Tuna Action Makes Comeback in Costa Rica

Tuna fishing in Costa Rica

Yellowfin tuna will always hold a very special place in my heart, and on my grill. I love fishing for them. You can catch them trolling, live baiting, chunking and throwing poppers or plugs.  I have caught them trolling a wide assortment of lures and I have caught them throwing large poppers with a spinning outfit. Either way the fight is on, and you damn sure better be ready for it. I think pound for pound tunas may fight harder and longer than any other fish in the ocean. What’s not to love?

Due primarily to the efforts of sport fishermen and the analyses and legal documentation of FECOP (Costa Rican Fisheries Federation), in October of 2014 the government of Costa Rica banned purse seine fishing within the first 45 nautical miles of its Pacific coastline. It also banned large-scale longline fishing in the first 12 miles off the coast. The new law is proving itself successful as evidenced by the increase in the number of tuna seen up and down the entire Pacific coast of Central America.

Nowhere else has it been more evident than off the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  Capt. Michael “MJ” Alligood (http://www.epicfishingcostarica.com/), who runs the charter vessel “EPIC”, has seen an increase in the number of yellowfins being caught and also an increase in the size of the fish. On a recent trip, MJ’s clients caught several yellowfins up to 85 pounds and chaffed off a much larger one estimated to be in the 200 pound range. The client fought the fish for almost an hour and a half before the leader parted.  In addition to catching the tunas, the party also caught three sailfish and six Dorado. Quite an “Epic” day off shore!

Thomas Jones, owner of The Bahia Rica Lodge (www.bahiarica.com) has noticed the improvement also. On a recent trip with clients, he was throwing poppers into a large school of yellowfins when a blue marlin showed up, grabbed one of the yellowfins they were fighting and proceeded to spool the spinning real the client was using. You can bet that guy will tell that story for a while!

Fishing in Costa Rica has always been fantastic.  Witnessing a unified effort, by sport fishing enthusiasts and the local commercial entities, to conserve and grow Costa Rica’s fishery is inspiring and deserves everyone’s support.

Co-Publisher Tom Hauer is a lifetime outdoors and sport fishing enthusiast. He can be reached at TomH@CoastalAnglerMagazine.com

Photos Courtesy of Michael Alligood at EPIC Sport Fishing.