What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco for the first time?

Make sure you book a trip that’s at least 6 hours long. 4 is fine if you only want maybe a few smaller style fish within the bay, which is fine and fun, especially for a first experience, but to get a real rush from cat hi my Marlin or mahi, you need a lot more time. It’s so fun it snaps right by!

I was told by the deckhand for the best chance at larger species like Mahi, Tuna, Marlin, etc. to book a longer 10 -12 hour trip. 6 hour trips only go 18-20 miles out and the longer trips go 40 miles plus. Was also told that November and December are the best months at larger species around the Bay for shorter trips. I mention this as something to consider if booking, just depends how long you want to fish and dedication to fishing as it relates to the rest of your party. My friend and I only booked the 6 hour because our wives came along and fishing was not their primary focus of this vacation. One item to note: bring cash with you to pay for the balance of the charter in the morning, our friends thought they would be able to use a card to pay and ended up having to go to an ATM to get cash which cut into our primetime early morning fishing. Also, bring food or snacks if your group needs breakfast, the boat will stop at a dockside restaurant if you want it to and our group had some breakfast burritos delivered to the boat. We thought there would be stores and restaurants open by the marina that we could stop at before getting on the boat. I'm not sure what time these businesses open but at 6:30 AM and even after 7:00 AM marina was still a ghost town with nothing open.

If you're trying to go after sail fish, mahi mahi, etc. look at booking a full day trip. The half-day trip was only around the bay and we didn't have too much of a chance to get to open water to chase large trophy fish. Boat is fairly large but only has 2 90 hp outboards so it takes a while to get places.

The fishing was a little slow at times, but the Spanish Mackerel were biting big in the morning. Afternoon slowed down a bit. Were not able to link up any Mahi or Marlin, but did grab a Rooster to end the day!

Fishing, is just that, fishing. You never know if you're going to catch anything from day-to-day. One day you could go out and catch everything you hoped, wished, and desired. The next day, you may not catch anything. This was our 1st experience fishing in Puerto Vallarta. I don't know if it is the best month for fishing, however, we were told that because the water temperature was warming that it could be a good time for some of those deeper water fish. That was not our experience, however.

Check recent fishing reports because the seasons are no longer predictable. Maximize your chances by co-inciding your trip with peak season / times. Establishh realistic expectations in advance of the trip. Do a longer trip if possible to get out of the Bay - bigger fish out towards Marietas. Bring your own tackle / gear if possible - the jig I brought out fished the ones used by the crew by 3x

Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful place, the sea was calm the day we fish but the fishing was slow, We book a 6 hour inshore bay fishing and we caught 4 small skipjack. I don't know if it was just an off-day or the bay is over fish, but nevertheless I guess it's better than getting skunk. If you're gonna fish at PVR I would recommend to book the highest rated guide or maybe go fish out of the bay.

Pick the right boat. Someone who will work hard to got you to the fish. We've had other experiences where it seemed the captain didn't care if we caught anything and didn't want to waste any gas. And sunscreen, do not underestimate the need for sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.

November and December is Marlin n Tuna Time. It takes at least 4 hours to get out of the Bay into Deep enough water to catch a Marlin or Mahi Mahi. Make sure you book at least 12 hours if you want anything bigger than a Bonita

Don't expect to catch a lot in February, but being on a boat with a line in the water and a wish still makes your day.

Would've liked to catch a sailfish or larger but our captain informed us that they easier to catch starting in August

The sunrise and views of the mountains are awesome. Saw whales and dolphins

If you’re targeting big game, understand this is fishing and there can never be guarantees.

Check and see when the fish you want are running .I caught a lot of Bonita so still worth the trip

Know there is no guarantee you will catch fish. It's called "fishing" not "catching." Go fishing and ready to enjoy the nature of Banderas Bay and if you catch that will be an awesome bonus!

It has so easy access and easily found using google maps/ waze. People are friendly and heppy to help!

Don’t expect too much, sometimes you are lucky and sometime your not. This is rainy season and fishing is more difficult, but if you happen to get the right crew you will be successful.

Go for at least 6 hrs after January 1st In November 4 hrs in the bay would be fine.

Do your homework on a good boat and crew to go out with. It makes all the difference.

Check the moon phases to make sure you are going during a time great for fishing. We had a full moon that day. Rookie mistake on our end.

Kind of hard to base a review on a singular poor fishing experience, but based on 5 hours of night fishing, no. Try an early morning trip that gets farther out in the ocean.

While you may not catch exactly what you're looking for, the Capt. worked hard at making sure we did catch fish.

Last year I fished the bay and got skunked. It is definitely worth the extra time and money to fish the blue water.

Do your homework, leave a nice tip and have a great time. Many local restaurants will cook your catch too!

Pangas are great for 2 on in-shore, close-in fishing. If you're after bigger game fish, charter a bigger, faster (yes more expensive) boat.

If you're planning on fishing around the Marietas area, they're closed on Monday from any type of tourism.

Not sure about any of the other charters I've only used little by little chater and was the best fishing experience I have had fishing abroad.

Call your captain and talk with them to make sure you explain your situation and they can cater your trip to what you want.

Divide the cost with a larger group so you can fish with a well known fishing company. We went on our own, payed less, but weren't as satisfied.

Look up the reviews before booking and make sure the crew honor their time on the water and is making a legitimate effort on putting you on the bite