SPORT FISHING IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF COSTA RICA

When you think of Sport Fishing, then Costa Rica as a country is one of the places that should come to mind. This is because, over the years, Costa Rica has been able to serve as home to many different successful Sport Fishing companies that have provided exciting Sport Fishing to thousands of anglers over the years. From inshore fishing from the mouth of the Golfo Dulce Bay to vastly populated deep waters, the Southern Zone of Costa Rica provides a wealth of success for catching many different species of fish. Taking a trip to the Southern Zone of Cost Rica for a vacation or for some very serious sport fishing, or for both, we can help explain many benefits that we hope will help provide information, if you are considering making Costa Rica your next vacation destination.

The Southern region of Costa Rica has become much more accessible for travelers, and as always, offers access to the Holy Grail of sport fishing, the hunt for the great Blue Marlin. If you want to enjoy a cool and serene environment and some of the best sport fishing on the planet, the southern zone of Costa Rica might be the place for you. All of the fun in the sun you want, topped off with an exhilarating experience of battling and landing a blue marlin or catching a wide variety of other species of fish year-round in the southern zone of Costa Rica. If you want to be the hero of your family or fishing mates, this is how we suggestions on how you can do it.

As we begin to point these opportunities out to you, we believe you should already be packing for your Costa Rica fishing trip. However, before you proceed on this journey, we would like to give you some helpful hints that you should know about Sport fishing in Costa Rica.

SPORT FISHING IN THE SOUTHERN ZONE OF COSTA RICA

First and foremost, we will be talking about sport fishing in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica. This is to ensure that your sport fishing adventure is a success. Yes, they still call it fishing and not catching, but here are our suggestions to give are opportunities to give you the best chance for success. There are various popular fishing areas in Costa Rica that you could go to in order to enjoy quality sport fishing but in this post, we will be pointing you to the Southern Zone, a trusted place in Costa Rica where you will have the successful Sport Fishing adventure you are looking for.

Osa Peninsula:

This place is home to a whole lot of successful sport fishing that we will be discussing in the course of this post. Apart from serving as the perfect Sport Fishing Spot, the Osa Peninsula can also serve as a resort for engaging in Water Sports or Beach activities. There are various options available to you on the Osa Peninsula depending on the type of budget you have planned out for the trip. We suggest that you do your research on your accommodations properly so that you choose an option that’s within your budget.

Puerto Jimenez :

This may no longer be the best-kept secret, but has been one of the best Sport Fishing hubs in the country. There are several Sport Fishing companies that operate out of Puerto Jimenez and it’s not by mistake. It’s also one of the most non-touristy communities in all of Costa Rica but still offers just as much fun and culture as any place in the country. It’s the best place in the Osa Peninsula when offering all of the amenities and resources you may need to make a vacation more complete and convenient. The Osa Peninsula has been acknowledged as one of the most pristine and still somewhat undiscovered in places Costa Rica and Puerto Jimenez and its surrounding communities such as Matapalo and Canaza, is centrally located and the perfect spot to call home base. The Osa until recently wasn’t very accessible by road. Over the last two years, the government has completed building a newly paved road to cross the pass from the Pam-American Highway out to the Peninsula. No more long and rough 4×4 rides to get to this destination. Now you can enjoy a nice comfortable ride of about 30 minutes as you wind through pristine rain and cloud forests, experiencing the sights and sounds of immense tropical vegetation. Once arriving, you will be surprised to find all sorts of things to do. Not only will you find some of the best Sport Fishing in the country, but there are also many other opportunities to experience and enjoy. There are water tours for whale watching, and swimming with a year round pod of dolphins in the Golfo Dulce Bay. There are horseback riding activities, snorkeling, sailing, ziplining, surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking mangrove tours, nature hikes with waterfalls, and guided tours to The Corcovado National Park, the largest national park in Costa Rica.

Puerto Jimenez has its own airport, banks, ATM’s, hotels, a hospital, and many different restaurants with lots of different cuisines such as French and Italian, and of course, you can enjoy your typical Costarican flavorful dishes that include fresh seafood, as well as other dishes with tropical fruits and vegetables grown locally and organically. If you are choosing to vacation in Costa Rica and want to visit the southern region, we definitely recommend the Osa Peninsula and Puerto Jimenez specifically if you want to experience true Costa Rican culture along with about every activity offered anywhere else in the country. You should also be able to meet any budget. There are quaint off the beaten path affordably priced boutique hotels, along with higher end more exclusive private beachfront properties in hidden tropical settings.

