www.CostaRicaTicas.com

For the last 4 years, I travel (2-3 times annually) to fish out of Los Suenos. We stay at the Copa and have yet to have a mediocre time. Always enjoyable.

As for Los Suenos, it is a beautiful Marina and the fishing is usually good enough to keep me returning.

Through many trips, I've found the boat, and maybe more important, Captain and crew that I really enjoy fishing with. I prefer to spend the day on the deck, watching the teasers, lines and bait, and setting the hook myself, opposed to just being handed a rod with a fish on the end of the line.

The boat and crew I use are serious about fishing, yet not so serious that they jump my ass if I fail to hook a fish that has been raised. When I screw something up (and I have fished enough to have made almost every bone-head mistake an angler can make), I talk to the Captain and crew for advice on what I could/or should have done differently. I have now learned enough so as not to be a total idiot sports fisherman.

As example, last week fishing 2 days with 2 boats out of Los Suenos, we raised 5 Blue Marlin and landed 3, landed 20 sailfish and 5 dourado. I know that many boats report better days, but I know for damn sure there are boats that have lesser days.

As for Hotel and nightlife, the Copa and Beatle bar keep me and my group thoroughly entertained. And the golf course, La Iquana is a lot of fun to play when we take a day to golf. Also, the little lady in kitchen of the Copa does a great job when we are lucky enough to bring home fresh Mahi Mahi or tuna.

After each trip, I sit and assess my trip and wonder if I should I try something different. I tell my self, "self, why change a good thing?" Until I have a mediocre or bad trip, I guess I will keep fishing out of Jaco/Los Suenos.

My time and trips to CR are so precious to me that I do not want to take the chance of a bad boat/crew/mongering/hotel experience.

But, I keep wondering if I am limiting myself by not trying other locations and boats in CR, such as Quepos and others.

I’m inviting opinions and discussions from the CRT brotherhood on advice, opinions and recent “war stories” on combination fishing and mongering trips in other locals other than Los Suenos and the immediate Jaco area.

Hopefully Mucho Gusto will chime in as he appears to be very experienced and salty.

OFT

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Cigar smoking doesn’t reduce us, it elevates us; It makes us more content to be alone, or it helps us to enjoy our companions. It encourages us to dwell on the simple moments and celebrate the sublime.
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Hung like Einstein and smart as a mule.
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You're not drunk if you can lay on the floor without holding on.

We keep returning to Golfito for the fishing yr after yr. Like you, comfortable w/ the people/accomodations. Have to do our mongering in SJO(coming and going) but after full days on the water, sashimi/drinks, followed by dinner are about all this old phart can handle. Great fishing Jan/Feb/Mar for sure! Duk

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There's one thing that turns my stomach...a warm pair of tits on my back.

I have fished from Quepos, Los Suenos and Crocadile lodge.
fishing at Crocodile Lodge is better to me or should I say more variety.

You need to take your own chicas with you which I prefer on a multi day trip you can restock or have new ones delivered from San Jose

Quepos only advantage is it is cheaper, boats from Los Suenos often go there and book at 30 - 40% less or locals with small boats offer a very interesting trip at half the price

Caribean coast is also great for fishing but you defenitely need to take your own chicas

Old saying if it aint broke don't fix it

OFT sounds like you have a good thing going. No need to change unless you feel like your getting board with it. I am kinda opposite. I am a big time fisherman back in the states and don't want to do the samo-samo in CR.

I spend my days in SJ and take day trips quad running, rafting........
I think I might plan a trip to the Lemon side for a couple of days on my next trip to explore. Fishing would put a crimp in my budget. Quad running I can do all day for $80, rafting $100. Van pickup at hotel with meals included.

OFT,
I just read your thread, and (since you asked), I'm chiming in! This post is in response to your inquiry, as well as providing info for any newbies who want to try some of the best offshore fishing in the world, in some of the most fertile waters anywhere.

After reading the above quote, I can't help but wonder.... what are you looking to change, and why? It's been said before: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". And let's go a step further: "If it ain't broke, DON'T BREAK IT"!

You said that you've had numerous trips offshore, all of them great, and that you've found a captain/crew that you "click" with. Hell, they even trust you enough to let you throw your own 'pitch-baits', and hook your own fish. Maybe it's just me, but that sounds like a helluva winning combination. You're fishing with a great captain/crew, and you're consistently catching fish....EVERY TRIP! Why would you EVER want to change that???

