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Crocodile Bay Resort Fishing Report May 2018 – by Allan Smith, Fishing Director Greetings from the Tropics, It has been an interesting couple of weeks with some very noteworthy catches. Rick Miller and his adult son Rick Jr. were down last week. They won the trip at an IGFA auction. They spent their first few days inshore chasing Roosters, then decided to make a change and see what was happening offshore. After a couple hours trolling, they were surprised by a very large Black Marlin. Rick Jr. fought the fish on stand up gear for two and a half hours before finally landing the brute. It was an unusual catch in that we don’t see many Black Marlin, and the ones we do see are usually caught in July or August . Congratulations to Rick on a hard fought battle and a great catch.

More Video Fishing Highlights From This Past Month at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica!

Tara Whitehead is another angler who was surprised this week.  Tara and her husband Jason are here fishing on their honeymoon. It was their last day fishing and they were hoping to finish up with a few more Roosters, when Tara hooked 100lb +Tarpon on a live sardine.  It was a grueling, almost two hour fight,  but finally the mate was able to grab the leader and release the fish. Though Tarpon are commonly caught on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica, they are rare in the Pacific. We catch just a few every year that have crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal. Congratulations to Tara, she is now part of a small group of anglers that have landed Atlantic Tarpon in the Pacific.        

Great slow motion video of Tara’s 100lb +Tarpon – Will somebody check this tarpon’s  passport?

Pictured above Jason Whitehead with a hefty roosterfish

Christine Basset, is another angler who brought her lady luck down and landed a beautiful 65lb + Dorado. Though we catch many quality Dorado,  Christine landed a real trophy. 

May 1st  marks the one year anniversary of my running the fishing department at Crocodile Bay Resort. I would like to thank the captains, mates and mechanics for all of their hard work. We have a great team at Crocodile Bay and when firing on all cylinders, they make my job easy.  I would like to also thank all of our great guests this year. Meeting with you and hearing about your experiences on the water is the best part of my job. My responsibilities do not allow me to fish very often, but I do live vicariously through you and your wonderful stories. Thank you all  for a great year. 

Tight Lines,
Captain Allan Smith

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Sunrise From the Pier at Crocodile Bay by Bryce Johnson

Costa Rica Fishing Report – January 2018 by Captain Allan Smith  – December is a fun time of the year at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica. The kids are on vacation and we get a lot of families down for a fishing holiday in the tropics.  As someone who grew up fishing with my dad and my uncle, I have always appreciated the way fishing brings families together. Fishing is a great way to spend time with your kids and is well away from the distractions of the television, the cellphone and video games. It creates a shared experiences in a natural environment and is universal between generations. It is not simply about the fish on the end of your line but about the people you are with, the places you go, the new friends you meet, and of course the chase of an illusive prize. 

December was a good month. The fishing was just like it is described in the Crocodile Bay fishing calendar. Lots of dorado, shots at marlin, tuna opportunities and a few sailfish. We have been raising marlin almost every day and dorado have been in good abundance and we have even been catching them inshore. 

One of the highlights of the month came from Captain Francisco, who was alternating days between two different groups.  Mike Cuff, who came to visit us from the UK, was here specifically targeting billfish. The first couple of days the billfish had eluded him, but Mike was determined. On his third day, Mr. Cuff’s patience was rewarded and he caught his first “slam”.  A “Slam” is releasing a marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado all in the same day. The following day Mr. Cuff was not on the water and Captain Francisco was fishing  with Mike and Carmen Gagnon. Mike Gagnon is an accomplished bluefin tuna fisherman from Kennebunkport Maine, who wanted to try his luck at getting a marlin . They headed offshore first thing and soon were soon hooked up to a big blue marlin. As the morning progressed, both Mike and Carmen released Marlin then added a sailfish, tuna and dorado to complete their “slam”. Two slams in two days!

