What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco for the first time?

I was told by the deckhand for the best chance at larger species like Mahi, Tuna, Marlin, etc. to book a longer 10 -12 hour trip. 6 hour trips only go 18-20 miles out and the longer trips go 40 miles plus. Was also told that November and December are the best months at larger species around the Bay for shorter trips. I mention this as something to consider if booking, just depends how long you want to fish and dedication to fishing as it relates to the rest of your party. My friend and I only booked the 6 hour because our wives came along and fishing was not their primary focus of this vacation. One item to note: bring cash with you to pay for the balance of the charter in the morning, our friends thought they would be able to use a card to pay and ended up having to go to an ATM to get cash which cut into our primetime early morning fishing. Also, bring food or snacks if your group needs breakfast, the boat will stop at a dockside restaurant if you want it to and our group had some breakfast burritos delivered to the boat. We thought there would be stores and restaurants open by the marina that we could stop at before getting on the boat. I'm not sure what time these businesses open but at 6:30 AM and even after 7:00 AM marina was still a ghost town with nothing open.

We had a great time and caught more than 5 fish, two at the peak of their size. I was so grateful was Capt was able to release the fish and yet still get my fish mount set up for me. Super easy and professional. The water was like glass, the weather was perfect, we saw whales and dolphins that even swam right up alongside our boat. Totally blessed trip!

March is a tough time of year for fishing here from what I’ve gathered but if you do a little research and talk with the captains and be realistic in your expectations of a fishing trip you’ll have a great time and catch fish!

41 pesos per person going on the boat. Budget ~$2,000 USD for taxidermy for a Marlin. Be prepared - not every trip catches big game, there were other boats out that didn't catch anything while we caught ours.

March may not be the best month on average for the fishing. The wind made it super hard to fish but that is part of nature and we understood the risks as we would any other trip! The guide did the best any guide could with the wind and we still made it work!

Learn about the seasons and expect that things can change unexpectedly with regard to local weather patterns or things like La Nina. If the captain recommends a different location than the one you planned for, you might want to listen so you have a better chance of catching fish.

You are better off hooking up with one of the fishermen on the beach when you arrive rather than booking on line. All of the resorts have employees that can hook you up. Much easier to negotiate a price.

The fishing is great, as the bait was being pushed in and seemed easy enough to find fish. Would however recommend dressing warm if you're leaving early in the morning. We were prepared with sweaters but could still have used another removable layer.

Go early in the morning, be patient and remember that it's impossible to guarantee that you'll catch a fish. The other boats in the bay while we were out weren't as lucky as we were and we only caught the one fish (of course our captain seemed to know right where to go for the best chance, too :-)

Can get colder than expected out on the water so bring a jacket. 'Toilet' is a generous term down here on a panga. Not a problem for a group of men who only have to go #1. Women and going #2 will be an adventure.

According to the internet fishing in January should be great but our guides couldn’t get a bite. I would recommend talking to a local on the beach and having them take you out rather than book this expensive charter and get nothing from it.

We had a time of 7am and asked to change it to 8 and they were very willing to do that. I think if we left earlier we may have caught more fish. That was on us! Be sure to bring snacks especially if you have kids It was 10 of us. 6 adults and 4 children. All and all it was a perfect day!

If it's your first time fishing in PV, check out Epi Gilligan. May be a good idea to start with a half day trip and stay in the bay. I've fished in the bay several times and always catch something fun. The water isn't too rough and it's always warm. Give it a try, I promise you'll enjoy!

Only reason I gave it 3 stars is because we got skunked and everywhere said the fishing was supposed to be great this time of year, no other boats caught fish either. But the sea conditions were awesome

Mahi season starts in July and Marlin season starts around September. We didn’t go out very far so didn’t catch anything too crazy but was still so fun. If it’s your first time and you wanna catch some crazy stuff- go deeper and during the fish season months you want to catch.

