Todd Staley, Fishing Director

Costa Rica Fishing Calendar

Note: On any given day it is possible to catch a Costa Rica Sailfish, they are here year-round, but tend to concentrate in greater numbers mid January, February and March. The inshore species such as Roosterfish, Snappers, Jacks and Grouper  are also here year-round.

Offshore Fishing Opportunities:

Marlin: The majority of marlin taken here are Pacific blue marlin, though occasionally a black or a striped marlin are taken as well. Blues peak from November to January when the big Dorado run is on. There is also a small peak in April as sailfish numbers drop. July through September there is a better chance at a black or striped marlin mixed in with the blues.


Costa Rica Sailfish: Again there is a year round opportunity for sailfish with the bigger numbers coming from late December/January through April. Read more about catching and releasing Costa Rica sailfish here.



Dorado: Dolphinfish, Dorado, Mahi Mahi (Mahi translates to “Strong” in Hawaiian) – whatever you prefer to call them run really thick from November through January and occasionally in February – averaging 20 to 40 lbs. We take Dorado year round but not in the same numbers as the months listed above.


Tuna: Yellowfin and Big Eye tuna can pass through any day of the year especially if the spinner or spotted dolphins are present. Football size tuna schools seem to appear every December. A new decree in Costa Rica has protected 44% of territorial waters from tuna purse seine activity.


Wahoo: They can surprise you any day of the year and are even sometimes taken inshore when the water is clear. Wahoo is not a prevalent species, but anglers are very happy when they are caught as they are a great fighting fish and make excellent table fare.

Inshore Fishing Opportunities:

There is no real peak time for inshore species as all are year round the residents are in this area.

Roosterfish: Our “bucket list” fish, famous for their unique looks and incredible fighting ability. Everyone should schedule at least one day of inshore fishing to challenge these and other inshore species. They are taken regularly on live bait, poppers, and jigs. Roosterfish are known as one of the most challenging fish on a fly and difficult to fool with fly tackle.

Cubera Snapper: Top dog of our list of nearly a dozen different snapper. Since the Golfo Dulce became the largest Marine Area of Responsible Fishing several years ago – and shrimp boats and gill nets were banned from the gulf, snappers and other inshore species have made a great comeback. A big Pumpkin size Cubera will rush from the depths and smash a fast moving popper.

Costa Rica Fishing Calendar (Southern Costa Rica – Osa Peninsula)

Other Inshore Fishing Species:

African pompano, bluefin trevally, a variety of jacks, grouper, mackerel, barracuda, bonitos, and an endless list of surprises including snook, wahoo and sharks make up the list of other fish caught while targeting roosters and snapper.

Crocodile Bay Sport Fishing Fleet:

Our fleet is comprised of 33 and 35 foot Strike Tower boats as well as several 27 foot Rambo inboard diesels. We also have 24 and 25 foot Boston Whaler Outrages. All of boats have the ability to fish either offshore or inshore because of our generally calm sea conditions. In 17 years of operation we have only had two days when the ocean was too rough to go fishing. You will be pleasantly surprised to find an English speaking crew member on your boat as that is not always the case in other fishing operations. Do to an increased demand, we haven also added a fleet of fully outfitted OldTown fishing kayaks to increase the variety of fishing options offered at Crocodile Bay Resort. Book Your Costa Rica Fishing Trip

Fishing Tackle:

Our boats are outfitted with Penn International 50’s and 30’s as well as both Penn spinning and conventional gear in 20 and 30 pound outfits. We always try to have live bait on-board before you leave the dock. We use Temple Fork Fly Fishing gear on-site but we welcome anglers to bring their own gear if they prefer.

Our sport fishing crews:

Most of our crew members grew up in the area and know the waters well. Our crews will give you as much or as little help as you want. We want this to be a great experience and communication with your crew enhances your visit here.

Costa Rica Fishing at Crocodile Bay Resort – Beneath the Surface

Enjoy this new short video that begins beneath the surface of our 750 foot private pier and then takes you along some of Southern Costa Rica’s best inshore fishing spots and finally to the cobalt blue offshore waters of Costa Rica for sailfish, marlin and more. Enjoy the Costa Rica fishing action and check back for more editions of “Beneath the Surface” at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica.

To book your Costa Rica fishing vacation or charter fishing trip click  below

The Direct Line Fishing Report by Todd Staley

The tide had just turned and was slowly pushing toward the open ocean. The peak of the reef reaches up 83 feet below the surface. The volcanic terrain sits in the middle of the Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica’s southern Pacific region and the underwater structure is 120 feet below.

Bright orange cubera snapper hover just below the slick surface like a field strewn with huge Halloween pumpkins. An angler tosses a lively blue runner over the side and the nervous bait races back to the boat.

Like a huge fireball, a cubera explodes on the surface and throws water in every direction. Line screams off the reel. Even the blister raised on the thumb, as extra pressure is applied to the drag, is not enough. The snapper’s power is too much and it escapes into a rocky cavern below. The fisherman is left with the lasting memory of having a runaway freight train on the end of his line.

Scenes like this are among the reasons businessman Robin Williams (not the actor) chose Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica – located on the Golfo Dulce, to build his dream project, Crocodile Bay Resort (formerly Crocodile Bay Lodge)

Not only is offshore fishing for billfish sensational, in Costa Rica’s cobalt offshore waters, but the 30-mile long, 15 mile wide Golfo Dulce also offers some of the best inshore fishing action in Costa Rica. More than 40 IGFA world records have been established in the area. Several major rivers wind through the mangroves and dump rich nutrients into the gulf.

Crocodile Bay’s 40-vessel fleet includes 33-foot Strike tower boats  and 26′ Boston Whalers and is currently Central America’s largest private sport fishing fleet.

