Are you an avid angler but tired of being confined to local lakes and rivers? Have you ever wanted to try something more exotic, like deep-sea angling? Costa Rica fishing is for you then!
Sure, you can fish close to home. It is always fun to catch that little trout. Three-and-a-half minutes of fun. But, imagine catching the little trouts cousin (literally, its cousin), the great marlin, weighing in at hundreds of pounds and battling you for three-and-a-half hours!
Along the North Pacific coast, the areas of Flamingo and Tamarindo offer the most popular fishing spots. Here, sailfish can be caught throughout the entire year but the best fishing is from May to August. Tuna are abundant here during August to October. It is not uncommon to see tuna schools of 40 to 60 pounds as well as groups between 200 and 400 pounds. The bay of Papagayo from November to March is a great place to catch roosterfish. They tend to like shorelines and are usually caught in around 60 feet of water. Good sized marlin, colorful dorado, and the wahoo can also be caught here at varying times of the year.
Billfish are a popular quarry for those angling in Costa Rica and the Central Pacific coast offers them in abundance. Visit the waters off Quepos or the Los Suenos Marina from December to April to catch sails or marlin. From May though October you can often catch a vibrant dorado while trolling offshore. Tuna, wahoo, snapper, roosters, and snook are also available in this region and are found closer in. You will not be disappointed fishing here!
The South Pacific coast is home to the angling centers of Drake Bay, Puerto Jiminez, and the Golfo Dulce. Marlin (like the 400 pounder I recently caught and released) and sailfish can be caught when the waters are warm. There are lots of amberjack, roosters, wahoo, and large snapper inshore. The areas of Golfo Dulce are considered to offer the best inshore fishing in Costa Rica. It is very rocky with many coves where certain types of fish like to hide. Grouper, sea bass, and barracuda are some examples of what you can expect to catch here.
In the Caribbean waters of Costa Rica, the prominent centers are Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero, a world famous sea turtle sanctuary. These waters can often be extremely turbulent and for the best results should be generally avoided during rainy season. This lasts from January to March. However, on flat days, this region can offer some of the best angling around. This is where you can find the large and spectacular tarpon fish easily from May to November. These waters are also one of the very few places a lucky fisherman might catch the rare Atlantic sail. Snook (some really big) are abundant here. You could also bring in a Jack Crevalle, tripletail, giant grouper, or guapote.
Costa Rica fishing is rumored to be second to none. Their bordering waters offer a staggering amount of fish species. For a great experience, Costa Rica sportfishing vacation packages can be found online and through travel agencies and there are many outfitters if you decide to go on a spur-of-the-moment.
So get out of your cubicle, away from your computer, and into the tropical sun and surf!
The writer lives in sunny Costa Rica and has a popular website about Costa Rica Vacations. For thousands of sportsfolk, Costa Rica Fishing is the highlight of their Costa Rica trip.

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