Costa Rica fishing: you get what you need

How does the Rolling Stones’ song go:

You can’t always get what you want.
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need.

Anglers who fish Costa Rica often find themselves in much the same situation. Captain MJ Alligood on the 34ft Epic out of Los Sueños Marina also had a similar experience Marlin fishing .

MJ wrote: ‘We were targeting Black Marlin, but this guy was hungrier. A stud 70lb Cubera snapper took our Bonito on the surface. We tried to release it. However, it had a big 16/0 circle hook lodged in its throat. It was bleeding heavily from its gills. Too bad, although this is one of my favorite fish, a real beauty.’

The guys didn’t catch the Black Marlin they wanted. But they received ample compensation. A big Cubera like this one (photo) doesn’t come around every day. In addition, everyone on this Costa Rica sportfishing charter enjoyed a great dinner.

Recent Costa Rica fishing news

We haven’t published much Costa Rica fishing news lately. Not many boats have been going out. But as the high season approaches, more and more Costa Rican sport fishing charter boats are fishing. We take a look at what has been happening.

Maverick Sportfishing owns sister boats Spanish Fly and Geaux Fly. They are among the most popular Costa Rica sportfishing charter boats now at Los Sueños Marina. Juan Carlos Fallas captains the 43ft Spanish Fly. And Captain David Mesen captains the 42ft Geaux Fly.

Over the weekend, both boats fished together. Between them they caught 32 Yellowfin Tuna and two Dorado (Mahi-Mahi). In addition, the captains also released two Sailfish and this nice Blue Marlin. Los Sueños fishing never disappoints. Anglers who fish Costa Rica out of this world-renowned marina on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast can expect great sportfishing action 365 days a year.

You don’t need a big boat to fish Costa Rica

Anglers who come to fish Costa Rica can also count on exciting inshore action. Also out of Los Sueños, Captain Carlos Arguedas on the 28ft Wing Man, had a great day. The anglers who fished with him caught this amazing Grouper. It weighed over 300lbs! In addition, they also caught three Roosterfish and two Amberjack.

Captain Juan Sirias captains another top Jacó fishing charter boat. The 26ft Fish Hunter fishes out of Herradura Bay, just beside Los Sueños. Also fishing inshore, Juan caught a fair numbers of Red and Cubera Snapper, plus a Barraduda. So take our word for it. You don’t need a big boat to catch fish in Costa Rica.

The 31ft Gamefisher II is one of the most popular Flamingo fishing charter boats. Captain Richard Chellemi made the Gamefisher II a byword in the North Pacific, in Guanacaste fishing. His long-time mate Junior Bustos now captains the Gamefisher. Anglers who recently fished offshore with Captain Junior went 2-3 on Sailfish. In addition, they released a Striped Marlin, and boated a big Dorado. A couple of days previously, anglers on the Gamefisher II went 2-2 on Striped Marlin and 1-4 on Sailfish. Furthermore, they caught a big Dorado for dinner to cap a rewarding Costa Rica fishing day.

Marlin fishing at the FADs

Anglers who want to fish Costa Rica for Marlin can always expect great action at the FADs. FADs (fish aggregating devices), or Sea Mounts, are buoys placed on or just below the surface. Los Sueños fishing captains and Golfito fishing captains have anchored them 40, 60 and 80 miles off the coast.

Anglers on multi-day overnight Costa Rican sport fishing charters will also find them as far as 120 miles offshore. These FADs attract Marlin. In addition, they attract Sailfish and Yellowfin Tuna as well. Recently, Captain Juan Carlos Fallas left early for a day trip to the FADs nearest Los Sueños. The anglers on the Spanish Fly released five Blue Marlin and a Sailfish. Furthermore, they boated five Yellowfin Tuna. They enjoyed Costa Rica fishing at its best.

Another superb inshore Costa Rica fishing day

As we said earlier, anglers who book Costa Rica sportfishing charters should always consider a day inshore. They can look forward to lots of action. For example, Captain Carlos Arguedas on the Wing Man recently had one of his best days ever. The lucky anglers on this Costa Rica fishing charter went 3-4 on Roosterfish. The Rooster that broke the line weighed over 45lbs.

In addition, the group went 4-5 on Amberjack, and 3-5 on Cubera Snapper. Furthermore, they caught a big Rock Snapper and a big Guacamayo Snapper. They also boated eight Mackerel and four Jack. No angler could ask any more of a Costa Rica fishing charter day.

Tarpon fishing at Rio Indio Lodge

So far we have talked only about Pacific coast fishing in Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast also offers great fishing. It is one of the world’s top Tarpon fishing destinations. There, Tarpon are found not only in Costa Rica, but also in the area just north of the San Juan River, in Nicaragua.

Anglers can also enjoy Tarpon fishing at gorgeous Rio Indio Lodge, just over the border in Nicaragua. Excursions to Rio Indio Lodge begin in San José, with a 30-minute charter flight to the Lodge. Rio Indio Lodge is gorgeous. Meals are superb. Accommodation is all-inclusive. Furthermore, anglers can fish for Tarpon, and also for Snook, Guapote (Rainbow Bass), Machaca and Mojarra, in exotic tropical jungle rivers.

FishCostaRica recently sent Larry Graham and his father to Rio Indio Lodge for a Tarpon fishing adventure. As the Caribbean was flat at the time, the Rio Indio Lodge guides took them out into the ocean. On fishing Day 1, the guys spent a half day in the ocean. They hooked six Tarpon and boated two. One was a monster fish that weighed 180lbs.

On Day 2, heavy rains prevented them from fishing much in the morning. Nevertheless, they went out that afternoon, hooking five Tarpon and boating two.

On their final day, Larry and his dad also fished the ocean. And their Caribbean fishing results mirrored the achievements of the previous day. They also hooked five Tarpon, and brought two of them to the boat.

Book your Costa Rica sportfishing trip now

The peak Tarpon fishing season, in Costa Rica and also in Nicaragua, continues until mid-January. Anglers can fish at Rio Indio Lodge. In addition, they can enjoy fishing for Tarpon, Snook and other Caribbean species with Captain Eddie Brown. Eddie is considered Costa Rica’s top Tarpon fisherman/guide. He fishes out of Tortuga Lodge on the edge of Costa Rica’s beautiful Tortuguero National Park.

Now is the time to book your Caribbean fishing and/or Pacific coast fishing trip to Costa Rica. Contact FishCostaRica. We will hook you up with the top Costa Rica sportfishing captains on either coast.