Fishing Charters in Puerto Vallarta: Seasons, Boats, Prices and the 60 ft Mikelson

Puerto Vallarta is the most consistent sportfishing port on the Mexican Pacific for one reason that has nothing to do with luck: the bottom drops away fast. Twenty miles out, the 100-fathom curve bends in toward the bay past two underwater mountains, El Bajo and Corbeteña, and the marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado that ride the current stack up on them all year. This guide explains how fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta actually work — the seasons, the two kinds of trip, the boats and what they cost, and how the owner-direct listings on BYRBO's Puerto Vallarta charter pages let you compare a 25 ft panga with a 64 ft sportfisher on the same terms.

What You Can Catch, and When

The bay fishes twelve months a year but not the same fish. The rule of thumb the local captains use:

• Striped marlin and sailfish: present year-round, peak November to March. Sailfish are the bay's signature billfish and the one most first-timers release.
• Blue and black marlin: the warm months, roughly July to November, out at Corbeteña and El Bajo.
• Yellowfin tuna and dorado (mahi-mahi): May to November, with dorado thickest at the end of the rainy season.
• Roosterfish, jack crevalle, snapper and grouper: inshore, on the rocks and reefs, all year.

The whale window (December 8 – March 23) overlaps the billfish peak, so a winter offshore day routinely includes humpbacks on the way out.

Inshore or Offshore: The Only Decision That Really Matters

Every sportfishing charter in Puerto Vallarta is one of two trips, and the hours you book decide which one you get.

Inshore (4–6 hours)

You stay inside or just outside the bay, working the rocks at Los Arcos, the points around Punta Mita and the Marietas, and the reefs off the south shore for roosterfish, jacks, snapper and bonito. It is a lighter-tackle, faster-action day, ideal for kids, for a first trip, or for anyone who wants to fish in the morning and be back for lunch. A 25 or 28 ft boat is plenty: the 25 ft Luhrs out of Marina Vallarta lists from about USD 930 a day for four anglers, the 28 ft Uniflite from about USD 1,320.

Offshore (6–12 hours)

You leave at first light and run 20 to 35 miles to the 100-fathom curve, El Bajo or Corbeteña for billfish, tuna and dorado. It is a long day, it needs a boat that can handle open Pacific swell, and it is where the big fish are. This is the trip that the 38 ft Luhrs (from about USD 1,665), the 54 ft Hatteras in Nuevo Vallarta (about USD 1,545), the 52 ft Davis (USD 6,500) and the two Mikelsons are built for.

The Boat We Keep Coming Back To: The 60 ft Mikelson

If one listing sums up why Puerto Vallarta sportfishing is unusual, it is the 60 ft Mikelson sportfishing yacht in Marina Vallarta. Mikelsons are Californian long-range boats designed to fish hard and live aboard comfortably, and this one is set up for both. The fishing side: top-of-the-line tackle, outriggers and a dedicated fishing guide on top of the bilingual captain and crew. The cruising side: two outdoor dining areas, three staterooms, three full heads and a half, a full galley and an outdoor grill, zoned air conditioning, and a water-toy locker with kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and snorkel gear for up to eight, plus a 14 ft dinghy with a 50 hp motor for beach landings.

The owner sells it three ways — a four-hour sunset run, a six- or eight-hour day of watersports and beaches, or the full offshore fishing adventure — from about USD 1,765 a day. For a group where four people want to troll for sailfish and six want to snorkel at Los Arcos, it is the one boat on the bay that does both properly on the same charter.

The Rest of the Sportfishing Fleet

Browse the Puerto Vallarta sportfishing charters and a spread of boats appears that covers every budget:

• 25 ft Luhrs, Marina Vallarta — four guests, one cabin, from about USD 930/day. The honest inshore panga-plus.
• 28 ft Uniflite, Marina Vallarta — four guests, from about USD 1,320/day.
• 35 ft Cabo "Feel the Strike", Nuevo Vallarta — ten guests, two cabins, from about USD 1,349/day. A proper Cabo express, fast to the grounds.
• 38 ft Luhrs (2007), Marina Vallarta — six guests, from about USD 1,665/day.
• 38 ft Bertram "Nicolle", Marina Los Peines — eight guests, fishing and private bay tours, from about USD 200 per hour.
• 54 ft Hatteras "Sportfishing at Its Best", Nuevo Vallarta — 15 guests, from about USD 1,545/day.
• 52 ft Davis (2010), Marina Vallarta — six guests, three staterooms, from about USD 6,500/day. The tournament boat.
• 64 ft Mikelson, Marina Vallarta — ten guests, from about USD 2,500 per four hours.

Every one of them is owner-listed with real specs and the real rate. If your group would rather cruise than fish, the same marketplace holds the Puerto Vallarta yacht charters and catamaran charters in Puerto Vallarta, so a split group can compare both in one place.

