Planning Costa Rica Fishing Charters for a Quarter Century

Planning Costa Rica Fishing Charters

Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica has been planning and arranging Costa Rican sport fishing charters and complete Costa Rica fishing vacations for 25 years. That’s a quarter of a century!

Over that time, we have brought thousands of eager anglers – first-timers, experienced, repeat customers, referrals – to fish Costa Rica from all corners of the world: from the United States for the most part, along with Canada, Brazil, Colombia, the UK, France, Argentina, Belgium, Norway, South Africa, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Russia, the Ukraine, Australia.

The fact that we have been in the business of Costa Rica fishing so long can be credited to a host of factors, each one critically important. We are right here in Costa Rica. Over 25 years we have acquired lots and lots of invaluable experience and savvy. We offer hassle-free, one-stop shopping for complete Costa Rican fishing vacations that includes planning costa rica fishing charters,  overland or air transfers from the airport to your hotel, lodge or fishing destination; a choice of angler-friendly hotels; the fishing charters in Costa Rica themselves, of course; and any tours or other activities clients might want. Your business is getting here! We will look after you once you arrive.

Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica has a toll-free number from the USA and Canada, so we can offer prompt response. We are in front of the computer six days a week, 10-12 hours a day. We can be reached on Skype. English is our native language, which makes communication easy. We can also provide service and communications in Spanish, French and Russian for both individual Costa Rican sport fishing charters and complete Costa Rica sportfishing vacations.

Important Charter Planning Details

But most important part of planning a Costa Rica fishing charter, aside from the simplified logistics and communications, is that we know who most of the top saltwater charter captains fishing Costa Rica are. We know every captain we recommend fishing on the North Pacific coast,Central Pacific coast, South Pacific coast, and Caribbean coast; we have worked with some of them for 20 years and more. They are the guys who know how to fish Costa Rica waters, and equally important, how to provide the expertise and attention that Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica clients deserve and should expect of their sportfishing captains and crew.

How we plan our charters in Costa Rica

We won’t put our clients on just any Costa Rica sportfishing charter boat. If the boats we suggest aren’t open for the days our clients want, there are two options: 1) clients can, if remotely possible, change travel days to get the boat/captain they prefer; 2) we will find another boat/captain. But before we do, we will ask the people we know and trust to make a recommendation, and we will then speak to that Costa Rica fishing captain to gather more info about him, his experience and his boat. Only if we are perfectly satisfied will we suggest that captain as an alternative for your fishing in Costa Rica adventure.

Say, for instance, that you are three anglers, and are interested in Quepos fishing. We have an excellent 31ft boat there at Pez Vela Marina, with a superb captain, who we always recommend as our first choice. If he is booked, we have another 31ft boat we charter often for Costa Rica fishing excursions. If it so occurs, as it might happen in the high season, that both boats are booked for the dates our clients prefer, we will ask our long-time friend Felipe Fernández, the experienced boat manager of the first Quepos Costa Rica boat, to recommend another. Felipe has never let us down.

Ditto for Tamarindo, another of the many Costa Rica fishing resorts. You are a group of five/six anglers, and want Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica to put together one of our Costa Rica fishing vacation packages for you in Tamarindo. We have been chartering Captain Randy Wilson, a legend on the Costa Rica sportfishing scene – he’s fished out of Tamarindo since the mid-1970s – for a quarter-century. He has a 38ft Topaz Express, perfect size. If Randy is booked, we recommend a 36ft Topaz Express with a top-notch, experienced, English-speaking local captain, whom we have chartered for almost as long.

Again, if neither boat is open, and our clients can’t change their dates or their Tamarindo Costa Rica fishing destination, we will ask Randy or Steve Curtis, the owner of the 36ft boat, to recommend a boat. If they can’t find one, we can ask another captain we book to bring his 42ft Bertram from Flamingo, or even better, have our clients drive 35 minutes up to Flamingo so as not to pay the extra and fairly significant fuel costs.

Customer satisfaction has kept Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica in business for a quarter of a century. We are the most respected name in Costa Rica fishing. We are the longest-running brokers/providers of exclusively Costa Rica sport fishing vacation packages and Costa Rica sportfishing charters anywhere. Only a few captains, such as the above-mentioned Randy Wilson in Tamarindo, Richard Chellemi in Flamingo, Bobby McGuinness in Golfito in the South Pacific, Rick Ruhlow in Carillo/Guanamar, and Eddie Brown on the Caribbean side, have been around consistently for as long as we have.

A question that many first-time anglers who have arranged Costa Rican sportfishing packages or individual charters through us is this: What should we bring for our charter? Do we need anything special?

When planning  a Costa Rica sportfishing charter,  we recommend and book for our clients are fully rigged for conventional fishing. Some might specialize in inshore fishing, some offshore, and might be rigged more in that particular direction. Some may focus on heavy tackle, some on light. Their/our rates for a full day or half day fishing charter in Costa Rica include all the equipment: rods, reels and lures. Some – very few – might charge a bit extra for live bait, although this is very rare.

This is not to say that if you feel you absolutely can’t get along without one or several of your favorite rods, reels or lures, you shouldn’t bring them with you on your Costa Rica fishing trip. But a word to the wise: if you possibly can, take them with you as carry-on luggage on your flights. Sportfishing gear checked as regular baggage has the amazing tendency to sprout legs and walk away in the short space of only several hours.

So you need not bring any sportfishing gear. There is one exception, however. Those of you who intend to do some fly fishing in Costa Rica should bring all the equipment: rods, reels, and of course, flies. Very few boats provide tackle for fly fishing. There are many experienced captains whom we can recommend for fly fishing in Costa Rica; if you book through Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica, we will put you in direct contact with the captain well before you fly fish Costa Rica. He can recommend the reels, weights and type of flies for the season and species you are targeting.

The boats you charter for Costa Rican sportfishing adventures provide refreshments (beer, bottled water, and soft drinks) on a full day charter. No spirits like scotch, rum or vodka. They will also provide a light, simple box lunch, and perhaps some fruit or other snacks. On half days, the boat will have beer, soft drinks and bottled water, and perhaps some fruit or other snacks.

So finally, what do you definitely need to bring? First, a hat that provides ample shade. That’s a no-brainer. Second, a pair of good, rubber-soled shoes, deck shoes or deck loafers if possible. You don’t want to experience a sprained ankle or a nasty fall while fishing in Costa Rica because your footwear won’t keep you stable on the boat.

Third, sun break. A no-brainer for sunny days. But although it might be overcast, and no direct sun above you, the glare off the water is insidious. Even if you might not feel the burn (no political reference intended) right away, by the time you leave the boat your face, arms and legs, if you are wearing shorts, will be beet red, and the pain considerable if you don’t use a sun break when you fish Costa Rica.

That, basically is about it. Nothing more, except tips to captain and crew – we recommend 10-15% of the day rate, if deserved! – and fishing licenses: $30.00, valid for a year, for every angler; or $15.00 for eight days. Our next blog will go into more detail.

Meanwhile, call or email Americana Sportfishing/Fish Costa Rica now to arrange you next Costa Rica fishing vacation, or Costa Rican sportfishing charter. We can be reached easily at 1-800-407-9438 toll-free from the USA and Canada; +506 2282-7215 from everywhere else. Contact us now for a wonderful fishing vacation or fishing charter in Costa Rica. Tight lines.