View Our New December Video Highlight Reel – You May Be the Star

Currently, there is a young man here named Joe Dalsey, who has been coming to Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica with his mom for the holidays the past two years. Joe reminds me of myself at his age. He fishes all day on the water, then gets off the boat and starts fishing at the pier. Joe has caught a lot of fish at the pier since he first started coming here. He has landed multiple snappers, jacks, a 30″ snook and a 45+ pound roosterfish. It is wonderful to see a young man so enthusiastic about fishing.  The other day Joe was out fishing with his mom when they hooked into a 120lb tuna on light gear. It was a big fight and though the mate suggested Joe use a fighting harness,  Joe wanted  to fight the fish “mano a mano”.  This was a fish that would have put a lot of seasoned anglers in tears, but it was no match for Joe. After a grueling two hour fight, the yellowfin tuna was finally landed. 

The Inshore fishing kind of took a back seat this month, as good reports from offshore attracted the most attention. There were some nice roosters caught, and some good days on snapper.  It was interesting in that there were several days that boats fishing inshore also landed many offshore species as well, including  dorado, yellowfin tuna, Rainbow runners, sharks and Wahoo.  

Historically, in the next few weeks we should see the numbers of Dorado and marlin start to taper off, but we should start seeing more and more sailfish. January is normally the beginning of sailfish season and I am very optimistic that it is going to be a good year. Don’t forget we offer 30 of Costa Rica’s most popular expeditions and a luxury spa for the non-anglers in the family. Hope to see you soon in Costa Rica.

Fishing Pro’s Jimmy Nelson and Luiza of “Fishin’ with Luiza” were recently down to get footage for their upcoming TV spots. 

Tight Lines,
Capt. Allan Smith

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Costa Rica Fishing Report – News and Updates out of Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica – April 2017 by Fishing Director Todd Staley

Thanks to Dave Rimington, Rich Hahn, and Gary and Susan Ellis who hosted another Boomer Esiason Redbone@Large Celebrity fishing tournament at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica.

The competition among the group of former pro athletes was intense but friendly. Mike Knox was the eventual winner and partner Kelly the  runner-up. Their combined score edged out Todd Calfee and Dr. Misko who boated 3 marlin in one day.

Pictured Above – MLB Hall of Fame Legend Wade Boggs with a sailfish on!

Dr. Misko was down with his 13 year old son celebrating his birthday and not only did they get to fish with some of their football idols – but they were able to experience catching their first sailfish and marlin.

Dr. Justin Misko posses with Wade Boggs and Mark Cooper as they present him with the tournament award for “Most Sailfish Caught”

Knox and Kai banged up the roosterfish inshore with a 1500 point day to edge out the others. Wade Boggs and Mark Cooper fished together and as always it was fun to hear their “in jest” comments back and forth  – it was a good thing they didn’t play the same sport. Wade managed a few post-tournament snook the satisfy his fishing bug.

Offshore continues to be unpredictable and inshore reliable for the most part. Plenty of roosters, grouper, and if you are inclined sharks. Jacks and roosters have been hitting poppers.

Randy and Brandi Shapiro doubled up on marlin of 250 and 500 pounds. Lifetime fish and a trip to the spa afterward. They also became the first owners of our new Costa Rica real estate offering – Botánika Osa Peninsula Curio Collectin by Hilton.

Check Out The Video of Randy’s 500lb Pacific Blue Marlin Below

March Highlight Reel –  Watch all the sport fishing highlights from this past March at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica.

Ocean’s been flat and more sun than you can stand.

Todd Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Costa Rica

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Costa Rica fishing report By Todd Staley, Fishing Director, Crocodile Bay Resort – August 9, 2016 – I just got back from Florida where I went to the ICAST tackle manufacturers’ trade show and spent time with my family.

I spent almost all my time with mom who will be 93 in September, but did take time to jerk my long time fishing buddy Steve Brown out of the cardiac ward and go fishing with him and my son Jason with another old buddy Captain Dave Zalewski.

Upon returning to the resort and getting back to work it was refreshing to see many family groups here. The fish Gods were good to them also. Bill Putman’s family got an up close and personal look at a 600 pound marlin who ripped the outrigger off the boat during the hook-up. They also went 5 for 14 on sailfish that day. The rest of their trip they pulled on tuna offshore and a mixed bag of roosters and snapper inshore.

