Seasonal Changes continue as Sierra Mackerals and Jack Crevalls dominate bay fishing. Football Yellowfin Tuna at 40 lbs hover off Yelapa. Corbeteña turns into Dorado Central. The Marietta Islands are still rocking with Rooster fish in the 35 to 50 lb range. It´s wide open fishing and those with short day fishing trips can have great action with perfect conditions. Winter fishing still rocks!
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.
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.
If you´re looking for Marlin even striped Marlin, it’s highly unlikely you´ll be coming in with one of those as well… Not seeing or hearing of Marlin strikes is a good indication they have left the building. Clients this week targeting Yellowfin Tuna were very successful, but they paid the price in dollars and time. For the fanatics, the YF Tuna are running from 80 to over 200 lbs, it just depends on what you come across. So what does this all mean to you, the fishing public that is hoping to boat a Yellowfin Tuna over the Christmas / New Year’s holiday? Well you will have to measure your risk factor against the possible gain. … But no worries, you have options amigo.