FISHING snappedback in a big wayon both coasts after adry spell so bad that Icouldn’t even get afishing report for thiscolumn last week.According toguides who havelived at Barra delColorado, on thenorthern Caribbeancoast, all their lives, they are currentlygetting the best best tarpon action inCosta Rica history.The Florida Fun Fishing Club had 22anglers at the Rio Colorado Lodge (on theCaribbean coast) fishing May 27-29, andin those days they had 526 tarpon in the airwith 172 to the boat for release, includinga new Costa Rica record of more than 200pounds.RIO Colorado Lodge owner Dan Wisesaid the anglers had constant double andtriple hookups, and one of those brought tothe boat for release is believed to be thelargest tarpon ever caught in Costa Rica.It measured 93 inches in length, butthe formula used to estimate weight bybody measurements only goes to 90 inches(7.5 feet). The long-standing record forthe region was a 90-inch tarpon that theformula shows weighed 200 pounds andat press time Wise was calling everyonehe knows to see if somebody could figureit out.The all-tackle recordfor the species is 286pounds, 9 ounces caughtin Guinee Bissau (whereverthat is) last year.The Florida anglersalso caught snook everyday,the largest weighing13 pounds. According toWise, the action was stillgoing fast and furiousthrough Sunday, and theone boat on the waterMonday morning already had three releases.WISE also said the backwaters areclean and clear and anglers are also loadingup on rainbow bass, pinto guapote andthose tasty mojarra.On the Pacific coast, brothers Pete andRandy Swensen and Drew Bressler, allfrom Key Largo, Fla., raised five marlinand released two last Friday.They had another marlin and five sailsup Saturday, with two of the sails caughtand released. On Sunday, they had fivemarlin in the air, with four to the boat forrelease.That is the most single-day marlin releasesI have heard of in all myyears in Costa Rica.They were fishing withRichard Chellemi onthe Gamefisher II, their16th trip in as manyyears.IN Quepos, on thecentral Pacific coast,J.P. Sportfishing reportsfour sailfish releases on the Swordfish forDan Crosby and Chris Harvill, fromLos Angeles, on May 24 and a pair ofroosterfish on a half-day trip the next day.J.P. Sportfishing had 22 sailfish releasesfor all of its boats May 1-25, along with avarity of roosterfish, jacks, snapper anddorado.Bruce Blevins reports from BananaBay Marina, in Golfito, a southern Pacificport city, that Bobby McGinnis is nailinga lot of roosterfish and snapper on theSweet Dream. He fished Jay Blzeski ahalf-day offshore and a half-day inshorelast week and raised a lot of sailfish in theblue water and caught some big amberjackinshore.“Still rainy, but calmer seas in thearea,” Blevins said.For more info on fishing or assistance inplanning a trip to Costa Rica, contact Jerryat jruhlow@costaricaoutdoors.com orvisit www.costaricaoutdoors.comSkippers, operators and anglers areinvited to e-mail or call Jerry with fishingreports by Wednesday of each week. Call orfax: 282-6743 if calling from Costa Rica, orthrough the e-mail address above.
Today in Costa Rica
