Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
January
7, 2004
You
should have been here yesterday!!! And the day before, and
the day before, and the day before!!!
Although
I have been informed that billfish only
feed in daylight hours, I have sometimes seen the bite slow
on a full moon. Today was the full. One boat caught 17 sails
out of 22 raised. (outstanding numbers), and another went
9 for 18. Not bad for some who only pitches a bait only
occasionally.
The
boats are raising 18 to 25 fish apiece. This fishing action
has been like this for the last six days and the fish are
holding only five miles off the beach. Fly rodders are landing
3 to 5 fish apiece which is a spectacular day anywhere in
the world.
The
marlin, although not giants (200 to 400 lbs) have
joined the New Years party. Seven fish
were boated out of 13 takes this week.
Inshore
the roosters have also pleased guest who are taking a half
dozen or more a day. Some nice snapper have made it to the
dinner plates and a few African pompano
continue to bite.
There
are tons of fish out there and they don't
mind mixing it up with some Gringos!
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
Jan
29, 2004
The
first month of the year proved to be an active
one with fish going crazy the first part of the month, the
bite tapering off and then improving again.
For fly guys, the Rob Smith group of Rob, Dave Burkland,
Tom Trent, and John Graft had a big week when the landed
43 sails on fly and 15 on conventional gear. They left some
gear in the water but managed to land three double headers
on fly.
Don Libby’s group of George Richard, Bill Robichaud,
and Jack Mensching where the top inshore guys with rooster
over 60 and a 171 lb Mero. ( Now known as Goliath
Grouper in the states.)
Anglers stetched string on 1878 sails, 33 marlin, a 100
some dorado, and 64 tuna. Inshore 286 roosterfish were taken.
Twenty five snook tested light tackle anglers and over 200
mixed bag stuff like jacks, African pompano, tevally and
such.
February is starting off well. Jim Farlow
fishing with Capt Allan Smith had 45 sails i9n the baits
two days ago
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
March
9, 2004
The
sails have finally srarted to act normal again and are
showing up again in the numbers of the high teens. Fly
guys are getting plenty of shots. Some folks could care
less for the offshore stuff and are happy chasing critters
near the shoreline. The following is a series of photos
from Andy and Carolyn Anderson would came back again this
year to only fish inshore.
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
March
29, 2004
The
fishing has held strong the last week or so. We have seen
an exceptional amount of marlin this year and except for
the last two days have been seeing a half dozen or so
every day. Charles and Tony Dorta made a return trip here
with brother Bob. He couldn’t make the trip last
year because President Bush sent him on an errand in Iraq.
Their best day, the boys took 8 sails and
2 marlin to release. They had good numbers and each day
and even managed to molest a few of my pet snook under
the dock.
Eddie Monosse brought a group of family and
friends from the San Francisco Bay area who together help
support the Boys and Girls Club there. The group included
Bay area businessmen like Dennis Cola, Dick Parmelee,
Larry Gachis and Joe Montana. They fished three boats
for four days and had some impressive numbers.
163 sails raised, 36 landed, and two marlin
that didn’t get fooled. They also took 42 snapper,
22 tuna and a few roosters and some jacks. The rest of
the guests enjoyed the same kind of success.
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
April
20, 2004
National Football Hall of Famer Ted Hedricks of the Oakland
Raiders hosted along with Gary Ellis a group of Redbone@Large
tourament anglers for a three day fundraiser for Cystic
Fibrosis.
Five boats searched the waters to gain points with a catch
of sailfish and roosters. The sails were so active they
didn’t have time to chase roosters but managed to
catch eleven.
The
five teams raised 309 sails boating 51 mostly on fly gear.
They witnessed what not many ever get to see. Acres and
acres of sailfish balling bait by forming a “wagon
train” circle around them.
Long time friends Harry and Scott Smith also got in on
the fun. “I really lost count on how many we had
up,” commented Scott “At one point I counted
twenty pass by the boat.” The day before they whipped
a 450 lb blue marlin in an amazing twenty minutes.
Needless to say, the fishin’s pretty darn good
Todd Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
May
14, 2004
Costa
Rica’s internet server finally got things worked
out and we can communicate again on the Coconut Telegraph.
Fishing
has been very good to say the least and except for a day
or two when some foul weather passed through, the numbers
have been impressive. Mike Segala of Victaulic Company
hosted a group from Pacific Fire Safety for a mini-tourney
of five boats. They raised 237 sails in three days, landing
66 up to 120 lbs. They took time out to catch a few roosterfish
as well
Steve
Rankin also hosted a group from Orange County from the
Wild Game Club. Top boat landed 13 sails in one day offshore
and 27 jacks and 7 roosters in a days fishing was the
kingpin inshore boats.
Super
Bowl Champion New England Patriot place kicker Adam Vinatieri
paid us another visit with good friend and fellow angler
Artie Eaton, former 70’s and 80’s rocker with
the band Seducer.
They
smoked offshore with 14 sails landed out of 42 raised
in a day and half fishing taking several over 100 lbs.
Inshore the rooster’s were very evasive. It was
always a matter of the wrong place at the wrong time looking
for that forty pounder. Other boats took a couple over
fifty and a giant seventy pounder, while the two New Englanders
caught big jacks, a couple snook and some snapper.
Then
the elusive rooster finally hit. Pictured Above. Now someone
has a mark to shoot for. Who can beat the smallest rooster
ever caught at the lodge.
