You do not need to know a sailfish from a snapper to have a great first day on a sportfishing boat in Puerto Vallarta — the crew does that part. What you need to know is how to choose the trip, what it costs, what to bring and what will happen at 6:30 in the morning when you arrive at the dock in the dark. This is the beginner's guide to fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta, written for the person booking one for the first time, with boats and rates taken from the owner-direct listings on BYRBO's Puerto Vallarta charter pages.

First, the One Decision: Inshore or Offshore

Every fishing trip here is one of two things, and for a first-timer the choice is usually easy.

Inshore (4–6 hours) means fishing the rocks and reefs inside and just outside the bay — Los Arcos, the Punta Mita points, the Marietas — for roosterfish, jacks, snapper and bonito. Frequent bites, lighter tackle, calm water, back for lunch. This is the trip for children, for anyone unsure about seasickness, and for anyone who mostly wants a fish for dinner and a good morning on the water.

Offshore (6–12 hours) means running 20 to 35 miles out to the 100-fathom curve, El Bajo and Corbeteña for sailfish, marlin, tuna and dorado. Fewer bites, bigger fish, open Pacific swell, a long day. This is the trip for the billfish photograph and for anyone who has been fishing before and wants the real thing.

If you are hesitating, book inshore. A four-hour morning with a rooster on light tackle is a better first experience than nine hours of blue water waiting for one bite.

What It Costs, in Plain Numbers

Because the listings are owner-direct, the rate you see is the owner's. In low season:

  • Small inshore boats (25–28 ft, four anglers): about USD 930–1,320 a day — the 25 ft Luhrs and 28 ft Uniflite in Marina Vallarta.
  • Mid-size express boats (35–38 ft, six to ten guests): about USD 1,350–1,665 — the 35 ft Cabo in Nuevo Vallarta, the 38 ft Luhrs in Marina Vallarta.
  • By the hour: the 38 ft Bertram "Nicolle" at Marina Los Peines from about USD 200 an hour, mixing fishing with a bay tour.
  • Big sportfishers (50–64 ft): about USD 1,545 (the 54 ft Hatteras) to USD 2,500 per four hours (the 64 ft Mikelson), with the tournament-grade 52 ft Davis at USD 6,500.

Add 20–35 percent from December to April. Included: captain, crew, tackle, bait, ice, water and fuel for the standard grounds. Not included: fishing licences (one per angler, arranged by the boat for a small fee), lunch and drinks, premium fuel for a long run, and the crew tip of 10–15 percent in cash.

The bow of the 38 ft Bertram Nicolle sportfishing boat heading out of Marina Los Peines
Photo: BYRBO.

The Boat That Makes a First Trip Easy

For a family or a mixed group where only some people want to fish, one listing solves the whole problem: the 60 ft Mikelson sportfishing yacht in Marina Vallarta. It has the fishing side covered — quality tackle, outriggers, a dedicated fishing guide alongside the bilingual captain and crew — and it has everything the non-anglers need: three staterooms to nap in, three full heads and a half, two outdoor dining areas, a galley and grill, air conditioning, kayaks, paddleboards, snorkel gear and a 14 ft dinghy to run people to a beach. The owner sells it as a four-hour sunset trip, a six- or eight-hour beach-and-watersports day, or a full offshore fishing adventure, from about USD 1,765 a day. For a first-timer who is not sure the whole family will love fishing, it removes the risk.

What Happens on the Day, Step by Step

  1. The night before: eat lightly, take a motion-sickness tablet if you are in any doubt, set the alarm. Offshore boats leave at 6:30; inshore at 7:30.
  2. At the dock: the captain meets you, the mate has bait aboard, you get a two-minute safety briefing and a look at the head and the cabin.
  3. Leaving: past the Malecón as the sun comes over the mountains. On an offshore trip the captain may troll inside the bay for the first hour; sailfish are often close.
  4. Fishing: the mate sets the lines and works them. You do not have to do anything until a fish hits, at which point the mate hands you the rod, puts you in the chair or the harness, and talks you through it. Reel when he says reel; rest when he says rest.
  5. The catch: billfish are photographed and released; tuna, dorado and inshore fish go in the box.
  6. Coming home: back by noon inshore, by three or four offshore. The crew cleans your fish at the dock, and the marina restaurants will cook it for dinner.

What to Bring

Polarized sunglasses (you will see fish you would otherwise miss), a long-sleeved sun shirt and a hat, reef-safe sunscreen, non-slip shoes, a light layer for the early run, your own snacks and drinks unless the listing includes them, motion-sickness tablets, a dry bag for your phone and cash for the crew. Do not bring your own tackle; it is aboard and it is better than what you would buy.

