I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again, fishing in Puerto Vallarta, the Bay of Banderas, has been nothing short of weird this year. In my last article, Dorado were thin in number but still at El Morro to Punta Nayarit. Then, all of a sudden, Dorado move back into the bay, even with the cold water.
Sailfish numbers are still strong, but the Blue Marlin population is getting smaller in size and numbers. Water temperatures are prematurely dropping, and massive amounts of bait are coming into the area. And on top of that, the Whales are back! It will be soon that our warm water species bug out. For those looking to catch that bucket list fish, the clock is ticking, amigos.
Yellowfin Tuna, I’m sure that got your attention. El Banco last week was sporting Yellowfin Tuna just under 200 lbs. They were an all-day project, but, they were taking baits last week. This week, the illegal long liners set up and destroyed the fishing. You have to be careful with these long liners because if you try to run their lines over, they will shoot at you! Yes, they have guns, and the authorities are nowhere to be found. When long liners are in a specific place, you know the fishing is excellent there. So, for now, avoid the El Banco around the high spots.
Having said all this, Striped Marlin are in larger numbers about ten miles northwest of El Banco. Yellowfin Tuna run this area also, so it may be worth the extra fuel and passing up the high spots and the long liners.
Corbetena is still working with Blue Marlin this week, which runs 350 lbs, Sailfish, Striped Marlin, and possibly Dorado. Yellowfin Tuna have been in the 30 to 160 lb range. Some days they’re there, some days they’re not. If you’re hanging around Corbetena, then anything is possible right now.
Water temperatures are still at 78, so Striped Marlin, which loves these water temperatures, should hang around until after New Year’s with any luck. To target Yellowfin Tuna, you need a boat running the entire area from Corbetena to well north of El Banco. If you are serious about Yellowfin Tuna, look at our Tuna Safari Packages.
For those looking for a shorter day, you have Sailfish, Striped Marlin, and Dorado off Punta Nayarit (aka Punta Mita). This goes for the entire area, including El Morro and the Marieta Islands. For the lucky, take a heading of 300 off the point of Nayarit; 25 miles later, you’ll also find Sailfish and Striped Marlin. There could be Blue Marlin in the neighborhood as well. The water here is primarily blue, but once you’re six miles off the point, the water goes from the cold, clean green to the warmer blue water. Feeling lucky?
This week’s big surprise was seeing Dorado move into the bay when there were none last week. The area off Los Arcos is where the Dorado are hanging around. They’re running 15 to 20 lbs and full of fight. Jack Crevalles are massive in numbers off the La Cruz area. There could also be a freak Sailfish. Bonito to 20 lbs are everywhere, as are Skipjack Tunas at 7 lbs.
Sierra Mackerels are showing up again; they’re an early bite and picking up in numbers. Pay attention to these smaller species; they’re very flavorful and plentiful. Four hours will generally get you your fill. And smaller game like this is fun for the younglings. Right now, I’d say your best bang for your fishing dollar is a six-hour trip in the bay.
It feels like we’re moving into early winter conditions. Water temperatures will continue to drop in the coming days. Whales are also moving into the bay, and soon, there will be our famous whale-watching trips. When the Whales come in, so will the Krill and other smaller Whale food types of baits.
Once water temperatures dip below 73 degrees, Grouper and Snapper will be moving in, and that’s good, too.
So expect massive amounts of bait to move in, and if you’re looking to catch that Billfish before the water gets too cold, now would be a good time to go get on the water.
The bites these days are a little split. There is an earlier bite with the Dorado and the Sierra Mackerels. Sailfish and Marlin will be looking more at 08:30 and expect things to slow down by 10:00. So hit the Dorado and Mackerels early, then target the larger Billfish!
Until next week, don’t forget to kiss your fish!
