Costa Rica Fishing, The True Scoop

Holed up in your windowless cubicle? Ah, winter! Glorious winter! Snow boots, slippery sidewalks, and short, overcast, gloomy days. Imagine putting your Chapstick in a drawer and getting out your suntan lotion, heading to tropical beaches and being out on a boat relaxing in crystal waters with not a care in the world.

Sure, you can fish on a little frozen lake or stream by your house. Those little crappies and sunnies were fun when you were growing up. Bundling up like Santa Claus and sitting all day over cold ice. But, have you ever considered what it would be like to catch a real fish, a really big fish, a sailfish or giant marlin? If this sounds like what you need, a Costa Rica fishing vacation could be something for you!Come on down to Costa Rica because you deserve some great Costa Rica fishing.

Never been to sunny Costa Rica? No idea where the best Costa Rica fishing is? Not a problem. Here is the straight skinny.

First, a bit about Costa Rica. Just a couple of hours south of Miami lies Costa Rica. With about 780 miles of coastline on two great oceans, it is a salt water fishing paradise. So many places to see, where to start?

Consider starting where it all began. Follow Columbus. More than 500 years ago, that famous explorer landed on the Caribbean coast in a place so incredible he named it----Costa Rica---the Rich Coast. It was filled with fish, thick with sea turtles. Since it was good enough for Columbus, it is good enough for you, intrepid discoverer.

On the Atlantic coast, you will find the world-famous Tortuguero and Barra del Colorado fishing centers up to the Nicaragua border. The seas here can be very choppy but on a day where the waters are flat, this is a deep sea angler's dream spot! Between May to November, the silver fighting tarpon is sometimes thick here, and they can grow up to 150 pounds. If you are very lucky, you might land a rare Atlantic sail. This is also a good area for large snook. Jack Crevalle, guapote, giant grouper, and tripletail can also be fished here. And, do not forget to visit the world famous green sea turtle nesting beaches at Tortuguero.


Another great place for a Costa Rica fishing vacation is its North Pacific coast. This area is called the "Gold Coast" because of its amenities and is easilyconveniently reached. Simply fly into nearby Liberia International Airport where you will be just a short drive away from your waiting boat. You will find the fishing centers of Tamarindo and Flamingo with miles of great beaches and lots of Costa Rica attractions. If you are in search of sailfish, travel to this coast between May and August for the best fishing, though these fish are here all year, too. Between August to October, you might come into large schools of different tuna species with some weighing up to 400 pounds and lots exceeding 60 pounds. Many anglers fish the shoreline-dwelling roosterfish here November to March not far from the Papagayo Resort. You also have a splendid chance of hooking large marlin, wahoo, and brightly colored dorado fish.

Many visitors fishing in Costa Rica are looking for billfish and these beauties are very common along the Central Pacific coast. Go to luxurious Los Suenos Marina or Quepos and charter into the offshore waters to catch marlin and sailfish. The best fishing is during high tourist season, December through April. The vibrant dorado fish is often found here May to October while trolling. Closer to shore, folks commonly catch snapper, snook, roosterfish, and wahoo. Tuna schools can be found offshore.

For many, Costa Rica fishing paradise is found along the southern Pacific Coast near the incomparable Osa Peninsula down to Panama. When the water is warm, big marlin and sailfish are frequent visitors. Inshore, you will likely run into roosterfish, large snapper, wahoo, and amberjack. The Golfo Dulce is reported by many to offer the finest inshore fishing in Costa Rica. This is mostly due to the fact that it contains many small coves and is very rocky, giving fish a great place to hide. Hook a barracuda, grouper, or delicious sea bass here as well as other inland species. And, at times, you will have hundreds of porpoises around your boat as they follow the bait fish.

If you need to get away from Old Man Winter, a Costa Rica fishing trip may be just what will recharge your batteries! There are several Costa Rica vacation packages available on-line for sportfishing. With dozens of fishing world fishing records to its credit, Costa Rica is said to have the best deep sea fishing in the world. So, bring your camera and head to the water. Pura Vida!!!