Sawyer and Merrick Ellenberger got off to a rocky start but after getting their sea legs they kept mom and dad busy between fishing on the boat and spending time on the pier. David and Jackson Hendrick came back late because they hooked a tuna estimated at 200lbs near the end of the day which they pulled on for over two hours.

Earl and January Schmus stretched lots of string while here catching some really nice roosters as well as joining in on the tuna party.

Louis-David Sansoucy and his new bride Melanie decided to stay inshore and the roosters gave them a great honeymoon experience.

In a nutshell there is enough going on both inshore and offshore to supply some great dinners as well as big grins.

All the above left me some great photos…..enjoy.

Congratulations to Mac McGlamery who took roosterfish off his bucket list and spent some quality time with his sons Beau and Brandon.

Todd Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort,
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Costa Rica Sport Fishing and Expeditions

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Crocodile Bay Resort Fishing Report by Fishing Director Todd Staley – July 2016 – Father’s Day has just past and it has been over two decades since I lost my own, But for repeat guest Rob Sekely the wound was much fresher, losing his father last Christmas. The decision to leave a good sailfish bite offshore was based on a lesson taken from dad. His own words…“I was actually down fishing in memory of my father who I lost this past Christmas. It was very apparent that he was gracing me with his presence and fishing philosophy. Prior to moving to the spot off the famous Matapalo rock, we were very blessed to have raised seven sails and land three. So, it was decided that we should tip our hats to the fish gods and go inshore to see what would transpire.The last fish of the day was a 70lb roosterfish. What a tremendous bucket-list day of fishing!!”

“Life is full of moments – good and bad…and things seem to get balanced out along the way. The philosophy my dad shared on many occasions with us and I shared it with Todd, is that if you want too many, you won’t get any. So,when Anna had mentioned to go inshore after our sailfish success, that philosophy kept ringing louder in my head. Fate is a fickle part of life that can shine on you at any moment.”

Thank you for the powerful words Rob, and sorry for your loss.

Here is Rob’s roosterfish from his previous trip to Crocodile Bay Resort in 2012 – also a monster

Offshore has been a let’s see what’s on the menu for today  kind of fishing. Catches lately included marlin, sails, lots of tuna, and a wahoo here and there. The tuna law moving purse seine boats offshore sponsored by FECOP, the Costa Rica sport fishing lobby down here has paid big dividends all along the coast and lots of double and triple digit fish are being boated.

Inshore the roosterfish and snapper continue to please anglers and the annual run of big roosterfish this time of year has seem to have started as several fish over 50 lbs have been caught this week.

Todd Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica

More News and Updates

Did you know our inshore fishery is home to 12 kinds of snapper? Pictured below is Braden Born and his brother with a beautiful Colorado snapper. One of the many species one may encounter on an inshore fishing trip at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica.

Guest Testimonial of the Week

Here is what Pete had to say about his visit to Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica this past week:

David,
It would be bad manners of the type that disappointed my mother if we did not tell you and all the Crocodile Bay Resort team how much we enjoyed our adventure. It is hard but pleasing work to have that much fun. We will not mention any team member for fear of omission of any one name.

But we will say:
The experience began with your tireless attention to detail, coordination, and follow up and we stumbled along in cobbling a suitable game plan. You attempted to educate and serve while not being disappointed if the student failed to understand.

Our primary purpose was the fishing experience and we were quite pleased.

The boats and fishing staff were world class. Well maintained equipment and highly skilled personnel. All very professional and personable.

The fishing experience was the ‘main course’ of  a grand experience.

All services of the lodge were 5 star. That may sound like hyperbole, But remember this is an isolated spot, which we found quite pleasant. The food was exquisite and service as well as attention to detail surprising to include even artistic carving of a breakfast fruit plate.

There was great effort to pay attention to the  guest wants and needs ‘as to offer’ rather than be ‘asked for’, even the mosquitoes seemed to be trained to not bite the guests.

So many good things do not just happen! Dedication to mission fulfillment shines through.

