Nosara in Costa Rica discuss how dorado season is shaping up.
For much of the U.S. it is time to don winter coats, sweep the chimney and winterize the boat. As the temperature plummets, it’s easy for the mind to wander toward thoughts of warm sun and a beach escape.
For the fishing crews in Nosara, Costa Rica, the forecast for the next 10 months is perfect sunshine and clear fishing weather. Best of all, this is the time of year when big dorado provide plenty for the Christmas dinner table.
Here in Costa Rica, our fishing pattern resets each year. Ever since the rainy season ended in early November, we have seen large schools of dorado stacked up like cordwood. Also, there are swarms of sailfish and the occasional marlin stalking these mahi-mahi meals.
We expect this feeding pattern to continue until late-March when the dorado will be replaced by schools of yellowfin tuna moving in from the north. Gangs of spinning dolphins will show us the way to these tasty ahis, and once they show up the tuna bite will strengthen until our end-of-season in early September.
Our offshore marlin, yellowfin and dorado all follow schools of bait that move from north to south along the Pacific coast.
Conversely, our inshore fishery doesn’t depend on pelagic bait migration patterns. Instead our secluded port of Garza Bay is fed by local mountain rivers. When the cool, nutrient-rich river water collides with the warm, fast-moving saltwater of the Pacific, conditions are perfect for localized swarms of baitfish to form.
This “homegrown” bait supports a ravenous population of big roosterfish, broomtail groupers and massive cubera snapper. It’s not unusual for these monsters to weigh upwards of 60 pounds yet still ascend the water column to strike on the surface.
Roosterfish are in an especially catchable mood, after a cool evening’s rain floods the estuary with fresh baits.
Inshore or offshore, all are ripe for the catching, and captains of FishingNosara have posted excellent catches ever since the season started. Right off the bat, angler Brian Stafford, of Jacksonville, Fla. and his fellow firefighters nabbed a big batch of dorado on the 32-foot Wanderer. Catching these big beasts on the first day of the season is a great sign of what we imagine will be a “fishtastic” 2019 season.
It’s always a great time be thankful for friends, family and the blessings in life, but with Christmas Day right around the corner, it is the right time to give the gift of fishing.
If you have a youngster in the family, get them a tackle box and a starter reel. If you are already an avid angler, remember that Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals are great for expanding your arsenal.
And, if you are ready to challenge yourself to catch the baddest fish on the planet, come on down to Nosara and pay us a visit.
Report provided by FishingNosara