Your Costa Rican Fishing Trip is Waiting

You probably know that Costa Rica is a small nation in Central America just north of Panama and south of Nicaragua, a prime vacation spot for surfers or those just enjoying warm, tropical weather and white sand beaches. But did you know that Costa Rican also offers some of the best sport fishing in the world?

Off the west coast of Costa Rica lies the Pacific Ocean along 631 miles of pristine coastline. But the wonderful thing about Costa Rica is that it runs along the Caribbean Sea on its east coast, with 131 miles of coastline that are often wild and less visited.

The total EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) is 366,367 square miles in the Pacific Ocean and 14,912 square miles in the Caribbean Sea. That means in total, Costa Rica’s marine area is about ten times larger than its land mass.

The waters off the coast of Costa Rica are definitely not overfished, as commercial fishing makes up only 0.32% of the national Gross Domestic Product. Likewise, a significant portion of Costa Rica’s land, shoreline, and marine area are designated as protected natural reserves and parks.

The sub tropical weather makes perfect conditions for sport fishing, with average temperatures of 70-81 degrees F and lower humidity and better offshore winds than most of Central America. The ocean and seas in Costa Rica are known for being unusually calm, and there are plenty of bays and isthmus coastline to keep the sea conditions easy to navigate and fish.

What time of year is best for sport fishing in Costa Rica? The good news is that there really isn’t an off-season, thanks to the startling diversity of fish and marine species that live in both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Generally, fishing on the Pacific is best during the dry months of December through March, while fishing for Tarpon and other species on the Caribbean side is best during the months of August and January.

What kind of fish might you catch in Costa Rica?

Off shore big game includes:
Marlin
Sailfish
Tuna
Yellow-fin tuna
Mahi-Mahi
Snapper (red snapper and cubera snapper)
Amberjacks
Dorado
Wahoo
Rainbow Runner
Tarpon
Corvina
Grouper

How about in-shore fishing?
Rainbow Bass
Machaca
Snook
Roosterfish
Big Cuberas
Mackerel

To make the fishing experience even more enjoyable, there are also many species of fish and mammals you may encounter, like:
Whales
Porpoises
Manta Rays
Sea turtles
Sea birds

Is fishing in Costa Rica only for experienced anglers?
No matter what your skill level as a fisherman, from first-time beginners to veteran sport fisherman and even professional anglers, a guided fishing expedition in Costa Rica is the perfect place to spend a day on the water.

How abundant are the fish in Costa Rican waters?
It’s not uncommon for our clients to return to shore at sunset after catching easily 20 fish or more each. In fact, we often see fisherman hook two fish at once, especially with some well-populated species like Sailfish.

There are also some HUGE fish in Costa Rica’s waters! In deep waters, we’ve seen Marlin running up to 600 lbs. or more. With Marlin, Dorado, Yellow-fin, Wahoo, and other types of fish you’ll definitely have a fight on your hands and have to earn it, but the photo of you standing next to the monster fish that didn’t get away in Costa Rica will look great in your office back home!

What do you have to do to set up an unforgettable fishing trip in Costa Rica? Just contact us and we’ll literally take care of every detail, making sure you sport fish in comfort with the best conditions and equipment.

What boats are in out fleet? For short-run or longer fishing expeditions, choose from our 30’ Custom Flybridge Express (Hoo’s Up), 36’ Topez Express Sportfish (Hoo’s Your Daddy), 34’ L & H Walk-Around Express (Epic), 28’ Center Console Panga(Vanejo), or 31’ Carolina Custom Express (Miss Behavin).

We have the best English-speaking and American captains and crew in all of Costa Rica and keep a fleet of top boats. We can set you up to try dredge fishing, bait and switch trolling, vertical jigging, live baiting and casting poppers and just about any other way to get fish into boat you could think of. Our boats are all equipped with GPS, color fish finders, emergency first aid kits, and state of the art big game fishing rods and tackle.

Of course we’ll have plenty of great food, snacks, and coolers full of ice cold beer on board. We can even stop at remote beaches and reefs so you can jump in the water and snorkel, spearfish, explore the wildlife, surf, or just enjoy the sunset, all with the most breathtaking views of tropical beaches and jungle rainforests you’ll ever see.