Puert Vallarta - Mexico

[DaveIrving]

Just come back from a trip to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico...fishing wasn't great to be honest. We were trying for big yellowfin on a jig...but never even hooked up. Also lost a marlin and a good sized Rooster fish.....did manage to land this Cuberra Snapper though so not a total disaster.....

Cheers

Dave

[PanamaJack]

Still a 'Marlin Virgin' then Dave! But was the hook-up on a jig?

Certainly a superb Snapper ....... 'My, my what teeth you have'.
Dave
PS Club magazine, all 164 pages of it is currently being printed. Should be with you in the next few weeks.

[DaveIrving]

Hi Dave

After 6 days of jigging with very little success....we decided to cheat on the last day. We jigged up three fat skipjack and started slow trolling them. Within 15 minutes the marlin was interested - killed the first skipjack, swallowed the second and came back four times on the third before swallowing that as well.....this marlin wanted to be caught....for reasons I don't want to discuss on here we somehow didn't get her!

I also cheated for the missed rooster fish....trolling my popper while having a break from casting....typical to get a hook-up when I was not ready!

Cheers

Dave

[Cascars]

I am off to Puerta Vallarta in April, did you have a go at fishing from the shore? Is there anywhere to buy any tackle out there?

[DaveIrving]

I didn't personally have a try from the shore, but I know somebody who did. They caught lots of small reef fish.

We took our boat down to the deserted beaches to the South of PV.....and had good fun casting poppers towards the beach. We had quite a few hook-ups within a few feet from the sand.....mainly Jack Crevalle to about 12Kg, big Long Tom and we did have quite a few rooster fish following the lures right up to the boat.

I don't think it is possible to get to these beaches by road....but you could hire a local boat cheaply to take you down there.

Further South has some deep water rock marks, where we anchored for lunch. We wre using power bait and caught fish every drop....puffer fish, small grouper, coral trout, etc.

We tried North of PV and there didn't seem to be any fish.

Fishing the weed lines about 1 or 2km out produces dolphin fish to livebaits and lures.

Not much further out gives you a chance of a 200lb+ yellowfin and always the chance of a marlin. There is one rock mark straight out (forgot the name of it - something like Core Brittania) that fishes very well at dawn and dusk with poppers. We tried casting poppers at a marlin cruising by, but it wasn't interested.

There is a tackle shop in the middle of the town but I never got chance to visit it.

Livebaits can be bought from the refueling station in the marina.

Hope this helps...if you need any more info let me know.

Cheers

Dave

[Cascars]

I dont want to spend Game Fishing money on a boat trip, are there any cheap boats that will do trips for just a few hours inshore? If so what sort of cost am I looking at?
Would it be worth taking my usual Bassing plugs and Storm Shads, Jelly worms etc?
I have been on a Game Fishing trip on every holiday I have been on but find them generally a waste of money on a type of fishing that I do not find very sporting. I would prefer to pay a local old guy a few quid for a few hours on his boat fishing for smaller but more prolific species.
Thanks for the help Dave

[DaveIrving]

Yep you can get local boats there....but not sure what the cost would be.

Plugs and jellyworms will definitely work there...plugs will get you Jacks, Longtom and if you are lucky Roosters and perhaps even a Cuberra.

Jellyworms will get you puffer fish, small grouper, leatherjackets, trigger fish and coral trout.

PV is situated around a river....so the water may be a bit too dirty (if it has been raining) to lure fish effectively close to land.

Have attached some pics of some of the smaller inshore species we caught on lures.

Cheers

Dave

[PanamaJack]

I've only fished further south on that Pacific coast of Central America - Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. For inshore trolling, just at the back of the surfline, certainly small livebaits or plugs will work for the Jack species and Snappers. One I've found particularly sucessful is the Rapala Sliver.

Around structure though casting can also be great fun with surface poppers, you'll find though you need to retrieve a lot faster than in this country. I tend to use the Yo-Zuri Hydro Tigers and Surface GT Bulls.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Just one last point cascars. Excel and Lucky Dave are intending to panga fish from Zihuatenejo at the end of this month. Here's the thread - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47629. It might well be worth contacting them on their return.
Dave

[Master Baiter's PV]

We have several small operations for fishing tackle. But while in Puerto Vallarta, remember the prices of your equipment will be at least double what you'd pay for it at home. I'd suggest contacting me and I'll tell you what to get, then bring it down... Lures can be inexpensive for the normal old reliabe jigs....

Zaragosas is the only real store with lots of options for the angler.... but expensive like you wouldn't expect.

If you have any specific questons, send me an e/mail....

letsfish@mbsportsfishing.com

Stan