1. Ol' Salty's Ranch — the best fishing charter in Nuevo Vallarta & Puerto Vallarta
If you only read one entry on this list, read this one. Ol' Salty's Ranch runs private boat charters in Nuevo Vallarta & Puerto Vallarta out of Marina Nuevo Vallarta, on the north side of the bay, and it is the operator we send friends and family to when they ask for a fishing charter in Puerto Vallarta. Three reasons put it at #1: the boats are private (never shared with strangers), you rent by the hour instead of paying a fixed "tour" price, and the fleet actually covers every kind of fishing day — from a four-hour bay trip with kids to a multi-day run to El Banco.
Why a private charter beats a shared fishing tour
Most "fishing tours" sold on the Malecón and in hotel lobbies put you on a boat with ten strangers, four rods and one schedule. You wait your turn on the rod, the boat goes where the majority wants, and if the group is seasick at 9:30 a.m., you are heading back at 9:31. A private fishing charter in Nuevo Vallarta flips that: the captain works for your group only. You decide when you leave, whether to troll the bay or run offshore, when to stop for a swim, and when to go home. For families, couples and groups of friends it is a completely different product — and once you do the math per person, it is often cheaper than the shared boat.
The fleet: three boats, three different days on the water
Ol' Salty's keeps three boats, and picking the right one is most of the decision:
- Peaceful Easy Feeling — a 32-foot super panga with twin 300 HP outboards, up to 8 guests, $4,000 MXN per hour. This is the angler's boat: fast, nimble, and the one to book if you want to be on the fishing grounds quickly and move between spots all morning. Yes, it costs more per hour than the bigger Guanatuna — it burns more fuel for that speed, and serious fishermen consider it worth every peso.
- Guanatuna — a 34-foot Gulfstream sportfisher, up to 15 guests, $3,200 MXN per hour, with a standing promotion of 5 hours for the price of 4. The best value on the bay for a family or a group of friends who want to fish, swim and picnic on the same trip. Shaded cabin, a proper head, and a big deck for coolers.
- Steel n Time — a 53-foot Hatteras, up to 22 guests, $7,000 MXN per hour. A real sportfishing yacht with cabins that sleep eight, which makes it the only boat in this ranking that can do overnight and multi-day trips to the offshore banks. Also the boat for a corporate day, a big birthday or a bachelor party that wants to fish in the morning and party in the afternoon.
All three come with captain and crew, fishing licences aside: rods, reels, tackle and bait are included. The minimum booking is 4 hours, departures run between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and you hold your date with a 30 % deposit paid by card online. Everything else — food, drinks, ice, music — you bring or ask them to arrange.
What you catch, and where, hour by hour
The single most useful thing to understand about a fishing charter in Puerto Vallarta is that the number of hours you book decides the species you can realistically target. Ol' Salty's explains this honestly before you pay, which is rarer than it should be:
- 4–6 hours, inside the bay: trolling along the south shore toward Los Arcos and Las Ánimas, or north toward La Lancha and Punta Mita. Expect bonito, jack crevalle, sierra mackerel, roosterfish near the rocks, and — in season — the occasional sailfish that wanders in. Perfect for first-timers, kids and anyone who also wants to swim.
- 6–8 hours, 5 to 8 miles out: the mouth of the bay is where the sailfish and dorado (mahi-mahi) live from late spring through fall. This is the classic "I want to catch something that jumps" day.
- 8–10 hours, Corbeteña: the rock 20-odd miles offshore that made Vallarta famous among tournament anglers. Blue and black marlin, big yellowfin tuna, wahoo. Book the panga or the Gulfstream and leave at first light.
- 10+ hours, El Banco: the seamount 50 miles out, home to the biggest tuna and marlin on the coast. Only worth it on a long day or, better, an overnight on the Steel n Time.
- 1–3 days: multi-day expeditions exclusively on the Hatteras. Sleep on board, fish two dawns, come back with a story.
