This is the month of love and people who love to fish in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. As February unfolds in Puerto Vallarta, reflecting on the exciting winter months gone by brings a smile to my face and many clients we have already taken out this year. January was an incredible action with thrilling rod-bending action amidst
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report for February 2024
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report January 2024
Happy Fishmas and a joyful New Year from Puerto Vallarta! Let’s dive into the January 2024 fishing report by Captain Pete and see what the Puerto Vallarta waters of Mexico have in store for our anglers visiting from all over the globe.
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report December 2023
Welcome to the latest fishing report for December 2023 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This month brings about significant changes, primarily marked by cooling weather and adjustments in water temperatures both in the bay and offshore. Following the favorable temperatures/fishing experience we had in November, which hovered around 83 degrees, the recent slight drop has impacted our inshore and offshore fishing strategies. See what’s coming this December in our fishing report.
In response to these changes, our approach involves adapting to new conditions. This includes switching lures, varying bait choices, and adjusting our favored fishing spots for the winter months. Despite the decrease in temperatures, it’s worth noting that the water in the Bay of Puerto Vallarta and offshore remains relatively mild. Nevertheless, these shifts influence our fishing techniques during this season. It never gets cold like other places up north to have to close for the winter season. The winter is when are just getting started for our winter fishing season. Most anglers are packing away their fishing for the season and are putting new fishing line or our reels fishing for marlin.
Let’s dive into the inshore action first. In the inshore waters, expect to encounter mahi-mahi, yellowtail, roosterfish, Spanish mackerel, snapper, and the delectable California Bonita. Trolling remains an effective method, and if we’re fortunate enough to locate schooling fish, pitch baits and different jigs become valuable tools. Some of the larger spoons work well for schooling fish. The large schools of yellowtail, typically caught on live bait, are expected to make an appearance. Roosterfish and snapper can be found in specific coves on the South Shore, where live bait or pitch baits are commonly employed. When the bait balls move into our fishing area we experience incredible fishing. Inside the Bay, water temperatures have slightly cooled to around 78 to 81 degrees, while offshore fishing enjoys a slightly warmer 80-degree water temperature. Conditions are favorable with excellent water clarity and calm winds during most trips. Some days you will see different water colors inside the bay and offshore. This is red tide which happens every year and nothing to worry about. Feel free to reach out to Captain Pete on our toll-free line if you’re planning a weekend trip and want to check the latest conditions or have any questions.
check out this hot sailfish action in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
One of the bonuses we have during the winter months is the arrival of the humpback whales that play here for several months. We often see the calves born here in our beautiful bay playing all day long. It’s a spectacular site to see if you have never been close to a 20-ton whale up close.
As winter progresses, schools of snapper may be spotted inside the Bay and just offshore. For those seeking a shorter adventure, our four or six-hour trips promise a delightful experience. Feel free to contact us via email or our toll-free line to secure your spot and check rates for all our boats.
The weather conditions contribute to fantastic water clarity, with calm seas for most of our recent trips. If you’re planning a weekend getaway and want to stay informed about the latest conditions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Captain Pete on our toll-free line. We are happy to address any questions regarding fishing, water-related sports, or upcoming weather. During the winter months, we have 99.9 % of the time perfect weather.
Now, let’s shift our focus to offshore fishing. As the water cools, larger marlin and tunas migrate further offshore, making way for the arrival of striped marlin. Tuna will still be present, often roaming around thermoclines, though not as abundantly as in the Fall. During these fishing months, it’s a must to keep your eye on the water temperatures. Our eight-hour trips target big game fish like sailfish, striped marlin, and mahi-mahi. If the action offshore is slow, we can easily switch gears and explore productive spots inside the Bay for a bountiful catch.
During the winter months, trolling with skip baits, high-speed lures, and sewn-up baits like goggle eye or mullet proves effective offshore. When we know there’s a concentration of marlin or tuna, we prefer using live bait in the 5 to 10 lbs range. The best method for offshore fishing remains live bait, live bait, and more live bait. As you can see we love to fish with live bait.
Merry Fishmas, and we hope to welcome everyone out on the water in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Tight lines,
Capt. Pete and Crews
check out the fishing report with our sister city Nuevo Vallarta fishing charters
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report November 2023
November is the highly anticipated month for fishing anglers in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and international anglers coming to enjoy the peak fishing season. This month promises a continuation of the thrilling game fish action we enjoyed in October, with the likes of Marlin, sailfish, tuna, and mahi-mahi making their appearances.
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report October
As the Fall fishing season unfolds in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, anglers from around the world eagerly gather to explore the bountiful waters of Banderas Bay and prepare for incredible fishing adventures along with some international fishing tournaments. October promises to be an exciting month for anglers, with a diverse range of pelagic species in abundance and ideal weather conditions. Take a look we have to offer this October.
