www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Fellas, I really could use some help here. My trip has expanded from 5 people to 7 people and we are a bit confused about the fishing aspect of our trip. We have been told that we definitely need to arrange this before we arrive, and are scrambling to figure out what to do. (by the way, is that true? Or can we book it once we are there, even on a busy weekend like our Memorial Day? We are looking to fish on Friday the 26th out of the Jaco area)

When it was five of us, we were simply looking at 35' boats and assuming each person would get plenty of fishing action since I hear you can catch fish with a bamboo rod baited with a tin can. Now that there are 7 of us, we are a bit concerned about cramming onto one boat. We obviously know that much like the movie "Jaws", we will "need a bigger boat", but are concerned about whether it is better to put us all on one big boat or get two smaller boats.

In other words, since most/all boats seem to have just one fighting chair, will there be enough action for all to get a turn, or will we be spending big money to watch our friends catch a fish, hoping to get our turn? Do they do any styles of fishing where numerous people can fish at once, like bottom fishing for grouper in Florida, or is it all trolling or the like where only one person can fish at a time once you get a hit? Or are there any boats where there are more than one chair?

Any help or suggestions here would be greatly appreciated.......

Lots of websites for deep sea charter operators. More options out of Quepos, an hour and 30 south of Jaco. Find High Tec's website, and call John--he'll know it all.

PM a guy on the board with the handle Captian. He can give you the scoop on the boat, bookings, etc.

Frankthetank,
There are some bigger boats (45' - 55') that'll accomodate up to 7 anglers, but it'll cost about the same as 2 smaller boats. The big boats will be in the $1,400 - 1,500 (per day) price range. But it's still 7 guys on ONE boat. Plus, that doesn't leave much room on the boat if you decide to take along a chica or two! And don't forget the 15-20 percent customary gratuity for the crew.

IMHO, you should get 2 boats. You can find them in the $700 - 800 per day price range, and each person will have more time on the rod (no pun intended).

Best bet is doing a search on the web for charter boats. You'll find a ton of them out of Jaco and Quepos, with Quepos probably being your best bet. If you can book them ahead of time, it's probably a good idea, but it's not crucial. If you don't get a boat ahead of time, you should still be able to book one (or two) through your hotel.

Most of the boats will run offshore, and troll for billfish. Either that, or they'll stay inshore and slow-troll live baits for roosterfish and cubera snapper. I've never chartered a "bottom fishing" boat in CR. But I'm sure they're available. But the charter company would have to know this ahead of time, so they can catch the live bait before you get there, the night before or the morning of your charter.

Also, keep in mind that the larger concentration of fish are moving North this time of year. The biggest numbers are being caught on the Pacific side.....from the Carillo / Samara area, all the way up to the North, between Flamingo / Playa del Coco areas.

Bamboo rod and tin can ??? I don't know about that. The fishing in CR is good, and the waters are fertile. But you still need a captain that knows what he's doing, and where he needs to go to find the fish. Some days, the fish are chewing, and other days it's mediocre. The fishing can turn on and off like a light switch. You might catch a dozen fish today, and then get skunked tomorrow in the same area. If you're a sport-fisherman, then you already know this. Nothing is guaranteed.

And don't worry about a boat with 2 fighting chairs. I've never fished in CR on a boat with 2 fighting chairs. Most of the fish that you catch will be fought 'stand-up' with a harness, on 30 # class tackle or less. The only time we sit in the fighting chair is when we hook into a fish over 300 lbs. Other than that, it can all be done "stand-up".

Have a great time.

Mucho Gusto

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

Mucho Gusto,

Your legendary status is solidified in my book. Thanks for taking the time to write that. Your advice is sound and very appreciated!

In other words, you da man!

Good luck Frank.
When you return, send me a PM to let me know how you did. I'll be fishing out of Flamingo a couple weeks after you, on Saturday, June 10th. I'll let you know how it goes.

By the way....if you're running to the fishing grounds in the morning (or back to the marina at the end of the day) and you run through a school of porpoises, tell the mate to throw out a tuna feather or a cedar plug. Within a couple minutes, you'll bring a yellowfin tuna or two (or three) to the boat, and you can enjoy fresh sushi that night! That's about as close to a guarantee as you can get!
Tight lines,
MG

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