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.
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.
Ocean’s been flat and more sun than you can stand.
Todd Staley
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort
Costa Rica
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
![12745792_10208479142871901_614536680714487212_n[1]](https://www.crocodilebay.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12745792_10208479142871901_614536680714487212_n1.jpg)
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!
One of the most exciting days of fishing I ever had was in a lagoon in Nicaragua accessible only by passing through myriad rivers and creeks on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. That day, Mike Holiday and I hooked more than 60 tarpon on casting plugs. We tired of tarpon and went to the beach to cast for snook. The tarpon wouldn’t leave us alone. We were hooking them from shore. I watched as Holiday played and eventually landed a respectable tarpon from the beach with a fly rod. That was nearly 20 years ago.
What did I see that day? Fish, fish and more fish.
I fished that same lagoon many times over the years, and although I never matched that one fantastic day, I always had good fishing. Then, one day, the tropical rains had the lagoon all muddied up. I cast furiously for hours with memories of that fantastic day playing like a movie in my head. I had not one bite. I knew the next cast might be the one. It wasn’t. My arm tired of casting and I sat down to rest. I looked over toward the shoreline. Then it jumped out at me. A beautiful, fire-orange heliconia growing next to the riverbank. I scanned the shoreline. One after another, they rose from the jungle.
On the long fishless ride back into Costa Rica, I started to notice things I never saw before, even though I had traveled this road many times. Wild orchids hanging over the creeks, some of them humongous and all of them spectacular. There were so many different kinds. On all my previous trips, I had seen only water and fish. The normal trip back took one and a half hours; this day, it took me almost four hours. That was the day I learned it is not always about the fish.
I have had many similar experiences here on the Osa Peninsula. The waters off the Osa drops off fast. A couple of hundred yards off the beach, you’ll find a couple of hundred feet of water below your boat. By the time you reach 20 miles out, more than a mile of water separates you from the ocean floor. Most of the big game fishing is rarely done beyond 20 miles, unless green water forces the fleet farther out. Fishing the Pacific can be like living the Discovery Channel.
The humpback whales come twice a year, from the Northern Hemisphere in January and February, and again in August and September from the Southern Hemisphere. I have been lucky enough to see a pod of 50 or more migrating offshore to the south. Mothers will bring their calves into the Golfo Dulce, and when they are here, sighting them is almost a daily occurrence as they prepare their young for a long open water voyage.
On another occasion, I was chatting with the guests below when the captain suddenly changed course. That is always a surefire sign that he has seen something. He pointed to the horizon, and there, way off in the distance, were silhouettes of something large jumping and making tremendous splashes. We were sure it was a huge school of very big tuna. As we got close enough to see what it was, it turned out to be a mammoth group of pilot whales. There were literally hundreds of them. As the boat got closer, they came over to check us out and began to swim alongside the boat the way porpoises do. We watched them for over an hour with not one tuna in sight.
I’ve seen killer whales here several times, usually about 10 miles off the beach. But once, three of them were headed up the coast only a few hundred yards off the coast. Mike Grace of Cummins Motors got the most spectacular shot of one as it raced in out of nowhere and began surfing the wake only inches off the transom.
Huge pods of spinner dolphins are common offshore. They may travel in groups of 50 or fewer, or as many as a thousand. You can bet there will always beyellowfin tuna near them. The tuna might not always bite, but they will be there.
March and April are the best months to bump into whale sharks in the gulf. These gentle giants show up almost yearly and feed on plankton in the calm waters on the upper end of the gulf. The most I’ve seen at one time is eight. They are not fully mature and average about 30 feet long.
Turtles are an everyday sight here while fishing. Most are olive ridley and green turtles, but on a rare occasion you might stumble upon a giant leatherback turtle roughly the size of a pool table.
This is not to mention the flora and fauna one sees while inshore fishing. The beaches are pristine, and a wide variety of macaws and seabirds hang close to the beach. This blended with an emerald surf line makes for a spectacular near shore experience.
On every one of those Discovery Channel days, I have no recollection of what I caught. But forever etched in my memory is what I saw.