Matching the Boat to Your Group

A useful way to shortlist: count the anglers, not the passengers. Two or three serious anglers on a budget inshore day want the 25 ft Luhrs or the 28 ft Uniflite — small, quick to the rocks, and priced accordingly. Four to six anglers who want to run offshore properly want a 35–38 ft express like the Cabo 35 or the Luhrs 38, both of which have a cabin and a head for the long day. A mixed group — some fishing, some sunbathing, a couple of children — needs deck space and shade more than it needs a tower, which is why the 60 ft Mikelson fishing yacht and the 54 ft Hatteras are so often the answer. Anyone chasing a tournament-grade experience, with a full-time mate working a professional spread, is looking at the Davis 52. And if the fishing is a two-hour add-on to a day that is really about the beach, one of the private boat rentals in Puerto Vallarta with a couple of hand lines aboard is enough.

What a Fishing Charter in Puerto Vallarta Costs

The owner-direct bands: inshore boats under 30 ft from about USD 900–1,400 a day; 35–40 ft offshore boats about USD 1,300–1,700; 50–60 ft sportfishing yachts about USD 1,500–2,600 for a standard day, with the tournament-grade Davis at USD 6,500. Add 20–35 percent in the December–April high season. Rates normally include captain, crew, fuel for the standard grounds, tackle, bait, ice and water; fishing licences are cheap and usually arranged by the boat; lunch and drinks are yours unless the listing says otherwise; and the 10–15 percent crew tip is customary. Premium fuel for a long run to Corbeteña is the one extra to ask about in advance.

Where the Boats Leave From

Most fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta launch from Marina Vallarta, Marina Nuevo Vallarta or Marina La Cruz, and a couple from the small Los Peines dock beside the cruise terminal. For the offshore grounds it makes little difference — Corbeteña is west of all of them. For inshore fishing, La Cruz and Punta Mita boats are closer to the rocky north shore and the Marietas; La Cruz yacht charters and Punta Mita yacht charters include boats that fish those points, while Marina Vallarta boats are closer to Los Arcos and the south shore.

How the Day Runs

An offshore day starts at the dock at 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. — the bite is best early and the run is long. The crew has bait aboard already. You clear the marina, pass the Malecón in the first light, and the captain either sets lines inside the bay for an hour (there are often sailfish surprisingly close in) or runs straight out. Lines go in around the 100-fathom curve; the mate works the spread, and when a fish hits you are in the chair within seconds. Lunch is whatever you brought, eaten between bites. You are back at the dock by 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. with the fish being cleaned on the transom, and a good number of Vallarta restaurants will cook your catch that night if you ask.

An inshore half-day is gentler: 7:30 start, lines in within twenty minutes, back for a late lunch. On either trip, tell the captain at the dock what matters most to you — a first sailfish, a dorado for dinner, or simply not being seasick — and he will set the day up around it. The owner-direct model helps here too: the person you messaged to book a sportfishing charter in Puerto Vallarta is very often the person at the wheel.

Catch and Release, Licences and Etiquette

Billfish are released on nearly every serious Puerto Vallarta charter boat in the bay and the captains will ask you to. Tuna, dorado and snapper are kept and shared. Mexico requires a fishing licence per angler; the boat usually arranges it. Bring polarized sunglasses, a long-sleeved sun shirt, motion-sickness tablets if you are in any doubt (take them the night before and again at the dock), and cash for the crew.

Read Next

We have a longer piece on the whole bay's boating options in our Puerto Vallarta yacht charters guide, and our fishing in Puerto Vallarta note looks at hourly-priced boats out of Nuevo Vallarta. Spanish-speaking readers can browse the same fleet at the renta de yates en Puerto Vallarta listings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best month for fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta?

November to March for sailfish and striped marlin; May to November for tuna and dorado; July to November for blue and black marlin. There is no bad month, only different fish.

How far out do you go?

Inshore trips stay within a few miles of the coast. Offshore trips run 20–35 miles to the 100-fathom curve, El Bajo and Corbeteña.

How much does a fishing charter cost?

Owner-direct fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta run from about USD 930 a day for a 25 ft inshore boat to about USD 1,500–2,600 for a 50–60 ft sportfisher, owner-direct, plus 20–35 percent in high season. The 60 ft Mikelson lists from about USD 1,765.

Can non-anglers come along?

Yes, and on the Mikelson they can snorkel, paddleboard or take the dinghy to a beach while the anglers fish.

Is the gear included?

Tackle, bait and a guide or mate are included on the sportfishing boats. Bring your own only if you are particular.

Do I need a licence?

Yes, one per angler; the boat normally arranges it for a small fee.

Can I keep the fish?

Tuna, dorado and inshore species, yes. Billfish are released.

What if the weather is bad?

Captains call it, and owner-direct listings state their rescheduling policy. September and October are the only months with a real storm risk.