Welcome to my first fishing report of the New Year! And how better to start a new year with a new beginning at El Banco, so to speak. Yes folks El Banco, or The Bank is showing signs of life and it has a strong heart beat for the moment. Also, Sailfish and Striped Marlin are still running our world class fishing grounds when talking about fishing in Puerto Vallarta. It’s also Whale Season, this means there are just tons of Krill, or rather Whale food in the bay. So there are challenges, but nothing the local captains can’t figure out. What’s really news is the drastic drop in water temperatures due to El Nino. Now you’d think water temperatures would be going up, but that logic is flawed as we see the winter fishing season coming on strong and early. A month early so start thinking “winter species”.
The clock is ticking and the end of the summer fishing season is upon us. But there is still time for those late to the game. Surprisingly Dorado are still in the bay. Sailfish are still taking bait, Striped Marlin are moving in and the winter fishing season is coming on strong. Soon fishing in Puerto Vallarta will be all about winter species. But not yet! If you’re looking to boat a Yellowfin Tuna, the clock is ticking. Thinking about a Blue Marlin, it may already be too late. But those looking for Dorado still have a chance. Sailfish will “hang” for a while, as long as we have plenty of bait. For those here in Puerto Vallarta looking to go fishing, we’re still targeting summer species, but the clock is ticking. Tick tock, tick tock.
Finally, a report I can “sink my teeth into”. I’m sure from that statement you understand that the Red Tide problem has finally moved out. And what is happening in Puerto Vallarta’s fishing grounds is exciting. Yes water temperatures are still down and it looks like the winter fishing season is arriving early. All of that is true, but for now we have action all around our world class fishing grounds. As colder currents and dropping water temperatures are indications of the switch to winter fishing, early this year I might ad. What we’re seeing now may be what we would normally see in February when the Dorado north near Cabo flee the cold water. As they, the Dorado pass Puerto Vallarta fishing grounds heading south, they’re hungry, this should last for a little while. The good news is we have action, YeHa!!
Normally at this time of the year, we’re in the best of the “best time of the year” to be here in Puerto Vallarta for world class fishing. Normally, but this year we’re seeing some interesting challenges. As you all know were’ in an El Nino year. What does that mean, well nobody really knows how to answer that question. Pretty much all we can do is look at what’s happening, analyze the situation and then make your best guess. Frankly there isn’t anything new about that, but when it’s an El Nino year, it’s hard to predict. With strange currents and dropping water temperatures, we’re seeing Jack Crevalles moving into the bay. This is a winter species that will hang around in warmer water if the bait conditions are to their liking. In the last few days we’ve seen Jack Crevalles picking up in numbers. To the optimistic, this is all just a glitch in the fishing season. To the pessimistic, it’s the end of the summer fishing season. Me, I find it’s almost impossible to predict the future now that I dropped and cracked my crystal ball!
Much of the last article was about the passing Hurricanes and what we hoped it would leave behind. It’s been a week now and we’re golden! By that I mean we’re full of Dorado, translated into English means Golden Fish and we’re definitely “Golden” at all our world class fishing grounds. Those willing to venture out into “unknown” territory are finding Sailfish, Marlin, Big Dorado and Yellowfin Tuna. With Blue water, perfect water conditions, perfect bait conditions and plenty of fish, It’s safe to say we have some of the best fishing we’ll have in Puerto Vallarta all year!, Right now!
With pretty much ‘back to back” Hurricanes, each reaching Category 4 intensity, it has pretty much put fishing in Puerto Vallarta on hold. Once you’re outside the bay, both post Lidia and now post Norma has left us with some pretty rough deep water fishing conditions. Big swells, stiff winds and plenty of floating logs and debris. You can imagine these deep water fishing grounds for the last week weren’t exactly where you wanted to be. But even then, for die-hards like me, you can’t ignore the fact Hurricanes push fish either in or out of the area. With the paths of these monster systems, it pushed plenty of fish into the bay of Banderas. Now at this time of the year to get a big push of fish into the bay, during a passing Hurricane, well that’s priceless. Dorado filled the bay and with the mature trash lines, fishing in the bay was about as good as could be expected at Punta Mita! It’s more or less a “Hurricane Back Handed” fishing report.
Here we are again, a week has gone by and things have changed considerably! The bait issues at Corbetena and El Banco have gone away. Sailfish and Marlin have returned to both Corbetena and El Banco. All the deep water locations have blue water and mature Trash Lines. Dorado and Sailfish are also on the menu, thanks to the fish gods. We’ve even seen some decent sized Yellowfin Tuna as well. Two days after I wrote the last article, things changed drastically as Skip jack Tuna moved back into Corbetena, El Banco and Punta Mita! While water temperatures are still warmer than we’d like, we’ll have to endure since this warm water isn’t going anywhere soon. All the necessary “elements” are here now. The only question is if you can put those elements together. If so, the results will be the stuff memories are made of and will last a lifetime!
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.
It looks like our Fishing grounds are in a season of contradictions. With lingering warm climate into winter and cooling water temperatures have created the contradiction. Black Marlin have finally decided to join the party, as water temps drop? Dorado are plentiful everywhere, yet they don’t like water temps on average under 80 degrees. And having said that, the ultimate contradiction is the fishing is great even with dropping water temperatures! Short days, long days, it doesn’t matter. If you’re serious about fishing and you’re looking for a “no-brainer” fishing day, now would be a good time to jump on on a boat and abuse this fishing opportunity of the year.
