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.
For months now I have been writing what I call ¨fluffy¨ fishing articles making what I would consider a disappointing summer sound as positive as possible. The fishing scene this summer was not about Mexico, but rather southern California. Warm water, plenty of bait and currents that swept our world class gamefish to points north of the Mexican border were very welcome indeed to the Southern Cal boys for sure. Yes we had fair sized Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, small Marlin, but no Dorado to speak of. With plenty of bait in the water, perfect water temperatures, Sapphire blue water at all the fishing grounds and disappointing fish counts. This week things have changed for the positive, Animal House with Captain Luis and First Mate David Chorra came in with a 300 lb Yellowfin Monster! Even The Bank or El Banco finally started firing on all eight cylinders. For those who have been saving their precious fuel dollars now is the time to raid the piggy bank amigos. We are now in the best time of the year to boat that ¨bucket list¨ fish you´ve always dreamed of as fishing explodes in Puerto Vallarta!
Many people for some reason do not know that Marina Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta Exist. It is rated in the top ten private marinas in the world and nobody knows about it. There are 150 shops, 15 restaurants, El Faro Bar where the likes of Mel Gibson visit when in town, besides the view is incredible. When it comes to Hollywood types, PV is where they started and their homes are spectacular old money homes! All in Puerto Vallarta´s ¨other¨ Malicon or Board Walk. The Dollar is strong, hotels and airfare´s are way down. Occupancy is down as well everywhere. We´re still, Two years running now, AARP Put Puerto Vallarta down on paper as the best place on Earth to Retire! The G-20 World Economic Summit happened in Cabo. We had he World Economic Conference of Latin America here in PV. President Obama was here for that as well. We had Tiangue A primarily Latin America Tourist Convention that focuses on world markets, including travel from Latin America to North America
Every year I wait for the second week of June, to me this is when the second tourism season begins. Kids are out for the summer, teachers are free to travel and the fishing turns into something spectacular. Water temperatures are a perfect 82 degrees (rising nicely) and as blue as you´ll ever get it with bait moving in daily in massive amounts. We´ve also seem some unusual things happening with Sailfish moving in to the shore areas and taking baits as fast as they can find them. The deep water locations are doing well also with Yellowfin Tuna, Skip Jack Tuna, Marlin and more. For all you Anglers and Danglers there is fish to be had as fishing is GOOD right now. If you´re in the area or just reading about the area, Puerto Vallarta Fishing is right on time amigos.
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!