Some may suggest parts of the resort to be dated, but everything works and all team members work at ensuring guest satisfaction.

Furthermore evidence of commitment as demonstrated in newer construction and surveyor flags is all around. Old or new —everything works and is well maintained.

We left the lodge with long list of new friends composed of both staff and guests.

Hope to have another experience with you during the black marlin season.

Pete

Thanks Pete! Black marlin are historically most plentiful between July and September. We hope to see you back down at Crocodile Bay soon!

We would like to thank Brianna from California for these photos of her recent vacation:

ICAST 2016 – If you are affiliated with the fishing industry and registered for this years’ ICAST, you may visit Crocodile Bay Resort at booth 2863 July 13th through the 15th for your chance to win the Costa Rica fishing trip of a lifetime! We will also be offering fishing trips at special “industry rates”. You will of course also have a chance to see all the coolest new fishing, gear, gadgets and apparel for the upcoming year before the rest of the world. For more information visit the Offical ICAST website.

Book Your Costa Rica Fishing Vacation – Check Availability Below

June 2016 – Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica – by Fishing Director Todd Staley Offshore of late has been a hunting game. Most everyone who has a Pacific sailfish on their bucket list is fulfilling the wish with some patience but they are not popping up like popcorn as they were in March and April. Todd Vannatta who has been coming down for years missed his trip earlier this year because of an accident but finally made it with 15 year old son and future NBA star 15 year old 6 foot 7 inch Gunnar. Gunnar took his first sailfish and they added a 25 lb dorado which they enjoyed several times in the restaurant.

Inshore fishing has been wide open and couples John and Lorraine Sixsmith from England and Robert and Francine Schreiber of Fort Lauderdale came just for that. Roosterfish, African pompano, jacks, trevally, grouper, and tilefish are just a few of the species that stretched their string.

Above Robert Schreiber shows the food chain in action with this beautiful cubera snapper

Schreiber hooked a big cubera snapper estimated at 60 plus pounds but it won the fight as the big ones often do. The plate size Pacific yellowtail snapper they also caught hit the deep fryer and were a delight.

Pictuerd above Francine Schreiber holds up a nice sized Roosterfish before returning it to the Pacific

The Sixsmiths from England spent 14 days with us and caught just about everything. They also had a chance to go  on a variety of our 30 Eco-adventure tours. See photos below:

Robert Sixsmith pictured above with one of many Roosterfish he released. The Sixsmiths caught a variety of inshore species and sailfish on their 14 day visit from England.

Tara Harrell – who many of you may have spoken with prior to booking your trip to Costa Rica- visited last week with her youngest son and had a great time fishing and exploring the rainforest. She released this  roosterfish and caputured a lot of amazing wildlife photos which will soon be featured on crocodilebay.com.

As the month winds down we should see more marlin and tuna moving in. Tuna making short appearances now have been running 20 to 70 lbs. July through September are historically some of the best months to target blue marlin (with blacks and stripes in the mix) You can click here to check availability for July through September.

Father’s Day is quickly approaching and we have a great way for you and your family to celebrate this special day. When you book a Costa Rica fishing trip of three days or more,  we’ll give dad a VIP boat upgrade from a Boston Whaler Outrage to a 33′ Strike Yacht (for a full day), so he can fish inshore or offshore like a pro!

Trips must be booked by Father’s Day 2016 and taken before October, 2016 (to receive the special one day upgrade valued at $700). Call 1-855-945-4171 for special offer details and restrictions or fill out the form below to check availability.

Crocodile Bay Resort is an ideal destination for family or group vacations as we offer over 30 eco, adventure, and cultural tours as well as a luxury Spa for non-anglers.

We also offer unlimited complimentary paddle boarding from our private pier and waterfront area. Check availability below.

Costa Rica Fishing Report By Todd Staley, Fishing Director – Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica – May 2016 – Who would think I would hate children after raising 10, but the last “El Niño” made me rethink the whole thing about “niños”. The El Niño which has officially passed made only one thing predictable about fishing in the Southern zone of Costa Rica. The only thing predictable was that it was unpredictable. We have a few months of normal weather patterns coming our way and if history repeats itself, a strong El Niño is usually followed a few months later by an “La Niña” which usually is favorable in this area.