The 35 ft Cabo express sportfisher running out of Nuevo Vallarta toward the fishing grounds
Photo: BYRBO.

When to Go: A Beginner's Calendar

You cannot pick a bad month, but you can pick the wrong fish for the month you are coming. November to March is sailfish and striped marlin season and the reason most first-timers go offshore in winter; it is also whale season from December 8 to March 23, so the run out is often interrupted by humpbacks, which for a beginner may be the highlight. May to November brings yellowfin tuna and dorado — the best-eating fish in the bay and the ones to target if dinner is the goal — and July to November adds blue and black marlin for the ambitious. Inshore roosterfish and snapper are there every month. Prices are lowest in May, June, September and October and 20–35 percent higher from December to April. If you are choosing the date around the fishing, come in late February or March for the best mix; if the date is fixed, just tell the owner of the Puerto Vallarta fishing charter when you are coming and let him say what is biting.

Choosing Your Dock

For offshore fishing the dock does not matter — Corbeteña is west of all of them. For inshore it does: Marina Vallarta and Los Peines boats are next to Los Arcos and the south-shore reefs; boats at La Cruz and Punta Mita sit on the north-shore points, the bay's best roosterfish water. Book from the dock nearest your bed and let the captain pick the grounds.

Beginner Mistakes Worth Avoiding

  • Booking offshore for a child's first trip. Nine hours is too long. Inshore, four hours.
  • Skipping the seasickness tablet because the bay looks calm. The bay is calm; the edge is not.
  • Expecting to fish yourself from minute one. The crew sets and works the lines; your job is the fight. Ask if you want to learn to rig — most mates are happy to show you.
  • Wanting to keep a sailfish. They are released, and you will be glad of it.
  • Forgetting cash. The tip is 10–15 percent and it is not on a card.
  • Booking a boat with no shade for a mixed group. If half the group is not fishing, they need somewhere to sit — which is the case for the Mikelson or the 54 ft Hatteras over a 25-footer; compare them on the Puerto Vallarta yacht listings.

Five Words You Will Hear on the Boat

Outriggers — the long poles that hold lines wide of the boat so the spread does not tangle. Teaser — a hookless lure dragged close to the boat to draw a billfish in; when one "lights up" behind it the mate switches it for a bait. Spread — the pattern of five or six lines the boat trolls. The chair — the fighting chair in the cockpit; on smaller boats you use a belt harness instead. Release — what happens to every sailfish and marlin: a photo at the boat, the hook out, and the fish swims off. Knowing these five makes the mate's instructions make sense on the first fish rather than the third.

If Fishing Turns Out Not to Be Your Thing

No harm done. The same owners list the bay's cruising boats — the Puerto Vallarta yacht charters, the catamaran charters in Puerto Vallarta and the wider private boat rentals in Puerto Vallarta — so a second day at Los Arcos and Las Ánimas without a rod is a message away. Spanish speakers can use the renta de yates en Puerto Vallarta pages. We also have a longer piece on fishing in Puerto Vallarta for first-timers that covers hourly boats out of Nuevo Vallarta, and a practical guide to boat tours and yacht rentals for the non-fishing days.

The Short Version

For a first fishing charter in Puerto Vallarta: book inshore unless you have fished before and want the billfish; take the seasickness tablet regardless; let the crew handle the tackle and enjoy the fight; release the sailfish, keep the dorado; and bring cash for the tip. If your group is mixed, the Mikelson 60 removes the risk of half of them being bored. If your group is all anglers, a 35–38 ft express is the honest offshore boat and a 25-footer is the honest inshore one. Prices start at about USD 930 a day owner-direct and the person who quotes you is usually the captain. The bay fishes twelve months a year; you cannot choose a bad one, only a different fish.

Sources for this article. The prices, hours and details quoted above come directly from these BYRBO pages:

FAQ

Is a fishing charter in Puerto Vallarta good for beginners?

Very. Crews handle the tackle, bait and lines; you fight the fish. Start inshore, four hours.

How much does a first fishing charter cost?

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

Will I be seasick?

Inshore, unlikely. Offshore, possibly; a bigger boat from the Puerto Vallarta boat rentals list rides better; take a tablet the night before and at the dock, and stay on deck.

What will I catch?

Inshore: roosterfish, jacks, snapper, bonito. Offshore: sailfish and marlin (peak November–March), tuna and dorado (May–November).

Can children come?

Yes, on inshore trips or on a boat with shade and space such as the Mikelson 60. Life jackets are aboard.

Do I need a licence?

Yes, one per angler; the boat arranges it.

Can we keep the fish?

Tuna, dorado and inshore fish, yes; billfish are released.

How early does it start?

Offshore about 6:30 a.m., inshore about 7:30.

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