Costa Rica will turn you on to the best fresh and salt water fishing !!!

Giant marlin, sailfish beyond number, high-jumping tarpon, record-class snook and a dozen or more hard hitting fresh water species… Costa Rica has them all!

Fishing just doesn’t get any better than you will find in friendly, peaceful Costa Rica, and because this is a small nation, it’s possible to enjoy it all on a single visit, perhaps with a day of white water rafting and tours to a volcano and rain forest thrown in.

The fishing areas on both coasts are serviced by regularly scheduled in-country airlines and charter flights. There is always plenty of action someplace in the country, but it varies with migratory patterns, seasons and prevailing wind, weather, currents, and other natural conditions at any given time. The best time to come fishing in Costa Rica? Whenever you can get here!
The best challenge, half day or full day tours, In shore or Off shore, catch and release policy. Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna, Dorado and much more, includes fruits and drinks. Needs fishing license.

Costa Rica is home to some of the best sportfishing and deep sea fishing in the world, with over 79 world records to its credit. Several different locations along Costa Rica's pacific coast serve as departure points for half-day, full-day, overnight, and multi-day fishing excursions, Golfito, Quepos, Papagayo, Flamingo Beach, Tamarindo, and Drake Bay.

In a perfectly timed yet totally accidental stroke of misbehavior, Jim Bruno has let us wander off our course and run over the lines trailing behind a neighboring fishing boat prowling in the same waters. Unfortunately they had just caught their first billfish and they are now waving and screaming at us. To rub salt into the wound, they have to watch on as we a bite, which now appears to be yet another 100-pound sailfish that our boy is reeling in. Ed is now on the radio apologetically trying to explain our little maneuver to the unhappy men on the other boat.

We have joined the Bruno’ and Riles on their Big Day Out Fishing. Jim and his wife, Shelby, are here with their three children accompanied by Tom and Michelle Riles and their teenage daughter. Residents of California, the two families are visiting Costa Rica on a trip that is a mixture of business and pleasure, with this tour on this top-quality, fully-furnished, 50-foot boat being a nod in the pleasure category.

The Catch Um is living up to its name in impressive fashion. By the end of the day our tally is a good-sized tuna, 13 mahi mahi, and five sailfish. Large billfish such as marlin, swordfish and sailfish are the prize catches and their abundance in the waters off Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast draws enthusiasts from all over the world who come here in the hopes of catching a legendary record-breaker. And with over 55 years of combined professional experience on board, we are in good company to do so. Both Ed McLain,  our captain, and Fausto, the second mate, possess a keen local knowledge. In this vast expanse of impenetrable blue, we go to the best spots where the cold ocean currents sweep in the predators we are looking for. Ed keeps an eye out for man-o-war birds circling overhead – a sure sign of big fish below. These are men who know what to look for, and when and how to find it.
They have a respect for their prey and an appreciation of the strength and endurance required to catch it.

The first catch is always the most thrilling. After barely arriving at the fishing grounds just after eight in the morning shouts of excitement go up and everybody crowds in to look. Fausto urges patience; if you start reeling too soon you’ll loose the fish. Jim. Who was the first in the chair wears a look of determination as his fish leaps in the distance. Finally it draws up to the stern of the boat. Everybody looks intimidated by the size of what has turned up on the other end of the line and nobody has the fain fest idea of what to do with it. Fausto steps in, expertly removes the hook, hoists the sailfish up onto the boat and onto Jim’s lap to pose for the cameras, lowers it back down to let water run through its gills and finally releases it beach into the ocean from where it came.

It was a remarkable close encounter. As everybody takes their turn in the chair it is interesting to watch the different reactions. For some the act of catching the fish is a victory that satisfies a primal urge. For others, the sight of this gasping creature close enough to touch is a source of wonder.
In between catches, the rest wander off to lounge in the main cabin, or take in the gorgeous costal views from the upper deck.
Its is a perfectly beautiful day. The water is as flat as glass and schools of dolphins and fish swim alongside us. “The fish are jumping” says Ed contentedly. “The other morning I was out here and there was four boats and each of them had a bald fish on the line at the same time. I wish I’d taken a picture.” Mark, the booking agent, counters with a story he has heard of local fishermen who catch a 500 pound marlin with a 100 pound tuna in its belly. Everybody has their own story and who knows how much the details have been exaggerated, yet curiously, it doesn’t really matter: the glory of fishing comes as much from the telling golf the story as it does from the catching. And that day each came away with his own that will no doubt grow a few inches taller with each retelling.