In the coming months offshore fishing in the South means marlin. Most of the year we usually see blue marlin but now and then there are a few blacks and striped marlin mixed in with the blues. Find the spinner or spotted dolphins and you will find the yellowfin tuna.

Since the FECOP sponsored tuna decree moving purse seiners farther offshore, boats all along the Pacific coast have reported catching more tuna and have been seeing larger pods of dolphin. Sometimes during the Fiestas de San Juan when the schools are on vacation, an Indian summer will pass through and we will see sailfish numbers increase to double digit days.

Inshore our fishery is year round but the green season produces some of the biggest roosterfish of the year. Bridle up a live bonito and let him do his thing near Matapalo Rock and you have a chance at a 60 plus pound fish. A big cubera snapper may find your bait first and the tug-a-war is on to keep them out of the rocks.

Here are a few monster roosterfish catches (all fish released) from the past at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica

The following photos are thanks to Jean and Hunter Michewicz and Garrett and Christina Hutto. The wives surprised their husbands with a surprise fishing trip to Crocodile Bay.

Keep your eye on the fish!

Don’t forget Father’s Day is right around the corner, and the kids are almost out of school – Summer is a perfect time to spend quality time with the family at Crocodile Bay Resort. We get lots of father/son teams down, but fishing is not just for the boys – and we offer a luxury spa as well as 30 eco, cultural and educational tours for those who want to do something other than fish. We know you’ll enjoy this video featuring local girls and some of our staff members catching a variety of inshore species including roosterfish, African pompano, and snapper.

Call and ask about our Father’s Day and Summer Introductory Costa Rica Fishing Packages – 1-855-945-4171 – perfect for families and groups of all sizes – Or you can check availability below.

By Todd Staley, Fishing Director – They say that El Niño is finally starting to go away and the temperature of Equatorial waters is finally beginning to drop. I don’t think I will recover any of the hair I’ve lost but the fishing just might get a little more predictable. The light seasonal rains have finally started after a long drought and everything that had turned brown miraculously turned back to green in 3 days. Schools of yellowfin tuna have started passing by with the dolphins. The last one was aggravating as the fish didn’t chew that well but we did manage an 80 lb block of steak and sashimi for the guests.

Sails are still around and still having days of double digits but they are also doing their pre-spawn ritual up on the surface. When there is that kind of flirting going on sometime they get finicky about running down a bait offered to them. The dropping water temperature should bring more marlin our way as well.

We have even seen a few dorado which were scarce in the height of the Niño season. Inshore has been decent fishing with good days and slow days but thank you fish gods, mostly good days. Roosterfish have been active and checked off a lot of bucket lists. Snapper are biting and looking good on dinner plates. Deeper, the grouper have been biting with some tilefish.

I am going to put up a couple of photos of some of the stranger fish we have seen this season inshore. Don’t quite know why, but interesting none the less.

Dennis Tilton of Boston Whaler with a Congria. Although not rare it is a strange looking and deliscious fish

A juvenile Mexican Hognose snapper from Matapalo Rock

This deep-water Stargazer also came from the famous rock at the mouth of the Gulf

Rare Costa Rica barrelfish

This just in – The Kessler group went 24/7 on sailfish yesterday – congrats guys!

Ask about our Father’s Day Special with VIP boat upgrade when you book before June 19th!

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Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica – Have you ever had a favorite song on an old disc that gets to a certain spot and then it starts skipping. You like the song so much you keep trying over and over to listen to it but again just when you think it might be alright, it’s stuck on the same verse again. Well that is exactly how my offshore fishing reports have been over and over lately and it has made me lose hair I can’t afford to lose. Not this time. The music is playing without a skip and everyone has kicked off their shoes and is dancing. THE SAILFISH HAVE ARRIVED.