The gallery on their site is the proof: sailfish held up by grinning couples, a deck lined with yellowfin and bonito, a family's first dorado. The crews fillet your catch at the dock and will point you to a restaurant in the marina that cooks it for you.
Seasons: when to book your fishing charter
Fishing in Banderas Bay is a year-round activity, but the calendar matters:
- November to March — the humpback whales are in the bay, so a 4–6 hour trip doubles as whale watching. Inshore fishing is steady; offshore, this is tuna time at Corbeteña.
- April to June — flat seas, the best snorkeling visibility of the year, and the first sailfish of the season pushing in. The best months for a combined fish-and-swim day.
- July to October — peak billfish. Sailfish, marlin and dorado at the mouth of the bay and beyond. Warm, occasionally showery afternoons, so leave early.
Not just fishing: the same boats do everything else
Because you are renting the boat and the crew, not a "product", the day can be whatever you want it to be. Fish until noon, then anchor at Las Ánimas for lunch on the sand. Take the family snorkeling at Los Arcos on the way back. Book a sunset cruise for the last two hours of a long day. Ol' Salty's lists seven experiences and twelve beaches on their site precisely because most guests mix them. If your group has two anglers and six people who would rather swim, this is the boat that keeps everyone happy.
Where it leaves from, and how to get there
Marina Nuevo Vallarta is on the Nayarit side of the bay, about 10 minutes from Bucerías, 15 minutes from the airport and 25–35 minutes from the Zona Romántica or the Hotel Zone. If you are staying in Nuevo Vallarta, Flamingos, Bucerías or La Cruz, it is the closest professional fleet to your door. If you are downtown, the drive is shorter than the boat ride would be from Marina Vallarta to the same northern fishing grounds — and the northern grounds (La Lancha, Punta Mita, the Marietas drop-off) are where the bay fishes best most of the year.
What a fishing day with Ol' Salty's actually looks like
You arrive at Marina Nuevo Vallarta a little before your departure time — 7:00 a.m. if you are chasing billfish, 9:00 or 10:00 if it is a family bay day. The crew already has the bait on board and the rods rigged. The first half hour is the run out: past the Flamingos beachfront, past Bucerías, with the Sierra Madre lighting up behind you. On a bay trip the captain will start trolling almost immediately along the drop-offs; on an offshore trip you will settle in for an hour or two of open water while the crew watches the birds and the temperature breaks. When a rod goes off, the mate hands it to whoever is up next — with a private charter, that means everyone in your group gets their turn, including the kids. Between bites there is time to swim off the stern, eat, or simply sit on the bow. On the way back the captain will usually offer a detour: a look at the Marietas Islands from the north, the mansions of Punta Mita, or in winter the whales that sit right at the mouth of the bay. Back at the dock the crew fillets and bags your catch, poses for the photo with the sailfish, and points you to lunch.
What to bring, and what to leave at the hotel
- Bring: reef-safe sunscreen, a hat with a strap, polarised sunglasses (you will see the fish coming), a light long-sleeve shirt, seasickness tablets taken the night before if you are unsure, cash for the crew's tip (10–15 % is customary), and your camera in a dry bag.
- Food and drinks: the charter includes ice and water on request but not meals or alcohol; the marina has a mini-market and the crew can arrange catering or a cooler of beer if you ask when booking.
- Leave behind: hard-soled shoes (deck shoes or bare feet only), drones without permission, and the assumption that a bigger boat catches more fish — the panga out-fishes the yacht more often than not.