You seem like an experienced angler. And with experience, you certainly know that when it comes to offshore fishing, there are no guarantees.

I've fished up and down the Pacific coast of CR, from the most Southern parts of the country (Golfito, Zancudo, Drake Bay), to all the way North, up into Nicaraguan waters, and everything in between. While I've never had a "bad" day of fishing in CR, I've certainly had "mediocre" days, and of course "stellar" days on the water. There are just so many variables to the equation, you never know what's going to happen. But there are things that you can do to increase your chances for a better trip.

Success and / or failure offshore can happen because of many factors, i.e., tidal conditions, currents, moon phase, upwellings, red tide, water temp, air temp, ocean conditions, quantity of live bait in the area, weather, water clarity, fishing pressure in that area, etc. And all of these factors are completely out of your control. Then, throw in the "human" factor, i.e., inferior tackle and/or equipment, bad knots, pulled hooks, crappy rigged baits, dull hooks, trolling speed too fast/slow, poor boat handling once you're hooked up, inexperienced angler, inexperienced leader man, noise from diesel engines vs. outboard motor(s) etc.....

The way I see it: If the fish are there, I'm gonna catch 'em. And if they're not around, nothing you do will bring fish to the boat. Because of this, I always try to fish where I know the fish will be. And with the Costa Rican fishery, there's always fish somewhere. Pelagic fish (tuna, dorado, wahoo, etc) can be found year round, almost anywhere along the Pacific coast. But, for billfish (Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Striped Marlin), you need to know their migratory patterns to improve your chances of having a great day.

In an effort to save myself some typing, here's an excerpt from a PM that I sent to a CRT member last year. He was contemplating his first offshore fishing trip in CR, and wanted some info. Here's what I sent him:

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The billfish are usually the most sought after species (Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Striped Marlin, Sailfish), and they migrate from the South (the Golfo Dulce area - Zancudo / Golfito) to the Central part of the country (Dominical, Los Sueños, Manuel Antonio,Quepos, Jaco), then up to the North part of the country (Playa Carillo, Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playa del Coco).

Although they (billfish) are caught year-round along the entire Pacific Coast, the larger concentration of fish are primarily located in the Southern region of the country, from November thru February. Then the larger concentration of billfish migrate to the Central region of the country, from February thru May or June. Then, they'll migrate towards the Northern part of the country, from June through October.

As far as "meat" fish for the dinner table, those species are around throughout the entire year. The only factor is (depending on the season) they might be closer to shore or farther out, based on water temperature. Dorado (mahi) can be caught anywhere, anytime. Same thing with Tuna and Wahoo. All 3 species are great eating fish, and they'll all yank your arms off! You will always pick up Dorado and/or Wahoo while trolling for billfish. For tuna, all you need to do is find a school of porpoise's. There'll always be tuna in the mix. They usually range in the 20-30 lb range, but they are great for tuna steaks, or sushi!

Some of the inshore species are very strong also. Roosterfish, Cubera (or Dogtooth) Snapper, Barracuda, Needlefish, Bonita, Jack Crevalle, grouper, etc... They're all fun to catch, and most of them fight like a freight train, but you can't keep the Roosterfish, as it is a sportfish, and most (if not all) captains will let you take a picture, then you must release the fish. Cubera Snapper and Grouper are great table fare, and you can keep those, but they're not as plentiful. Needlefish, Barracuda, Jack's, and Bonita are shit fish. Good fight, but the meat sucks.

The key is to let the captain know exactly what you'd like. It seems that most people want to go after billfish, and 99 percent of the time, the boats are set up and rigged for Marlin and Sailfish. But if you want "meat" for dinner and the freezer, you must let them know this in advance. It makes a big difference in where they'll take you, what type of lures / bait they'll use (naked ballyhoo, skirted baits, hi-speed lures, live baits, etc), type of trolling spread they'll put out, and the speed of the boat.

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OFT, you also mentioned about your trips to CR, and combining fishing with mongering. I think you already know my take on this, but here's a thread to refresh your memory:

https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/vi ... ng+hookers

Hope some of this info helps. Best of luck to you on your next offshore trip!

Mucho Gusto

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had really good meal and then returned to that same restaurant and order the same meal and it’s not near as good as you remembered? I sometimes try to repeat or recreate good times from the past and sometimes they leave me a little disappointed.



