Action improves on Central Pacific, remains good on Caribbean

Things are picking up on the central Pacific coast as the water slowly cleaned itself after the October downpour. Boats out of Los Sueños and Quepos are all reporting billfish showing in the area as well as dorado and tuna. Greg Penley checked in to say the Hook had a great day, releasing two striped marlin and going six for eight on sailfish. The inshore fishing has improved with the cleaner water, and roosterfish and jacks have been hitting along the beaches.

In the north, Guanacaste continues to produce billfish, and dorado have been reported up near Playas del Coco and to the south outside the Gulf of Nicoya. There are still enough billfish as well as roosterfish to make anglers happy outside the park at Santa Rosa.

Down south, the inshore action has topped the offshore fishing, with plenty of roosterfish and cubera snapper action both inside and along the beach outside the Golfo Dulce. Boats out of Drake Bay have seen some yellowfin tuna up to 30 pounds. Those looking for a trophy will get almost a shot daily for a marlin if they put in the time. Liam Collins from Ireland tried fly-fishing for sails and ended up hooking a 150-pound blue marlin. He didn’t land the fish, but what an experience for your first try on a fly rod! Most of the other marlin taken by conventional methods are running 150-300 pounds.

The fishing is still good on the Caribbean, according to both Diann Sánchez of Río Colorado and Eddie Brown out of Tortuguero. It doesn’t look like the bite is ever going to end, as the area has enjoyed excellent tarpon fishing for over two months.

Todd Staley is the fishing manager at Crocodile Bay Resort in Puerto Jiménez, on southwestern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. 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.