Flamingo, Guanamar, Tamarindo
Flamingo Beach, with a full-service marina, is the major sportfishing center in the northern coastal area, but boats also charter out of nearby Coco’s beach, Tamarindo, Ocotal, Portero, Brasilito and a few points in between. A bit further south, there are boats operating below Cabo Blanco, out of Nosara, Garza, Guanamar and Carillo beach–a region that gets more protection from the winds that normally blow late December into March and April. Boats from the more northerly areas often base at Carrillo beach from about December through March if the wind is blowing and the main billfish population is moving north from the central coast area.
Marlin
Caught every month of the year, with mid-November to early March 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, wiht May through August normally the top season. They may begin to thin out in September and the slowest months 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 you want to look for them, and more often than not when you’d just as soon avoid them to concentrate on billfish. THe yellowfin and some bigeye 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. You frequently find concentrations of 40 to 60 pound tuna, and there are plenty of the 200 to 400 pounders caught every year.
Dorado
More properly known as dolphin, these colorful gamesters are most abundant from late May through October when the seasonal rains flood the rivers, carrying out debris that forms trash lines close inshore that they like to lie under. Troll past a floating log and you’ll likely hook a dorado.
Wahoo
The first showing begins about the time the rains start in May, peaking in July and August. Most are caught around the rocky points and islands, but you will pick one up occasionally fishing offshore.
Roosterfish
Available all year, but there are more caught in the Papagayo Bay area from November through March. That may be because more boats in the northernmost area of this region are fishing inshore during those windy months, and the roosters like the structure of the shoreline and islands where they’re found in 50 to 60 feet of water.
Quepos and Jaco, Los Suenos
Quepos is the center of fishing on the central coast, but there are charters available out of Puntarenas, the resorts at the southern end of Nicoya Peninsula, Jaco beach, Punta Leona and at Drake Bay. Billfish are the target of most visiting anglers, and they are seldom disappointed from around December through April. Some sails 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 ouside the breaker line of the river months in the area, but are more often fished from shore. Some boats out of Quepos also offer multi-day trips to the Drake Bay and Caño Island area, overnighting at one of the several lodges centered around Drake Bay. This region is best known for its wahoo, big cubera and roosterfish, but there are also tuna, dorado, sails and some marlin.
Marlin
October is normally the top month for marlin in this area, but action is also good in September and November and 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 the 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 all along the Pacific coast, but most abundant from about June through September. Most are the eight to 12 pounders, but a dozen or more over 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 more abundant in the late summer farther south, especially the Drake Bay area from late June to early August.
Puerto Jimenez, Golfito, Zancudo, Drake Bay
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 peak season, and plenty of jacks, runners, mackerel, amberjack, roosterfish, and big snapper inshore. There are two modern marinas 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 and rocky islats and shoreline, is also good for small barracuda and snapper, corvina and occasional snook to over 40 pounds. Fishing the dropoff outside Matapalo Cape brings in sails, marlin, tuna and other blue water species, and inshore there are roosters that average over 30 pounds, grouper, jacks, barracuda, trophy size Pacific cubera snapper and more.
There is also excellent snook fishing inside the Zancudo peninsula, and farther north, at the mouth of the Esquinas river.
Marlin
August through December is the peak season, but an occasional striped, blue or black may be taken most any month if the water temperature is up.
Sailfish
Big snook generally peak from March through May and again September through the end of November.
Tuna
Best fishing for the 100 pound and up yellowfin corresponds with marlin and sailfish season, but the 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 most 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 and they can be caught virtually any month of the year.
Snook
All year, but best from mid or late May through July and in January and February.