Water Temps Dropping, Dorado Still Dominant, 80 lb Yellowfin Tuna off Corbetena

After another week of outstanding fishing, things are starting to slow down just a touch. Yes, we still have Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado and more in our world class fishing grounds of Puerto Vallarta. But now we have Krill. Krill, also known as “Whale food”. These tiny squids and micro fish are back in the area of course with the Whales. This creates a specific set of challenges we deal with on a yearly basis. How do you get fish to pay attention to your presentations, aka bait, when they’re stuffed with Calamari? No worries, we have been dealing with conditions like this from the beginning of time. There are always challenges and as challenges change, captains have to come up with solutions. Krill for the most part are more abundant in the bay, but they will be all around the Bay of Banderas’ fishing grounds.. Again this is normal, but it’s a pain in the backside at times. Larger species like Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna are not affected by this Whale food since they like larger baits. So one challenge can produce opportunities if you know the seasonal basics. As we enter the final stretch of fishing high season, there are some big fish out there waiting for you to show up!

This week at Corbetena, Marlin have been a little “thin”. This doesn’t mean skinny, but more on the juvenile side. Many of the Marlin boated this week were under 200 lbs and hopefully were thrown back as “babies”. Sailfish are also running the area, but the numbers for some reason are less abundant. Dorado of 25 lbs plus are still abundant here at the rock as Dorado numbers begin to drop in other areas. But there are Yellowfin Tuna in the 60 to 80 lb range about two miles north of Corbetena. With Skip Jack Tuna (aka Skippies) in perfect measure, the fishing at Corbetena is well worth the time and the fuel dollars. It’s easy to see why with there is plenty of arm burning action at Corbetena. One interesting thing is the water temperatures have dropped to 82 degrees. This is a drastic, four degree drop in one week. Obviously currents are starting to change and this could be an indication of an early winter fishing season, lets hope not. El Banco this week is a real mystery and could be every bit as good regarding conditions, but it’s hard to tell with no real trips heading to this area as to what’s happening at the high spots. The bottom line is this level of fishing here at Corbetena and El Banco will be good for about another four weeks. After that, things start getting “dicey” as we expect the “chill current” about the end of December. If you’re in town, take advantage of what could be a “once in a lifetime” change to have that “Bucket list fish” you have right now.

From El Morro to Punta Mita, things are pretty much the same as they have been now for the last eight weeks. Eight weeks straight of perfect Dorado fishing in all of our fishing grounds, a record of sorts. But the area off the Punta Mita point has been especially exciting. 20 lb plus Dorado are still about three miles off the point of Punta Nayarit / Mita as are decent sized Sailfish. With blue water and perfect bait conditions an 8 hr. trip is well worth the fuel cost. North of the point near Sayulita there are some decent Rooster fish at 30 lbs. Some smaller, some larger. But the secret to this area is three miles, except for Rooster fish of course. Three miles off the point is where the fishing starts. There are still some floating logs and debris, but less daily. There are also some buoys in the area, but finding them isn’t the easiest thing to do, good luck.

Inside the bay, things are changing a bit with the water temperature dropping and the Krill moving in with the cooler currents, right on time. We’re seeing many Whales in the bay already and this Krill is their fast food. Essentially a McDonalds for Whales, Dorado and every smaller sized gamefish in the bay. One interesting thing is Sailfish are actually almost predictable and targetable! It’s not unusual for those heading out for a four hour fishing trip to get a Sailfish strike or two! There is also some Tuna in the 35 lb range off Los Arcos to Yelapa, but remember fish move, so be prepared to use some fuel if chasing Tuna. It’s still easy to find Dorado in the bay, but the trash line is a thing of the past now. You can expect about four Dorado in a six hour trip and a possible Sailfish strike. But these days are limited as Krill invade the entire area and as water temperatures drop, the likelihood of Dorado bugging out is high. So get out there now before things change and you’ll be forced to wait until next summer to fill your fridge.

As far as the specifics, things haven’t changed much. The bay bite is still before 08:00, but the deep water bite, which means outside of the bay, the bite is right at 09:00, but it doesn’t hurt to get there “early”. Water temperatures dropped dramatically this week and at 82 degrees, this is a bit chilly for Dorado and Black Marlin. Live bait has been working well, but Dorado colored lures and at times dead bait is working well also. But lures with purple and brown, aka Petroleros are still working well. Soon we’ll have some winter species coming into the bay and at that time, the fishing options will diminish at the deep water locations. 

Fishing parties on Wednesdays. Group charters sold one seat at a time. Contact me for details.

Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!

Web page:  www.MasterBaiters.com.mx , Local Phone at: Our international number is: +52 322 209 1128. #MasterBaitersSportfishing on Instagram, Facebook: Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle. The trade mark Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk.