ROOSTERFISH HITTING TROLLED LIVE BAITS

Dec. 18, 2004, Kurt Hjort, Esperanza Sportfishing, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Fishing Report:

Puerto Vallarta has seen some inconsistent fishing action, but the "on" days, fishing has been fantastic, and with the cooler water temperatures, have come other options for the all around fishermen.

I have been taking trips this last week to our local Puerto Vallarta roosterfish areas and have been scoring on the big gallos up to 50 pounds. We are using skipjacks and google-eyes, live and slow trolled, for some very exciting and visual strikes. These are a very explosive fish and with some patience, a slow day can turn epic in no time at all.

Roosterfish school and tend to run in an all-out assault at the surface as the bait fish try to flee. It is really something to see these schools explode on the surface and that is when the fun starts. I will put the clients up on the bow with spinning outfits and any top water bait for great sight casting, and much like the famous peacock bass and northern pike, the savage attack usually occurs so close to the boat you think the fish is coming after you!

We are getting the roosterfish at the Marietta islands, the reef areas in front of Punta Mita, and in the bay north of Punta Mita, but they can be caught in any number of Puerto Vallarta fishing areas that pretty much remain unfished, and they will follow the sardines this time of year that like the colder near shore water.

I like fishing the roosters when the water is a little bit off colored and find that the afternoon bite here can really explode. Anyone interested in catching roosters on the fly should give me a call and let us try to tease your rooster up to the boat with a combo of live bait and top water plugs and see just how challenging it is to catch these true trophy fish on a fly. The day is always spiced up by the usual inshore suspects that are willing to smash any minnow imitation thrown their way.

We also will encounter any number of inshore species such as amberjack, snapper, hard fighting jack crevalle and blue finned jacks, along with pompano, needlefish, and Spanish mackerel.

Offshore fishing at Puerto Vallarta continues with sails and dorados, but depending on water conditions, the area of a hot bite can vary from day to day. Puerto Vallarta fishing areas have blue water, blue-green water, and green water, and it changes daily, depending on currents and winds. Puerto Vallarta water temperatures are starting to fluctuate a bit offshore with areas as cold as 79 and as warm as 82 depending on the currents. Find the temperature break and you will probably find sailfish and dorados! The strong northerly wind has died a bit and Puerto Vallarta sea conditions are improving. Weather is great with cool nights in the low 60s and highs in the 80s.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Puerto Vallarta and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Puerto Vallarta may be found at Mexfish.com's main Puerto Vallarta page.