Well, here we are again in what seems to be the never-ending dirty water! For at least six weeks, we have seen fishing in Puerto Vallarta suffering through the change of seasons here in the Bay of Banderas. We expect a few weeks of dirty water – it’s just part of changing currents. The good news is that even though the water is still dirty, the fish can finally see your bait.
This means the longer-duration trips are now producing some great action. A bay trip may be perfect for those not interested in spending a full day on the water.
The simple truth is we’re moving swiftly into the winter fishing season. Having said that, we still have some warm water species like Striped Marlin, and we’re seeing Indian summer fishing when Dorado starts working their way to warmer water in the south. It’s the last hurrah for the remaining summer species amigos.
This week at Corbetena was pretty slow to be polite. And to be fair, not too many people are heading out for ten-hour days. For those that give it a shot, it’s a hit-or-miss type of situation. You see, there are massive amounts of varied baits.
Normally this isn’t a real problem, but right now, with the Squid, Flying fish, and the list goes on, many times your fantasy fish isn’t going to be interested in your presentation, aka bait. But, if you hit the bite right, then anything is possible. More on this later.
To get you the details, Sailfiish are still in the area, but not many, and for the most part, they’re just smashing your bait. That means taking a look, maybe even hitting it, but they don’t take it. Frustrating, to say the least.
Striped Marlin are also running the area, but depending on how they’ve been feeding, they may not be different from a fickle Sailfish. And there is still Yellowfin Tuna, but of course, that all depends on how lucky you are. Remember the Yellowfin Tuna move – a pretty simple fact. If you’re targeting Yellowfin Tuna from 60 to 200 lbs, they’re out there, amigos. But if you pay for one area, you’ll stay in that one area, that’s why you need your luck with you.
Now, if you want Yellowfin Tuna like so many of my clients, then you need the Safari Tuna trip. Feel free to send me an email for more details.
For now, Corbetena and El Banco, even with the ‘cleaner’ water, is not your best bang for your fishing dollar, amigo.
Looking closer to the El Morro area to Punta Mita, there has been a lot of action. Those catching fish are anywhere from one mile to ten miles off the point. Striped Marlin are plentiful and people are boating them daily.
Sailfish are also in the area, but again, they’re just smashing baits and getting us all excited for nothing. Some interesting news is we’re seeing some Dorado moving in. Yes, I said Dorado. We see a sort of Indian Summer for Dorado yearly about this time. You see, Dorado are actually warm water species, but they will hang around if the bait situation suits their needs at the time. With the Indian Summer, we will have Dorado, also known as Mahi; hopefully, you will have a chance to experience this arm-burning action before it’s too late.
El Morro is also sporting Jack Crevalles, possibly Roosterfish, but don’t hold your breath. Bottom fishing can produce Cubera Snappers, possibly Amberjacks, and of course, Dorado and Striped Marlin could be in the area. For now, this whole area is alive with action, and for those looking for more popular species, this is where you want to be.
For the family guy or the person who doesn’t want to make a full day of it, then a six-hour trip in the bay is exactly what the doctor ordered, amigos. Even a four-hour trip has some great action, and I seldom recommend four hours of fishing unless it’s worth it.
We have seen clients catch Dorado in the 15 lb range at Nuevo Vallarta and near Los Arcos. That’s a big plus, but the simple fact is the bay is Jack Crevallelandia!
Many people are ‘fish snobs’ and will tell you Jack Crevalles are ‘trash’ fish. In my book, there is no such thing as trash fish, only bad attitudes.
For those looking for action and not demanding a great eating species, then you’ll have the time of your life with arm-burning action. First, you can’t believe how strong they are, you expect to see a very large fish, and then you see the Jack Crevalle. Jacks are running anywhere from 25 lbs to 50 lbs in the bay, and the action can be non-stop for those up to the challenge.
The Bonito – Arctic Bonito are cousins of Yellowfin Tuna and taste great. Some people won’t eat them, but I do all the time. With Bonito running in the 25 lb range, they are also strong fighters and perfect for the family outing.
Skip Jack Tuna, exact matches for their larger Yellowfin Tuna, are running about 10 lbs and perfect again for the family, especially the younger members of the family.
Soon, we’ll see Snappers, Groupers, and more in the bay as water temperatures continue dropping as we enter the winter fishing season. On eight-hour and shorter-duration fishing trips, you can expect plenty of action and sore arms the next day.
We had one gentleman about 86 years old boat two 50 lb Jack Crevalles; after the second was boated, he had had enough. He called it quits, but with a smile and some positive satisfaction. He was happy as he shared his fishing experience in the Bay of Banderas. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about it. He’s the gentleman in the blue shirt in the pictures.
For weeks, I’ve been predicting an end to the dirty water, and, boy, have I been wrong. When we come to the seasonal change, we see clashing currents that stir up the muck on the sea floor. But the year has been weird with the switch from La Niña, to El Niño and back to La Niña conditions in about 14 months. And the water is still dirty.
The difference is the fish can see your bait now. That’s the biggest change, a fish won’t chase what it can’t see.
The bite is between 09:00 and 11:00. The afternoon bite has been just past 13:00 or about 1 P.M. With the massive amounts of Krill, aka Whale food, every species will chow down on them. But for some reason, Jack Crevalles, Bonito, and Skip Jack Tuna don’t seem to be affected by this bait issue.
Water temperatures are as low as 74 degrees, but the Stripers are still running this chilly water. My experience is once it hits below 75-degree water temperatures, they bug out. But Capt. Cesar of Magnifico tells me they’ll hang around if the bait is abundant, and it is!
Call us about our four-hour special, it’s quite affordable for up to four people. You can also squeeze in some Whale watching as you multi-task and stretch your options. Fishing and whale watching are guaranteed fun times for everyone involved.
Last week, my computer passed away, and I spent the time trying to set up my new computer with no existing files to move to my new computer. So, I appreciate your continued support. Things are returning to normal now, so I will get back to promoting our company on the social media channels pronto.
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!