The Spa at Crocodile Bay

The Crocodile Bay Resort project began with the purchase of a sprawling 44-acre farm adjacent to the airport in Puerto Jimenez, including 600 feet of frontage on the Gulf. Construction of the 6 quadroplexes and main resort began in June of 1999. Crocodile Bay Resort (as Crocodile Bay Lodge) opened it’s doors in September of that year, and the 750 foot private pier was completed in April of 2000. A new 5000 square foot luxury spa was completed in 2007 and currently offers 30 rejuvenating treatments, a big draw to anglers who opt to bring their spouses or for large groups including non-anglers. Other facilities include a conference and meeting center that seats up to 80 people, a crocodile lagoon, pool with swim-up-bar and raised jacuzzi, game room, restaurant and bar with outdoor grill, as well as countless walking and hiking trails. On these grounds you have a chance to witness 3 of the 4 species of indigenous monkeys, and 400 plus exotic bird species (including the surprisingly common scarlet macaws and toucans – which you normally will not see in many parts of Costa Rica)

The Rooms at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica

Rustic Elegance
Built of concrete and local native hardwoods, the 34 rooms are spacious with queen sized beds and private Jacuzzi tubs (available in deluxe rooms) and air conditioning. Mr. Williams had a vision of the project more than a two decades ago. He began assembling his team by bringing Hardy Corea aboard as company president and manager of the resort. Todd staley joined the team as Director of Fishing and is currently still in charge of the fishing operations and was recently awarded the IGFA Chester H. Wolfe award for Outstanding Sportsman of the Year (2015 – for his work helping to push commercial fishing boats 60 miles offshore). Corea (no longer with the operation) and Staley both trained under the wing of the late Archie Fields, founder of the Rio Colorado tarpon and snook resort on the Caribbean coast and pioneer of early Costa Rica tourism. In all, Crocodile Bay Resort created more than 100 new jobs in Puerto Jimenez.

Fantastic Costa Rica Fishing

Offshore Fishing at Crocodile Bay – Sailfish

It is the dance of the sailfish and the lightning speed of the marlin that that attract most anglers to the Osa Peninsula. It is not uncommon to raise more than 15 billfish in a days fishing during peak months. Most dorado (mahi-mahi) coming to the dock have been over 30 lbs with Tuna in the mix. You can likely have a shot at catching a billfish any day of the year, with January through April the top months for marlin and sailfish along this region of the Southern coast. there is also a good showing of marlin in July -August and November, while months during and just after the rains produce more dorado, as the debris washed out of the rivers forms the inshore trash lines they feed under. Football-size tuna are almost always present and sometimes those that top out at 300 pounds.

Anglers trolling in the blue-water are often treated to pleasant surprises. Humpback and pilot whales blow geysers high in the air. Sea turtles sun on the surface. Manta rays free-jump and belly-flop with a loud slap on the water. The most awesome sight, though, is the sighed sight of a pod of killer whales migrating s along the coast.

An orca belly flops onto the wake of a groups Strike fishing boat only 15 miles offshore heading back to the pier after a day of sport fishing.

The Rio Esquinas enters the northwest corner of the gulf in a massive estuary system of creeks and mangroves. The dropoff at the revermouth quickly falls to more than 200 feet in depth, creating an ambush point for roosterfish, jack crevalle, snook and snapper. A local fisherman took a 63 pound black snook on a handline several years back that would have crushed the current world record for conventional tackle.

Rio Coto at Zancudo is also famous for its snook. Large schools of herring congregate on the flats in front of the river and with it schools of sierra mackerel, jacks and other game fish. The Zancudo beach has an inshore corbina population and gets rocky again as it turns the corner to Pavones, where roosterfish and surfers share the famous left break.The puerto Jimenez side of the gulf is made up mostly of mangrove shoreline.

Two volcanic reefs lay in the shallows offshore. One is nearly a mile long. Small cubera snappers in the 5 to 10 pound range jump all over a topwater plug worked over the rocks. Roosterfish to fifty pounds patrol these same mirrored waters, though they prefer a frisky live bait.

A humpback whale at Matapalo Rock

Matapalo Rock at the mouth of the gulf acts as a reference point for the blue water angler. “So many degrees” and “so many miles” off the rock is the common terminology used when talking about locating fish. The rock also has been described as and “underwater Jurassic Park.” It produces snapper so big you could never turn them on conventional tackle. Large schools of amberjack, massive goliath grouper, and sharks call it home. On rare occasions, anglers trying for roosterfish are surprised when a mako shark takes to the air after swallowing a bait.

The fishing tourism business in Southern Costa Rica has gone through a change in the past decade, attracting more couples and families in addition to groups of hardcore fishermen. Crocodile Bay brought in Eco Director and Photographer Dennis Atencio to coordinate activities for anglers taking a day off the water and for non fishing guests. Corcovado National Park, spanning the 2nd largest area in Costa Rica’s world famous National Park system, and contains the highest number of endangered species in all of Central America The area contains an estimated five percent of the planet’s bio diversity.

Zip Lining – One of Thirty Eco Tours Available at Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica

Parrots, macaws, toucans and other exotic birds abound. Four species of monkeys, sloth, crocodiles and may other animals call the park home. Occasional sightings of the rare jaguar and other members of the cat family have been reported inside the park.

Tours include flying through the rainforest via a canopy by zip-line, relaxing jaunts, ocean and mangrove kayaking (and all new guided kayak fishing tours), mountain biking, bird watching, jungle and rainforest hikes, snorkeling, waterfall rappelling, botanical garden hikes and more. The world class fishing Costa Rica has to offer combined with a vision that began 20 years ago, has made Robin Williams and many a traveling angler’s dreams come true.

Check Availability for Your Dream Fishing Trip Below!

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

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