I
invite you to try
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
June
2004
Fishing
in Costa Rica has been a little tough
these days with the fish coming in flurrys and then going
into hiding and then a flurry again. The
great General Motors group GMAC paid us a visit with 32
anglers hosted by Scott Andryk and happened to hit a flurry
or two.
Steve Bower (pictured above) had been on a seven year
quest to bag a sailfish. On his visit here he scratched
that seven year itch with a couple in the hundred pound
range. Steve fished with John Michaelis and Tom St. Hilaire
one day and the threesome bagged a triple, all landing
sails at the same time.
Jennifer Graff took her first sail after some coaxing
from husband Chris to try the blue water. I think she
'll be out there again.
Duane Hosler and David Reid took top angler awards when
they teamed up to catch 87 tuna and dorado in a days fishing.
Inshore species have been a little fussy at times two
but several roosters and jacks made it to the rails. Darrel
and Sheryl Roberts 140 pound grouper was top fish on the
inside
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
July
2004
Crocodile
Bay Lodge Market Wrap:
+10,724 Sailfish Raised
From Jan 1 to May 15, 2004!
It’s not very often that I get a minute and get
to sit down and muddle over all the things I ask my secretary
to punch into the computer. I sat down this week and took
a look how the season went this year.
Crocodile Bay boats had some impressive numbers when you
get a look at the “big picture.” From January
1st through May 15 we accumulated the following stats.
- Sailfish
raised 10,724 Sailfish landed 3004
- Marlin
raised 288 Marlin landed 65
- Tuna
caught 457
- Dorado
over 20 lbs 232
- Wahoo
67
- Roosterfish
2420
- Snapper
452
- Jacks
1614
- Misc
749
February
which is normally one of our top months was off for the
first time this year and green water was the blame. March
was the top month with 3512 sails up.
Tuna
are the big attraction right now with big schools working
from four to 20 miles off the beach. A 175 pounder is
the big fish this week but several over 200 lbs have been
hooked and lost.
They
don’t let me get far from the lodge but I snuck
out this week and took a 36 lb snook ( pictured above)
within site of our pier
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
Sept
2004
Costa
Rica Fishing Report
I've
just returned from the ICast fishing show in Las Vegas
and am getting used to speaking Spanish again. A school
of big tuna came though while I was gone and Alex Meyer's
group took won that I was told went close to 300 lbs.
Lately the boats have been seeing two to ten billfish
a day and tuna when the porpoises pass through. It is
more of a hunting game now with fewer boats on the water
but when you find the sails they are ready for the fiesta.
Roosters have active lately both in the gulf and on the
outside. Dawn Celapino came back in and took her first
after losing a couple of jumping sails and Larry Goethe
took the big fish this week at 55 lbs. Plate size snapper
are keeping dinner guests happy.
Tight Lines
Todd
Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Read
the current costa rica fishing report
Crocodile
Bay Resort, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Fishing Report
November
2004
A
Fishing Trip of Biblical Proportion:
Jason & Goliath
Costa
Rica Fishing Report
Jason
Cannon of Florida shows off his 195lb Goliath Grouper-
Fishing at Crocodile Bay Lodge finished
with a BANG. We closed down yesterday for our annual month
of fixin’ up before we officially commence our 6th
season November 1st.
Shimano
Corporation had a group down who started out a little
slow but finished with a bang. They busted up the wahoo
one day and took a 350 lb marlin and dorado up to fifty
pounds. On their last two days of fishing 5 boats raised
165 sailfish.
Inshore
the roosters were a little finicky but they managed a
few with some jacks. Jason Cannon from Florida (pictured
above left) took top inshore honors when he nabbed a 195
lb mero (Goliath Grouper) on the day before the Shimano
boys arrived.
There
should be a bunch of sails waiting offshore when we reopen
November 1st!
Todd
Staley,
Crocodile Bay Lodge
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
CBL
Fishing Report, November 2004
By Fishing Director Todd Staley
Costa
Rica Fishing Report
Crocodile
Bay's November opener started off a little slow with the
sails being a little finicky and the numbers are still
down from normal. Other creatures of the deep are keeping
anglers happy and strings stretched. Lots of dorado are
cruising open water and hanging around logs and trash
lines. Most are around 20 lbs and the biggest went just
over fifty. Tuna big and small are playing tag with the
porpoises. Lots of football size and a 200 pounder made
a ton of sushi for dinner.
Roosters
have been hot and cold, mostly hot and the snappers are
winning with the big ones breaking lines.
Nathan
Linville stuck a 450 lb blue marlin on a fly rod. Kind
of like trying to drag a Freightliner truck with a Tonka
toy, But after nearly losing his finger and losing the
fish he barely had enough energy left to put his heart
back in his chest.
Todd
Staley,
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
CBL
Fishing Report, December 2004
By Fishing Director Todd Staley
Sails
have been a little aggravating as of late with sluggish
fish and some even absent from the party. The Pacific
Blue Marlin or “lady the blue dress” though,
is in no short supply.
There
are more blues than on prom night cruising 10 to 15 miles
off the beach. Hans Schmidt and his buddys landed two
ranging from 300 to 500 lbs. Tim Fernandez from Yamaha
motors took another. We have been seeing marlin every
day for the week or so.
San
Francisco 49er’s Super Bowl winning coach George
Seifert was down with former NFL, and NBA players, Gary
Filizetti, Bill Gates , George Reilly, and John Travis.
They had a mixed bag of sails, dorado on fly, tuna, and
roosters. When George is not wearing his game face, he
is really a funny guy.
Inshore has been steady with roosters, 20 lb snapper and
Jacks
Todd
Staley,
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Costa
Rica Fishing Archives - 2004