Story by CAM Staff. Photos by Francisco Mejias
World-class sportfishing and the sexy big-game species get a lot of attention on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, and for good reason. However, the inshore fishing can be just exciting. It is action-packed and diverse, utilizing different techniques to target more than a dozen different species.
The main target of inshore anglers in Costa Rica is the hard-hitting and powerful roosterfish. They will smash artificials, and even topwater plugs, but the easiest way to catch them is with live bait. We bridle a live runner, sardine, lookdown or even a skipjack tuna on a 9/0 Trokar circle hook. Slow trolling around rocky structure or along beaches is a surefire way to draw strikes. Once hooked, the average 20-pound rooster is as ferocious as it is beautiful, and these beasts can get a whole lot bigger than average.
We very often encounter fish in the jack family, including jack crevalle and different species of trevally in many of the same areas as the roosterfish. These can also be caught on live bait but are even more responsive than roosterfish to topwater baits such as poppers and stick baits. The lures are rigged with one or two in-line hooks from Lazer Sharp. We replace the factory treble hooks, which makes the fight much cleaner, the fish handling safer and does a lot less damage to the fish. These are fast fish, and quick retrieves often get the fish’s attention.
Topwater does also work for smaller roosterfish, but the larger ones are harder to lure to the surface. Not so for the snappers, including cubera snapper, which will rise from 100 feet to smash a well-worked popper. This is one of the ultimate challenges in inshore fishing. They dive right back down to the rocks, often leaving the angler with a cut leader. Heavy popping gear, with 80- to 100-lb. line is necessary for the big ones. We have put 44 pounds of drag on big cuberas, and they keep going like there is no drag at all!
Jigging is also a popular and fun technique we use a lot. Jacks, trevally, seabass, snappers, groupers and mackerel are common catches. We look for underwater structure like rocks and drop jigs ranging from 2 to 9 ounces. The jigs are rigged with a pair of the new Eagle Claw Trokar assist hooks. On and close to the bottom, a slow jigging pace interests the snappers, groupers and seabass. As you move higher in the water column, a speed-jig style approach with rapid jerks gets the bite from the pelagics.
Bottom fishing is also an option we sometimes use for an even larger variety of fish. Costa Rica does have some big bottom fish like giant grouper, broomtail grouper, cubera snapper and big stingrays. Live or dead bait gets the job done.
Snook can be found in and around river mouths and are a fun species to target. Live bait works, but artificials like a small stick baits or jigs are more common and more fun. Wazo jigs with a Mr. Twister tail and a Trokar hook have resulted in many double-digit snook.
If you haven’t tried inshore fishing in Costa Rica, take the time to try it. It’s great fun.
