www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hello fellow mongers. Ive been to CR quite a few time since my first visit in 2001, but I'm thinking about coming back down again in January for my usual activities but with a new twist. I find San Jose terribly boring during the day, so usually I book a tour somewhere, then begin mongering when I get back in the evening. Ive done all the tours but I never have done any fishing there... and now I think is the time. So now I have some questions aimed at the veteran fishermen.
I will be solo and I want to fish during the day and monger at night. That place would be Jaco. So....
What are the charters that take singles and how much would I expect to pay? Can I sign up online?
The thing that baffles me the most is if you catch a large fish, then what do you do with it? How do you bring a 100lb bill fish on the plane back to the states? Seriously, what do you do with all that fish? I would assume the charter guys would cut it up and all but can you pack all that fish and bring it home? I did know a guy who fished down in cabo and brought it back to the states and had a big fish fry at a local bar. It was some of the best fish I ever had.
Any other info would be appreciated...

I hope this thread gets lots of discussion because I have many of the same questions.

Diveman,

I'll give this one a shot. Since you're talking about billfish, I can only assume that you're interested in doing some offshore fishing, as opposed to inshore. With that in mind, I'll do my best to answer your questions:

Q - What are the charters that take singles and how much would I expect to pay?
A – There are many charter companies, captains & crews out there. And no two crews operate exactly the same way. Most, if not all, companies will take you out as a single angler. Nobody's going to turn down your money! But, unfortunately, the cost for the day on the water will be the same, whether you're a single or 4 guys. They're still using the same boat, equipment, tackle, fuel and time to run offshore, regardless of how many anglers are on the boat. The only difference is – if you've got 2 or 3 other anglers, naturally you can split that cost. But the boat's going to make the same money, regardless of how many guys there are.

The average cost for a full day offshore will vary between companies. Often, the cost will depend on the size of the boat. The bigger the boat, the more it costs. Full day prices should average around $750 - $900 for the full day. But don't be afraid to negotiate that price! After all, this is Costa Rica! The price should include all tackle, equipment, bait, drinks & snacks. And as always, a 15-20% gratuity to the crew is customary.

Q - Can I sign up online?
A – Yes, you can find lots of charter operations online. Also, most hotels in SJO & Jaco can arrange the trip & transportation for you. If you're already in Jaco, you can also just go down to the marina and talk to the different crews before they leave in the morning, or when they return to the docks in the afternoon. Then pick the one that gave you the best “vibe”. Again, don't be afraid to negotiate!

Q - ... if you catch a large fish, then what do you do with it? How do you bring a 100lb bill fish on the plane back to the states? Seriously, what do you do with all that fish? I would assume the charter guys would cut it up and all but can you pack all that fish and bring it home?
A – First of all, you won't be keeping any billfish, so you don't have to worry about that one. All sportfish are “catch & release”. This includes all Sailfish, Marlin (all species) and Roosterfish. Killing & keeping any type of sportfish is SERIOUSLY frowned upon by the majority of the captains/crews. This is their bread and butter, and they don't want to deplete the numbers of sportfish, so they'll let you take your pics and then revive & release the fish.

Regarding other species of fish (Tuna, Dorado/Mahi, Wahoo, Snapper, Grouper,etc.), you'll have to ask the captain about this. Most boats will let you keep your fish, but some will not. I've found that - as long as you give them (the captain/crew) a couple of filet's for their dinner, they're usually good about letting you keep your fish.

Now... What do you do with 100 lbs of fish filet's after the trip is over? This is something that you'd have to discuss with your airline. Every airline has different policies about bringing ANYTHING back into the states from a foreign country. If they allow you to bring back fish, you will have to declare it. Plus, it must be in an insulated, air-tight / water-tight container, and it must be checked in as regular luggage, not carry-on. But hold onto your ass, because it's a pretty good bet that they're going to charge you anywhere from $50 - $100 or more to do this.

