The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Costa Rica continues to rank in the top 10 destinations for sportfishing, and according to Nature.org, Costa Rica’s “ocean diversity (is) an estimated 3.5 percent of all marine species live in its waters”. Costa Rica has a total of 570 IGFA world records – 208 of which are currently standing.
Costa Rica has been ranked as one of the best places in world for sportfishing, but what makes it so good for big game fish? First, Costa Rica has plenty of ocean access with the Caribbean Sea on the east coast and Pacific Ocean on the west, for a total of 1,228 km of coastline (212 km on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km on the Pacific).
Also Costa Rica, on both coasts, has a large number of mangroves and rivers feeding into the oceans. Mangroves and rivers are essentially nurseries for many species of feeder fish species creating a virtual year-round smorgasbord for predator fish.
Finally, on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, the deep water up-well off the continental shelf brings massive amounts of plankton. This food stuff swirls up from the cold depth onto the shallower, warm waters closer to the shore, bringing the smaller feeder fish with it, and close behind are the predator fish.
Where are the best regions to go sportfishing in Costa Rica?
Without a doubt the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica is the best area to go sportfishing. Because this area has such a large number of big game predator fish available, the coast between Los Suenos to Quepos has largest number of sportfishing charters available.
What kinds of big game fish can you catch when fishing in Costa Rica?
The Pacific coast of Costa Rica has phenomenal fishing for marlin, sailfish, roosterfish, tuna, dorado, wahoo, snapper and more. While the Atlantic is also know for a wide variety it is more famous for big Tarpon and big Snook.
With inshore fishing many species of fish are available including striped bass, barracuda, rockfish, halibut, jack crevalle, mackerel, snapper, snook, rooster fish, and tarpon. Deep sea fish species that can be caught while fishing in Costa Rica include marlin, wahoo, sailfish, and tuna.
The Blue Marlin is the apex predator that everyone, expert or novice, wants to hook onto. Marlin are by far the hardest hitting and hardest fighting fish on the high seas. Marlin can be caught in almost all of the waters around the globe and in Costa Rica throughout the entire year in the different regions. Marlin and can be caught by a variety of techniques most times of year – fly fishing is by far the most exciting way to battle these bad boys. Marlin is truly the ultimate offshore big game fish because of their power, size and tenacity.
Go with experts
You can find sportfishing charters from $400 for half day all the way up luxury charters that are very expensive. No matter if you are beginner or novice, what is important is to book your Costa Rica sportfishing charter on a good, fully equipped boat that has an experienced captain. Make sure you talk to an expert that knows what boats and Captains are worth spending your money on.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose, Costa Rica
