Are you stuck in a windowless office all day, dreaming of tropical blue water, fresh air, and sun? Do you enjoy angling or have you always wanted to try it? Costa Rica fishing is world famous. There are many different species of fish to catch because Costa Rica is bordered by two oceans.
Of course, you can drop your line in your own backyard. It is always fun to catch that little trout. Three-and-a-half minutes of joy. But, think about catching the little trout's cousin (literally, its cousin), the great marlin, weighing in at hundreds of pounds and battling you for three-and-a-half hours!
Along its Pacific Gold Coast the areas of Flamingo and Tamarindo offer the most popular fishing spots. Here, 100 pound sails can be caught every month but the best fishing is from May to August. Tuna are frequently along this coast during August to October. It is not uncommon to come across tuna schools of 40 to 60 pounders as well as groups with fish weighing between 200 and 400 pounds. The Bay of Papagayo from November to March is a great place to catch fighting roosterfish. They often prefer to be along shorelines and are often caught in around 60 feet of water. Good sized marlin, colorful dorado, and wahoo can also be caught here at varying times of the year.
Sailfish are a popular target for those angling in Costa Rica and the Central Pacific coast offers them in abundance. Fish the waters off Quepos or the Los Suenos Marina from December to April to catch sails or marlin. Between May and October you can often catch the vibrant dorado while trolling offshore. Snappers, wahoo, tuna, battling snook and roosters are also common in these waters and are found closer in. You will not be disappointed fishing here!
The South Pacific coast is home to the popular fishing centers of the Golfo Dulce, Puerto Jiminez, and Drake Bay. Marlin and sailfish can be caught when the waters are warm. You can expect to find lots of amberjack, roosters, wahoo, and large snapper inshore. The areas of Golfo Dulce are said by some to offer the best inshore fishing in Costa Rica. It is very rocky with many coves where certain types of fish congregate. Grouper, sea bass, and barracuda are some of the species you can expect to catch here.
The Carribean Coast of Costa Rica contain the fishing areas of Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero. Although these waters are often very choppy, you'll encounter some great fishing on calm water days. The battling tarpon gamefish are very common here from May to November, and some reach more than 150 pounds. This coast is one of the only places where you might catch a rare Atlantic sail. Other fish like snook are also readily available.
Whether you are a professional or just an avid fisherman, Costa Rica fishing offers a terrific, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime experience. There are plenty of outfitters and even sportfishing vacation packages offered for the area. If you want to get in the brilliant tropical sun and have a great time angling, you cannot go wrong with Costa Rica.
Victor C. Krumm writes from sunny Costa Rica in his beautiful
Costa Rica Vacations site. Visit here to learn more from wonderful
Costa Rica Eco Tourism opportunities.
