By Captain Daniel Espinosa • Maverick Sport Fishing
Experienced Captains fishing the water off Los Suenos are reporting a wide variety of catch. Blue marlin, black marlin, and a few striped marlin have been reported as usual as we head into August and September.
As if a complete plate of Pacific marlin species is not enough, yellowfin tuna, mahi, rooster and a variety of bottom fish are being caught by Los Suenos anglers both inshore and offshore.
It is always a guessing game as to what exactly things will look like when the magazine is actually distributed, we are confident that this should be a good fall season as we get further into the Green Season.
We keep talking about the offshore seamounts, but that is because this time of year presents an opportunity found in few places on earth for Pacific blue marlin. The numbers seen are unprecedented, and double digit overnight trips are very common. Check this one off your bucket list.
The fish are usually between 250 and 400 lbs with much larger fish being caught occasionally. This year our boats have produced two verified short bill spear fish which are commonly confused with small striped marlin. Add sailfish, and I predict someday a boat will land five species of billfish on one trip. We had a couple of Royal Slams this year (four species of billfish), and several Grand Slams (three species) among our boats. One long time fisherwoman got two Grand Slams in two days just offshore Los Suenos.
We anticipate decent mixed bags of inshore fish which will make a very tasty “carry-in” which several local restaurants will prepare as part of the “You hook them, we cook them” program.
One of the bright spots is the return of mahi in numbers not recently seen. I have spoken to several anglers recently that told me they had to move the boat to a different location because there was no way to avoid hooking one after the other. Some of these fish have been very nice size in the 60 to 70 lb range.
I expect that the “26 reef” will continue to produce black marlin which have been seen is good numbers this year. This is also a great spot to go for a big wahoo as well as numbers of sailfish. From Los Suenos, locations such as Cabo Blanco for marlin, and the Nicoya Peninsula for great inshore trips is just a boat ride away.
If you plan a trip, the good news is that cloud cover cuts down on the heat and sun exposure. The less good news is that it could well rain. Not to worry, you will dry off.
Current, up to date fishing information is always available on the dock, or at the Maverick Sportfishing Center in Los Suenos. Most Captains and crew are more than happy to report of the fishing that they are finding on a day to day basis.
A last observation this time of year is that boat availability is not a problem.
Captain Daniel Espinosa has been fishing these waters for almost 30 years, starting at the age of 14. Born in Quepos, Daniel first fished as a Captain at age 17, and has not finished yet. Currently General Manager of Maverick Sportfishing Yachts, Daniel is owner of the Spanish Fly which he ran full time for 12 years, releasing a documented count of over 10,000 bill fish releases. His lifetime total exceeds 22,000. A pioneer in sportfishing in Costa Rica, Daniel has captained tournament winning boats in several Central American countries. His wins include the Los Suenos series and the WBS World Championship. He lives with his wife and family in the Los Suenos area.