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report September
Puerto Vallarta is known around the world as a vacation hot spot for fishing, its incredibly hot beaches, and fantastic restaurants. This is one of the main reasons we see many fishermen taking to the water and fantastic beaches all year round. We also have more return folks than any other resort place in Mexico. We are known for incredibly fun beaches, nightlife, world-class shopping, and the friendliest people in the world. We are located on Mexico’s Gold Coast, this sun-baked city is perfectly positioned right along the migratory route of world-famous pelagic fish. It’s also home to the best bay fishing in the world. Puerto Vallarta fishing is truly diverse, so no matter your angling know-how, you’ll find your perfect fishing deep-sea adventures here! With so many hotspots to fish like the bay, El Morro, Corbetena, El Banco, and the islands it can be difficult to choose the perfect fishing adventure. Not to worry we have over 50 professionals to help you pick the perfect fishing trip custom fit for you and your family. Here below, we’ve highlighted our favorite species in the area, as well as where and how you can cast a line here. Read on and get ready to discover Puerto Vallarta and the treasures that lie beneath its waters! Top Places to Fish in Puerto Vallarta. The bay has to be one of the number one places to fish here in Puerto Vallarta. The first most bay trips that can be done is 4 hrs. This is a big draw as it’s close to shore and not very expensive. There are a large number of boats that we use on our bay fishing trips. The 28 ft super panga is perfect for this kind of fishing. With a four-person max and so many different types of species to fish for you have the time of your life on this half-day fishing trip in Puerto Vallarta. El Morro has so many fishing options it’s hard to name them all here. This 8-hour deep-sea fishing adventure is for those of us who love being on the open water while having a chance to land marlin, sailfish, mahi-mahi, and tuna. This is a short run from the marina and you can catch just about any species of pelagic fish you can imagine. The Cortbetena has a wealth of trophy fish out there waiting almost all year round. This is the go-to fishing ground when you are looking for larger fish or that bucket list fish. For most anglers, this is a once-in-a-lifetime fishing opportunity. The tuna are thick here on this offshore fish trip. Some days marlin, sailfish, and mahi-mahi hit the bait all day long. The Cortbetena is a 10 to 12-hour trip of a lifetime for most anglers. Please plan in advance as space on these trips is limited. Banco fishing has to be one of the best angling experiences in the world. This is the fishing hot spot where most of the trophy fish come from. It’s a rare day when you don’t catch the fish of your dreams at this fishing location. This 12 to 14 hr. the trip is the best of the best most days. The last two fishing adventures can’t be beaten for catching the fish you always wanted. This is the bucket list fish-catching place. If I could I would fish here every day. Be sure and check for boat availability before coming down as this is the most sought-after trip we offer here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. From billfish to bottom fishing Puerto Vallarta truly has it all when it comes to deep-sea fishing. We are here to help you and your family pick the perfect fishing trip whether it’s offshore or inshore. We go the extra mile to ensure you have the trip of a lifetime. I look forward to seeing everyone out there on the water having fun and catching fish.
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report August
Hello fellow fishermen, anglers, Captains, and folks that read my fishing report each month. Let me tell you what’s happening in the fishing paradise that we call Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In the summertime, there are few places in the world that can hold a candle to it when it comes to fishing for pelagic fish and wall hangers.
-
Puerto Vallarta fishing report July 2023
Puerto Vallarta fishing report July. The fishing report starts off with some exciting news just before July 4th. There’ll be many big celebrations here in Puerto Vallarta along with big fish to go with it. We’ll start with the hot inshore action. Fishing has produced many yellowtail, skipjack tuna, roosterfish, snapper, and mahi-mahi all over. Where have we caught all these fish? Some of the hot spots have been Nuevo Vallarta, Palo Verde, Bucerias, Los Arcos,and the middle of the bay. Most of these inshore fishing trips have been of the 6 hrs duration. Some of the shorter bay fishing trips have produced good numbers of mahi-mahi and skipjack tuna. There have many days when we caught the fish schooling in the bay and it turned into a nonstop action.
What has been the best method for fishing inshore? Here are a couple of our top performers. The Rapala coupled with some small jigs has been working incredibly well. With this set up you can Sometimes land three or four fish simultaneously. It doesn’t take long to have a boatload of fish when you are catching them three at a time. Sight casting has worked all week long and should hold strong all summer. Bring your favorite casting rig or use one of ours for some fun catching fish here in Mexico. Cut bait works extremely well around some of the buoys that have been holding mahi-mahi. Once you get one of these action-packed fish they with keep biting until you run out of fresh-cut bait. This is a fantastic way to catch and land some fast-feeding fish. Last but not least is our favorite fallback method. Live bait. In the summer months, we love to use goggle-eye. These baits work well inshore and offshore. The marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi, sailfish, and yellowtail can’t resist these baits. When the sardines show up nothing works better than a couple of scoops of sardines thrown in the water to bring up all kinds of pelagic fish for live baiting. When all else fails, we use our troll with natural baits and lures. This seems to work well inshore and especially offshore. As most of our repeat clients know we love the Black Bart lures. Let’s take a look at the offshore fishing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Deep sea fishing in Puerto Vallarta is always good in July. The waters have warmed up to some nice numbers. Offshore water temperatures are ranging from 84 degrees to 87 degrees. These temperatures are conducive for marlin, Dorado-mahi, tuna, and the fastest fish in the Pacific Ocean the sailfish. Most of these pelagic fish are caught around thermoclines and crystal clear waters we see offshore every day.
The bait movement is critical for fishing tuna and sailfish. I always say if you find the bait you will find the fish.
The best bet for offshore fishing is 8 hrs to 12 hrs. The more time on the water the better odds you have of hooking that wall hanger or fish of your dreams. -
Puerto Vallarta fishing report June 2023
Welcome to the June fishing report for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This is the most relevant fishing report I wrote all year long. If you want to know why and how, please read on. The first big change is the weather. June 15th. is when the rainy season starts and lasts until October 15 th. Some folks think the rains are bad. It’s just the opposite. The rains that occur late in the evenings almost every day have a profound effect on fishing. Often, rains bring pelagic fish and bait into our bay. I also tell clients that if you find bait movement you will find fish. Some days we will receive heavy rains. It causes flooding affects our numerous rivers emptying all kinds of debris into the bay. The sailfish,mah-mahi, and even marlin like to hunt on these trash lines we call them. There will be a distinct line in the water where one side will be dark blue and the other side will be off-colored. There is no doubt that pelagic fish love to hunt the conditions of the water. Live bait slowed trolled is one of the best methods.
-
Puerto Vallarta May fishing report 2023