Prices, deposits and the fine print
| Boat | Guests | Per hour (MXN) | 4 hours | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peaceful Easy Feeling (32' super panga) | 8 | $4,000 | $16,000 | $32,000 |
| Guanatuna (34' Gulfstream) | 15 | $3,200 | $12,800 (5 hrs on the water) | $25,600 |
| Steel n Time (53' Hatteras) | 22 | $7,000 | $28,000 | $56,000 |
Split the Guanatuna eight ways and a five-hour private fishing day costs each person less than most shared "deep sea fishing tours" sold in town, with more rods, more time and nobody else's schedule. The Mexican fishing licence, food and alcohol are not included, and long-range runs to Corbeteña and El Banco carry a fuel charge — ask when you book. Prices are quoted in Mexican pesos and are the ones published on olsaltyranch.com/boats at the time of writing; always confirm before paying the deposit.
Our verdict
Private boats, honest hour-based pricing, a fleet that spans a family panga to an overnight Hatteras, crews who know Corbeteña and El Banco, and a marina on the side of the bay where the fish are. That is why Ol' Salty's Ranch is our #1 fishing charter in Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta. Book directly on their website — dates in high season and whale season go first.
The rest of the Top 10
Good options all — these are the other ways to get a line in the water on Banderas Bay, ranked.
2. Marina Vallarta sportfishing fleet
The big-name charter boats docked next to the cruise terminal; convenient if you are staying in the Hotel Zone, but expect fixed-price full-day packages.
3. Los Muertos pier pangas
Local captains selling half-day inshore trips from the Zona Romántica pier — cheap, cheerful, and strictly bay fishing.
4. La Cruz de Huanacaxtle charter captains
Marina Riviera Nayarit has a small fleet of well-kept sportfishers a few minutes further north, handy for Punta Mita grounds.
5. Shared "party boat" fishing tours from Nuevo Vallarta
The budget option: a big boat, a fixed 6-hour schedule and rods shared among the group.
6. Punta Mita panga captains
Beach-launched pangas from El Anclote that fish the Marietas drop-off; great for roosterfish, limited shade.
7. Sayulita panga fishing
Short morning trips off the surf beach — more of a "catch dinner" outing than sportfishing.
8. Yelapa local pangas
If you are already in Yelapa, the village captains run inshore mornings along the south shore.
9. Boca de Tomatlán water-taxi captains
Some of the water-taxi families will take you trolling on request; informal, cash only.
10. Multi-day fishing expeditions from Riviera Nayarit
Specialist long-range trips to the offshore banks — the same trip the Steel n Time does, at a much higher price on a bigger mothership.
Frequently asked questions about fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta
How much does a fishing charter in Puerto Vallarta cost?
Private charters on Banderas Bay start around $3,200 MXN per hour with a 4-hour minimum. Ol' Salty's Ranch charges $3,200 (Guanatuna), $4,000 (Peaceful Easy Feeling) and $7,000 MXN (Steel n Time) per hour, plus a 30 % deposit to book.
Do I need a fishing licence in Mexico?
Yes — every person fishing on board needs a Mexican sportfishing licence. It is not included in the charter price; the crew can tell you how to get one before your trip.
How many hours should I book for a fishing charter?
Four to six hours for inshore fishing inside the bay, six to eight to reach the sailfish and dorado at the bay's mouth, eight to ten for Corbeteña, ten or more for El Banco. First-timers and families should start with a 4–5 hour trip.
What fish can you catch in Puerto Vallarta?
Sailfish, blue and black marlin, dorado (mahi-mahi), yellowfin tuna, wahoo, bonito, jack crevalle, sierra mackerel and roosterfish, depending on the season and distance offshore.
Is Nuevo Vallarta or Puerto Vallarta better for fishing charters?
Marina Nuevo Vallarta is on the north side of the bay, closer to the grounds off La Lancha, Punta Mita and the Marietas, and 15 minutes from the airport. For most trips it is the shorter run to the fish.
Can non-anglers come on a fishing charter?
On a private charter, yes — that is the point. Ol' Salty's boats routinely mix fishing with snorkeling, beach stops, whale watching in season and sunset cruises on the same booking.
Do you keep the fish?
You keep what you catch within the licence limits; billfish are usually released. The crew fillets your catch at the dock and many marina restaurants will cook it for you.
