Finally, a report I can ‘sink my teeth into.’ I’m sure from that statement you understand that the Red Tide problem have finally moved out.
And what is happening in Puerto Vallarta’s fishing grounds is exciting. Water temperatures are still down, and the winter fishing season is arriving early. All of that is true, but for now, we have action all around our world-class fishing grounds.
I might add that cold currents and dropping water temperatures are indications of the switch to winter fishing early this year. What we’re seeing now may be what we would normally see in February when the Dorado north near Cabo flee the cold water.
As they, the Dorado, pass Puerto Vallarta’s fishing grounds heading south, they’re hungry; this should last a little while. The good news is we have action, Yee Haw!
Corbetena has been less than exciting the last few weeks with all its ‘personal’ issues like cool water and too much red tide. That is now a thing of the past, and there is beautiful, high-visibility blue water.
I mentioned the commercial buoys north and west of the rock last week. You will find Dorado in larger sizes and numbers. In fact, there are so many Dorado that it’s hard to get your bait in front of the Sailfish or possibly Blue Marlin.
Sailfish are also in the mix, but I got word this afternoon that some private boats have been hitting Yellowfin Tuna up to 100 kilos (over 200 pounds). If you want good news, there you have it. To elaborate, the Yellowfin Tuna are anywhere from 40 to 200 pounds; feeling lucky?
If you’ve been meaning to get on the water but have been waiting for better news, as I’ve suggested, well, it’s time to hit it hard, amigos!
The entire area from El Morro to Punta Mita is on the ‘iffy’ side. If you’re looking for Dorado and possibly Sailfish, you need to drop your bait about seven miles off the point of Punta Mita, aka Punta Nayarit.
Blue water is here as well, and the fish like it. For those looking for Roosterfish, Sardines or Sardinas as they call them in Mexico, they’re thick everywhere and quite attractive to hungry fish, especially Roosterfish around the Sayulita area or Marinal rock.
Most trips have been avoiding this area until recently, as the red tide finally disappeared. It will probably improve by the next report. You’ll find Jack Crevalles, plenty of baby Bonito, and baby Skip Jack Tuna.
Inside the bay, the red tide lingers, bays have funny current patterns, and it takes longer for the red tide to work its way out. But we’re now fishing in blue water and have all the action we could want.
As we move into the winter season fishing patterns, we see Jack Crevalles picking up in size and numbers. As I write this report, 20-pound Dorado have moved back into the bay around the Los Arcos area and are taking bait. Krill isn’t an issue as yet.
But the Krill will ensure the Dorado hangs around a while longer. Dorado is also off the Punta Negra area, and with some luck, the surf-fishing guys could get a nice surprise over there.
As you’d expect, other cool-water species like the Arctic Bonito, part of the Tuna family, are anywhere from baby size to 15 pounds and are a favorite food to most species.
Sailfish in larger than usual numbers, have also moved into the bay. For some reason, the area off La Cruz is a favorite spot for these finned fantasies as well as Jack Crevalls. The downside is that La Cruz and Los Arcos are in different ends of the bay. So if heading out, you’ll need to make a conscious decision. Feeling lucky?
Worth mentioning is the possibility of Roosterfish near the Cabo Corrientes area or Mito in the sandy shoreline with structure. And again at Punta Negra with any luck, but that’s a pure play with no reports. After writing a couple of disappointing reports, for me anyway, it’s nice to see the action pick up just prior to the holiday season. These conditions are perfect for family fishing where you don’t want to catch a Marlin, but a fighting Jack Crevalle will make any ‘youngling’ smile from ear to ear—life-long memories for a few pesos. The bite is carved in stone, it hasn’t changed for the longest time. But to be straight up, it all starts about 07:30 and fish have been taking baits for most of the day.
Water temperatures are hovering at 79 degrees. Black Marlin prefer warmer water, but every other species is in the game!
With massive amounts of Sardines and Flying fish, the list is endless for Krill, baby Bonito, and Skip Jack Tuna. Even the bait is fun to catch!
Right now, live bait is king, but I’d still run one lure until you get a clear idea of what they’re hitting, then go strong with that.
For those interested, I post on Instagram daily and have video fishing reports on YouTube when things change for better or worse. They are nothing fancy, but they’re informative.
