SUSHI UNDER GLASS--A cow-sized yellowfin tuna about to come aboard Puerto Vallarta's charter boat Prime Time in gin-clear, glassed off conditions last week. Photo courtesy Josh Temple.

CHARTER BOATS HEAVILY BOOKED FOR PRIME OFFSHORE FISHING SEASON

Sept. 1, 2005, Josh Temple, Prime Time Adventures, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Fishing Report:

In Puerto Vallarta, we are in the middle of what HAS TO BE one of the most spectacular bites in offshore fishing history.

Every day the core group of Puerto Vallarta sportfishing charter captains, Manny on the Yolaray, Danny and Scott of the Marla fleet, etc., are heading out to fish ANYWHERE and there are giant tuna and black marlin EVERYWHERE. There is no way to describe the events that are taking place out there on a daily basis.

Today Danny fishing at Puerto Vallarta on the Marla had 4 giant tunas over 200 pounds, and 1 over 300 which ate 2 baits and had both anglers beating on the fish all the way to the boat, in puke green mud water.

We started off the fishing last week, with Gal Hever flying down at the drop of a hat. Gal and Terry another client flew down to Puerto Vallarta, and they scored BIG TIME, except after a 3 hour fight on 80 pound tackle I lost Terry's personal best cow in the 250 range in the motors. We've had our share of heartbreakers these last few weeks of fishing at Puerto Vallarta, and what else can be expected when you put your tackle to the ultimate test day after day after day.

The entire Puerto Vallarta sportfishing fleet down here of the hard core squad is just killing it. We had 4 Germans fishing at Puerto Vallarta, and these guys will never be the same again. These guys have traveled ALL OVER THE WORLD and have never seen anything like they experienced on the TORTURE CHAMBER in 5 solid days of Puerto Vallarta fishing.

Yesterday we hit the water and scored 5 baits. As I'm letting my bait out Shrek starts screaming at me that I've just gotten erupted on. The reel is already in hyperdrive and I feed the fish, and a 500 plus pound black marlin skyrockets. Peter, one of the Germans, who caught a 287 on our first day out straps in. After a spectacular battle in the pouring rain Shrek takes his wraps and we score the release on the FIRST marlin of the day.

I'm standing on the rail and I see a massive flash below the boat. It's all I can do to get a bait pinned and another 500 pound class black engulfs the bait and ZZZZZZ. This time Stefan straps in and the marlin pretty much tired itself out by putting on an UNBELIEVABLE aerial display. That the second marlin was part of a double header of black marlin but we lost the second one shortly after hookup.

Again letting the bait out and this time it's another marlin that we miss on the hook set. Before we can take a breath a giant tuna manages to beat it's way through the wall-to-wall black marlin to get a bait. Fernando straps in.

Fernando's fighting his giant and all around the fleet now is skyrocketing giants DETONATING on baits. All morning long we're screaming at each other over the radio.

Fernando's got a big fish on. Shrek literally tackles me every time I try to dive for the bait tank, because I just can't sit still for 2 hours while someone's fighting a fish while there's fish breaking everywhere around the boat. It's really, really, really hard not to throw a bait out there.

After a solid beating, Fernando brings his beast to color and when it hits the deck we know we've got a new season record, 292 pounds.

We struggle through a few photos. The guys were begging for mercy, after 10 solid hours of pandemonium. That pretty much sets the tone.

I really don't think it gets any better than this. It's hard to get any sleep at all at night. COW TOWN IS IN DEFCON 5

I'd like to thank some of the companies out there who are putting gear in our hands that is capable of handling this kind of madness: Pelagic Offshore Gear, Avet reels, Rogue rods, Pure fishing products, Owner hooks, Braid belts and harnesses, Barefoot Gaffs & Tackle, DAM products, Grady White boats, Yamaha 4-Stroke power, and most of all the men and women who are as dedicated to taking it to the next level as we are.

We are booked solid this month with only 2 Puerto Vallarta fishing days off, the 15th and 27th, and we might decide to go fishing anyway.

(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.