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

Answers by verified FishingBooker anglers who went fishing in Puerto Vallarta

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Matthew Mestl
Omaha, Nebraska
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with El Amofishingpvmex2 on October 17, 2019
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.

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Aaron Black
Culiacán, Sinaloa
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Super Panga Tres Estrellas on April 11, 2023
It was a great trip for first timer or seasond fisherman. I was here in early April on spring break trip with my family. If I was booking a fishing vacation I would book when water temps are up. Lots of bait in the water and wildlife was abundant.

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Toby Peterson
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Liliana 40 on March 22, 2023
Make sure you book a trip that’s at least 6 hours long. 4 is fine if you only want maybe a few smaller style fish within the bay, which is fine and fun, especially for a first experience, but to get a real rush from cat hi my Marlin or mahi, you need a lot more time. It’s so fun it snaps right by!

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Joel Galbreath
Dallas, TX
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Valeria I on November 23, 2022
If you're trying to go after sail fish, mahi mahi, etc. look at booking a full day trip. The half-day trip was only around the bay and we didn't have too much of a chance to get to open water to chase large trophy fish. Boat is fairly large but only has 2 90 hp outboards so it takes a while to get places.

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Bill And Tina Emison
Oak Park Heights, MN
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with High Tides Fishing on June 8, 2021
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.

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Iwan Ball
Vancouver, British Columbia
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with High Tides Fishing on April 19, 2019
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

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Zach Cochrane
Gilbert, AZ
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Burton lll Sport Fishing on May 5, 2022
The fishing was a little slow at times, but the Spanish Mackerel were biting big in the morning. Afternoon slowed down a bit. Were not able to link up any Mahi or Marlin, but did grab a Rooster to end the day!

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Edmund Violago Iii
Reno, NV
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Fishing Are Us – Lucky 2 on January 12, 2020
Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful place, the sea was calm the day we fish but the fishing was slow, We book a 6 hour inshore bay fishing and we caught 4 small skipjack. I don't know if it was just an off-day or the bay is over fish, but nevertheless I guess it's better than getting skunk. If you're gonna fish at PVR I would recommend to book the highest rated guide or maybe go fish out of the bay.

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Summer Evans
Chicago, Illinois
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with High Tides Fishing on April 3, 2019
Pick the right boat. Someone who will work hard to got you to the fish. We've had other experiences where it seemed the captain didn't care if we caught anything and didn't want to waste any gas. And sunscreen, do not underestimate the need for sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.

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Marcus Self
Tepic, Nayarit
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nuevo Vallarta Fishing – Sea Ray on February 9, 2019
November and December is Marlin n Tuna Time. It takes at least 4 hours to get out of the Bay into Deep enough water to catch a Marlin or Mahi Mahi. Make sure you book at least 12 hours if you want anything bigger than a Bonita

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Mark Leach
Windsor, CO
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Tres Amores on May 22, 2023
Thought we were going out further, but we stayed in the bay. Fishing was pretty slow, but you can't ever predict how it will go. It was a fun day but wish we would've gone out further.

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Lyndon Yates
Palmdale, CA
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with La Bandida Sport Fishing on April 23, 2023
You will need strength and endurance to reel in these Puerto Vallarta Amberjacks

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Mark Noel
Beaverton, OR
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Valeria I on April 12, 2023
Despite the best crew some days you get nothing or just a couple of fish. That is fishing.

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Mike Zieff
Dallas, Texas
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Epi Gilligan Fishing on April 6, 2023
Look for boat that has plenty of horse power on engine and modern fishing equipment

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Brett Giberson
Byron Center, MI
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Martin's Fishing Adventures on April 6, 2023
We fished for Bonita and Spanish mackerel, Bonita was on fire Mackerel was just a few

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Brett Hofland
Belgrade, MT
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Super Panga Tres Estrellas on March 20, 2023
The water was great and the fishing was good. My 13 year old landed 12 fish and I pulled in 6. All and all great fishing.

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Christine Peterson
Circle Pines, MN
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Epi Gilligan Fishing on February 8, 2023
Don't expect to catch a lot in February, but being on a boat with a line in the water and a wish still makes your day.

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Rudy Risi
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Super Panga Tres Estrellas on January 22, 2023
Would've liked to catch a sailfish or larger but our captain informed us that they easier to catch starting in August

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Russ Robinson
Bell Buckle, TN
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Valeria I on December 9, 2022
Know there is no guarantee you will catch fish. It's called "fishing" not "catching." Go fishing and ready to enjoy the nature of Banderas Bay and if you catch that will be an awesome bonus!

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Luis Gallardo
Mexico
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Vallarta Sportfishing – Brisa ll on August 26, 2022
It has so easy access and easily found using google maps/ waze. People are friendly and heppy to help!

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Fancesca Mayagoitia
Puerto Vallarta, JAL
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Fishing Are Us – Lucky 1 on July 1, 2022
Don’t expect too much, sometimes you are lucky and sometime your not. This is rainy season and fishing is more difficult, but if you happen to get the right crew you will be successful.

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Sarah Lenda
Boise, ID
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Super Panga Tres Estrellas on March 18, 2022
Check the moon phases to make sure you are going during a time great for fishing. We had a full moon that day. Rookie mistake on our end.

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George LaCava
Ames, IA
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Lucina III Fishing Charters & Tours on October 18, 2021
Kind of hard to base a review on a singular poor fishing experience, but based on 5 hours of night fishing, no. Try an early morning trip that gets farther out in the ocean.

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Gerald Render
Santa Fe, NM
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with La Liga / The League on June 18, 2021
While you may not catch exactly what you're looking for, the Capt. worked hard at making sure we did catch fish.

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John Jee
Kansas City, MO
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Pesca Con Dongato on February 16, 2020
Last year I fished the bay and got skunked. It is definitely worth the extra time and money to fish the blue water.

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John Fend
Nuevo Vallarta, NAY
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Mac Fishing - Cajon de Peña on February 4, 2020
Do your homework, leave a nice tip and have a great time. Many local restaurants will cook your catch too!

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Michael Zuralow
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with PV Hook Up – GuanaTuna PV on November 4, 2019
Pangas are great for 2 on in-shore, close-in fishing. If you're after bigger game fish, charter a bigger, faster (yes more expensive) boat.

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Daniel Salinas
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with High Tides Fishing on June 17, 2019
If you're planning on fishing around the Marietas area, they're closed on Monday from any type of tourism.

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Scott Phipps
Querétaro City, QUE
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Little By Little PV on May 4, 2019
Not sure about any of the other charters I've only used little by little chater and was the best fishing experience I have had fishing abroad.

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Craig Hess
Tyler, MN
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Hooked Sport Fishing PV on April 16, 2019
Call your captain and talk with them to make sure you explain your situation and they can cater your trip to what you want.