Plentiful Fish and Perfect Weather: Breakdown of the Best Months for Fishing in the Southern Pacific

Sport Fishing Costa Rica
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Whether you are looking for a laid back trip fishing off the coast at sunset or a rugged adventure to battle the legendary marlin in the offshore, the Southern Pacific of Costa Rica offers some of the best fishing in the world. Its remoteness keeps the area a pristine spot for fishing that is not overrun with commercialism.  Here you can relax and take a break to escape into the beauty of raw nature and if you choose be completely offline for as long as you desire. Golfito is the largest town in the Southern Pacific equipped with a modern marina.  The narrow peninsula has miles of beach on the north side and the other side is bordered by several rivers with mangroves. From the mouth of a river, you can take a boating fihsing adventure deep into the rainforest of Costa Rica. With both inshore and offshore fishing there is no shortage of options here.  The area can accommodate just about any type of fishing experience. Sailfish, marlin, jacks, runners, mackerel, amberjack, roosterfish and snapper all swim in these waters.

Fishing: Big Snapper
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There are several excellent spots for both offshore and inshore fishing.  Inside the Golfo Dulce is ideal for light tackle fishing with its small caves, rocky islets, and shoreline is good for snook, snapper, corvina and small barracuda.  Offshore fishing at the Matapalo drop-off is probably one of the Southern Pacific’s most famous fishing spots. It is also known for its legendary surfing.  Here there is an abundance of marlin, tuna and snails.  Inshore you can fish for roosters that average over 30lbs, grouper, jacks barracuda, and the big cubera snapper.  Inside the Zancudo Peninsula and at the mouth of the Esquinas are excellent conditions for catching snook. This region is famous not only for being a top destination spot to fish for marlin but also roosterfish. Roosters can be caught virtually any month of the year.

Fishing: Marlin
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Seasonal Guide to Fishing Southern Pacific:

  • August through December is the best months to catch a marlin.
  • December through March is the best months to catch sailfish.  The season slows down for sailfish from April to early June and the peaks August and September.
  • Tuna can be caught year round but the best months to catch a 100-pound plus yellowfin is August through December.
  • Dorado is abundant May through October when the rivers are running full.
  • Roosterfish can be caught virtually any month of the year.
  • Snook can also be caught year round with the best months being mid or late May through July and then again in January and February.
  • Wahoo are not abundant but an occasional fish may be caught anytime of the year while trolling offshore for billfish or close to Matapalo.
Fishing at Sunset
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The area is pristine raw nature. Boats are equipped with the latest technology and experienced and knowledgeable captains are able to handle everyone from the most experienced angler to the first time fishermen. As we move into October and say final goodbye to summer settling into the back to school routine, you may already dreaming of winter break or spring break and where to head to for a vacation. Book a trip with Crocodile Bay.  The resort caters to professional anglers, beginners and families and can accommodate any offshore or inshore fishing trip in the region.

 

Sportfishing Calendar

January

Tuna, marlin and dorado taper off. Number of sailfish begins to increase.

February

Prime time for sailfish. Occassional marlin, tuna or dorado.

March

Prime time for sailfish.

April

Sailfish numbers drop mid-April and some marlin begin to appear.

May

Slower for billfish. Typically we start seeing schools of spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

June

Slower for billfish. Spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

July

Marlin begin to appear. A chance for black marlin as well as blues and striped marlin. A chance for tuna.

August

Marlin and tuna.

September

Slower for billfish. A chance for tuna and dorado.

October

Dorado begin to appear in numbers with marlin close behind.

November

A mixed bag of dorado, marlin and some big tuna.

December

Marlin, dorado, tuna and sailfish are all possibilities.