If you’ve often dreamt of, but have never experienced, the thrill of fishing in Costa Rica, you owe it to yourself to place this world class fishing destination on your bucket list. What’s occurring on a daily basis here is nothing short of phenomenal. Thomas and I recently visited Quepos, Costa Rica and as we walked the docks we were astounded by the catch reports of every single angler we spoke to. According to Captain John Schuchert, in a recent tournament 67 boats released 920 sailfish in one day! This has put Quepos and the rest of the central pacific area of Costa Rica on the map as the best place in the world to land multiple Pacific sailfish. We recently bumped into a couple of weary looking anglers from North Carolina. They had fished on a private boat the day before and reported that they had released 48 sailfish, and left them biting! This kind of report is not uncommon. Costa Rica has time and again proven itself the most prolific fishery in the world. If billfish are not your cup of tea there are tons of other species to target and most are always willing and able to bite. In the last week inshore fishing has produced multiple 50 to 70 pound roosterfish, huge corvina, cubera snapper and snook in the 40 pound range. Tuna, Dorado and Wahoo are always on the menu too! On the day that Thomas and I boarded the Lone Star to fish with Captain John Schuchert (www.queposfishadventure.com) we saw only one other vessel fishing within sight of us all day. We left them biting and headed in early at 1 pm after each angler had landed multiple fish. There’s very little pressure on this awesome fishery. May through late November is considered the “slow season” for most of Costa Rican tourism, but it is simply not true for fishing. Yes, it sometimes rains, the same can be said for Florida, the Bahamas or any other angling destination.
If you’ve ever considered this world class fishery, planning the trip is as easy as planning a trip to Disney Land. Here’s the basics:
- Make sure your passport does not expire within six months of your arrival to Costa Rica. If so have it renewed prior to your arrival date.
- Contact a tour operator and book one of the many custom packages they offer. Operations like Stay in Costa Rica (stayincostarica.com) and Maverick Sport Fishing (www.mavericksportfish.com) are great places to start building your very own custom trip.
- Book your flight to San Jose International airport.
- Talk to your tour operator about transportation from San Jose to your destination. Our favorite way is to book one of the Nature Air flights. natureair.com. They fly to multiple destinations within Costa Rica and flying with them is a great way to see the country side. Their rates are exceptional and the short flight times give you more time on the ground.
- If you are staying in the Quepos area The Parador Resort and Spa hotelparador.com is a great luxury resort for the family and Hotel Byblos, a Boutique Adventure Resort in Manuel Antonio www.bybloshotelcostarica.com is also great choice for the adventure minded or all guy group.
Although some might call it the slow season don’t let that deter you. The fishing is fantastic, the weathers fine, room rates are great, the best boats are available and there are fewer regular tourists during this time period.
Tom Hauer
Publisher of Coastal Angler Magazine-Costa Rica
Tomh@coastalanglermagazine.com