CostaRica

Two oceans, beautiful lakes and hundreds of rivers all add up to some of the best fishing for more species at any time of the year than you are likely to find in such a small and easily accessible area anywhere else in the world.

Costa Rica’s reputation for incredible fishing is well-justified, but like anyplace in the world, there are never any guarantees. Action will vary with the seasons and prevailing wind, weather, currents and other natural conditions at any given time, and the following breakdown should be considered only as a general guide.

NORTHERN PACIFIC COAST

Cabo Blanco to the Gulf of Papagayo

Flamingo Beach, with its full-service marina and nearby Tamarindo, Nosara, Samara and Playa Carrillo are the sportfishing centers in this area.

Fishing will vary with prevailing conditions, but here’s how it generally goes for the more popular species. Look for winds north of Cabo Vela from about December into mid-May.

Marlin:  Caught every month of the year, with mid-November to early March exceptional, then slowing a bit from April into early June when it picks up again, peaking in August and September.

Sailfish:  Caught throughout the year, with May through August normally the top season. They may begin to thin out in September, with the slowest months running through November.

Tuna:  Peak months are usually August through October, but when all else fails, there are always tuna, anytime of the year.

Dorado:  More properly known as dolphin, these colorful gamesters are most abundant from late May through October when the seasonal rains flood the rivers that carry out debris, forming trash lines close inshore they like to lie under.

Wahoo:  Caught in limited numbers throughout the year, the best showing begins about the time the rains start in May, peaking in July and August. Most are caught around rocky points and islands, but you may pick one up occasionally fishing offshore as well.

Roosterfish:  Available all year, but more are caught in the Papagayo Bay area and around the islands from October through March.
CENTRAL PACIFIC REGION

Cabo Blanco to Drake Bay

Quepos is the center of fishing on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, with 50 or more professionally equipped boats. This region is best known for its wahoo, big cubera and roosterfish, but there are also tuna, dorado, sails and marlin.

Marlin:  October is normally the top month for marlin in this area, but action is also good in September and November. Occasional blues and a rare black are likely to be found anytime of year.

Sailfish:  Mid-December to the end of April is rated the best season, but the big schools often move in about October and stay longer. A few sails always show among the catch from June through September, mixed with the other species that are found inshore during those months.

Tuna:  Found throughout the year as they are all along the Pacific coast, but most abundant from about June through September. Most are the eight to 12 pounders, but a dozen or more over 200 pounds and maybe another two dozen in the 100- to 200-pound range are taken every year.

Wahoo:  Pretty rare in the area around Quepos, but more abundant in the late summer farther south, especially the Drake Bay and Caños Island area from late June to early August.

Dorado:  Best action begins with the winter rains that start in late May and wash debris from the river mouths, creating the inshore trash lines that the dolphin like to lie under.

Roosterfish:  Fishing for this hard-hitting inshore species is little short of incredible with the best spots off the river mouths and the rocky drop-offs. Best fishing is during the summer months, from June through early September.

Snook:  Best spots are just off the many river mouths along the coast, up the Sierpe River and in the big lagoon on the Sierpe. The world-record Pacific black snook was taken a couple years ago in July just off the mouth of the Río Naranjo on a charter with Capt.  Jim Geary.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC REGION

Golfito and Playa Zancudo

Golfito is the center of activity on Costa Rica’s southern coast. It’s a rare day during peak season that boats don’t raise a dozen sails and a marlin or two, along with plenty of jacks, runners, mackerel and perhaps an amberjack, roosterfish or big snapper inshore.

Marlin:  August through December is peak season, but an occasional blue or black may be taken most any month if the water temperature is up. This year, the marlin bite was incredible from February in March, with some to 750 pounds.

Sailfish:  A few taken off and on year-round with the exceptional fishing from December through March. Often slows from April into early June, then picks up again and begins to peak in August or September.

Tuna:  Best fishing for the bigger ones corresponds with marlin and sailfish season, but the schools of footballs can nearly always be found outside.

Dorado:  Best runs are traditionally from late May through October

Wahoo:  Not abundant, but an occasional wahoo may be taken most any time of the year while trolling offshore for billfish, or around the structure off Matapalo.

Roosterfish:  Region is famous for its big roosters and they can be caught virtually any month of the year, some to nearly 100 pounds.

Snook:  All year, but best from middle or late May through July and January and February.

CARRIBBEAN COAST

Fishing along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast can vary more from one day to another than from month to month. Historically, tarpon fishing is promoted by lodges on Costa Rica’s east coast from about December through mid-May, while snook peak from about September through November. But the fish are there year-round, and it’s mostly a matter of weather, which can change overnight. Rainy season starts about mid-May, and action slows for awhile as the dirty water sweeps out of the rivers.

Facilities catering to anglers are located at Samay Lagoon, Parismina and Tortuguero, and there are three quality fishing lodges around the Río Colorado. The Rain Goddess luxury houseboat serves as a floating lodge based near the mouth of the San Juan River, in Nicaragua and provides access to miles of jungle rivers and small hidden lakes that others rarely fish.

Lodges offer full service, including transportation from San José, comfortable accommodations, meals, boats and guides. There are no roads to this area, and access is via the in-country airlines or charter flights, or by boat through the Tortuguero Canal system from Limón.

Most operators on the Caribbean have 23-foot center consoles that are able to get out the river mouths more frequently for tarpon when the surf is up and often connect on barracuda, jacks, kingfish, sierra, tripletail, cubera, grouper, jewfish, wahoo, tuna to over 100 pounds and the occasional Atlantic sailfish and blue marlin.