Levi Blachly
Levi Blachly
us
Oregon, US
•
Member since 2025
2.0
Verified

Avoid Captain Arreola, the Yamaica III, and especially the Yamaica IV.

6 Hour Trip (AM)2 adults

This trip seemed doomed from the beginning. Initially, we were booked for January 21st. Enrique Arreola, the Yamaica III captain, contacted me saying he was unavailable to take us out on the 21st (When we had booked). He wouldn't say why he was changing it when I asked. He also made me accept the new date time to be from 2am to 8am, instead of starting at 8am. He said to trust him, he'd meet us at 8am. It became apparent this was because he wanted to use this boat for another trip and couldn't double book the boat. We changed our plans for January 22nd and met Captain Arreola at the dock. When we arrived at the boat, Yamaica III, Captain Arreola passed us off to another boat, Yamaica IV, and a different captain. As we left the port, we noticed other boats were passing us over & over. The Yamaica IV deckhand began going back & forth between the engine compartment, the hull, and the Captain's deck. When he was in the engine compartment, he would be yelling back & forth with the captain, or on his phone with a third party. It was apparent the boat was having engine trouble. Where as we were supposed to be going out for larger fish like Dorado, we never got to leave the bay. The captain & deckhand, though not unkind, were unengaged. Regardless of language barriers some of us had, we still had Spanish speaking individuals, Google Translate, and would expect smiles, laughing, and positive engagement. We got none of that. They seemed impartial to us being in the boat. We also should have gotten direction as to what to do and where to be. Again, we got none. Fortunately, we are all fishermen and capable, but that should have been amongst the first conversation in the boat. A novice fisherman would have been lost. The deckhand tied the lures, baited a couple of lines, and threw them out to start fishing. There were two different times we had Jack Crevalle hooked and almost to the boat, then the knots failed and we lost the fish. This happened TWICE. Their inability to tie a simple, proper knot cost us two large fish. The deckhand and the captain acknowledged this when it happened, but they cost us two fish. Again, we're all sport fishermen and know tying knots is simple & basic, especially for a charter fisherman. When we lost hooks & squid, they didn't replace them, either. They left us with fewer books instead. So in the end, we had a different captain, on a different day, at a time not reserved, on a slow & broken boat, poorly put together equipment, and were not fishing for the species of fish we'd asked to fish for. We did catch a few fish,the deckhand made amazing Civiche with two of the tuna we caught, and we did have fun, but we had fun because WE set the tone, not the crew.

Reported Catch
Skipjack Tuna
Skipjack Tuna
Jack Crevalle
Jack Crevalle
Response from Charter operator

I can’t go always to all the trips that I have I can’t divide me, don’t say that my crew don’t know how to do a good or simple knot they have 100% more experience than you. You caught jackrabell, Spanish mackerel and tuna , they made ceviche, And you’re writing a bad review. The bad part is that you think that you’re a real fishermen a real fishermen knows that is fishing not catching trying to booked 6hrs and you want to go outside of the bay(we have the largest bay in Mexico 19 miles to go outside), I told that I recommend you 8 to 10 hours to go the the real fishing area ( 31 miles outside). The jackrabell the first one was done, the second one was hooked in the mouth and you tried to drag him like he was a marlyn and the third one he cut the line it wasn’t because of the knots.

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Yamaica lll (Vallarta Sportfishing)
4.7
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4 hour trip • 6 persons
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Rating

4.7
44 reviews
4.6
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What anglers say

  • 86%
    Recommended
  • 95%
    Caught fish

All reviews (44)

Showing 1 – 5 of 44 reviews
  • Rod Long
    Rod Long
    us
    Texas, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Three Generations

    4 Hour Trip (AM) • 5 adults • 2 children

    My sons wanted to take their sons (6 & 5) salt water fishing for the first time. I found Captain Enrique and his mate Rigo on Fishfinder. The boat was the Yamaica IV (same as the Yamaica III in the advert but painted blue). we booked the 4 hour bay fishing trip because we were’nt sure how the boys would like it. they had the time of their lives once the fish started biting and we reeled in 18 nice sized bonitos! The crew was awesome and three generations had a memorable experience!

    Reported Catch
    Bonito
    Response from Charter operator

    thanks for your comment was a pleasure for us… hope to see you soon.

  • Jeff Shemely
    Jeff Shemely
    Repeat angler
    Mexico
    •
    Member since 2023
    •
    3 trips
    4.3
    Verified

    PV Fishing Vallarta Charters

    6 Hour Trip (AM) • 2 adults

    Showed up at the Marina, different boat than what I booked. The boat that we were put in was a decent boat , but a heads up would have been nice. The boat I thought I booked looked like a newer , more modern boat.. so I thought that was pretty deceiving. The crew were great , friendly , accommodating and made a great ceviche. we only caught 3 Mahi Mahi , but thats how fishing goes . Next time , ill go out further to the bigger fish . I was with the wife and she cant handle the open water. Overall , it was a good trip. But the switching of the boats really turned me off.

    Reported Catch
    Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
  • Shauntel Harrison
    Shauntel Harrison
    us
    Utah, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    4.7
    Verified

    What a great day of catching fish!!!

    6 Hour Trip (AM) • 5 adults

    We started out slow, but then the dolphins started hanging around the boat! After that it was catching the rest of the day! We caught 14 fish and took them to a nearby restaurant for lunch! The captain and crew were amazing!!!

    Reported Catch
    Bonito
    Response from Charter operator

    thanks for your comments hope to see you soon!

  • Frank Roth
    Frank Roth
    us
    Missouri, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    4.7
    Verified

    Not great weather and we STILL caught fish

    6 Hour Trip (AM) • 5 adults

    There was a storm coming in and we still managed to catch several Bonito, a mackerel and a shark! Not bad at all considering the weather!

  • Chad Moore
    Chad Moore
    Repeat angler
    us
    Pennsylvania, US
    •
    Member since 2024
    •
    4 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    May fishing trip

    6 Hour Trip (AM) • 4 adults • 1 child
    Response from Charter operator

    Thanks for your comment Chad, hope to see you again!!!