What a difference a week can make fishing Puerto Vallarta’s Bay of Banderas! Last week, I thought there really wasn’t any reason why we were not seeing larger Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna, then BAM, they show up!
Those lucky enough to be in Puerto Vallarta, fishing right now, will be surprised to find Sailfish and Dorado in the bay as well. We’ve finally moved into tournament season, and the fishing from this point forward will be as good as it gets for most of the year.
Conditions couldn’t be better, with plenty of bait, smooth seas, and mostly blue water. We’ve been waiting all year for the coming months, and I plan on taking advantage of being a local in ‘Fish Heaven.’
Last week, we talked about Yellowfin Tuna Footballs, Sailfish, and possible Dorado. This week, I was crossing my fingers that my prediction that things could only get better would materialize. A few days later, I’m getting reports of Big Black Marlin in the 5 to 700 lb range, along with Blue Marlin.
Then I heard there were 150 lb Yellowfin Tuna right on the rock.
Remembering the average fisherman will pull on a Yellowfin for about an hour for every 100 lbs, this means you’re looking at 90 minutes of bull labor! Such are the things dreams are made of!
Sailfish numbers are increasing all over the area, as is normal. But it seems Sailfish are everywhere, including the bay?
Twenty-five miles north of Corbetena is El Banco, aka The Bank. For many, many years, this area has been considered one of the top Yellowfin Tuna locations in the world. The Seiners had their way with it, and now people ignore this area for the most part. Most reports I get from El Banco are from private boats heading to the Tres Maria Islands, targeting Yellowfin Tuna in excess of 250 lbs at this time of the year.
Now, I don’t have any information from this area, but there is no reason to believe these ignored areas north of the rock are ‘weak.’ Remember fish move. When the fishing is great at Corbetena, with fuel costs soaring again, the least expensive ‘best option’ is always the one of choice.
Off the point of Nayarit, aka Punta Mita, there have also been some good-sized Sailfish and Dorado in the 20 lb range. That’s pretty much your options in this area for now.
But if you’re next to El Morro, they’ve seen Black Marlin just on the other side of the islands toward Corbetena. Normally, this area would have a pretty good concentration of Sailfish as well. Well worth the distance, time and cost.
Inside the Bay of Banderas is at times better than the longer duration trips. We had some rain last week, which created a trash line in the middle of the bay. This was great because it had small sharks at about 35 lbs, strong fighters and great eating. Sailfish in the 80 lb range and smaller to average- sized Dorado. All at the trash line.
Now, near La Cruz Marina, they’re also seeing smaller Sailfish just off the marina. But if you’re in the Los Arcos area, then you’ve got 15 lb Dorado and possibly larger.
Yellowfin Tuna Skipjacks at 20 lbs are very tasty. Those are the primary players in the bay, but even having said this, a 200 lb Blue Marlin was boated in this area as well.
So, with Dorado in the middle of the bay, finally, a four-hour trip will get decent action for the budget impaired. But I still suggest a six-hour trip to make sure you have time to find fish if they change locations (ha, ha).
Water temperatures haven’t really changed much since May, so they’re still a solid 87 degrees. The water is mostly blue once you’re away from river areas. Bait is abundant with Flying fish leading the way. But Goggle Eyes and Skipjacks are working well. Lures of bright colors are working well on overcast days. But, like most of the time, live bait is king.
The bite is a moving target right now. With a very full moon, the Tuna bite is just before sunrise, with the late bite just before sundown into the evening hours. But the other species, like Sailfish and Marlin, will bite all day. So use this information accordingly, but keep it our secret.
As far as any predictions go, we should expect more of the same in the coming months.
As mentioned earlier, we’re in the middle of Tournament season. Those interested in our local tournaments will find we offer a wide range of costs and boats available.
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish.
