With great fishing and a renewed focus on family fun, the Presidential Flamingo Fishing Rodeo presented by Marina Flamingo is set to take center stage in the world of sport fishing in mid-July 2025 in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica. Final registration and a welcome party hosted by Marina Flamingo and Gurme will take place on July 18th. Tournament fishing will take place July 19-20, with after-fishing fun each afternoon at Marina Flamingo.
The gala awards party takes place on July 20 at the marina and is hosted by Oceana Restaurant and Marina Flamingo. The event promotes conservation efforts both in Costa Rica and throughout the sport-fishing world, as well as assisting CEPIA, a nationally accredited non-profit organization which promotes culture, educational and labor opportunities, mental and physical health, participation and social cohesion in the coastal communities of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
The Rodeo is designed to put the fun back in tournament fishing, with a focus on families and junior anglers, minimal rules and low entry fees. Teams can fish for a wide variety of inshore and offshore species while enjoying some great weather and amenities which Flamingo has to offer.
There will be prizes and awards for junior anglers (boys and girls) as well as ladies and families. This year, tournament organizers believe they will host the largest fleet ever to fish this event, with 30 or more boats in attendance. New for 2025 is the opportunity for those who are a bit more serious about their fishing to participate in a series of optional jackpots for the top boats each day, as well as for the most marlin releases.
Flamingo Marina is the newest and one of the most upscale facilities of its kind in Central America. It can accommodate vessels of all lengths, with an array of premier services and amenities. Marina Flamingo currently offers 92 wet slips but will expand to 180 in the coming years. Slips can accommodate vessels up to 320 feet, and the marina also features a high-speed fuel dock as well as high-speed refueling and full immigration and customs services onsite.
The marina is an oceanfront wonderland of onsite restaurants, marina-view accommodations, a ship’s store and a VIP Club. Step outside the marina’s 6.2 acres of facilities and you’ll have access to many of the Pacific’s best white-sand beaches and many other world-class activities to enjoy.
For the offshore division, the base entry fee of $1,000 allows anglers to target all billfish species as well as dorado, tuna and wahoo. Billfish will be released and scores based on a point structure with video verification, while gamefish will be measured on board and released. There are separate categories for boats fishing in the offshore division using omnidirectional sonar and for those without omni sonar. This is the second year for this separate division, and it’s been well received by the participating teams.
In the inshore division, the entry fee of $250 covers a team of four anglers, while six can fish for $400. Eligible species include dorado, tuna, wahoo, snapper and roosterfish.
For more information including entry forms and rules, visit the Presidential Challenge website.
