Atlantic Packages

Caribbean Coast Fishing Odyssey

Fish are plentiful throughout the year in the waters off the jungle-lined beaches of Costa Rica's northern Caribbean coast. This thrilling six-day adventure is for anglers who wish to combine a true jungle experience with great fishing for tarpon, snook, wahoo and various other species. No roads lead into this vast region of wilderness, but getting there is all part of this great adventure.

Day 1
Visitors are met at the airport upon arrival and driven to the Hotel Fleur de Lys in San José in a comfortable minibus. The rest of the day is free for exploring the sights around the capital city.

Day 2
After being picked up early at their hotel, guests are transported to the airport for the 30-minute Sansa Airlines flight to Barra del Colorado. The only way to reach Barra del Colorado, on Costa Rica's northern Caribbean coast, is via the national airlines or a charter flight, which provide a great aerial tour, or by boat from Limón through the renowned Tortuguero Canals. Anglers are met at the Barra del Colorado airstrip and transferred to Silver King Lodge or similar, where breakfast awaits them. The boats and guides are rigged and ready, and visitors can fish all morning. Historically, lodges on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast have promoted tarpon fishing during the dry season, while snook traditionally peak during the wettest months of the rainy season. But fish are there year round, and if the river level drops or the surf is low enough to get outside the river mouth, anglers will probably catch some fish. The boat returns to the lodge at noon for relaxed lunch break before heading back out to fish the waters until dinnertime. Tarpon are always around, and can be abundant during flat days in October and November. Traditional high season is from December to May, but some of the best fishing can be found during June and July. Snook runs generally peak from February through May, and again September through the end of November. Fat snook, or Calba, tend to be most abundant from mid-November to late January, but often appear much earlier. When the boats can get outside to the blue water, anglers can find Atlantic sailfish and occasional Atlantic blue marlin almost any time during the year, but most often from February through September. Wahoo are also plentiful from early February to mid-June. Anglers can catch dorado just outside the river mouths throughout the year. Best fishing is when the river runoff washes out debris that forms inshore trash lines. Tripletail are generally caught from January through June, and Kingfish, Spanish and Cero Mackerel, Jack Crevalle and barracuda are abundant close to the shore anytime the ocean is calm.

Day 3
Fish all day, with a leisurely lunch break back at the lodge.

Day 4
Fish all day, with a leisurely lunch break.

Day 5
After an early breakfast, guests fly back to San José. They are met at airport and transferred to Hotel Fleur de Lys or similar for their final night in Costa Rica. Afternoon and evening is free to explore San José.

Day 6
Guests are picked up at their hotel and driven to the International airport for their flight home. Airlines require check-in two hours before time of departure.

Price for one or two persons: US$2,795 Includes Air and ground transportation from San José to Barra del Colorado and back to San José; three days fishing (on 23-foot center console boats for two anglers and guide); two nights lodging at the Hotel Fleur de Lys or similar in San José (double room with two beds); five nights lodging at Silver King or similar (two beds per room); all meals at fishing lodge. Open bar and beer at the lodge (domestic brands), beer and soft drinks on the boat. Use of tackle as needed.

Northern Pacific: Flamingo, Samara, Tamarindo, Carrillo and Cabo Blanco
Flamingo Beach, with a full-service marina, is the major sport fishing center along the northern Pacific coast, but boats also charter out of nearby Coco's beach, Tamarindo, Ocotal, Potrero, Brasilito and a few points in between. Further south, boats operate below Cabo Blanco, out of Nosara, Garza, Samara and Carrillo beach, a region that gets more protection from the winds that normally blow from late December into March and April. Boats from the northern coastal areas often base at Carrillo from December through March if the winds are blowing and the main billfish population is moving north from the central coast.

