Southern Pacific very fishy

The southern Pacific took top spot fishing again this week after weeks of just so-so fishing. Here’s a rundown from north to south.

Up in Guanacaste, they are finding a few marlin and sails well offshore, and a dorado here and there, which is much less action than a couple weeks ago. Inshore, there has been lots of roosterfish activity off Santa Elena and Playa Blanca.

The Los Sueños area reported slow fishing this week with a few patches of red tide.

Pez Vela marina activity is picking up. There are patches of red tide out to about 20 miles. Beyond that, the water is clear and marlin and sailfish are starting to move into the area. Some dorado are being picked off under floating structures.

Down south, the fishing has been really good with constant marlin action in recent weeks. Thursday, my boats ran into patches of red tide and shut things down.

Fishing recap

Here is a recap from a report that got posted Thursday morning, before the ugly algae moved in.

We started our season with an invasion of the British, which hasn’t caused such a stir since the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan, and here the marlin liked the beat. David Plummer hosted a group including honeymooners Richard Perry and Loraine Chant along with David Leavesley and Martin Wickes. The marlin gods shined on Wickes, who bagged a pair at 200 and 300 pounds apiece. Leavesley fished a day with Sheena Banton from South Florida and the two took a smorgasbord of inshore species, including a 60-pound roosterfish, a 40-pound amberjack, snapper, jacks and other inshore species.

The Chants also added a bunch of species to fish list including marlin, sailfish, snapper, roosterfish, jacks, Bluefin trevally and bonito. They were at the top off the leader board almost every day, and if their marriage is as good as their first fishing trip, they are bound to have a long happy one.

Another group from across the pond was Gary Hincks, Mick Tutt and Mick Fullan, who have kept me in stitches with their British humor. The have also caught a lot of fish including raising five marlin, hooking four, and landing two in one day. They have also caught some nice fish shore fishing on their “non-fishing” days. Some just can’t get it out of their system.

Our first customers of the season were also from non-U.S. locations. Ernesto Stoecklin from the Dominican Republic and Henry Looser from Switzerland have been fishing buddies for a long time. Roosters, dorado and Looser’s big snapper were among their catch, and I especially enjoy conversing with Stoecklin about marine conservation efforts.

The boss hog

Good friend and host of Big Water Adventures Mark Davis is filming his third show at the resort. The man is a perfect example of what preparation, talent and a little luck can do for a fishing trip. Using the new Sebile Popper, he bagged a 35-pound jack, a 30-plus-pound snapper, and a rooster of 70 pounds or more – all in one morning. This will be seen on the 2013 season of Big Water Adventures. Enjoy the photos.

Angela Eubank, fishing with her husband Jason, took her first sailfish yesterday and had to take the customary first dive in the water after landing her fish. This is usually done at the dock but we let her off light and let her use the pool. They just missed a marlin yesterday, and if they get it today, the ceremony will definitely be done on the pier.

Over on the Caribbean

Only the lack of fishermen is keeping the tarpon numbers down. The ocean has calmed, and lots of fish are awaiting anglers. The first runs of calba (fat snook) are starting to arrive in Barra del Colorado, which is a good sign for December and January, when the calba season peaks.