Waiting for Summer, Snappers at El Morro Big Time!

Waiting for Summer, Snappers at El Morro Big Time!

Written by Stan Gabruk, owner Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle

Well spring break has come and gone as we say good bye to the thousands and thousands of young visitors that safely enjoyed Puerto Vallarta. Spring is in the air and summer is around the corner. The water temperatures are inching up daily and the water is clear and green for the most part. We are waiting for the Sailfish to show up and there have been tons of sightings, but no hook-ups I can speak of except the freak occurrence. But the Islands of El Morro and the Marietta Islands are still and luckily for us, the place to be! Snappers, Rooster Fish, Sierra Mackerals and more are the predominant species at the moment, but that is today, it can all change before you finish reading this!

For the moment, just say no to Corbeteña and El Banco. The dirty water has moved out and it is clear green water. Not ideal for fishing, but it works as long as the fish can see the bait. There are always Cubera Snappers, Amber Jacks, Rainbow Runners and Jack Crevalls to be had bottom fishing and trolling. But for the most part those coming to Vallarta are not looking to do bottom fishing. In fact they are looking for Yellow Fin Tuna, Sailfish and Marlin, which of course are still out of season.

North of Punta Mita, there have been some and I mean some Dorado spotted, even fewer caught. But having said that the ones that are being boated are in the 25 to 40lb range. Good sized and if you are in the area, give it a shot. But don´t make a special trip there unless you´re looking for Rooster Fish. Yes amigos the Rooster fish are gaining in size when you might expect them to fade out. With plenty of bait in the water there is no reason to go looking for greener pastures! 8 hr trips will put you in the thick of things and the conditions are perfect water temperature wise and clear. You will always find Sierra Mackerals there at this time of the year and some other species that are smaller. Head out this direction for the Rooster fish and give the Dorado a shot.

Like I said earlier, the Islands are still on fire when it comes to fishing. With Red Snappers taking over El Morro and off the Marietta Islands your blue plate special is waiting to be caught. Snapper are in the 20 to 45lb range (just depends on what is looking at your presentation), Rooster fish are in both locations but seem to be on average larger at El Morro. The upwelling’s and currents around the island favor Rooster Fish pallets with organic ¨stuff¨ being stirred up from the bottom. Experienced Captains know where to go, but watch the water. Upwelling can look like a calm boil where the water is moving but not churning in a circle. Troll around these and anything is possible if you are looking for one of these demons of the ocean!  They´re my favorite fish to catch with the way they attack bait they truly look like something from the depth of the ocean. You´ll also find Jack Crevalls in the 20 to 50lb range, Sierra Mackerals, Cubera snappers on the smaller side of 25lbs but there have been some in the 40lb range. Both Snapper species taste great, so no worries there amigos.

The bay is the bay. There are always fish in the bay. Four and six hour trips can be productive and then again you can come in empty handed. With tourist looking for cheaper boats be sure you have a boat with a fish finder / sounder. If you don´t know where the ridges, reefs and channels are, you will not catch fish.  Saving money on an under equipped boat will cost you the fish you are paying to get. So don´t get scammed by some guy throwing a cheap price at you appealing to your greedy side. There are minimums that you can´t get a round and these cheap boat sellers will tell you whatever you want to hear to sell you that boat. Fresh line, fresh drags, electronics, a series of lures, maintenance, motors, oil and the list goes on. If you want to catch fish then by all means get the best deal you can get. But don´t step on your trip by not asking the correct questions. When you ask if this boat has electronics, ask them what they mean when they say yes, what electronics exactly they have. You will probably get them to proudly tell you they have a radio and a hand held GPS. If you ask them if they run fluorocarbon leader, they will tell you yes. But you need to ask them how heavy of a leader  they´re running. When they tell you or show you the 400lb s tuff, you might as well be running cable for all it will do you. Line shy fish will see any line over 125lbs. Fluorocarbon leader is designed to be at ten fathoms or about sixty feet down before it is invisible, or as invisible as it will get. Most cheap boats will not have a full time captain or first mate. They will hire the cheapest, not best skilled because they cost  money, captains they can find for the time you will be on the boat  coming in from who knows where. Ask how fast you are going t o be heading out to the fishing grounds. The easiest way to screw clients is to go to the fishing grounds as slow as possible. They will save money, you will lose time with your line in the water, which of course is what you are paying for. Most of these cheap boats are also not insured, ask for proof of insurance or you have none if something happens. The law says here in Mexico that if a person is hurt on your boat or charter that is not insured, the person selling the boat is responsible for t heir lost wages if they cannot work or worse, like having to pay their wages for the rest of their life if they get hurt. Businesses with offices will not put you on a boat you possibly will be hurt on for that reason. These other guys, they will just wait until you go home and will never be able to find them. Also cheap boats are many times a scam that will never show up after you give them a deposit for fishing and tours…. I see this happen every day, I hate having to try and open your mind, but people, at least six groups a week in Marina Vallarta come down to find no boat as they discover that cheap boat was never coming. When you feel like an idiot, you’ll be looking for Master Baiters next time! I get a lot of business like that, so avoid the hassle and the problems that come with greed!

As a legitimate business owner, it drives me crazy to have to compete with those who illegally compete with my fishing business and I have never gone after these guys.  The only thing they make money on is tours, so Master Baiter’s is now going into the tour business and we will get you the absolute best prices you can get on Vallarta Adventure tours! If you go fishing with us, we will get you all the tours you want with discounts that Vallarta Adventures won’t let me advertise. Larger groups will be very happy with the money you’ll save , big discounts. Lets face it, fishing and tours are expensive. With this new program, you might be able to save enough money to pay for your fishing trip, of course this depends on which boat, but our intentions are clear. We want to make sure you have fun, don´t get ripped off and become your source for information, fishing, tours or Unique Products. So there you are, I have declared a price war on all Hotel or Timeshare / Vacation Ownership agents / promoters! Just stay away from those people, they don´t care about you, they just want your money. Don´t do anything you wouldn´t do at home and you´ll be fine!

As the oldest fishing company in Puerto Vallarta and the only company with any World Recognized Fishing Championships like The WBS Billfishing Series Grand Champions (2000 and 2001) under our belt. Nobody, but nobody in Puerto Vallarta can come close to us in quality or price when it comes to world class fishing boats. We work for your business which explains why seventy percent of my business at Master Baiter´s is return business! You work hard for your precious vacation, money is hard enough to come by, you don´t need to worry about the companies you are dealing with! Remember, at Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle, We Won´t Jerk You Around! If you have any questions on any subject regarding fishing or Puerto Vallarta, feel free to ask!

That’s about it for now, until next week, don´t forget to kiss your fish!

Remember, if you have any questions or suggestions you can reach me at: www.MasterBaiters.com.mx or CatchFish@MasterBaiters.com.mx

The trade name Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property to Stan Gabruk.  Always ask to speak with Stan to insure product quality and to insure you are working with the true Master Baiter´s ® and not an imposter