October Fishing in Puerto Vallarta: What’s Biting

October is one of the better months to fish Puerto Vallarta, and it is still quiet enough that you are not fighting spring-break traffic at the marina. Warm water is still on the grounds. Dorado are in their peak window. Marlin are on the offshore rocks. Sailfish are building. Yellowfin show on the longer runs when the bait is there.

Fishing Rebels runs private charters from 4 hours to multi-day trips, departing Marina Vallarta, Marina Los Peines, Los Muertos Pier, Nuevo Vallarta, Paradise Village, and La Cruz. Mexican fishing licenses, tournament tackle, live bait, water, ice, onboard ceviche, and catch cleaning are included. Keep the fish, release it, or donate it to local families.

**What is biting in October**

Dorado (mahi-mahi) are the fish that fill a cooler this month. They show up with the warm water and usually peak from September through January, hanging on weed lines, buoys, and floating debris. A lot of the October action is outside the Marietas, and some schools push into the bay, especially toward the south end near Los Arcos. They are the best eating fish of the trip, and the fight is short and acrobatic. Good for first-timers and families.

Blue and black marlin are an offshore shot, not a bay shot. The grounds that produce them are La Corbeteña (“The Rock”) and El Banco. Plan 8 to 10 hours for Corbeteña and 10 or more for El Banco. October is still inside the marlin window, before the winter pattern settles in. These are catch-and-release fish unless you have a reason to keep one.

Sailfish pick up through October and get stronger into November and December. They are the fastest fish in this fishery. Most crews release them. If billfish is the goal and you only have a day, say so when you book so the captain rigs for them instead of burning the morning on bay dorado.

Yellowfin tuna are the reason people book the long days and the overnights. Football-size tuna and bonito show closer in. The heavier fish are on the banks. October has a reputation for trophy yellowfin when the bait stacks up on Corbeteña and El Banco, but tuna are never a guarantee. If tuna is the only fish you care about, book the longer day or a multi-day, not a 4-hour inshore.

Inshore does not shut off. Roosterfish hold on the beaches and points, including the Ameca River mouth, Los Arcos, and the Bucerías shoreline. Snapper and grouper are on the rocks. Jacks, sierra, and bonito are a year-round backup when the offshore run is not worth the fuel. A 4-hour or 6-hour trip is the right call for roosters, kids, or a half day before a dinner reservation.

**How long a trip you need**

| Trip | Where it fishes | What you are really booking |

| --- | --- | --- |

| 4 hours | Inside Banderas Bay | Roosterfish, snapper, jacks, a shot at dorado if they are in the bay |

| 6 hours | Bay and the Marietas | Same fish, more water, better odds |

| 8–10 hours | Corbeteña | Dorado, sailfish, a real marlin and tuna shot |

| 10–14 hours | El Banco | The tuna and marlin day |

| Overnight to multi-day | The banks at dawn and dusk | The trip if tuna is the whole point |

Private charters start at $275 for one person on a 4-hour. Longer days and the tuna overnights are priced by boat and hours. Ask for the current rate when you message. Fuel on the long bank runs can change the number.

October is still the back half of the rainy season. Mornings are usually the fishable window. Afternoons can build clouds and a chop. Book the early departure. If the offshore forecast is ugly, a bay day still catches fish, and it is a better day than a miserable ride to the Rock. We will tell you when the bite is slow.

**How to book**

WhatsApp the English hotline at +52 322 188 2266, or email catching@fishingrebels.com. Tell us the date, how many people, which marina is closest to the hotel, and whether you want bay fish or a bank run. We will match the boat and the hours to that, not to a package name.

“Dorado caught on an October Puerto Vallarta fishing charter,” “Offshore fishing charter leaving Banderas Bay,” “Angler fighting a fish off Corbeteña.” Link the last paragraph to your contact page.