Lake Arenal contains primarily two different types of fish, the
Machaca and Rainbow Bass. The Machaca are flashy acrobatic fish which
can reach 9 lbs. within the lake, and perhaps 15 lbs. in norther and
coastal rivers.
More prone to stike smaller and faster lures, ultra
light and light spinning gear spolled with 4-8 lb. monofilament line is
the rule. Fly fisherman should be using 8-10 wt. rods and 9 ft. leaders
and smaller (size 4-8) poppers and streamers.
The Rainbow Bass, which
ranges in size up to 16 pounds, spawns year round and is found
throughout the fresh waters in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and
Honduras. Generally speaking, the same tackle used to catch large mouth
bass will be adequate here, i.e. surface plugs spinner baits, and
rattle traps.
Monofilament of 12-20 lb. is recommended with a "shock
tippet" of 25-40 lb. Fly fishermen are advised to use rods of 8-10 wt.
with 9 ft. leaders and large poppers, medium sized streamers in bright
or lighter colors.
• 31' BERTRAM FLYBRIDGE SF.
• 220 HP Twin Detroit Diesel.
• Bausch Marlin-Tower.
• Full fighting chair.
• Schaeffer outriggers.
• Penn International rods and reels: 12, 20, 30, 50, 80, spinning.
• 550 and 650, flyrod 12#.
• All IGFA tackle.
• Life-bait-well.
• Marine radios, GPS, radar, depthsounder.
• Coast guard approved safety equipment.
• Open Cabin.
• Marine toilet.
• Freshwater Tank (30 Gallons).
BLUEFIN I :
26
Foot Custom Sportfisher, 250 HP Inboard Cummins, tower with full
controls, IGFA Tackle, Penn International Reels, LEE Fighting Chair,
cabin with a bed, Marine Toilet, Captain and Mate with many years of
experience in Fly Fishing, and Catch & Release.
BLUEFIN II:
28
Foot Custom Sportfisher, 315 HP Inboard Cummins, tower with full
controls, IGFA Tackle, Penn International Reels, LEE Fighting Chair,
cabin with a bed, Marine Toilet, Captain and Mate with many years of
experience in Fly Fishing, and Catch & Release.
BLUEFIN III:
33
Foot Boston Whaler, Twin 315 HP Cummins, tower with full controls, IGFA
Tackle, Penn International Reels, LEE Fighting Chair, fully equiped
cabin, Marine Toilet, Captain and Mate with many years of experience in
Fly Fishing and Catch & Release.
REEL DEAL-33 FT. STRIKE :
A
superb costa rica fishing boat that can accommodate 4 people fishing
comfortably. Reel Deal is the ultimate Costa Rican Fishing Boat. It was
designed exclusively for this purpose. This 2000 33 ft. Strike provides
all the amenities including a fully air conditioned cabin. It has an
amazing 13 1/2 ft. Beam and is powered by twin Diesel Cummings Diamond
Addition 370 HP engines. A full Tuna Tower and Fighting chair
accommodate anglers for the best fishing.
32' 1998 BLUE WATER II :
Custom
crafted open sportfisherman for your maximum excitement, powered by
twin Cummins 260 H.p in board diesel engines and equipped with full
cabin. includes marine toilet 5000 ft. foruno depth finder, G.P.S ,
radar, Penn international reels, Pompano fighting chair , live bait
well, Coast Guard safety equipment and plenty of cover from the sun.
1998 32-foot custom-made fiberglass body also designed with a spacious cabin specifically for fishing!
Twin Turbo-Charged Cummins Diesel engines @ 260 HP each (also very fast!)
Quepos is the center of fishing on Costa Rica 's central Pacific coast, with 50 or more professionally equipped boats in the 27-feet-and-up range, and smaller boats well-suited to the excellent inshore angling in the area. Some sails are taken throughout the entire year. It's seldom more than a 12- to 20-mile run to the blue water where most of the billfish action is found.
Boats out of Quepos also offer multi-day trips to the Drake Bay and Caños Island area, over-nighting at one of the several lodges centered around Drake Bay and there are a few boats based at Drake Bay , also a top diving area. This region is best known for its wahoo, big cubera and roosterfish, but there are also tuna, dorado, sails and marlin.
Marlin: October is normally the top month for marlin in this area, but action is also good in September and November. Occasional blues and a rare black are likely to be found anytime of year.
Sailfish: Mid-December to the end of April is rated the best season, but the big schools often move in about October and stay longer. A few sails always show among the catch from June through September, mixed with the other species that are found inshore during those months.
