Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, Marlin Abundant, Deserted Fishing Grounds!

   Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, Marlin Abundant, Deserted Fishing Grounds!

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

As we move deeper into summer we see conditions to improve as expected in Puerto Vallarta´s world famous fishing grounds. Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna are still abundant and increasing by the day. But this is fishing and while it may seem like fishing in a bucket not everyday is the stuff dreams are made of. With more and more bait choices for these fish it is hard to keep up with what they are striking. This is normally important information since we all can keep a finger on the pulse of fishing when several boats head out daily. But that is not the case and while we know the fishing is great, fewer reports means we´re on a fishing safari looking for Big Game fish daily.. Stay tuned!

The recent and sketchy rains have keep the bay full of mostly dirty water, which of course most fish are not too fond of. But there is with the dirty water a trash line. I know I make the trash line sound like it is fishing in a bucket as well and it can be. But for those again who go out often, not every time is going to be fantastic. Especially if it is a few days old. But if you suspect there are fish and they are not taking your bait a simple trick you can use is to open single sheets of newspaper and spread it on top of the water. It will float and create an artificial floating structure that will attract fish and could help. This is an old Florida Trick and worth keeping in your back pocket. This is if you are looking for Dorado and can´t get a bite, give this a try. Yet there are still Yellowfin Tuna Footballs in front of Yelapa and around the blue water spots in the bay. Near the points the water is normally blue, so give Cabo Corrientes and Punta Mita at the opposite ends of the bay a shot. Jack Crevalls are still around, Dorado, Football Tuna, Needle fish, and more are in the bay. If you are at the points of Punta Mita and Cabo Corrientes there is a 75% chance you will hook into a Sailfish. For a short day if you can find clean water you will have a great day. My suggestion is take at least six hours which will get you to the area around the points. You´ll come in happy.

Another thing to remember when fishing in the bay, the dirty water is many times only on the surface or a few feet thick. If this is the case then using a plainer that will get the bait down into cleaner water  which can mean the difference between coming in with dinner or your hat in hand. Just run smaller baits and see what happens.

El Morro and the Marietta islands are still about the same. Dorado, some Sailfish, Bonito, Skip Jack Tuna, Needle fish, Jack Crevalls are all possibilities. Most people heading out for eight hours are hitting the point off Punta Mita up to Guyavitos where you`ll find nice sized Dorado to 35 lbs, Rooster Fish around Anclote the reef off Sayulita. Sailfish are about five to ten miles off the point as well so this area has been the main choice for those targeting the fish mentioned. No worry about bait, Google Eyes, Lures, Skippies, they are still working. But you may find what worked yesterday is not working today. Also there have been a lot of small shrimps and squids moving into the area. Be sure to run baits that mimic them on at least one line…

The Primary deep water, Deep sea fishing locations of El Banco and Corbeteña are still working well. El Banco is showing many Yellowfin Tuna in the 70 to 120 lb range and some larger ones in the 200 lb range. Sailfish are here as well, naturally. Dorado are in and out, but when they are in they are in the 35 to 50 lb range, it just depends on your luck. For the most part the last two weeks for some reason have seen the action focused from seven to ten miles south west of the high spots. Don´t ask why, just get out there! Cubera Snappers have been more plentiful lately, so this is a very flexible location for those looking for the biggest fish in the area. Good Luck and look for me out there with you as well…

Corbeteña, the most consistent location has had days with some 200 pound Yellowfin Tuna one day, the next you couldn´t get a YF Tuna to look at whatever you presented. Big fish eating tiny little krill squids have been causing some headaches, for fisherman that is!

Just like the economy and the stock market in the United States the fishing industry, not only in Puerto Vallarta is taking it hard. Three years ago I was one of among more than twenty five fair and honest fishing companies that owned and operated their own boats. Today there is less than a handful and they are the survivors. Just like up north there was too much euphoria. Too many people jumped in when the free money was flying around and now they all went belly up. Many companies that used to be reputable are now timeshare locations. The guy walking around or hounding you with stupid jokes is not a fishing company, hell he doesn’t know anything about what is happening in the bay and will tell you whatever you want to hear. So make sure you get references from friends or go with people who will tell you the truth and do yourself a favor upfront . Remember you never worry about what paid for a thing unless that thing did not deliver what was promised.

Water conditions are still where they should be. There is plenty of bait in all locations so making bait is no problem. Plenty of fish and plenty of blue water out past the points. The only thing missing at the fishing grounds are fisherman. Now I understand the news is putting out crap that would make you think you will die if you cross the border, but we all know this is not the case. But it looks like the news will not stop putting out these bold face lies. So I am going to continue to enjoy deserted fishing grounds and keep as much Tuna as I can get. Frankly it´s a real luxury to be able to fish Corbeteña with no other boats coming in too close and cutting your lines. If you are lucky enough to be here, all the fish that are out there are potentially yours, or mine as the case may be. In fact I am looking for plastic Machetes to give away with each T-shirt I sell. Why not make a joke of it? I will say something like ¨I lost my head at Master Baiter`s¨ .. let me know if you have any ideas!

For those of you thinking of entering our local tournaments from Barra to Manzanillo, Master Baiter’s Captains are the best in Puerto Vallarta with many being multi-tournament winners. We keep our prices down as much as possible for tournaments because we like to be in the action too! So if saving some money and not paying double the regular price of a charter per day appeals to you, then contact me about the tournament you are interested in and we will fix you up with tried and true captains, boats and crews with fresh line, top notch equipment and tackle and of course English speaking, professional crews of course! So come be part of Team Master Baiter’s and find out for yourself that “We Won’t Jerk You Around!”

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

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. 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!

For questions or suggestions you can reach me at: CatchFish@MasterBaiters.com.mx

The trade name Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk.