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FISHING CALENDAR · MEXICO – PACIFIC MAINLAND (MAZATLÁN, PUERTO VALLARTA, MANZANILLO, IXTAPA)
Mexico – Pacific mainland (Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa) Fishing Calendar
Sailfish and striped marlin are best in the cooler months, November to March. Blue and black marlin, dorado, wahoo and big tuna come with warm summer and fall water. By Mexican law (NOM-017-PESC-1994), billfish, dorado, roosterfish and tarpon within 50 nautical miles of shore are kept for sport fishing only. The limit is 10 fish per angler per day, including only 1 billfish and 2 dorado, roosterfish or tarpon. Fishing from a boat needs a permit, and any extra fish go back alive.
Government fish & wildlife updates
- CONAPESCA – Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca — Mexico's fisheries agency: sport-fishing permits and rules
Month by month
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore | |||||||||||||
| Pacific sailfish (pez vela) | Puerto Vallarta: November–May; Manzanillo: November–March (international sailfish tournament in late November); Ixtapa: big numbers November–January; Mazatlán fleets: November–April. Peak shown is the months all agree on. Limit 1 billfish per angler per day.[1][2][3][4][5][6] | ||||||||||||
| Striped marlin (marlín rayado) | Mazatlán fleets: Bibi Fleet says November–March; Star Fleet and others say November–May.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Blue marlin (marlín azul) | Ixtapa captain Ed Kunze's favourite stretch is early May to mid-June, with fall (November) also good. Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta sources say summer and fall; Mazatlán boats were still catching blues at Christmas 2012.[5][1][2][8] | ||||||||||||
| Black marlin (marlín negro) | Same pattern as blue marlin off Ixtapa (early May to mid-June, also fall); Puerto Vallarta sources say marlin heat up in summer and fall.[5][2] | ||||||||||||
| Swordfish (pez espada) | Mazatlán's Aries Fleet says swordfish high season is November–April.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Dorado (mahi-mahi) | Mazatlán fleets differ (Star Fleet June–September, Bibi Fleet April–December, Pepe's Fleet November–May); Ixtapa's best is the rainy months of August–September. Limit 2 per angler per day.[1][5] | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin tuna (atún aleta amarilla) | Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta sources say tuna are best in summer and fall; off Ixtapa the big 200–350 lb fish follow the marlin, and small tuna are around all year. No exact peak months given.[1][2][5] | ||||||||||||
| Wahoo (peto) | Mazatlán: June–September, together with dorado. Off Ixtapa wahoo are mostly a by-catch when blue water comes close.[1][5] | ||||||||||||
| Inshore & reef | |||||||||||||
| Roosterfish (pez gallo) | Ixtapa captain Ed Kunze: best May–December, slowest March–April. Mazatlán sources say roosterfish are on the coast all year. Limit 2 per angler per day.[5][1][6] | ||||||||||||
| Pacific sierra (sierra) | Listed as a coastal species off Mazatlán, but no source gave months.[1] | ||||||||||||
Never keep: Whale shark, basking shark, white shark, sawfish and giant manta may not be caught; any taken by accident must go back to the sea (NOM-029-PESC-2006).[7]
Bait & rig for each fish
Pacific sailfish (pez vela)
Bait: Live goggle-eyes, pilchards, threadfin herring and ballyhoo.
Lures: Small trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Striped marlin (marlín rayado)
Bait: Live mackerel and caballito (green jack), and live or rigged ballyhoo.
Lures: Small to medium marlin lures (6–10 in) trolled at 7–9 knots.
Leader: 80–150 lb mono, 15 ft.
Blue marlin (marlín azul)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo, mackerel and live tunas.
Lures: Large skirted trolling lures.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Black marlin (marlín negro)
Bait: Live skipjack, bonito and small yellowfin tuna.
Lures: Big marlin lures (10–14 in) on 80-lb gear.
Leader: 80–150 lb mono, 15 ft.
Swordfish (pez espada)
Bait: Common starting baits are ballyhoo, sardines, flying fish, squid strips or other locally abundant forage matched to size.
Lures: Trolling heads, feathers, plugs, spoons and metal jigs are common; match lure size and color to local forage.
Rig: Specialized deep-drop bait rig with breakaway/controlled weight and lights where lawful.
Leader: Heavy abrasion-resistant leader, often 150–300 lb class in specialized swordfish systems.
Dorado (mahi-mahi)
Bait: Ballyhoo, flying fish, squid and cut bait to keep a school near the boat.
Lures: Skirted trolling lures, small feathers and bucktail jigs.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 30–60 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common mahi start; increase for abrasion or mixed wahoo water.
Yellowfin tuna (atún aleta amarilla)
Bait: Live baits (blue runners, bonito) and chunks.
Lures: Spreader bars, skirted lures, poppers and stick baits.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Wahoo (peto)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and live baits on wire.
Lures: High-speed trolling lures and lipped diving plugs on wire.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: Use heavy abrasion/bite leader; many wahoo anglers add short wire or cable because of the teeth.
Roosterfish (pez gallo)
Bait: Live sardines, mullet, ladyfish and small jacks (caballito).
Lures: Big poppers and stickbaits, and long-casting metal lures from the beach.
Leader: 30–60 lb fluorocarbon.
Local fishing reports — what’s biting now
- Sportfishing Report – Mexico reports — Weekly fleet reports, including Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
Sources
- Westgate Resorts – Mejores excursiones de pesca en Mazatlán (fleet seasons)
- Bait Your Hook – Fishing in Puerto Vallarta
- Manzanillo Sun – Let's Go Fishing (2016)
- Amura – Manzanillo, the Sailfish Capital of the World
- Zihuatanejo.net – Ed Kunze (Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo charter captain) on the fishing seasons
- NOM-017-PESC-1994 – sport fishing rules (text)
- NOM-029-PESC-2006 – sharks and rays (summary)
- Sportfishing Report – Mazatlán, blue marlin still biting at Christmas (Dec 2012)
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.