CHARTER BOAT PRIME TIME FISHING DAILY IN 80-DEGREE JANUARY WATERS

Jan. 27, 2005, Capt. Josh Temple, Prime Time Adventures, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Fishing Report:

We are fishing 15 to 40 miles from Puerto Vallarta. Water conditions have remained cerulean blue, with sea surface temperatures hovering around 80 degrees. We are fishing in water depths of 500 to 2,500 feet, and the Prime Time fished every day this week.

I don't see too many Puerto Vallarta charter fishing fishing boats out there, none on some days. The currents have gone from north to south and back again, with plenty of bait in the water, paper nautilus, red crab, squid, flying fish, skipjack, sardines, and mackerel. Who knows what else?. There's lots of stuff out there.

Puerto Vallarta fishing weather was mostly calm during the week, but the wind has kicked up a bit the last few days which is good for tuna fishing.

Arriving at one of the high spots yesterday we were greeted by one of my favorite sights in offshore fishing, giant tuna DETONATING on a boiling mass of frantic skipjack.

Bait lines went out, and we managed to get two baits to the boat in one piece. Out they went on the riggers and before either line could make it 50 yards from the boat, zzzzzzzz! Kevin, Stan, and Steve were about to learn first hand why we call this place Cow Town.

It's hard to keep everything together as 100 to 200-plus pound fish are cartwheeling 12 feet through the air around you, 360 degrees around the boat. You cannot possibly believe something like this until you see it.

For the next seven hours Kevin, Stan, and Steve experienced one massive explosion after another as every bait we threw out was obliterated by a tuna, wahoo, or dorado (mahi-mahi). Marlin were surfing the swells but we were unable to do anything about them, as double headers of giant tuna rocked line off towards deep water and potential freedom, and we merely watched 500-pound blacks tailing away.

Tunas were boated, released, and lost with straightened commercial circle hooks. Some fish just cannot be turned.

After a solid skunking on day one, the rest of the week of fishing at Puerto Vallarta has been epic.

The water off Puerto Vallarta now is purple, it's so blue, and it's jumped back up to 80 degrees.

We have seen some really spectacular hits on the kite, including a 180 that detonated on the bait five times before finally calming itself down enough to eat the bait. Our gear is toast.

(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.