Strong fishing in Southern Zone; tarpon at river mouth and upriver on Caribbean

The Club Amateur de Pesca’s 30th annual International Sailfish Tournament was held last week at the Crocodile Bay Resort in Puerto Jiménez, on southwestern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Ten boats competed, with teams from South Africa, the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala and of course Costa Rica. The group landed a total of 150 fish over four days, with the Guatemala team taking top honors. South Africa finished second and Puerto Rico third (full results listed at end of report).

At Crocodile Bay and at Zancudo Lodge across the Golfo Dulce, the fishing continues to be strong. The sail numbers have dropped, but the marlin have been making a show this week. Richard Schrader, 88, from Denver, Colorado, took his first sail on a fly and landed a 50-pound dorado.

Rudy Dodero has been running from Dominical on the southern Pacific coast up to the Furuno Bank to do some deep jigging. His clients have been rewarded with amberjack, broomtail grouper, jack crevalle and bluefin trevally.

Up in Quepos and Los Sueños on the central Pacific coast, anglers are working hard for their fish. The good sailfish bite has slowed a bit, and marlin have been really scarce, according to Rolando Chaves.

Over on the Caribbean coast, Dan Wise of Río Colorado Lodge in Barra del Colorado reports fish being taken at the river mouth. Rough seas have forced anglers inside, but both Wise’s boats and Eddie Brown are catching tarpon upriver as well.

Mike Lilla reports the backwaters of the Río San Juan, on the border with Nicaragua, are coming alive with guapote (rainbow bass). Fishing with Dr. Alfredo López of Río Indio Lodge, Lilla hooked one close to 10 pounds that ended up breaking his 30-pound test line.

Skippers, operators and anglers are invited to email fishing reports by Wednesday of each week to todd@crocodilebay.com. To post reports and photos on The Tico Times’ online fishing forum, go to ticotimes.net/Weekend/Fishing/Fishing-Forum.

Club Amateur de Pesca 30th International Sailfish Tournament Results
March 27 to April 2, 2011

1st place: Franz Hoffman
2nd place: Bruno Rodríguez
3rd place: Johan van Jansen

1st place team: Asociación Nacional de Pesca Deportiva de Guatemala (Franz Hoffmann, Gustavo Merck, Juan Manuel Cobar)
2nd place team: Protea (South Africa) (Paul Borcherds, Leon Nel, Johan van Jansen)
3rd place team: Puerto Rico Light Tackle (Bruno Rodríguez, Tito Muntaner, Max Gamboa)