The marlin tournament is coming back to Puerto Vallarta

There is a particular hour at the marina when the boats begin coming home and everyone suddenly has somewhere to be. For three days in November, that hour belongs to Puerto Vallarta’s marlin tournament. The 70th edition is a good reason to come for the fishing and stay for everything around it.

Put the right dates in your calendar

The Club de Pesca Puerto Vallarta’s official program runs November 11–14, 2026. Registration is Wednesday, November 11, from 5 to 10 p.m. Fishing opens Thursday morning and continues Friday and Saturday. The weigh-ins are scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m. each fishing day on the Marina Vallarta boardwalk, with Saturday’s awards ceremony at 7 p.m. The tournament’s center of gravity is the marina, so that is where I would leave time to wander after a day on the water.

There are really two ways to enjoy this week. You can enter with a properly prepared team, or you can come to feel the energy of the event, watch the boats return and make your own private trip on another day. Both deserve a little planning. A tournament start is early; a comfortable charter day should be built around your group and the sea, not squeezed between flights.

If you want to compete

Tell us that up front. The club’s published rules call for a registered team with no more than four anglers, the required navigation and recreational fishing permits, and compliance with the tournament’s boat, gear, departure and weigh-in requirements. Marlin, tuna and dorado are the qualifying species in those rules. The club can change or suspend the program for weather, so every detail should be confirmed directly with the organizers before you commit.

The club’s 70th anniversary flyer lists an entry fee of MXN 38,000 through October 15 and MXN 42,000 from October 16. That is the tournament fee, not the boat price. Tripletto helps coordinate your trip; you pay for the boat charter and the club’s entry separately. Confirm the current fee and payment instructions with the club before sending money, since its online registration page still displays 2025 pricing.

We can help you work through the boat and trip side: what kind of day you want, where you are staying, the captain and crew, the transfer to the correct departure point, and enough time to fish well. Tournament entry and a boat’s eligibility need separate confirmation with the club. I would rather have that conversation now than discover a rule problem at the dock.

If you came for the scene

Take a late afternoon at the marina while the weigh-ins are happening. Then give yourself a different day for the fishing you actually want to do. A private day fishing charter lets the crew work with your group’s pace; a multi-day tuna expedition gives offshore anglers more time and more windows to choose from. Neither is a promise of a marlin on the line. That uncertainty is part of fishing, and a good day still has to make sense for the conditions.

Bringing people who would rather be on the water without rods? A private yacht day can be the other half of the stay: lunch aboard, a route chosen for the sea state, and a sunset return. Festival Gourmet Internacional also begins November 12, so the evening after the marina can be every bit as memorable as the afternoon.

Why I would reserve now

November 11–14 is a fixed date on the calendar, and the advertised entry rate rises after October 15. Your ideal charter boat, the captain you want, and the best travel days around the event are the pieces to secure early. Waiting leaves you fewer ways to shape the trip.

Give yourself an arrival day, put the boat day early in the stay, and keep a second possible water day if you can. That gives a captain room to adjust when weather or current changes. It also means you can enjoy the tournament without turning every hour into a schedule.