Orvis Travel - Field Reports
Costa Rica's Crocodile Bay Lodge

Mike Quartararo

The flight to Puerto Jiminez, Costa Rica, the location of Crocodile Bay, goes from San Jose over the Talamanca mountains, across a landscape where coffee plants stripe the countryside towards the Pacific wild coast. The verdant scenery is intriguing, but your attention quickly turns to the expanse of the Pacific and dreams of a great fishery.

Crocodile Bay Lodge is less than a mile from the airstrip that serves the Osa Penninsula and we quickly arrived to find a cold drink waiting and the guides standing by in the boats. My friend Carrie and I headed straight for the dock.

By 11:30 a.m., I was hooked up with a 120 lb. Pacific sailfish. The impact of the take and acrobatics of that first hooked sailfish are unforgettable. Later we landed dorado and yellowfin tuna on conventional gear, and that night enjoyed the distinct pleasure of having the yellowfin served as sashimi and ceviche.

Day two offshore we immediately hit a school of dorado at the mouth of the Gulfo Dulce and Carrie was catching them as fast as she could get a line into the water. I grabbed my 10 wt Trident TL rigged with sinking 10 wt Wonderline and cast a blue and white deceiver behind the stern into the mass of turquoise torpedos. After two strips I was into a fish and the action continued as I played and landed dorado in the 5-15 lb. range. Later, as I cast to what seemed to be a bigger dorado, I hooked the best fish of the trip on a fly. It jumped and tail walked for a full 45 minutes, but finally, due to the exceptional drag system on my Vortex reel, I landed a 40 lb. bull dorado.

The inshore fishing in the Gilfo Dulce is extremely rich and, since it's a large, remote body of water, we fished for two days without seeing another boat. Schools of 30 dolphins cruised by, acres of baitfish were chased by bonito and we spotted a 100 lb plus sailfish inshore. We also encountered roosterfish, a brute of a fighter who makes spirited jumps, and one memorable day had great fun catching five fish in the 30-45 lb range and one 55 lb. fish on the fly. To make things even more interesting, there was great inshore fishing for snook, snapper and Pacific jack, and more.

The rich wildlife and rainforest equaled the fishing. This remote corner of Costa Rica has been called the "most ecologically intense place on Earth" and the "richest forest on Central America." Crocodile Bay is not far from Corcovado National Park, a true wilderness where jaguar tracks can be seen on the beach and flocks of macaws are among the 400 species of birds. It's one of the most interesting places in Central America to trek in the rainforest or kayak along the mangrove estuaries where crocodiles, monkeys and sea turtles are common sights. Carrie and I went out with Tom Hutton, a local guide, and spotted toucans, scarlet macaws, trogons and a host of colorful tropical birds. Anyone with an interest in nature has to take some of these tours in addition to fishing.

Crocodile Bay Lodge is less than a year old and is beautiful. The rooms are spacious and air conditioned. The pool and jacuzzi fit right into the landscape. The meals were excellent, featuring local cuisine. The staff, including the fishing crews were attentive and fun. It's definately Orvis quality and I highly recommend it. I'd go back in a flash.

Crocodile Bay Captains: Secrets of the Pros

Crocodile Rock - Trophy Costa Rican Sailfish Tactics

Boaters.com: Raving Roosterfish in Costa Rica

Boaters.com Magazine: Dueling with Dorado

Boaters.com Magazine: Coo-Coo for Crevalle Jacks

Boaters.com Magazine: Working surface structure to find more fish

Sport Fishing Magazine: Costa Rica

Sport Fishing Magazine: Costa Rica Revisited

Sport Fishing Magazine: Outstanding Osa

Orvis Travel: Costa Rica's Crocodile Bay Lodge

If you are interested in record setting Costa Rican sport fishing contact us directly: Office (800) 733-1115 • Fax: (415) 209-6177 • or RESERVE ONLINE