This past week was full of rain and wind, but the fishing is still improving. As far as unexpected weather surprises go, we’re doing pretty well. Just the normal seasonal rains. You’d think rain would be bad for fishing but in reality it’s best in the rain! Fish get excited and come to the surface, which makes your chances of boating an “excited” fish much better. Naturally with rain, areas near the river mouths will be coffee colored, not a preferred condition at all. But in the areas away from the mud in the bay, things have improved as well. When it comes to the deep water fishing grounds, Dorado are both picking up in numbers and size! Sailfish are also picking up in numbers as you’d expect. Haven’t seen any Black Marlin this year, that’s not normal at all. But on the other hand, we’re happy to still having Yellowfin Tuna at Corbetena! At this time of the year the deep water locations is where your best fishing will be for the near term. Inside the bay, there is still great fishing, but you won’t find Marlin, Sailfish and Tuna for the most part.
Almost two weeks after Hurricane Nora we finally have fish moving back into the area. We’re still having the seasonal rains so the bay will mostly have river fed dirty water. We also have mature trash lines which is a fisherman’s friend. After the Hurricane we still have a massive amount of floating debris in the form of tree stumps, logs, furniture, you name it, it’s out there floating. Needless to say it’s a navigation hazard. But for Dorado, debris like this is heaven. The deep water fishing grounds have great, if not perfect fishing conditions as they “reload” with Sailfish, Dorado and more. We always have fishing challenges, the “payoff” is when you find the “solution”!
I think the title says it all. If you’ve been watching the news lately there have been Hurricanes all over the evening news. Puerto Vallarta had a Hurricane skirt past us but that didn’t stop the massive amount of rain. Normally Hurricanes either push fish into the area, a great thing. Or push fish out of the area, a bad thing. You never know which it’s going to be until you get out to the fishing grounds. At that point it’s all about rolling the dice. With massive amounts of debris and trees and trash in the bay and out of the bay, it’s best you wait a few days before heading out. The fishing was great before the Hurricane so it’s going to be great again in the next few days. So let’s focus on the positive and there is plenty positive about fishing in Puerto Vallarta!
After more than twenty years in the business of fishing in Puerto Vallarta I’ve come to understand that what happened yesterday is not exactly what’s going to happen today or tomorrow. Such is the nature of world class Deep Sea Fishing. You see fish move, conditions change and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When the seasonal rains begin, there’s a whole new batch of factors that also come into play. Fishing is always a challenge, but this is nothing new, how you handle this challenge ends in catching fish or going in empty handed. The good news is we have fish. Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Rooster fish, you name it. It’s best if you have an experienced captain but non-professionals will catch fish as well. That’s why I’m here, doing my best to send you in the right direction. Right now that’s going to be Corbetena where you’ll catch fish. Now which “fish” is the question?
As we move into August, we get deeper into our prime fishing season. Fishing in PV or Puerto Vallarta is on the rise. Black Marlin move in, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Rooster Fish, and the list goes on. Blue water, Trash lines and “Bucket List” fish fantasies are happening now.
Not long ago I had this couple walk into my shop. They were just amazed that there was actually a private marina in Puerto Vallarta. They continued that they had come to Puerto Vallarta for the last ten years and stayed in the Marriott Hotel. For some reason this couple never knew that within walking distance was one of the top ten private marinas in the world. It just amazed me. But, after a few seconds of thought I could understand. You see as you enter Marina Vallarta, driving down Paseo de la Marina avenue, you will never see a boat, water, anything that suggest you’re in Marina Vallarta, nothing. You’ll pass the Marina Vallarta Golf Course and you’ll pass many condominium complexes just before you arrive at your hotel. In fact most people don’t even know that Marina Vallarta’s entrance is signified by our world famous whale statue!
We’ve been waiting for it, mostly patiently and finally it happened, we have fishing in Puerto Vallarta’s world famous fishing grounds. Now this is not some declaration that fishing from this point forward is going to be perfect. But it is an announcement that we will now begin to see normal summer conditions. With Hurricanes, Dorado, Marlin and more finally taking baits and moving in, it would be hard to deny “Summer Fishing in Puerto Vallarta” is finally here!
Fishing in Puerto Vallarta is never a sure thing if targeting only one species, but if you are looking for action we always have that. I know my reports lately seem to be a little “cookie cutter”. But if you’ve been reading my articles here in the past, you know this is the time of the year when the fishing seasons change. I call it a “Transition Period”. In a “normal” year the tourism season is normally over. With Covid restrictions winding down, we’re seeing a “second High season” in June. Thankfully we have Stripers still running the area, Yellowfin Tuna are small but out there. Blue Marlin are sparse and Sailfish are hard to find. What does this all mean? It means the fish are out there, the question is: Are you willing to do what it takes to boat a Bucket List fantasy?
When we come into this time of the year, fishing can be up and down and that’s a bit of an understatement for the moment. Species are moving in and out, water is mostly blue but there are some green water, or cold water spots still in the area. So we’re still on a water temperature rollercoaster. With huge amounts of varied bait out there at times it can be hard to turn their heads. That all sounds pretty negative, but in reality it’s normal and we’re inching our way into what may be a great fishing season. If interested in the Tres Maria Islands Yellowfin Tuna are on tap! World class fishing in Puerto Vallarta continues!
It’s funny, but what goes up, must come down and sometimes goes sideways. That pretty much sums things up for this week. Things were good, bad and in between depending on where you chose for fishing grounds. Water temperatures take another tick up after being down. Bait is moving in and is a double edged thing. But most importantly people are coming back to Puerto Vallarta and that’s a good thing. Normally the fishing is lacking at this time of the year, but we’re doing alright with several new species showing up and with Blue water everywhere, the conditions are great. The only thing missing is you amigo!