TYPES OF FISHING IN THE SOUTHERN ZONE IN COSTA RICA

You name it…The next essential we shall be sharing in this post for people who want to go sport fishing in Costa Rica is different and most popular species of fish available to catch on and what port available to get you started on your fishing trip. Costa Rica is renowned for having some of the best sport fishing in the world. More than 30 years ago sport fishing was key to helping put Costa Rica on the map to becoming one of the best tourism centers of the world. Costa Rica offers so many different varieties of fish to catch to satisfy anyone’s appetite.

We shall be taking a look at the many different species of fish available in Costa Rica. Note that there are varieties of fish that you can catch but in this post, we www.marlinsportfishing.com. shall be focusing on the Holy Grail of All Fish – The All Allusive Blue and Black Marlin.

DORADO: Or mahi mahi or also commonly referred to as dolphinfish is a surface-dwelling fish found mainly in deep waters throughout Costa Rica. They are a fierce fighting fish and very abundant in the southern waters year round. They range in size of 3’ to 5’ up to about 50lbs. They are sweet tasting fish that and a favorite menu item in most restaurants up and down the coasts of Costa Rica.

YELLOW FIN TUNA: Another type of fish that most sport fishing travelers like to catch when on a trip to Costa Rica is Yellow Fin Tuna. These fishes are numerous along the Pacific and can be caught at any time of the year. It’s not uncommon to catch as many as you wish throughout a day of fishing. They are commonly caught for bait fish for Blue and Black Marlin.

WAHOO : Wahoo is another type of fish that you can catch on a Coast Rica Sport Fishing Trip. They rarely swim in packs but common to catch one or two when fishing for something else, so a fun surprise. They usually start showing up around May and stick around through October.

SAILFISH : You want to sport fish? Catch a sailfish. This is one of the most athletic fish available in Costa Rica. They are fast and energetic which means they are not an easy fish to catch. They can be a finicky at times but are always in the southern waters of Costa Rica. They are protected and respected as a catch and release by all professional captains.

ROOSTERFISH : Roosterfish are very aggressive and easy to catch inshore all year round. They aren’t a good eating fish but a riot to catch. They are brutal fighters and commonly caught between 30 – 50 lbs.

RED SNAPPER : Another type of fish available for sport fishing in Costa Rica is Red Snapper. They are a year-round fish and caught inshore, sometimes as close as a ½ mile from shore near rock masses and when you get one on, there’s no fooling around. It’s man against beast. If you don’t turn them before heading to the rocks, he’s probably not coming in the boat. It’s common to catch a 50-60 lb. Snapper but I’ve seen bigger. This is a favorite fish to catch for the native Costa Ricans. They are plentiful and great tasting. They are also a great catch if you want to night fish. It’s not uncommon to buy fresh caught Snapper from the locals selling them on the side of the road.

SEA BASS : Also known as Corvina to the locals. This is a delicious fish and commonly caught on smaller lures in clear water river mouths going into the ocean, so best in the dry season to avoid runoff from the mountains of the rain forest, but they are always around. Sea bass filets are thick and sweet white meat. You can commonly find it on the menu of fine dining restaurants all over the US if that tells you anything.

MARLIN : Remember we said we would be paying major attention to Marlin Fishing in this post. The southern waters of Costa Rica are full of Blue and Black Marlin. Both tend to be similar in size and they are found all over the world. Several record fish have been caught in the waters of Costa Rica, and although it’s not uncommon for their travel pattern to be a radius of 2000 miles in search of food, they can be caught year round in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica.

Both fight with enormous power, but both use it in very different ways. Blues will make their initial runs in every direction with incredible agility when hooking one up in the beginning but then will go deep and stay there until the tier. Bringing a blue marlin up from deep can be an exhausting task. The black marlin, on the other hand, won’t go as deep and will shoot out of the water more continuously, requiring heavier drag for longer periods of time than the blue. Either way, you are in for the fight of your life.

There is nothing more exhilarating and challenging that an avid sport fishing angler will experience when deep sea fishing and it brings a whole new meaning to the word teamwork. Marlin are aggressive and can swim up to 90 miles per hour. Hooking one up is the easiest part of the process. Once the Marlin is on let the ciaos begin. They are guaranteed to give you a show as they shoot across the water dancing, flipping, and slashing violently, constantly changing directions as they try to spit the hook. The captain must stay focused on maneuvering the boat forwards, backwards, left to right, trying to anticipate what the fish will do next. Once the fish is on the mates have their jobs cut out too as they follow the captain’s commands as he watches and follows the direction of the fish. They must keep the fighting belt tight as the fish drags the angler from side to side on the boat. The reel needs constant watering to keep the line cool from overheating. Keeping the drag tight is critical as the Marlin is constantly looking for the opportunity of any slack for a split second to spit the hook. Given the chance, it’s game over, and the rods go back in the water for the hunt to begin again.