Seasons for the Northern Pacific Area
Marlin: Caught every month of the year, with mid-November to early March usually exceptional, then slowing a bit from April into early June when it picks up again, peaking in August and September.
Sailfish: Caught throughout the year, with May through August normally the top season. They may begin to thin out in September, and the slowest months usually are from late August through November.
Tuna: Peak months are probably August through October. But when all else fails, there are always tuna - any time of the year if you want to look for them, and often when you'd just as soon avoid them to concentrate on billfish. Yellow-fin and big-eye tuna are often found well inside the Santa Catalina Islands, 30 minutes or less running time from the beach, while schools of 12- to 20-pounders are usually abundant on the outside. Concentrations of 40- to 60-pound tuna are frequently found, and there are plenty of the 200- to 400-pounders caught every year.
Dorado: Also known as dolphin, these colorful gamesters are most abundant from late May through October, when the seasonal rains flood the rivers and carrying out debris that forms trash lines that they like to lie under. If you troll past a floating log, you'll likely hook a dorado.
Wahoo: The first showing begins when the rains start in May, peaking in July and August. Most wahoo are caught around rocky points and islands, but you can pick one up occasionally fishing offshore.
Roosterfish: Available all year, but are more plentiful in the Papagayo Bay area from November through March - perhaps because more boats in this region are fishing inshore during those windy months. The roosters seem to like the structure of the shoreline and islands, where they're found in 50 to 60 feet of water.

Central Pacific: Puntarenas, Quepos and Drake Bay
Quepos is the center of fishing on the central coast, but charters are also available out of Puntarenas, resorts at the southern end of Nicoya Peninsula, Jaco beach, Punta Leona and further south at Drake Bay. Billfish are the target of most visiting anglers, and they are seldom disappointed from around December through April. Some sailfish and marlin are taken throughout the year. From most areas mentioned above, it's no more than a 12- to 20-mile run to the blue water where most of the billfish action is encountered. Inshore sport includes tuna, roosterfish, wahoo, dorado, jacks, mackerel, cubera, a variety of small snapper species and even snook. The snook can be taken trolling just outside the breaker line of the river mouths in the area, but are more often fished from the shore. Some boats out of Quepos offer multi-day trips to the Drake Bay and Caño Island area. This region is best known for its wahoo, big cubera and roosterfish, but there are also tuna, dorado, sails and some marlin.

Seasons for the Central Pacific Area
Marlin: October is normally the top month for marlin in this area, but action is also good in September and November. Occasional blues and even blacks can be found any time of the year, although they are usually out farther than boats hunting for sailfish are likely to be fishing.
Sailfish: Middle of December to the end of April - when they begin moving north - is rated the best season, but big schools often move in about October and occasionally stay longer. A few sails always show among the catch from June through September, mixed with the other species that are found inshore during these months.
Tuna: Found throughout the year -as they are along the entire Pacific coast - but are most abundant from June through September. Most are the eight- to 12-pound range, but a dozen or more heavier than 200 pounds and maybe another two dozen in the 100- to 200-pound range are taken every year.
Wahoo: Not common in the area around Quepos, but are more abundant farther south, especially around the Drake Bay area, from late June to early August.

Southern Pacific: Puerto Jimenez, Golfito and Zancudo
Golfito is the largest town on Costa Rica's southern coast, but there are only a half dozen operators scattered between the northern end of Dulce Gulf, the town of Golfito, Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula and Zancudo Beach. Zancudo is a narrow peninsula with miles of beach on the ocean side and bordered by several rivers on the other. Expect to raise a dozen or more sails and likely a marlin or two outside Matapalo Cape during the peak season, and plenty of jacks, runners, mackerel, amberjack, roosterfish and big snapper inshore. Two modern marinas are located in Golfito, both offering fishing charters as well as facilities for transient yachts. Light tackle fishing inside Golfo Dulce, with its profusion of small coves, rocky islets and shoreline, is also good for small barracuda and snapper, corvina and occasional snook weighing more than 40 pounds. Fishing the drop-off outside Matapalo Cape brings in sails, marlin, tuna and other blue water species, and inshore there are roosters that average more than 30 pounds, grouper, jacks, barracuda, trophy size Pacific cubera snapper and more. Excellent snook fishing is found inside the Zancudo peninsula and farther north, at the mouth of the Esquinas River.

Seasons for the Southern Pacific Area
Marlin: August through December is the peak season, but an occasional striped, blue or black marlin may be taken almost any month if the water temperature is up.
Sailfish: A few taken, off and on year round, with the best fishing from December through March. The sailfish season often slows from April into early June, then picks up again and peaks in August and September.
Tuna: Best fishing for the 100-pound and up yellow-fin corresponds with the marlin and sailfish season, but schools of up to 30-pound tuna can nearly always be found outside.
Dorado: Best runs are traditionally from late May through October when the rivers are running full.
Wahoo: Not abundant, but occasional fish may be taken almost any time of the year while trolling offshore for billfish or around the structure off Matapalo Cape.
Roosterfish: The region is famous for its big roosters. They can be caught virtually any month of the year.
Snook: Season lasts all year, but is best from mid- or late May through July, and in January and February.

