Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
October 2011
Day 1
My friend Mike and I fished with Danny Osuna on the Marla. People on this board are often asking for recommendations for captains and I always recommend Danny. He finds fish, fishes hard, and really tries to cater to what you want to do. If you want to hook all your own fish he won't hand any off to you, which is great. I get no satisfaction from hand offs. Some captains can't seem to help themselves no matter what you tell them.
We headed out to El Banco and found the tuna willing to bite. It was mostly schoolies in the 30-60lb class until I got a big bite on a caballito as I was letting the line out. I set the hook and could immediately tell it was a bigger fish as it screamed most of the line off the reel. As luck would have it, the fish had struck on the lightest rod and reel I brought down, an Accurate BX 600 Narrow. I was able to use a small belt but no harness since the reel couldn't be hooked up to one. After a gruelling 40 minute fight in the breezeless heat, I was able to get it in the boat. Danny estimated 220lbs; really nice fish. We ended up with 13 tuna for the day and a couple Dorado. We did two drifts for pargo and I ended up with a solid 40lber.
Day 2
Day 2 we headed back to El Banco and basically did the same thing. We ended up with 18 schoolie tuna with a slightly higher average size than before but I don't think the biggest went more than 70lbs. I managed to get some on poppers which was fun. I got another nice pargo in the 50lb class. My friend Mike hooked up a nice Black Marlin which he fought for an hour. We got some really good pics of it jumping. At one point it jumped not two feet from the boat and I was taking pics while backpeddling in case it landed in the boat. When we got it to the boat we tried reviving it for over 20 mins with every trick in the book but unfortunately it wasn't to be so we brought it on board. Before people start flaming me about killing marlin, please read the above. We tried everything we could. Sometimes they just don't make it. It was Mike's first marlin and he was stoked.
Day 3
Day 3 was a half day for us because Mike had to get to the airport. We went to Corbetania to try and get a pargo for Mike since he hadn't landed one yet. Those things are pretty tricky, especially at the Roca where there are so many jagged rocks. If you let them eat for too long they get in the rocks and break you off. If you set the hook too early you just pull the bait out of their mouths. Plus you have to fish right near the bottom to get bit most of the time and you can hang up on rocks there too. Mike got a few bites but unfortunately didn't get any in the boat. I managed to get 3 with the biggest going over 60lbs. I also got a decent size Jack. On the way back we stopped at a log and got a few Dorado. The Dorado are everywhere near shore under debris. You have a good shot at landing a boatload of them if you concentrate on them, even on a short trip.
Day 4
Day 4 was just me since Mike had gone home. I didn't want to get tired out by more schoolie tuna so I told Danny we should concentrate on marlin. He delivered and I was able to release a 300lber in good shape after a short fight. We still couldn't get away from the tuna, landing around 6 with a larger average size than before. I think the biggest one was around 90lbs. I also got a couple Dorado. If we were focusing on tuna we could have slayed them; I think Danny's brother Scott's boat got 26 or something like that. Many times you couldn't get more than one bait in the water before you got bit.
Day 5
I was pretty beat by this point and actually glad it was the last day. I told Danny were should just pull big skipjack to try for another marlin. Again he delivered and I was able to release one in the 375-400lb class after about a 25 min fight. I also managed to get a PB Dorado around 45lbs and a 100lb tuna. We hooked up a bigger marlin but unfortunately it threw the hook a few minutes into the fight. Oh well.
I would like to thank Danny for providing a great trip as always. I definitely recommend him to anyone who is thinking about going down there. I would also like to thank Hector from Margarita's for providing awesome food every night. I stayed at Hotel Quinta del Sol, which was economical and very comfortable.
October 2011
Day 1
My friend Mike and I fished with Danny Osuna on the Marla. People on this board are often asking for recommendations for captains and I always recommend Danny. He finds fish, fishes hard, and really tries to cater to what you want to do. If you want to hook all your own fish he won't hand any off to you, which is great. I get no satisfaction from hand offs. Some captains can't seem to help themselves no matter what you tell them.
We headed out to El Banco and found the tuna willing to bite. It was mostly schoolies in the 30-60lb class until I got a big bite on a caballito as I was letting the line out. I set the hook and could immediately tell it was a bigger fish as it screamed most of the line off the reel. As luck would have it, the fish had struck on the lightest rod and reel I brought down, an Accurate BX 600 Narrow. I was able to use a small belt but no harness since the reel couldn't be hooked up to one. After a gruelling 40 minute fight in the breezeless heat, I was able to get it in the boat. Danny estimated 220lbs; really nice fish. We ended up with 13 tuna for the day and a couple Dorado. We did two drifts for pargo and I ended up with a solid 40lber.
Day 2
Day 2 we headed back to El Banco and basically did the same thing. We ended up with 18 schoolie tuna with a slightly higher average size than before but I don't think the biggest went more than 70lbs. I managed to get some on poppers which was fun. I got another nice pargo in the 50lb class. My friend Mike hooked up a nice Black Marlin which he fought for an hour. We got some really good pics of it jumping. At one point it jumped not two feet from the boat and I was taking pics while backpeddling in case it landed in the boat. When we got it to the boat we tried reviving it for over 20 mins with every trick in the book but unfortunately it wasn't to be so we brought it on board. Before people start flaming me about killing marlin, please read the above. We tried everything we could. Sometimes they just don't make it. It was Mike's first marlin and he was stoked.
Day 3
Day 3 was a half day for us because Mike had to get to the airport. We went to Corbetania to try and get a pargo for Mike since he hadn't landed one yet. Those things are pretty tricky, especially at the Roca where there are so many jagged rocks. If you let them eat for too long they get in the rocks and break you off. If you set the hook too early you just pull the bait out of their mouths. Plus you have to fish right near the bottom to get bit most of the time and you can hang up on rocks there too. Mike got a few bites but unfortunately didn't get any in the boat. I managed to get 3 with the biggest going over 60lbs. I also got a decent size Jack. On the way back we stopped at a log and got a few Dorado. The Dorado are everywhere near shore under debris. You have a good shot at landing a boatload of them if you concentrate on them, even on a short trip.
Day 4
Day 4 was just me since Mike had gone home. I didn't want to get tired out by more schoolie tuna so I told Danny we should concentrate on marlin. He delivered and I was able to release a 300lber in good shape after a short fight. We still couldn't get away from the tuna, landing around 6 with a larger average size than before. I think the biggest one was around 90lbs. I also got a couple Dorado. If we were focusing on tuna we could have slayed them; I think Danny's brother Scott's boat got 26 or something like that. Many times you couldn't get more than one bait in the water before you got bit.
Day 5
I was pretty beat by this point and actually glad it was the last day. I told Danny were should just pull big skipjack to try for another marlin. Again he delivered and I was able to release one in the 375-400lb class after about a 25 min fight. I also managed to get a PB Dorado around 45lbs and a 100lb tuna. We hooked up a bigger marlin but unfortunately it threw the hook a few minutes into the fight. Oh well.
I would like to thank Danny for providing a great trip as always. I definitely recommend him to anyone who is thinking about going down there. I would also like to thank Hector from Margarita's for providing awesome food every night. I stayed at Hotel Quinta del Sol, which was economical and very comfortable.
