With over 750 miles of coastline, anglers fishing in Costa Rica have a multitude of options. It’s a big ocean out there much of it void of fishing action. The key to successful offshore fishing is knowing where to find the fish.
There is no replacement for local expertise when it comes to finding fish. Every good captain knows where to find the fish, but you may find the following information helpful when exploring new fishing grounds.
The most important tip for finding fish is Watch for Variation. Variation can come in several forms, some obvious and some more subtle.
Los Corrientes
The tried and true method to finding billfish in Costa Rica is fishing in “los corrientes”. These currents can be spotted by a subtle change in color and in temperature. Baitfish and predators are plentiful in these currents. An experienced captain will work the edges of “los corrientes”. When fishing from Quepos, Jaco, or Herradura, captains will find “los corrientes” about twenty-five to thirty miles from shore during peak billfish season.
Oceanfloor Geography
Underwater geopgraphic structures such as canyons can increase the flow of ocean currents. The rapidly moving currents can trap bait fish and large game fish move in after the trapped bait. As with the seasonal currents, these currents may be spotted by looking for subtle changes in water color or surface temperature. Of course an experienced Costa Rican offshore fishing guide will have one eye on the bottom (GPS) and one eye on the surface looking for the subtle changes.
Floating Debris
The rainy season in Costa Rica is the hottest time of year for dorado, oftentimes bull dorado weighing over fifty pounds. The experienced fisherman knows that fish love structure, even temporary structure resulting from debris washing out to sea from rain swollen rivers. Fishing deep around weed lines, floating pallets, or logs can yield a great dorado run. Other game fish can be found beneath the debris as well.
Underwater Structure
Wrecks and reefs provide structure for large bottom fish including Cubera snapper and grouper. The structure is also home to plankton and other small organisms that attract baitfish which in turn attract big game fish looking for a meal. Remember that the main structure may be overfished while potential satellite sites around the structure are teaming with life. Larger gamefish often hang out at these quieter satellite sites.
Slicks
Keep you eye out for oily slicks on the waters surface. As big game fish such as dorado, tuna, marlin and sailfish are feeding they chase bait to the surface. Fish oils are released and the slick results. If you have found a bait slick you have found sometime of fish feeding. If you are lucky it will the trophy catch you are looking for.
Birds
Offshore birds are always fishing in Costa Rica. They are searching for bait pods, tuna feeding, or trolling billfish. Pay particular attention to the frigate birds especially those that are circling in one location. The experienced fishing guide knows that a lone frigate bird can lead you to a trophy Tuna, Marlin, or Sailfish.
When fishing offshore in Costa Rica, the importance of local expertise can not be overstated. Natural underwater geographic structures are consistent and local Costa Rica Fishing Guides have committed these to GPS and memory giving them the edge when fishing for big game fish in these waters. In addition, an experienced captain and mate will have developed keen eyes. I have seen Captains spot schooling Tuna 3 miles away, just by looking for disturbed water.
If you are interested in fishing in Costa Rica, find out more about Pacific fish species, fishing seasons, fishing reports, and the local weather at <A href=”http://www.queposadventures.com/”>Quepos Adventures</A>
Marshall Booth
http://www.articlesbase.com/fishing-articles/fishing-in-costa-rica-where-to-find-the-fish-748942.html
February 6th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Costa Rica Fishing. Where is the best place with good fishing and nightlife and activities?
We are looking to plan a trip to Costa Rica to Fish and party a little bit. Any suggestions on where the best location to do both is would be appreciated.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:30 am
There is a marina in Herradura, but Jaco has the nightlife. Jaco is just some minutes by car away.
Tamarindo has some nightlife as far as I read, but there is no marina.
Golfito is supposed to be good for sport fishing, too.
References :
http://www.yourtravelmap.com/costarica/herradura/
http://www.yourtravelmap.com/costarica/golfito/
February 7th, 2010 at 12:32 am
By far the best overall Fishing and travel destination is the Los Suenos and Jaco Beach area! Los Suneos is the fishing capital of Costa Rica, with a 5-star Marina and a collection of the best Captains and Boats in the country.There are more trophy fish caught out of Los Sueneos year round than anywhere else in the country and that’s a fact.
As far as nightlife and things to do, you will find the best and most diverse nightlife scene in all of Costa Rica in Jaco Beach, just 10 minutes from the Los Suneos Marina. There are over 100 restaurants, Bars/Nightclubs, surf shops, souvenir stores, pharmacies, Grocery stores, Internet and International call centers and a lot more.
