MARLIN AND TUNA SHOWING UP AT ROCA CORBETENA AND EL BANCO

July 3, 2005, Kurt Hjort, Esperanza Sportfishing, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Fishing Report:

The fishing season is heating up along with the water in the Puerto Vallarta vacation area. Corbetena and the bank both picked up this last week with blue and black marlin along with the BIG yellowfin tunas.

The blue marlin averaged around 200 pounds, not really big for Puerto Vallarta, but a good start.

One black marlin was hooked and lost on the panga Dhamar with Capt. Daniel Gomez and after a 7-hour battle was estimated by nearby boats who easily saw the fish at over 1000 pounds.

The yellowfin tuna have been in the 200-300 pound range with smaller school tunas mixed in.

The marlin have taken live, slow trolled skipjacks, while the tunas are a little bit picky but will hit if persistent.

Fishing water temperatures at Puerto Vallarta are near 80 degrees, and have jumped around as with the clarity, but the fish are there even in the "green" water.

I was diving last week at our spot El Morro, and the water was an off-colored green at the top, but 25 feet down, it was clear as gin and I could see the fish for a mile. Sometimes just the tide change will stimulate a bit of action as the water moves around a bit.

Sailfish have been very active just off the coast from the islands north to the Sayulita area, and again, the fish are hitting in the greenish water. Lots of fish are up top, so live baiting with goggle eyes was the most productive for sighted fish.

The dorados still haven´t shown up in force yet at Puerto Vallarta, but with the arrival of the first rains, it shouldn't be long. The weather is warming up, with highs in the upper 80s and some brief evening thunderstorms. July is usually a pretty dry month with some hot fishing. Come on down and mess with a Vallarta giant!

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Puerto Vallarta and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Puerto Vallarta may be found at Mexfish.com's main Puerto Vallarta page.