Billfish Angler’s Guide to Costa Rica

Not until the early 1990s did sailfishing off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast attract major international attention, and by the turn of the century, Costa Rica was billing itself as the “sailfish capital of the world.” Just after that, however, sailfish numbers began to take a major hit, and many anglers ended up more disappointed than excited. But thanks to the adoption of regulations limiting the commercial exploitation of sailfish about 10 years ago, sailfish populations have rebounded and remain strong enough to justify the country’s self-anointed title.

Marzo 2020 - Costa Rica Fishing Report

The month started off with a bang, especially inshore when some boats were catching as many as 20 roosterfish a day, above the average of a good day of fishing. Mark Davis was here the first week of the month to film yet another episode of Bigwater Adventures and came out of the gate with a nice blue marlin to start the show.

The Faces of Crocodile Bay Resort - Diego Camacho Aguilar - Fishing Director

I was born in San Jose and lived there for the first seven years of my life. When I was around six years old, my mother started working at the Costa Rican consult part-time in the United States, and we would spend six months in the US, and six months here in Costa Rica. Around a year later, she was offered a full-time position at the Costa Rican consult in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and my entire family (my older brother, my stepdad and I) moved to the United States. 

Crocodile Bay Resort - Our Boats Your Desires

Crocodile Bay Resort is situated comfortably on the blue waters of the Golfo Dulce. We are known as an activity-based destination with the largest private fleet of boats in all of Central America, a fleet that includes Boston Whaler 24’ center consoles and Strike Yachts 33’ and 35′ tower boats that are easily accessible from our 800-foot private pier. This means that you will have the opportunity to explore places on the water where no one else can take you. Just take a short walk down to our pier and off you go on an ocean safari of your choosing.

February 2020 - Costa Rica Fishing Report

January starts and ends with a Bang! New Year's Eve is the only day of the year you will find a traffic jam in Puerto Jimenez. Yet, thanks to a generous neighbor, this small beach town has one of the largest, most spectacular NYE fireworks display in all of Costa Rica. Local people come from all over the peninsula to enjoy the lit-up sky.

Circle Hooks

A circle hook is a fishing hook manufactured so that the point is turned perpendicularly back to the hook shank to form a generally circular, or oval, shape. It has become widely used among anglers in recent years because the hook typically catches more fish and is rarely swallowed. Since the circle hook catches the fish on the lips at the corner of its mouth, it usually decreases the mortality rates of released fish.

Escape to the Natural World with Crocodile Bay Resort on the Osa Peninsula

Crocodile Bay Resort is located next to the small village of Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. The peninsula is one of the least developed regions in the country and is by far the most untouched. The most biologically intense place on earth is not a place to be afraid of; on the contrary, this is a place to be explored, experienced and enjoyed.

The Faces of Crocodile Bay Resort - Wilbert Alberto Gonzales Fonseca - Head of Maintenance

My name is Yaisa Loria Vega, and I am 22 years old. I was born and raised in Gallardo, a small village close to Puerto Jimenez. I went to elementary school in Gallardo, and later on to the Technical High School in Puerto Jimenez with a focus on tourism, the hotel industry and special events. During my last year in high school (2015), I had to do practical work experience at a local business, and I got accepted at Crocodile Bay Resort.

January 2020 - Costa Rica Fishing Report

The month of December, and especially our Christmas week, is family time here at Crocodile Bay Resort in Costa Rica and our staff, along with the fishing crews, always look forward to this time of the year. Many repeat guests have become more like friends than clients over the years as they bring their families to enjoy the holidays at our activity-based resort in the warmer climate. The staff’s dedication to customer service earned Crocodile Bay the distinction of the second-best destination in the world to take a family fishing vacation by Sport Fishing Magazine.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Crocodile Bay Resort

As we enter the Holiday Season we at Crocodile Bay Resort would like to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas.  We feel extremely grateful to have had the chance to serve every one of our clients over the last 20 years and we wish to sincerely thank you for trusting us with your vacation time.  We learned from our neighbors here in Costa Rica that community is not as much “where you live”, as it is “how you live”- and we feel extremely fortunate to count all of you as both our family as well as our community!

The Faces of Crocodile Bay Resort - Maria Soto Carrillo - Waitress

My name is Maria Soto Carrillo, I am 36 years old, and I have worked here at Crocodile Bay Resort since October 2002. I have lived my entire life on the Osa Peninsula in the small village of Gallardo, which is 10 km's from Puerto Jimenez. When I was only six years old, my father worked as a gold miner in Corcovado National Park. Gold mining was prevalent at that time. But in the late 1980s, the government took action during a resurging gold rush and prohibited gold mining in the park.

The evolution of the Hero Shot

Did you know the picture above is now illegal in Costa Rica? Ten years ago a regulation made it illegal for the sports fishing sector to take a billfish, sailfish and marlin, out of the water for a “hero shot” photo of their prized catch. The web is full of photos that could potentially bring a 2 million colones fine ($3,250) to the offender who pulls a billfish out of the water. To date, I don’t know of anyone who has ever been arrested or prosecuted on this. In fact, after all these years, many still claim they don’t know about the law.