No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCaribbean gears up for peak snook month

Caribbean gears up for peak snook month

NO current fishing reports this week, as I was scheduled to head to Barra Colorado, on the northern Caribbean coast, over the weekend with Dr. Michael Snarskis, an archaeologist from the University of Costa Rica, for some preliminary research to determine whether pre-Columbian exploration in that region is justified.

Snarskis said there was traffic south along the Caribbean coast in past centuries, and the quiet waters of what is now the Río Colorado would likely have been an inviting respite for travelers exploring and trading south from Guatemala and other points.

Ample evidence of early settlement has been found farther north on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, and he theorizes settlement likely took place in what is now the Barra Colorado region as well, although no research has been done in that area.

However… it’s more than likely I will find time to wet a fishing line while there. AS often mentioned in this column, October is rated the peak month for snook in that region. They are caught throughout the year, but the major bite is from late September through October.Six world-record Atlantic snook (Centropomus spp.) have been caught in the region during the month of October, including the all-tackle record of 49 pounds caught at Parismina in 1978. The only one of the five record-size snook not taken in October is the men’s 16-pound line-test record of 45 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in May 1990.

The fly-fishing record on 16-pound tippet weighed in at 26 pounds and was caught by the late Billy Barnes, who pioneered fishing in the region when he opened Casamar Lodge. It was caught on 16-pound tippet in October 1980.

All other Atlantic snook records recorded by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) were caught in Florida between May and August, and Florida likely has more snook fishermen on the water over the average weekend than Costa Rica does all year.

To best of my knowledge, there are four fishing operators in the best regions for snook on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast, including Casamar, Silver King, Río Colorado Lodge and Parismina. IF you really want to get your name in the record books, you might try the Pacific coast, where only six of the linetest records for Pacific snook are listed in the IGFA 2005 book, leaving 11 line class categories open. Three of those six were caught in Costa Rica. Two others were caught in Mexico and one in Ecuador.

Two other Pacific snook records have been caught on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast in recent months and submitted to the IGFA. If approved as expected, they will appear in the 2006 edition of the record book. Both of those were caught surf fishing from shore.For more info on fishing or assistance in planning a trip to Costa Rica, contact Jerry at jruhlow@costaricaoutdoors.com or visit www.costaricaoutdoors.com.

Skippers, operators and anglers are invited to contact Jerry with fishing reports by Sunday of each week. Call or fax 282-6743 within Costa Rica or write to the e-mail address above.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Cutris Mining Bill Threatens Massive Environmental Damage

Costa Rica’s government is pushing a controversial bill that could open the entire Cutris district in San Carlos—848 square kilometers—to open-pit gold mining. The...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...

Internet Cut in Panama Near Costa Rica Border Amid Bocas del Toro Unrest

Panamanian authorities suspended internet and mobile phone services on Saturday in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, following President José Raúl Mulino’s declaration...

OIJ Warns: Costa Rica Now a Key Warehouse for Drug Lords

Costa Rica’s recent drug busts, with tons of cocaine and marijuana seized across the country, shine a harsh light on its deepening role in...

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica