena water temperatures are up drastically but the Stripers that were in the area last week seem to have disappeared. This is what a transition period looks like. It’s a rollercoaster out there right now with some days “iffy” at best. UpDate: things change quickly in the world of fishing, things have improved since I first wrote this so read on as El Morro has turned into “Striper City”
After weeks and weeks of Yellowfin Tuna ignoring any bait put in front of them things are finally changing. My good friend Joel called the shop today to let me know I was full of “BS” and that there were Tuna hitting baits like Poppers and Goggle eyes at Corbetena. Well I had to laugh because I publish articles on the web and on my webpage. I always update the web page, but I can’t update articles in the PV Mirror for instance. But Joel is right, about three days after my last article things changed. Now I’m not talking about anything drastic, but small changes are better than no changes. One nice change is Yellowfin Tuna are still at Corbetena and the YF Tuna are taking baits again finally. That can only mean that the three inch Squids which are still there are finally thinning in numbers. Finally a trip to Corbetena is worth the effort and the fuel expense, YeHa!
Well folks, the cold snap continues and frankly we’re in the middle of a transition period. The warm water species have left, except for Yellowfin tuna. The water at Corbetena is dirty as is most of the fishing grounds around the area. Whale food aka plankton is so massive in the area, it’s turned into a fish smorgasbord! Yes folks for the moment, remembering that things can change in a heartbeat, fishing outside of the bay is “challenging” at best.
Hello everybody, well it finally happened, water temperatures have dropped like a rock and we’re seeing the larger Game Fish species bugging out! We’ve seen water temperatures drop for near 80 degrees to now 64 degrees, unheard of ! To our “local” species thats like a snow ball hitting you in the face! Frankly I’ve never seen a drop in water temperatures like this in the last twenty years I’ve been writing articles. Now don’t stress, fishing did not come to an end. It just means that we’re moving into the transition and frankly it’s right on time. The Jet stream north of the boarder has been snaking all around and we’re seeing cold weather in much of Mexico due to this snake like jet stream.
Every year, for a brief few weeks, we see perfect fishing conditions in a comfortable climate! But this is how a transition period begins. It happens every year and we hope it’s late so we can get through the holiday season with world class fishing. And like every year we start to see the changing currents and thus water temperatures drop. Every November we have the Whales visit our bay and hang around until March. This is the first indication the seasons will soon be changing.
Fishing has taken off as we’re right now smack in the middle of Fishing High Season. Yep, right now is the best time of the year to be in Puerto Vallart if looking for Blue or BLack Marlin, Sailfish, 40 lb Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna to 250 lbs and the list goes on.
Welcome once again to a wonderful “cookie cutter” High Season fishing report. Once we get into this mode things will pretty much be the same weekly with few changes. Subtle changes can make all the difference though. Water temperature being one of them, right now we’ve seen a subtle drop which indicates changes are on the horizon. For now we’re still It’s all about world class fishing with just about perfect conditions. For those looking to boat a “finned fantasy” now would be a good time to be on the water. For those who are “budget challenged” we have short day options that are fun and affordable. If you came to Puerto Vallarta and didn’t get on the water, then you missed half what Puerto Vallarta has to offer!
