Fish Costa Rica – I Live Here
Costa Rica Fishing Tips
At just the thought of being able to spend time fishing in Costa Rica I get excited! God has blessed me in my life and I’ve been able to enjoy top notched sport fishing several times here in many different parts of the country. The best Costa Rica fishing options here are made up of two main things, either saltwater or freshwater. Let’s start first with saltwater offshore and inshore fishing or as some may call it “deep sea fishing”. If this is what you’re looking for then you’ll find it in multiple towns along the pacific coastline. Depending on the town you choose to fish out of, some Costa Rica fishing charters like in northern Guanacaste will be anchored out in the bay because there is no marina. In other areas such as Jaco or Quepos or you will find full blown fishing marinas with multiple docks that host many fishing crews daily. There are also amazing lodges for sport fishing in Costa Rica such as Crocodile Bay Lodge or Roy Zancudos Lodge that have their own marinas to fish from and operate everything from the fishing charter and guides to the rooms and eating facilities in house.
Fresh Water Fishing in Costa Rica
Fresh water fishing in Costa Rica can be found in two main places. The first area is Lake Arenal which is mostly known for its colorful fish called Rainbow Bass or as the nationals call it, Guapote. These amazing fish can reach up to 16 pounds and are fantastic fighters. Lake Arenal fishing guides are knowledgeable and can be found through local tour operators in La Fortuna for around $200 per day. The second fresh water fishing area is known as the Barro del Colorado River. This Costa Rica fishing paradise is home to several sport fishing lodges and is located just north of Tortugero and below the Nicaragua border. Fishing trip enthusiast, flock to this area year around but especially from May until late December because of the Tarpon and Snook fishing seasons. While the Snook are plentiful and are fun to fish for, angler’s eyes will always open wider at the acrobatic twist of a 150 pound Tarpon fish fighting for his freedom. My suggestion is to stay at a river sport fishing lodge like Silver king or Jungle Tarpon lodge who are experts in the area. These companies have experienced Costa Rica fishing guides that make the entire trip worth while.
Booking a Fishing Charter in Costa Rica
The best options for a Costa Rica fishing charter are located in three main areas of the country. First there’s the Guanacaste or north pacific region, next the central pacific region and last is the southern pacific zone. Offshore fishing or some say “deep sea fishing” basically means that you “charter” a duel engine fishing boat that is large, fast and safe enough to take you in some cases up to 40 plus miles off the coastline to where the big fish like Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Tuna and others are. These sport fishing boats are quick, high tech, dual engine, electronic gadget ready units that provide comfort while trolling for the big fish in Costa Rica! All sport fishing charters can be booked for a half day of sport fishing, but they’re usually booked for a full day of fishing due to fuel cost not changing much. The saying goes that “Offshore is Offshore” whether it’s for a half or full day because you still burn almost the same fuel going out and coming back. Inshore Costa Rica fishing is a little different because it can be done with either a twin engine (more expensive) or a single engine fishing charter that cost less. The smaller charter boats with just one engine are usually used only for inshore fishing 5 miles out or closer in. Fishing charters are one area in your life where you don’t want to be a penny pincher! Unfortunately, several times a year there are tourist that always find cheaper deals with smaller “non-charter” national boats to take them out fishing in Costa Rica for the day but some never make it back alive. These boats are usually called “Pangas” and they do not have the required safety equipment, insurance or permits needed to take people fishing, and their boats are not designed for big waves and white capping waters.
Costa Rica Fishing and the Northern Pacific
There are six main Costa Rica fishing towns in the northern pacific that host fishing charters. Playa del Coco and Ocotal which are only fifteen minutes apart. Heading south about an hour there’s fishing charters in Flamingo and Tamarindo that are 25 minutes apart. Here you can find Charter operators such as Capullo sport fishing which has an excellent captain and mainly years of experience. Steve the captain has been fishing Costa Rica waters here since 1990. Heading south a bit there’s Nosara and Playa Carrillo at 45 minutes from each other. There are currently no fishing marinas in these areas so all fishing charters are docked in the bays just offshore. Beach landings are usually made by small boats that fishermen wade out to where they get in and are taken out to the fishing charter. If you fish from any of these towns then you will be traveling to many of the same areas as all other fishermen staying in adjacent towns. Another thing that you may think about when booking you’re Costa Rica fishing trip is that the province of Guanacaste is especially known for its Papagayo winds which bring huge schools of sailfish to the coastline January through April.
Fishing in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific
As for the Central Pacific, I am going to include Tambor fishing in this area although it’s located off the Nicoya Peninsula. My reasoning is simple, fishing charters departing from this area fish the same waters and it sits directly across from the Central Pacific coastline. There’s no marina here and all fishing charters are reached by pangas that pick you up at shore. Flying into Tambor is one option of getting there and the other is by car rental and ferry. If you’re going to fish Costa Rica then Jaco defiantly should be on your list because it has the world famous Los Suenos fishing marina. There are many charter companies that offer daily sport fishing trips from the dock but they should be booked well in advance to ensure availability. Traveling south about and hour or so is Quepos, the last central pacific fishing town. Until now, there has been not a marina, just a dock that fishermen are picked up from and taken to the sport fishing charters which are anchored in the bay. However, there is a new Quepos fishing marina underway called Marina Pez Vela that will open in May 2009. This amazing marina is not only huge but perfectly planned in every way. Fishing in Costa Rica will be forever changed once this location is open. Currently boat slips are being sold and everything from fishing charters to sail boats and huge yachts are reserving their spaces.
If staying in Quepos then one of the best charters to fish with is Bluefin sport fishing which has been in business for many years and offers three boats to choose from. Another great fishing company to consider is Quepos Sailfishing Charters who provide anglers top quality fishing boats on a daily basis.