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December 2021 – Costa Rica Fishing Report

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Costa Rica Fishing Report – November 2021

Greetings from Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula,

November is considered a transitional month as we enter our “verano”, or perhaps better known as Costa Rica’s summer season. This is perhaps one of my favorite months of the year as anglers have an excellent opportunity to target a variety of species coupled with the enjoyment of a rainforest found to be lush, green and awake with wildlife activity. The transition has treated us fairly well this year with bright, beautiful sunny days, calm waters, and of course a bite that continued to surprise us daily.

Last month I mentioned the dorado (mahi-mahi) season was getting off to an exceptional start, and to my delight I certainly was not wrong! Many of our anglers were kept busy with back-to-back action as we recorded over 200 dorado caught this last month. Since marlin love to feed on dorado, we experienced the marlin activity heating up with over 30 blues hitting our teasers and taking our bait like candy! This month we had a few fathers and sons who teamed up on the hunt for a blue marlin which was the case for Jeff and Paul Lange. Both Jeff and Paul were successful in landing their marlin which I know will hold a lifetime of unforgettable moments for them to share. And, I would also love to give a shout out to Tracy Bennett and Todd Harter on their first fishing trip to the resort. Todd landed his 300-pound marlin after battling that big boy for over an hour!

Perhaps, the most remarkable marlin action this month was with Luke and Annie Wilson. Fishing with Captain Johnny and Mate Luis, they saw 7 marlin come up to their spread with 6 of them attacking the spread at the exact same moment and having 4 of them hooked up at the same time! For as long as I have been fishing, I have never had the pleasure of experiencing a situation such as this. Just imagine the adrenaline rushing through their veins at that instant. Here’s what Luke Wilson wrote about his experience:

“My wife Annie and I had an amazing day of offshore fishing with Crocodile Bay Resort captain Johnny and mate Luis. We saw seven marlin over the course of the day with six showing themselves in the spread at the same time. Four of the six bit our gear, three came tight and one stayed on for the duration! It was chaos! We were able to get one marlin bite and oh yeah, we caught six dorados also. Johnny and Luis are true pros! It would not be possible to make this kind of day happen without all of the extra work put in by the captains and mates as well as all the support staff at Crocodile Bay. Thanks to you all and great work” – Luke and Annie Wilson.

The Tuna activity was also in the spot light this month. Our captains have been bumping into schools of tuna as close 7-miles offshore, and our guests have had the benefit to boat some really nice ones. The Rappoport group experienced this first hand as they landed 27 tunas, all weighing between 15 and 70 pounds, in one day of fishing. Their fresh catch was showcased on Crocodile Bay’s menu with fresh sashimi and tuna steaks that evening.

We also enjoyed the visits we had from families who brought their children down on a hunt for billfish. I always get mesmerized watching the parents as they teach their young with passion on the art of fishing, and seeing the bonding experience which naturally results from that. The children from the Hyatt family each landed their very first sailfish on this trip, and the kids took part in the traditional dive from the pier commemorating that special moment of their first billfish catch. Congrats!

We welcome our “verano” which also marks the beginning of the peak season for our sailfish and we’ll continue to see marlin as they hunt the dorado. It’s a beautiful time to pack your fishing gear, come on down and join us in fishing the waters off the Osa Peninsula during our Costa Rican summer! We look forward to seeing you soon.