This week, the song remains much the same. What looked like some positive signs that the dirty water was finally moving out didn’t happen. In fact, the conditions are even worse than they’ve been in the last few weeks, and there is no way to sugarcoat it. But the funny thing is, we’re still catching fish.
Nothing about fishing right now is easy, but there are some secrets I will share with you. After living in Puerto Vallarta for the last 25 years, I’ve learned that people, especially fishermen, can be lazy. Not work lazy, but ‘Open Mind’ lazy. The ‘My Grandfather fished like this, my father fished like this, and now I’m going to fish like this’ mindset. Well, that mentality is the mentality of losers, and captains like this think fish finders on a boat are expensive and unnecessary.
For weeks now, we’ve been talking about how the group-think and fuel prices limit their ability to think outside the box. Those who think it’s strange, and not too smart, to fish the same areas every day and expect different results will appreciate the end of this article.
From the lead-in statement, I’m sure you understand that the fishing seems stuck in low gear as the third week of dirty water conditions is upon us. Two weeks is normally the limit for these churning currents, but this is not a typical year. So these conditions can’t last much longer.
And frankly, by the time you read this, things could have already improved. Those traveling to the Corbetena area will discover the big areas with blue water have disappeared. It seems like the dirty water conditions haven’t improved, and they’ve taken a step backward.
The same goes for El Banco. Still, for those who gave it a shot, many returned with Sailfish or Striped Marlin. But they went with big bait in a place where bait is sparse. That was the secret last week.
This week, there is no secret except to pray for clean water and a full measure of luck. For now, a trip to this area is less than exciting.
Remember that we’re at the end of summer, and the Summer Species will be pulling out shortly. So we’re actually trying to stretch the summer fun.
You might think that closer in there could be better action, maybe closer to shore. Mad Mahi, our 30 ft center-console, wound up with a few Dorado about ten miles off the point of Nayarit. Most of the action last week was at los Anegados, north of Sayulita, with Roosterfish action.
Sailfish were also running the neighborhood. But the holiday season is over now, and the crowds are gone for the most part. People aren’t heading up that way, so who knows what’s happening up there now.
My people went out for eight hours on Magnifico the other day and caught a couple of nice Dorado and were targeting only Dorado. They got what they were looking for, but it was work amigos.
Nothing is happening easily these days. If things break up a little, Punta Mita or Punta Nayarit could become a hot spot for the migrating Dorado from the waters to the north. Stay tuned.
Inside the bay, it’s not any better. The one shiny spot in the bay has been around Los Arcos. For some reason, even with dirty water in the bay, some Dorado and a Sailfish were boated in this area recently and it just goes to show anything is possible in the worst fishing conditions.
Jack Crevalles will hit anything they see. But there has been some clean water at the bay’s south end, and that’s why they’re boating Dorado over there. Bonito, Skipjack Tuna and Sierra Mackerels are great for younger family members to catch and very tasty!
So, you’re getting the idea that the fishing conditions have been less than favorable the last few weeks. You may think that heading out fishing is a waste of your time and a bigger waste of your money. But, like always, a little knowledge and a bit of adventure will generally lead to great experiences.
I’ve been talking about how nobody, but nobody, is going to the south end of the bay to go fishing. I know Corbetena and El Banco are in the other direction, and most local captains follow that ‘mindset’ that makes everyone head to the same places.
When nobody is catching fish, it’s time to try something different. Turning our heads to the south, the best and almost only real action is at Cabo Corrientes or South of Corbetena by about twelve miles. In fact, the area about halfway between Cabo Corrientes (el Faro) to Corbetena is alive with Dorado in the 25 lb range.
Sailfish and Striped Marlin! Yes, in the bay, the fishing is great. The water temperatures are in the 81-degree range. The water is blue, and they’re waiting for someone to show up! This is what I mean. I’ve been writing about this area for weeks and how nobody is heading in that direction. But honestly, the currents will run along the shoreline in this area, and the water will generally be cleaner there. So there you go; the secret is to change your approach, change your thinking, and ultimately change your luck.
It’s a fair distance from Marina Vallarta; a twelve-hour trip is best, but you can squeeze it all in with ten hours. So, summer is at the south end of the bay, amigos. You won’t get this information anywhere else, so make sure you make good use of it.
And, like always, keep this to yourself.
Details: This week, we’ve seen the bite move to about 10:00; it will be fairly strong, then calm down to about 13:00. At about 15:00, the afternoon bite is stronger than the morning bite. Water temperatures are hovering at 77 degrees. That’s about seven degrees above our lowest water temperatures of the year.
Something to remember: We’ll see Grouper, Snapper, and Bass move in about mid-February. That’s a story for another time. Conditions will change any day now, so keep an open mind, stay positive, and keep reading my articles!!
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!