Costa Rica is home to some of the best sportfishing and deep sea fishing in the world, with over 79 world records to its credit. Several different locations along Costa Rica's pacific coast serve as departure points for half-day, full-day, overnight, and multi-day fishing excursions, Golfito, Quepos, Papagayo, Flamingo Beach, Tamarindo, and Drake Bay. On the Caribbean side, you'll find Tarpon and Snook, barracuda, kingfish, spanish mackarel, jack, grouper, snapper and others. The canals separating Tortuguero and Barra del Colorado are famous among the light tackle enthusiast.

Pacific

Here you can enjoy the most exciting fishing, with sailfish, marlin, tuna, wahoo, roosterfish, mackerel and snapper being caught regularly. This are is famous because of the abundance of billfish, with sailfish and marlin being taken in phenomenal numbers.

There are plenty of ports out of which you can fish in the Pacific. In the northwest province of Guanacaste, charter boats work out of Coco, Ocotal, Flamingo, Tamarindo and Carrillo. Further south, you can fish out of Puntarenas, Tambor, Punta Leona, Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Drake Bay, Golfito and Zancudo.

Northern Pacific

Cabo Blanco to the Gulf of Papagayo Flamingo Beach, is the major sportfishing center in the northern coastal area, but boats also charter out of earby Coco's beach, Tamarindo, Ocotal, Potrero, Brasilito and a few points in between.

Species in the area

Marlin: Caught 12 months a year. Peak periods are from November to early March and August and September.
Sailfish: May through August the top months.
Tuna: Peaking between August and October.
In addition to these, there are plenty of dorado, wahoo and roosterfish.

Central Pacific

Cabo Blanco to Drake Bay Quepos is center of fishing on the central coast, but there are charters avaible out of Puntarenas, the resorts at the southern end of Nicoya Peninsula, Jacó Beach, Punta Leona and at Drake Bay.

Inshore sport includes tuna, roosterfish, wahoo, dorado, jacks, mackerel, cubera, a varity of small snapper species and even snook.

Species in the area

Marlin: Caught 12 months a year.
Sailfish: The middle of December to the end of April is best rated.
Tuna: Peak months are June through September, but tuna is available year-round.
Snook: The rainy season seems to be best.

South Pacific: Golfito and Playa Zancudo

Golfito is the larguest town on Costa Rica southern coast. Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula and Zancudo beach. Zancudo is a narrow peninsula with miles of beach on the ocean side and bordered by several rivers on the other.

There are two modern marinas in Golfito, both offering fishing charters.

Light tackle fishing inside Dulce Gulf, with these provision of small caves and rocky islets and shoreline, is also good for small barracuda and snaper, corvina and occasional snook to over 40 pounds. There is also excellent snook fishing inside the Zancudo Penisula and further north, at the mouth of the Esquínas river.

Species in the area

Marlin: August through December is peak.
Sailfish: December to the end of March is best, then again in August and September.
Tuna: August through March is the best time for the 100 pounders.
Snook: The rainy season seems to be best.

Caribbean

About half a dozen fishing lodges are located in Barra del Colorado, Tortuguero and Parismina, all on the canals.

The canals and rivers of the northern Caribbean coast boast some of the best snook and tarpon fishing in the world.

The months of November and December see the highest volume of fish in the waters, as small snooks begin their journeys into the rivers.

Species in the area

Tarpon: December through May.
Snook: catches generally peak March through May, September and November.
Fat snook (Calba): become plentiful November through January.
Billfish: Most are caught between February and September.
Also caught in great numbers here are wahoo, dorado, tripletail, kingfish, Spanish and cero mackerel, jack crevalle and barracuda.

Some hotels where you can enjoy fishing are:

Northern Pacific

Flamingo Beach
Allegro Papagayo
Tamarindo Diria
Ocotal Resort

Central Pacific

Jaco Beach
Punta Leona
Aguila de Osa Lodge

South Pacific: Golfito and Playa Zancudo

Zancudo Beach
Golfito

Caribbean

Tortuguero