Read More Fishing Reports and Special Fishing Features by Todd Staley Here:
Crocodile Bay Hosts CABA
The Direct Line Fishing Report by Todd Staley
Anglers from several different countries met last week to discuss the state of billfish (marlin and sailfish) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and how to better manage them.
The guest speaker was Dr. Nelson Ehrhardt from the University of Miami who explained the effects of currents, temperatures, winds and overfishing on the populations of billfish in Central America. The same population of fish roam from Mexico to Ecuador so what happens in one country can have an affect on other countries fish populations. He also shared information gained from the over 60 satellite tags that have been placed on billfish in Costa Rica and Guatemala.
The biggest advance was the petition made by the group to OSPESCA, the governmental group that oversees all fishing in Central America to have a representative of sport fishing interest work with the panel that has historically represented the commercial fleet.
Ospesca agreed to permit CABA to form a work group with OSPESCA dealing only with billfish and their socio/economic importance to the region as a catch and release billfish is valued much more and supplies jobs to to Central Americans.
You can watch the video on the Changing Seas Website that aired on PBS “Billfish: Battle on the Line” Here.
There will also be free screenings of the film at The Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center Wednesday August, 26th. Seating is limited so please email Dive-in@list.nova.edu or Call 954-262-3678 to reserve your seat!
We encourage you to visit CABA on Facebook and “Like” their page to support their efforts in maintaining healthy billfish populations in Central America.Click Here to Visit CABA on Facebook.
SouthWest Airlines is offering amazing round trip airfares from select hubs to San Jose, Costa Rica. Fares are starting as low as $465 and now is a great time to lock in your flight. You may check flight availability in your area here
Christmas is only 145 days away – and Crocodile Bay Resort has just received some top secret information that Santa Clause will be visiting in December as he scouts his Latin American route. In celebration of his visit we will be offering a special for those who book their vacation between now and December 15th, 2015. Kids 15 and under can stay, eat, and fish free with any two paying adults on a *fishing vacation of three days more. (see restrictions below) This in combination with great airfares is a great way to get the whole family down for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Check SouthWest Routes Below
If you’re looking for an amazing destination to pursue billfish and other exotic species this upcoming Holiday season, November is historically a good time to target marlin and our peak billfish season runs December through April. Space is limited during our peak season so please make your reservations soon.
*Kids free special is for new fishing reservations of three days or more only and must be booked and taken between July 30th and December 15th, 2015. This special is not valid in combination with other offers. SouthWest airfares mentioned above may change at any time. Crocodile Bay Resort is not affiliated with Southwest airlines in any way nor are we responsible for fluctuations in airfare or Southwest special offers.
The Direct Line Fishing Report by Todd Staley
I like it when I am right. According to my wife that’s not very often. When I said last report that the tuna and marlin should be rolling in any day, they made me a hero.
Mark Hettervig’s group pulled on a big yellowfin estimated at 200 lbs and it came unbuttoned after two hours. They did bring in enough tuna for sashimi and also boated a bunch of roosters during their stay.
Mike and David Kurfess also took nice roosters while Buck Pollister and his fiancé Blair Campell caught just about everything that swims here especially inshore.
Harold Odell fished with his granddaughter Kaity Box and got some nice fish also. Kaity got a big surprise when she ended up sharing her snapper for dinner with a big shark that wanted to have it for lunch.
Columbia Sportswear was down with a group of pro staff, sports celebs and outdoor media to introduce their spring line of outdoor wear. The group landed over 100 fish including, marlin, sails, tuna, roosters, snapper, African pompano and more.
Offshore the tuna have been sporadic, making an appearance one day and not showing the next. Marlin have been hanging around trash lines and floating structure and as many as five a boat, have come up into the spread. A few sails are popping up here and there. Inshore has been very consistent. Every picture tells a story.
Photo Courtesy Cindy Nguyen – Getting horizontal with Kelly Bastone ☆ She makes this look easy!
June Fishing Gallery (click ESC to exit gallery photos!!)
Todd Staley returns next month for the Crocodile Bay, Costa Rica fishing report.