Recommended Southern Pacific Fishing Lodge:

Roy's Zancudo Lodge www.royszancudo.com
Roy's Zancudo Lodge is located across the bay from Golfito on the southern Pacific coast. It's a very comfortable lodge on the Zancudo Peninsula, with the open ocean on one side and the confluence of three rivers on the other. The lodge has a swimming pool, air-conditioned cabins, a restaurant and bar. All meals and open bar (Costa Rican beer or liquor) are included. Boats are the best in the area, center consoles: two 22-footers, six 25-footers and one 29-footer. Bilingual guide is included on fishing trips. Top-quality tackle is provided. More than 30 IGFA world records have been established here. There will be a shot at billfish, but the area is particularly famous for its great variety of fishing. Species will include tuna, amberjack, jack crevalle, grouper, cubera, barracuda, roosterfish, corbina, snook and many others.

Northern Caribbean Coast: Barra del Colorado
Fishing along Costa Rica's Caribbean coast can vary more from one day to the next than from month to month. Historically, the lodges on Costa Rica's east coast have promoted tarpon fishing during the dry season, from about December through mid May, while snook traditionally peak from about September through November. But the fish are there year round, and it's mostly a matter of weather, which can change overnight. If the river drops or the surf is low enough to let you outside the river mouth, you'll likely catch fish. There are a lot of flat days in October and November when tarpon are abundant, and some of the best fishing has consistently been in June and July. There are no roads into the area; access is via the national airlines, charter flights, or by boat through the Tortuguero Canals from Limon.

Seasons for the Northern Caribbean Coast: Barra del Colorado
Tarpon: They're always around, with traditional high season from December through May, but that was a number of years ago, when the lodges were fishing with 16-foot boats that couldn't get outside the river mouths as they do today.
Snook: Big snook generally peak from February through May and again from September through November.
Fat Snook (Calba): Peak from mid-November through late January, but often make an appearance much earlier.
Billfish: When you can get outside to the blue water you will find Atlantic sailfish and occasional Atlantic blue marlin almost any time of the year. Most are caught from February through September.
Wahoo: Plentiful on the outside from early February through mid-June.
Dorado: Caught just outside the river mouths throughout the year. Best fishing is when the river runoff carries out the debris that forms inshore trash lines.
Tripletail: January through June.
Kingfish, Spanish and Cero Mackerel, Jack Crevalle and Barracuda: Abundant close to shore any time the ocean is flat.

Recommended Northern Caribbean Fishing Lodges:

Rio Colorado Lodge www.sportsmansweb.com/riocolorado/default.html
Located in Barra del Colorado, near the mouth of the Colorado River. This is a world-famous tarpon and snook fishing lodge. Lodge has its own menagerie of tropical birds and animals, including monkeys, toucans, parrots, macaws and even a tame tapir. Lodge has a bar and game room, separate TV lounge with cable TV and a patio lounge extending out over the river. Fishing packages include air transportation from San Jose, all meals and lodging.

Silver King Lodge www.silverkinglodge.com
The lodge is the newest and finest in the area, with beautiful rooms situated at the edge of the river, a big Jacuzzi, tackle shop, lounge and dining room. Excellent food is served family-style, all-you-can-eat. The restaurant even bakes its own bread and rolls. Wine is served with the evening meals. Meals and open bar are included. Lodge is North American-owned and operated. Canoes are available should you want to go out on your own and explore the backwaters and lagoons. This magnificently beautiful area is set in the midst of a wildlife refuge. You are more than likely to see various species of monkeys, crocodiles, tropical birds and much more.

Lake Arenal (Fresh Water Fishing, Central Northern Zone)
Lake Arenal is the most popular inland fishing destination in the country, located about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from San Jose. The lake is loaded with the popular guapote, or rainbow bass, a member of the cichlid family (as is the peacock bass found in some parts of South America and more recently introduced to Florida waters). Mature males develop a bizarre hump at the back of their head that can grow as large as a softball, and display the shadings of a rainbow trout. It has the fishing characteristics of a largemouth bass, but it's related to neither. The rainbow bass can weigh up to 12 pounds.