Crocodile Bay 2001 Fishing Reports:

Crocodile Bay Costa Rica Fishing Report Archives

December 11, 2001

Something to crow about:
Probably our most popular inshore Costa Rica fishing species is the roosterfish. Its seven combed dorsal fins and iridescent hue, along with its shear power make a combination that has 95% of our anglers spending at least one day of their trip on the calm waters of the Golfo Dulce.

Historically in Costa Rica they have been fished along the beaches and rock formations in the Pacific. We have found they also roam deep into the gulf and hang around the inside reefs and river mouths. Our fleet of “flats” boats allows us to cast for snook in the mangroves on a high falling tide and then fish roosters a few hundred yards away at the drop-off.

We also find them on top of the Tiger reef where sometimes the water is less than 3 feet deep and a larger boat can’t enter this area. While filming with O’Neill Williams, Dave Burkhardt took a fifty pound Roosterfish over this skinny water.

I must repeat last week’s report of Graig Zoly taking 30 roosters in a day. Our average roosterfish is about 15 lbs. Most everyone takes a few over 35 lbs. Dave Vedder from Southwest Flyfishing magazine fished a few hours yesterday after a late arrival. He found a giant school of roosters working within a half mile of Crocodile Bay Resort and bagged a couple over 40 lbs. “In all my years of traveling and fishing, I have never seen a concentration of roosterfish like I’ve found here.”

Offshore it is more of the same with more sails showing up and dorado and tuna stretching lines.

A few marlin are coming up to the teasers but only a couple around 300 lbs. have been landed. The Vernon Sanders family from Missouri had a good outing landing seven sailfish!

Todd Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica