Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - For the last three weeks it's been all about "Bait, Bait, Bait" with perfect conditions, purple blue water, perfect water temps and ultimately Nada, Nada, Nada or in English, Nothing, Nothing, Nothing, would take a bait.

Talk about a monster frustration, there was fish everywhere, maybe not the exact species we would ask the fish gods for, but no shortage of fish. The past weeks were about as close as a "cookie cutter" report from the previous week as you can get. I continually spoke of "Any Day Now," and of course it didn't come.

Well, I am happy to report things are changing for the better. We're finally past the midpoint of July, which is a milestone for our world class fishing. Breeding season is finally over, migrations are still happening, but soon that will stop also. For now we're bursting with Sailfish and Dorado in the 25 to 30 lb range. They're taking bait and they're not shy about it, that's great news, but there is some really weird stuff happening as well.

As we enter the early weeks of the 2014 Fishing Tournament season we're seeing less than exciting action at El Banco and Corbeteña. Marlin sightings, but few strikes. Blue Marlin mostly in the 250 lb range, but they're sparse at best. With massive amounts of bait, perfect conditions, and few boats heading this direction, we can safely say this is not the place to be for the moment.

The good news is you can save your fuel dollars and get plenty of action closer in. It's still early in our fishing season to get excited about missing fish, but the expectations are high for what will be coming in hopefully soon.

Plenty of 35 lb Skip Jack Tuna, perfect for bait are here for the taking. If Targeting Marlin, this is the perfect bait to use. Great tasting, machine gun hook-ups, you'll have a fun day, but really, you don't spend the kind of money on fuel these days for Tuna of this size. But then again, if looking for fun and money is NOT a concern, take a tour and hit El Morro or the point of Punta de Mita on the way back in. A fun time is guaranteed for all.

Once again this week Sailfish and nice sized Dorado between 20 and 30 lbs are not disappointing. Where you might ask? El Morro is the place to be. We don't always speak much of El Morro, just six miles south of the Marieta Islands, but this is an area that is not ignored by the saltier captains in Puerto Vallarta.

Many times you can come across "up currents or upwellings" in the area and for some reason this will attract fish and keep them here. For now, we're very happy to have Sailfish in the area. Many times they'll be hanging out near the point or off the Marietta Islands. Now six miles is not a huge distance but when it comes to local fishing, many times when the Marietta Islands are on the slow side, El Morro will have action.

The lesson here, don't forget about this location or you could miss out. Keep this in your back pocket for future reference. Rooster fish will many times hang around this area for the same reason, upwelling’s and plenty of food in the water. Figure on about an eight hour day and you'll come back with a full fish box. Just remember to always throw the females full of eggs back, you wouldn't want to diminish the populations when simply throwing the females back will ensure great fishing for future generations.

The Marieta Islands seem to be on "hold" for the moment. If you find yourself in the area, there are millions of Needle fish. Commonly called "False Marlin," they're long, skinny, they have a "bill," and are great fighters. They taste great if you know how to prepare them.

Bonito, Skip Jack Tuna and other sparse pickings are here as well. All and all, El Morro is the better choice, or... the Lemon Sharks are still between the Marieta Islands and Punta Mita off Anclote. They're something we don't normally plan on, but they're still here. White meat fish, small though, about three to five feet, perfect for Shark Steaks. They won't be here much longer and frankly I am surprised they're still hanging out. So if you have ever wanted to target shark, now is the time.

Hit the point of Punta de Mita (Spanish for "lookout point"), Sailfish and Dorado are still taking bait as fast as they can. About eight to ten miles off the point you'll find them feeding on massive bait balls. Dorado are here as well and presently there's a dead Whale carcass floating here with many smaller fish are feeding on, including 30 lb Dorado. While it's sad to see a dead Whale, this is nature and the cycle of life continues. Word is out about the dead Whale, so don't expect to be the only one looking for an easy catch.

Inside the bay we're seeing some strange things. Primarily the presence of Spanish Mackerels and Jack Crevalls! Both are winter current arrival indicator species, so you may ask why they're in the area when we have very warm water (84 to 86 degrees). Well your guess is as good as mine, but they're taking bait and they're great for arm burning action without having to go the distance to leave the bay.

In front of Yelapa there are Football Tuna up to 45 lbs, they're taking bait as well, but you could spend the whole day there and only get one or two strikes. If in the area, run Goggle eyes with skirts and you can most likely have Sashimi tonight.

If you're around the river mouths there is always the possibility of Robalo, Snook in English. White meat fish, very flavorful and close in, worth a shot, don't forget to discuss this option with your captain if heading out in the bay.

In the northern part of the bay there have been reports of Sailfish hanging around the La Cruz Marina, so the bay is wide open, the only thing missing is you. We're not seeing the normal amount of rain here in Puerto Vallarta, so the trash line is not there. More rain will change all that, but until then don't spend time looking for it. Another result of El Niño, no rain, seems strange, I know.

It's been all over the news, El Niño is here and we have to deal with it. Strange things can happen, things like winter species (like the Jack Crevalls and Sierra Mackerels mentioned above) can show up chasing bait. Right now, Cabo is seeing a surge in Blue Marlin and Dorado along with Sailfish. The currents from the south are out unusually far. A few years back with the last El Niño we saw this same phenomenon, which is the primary reason Cabo should have a great fishing season this year.

Normally the warm summer northern currents will come up and push through about thirty to sixty miles out from the PV shoreline. When El Niño hits this moves the warm currents out anywhere from seventy five miles to over a hundred miles. Cabo is only 350 miles north or so from Puerto Vallarta, but in the direct path of these currents as they roll down the coast. This will bring pelagic species directly to the area off Cabo. It just slams into the Cabo area as these same currents continue northward.

There have been reports of nice sized Yellowfin Tuna in San Diego, another indication of El Niño currents. I also remember the last time we had currents like this they reported Sailfish in the Sound area of Seattle, super strange for sure!

What's the point of all this information that seemingly has nothing to do with Puerto Vallarta Fishing? Well with the layout of the land, or sea in this case, we expect the area between Cabo and Puerto Vallarta to "back fill." Once these pelagic find fast food in abundant bait, they'll hang-out in the area. So we may have a bit of a wait for Yellowfin Tuna and Black Marlin, but the fishing is great right now, no complaints. Somehow we still do, so let me be the first to appreciate the species we have and suggest "Fish are where you find them."

If coming to Puerto Vallarta, plan on a four to eight hour day fishing, you'll have a great day, it won't break the bank and you'll have a memorable day with good friends and family... an experience you'll never forget.

Until next time, don’t forget to kiss your fish - and remember, at Master Baiter's Sportfishing & Tackle, "We Won’t Jerk You Around!"