Tuna: Found throughout the year as they are all along the Pacific coast, but most abundant from about June through September. Most are the eight to 12 pounders, but a dozen or more over 200 pounds and maybe another two dozen in the 100- to 200-pound range are taken every year.
Wahoo : Pretty rare in the area around Quepos, but more abundant in the late summer farther south, especially the Drake Bay and Caños Island area from late June to early August.
Dorado: Best action begins with the winter rains that start in late May and wash debris from the river mouths, creating the inshore trash lines that the dolphin like to lie under.
Roosterfish: Fishing for this hard-hitting inshore species is little short of incredible with the best spots off the river mouths and the rocky drop-offs. Exceptional at the mouth of the Parrita River; Palo Seco between Parrita and Damas; just outside Damas; off the mouth of the Naranjo River; around the points at Dominical Beach and throughout the Drake Bay area. Best fishing is during the summer months, from June through early September.
Snook: Best spots are just off the many river mouths along the coast, up the Sierpe River and in the big lagoon on the Sierpe. The world-record Pacific black snook was taken a couple years ago in July just off the mouth of the Río Naranjo on a charter with Capt. Jim Geary. Although it is a new fishery, the best months seem to be from July through November during the heavy rainy season.
Flamingo Beach, with its full-service marina, and nearby Tamarindo, Nosara, Samara and Playa Carrillo are the sportfishing centers in this area.
As previously emphasized, fishing will vary with prevailing conditions, but here's how it generally runs for the more popular species. Look for winds north of Cabo Vela from about December into mid-May.
Marlin: Caught every month of the year, with mid-November to early March exceptional, then slowing a bit from April into early June when it picks up again, peaking in August and September
Sailfish: Caught throughout the year, with May through August normally the top season. They may begin to thin out in September, with the slowest months running through November.
Tuna: Peak months are usually August through October, but when all else fails, there are always tuna, anytime of the year. Yellowfin and some bigeye tuna to over 350 pounds are sometimes found well inside the Catalina Islands , 30-minutes or less running time from the beach, while schools of 12 to 20 pounders can frequently be found under the birds and dolphin, spread for acres on the outside. Dorado: More properly known as dolphin, these colourful gamesters are most abundant from late May through October when the seasonal rains flood the rivers that carry out debris, forming trash lines close inshore they like to lie under. Troll past a floating log and you'll likely hook a Dorado.
Wahoo: Caught in limited numbers throughout the year, the best showing begins about the time the rains start in May, peaking in July and August. Most are caught around rocky points and islands, but you may pick one up occasionally fishing offshore as well.
Roosterfish: Available all year, but more are caught in the Papagayo Bay area and around the islands from October through March.
Golfito is the center of activity on Costa Rica 's southern coast. It's a rare day during peak season that boats don't raise a dozen sails and a marlin or two, along with plenty of jacks, runners, mackerel and perhaps an amberjack, roosterfish or big snapper inshore. Light-tackle fishing inside the bay off Golfito, with its profusion of small coves and rocky islets, as well as off the shoreline, is good for small barracuda and snapper, corbina and occasional snook to more than 40 pounds.
Across the bay there are lodges on Playa Zancudo, a narrow peninsula with miles of beach on the ocean side and the confluence of three rivers on the other side. Operators offer day charters and three- to five-day packages with all meals, lodging and an open bar. One of the lodges there has posted more than 40 IGFA records on various species. Fishing the drop-off outside Matapalo produces sails, marlin, tuna and other blue-water species, and inshore there are roosters that average more than 30 pounds (a couple up to 100 pounds), grouper, jacks, barracuda, trophy-size Pacific cubera snapper and more.
Zancudo operators also offer snook trips that have become increasingly popular during the past couple of years, working the river mouths and estuary at Zancudo, while some of the boats out of Golfito fish snook north of there, at the mouth of the Río Esquinas. C
Marlin: August through December is peak season, but an occasional blue or black may be taken most any month if the water temperature is up. This year, the marlin bite was incredible from February in March, with some to 750 pounds.
Sailfish: A few taken off and on year-round with the exceptional fishing from December through March. Often slows from April into early June, then picks up again and begins to peak in August or September.
Tuna : Best fishing for the bigger ones corresponds with marlin and sailfish season, but the schools of footballs can nearly always be found outside.
Dorado: Best runs are traditionally from late May through October
Wahoo: Not abundant, but an occasional wahoo may be taken most any time of the year while trolling offshore for billfish, or around the structure off Matapalo. Roosterfish: Region is famous for its big roosters and they can be caught virtually any month of the year, some to nearly 100 pounds.
Snook: All year, but best from middle or late May through July and January and February.
