Last word I heard from the Caribbean side is that tarpon fishing is fair and snook fishing good. Several snook have been landed near the river mouths, most in the 15- to 20-pound range. The increased presence of the Coast Guard in the area has put all illegal netting to a halt, and this year’s calba (fat snook) run has been better than it has been in years. Calba is a smaller species of snook that average 2 to 5 pounds and can reach up to 10 pounds.
Over on the Pacific coast, in northern Guanacaste, Capt. Jesús Vallegas didn’t have very good news. He said a combination of high winds and cold and dark water has kept the fish from being active. Anglers are catching a few inshore species, but most boats have stayed in port because of rough water offshore.
Carlos Rojas of JP Tours in Quepos and Rudy Dodero both reported that on the central Pacific coast the water is much calmer, and a few sails and a marlin here and there are being caught and released. A few tuna are being taken, but the ocean seems to be devoid of dorado (dolphinfish).
Inshore anglers are taking snapper, roosterfish and mackerel.
It was better news down south off the Osa Peninsula, where marlin and tuna made a very good show this week. The tuna were running with schools of spinner and spotted dolphins, and several fish over 100 pounds were taken. Lots of marlin were popping up in the teasers, mostly in the 150- to 300-pound range. Ann Pizzi from the U.S. state of New York managed two in one day, weighing in at 250 and 350 pounds.
Inshore has been a little slower as the roosterfish and snapper seemed to take a vacation during the holiday week. Mike Bailey from Toronto, Canada, did manage to fool a 35-pound cubera on a popping lure.
Skippers, operators and anglers are invited to e-mail fishing reports by Wednesday of each week to todd@crocodilebay.com or info@costaricaoutdoors.com, or call in reports to Dan Wise at 8816-2882. To post reports and photos on The Tico Times’ online fishing forum, go to wordpress-257819-2837440.cloudwaysapps.com/fishingforum.