Finding the right captain and crew is key. My best advice is to do your homework to find a good captain who specializes in Marlin fishing. If choosing the Pacific of Costa Rica as your destination, the warmest waters are typically at least 50 – 60 miles off shore and that’s where going to find the Marlin. Our advice is to choose a captain that has a larger boat suitable to deal with any weather. Conditions might be great, but you can’t always be sure. If you’re going to spend the day on the water you want to spend it fishing, not fighting the chop or staying dry if it’s raining. Smaller boats with narrow beams make it more difficult to stay out of the elements. You also want to be sure the boat is equipped with larger inboard engines if you want to do it right. You want to be on a boat that’s going to spend more time fishing than getting to and from the best waters for fishing. In short, the bigger boat with large engines than can run at higher speeds is a good sign that the captain is truly equipped for successful Marlin fishing. Be cautious of smaller outboard boats with narrow beams. A lot of boats can’t or won’t run so far out in one day because of fuel costs and time restraints. Captains with larger boats will be pricier because fuel costs are higher when running farther, and larger boats are more expensive with higher maintenance, but if you’re going to go through so much effort and expense just to get ready to fish set yourself up for success and remember, you get what you pay for. I have found that in Costa Rica you should expect to budget between $1500 – $2000 per day of Marlin fishing and more if you want to do an overnight trip. If you find someone who says they can do it for less, they are probably cutting corners and you’re probably going to pay for an expensive boat ride.

A Marlin is a very smart and a very hard fish to catch, but definitely worth the wait!

BLUE AND BLACK MARLIN FISHING

One of the most exhilarating activities that Sport Fishing anglers can engage themselves in is Blue and Black Marlin Fishing. It is always a great delight when you hit the Costa Rican waters and you are able to hook up a Marlin which is by far one fish that most anglers view as the Crown Jewel. Some of the amazing qualities they possess, making them a most sought after fish is its size, it’s speed, and its ferocious fighting spirit.



Location

Blue and Black Marlin have similar patterns and will commonly travel distances of 2000 miles in search of food. Both can be found in virtually any tropical ocean located around the world This means that they can be found along the warmer waters in the Pacific and Atlantic, with a steady year-round flow in the southern zone of Costa Rica. Reproduction in these waters is plentiful, sustaining population that has encouraged a steady flow of sport fishing anglers for many years.

The Size

The size of a blue marlin varies directly with the Gender of the blue marlin with an adult male blue marlin will not weigh more than 350 – 400 lbs., a female adult blue marlin can weigh up to 1000 pounds. World record Marlin have been recorded in the Pacific waters of Costa Rica and many of them in the Southern zone.

Methods

In order to be able to catch a blue or black marlin successfully, there are various techniques and methods that can be used.. Here at www.marlinsportfishing.com, our captains use of different strategies and some of them are the use of lures, as well as rigging live bait. All the methods we use have been tried and tested over time giving us confidence that you will get the Marlin you are looking for.

Physical qualities

As pointed out earlier, Blue and Black Marlin fish are very similar in size. There are opinions that the Black Marlin is considered stronger than the Blue Marlin because it has a lower dorsal fin and has a more rigid body but both will give you the brutal battle you are looking for.

What they eat

Marlin can otherwise be referred to as power predators and this is because their meals consist mainly of any form of small fish ranging from tuna to cuttlefish but there is no limit to the type of fish they will eat because in essence, they will hunt down any fish smaller in size to them.

Availability

If you know how to find them, Blue and Black Marlin are present all year long in the waters of the Southern zone of Costa Rica. Any time of the year is safe to plan your fishing vacation.

Techniques

Because of shear strength and the fighting spirit of Blue and Black Marlin possess, they are not very easy to land. However, here at www.marlinsportfishing.com, we have some tested and trusted techniques and strategies that we apply to catching Marlin, giving you the best opportunity to get your fair share on your next sport fishing trip.

Hopefully this post has helped to educate you with the Southern Zone of Costa Rica and the fishing opportunities it has to offer. We would also like to know what you think. We are always interested in other perspectives on Blue and Black Marlin fishing and love to hear about your experiences too. What type of Marlin do you prefer and why do you prefer them? Any suggestions and additions are also welcomed.