Picture this: a vacation in sunny Nuevo Vallarta fishing for the biggest catch of your life. Sounds like a dream, but this can easily be your reality. Nuevo Vallarta is the newly-built luxury town, known for its sandy white beaches, golf courses, and canals running through the town. But it's not the canals you'll want to spend your time fishing in.
Nuevo Vallarta is the place to come when you want to break fishing records. From here, you can head offshore to the world-renowned hot spots, where giant Yellowfin Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish, Mahi Mahi, and many more have been caught throughout the years. There are more underwater structures here than anywhere else on the Mexican Pacific coast – the perfect place for excellent fishing.
Fishing Spots
Local fishing charters have many options when it comes to bountiful fishing grounds. The length of time of your charter will dictate which spots you can reach and still have enough time left to fish. Your own fishing experience will also play a part – there are spots more suitable for beginners than for seasoned anglers. You can stay in Banderas Bay, or head 20 miles out to the Maria Islands, El Morro, and El Faro. For longer trips and more experienced anglers, it's all about Roca Corbetania (also called La Corbetena ) and El Banco, up to 50 miles offshore.
Banderas Bay
Locally called the Bahia de Banderas, this huge deep bay is an important birthing site for humpback whales – there are many tours here that can take you out to see them from December to March.
A huge variety of fish call the Bay home. These include Jack Crevalle, Red Snapper, Bonito, Skipjack Tuna, Grouper, Mahi Mahi, and many more. You won't find huge trophy fish in these warmer waters. However, Banderas Bay offers calm waters close to shore, which are perfect for shorter trips and fishing novices. Spend your day trolling and bottom fishing with light tackle for a lot of fun.
Roco Corbetania
The protruding rocks of Roco Corbetania are 36 miles offshore – you'll need an extended day trip to fully appreciate the fishing here. The journey out will take around 90 minutes. Fishing aficionados will love the variety and options in these cooler waters where big trophy fish call home. Species include huge Yellowfin Tuna, some as big as 400 pounds. You're also likely to see Blue, Striped, and Black Marlin weighing around 100 pounds. Sailfish, Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack, Pargo, Bonito, Wahoo, and many more can also be found. There are plenty of bait fish here enticing the species you'll want to target.
El Banco
This is a submerged hot spot even further out, around 50 miles from shore. This location is only for hardcore anglers, as the waters can get rough. For best results, you'll want to do an overnight trip or an extended day trip, due to the long journey time. It will take 2 hours each way to reach El Banco. Known as the best fishing spot in the area, you'll reel in trophy big game – Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo and so many more are all available here.
Fishing Tips
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If Mahi Mahi is at the top of your fishing wishlist, book a trip in the middle of summer. For bait, use live Mackerel.
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Going after a record-breaking Yellowfin Tuna? Catch plenty of Skipjack Tuna to use as live bait. Check the boat for tuna tubes – you'll want the Skipjack to be kept fresh and fighting.
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Effective methods for catching trophy Tuna include trolling, kite fishing, and chunking. Trolling is great as it also gives you the chance to catch Blue and Black Marlin at the same time. If kite fishing, use goggle eyes for great results.
Need to Know
Want to take your fish home? No problem. Fish you catch can be frozen and taken back home with you. Check with your airline for baggage information and rules about particular species.
Don't' be surprised if the crew keep a lot of the fish you catch – this is customary, to help supplement their wages.
Regulations
The fishing license for the day is included in the price of your charter. If you're not fishing with a charter company then you'll need to buy a license before the trip. These cost less than $11 and will be required for every person on board the boat, even if they are not intending to fish.
Budget
The price of charters changes massively depending on how many people are going on the trip and which fishing ground you are going to. Fishing in the Bay is much cheaper than heading out to El Banco. Extended trips and overnight trips can get up to $1,300 per day for a group of four. An eight-hour trip ranges from $395–$1,000 for up to seven anglers. This trip could stay in the Bay or head further out, changing the price dramatically.
Getting There
Fly into the Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, which is just 15 minutes away by car. Nuevo Vallarta is known as an extension of Puerto Vallarta, but this will take 45 minutes to get to via public transport.
Whether you're looking for a relaxed holiday fishing in the Bay, or some epic big game fishing, fishing in Nuevo Vallarta will not disappoint!