Marlin madness in the Central Pacific

The fishermen in the Central Pacific are no longer singing the blues. They are screaming the blues. Blue marlin have been appearing daily, and anglers are getting their fill. A few sails are also coming up into the spread. Reports out of Primo Tackle in Herradura say boats are getting multiple hook-ups on marlin, and after a few mediocre weeks, folks are smiling again. Bottom fishing continues to be fruitful.

Folks in the Guanacaste area report a good a dorado bite going on, with some marlin and sails still hitting. After a couple of slow years with dorado, this may be a good sign, particularly because the the dorado season has yet to arrive. Inside, amberjack, snapper, jacks and some wahoo are keeping anglers busy and supplying a few tasty meals.

Down south there hasn’t been much fishing going on, as several of the lodges close for the month of October. Local anglers report a good snook bite out of Carate, and Saul Porras even jumped a 100-pound tarpon off the beach. Tarpon are not indigenous to the Pacific, but a small population has worked its way through the Panama Canal over the years and set up camp in Pacific waters.

Tarpon on the Caribbean are still hitting sardines as well as jigs, and the ocean is flat. If you have a chance to slip over to the east side of the country, now is the best time to do it. A good snook bite also reported at Agua Dulce, a few miles north of Barra del Colorado.  

Kids Fishing Tournament

Children aged 7-12 will compete in a catch-and-release tournament next Saturday, Oct. 13, in Puerto Jiménez, on the pier at Crocodile Bay. The event is free and sponsored by FECOP and APTC. This will be the third tournament, and the goal is to teach youngsters responsible fishing.

The first two tournaments in Quepos and Puntarenas were great successes.  For more info, call Jeanette Pérez at 8387-2731 or Silena Ceballos at 8510-7542.