Pacific Improving; Caribbean Still Hot

THE water offthe central Pacificcoast has been lookingbetter every day,with J.P. Sportfishingin Queposreporting an averageof two sailfish andfive tuna and doradoper boat per daythrough last weekend.This is typical for this time of year,but look for fishing to explode in that areaand farther south by December if theaction follows the usual pattern.Farther north, Capullo skipper SteveCurtis reported that water conditions areimproving, but most trips in recent weekshave been half-day walk-ins, with plentyof tuna and dorado, and nobody he isaware of has been going outside to huntdown the sailfish and marlin.He did have a full day last Saturday,and reported blue, flat water and idealconditions, but little action.The fishing has been very good southof Tamarindo, off Nosara and a short boatride out of Carrillo, for dorado and smalltuna, according to skippers in that region.IT’S a whole different story on thenorthern Caribbean coast, with no letup inthe tarpon action, according to the RíoColorado Lodge. Some examples, asreported by lodge operator Dan Wise:Nov. 11 – Arthur Riberio and ErkkiLarsson of Sao Paolo, Brazil, on theirfourth trip to Costa Rica in as many years,jumped 33 tarpon and boated six, whileCarl and Stacy Everett were there thesame day, with Stacy nailing a 140-pounder, her first tarpon.Nov. 12-13 – Clifford Roche, ofBeasly, Texas, and fishing partner SeanMcKnight jumped 10 tarpon and boatedtwo, while brothers Dwight and DavidDaughtry, of Arcadia, Florida, had atriple hookup a double hookup, andjumped 18 for their two-day total, boatingfive.Nov. 17-20 – Chris Himerbauch ofWindemere, Florida, with Charlie Carlton,Wally Grant, Larry Stoppelli, Pete Carltonand Jeff Sural, jumped 83 tarpon andboated 32 on the first memorial trip inhonor of Florida Senator George Kirkpatrick,Chris’ father-in-law, who startedthe group fishing at the lodge. The secondannual Senator George memorial tourneywill be next November.Nov. 19 – Brothers Thomas andRobert Gerlach, of the eastern San Josésuburb of Curridabat, “jumped a bunchand boated a few” using an ancient familyheirloom reel with drag problems.Nov. 25-26 – Rodney Winter of ElkRun, Minnesota, jumped 20 tarpon andboated four on a two-day trip.For more info on fishing or assistancein planning a trip to Costa Rica, contactJerry at jruhlow@costaricaoutdoors.comor visit www.costaricaoutdoors.com.Skippers, operators and anglers areinvited to contact Jerry with fishingreports by Sunday of each week. Call orfax 282-6743 within Costa Rica or writeto the e-mail address above.