Gabriel told us that the best time to fish for the large trophy sized game fish is October through January. If your trip revolves around catching these, I'd reach out to Gabriel directly to see how things are going that particular year and have him help you plan your trip. For our family, we were just happy reeling in fish and Gabriel made sure we got to do plenty of that while also fishing for the big ones which are pretty hard to find in June.

This was a great introduction to Puerto Vallarta fishing. We were out the perfect amount of time and our boat was outfitted perfectly for our family. The Captain pulled out the awning and that was wonderful for relaxing out of the sun. We didn't catch many fish but the other boats the Captain checked in with that were fishing the bay were having a slow day as well. That's to be expected with fishing. Overall, a great day out in the bay!

Don’t be afraid to ask to fish for a certain type of fish if you’re after something specific. Our captain was super flexible and would put us wherever and whatever we wanted to do. We wanted to pull in some fish with a good fight but not keep them, so he found us crevalle jacks to hook into. We had our two kids with us that wanted to see a lot marine life, so he found us sea turtles and manta rays, and took us to the most beautiful spot to snorkel. Just an amazing day out on the water!

Read negative reviews with a grain of salt; it's not the Captain or deck hands fault if the day of fishing proves unsuccessful; do your research on lunar and tidal schedules to maximize your experience. Bring more drinks than you anticipate needing. Be in the moment; your phone can be put on airplane mode and still be used for pictures. Videos can be paused and screenshots can be taken later; don't focus on trying to capture the perfect picture.

Fishing, is just that, fishing. You never know if you're going to catch anything from day-to-day. One day you could go out and catch everything you hoped, wished, and desired. The next day, you may not catch anything. This was our 1st experience fishing in Puerto Vallarta. I don't know if it is the best month for fishing, however, we were told that because the water temperature was warming that it could be a good time for some of those deeper water fish. That was not our experience, however.

Check recent fishing reports because the seasons are no longer predictable. Maximize your chances by co-inciding your trip with peak season / times. Establishh realistic expectations in advance of the trip. Do a longer trip if possible to get out of the Bay - bigger fish out towards Marietas. Bring your own tackle / gear if possible - the jig I brought out fished the ones used by the crew by 3x

I never have been sea sick before, but even in what seemed pretty calm water I got a little sick. Maybe the tequila the night before had something to do with it, lol. Next time I would take the anti-nausea medicine before hand. Just expect to have a good time and catch fish.

Plan on an adventure over a fishing trip and you will not be disappointed with this 8 hour trip. Lots of action closer in but, mostly smaller fish. For bigger game fish you should book a longer trip and go out further…

Having a boat with cover was essential for the heat. It was helpful to be able to move around if the water made you queasy. I would suggest to pick a boat that allows more friends than are actually planning on boarding. I also needed a bathroom nearby the day we chose to go fishing, and it was really helpful that there happened to be one on board. Definitely made the trip easier.

If you plan to keep your catch, make arrangements in advance !! Things can get hectic and exciting on the trip itself and when you get back to shore! Wonderful experience -- need lots of muscle to reel in the fish !!

This captain knows the area very well. Trolling out past the bay can be hit or miss but we've had success each time we've gone. If numbers of fish are more important to you, talk to Gabriel before you go so he can plan the outing according to what you'd like to catch. There's a trip available for a better chance at some tuna but you'll need to plan for a 12 hour outing. It's 50 miles out.

If you are fishing PV in the winter, be prepared to fish all day and leave the bay. I’m the winter months the rivers cool the bay and it’s too cold for the pelagic fish like Mahi, swordfish, or there. We thought 5 hours could work for getting out far, but we were wrong

Set your fishing expectations early & also allow for some species flexibility if your priority catch isn’t interested in coming home with you that day. It’s called fishing, not catching, for a reason.

Me being an elderly man that couldn't have been more accomadating helping me on and off the boat. The crew Alex and Captain Gabriel very professional and worked there hardest to get us fish. Being a resident of Coloso I will recommend your charter to my friends and neyborers. Thanks .

I believe June is considered a slower month. The fishing was slow until the end when the captain switched to live bait and did a great job figuring out what the fish were wanting. Next time we’ll come in November for comparison.