Fish Mostly in South; Big Bass Taken on Caribbean

THERE aren t a lot of fishermen in Costa Rica this close to Christmas, but the crowds should start coming in within the next week or two, and hopefully we will be getting more reports.

The heaviest concentration of fish on the Pacific coast is still in the south, where Roy Ventura reports from Roy s Zancudo Lodge that a handful of anglers last week scored three to five sails a day and a lot of tuna, including a pair that ran 150 and 200 pounds.

Inshore fishing produced a lot of roosterfish, including one that weighed in at 50 pounds, Ventura said.

Farther north, Quepos sources report only two boats on the water last week, with J.P. Sportfishing s Wild Lady and Sea Lady each releasing three sails a day, along with three dorado.

We had a similar report from the boat Manta, fishing out of Quepos, but nothing from boats fishing north of there, so we suspect very few are getting out.

ON the Caribbean coast, Río Colorado Lodge reports that on Dec. 11, Brian Saliba, from Mississippi, nailed one of the biggest rainbow bass we ve heard about in a long time a 7.3-pound lunker taken on a buzz bait in the back lagoon (see photo).

The lodge also reports that the Pritpal family, from Canada, had 15 tarpon in the air with three to the boat for release on Dec. 15 and 16, while fellow Canadian Rick Wall caught and released an estimated 110-pound tarpon on a fly rod at Agua Dulce Lagoon, fishing over Dec. 17-18. They also nailed five snook, all running five to 15 pounds.

The fat snook are solid in the area, as evidenced by guide Wendy Hodgson, who on Dec. 17 paused the tour boat for a half hour and caught five, jigging the bottom at Samay Lagoon.

We would sure like to get more fishing reports for this column from skippers, lodge operators and fishermen. Call me on Sundays or early Monday of each week at 282-6743.

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.