Large Luxury homes and condos are available for rent inside the Los Suenos grounds for a premium price, or you can rent luxury condos and homes in Jaco Beach for less. Either way, you will find a very large variety of accommodation options to choose from.
Tours- This area is home to the best Zip-Line Canopy, ATV Jungle, and White Water Rafting tours in the country as well.
Only 1hr and 45 minutes fromthe airport in San Jose (SJO) Los Suenos and Jaco Beach is the closest beach city from the airport, and the most vibrant and exciting place to visit. It the the most popular and visited region in the whole country.
While the Fishing in Tamarindo, Flamingo, Guanacaste, Osa, and Quepos is decent, the fishing is far superior out of Los Suenos, and there is a lot more to see and do than there is in these other regions.
Contact the folks at Hooked on Costa Rica at 1-877-446-0653 or at info@hookedoncostarica.com for the top producing boats, packages, and accommodations in this area.
References :
We have lived in Costa Rica for over 6 years and have traveled the whole country extensivly in search of the best location for Fishing, excitement, nature, and overall Costa Rica expereince. We chose to live and operate in the Los Suneos-Jaco area because it offered the very best of it all.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:34 am
If you have to ask, go to Jaco. But this is not the real costa.
Golfito is nicer, but it is more remote. Not the type of night life or people in that area you sound like you are looking for. Puerto Jimenez which is across the bay from Golfito has more going on, but again, not as as much as Jaco.
References :
February 7th, 2010 at 12:36 am
The Jaco/Herradura area is actually NOT the best area for fishing, it’s just the most commercial. The best part is Golfito and the south pacific, if you do a search for Golfito you’ll find lots of sports fishing sites, you can even see videos on youtube. However the nightlife in Golfito isn’t as exciting as Jaco, and if you’re staying in Jaco you could always rent a boat and go down to Golfito, if you don’t mind wasting fishing hours getting down there.
References :
I’ve lived in Costa Rica for the last 8 years, some of that time was in Jaco. My family and a few aquaintances are big sports fishers and all agree that Golfito is the best spot.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:38 am
If you are looking for nightlife, Jaco/Los Suenos, wins hands down. However, is NOT necessary the best place to fish.
Bill Gannon out of Quepos (45 minutes south of Jaco) is one of the top captains. And then you have Golfito and Puerto Jimenez which flaunt probably the best IGFA certified captains in the world like Mike Hennessey (awesome captain, I’ve fished with him), Mark Corn and Chuck Tilton who have world record fish to their credit in Golfito – All are available for year-round charters.
However, no one can top the best of the best, Golifto’s/Jimenez Captain Bobby McGuinness who was chosen the world’s top captain of 2006 by the IFGA with OVER 126 ALL-TIME WORLD RECORDS. Not one captain in Jaco/Los Suenos let along in any part of Costa Rica can claim fame to that.
To see Bobby, view his video at:
http://4costaricafishing.com/photos.htm
Golfito/Puerto Jiménez is the south pacific of Costa Rica, (there is nightlife in Jimenez, but not much in Golfito) is far less known than Los Sueños, Quepos, Flamingo, Tamarindo. Costa Rica also is the 1st country in the WORLD that practices the Catch and Release Program by using the C-hook. More on that go to
http://www.ticotimes.com/catch_release_costa_rica.html
If you are serious about fishing and have a great time parting at the same time, I would strongly recommend going to http://www.fishcostarica.com. This is Google’s ONLY Costa Rica’s authority website under Fishing Costa Rica and Fishing in Costa Rica. There is a ton of good info, captains, boats, rates, seasons, hotels, photos, (including some world records) areas etc etc. The owner (Americana Sports fishing) has been booking complete sport fishing charters (hotels, airfare, transportation transfers) all over Costa Rica for over 25 years and can answer any question you have. He runs a 1st class operations and personally picks this captains and boats and will cater to any parties particular needs, such as extra activities like ziplinning, river rafting etc at a fair and reasonable cost.
You will have a great time …
References :
Tico Times Directory – Fishing
http://www.ticotimes.com/costa-rica-fishing/
February 7th, 2010 at 12:40 am
There is some great fishing on the Caribbean side too. It would all depend on what kind of fish you want to catch. Any of the fishing places are not far from night spots. You should have no problem with that. For any other information about Costa Rica, try the TicosLand.com website.
References :
http://www.ticosland.com/