A few years ago, I brought back 73 lbs of boneless fish filet's to SJO from Playa Flamingo for a CRT party at the Hotel M via one of the local airlines. I remember it was 73 lbs, because Nature Air charged me exactly $73 (one dollar per pound) for the cooler of fish to fly! But it was some damn good eatin' !!!

Normally, when we go offshore fishing in CR, we'll only keep what we can eat for dinner that night, and give the rest to the crew. But when we have a stellar day on the water, with tons of meat in the cooler, then we'll bring it back to the hotel and give some of it to the hotel staff, or we'll give it to a couple different local homeless shelters, or drop off some to the local police station, or distribute the meat to a bunch of the local townspeople, or all of the above. We've managed to make a LOT of friends over the years by doing this!

Hope this info helps. I've got a little experience in this area, but you may get lots of different answers from other guys. As I mentioned, every company is different, so nothing's in stone. But this info should hopefully give you a guideline and get you headed in the right direction. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.

Pura Vida,
Mucho Gusto

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

The other thing I would encourage this guy to do some reading about a recent Ex-CRT Sponsor who reportedly bilked another CRT member out of 800 bucks. Let me know if you have trouble finding the thread; just do a search on Angry Marlin.

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

I think MG pretty much covered it all there. Great advice.

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Go Dolphins!!!

Thanks guys, and thanks MG for your excellent reponse! However there is one aspect that I would like to expand upon. Regarding getting on a charter as a solo, I have no intention of chartering a boat by myself, I was hoping to find a boat that would take me along as an addition with an established group or a collection of solo anglers.

As a whimsical thought, do any of you fisherman bring your chicas along? Once offshore can they all get naked? Is sex on the boat allowed? I've always liked the idea of getting a BJ while fishing.

Ok, the last part was just for fun...I have a very active imagination.

Thanks guys...see ya in January!

Diveman,

What you're looking for is called a "split charter". Unless you coordinate this ahead of time with other anglers, it is very difficult to pull off. Most people who are spending $1,000 +/- for a day of offshore fishing don't feel comfortable having a "stranger" fishing with them and cutting into their shared fishing time. Don't get me wrong... it's possible to go down to the dock in the morning and luck out and find a boat to fish on with another guy or a couple other guys, but it doesn't happen often. Post your dates in the "Roll Call" section of CRT, and you might be able to find one or two guys that will go with you and split the costs.


Active imagination? Why's that ??? You wouldn't be the 1st (nor the last) to have naked chica's on the boat sucking and phucking you! But I digress!

As long as the chica doesn't mind spending a day on the water, sucking & phucking in front of others, then normally the crew will not have a problem with it. And believe me... they want to see your chica get naked MORE than you do!!!

You want to phuck her while you're offshore ? Go for it!
You want her to give you a weenie-wash while you're reeling in a big fish ? Go for it!

Again, you wouldn't be the 1st to do that! Believe it or not, it's really not a big deal to do these types of things on a boat in CR. And those crews have seen it ALL! BELIEVE THAT !!!!!!

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

Pura Vida!!...lol

Thanks MG..youre the koolest!

Diveman, I will tag on a couple of things.

I like to wife-up when in CR. The chica that I took fishing loved it and loved doing the reeling. Rather than a BJ on the boat I opted for letting her have fun and went for the super sx back @ hotel that evening.

I'm in the same situation as you. Nobody to fish with. Wingman could care less about fishing....poker is his thing.

Have you noticed the guys don't talk about who to fish with or where. I think it is because of sponsors. Which doesn't really add up to me. If the sponsor's aren't doing something as well as other then this is a good place for them to see what they need to do to compete for our business.

Your right, there are some cool cats on this board. I just joined last month. I only have met two of the guys (Pops and Dean) both fun to visit with. Since I'm always wifed-up I don't get to hang out much but that may all change soon. Pops will probably be able to figure out who Rover is from this paragraph if he reads it.