Didn’t say I was consistently catching fish every trip. May have seemed that way as it appears I was “beating my chest” after a particularly enjoyable fishing trip last week. For sure I have had disappointing days on the water in terms of fish caught and very long lulls of nothing but watching bait and teasers. None the less, I enjoyed the day on the water. Oh, and I surely know that there are no guarantees when it comes to offshore fishing. For certain, I have consistently enjoyed my stays at the Copa and the “cultural exchange” with the girls in town. The accumulation of many things made me say that “I’ve yet to have a mediocre time/trip.”

I was just curious of others experiences in CR in terms of a combination of fishing, mongering, nightlife, comfortable accommodations, etc. Hell, I thought I may get lucky and someone would put me on to a good boat/crew and some insight into a DIFFERENT slice of heaven in Costa Rica. That was all. Heck, I’ve already sent my deposit on the same boat out of Los Suenos for mid April. I guess I’ll just take a chance and see if that mediocre trip happens this time.

Pura Vida,

OFT

_________________
Cigar smoking doesn’t reduce us, it elevates us; It makes us more content to be alone, or it helps us to enjoy our companions. It encourages us to dwell on the simple moments and celebrate the sublime.
_______________________________________
Hung like Einstein and smart as a mule.
_______________________________________
You're not drunk if you can lay on the floor without holding on.

Start talking about fishing and MG turns into Prolijo.

OFT,
I misunderstood you. My bad.

Because of the above quote, I thought you meant that you have never had a bad trip "offshore". Apparently, you meant that you've never had a mediocre or bad trip to CR, not just fishing. Now I understand what you were saying.

My advice, take a chance and just go somewhere different. If you are looking for a change, try a trip to the South, in places around the Osa Peninsula. Billfishing is red hot this time of year down there. Or try some places to the North, like Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playa del Coco, etc.

Nowadays, I primarily fish up in the Northern Pacific coast, due to business and personal obligations in that area. If you'd like more info on the scene in Northern Guanacaste, send me a PM, and I'll do my best for you. I'm there one weekend per month, so maybe we can hook up some trip, and we'll fish together.

Prolijo.... You see what Orange wrote here ?!?!?! I'm taking it as a compliment! Orange, I'll see you next week, BEE-OTCH !!!!!

MG

_________________
You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

MG,
Thanks very much for taking the time to share your experience. The information is well thought out and is really appreciated by this "accidental angler". You mentioned tha the there is a good concentration of billfish in the Central region of the Country from Feb thru May. This makes me optimistic about my upcoming April fishing trip out of Los Suenos. I will be taking a couple of friends/clients who have never bill fished and have hopes that they will get to feel what it is like to have a billfish at the end of their line.

As I approach 50 this coming Sept., I'm realizing that "the older I get, the better I was."
I remember the first time I pitched a bait. The captain and I talked about pitching the bait as they pulled the teaser in, how I let the fish take the bait, wait, and then set the hook. I was ready and at attention. We raised a sailfish and I grabbed the rod and pitched the bait toward the right teaser and promptly "bird nested" the reel/line. The Captain was a mad sumbitch who was hot enough to screw. I can go on and on.

One thing for certain, I hope we do cross paths while in Costa Rica and can take time to swap stories.

Thanks again MG.

OFT

_________________
Cigar smoking doesn’t reduce us, it elevates us; It makes us more content to be alone, or it helps us to enjoy our companions. It encourages us to dwell on the simple moments and celebrate the sublime.
_______________________________________
Hung like Einstein and smart as a mule.
_______________________________________
You're not drunk if you can lay on the floor without holding on.

I have a feeling that you're going to have a great trip in April. The nice thing about April.... is that (depending on recent weather patterns) if the fish aren't straight out of the marina, then they're inevitably going to be a little South of Los Sueños, or a little North. But, either way, you'll still be within reach! Plus, most of the reputable crews keep daily tabs on where the fish are chewing, so they should know exactly where to go.


It's my pleasure. It's just too bad that you won't be in CR next weekend. I'll be taking a couple wingmen fishing next Saturday (2/3). I plan on catching some live baits in the morning, then slow-trolling inshore for Roosters, Amberjacks, Cubera and Dog-Tooth Snapper. We may also hit a couple bottom spots, for pargo and grouper. Once we put enough "meat" in the cooler for dinner (for ourselves and the hotel staff), we'll head offshore for some billfish, dorado, wahoo and tuna. I'll let you know how it went, after I return home.

Tight Lines,
MG

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!