For non-anglers we offer 30 unique eco expeditions and a luxury spa making Crocodile Bay a complete vacation destination. Check out our new videos for a sample of what you can expect during your trip to Crocodile Bay Resort including our new kayak fishing and paddle boarding.
Back by popular demand, we’re offering our classic “Spouse on the House” Spa Package this summer season (now through Dec 1, 2015). For every day you fish, your spouse gets a free spa treatment (up to $125/credit per day in the spa)! This special is only available for a short time so call and mention “spouse on the house” to take advantage of this great offer. 1-855-945-4171
Costa Rica Fishing Report, May 2015 – May has brought with it some nice weather and as always some interesting surprises. Harry Dunning came down from Las Vegas on a whim and ended up with some catches that would make most of us green with envy. He told me this was the best vacation he’d taken in thirty years…later I found out it was the only vacation he had taken in thirty years – but all kidding aside, he had just about everything go right on this fishing trip.
In his several days with us Harry Dunning released his first 200lb blue marlin offshore and inshore two large roosterfish (35 and 45lbs), with the star of the show being a surprise 35lb Cubera snapper from one of our new fishing kayaks. When a 45lb roosterfish took his live bait, it took him for a ride shooting out of the water several times like a sailfish before circling in and doing a deep dive directly below his kayak. The fish was so strong, that when it dove beneath the kayak it forced Harry into an involuntary Eskimo roll and a new view of the roosterfish action from below the surface. Harry managed to hold on to the rod and we brought an extra boat around to complete the successful catch and release of the fish. (Pictured above left) Although the unplanned Eskimo roll cost him his digital camera footage, the GoPro survived and captured some pretty neat footage of the trip that day. Not to be discouraged by his first encounter with a rooster, Harry got back in the kayak and it wasn’t long before a second roosterfish, this one at 35lbs, took his bait and put up an impressive fight before release. The big surprise at the resort was when he hooked up (also from the kayak) with a 35lb Cubera snapper off a sandy bottom which almost never happens and was purely a gift from the fish gods.
Guide Anthony Santos marveling at Harry’s 35lb Snapper
Congratulations to Harry Dunning on Releasing His First Blue Marlin! (see video of the release below)
Rob McIldowie and Stanley Teschke from Australia (Angling Adventures) and had a good few days inshore catching several African pompano, bluefin trevally, roosterfish, and on their final night they experienced the delight of a traditional Cotsa Rican whole fried snapper at the dinner table. They also managed to catch a yellowfin tuna for some fresh sashimi before they departed. The purpose of their 20+ hour flight from Australia to Costa Rica was to scratch two species off their fish list -tarpon and roosterfish – and after a visit to the Caribbean coast for tarpon, they caught several roosterfish here at Crocodile Bay Resort making the long haul worthwhile. We hope to see you back again, thanks for making the trip.
Yellowfin Tuna
May and June typically see a nice tuna run – which still hasn’t arrived, this is good news if you’re planning to visit soon, they could show up any time.
Summer Family Vacations at Crocodile Bay Resort
If you’re looking for something for your significant other or kids to do while you are out chasing marlin, summer is just about here and we’re offering a complimentary fourth night on fishing vacations of three days or more. For summer family vacations (May – Sept) kids under 11 can stay, eat and fish free with parents down on any fishing package of three days or more. All inclusive packages start at only $1,495pp.
For non-anglers we offer 30 unique eco expeditions and a luxury spa making Crocodile Bay a complete vacation destination. Check out our new videos for a sample of what you can expect during your trip to Crocodile Bay Resort including our new kayak fishing and paddle boarding.
Spouse on the House
Back by popular demand, we’re offering our classic “Spouse on the House” Spa Package this summer season. For every day you fish, your spouse gets a free Spa treatment (up to $125/credit per day in the Spa)! This special is only available for a short time so call and mention “spouse on the house” to take advantage of this great offer.
Crocodile Bay Resort
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
www.crocodilebay.com
Check Availability for Costa Rica a Fishing Vacation at Crocodile Bay Resort Below
