Costa Rica Report-Pix Included

Hey all-
Just got back from a month of spearfishing, kayakfishing and surfing Costa Rica. What an amazing trip-I took local busses, hitchhiked, and backpacked from the Carribean side to the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific.I met other travelers, trekked the jungles, slept out on the beaches, dove rainbow colored topical reefs and surfed monster waves in 80 degree water.




Carribean Coast

The nearshore fishery down there is unbelievable! I’ve fished from mid Baja up to Alaska, and I’ve never seen a healthier fishery. I'd go down to the beach in the morning and I would see the shadows of huge snook darting around in the surfline, roosterfish finning on the surface, birds crashing on feeding jacks and king mackerel on the outside. On the calm days you'd watch as roosterfish chased huge needlefish offshore, summersaulting in the air. I would have loved to have chased some of the pelagic dorado, tuna, and wahoo that are caught year round in the area, but they were too far offshore to chase from the kayaks and zodiac we were using, though I hear its not uncommon to catch dorado from the beach and tuna a mile from shore from July through November.
While I was out on the Carribean side I stayed at this surf camp/organic farm called Punta Mona that was located about 10 miles from the Panama border. This place was so innaccesible that you either had to take a boat in or hike 8 miles through the mud. There were cocoanut palms, mangoes, papayas and other tropical fruits growing everywhere ( I learned how to cook a wicked  terriyaki fruit jack and mackerel dish). The best thing about this surf camp was that we had access to kayaks and free dive gear. Every evening a few hours before sunset I organized a fishing party. I was the only one with a rod, and everyone else used handlines and wire leaders to troll floating rapalas along the outside of the coral reef. We never came in emptyhanded, and everyonce caught at least a few jacks (which went from 5-10 lbs) and some of the king mackerel  (which make excellent sashimi)-all in under 20 ft of water.. I caught and landed a 40 lb-5 ft. poisonous barracuda on a crocodile spoon. This fish went toally acrobatic on me, leaping out of the water immediately on being hooked. I was lucky I survived that one as some of the locals told me stories of killer barracuda pulling people off their kayaks.




Punta Mona

The freediving was spectacular. There was an island right outside of Punta Mona and rich coral reefs surrounding. I spent a few mornings out there spearfishing for red and yellowtail snapper. One day I speared a 10 lb broomtail grouper in about 5 ft of water.
The last day we hiked through a tropical storm down to the Panama border to catch a bus. I then spent a few days trekking through the jungle-Monteverde, Arenal and Fortuna-before heading out to the Pacific Coast.
Once I got to the town of Montezuma I hooked up with a tattooed local kayakfisherman/artist named Victor. I told him about my guide service up north and we immediately became friends. That night we went to this huge beach party.




Pacific Coast

The next morning we woke early and launched the kayaks to fish the nearshore for roosterfish, jacks, pargo and snapper. We trolled huge floating rapalas and live bait. We paddled about a half mile up the coast to this spot where the birds were diving everywhere. As I was pulling my jig in to cast, a huge roosterfish came up and boiled on it. The fight was on!!! It pulled my kayak around in a few circles then ran for the beach. Pulling me closer to the waves, I put the rod between my legs to backpaddle. After a half hour or so, the roosterfish busted off. All over fish were still boiling, and often the water would turn white, jacks and roosters jumping out of the water. Each cast hooked up with a huge yellowtail jack- these fish were strong, pulling the kayak and ripping drag off my Daiwa Sealine SL 30. By the end of the day I had caught and released ten jacks, and brought three back to the camp for terriyaki mango cocoanut papaya marinate. The next day we went out on his zodiac to troll live mullet for roosterfish and pargo. That day I caught a huge blue jack and roosterfish. We came up on this one spot where every cast 10 roosterfish would follow our poppers. It took awhile but after a few casts I got one to bite and hold and it was on. After a few more days fishing Montezuma and catching more roosterfish, jacks and pargo, it was off to Mal Pais to surf for a week before heading back to the states. 






Yellowtail Jacks




22lb Blue Jack


Needlefish Bait




Roosterfish

welcome back to sunny california! 

Where are the pics of the beach party?

Jason

That's what I call LIVING THE LIFE....

Thanks for the report!  Costa Rica is on my checklist of things to do!