Pictured above Raffie Cordes of Cordes Travel from the Netherlands prepares to release a beautiful sailfish

It has been consistent for the last 5 days and offshore anglers are getting 10 to 15 shots a day. Doubles are popping up in the spread and enough fish are around the fly fishermen are not worried about missing an opportunity to cast a half pink dyed chicken in front of a charging ballerina. My blood pressure has finally gone down 15 points and I’m even tapping my foot in my sleep.

Costa Rica is finally getting to see the results of the Presidential decree keeping tuna purse seiners 45 miles off the coast and protecting more than 200,000 square kilometers of territorial waters. This initiative was a project of FECOP, the sport fishing voice of Costa Rica in which Crocodile Bay’s Cory Williams is a board member. We have taken tuna lately up to 150 lbs and further up the coast a monster yellowfin estimated at 400 lbs was recently taken.

If Dr. Doolittle loved finny creatures rather than furry critters his first name would surely be Mark. Mark and his wife Kay have been coming down here since my beard had more color in it besides gray. Doolittle who fishes all over the world, fishes to relax and have fun. That I think that is why he always catches fish and a wide variety of them. On this trip he caught his 100th sailfish at Crocodile Bay. When I send this to the web-master Will, Mark had 107 under his belt here (that number ended up reaching 114).

Mark Doolittle also experienced great inshore action – pictured above with a nice snapper

On the other hand, the inshore fishing is still a broken record like my last reports. It is still FANTASTIC.. Lots of roosterfish, snapper, amberjack, and African pompano mixed in with a smorgasbord of other species. Roosters over 50 lbs have been taken lately at Matapalo and Iguana reef.

Todd Staley,
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica
www.crocodilebay.com

Special Feature – Mark Doolittle Gets His 100th Sailfish at Crocodile Bay

Guests in the Spotlight (by Crocodile Bay Staff)  – Mark and Kay Doolittle from the state of Oregon, have been regular guests of Crocodile Bay Resort for just about 10 years now. Their first visit to Crocodile Bay was in 2006 when after much research they decided that, for Mark and Kay who doesn’t fish, the resort offered a variety of non-fishing activities and eco tour adventures.

On his first vacation at Crocodile Bay Resort the fishing was good but a little slow; understanding that this is part of fishing, he and his wife took their chances and returned the following year just the same. The main reason for the return visit was the pura vida (pure life) lifestyle that they had experienced along with the warm genuine culture and hospitality that the Ticos and Ticas are so famous for. For Mrs. Doolittle who is a retired executive from a local bank in her home town, she had many more eco tours that she wanted to participate in and the resort activities insured that she was never ever bored. The lodges simple and warm setting with the variety of wildlife on property was a natural magnet for Kay Doolittle.

Mark, who is a retired colonel from the US Air Force after 38 years of service, managed to catch just about everything that the ocean had to offer. Indeed, over the course of the past 10 years the catch of the day has been a variety that includes just about everything. But it is on this particular trip, on his official 10^th visit to our resort, that caught his 100^th sailfish for an average of 10 per year!

On the first day of his arrival he had told Anthony…his favorite captain…that he needed to catch 12 sailfish during this vacation, in order to reach a milestone of 100 catches…and Anthony was up to the task! On the 6^th day of his vacation, he caught his 100^th sailfish – but that was on his 6^th day.  On his 7^th day of vacation he was forced to catch 7 additional sailfish.How many years will it take him to catch his next 100 sailfish! We are all waiting eagerly to learn the answer to that question!

Meet the Newest Addition(s) to the Crocodile Bay Family!
We are proud to introduce you to the newest member of our family “Tonka”, a four month old German Shepard who enjoys long walks on the beach, licking the hands of clients who recently caught and touched fish, and the magic of ice cubes. Along with Tonka we welcome two new 2015 Boston Whaler Outrages and two new 2016 Toyota Land Cruisers to the Crocodile Bay fleet of inshore boats and eco tour vehicles. We pride ourselves on offering our guests the best boats, vehicles and fishing gear available! When you come to visit, Tonka will be ready to greet you at the door!

Click here to reserve your dream Costa Rica fishing vacation today!