Well, here we are; it’s five weeks now since the dirty water has taken over Puerto Vallarta’s fishing grounds in the Bay of Banderas. The funny thing is that fishing is improving for some reason. After spending much of the last four weeks advising people to maybe take a tour instead of fishing, things have changed.
Yes the water is still dirty, but there are large areas of clean water that are indicators of the ‘breaking the back’ of the dirty water monster. Once you get into mid-January we start the transition into winter fishing.
The water temperatures are still dropping like we would be expecting, but the Striped Marlin couldn’t be happier.
We’re seeing some nice, average-sized Dorado, Striped Marlin, and possible Roosterfish for the adventurous.
Starting with the deep water fishing grounds, Corbetena is less than exciting. Yes, they have action, but it’s mostly Jack Crevalles at 40lbs, Bonito (bait), Possible Striped Marlin and Possible Yellowfin Tuna. Doesn’t sound too bad does it?
Remembering there is still dirty water in this area, the fish that are there will take the bait if they see them. And for the moment, that seems to be the secret. With larger areas of clean or barely dirty water, it appears that the conditions, the ‘clashing currents’ may finally be coming to an end. We see this sort of thing when conditions begin to return to normal.
As you would expect, very few people are visiting the El Banco area. It’s farther out, it takes more fuel and that means more money to get there. But our 60-ft Hatteras set a heading of 350 off Punta Mita and came in from this 12-hr trip with Striped Marlin and Sailfish! They found some blue water and to be honest, the crew is superior. Remember, fate belongs to the bold!
Something surprising this week is the fact that in the area from El Morro to Punta Nayarit, there is some good action. This week we’ve seen some Roosterfish in the 40 lb range off El Morro. Those interested in bottom fishing can find Cubera Snappers and maybe some Amberjacks.
Moving about seven miles north, the area off Punta Nayarit is probably your best bang for your fishing dollar. Depending on how lucky you are, some call it skill, there are Striped Marlin anywhere from 2 miles off the point to 14 miles out!
Yesterday, a Striped Marlin was boated 1 mile or about 3 kilometers off the point! If heading out to this area, it seems the 4 to 5 mile distance off the point is a good place to start. Dorado at 15 lbs are here as well and they’re hungry. The Dorado are a bit closer in, so if targeting them, I’d start at about three miles off the point and work your way out.
Inside the bay, things are much the same. Yes, there is still dirty water, but the south end of the bay is seeing many Bonitas, Sierra Mackerels, and Jack Crevalles which are normally our ‘bread and butter’ species, are in short supply for some reason. There is a fractional chance at Dorado or Sailfish in the bay. The simple fact is anything is possible in the bay.
Sometimes it can be a little difficult to turn a fish’s head in the bay because of all the Krill, aka Whale food. In fact, there are some areas in the bay that look like red tide when in reality it’s red Krill Squid, so this should give you an idea of the amount of bait in the bay.
You’ll catch fish, and we’re moving into the time of the year when the water gets cold, the Jacks return and the Grouper will be moving in. So a six-hour fishing trip in the bay is worth the time and the money if you’re patient.
It looks like the dirty water will be a thing of the past soon. Everything can change in a few days, so check with me for the recent conditions. But we’re looking at a seasonal transition and the water is now 77 degrees and dropping.
The bite is still about 09:00, so be where you want to be by then. For those here in Puerto Vallarta, a six-hour trip in the bay or eight hours is your best bang for your fishing dollar this week. Thanks for your continued support.
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!
