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!
What a way to start an article, Trash Lines, Hurricanes and Too Much Bait. The picture that paints is negative and not very inspiring, but in fact it’s perfect and exactly what we expect at this time of the year. A few years back we had 26 different and active Hurricanes pass Puerto Vallarta fishing areas with no impact. Keeping that in perspective, the important thing to know about Hurricanes is: Which direction is it heading, How far out is it and how does it affect the conditions regarding swell size and frequency. Or you can rely on a person like myself to get you the correct information, in a non-panic way. And yes, we had another Hurricane pass us as this article is being written. But if Hurricanes don’t get landed, they have a tendency to head north with few sea lane interruptions. Hurricanes bring rain and that produces trash lines, thank the fish gods. More importantly, depending on the direction and distance of a Hurricane, it can and does push fish away from the Hurricane. Lately we’ve been lucky with plenty of fish, but you need the correct information if you want to catch fish. Right now the amount of bait in the bay and surrounding Puerto Vallarta fishing grounds is massive. There lies the biggest challenge!
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!
Here we go again folks! It’s been a strange and wonderful week, but the “norms” these days are anything but normal. Remembering it’s still a “La Nina” year with a strange mix of Hurricanes, strange water temperatures and even stranger currents, anything is possible. Water temperatures are perfect, blue water in all the deep water fishing grounds and mostly blue in the bay. Plenty of varied bait and favorable seas. With the seasonal Tropical Rains finally kicking in gear, we have a beautiful trash line and plenty of fish. Sailfish, Dorado, Marlin, Tuna, pick a fish and set your sights. But like always, no matter how perfect things seem, we know there are always challenges in the world of fishing. Right now, if you’re here in Puerto Vallarta and you’re not at least on the water for a six hour fishing trip, then you’re missing out on short day fishing, with long day species results!
This week we’ve built on the outstanding fishing conditions of last week. With the seasonal rains, we now have a trash line! Water temperatures have stayed much the same and with the changing summer currents we have plenty of bait at all our world famous fishing grounds. For now there have been some surprising changes, weird actually. For those willing to take the risk, longer duration trips can produce larger Yellowfin Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish and more. For the family guy looking for a fun day on the water, shorter duration with plenty of action. For now I can’t remember a better July when it comes to fishing. With Hurricanes pushing fish in the area, I can’t imagine conditions being any better than they already are for July. That doesn’t mean you won’t have a “bad” day now and again. But for now the fishing is great and should only improve from this point onward into fishing’s high season!
Sometimes it feels like I’m almost making excuses for the “fishing conditions”. Clients come into my shop midwinter looking for summer species. Being at the wrong end of the calendar it’s disappointing for some. Things have changed, water is warming up, Red Tide has all but disappeared, No dirty water to speak of and we have a trash line. With the La Nina keeping water temperatures down I was wondering when the numbers and species would ever pickup. But we’re back in the Summer High Season for Fishing in Puerto Vallarta. Conditions are improving by the day, the “locals” are stuffing themselves with varied “karnada” or baits. Now if we could just figure a way to keep the air temperatures and humidity down, everything would be perfect!
Now that we’re moving, finally, out of the winter seasonal transition period, things are picking up. As normal the “first” of the summer species start moving in and those are always Striped Marlin and Sailfish. And right now, that’s where we’re moving into now. Is it perfect for the jaded? Of course not. Is it a positive sign of things to come, of course it is. Last week we were feeling positive as Sailfish started to pick up in numbers. All that dirty water and red tide has faded away for the most part. The water is warmer every day, more bait for the moment doesn’t seem to be an issue. And the fish are close in for the most part. For now I couldn’t be more positive, but things change quickly and this could all be “less” exciting in a few days. What does this all mean, well if you’re in the mood to have crowd free fishing, then now is the perfect time to boat that Bucket list Sailfish or Striped Marlin. You may even run into some Dorado out there, anything is possible. Feeling lucky?
Another week and more small changes. But that’s normally the case, we wouldn’t want extreme swings in fishing conditions and this week the “small” changes are adding up to great fishing action. When you talk about fishing in Puerto Vallarta, people want to know about the major summer species, which of course for the last six months haven’t been here in the area. Now that we’re at the end of May, the transition period with the dirty water and questionable species is coming to an end, finally. Does that mean the water conditions are perfect, of course not! But it does mean there is plenty to be excited and optimistic about. For now, my “glass” is half full, so don’t expect doom and gloom, things are improving amigos!
