Just like a rubber band, fishing has snapped back after yet another unsuspected Hurricane a thousand miles out to sea! Yes this is a long way, but it still puts high pressure on the water, which of course chases the fish in the area out. For now We´re also seeing Wahoo at Corbeteña, Rooster Fish at the Marietta Islands, Dorado and Sails at Punta Mita. Yes folks, fishing has turned the corner as the days get shorter and the temperatures come back into more normal ranges. Puerto Vallarta is beginning to rock amigos, time to get your butt in gear.
Strange title I know, but it´s appropriate and to the point. More tropical storms, warm water and challenging fishing conditions for sure. A more appropriate title would be ¨fishing in soup¨. Even though the water is still warm, we have all the fish you could hope to find right now, but they are on the smaller side. For the visitor looking for something for the dinner table, we can still fix you up amigo. Deep water locations are tapering off, but still producing. Punta Mita, once again is the place to be and those in the area are boating Sailfish, Dorado and small Blue Marlin. Yes folks, we have fish!
Lets´ just go straight to the bottom line, El Banco and Corbeteña, take your pick, Big Black Marlin pushing 700 lbs are turning into tournament winners at your favorite secret spot. Yellowfin Tuna, we have your addiction covered with 250 lb and larger at the rock and on top of the high spots at El Banco. It doesn´t really matter where you are go, you´ll be boating fish we mostly talk about for nine months and fantasize about for the summer! Seriously, no fluff, the fishing is what our jaded clients and locals have come to expect. So you won´t find much fanfare, this is what is supposed to happen anyway.
The air is warm, the humidity is way up and all of a sudden these cold currents show up out of nowhere! That´s right amigos, just when you think it´s going to be a great day fishing, the water gauge shows water temperatures that are hitting a chilly 75 Degrees. As a result Black and Blue Marlin have moved out of the area for the moment, that´s the down side. The up side; Striped Marlin are back in the area and they´re good sized running 300 lbs, but you won´t see Striped Marlin occupy the same areas as Black Marlin with their preferences in water temperatures being at different levels. Having said that the fishing is great, but you may have a mixture of winter and summer species fighting for your bait!
With water temperatures at unseasonable highs, it´s more like summer fishing than winter fishing. Winter and summer species are streaked throughout our world famous fishing grounds and anything is possible. Dorado are still hanging out and have moved into the bay, which is a good thing. Monster Yellowfin Tuna at the Tres Maria Islands. Spinner Dolphin at El Banco and Corbeteña mean ever welcome Football Tuna to 70 lbs. And with Striped Marlin in the area, there seems little to complain about when it comes to fishing in Puerto Vallarta. For fair weather fisherman, you finally can have your cake and eat it too! It may be Global Warming, it may be El Nino once again, but whatever it is, we´ll just thank the stars that it seems to be continuing.
Wow, if you think you have a clue about what the fishing is going to be like today, tomorrow or next week you´re a crystal ball is better than mine! Last week I though the fishing had finally turned into winter conditions, yet here we are with Sailfish off El Morro and the Marietta Islands, Sailfish! They never left! Water temperatures are still running in the mid 70´s, with plenty of bait the mixed summer and winter species living and eating in the same area are likely to hang for a while. Strange, yes.. But if you´re out there fishing in this mixed up season, you`re catching fish you shouldn´t be seeing!
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!
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.