I officially hate you!

No, I'm just envious

Hey all-
Just got back from a month of spearfishing, kayakfishing and surfing Costa Rica. What an amazing trip-I took local busses, hitchhiked, and backpacked from the Carribean side to the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific.I met other travelers, trekked the jungles, slept out on the beaches, dove rainbow colored topical reefs and surfed monster waves in 80 degree water.




Carribean Coast

The nearshore fishery down there is unbelievable! I’ve fished from mid Baja up to Alaska, and I’ve never seen a healthier fishery. I'd go down to the beach in the morning and I would see the shadows of huge snook darting around in the surfline, roosterfish finning on the surface, birds crashing on feeding jacks and king mackerel on the outside. On the calm days you'd watch as roosterfish chased huge needlefish offshore, summersaulting in the air. I would have loved to have chased some of the pelagic dorado, tuna, and wahoo that are caught year round in the area, but they were too far offshore to chase from the kayaks and zodiac we were using, though I hear its not uncommon to catch dorado from the beach and tuna a mile from shore from July through November.
While I was out on the Carribean side I stayed at this surf camp/organic farm called Punta Mona that was located about 10 miles from the Panama border. This place was so innaccesible that you either had to take a boat in or hike 8 miles through the mud. There were cocoanut palms, mangoes, papayas and other tropical fruits growing everywhere ( I learned how to cook a wicked  terriyaki fruit jack and mackerel dish). The best thing about this surf camp was that we had access to kayaks and free dive gear. Every evening a few hours before sunset I organized a fishing party. I was the only one with a rod, and everyone else used handlines and wire leaders to troll floating rapalas along the outside of the coral reef. We never came in emptyhanded, and everyonce caught at least a few jacks (which went from 5-10 lbs) and some of the king mackerel  (which make excellent sashimi)-all in under 20 ft of water.. I caught and landed a 40 lb-5 ft. poisonous barracuda on a crocodile spoon. This fish went toally acrobatic on me, leaping out of the water immediately on being hooked. I was lucky I survived that one as some of the locals told me stories of killer barracuda pulling people off their kayaks.




Punta Mona

The freediving was spectacular. There was an island right outside of Punta Mona and rich coral reefs surrounding. I spent a few mornings out there spearfishing for red and yellowtail snapper. One day I speared a 10 lb broomtail grouper in about 5 ft of water.
The last day we hiked through a tropical storm down to the Panama border to catch a bus. I then spent a few days trekking through the jungle-Monteverde, Arenal and Fortuna-before heading out to the Pacific Coast.
Once I got to the town of Montezuma I hooked up with a tattooed local kayakfisherman/artist named Victor. I told him about my guide service up north and we immediately became friends. That night we went to this huge beach party.




Pacific Coast

The next morning we woke early and launched the kayaks to fish the nearshore for roosterfish, jacks, pargo and snapper. We trolled huge floating rapalas and live bait. We paddled about a half mile up the coast to this spot where the birds were diving everywhere. As I was pulling my jig in to cast, a huge roosterfish came up and boiled on it. The fight was on!!! It pulled my kayak around in a few circles then ran for the beach. Pulling me closer to the waves, I put the rod between my legs to backpaddle. After a half hour or so, the roosterfish busted off. All over fish were still boiling, and often the water would turn white, jacks and roosters jumping out of the water. Each cast hooked up with a huge yellowtail jack- these fish were strong, pulling the kayak and ripping drag off my Daiwa Sealine SL 30. By the end of the day I had caught and released ten jacks, and brought three back to the camp for terriyaki mango cocoanut papaya marinate. The next day we went out on his zodiac to troll live mullet for roosterfish and pargo. That day I caught a huge blue jack and roosterfish. We came up on this one spot where every cast 10 roosterfish would follow our poppers. It took awhile but after a few casts I got one to bite and hold and it was on. After a few more days fishing Montezuma and catching more roosterfish, jacks and pargo, it was off to Mal Pais to surf for a week before heading back to the states. 






Yellowtail Jacks




22lb Blue Jack


Needlefish Bait




Roosterfish

OK, I'm putting that on my list -- Montezuma in March!  Very cool report.

that is the best march fishing trip i have heard of.