Northern Pacific Wide Open, Tarpon Steady

Tarpon action continues on the Caribbean, and blue-water fishing on the northern Pacific coast has been wide open, though there hasn’t been much action on the central and southern coast, as exemplified by J.P. Sportfishing in Quepos, which went only three sails to the boat in four days of fishing.

But, as typical for this time of year, the pace is  hot and heavy on thenorthern coast, for boats out of Carrillo, Tamarindo and Flamingo.

Wetass II skipper Sonny Kocsis in three days out of Flamingo last week caught and released two marlin, both more than 400 pounds, along with 20 sailfish. He said the sailfish count would have been higher, but his client hung one of the marlin on 30-pound line and a five-hour battle took the boat out of play.

I haven’t heard from anyone in the Golfito region for a couple of weeks, so I assume anglers getting out in that region are settling for the resident inshore species, which are plentiful throughout the year.

On the northern Caribbean coast, Río Colorado Lodge reports that David and Sarah Eisner from Colorado went to the lodge on the one-day jungle adventure tour through the TortugueroCanal, but decided to stay and fish an extra day – a wise move! Dad and the kids jumped 12 tarpon, boating six, along with 10 big jack crevalle.

The biggest fish caught by the family in the past was a six-pound trout, so the action made them believers. The largest of the tarpon caught and released was estimated at 165 pounds, and 12-year-old Max got an 85- pounder to the boat without help, lodge owner Dan Wise said.

He added that Allan Profozich from Houston, on a one-day trip, fulfilled what he said was a lifetime dream, boating a 100-pound and a 70-pound tarpon, and jumping several others.

Wise said the fish are just outside the breakers at the river mouth, and the river has dropped back to near normal for this time of the year.