Costa Rica Sport Fishing

Costa Rica Sport Fishing

The waters of Costa Rica are lengendary and the feisty game fish to be found here give anglers a rod bending fight to remember.

It's a sure bet that at least one International Game Fishing Association (IFGA) will be broken every season in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica holds the world record for marlin and sailfish catches in international tournament history. It also has posted more "grand slam" records (all three species of marling and or more sailfish caught in the same day) than anywhere else in the world. The country's strict catch and release policy ensures the continued health of the game fishing population for years to come.

Sportfishing on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast
Snagging the big one can come really easy on the Pacific side, where game fish run offshore year-round. In good years the Pacific Ocean here seems to be boiling with marlin, tuna and wahoo - all fighting to get a bite on your hook. The big draw here is the blue marlin - the "bull of the ocean." Although they are present year round, the prime months are May, June and July. This is also when tuna begin to school close to shore and Dorado fishing is at its best.

Generally, the fish move seasonally, with summer months offering the best catches in the Golfo de Papagayo, while winter months are best in southern waters centered on the Golfo Dulce. Playa Flamingo and Tamarindo, Jaco and Quepos Manuel Antonio and Golfito, respectively, are the sportfishing centers. Due to high winds during the winter months in the Golfo de Papaygo, many sportfishing operators move their fleets south for the season.

Large trophy-winning snook, a smaller yet aggressive adversary weighing up to 30 punds can wear you out. Not surprising, Costa Rica also holds the all-tackle IGFA world record for this fish.

Costa Rica's Caribbean and Lowlands
Offshore fishing is limited off the Caribbean coast, here anglers cast their light-tackle lures in river estuaries, bacwater lagoons and wide rivers that extend inland from Tortuguero and Barra de Colorado, the two major sportfishing centers.

The fish of choice is tarpon, the so called "silver bullet" that can weigh up to 150 pounds (68kg). It is no surprise that Costa Rica is also the world's premier site for tarpon, notorious for putting up a fight like no other.

From August to January, they return from the Caribbean Sea to spawn in the calm river mouths and anglers generally stand knee-deep in the estuaries or the surf, where the best catches are reeled in. The biggest of Costa Rica's Caribbean rivers, the Rio Colorado, fed by the Rio San Juan can be fished far inland at a fistfull of different sportfishing lodges. Inland, the waters of Cano Negro offer superb opportunities for tarpon and snook, whil Laguna de Arenal is renowned for its guapote (rainbow bass)