COSTA RICA NEWS

Inshore, everyone is catching fish. Close to the beach, there are lots of light tackle roosters in the 8 to 15-pound range, as well as jack crevalle. If you work areas like Matapalo, some bigger roosters up to 50-pounds have taken baits. Plenty of snapper and other bottom fish action. Some grouper have been taken in deeper water as well as a return of Bluefin trevally and African pompano.

Last month I reported that the marlín were starting to move into our area. If you ask my wife she might not agree, but I sometimes get it right. It is all a part of better marine management here in Costa Rica. For the last 6 years, the tuna purse seiners have been moved off the coast by 45 miles. This protects one of the marlin´s principle food sources, the yellowfin tuna.

Fishing has improved offshore marlín have started moving into the area in recent weeks. As we move further into July and August we should see it get even better. This is the time of year that some black marlin, as well as the blue, move through our waters. Two scientists from Stanford University spent a week with us placing Satellite tags on some marlin and sailfish. Their study had been delayed more than a year because of Covid travel restrictions by the University but we were glad to have them back again.

Have had a little flurry of sailfish lately as well as marlín offshore. As we move closer to July and August we will get our “summer” marlin season. Most of the year we see blue marlin, but this time of year some black and striped marlin will be cruising the local waters. Dorado won’t be around in large numbers but if one shows up in the lure spread, it will be a big one.

Fishing has been full of surprises lately. Some good, some not so good. I always prefer to get the not so good news out of the way first. Sailfish numbers are down. El Nina has peaked and we are on the downside of it, but the result is cooler water temperatures and sails prefer a little warmer waters. It is predicted that El Nina will be completely finished by late May or mid-June and things will get back to normal.

Strange weather really affected offshore fishing in March 2021. I have seen more rain in this “dry season”, dropping surface temperature and causing a big wad of sailfish to move north early this year. There were a few really good days but the sails just were not consistent. The tuna on the other hand were in no short supply. Most fish ran 40 to 50 lbs but a few over 100 lbs tested some drag washers. Marlin, who are not bothered by the drop in water temperature, did take a few baits making for better than normal March marlin action.