No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveBillfish bite hot in Guanacaste; calm seas, plenty of tarpon on Caribbean

Billfish bite hot in Guanacaste; calm seas, plenty of tarpon on Caribbean

Most of the offshore action on the Pacific side has been in the northern Guanacaste region. A good number of sails and dorado are biting. Action is still good off Playas del Coco, and Richard Chellemi reports the sails are being cooperative. Marlin also are popping up here and there, so it seems northern Costa Rica is the hot spot for billfish as of late.

On the central Pacific coast, at both Herradura and Quepos the billfish bite slowed this last week. In Quepos, boats bottom-fishing have been taking some nice snapper and grouper. Along the coast, the roosterfish, jack and sierra mackerel continue to take both live bait and trolled diving lures.

Down south off the Osa Peninsula, the billfish action was slow this week and only a few boats were out on the water. A few smaller dorado and wahoo have been taken, but it seems the great tuna bite that lasted almost two weeks is over for now. The weather is improving and the dirty water inshore is clearing up, so the inshore action should pick up any day.

Tarpon keep pounding both bait and jigs on the Caribbean side. Yesterday the water was as flat as a pancake and boats could drift right through the river mouth, where normally they are dancing with waves to get outside. Boats are getting up to 20 bites a day and landing four to six tarpon each. The snook action has been slow, but, with the calm waters, anglers should be able to comfortably fish the areas where they like to hang out.

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 wordpress-257819-2837440.cloudwaysapps.com/Weekend/Fishing/Fishing-Forum.

Trending Now

Argentine Sierra Becomes the Surprise Story of the French Open Women’s Draw

Argentina's Solana Sierra has become one of the most improbable stories of the 2026 French Open, reaching the third round at Roland-Garros as a...

Costa Rica Hosts Expotur 2026 as Tourism Arrivals Continue to Rise

Expotur, Costa Rica’s main tourism business fair, will return to San José from May 27 to 29, bringing international buyers and local tourism companies...

Fonseca Shines, Etcheverry Falls as Latin Americans Split French Open Opener

The second Grand Slam of the tennis season opened Sunday at Stade Roland-Garros with a mixed scorecard for the Latin American contingent, as 19-year-old...

Costa Rica Route 27 Sinkhole Forces Major Traffic Detours

Traffic on Costa Rica’s Route 27 remains heavily disrupted after a large sinkhole opened near Coyolar in Orotina, forcing the full closure of the...

Peru’s Ignacio Buse Stuns Tommy Paul in Hamburg, Ends 19-Year ATP Title Drought

Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse outlasted American sixth seed Tommy Paul 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday to win the Bitpanda Hamburg Open, capturing his first...

Costa Rica Braces for Rain and Thunderstorms as Tropical Wave Moves Through

Costa Rica will see unstable weather from today through June 3, with warm mornings followed by afternoon and early-evening rain across much of pur...

Costa Rica Tourism Brand Cancels Uber Alliance After Backlash

Costa Rica’s nation brand, esencial Costa Rica, and export promoter Procomer reversed a tourism marketing alliance with Uber just one day after announcing it,...

Costa Rica’s La Negrita Basilica Hit by Gunfire as Worshippers Attended Mass

Costa Rica's most important Catholic pilgrimage site was struck by gunfire during Saturday morning Mass, with two bullets shattering windows on the south side...

Costa Rica Risks Losing Earthquake and Volcano Monitoring Network

Costa Rica could gradually lose part of its ability to monitor earthquakes, track volcanic activity, and issue early warnings if the country does not...
Avatar
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador

Live prediction market odds via Kalshi. Updates every 60 seconds.
Kalshi is available to US residents 18+. The Tico Times may earn a commission from new signups.

Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel