Costa Rica Fishing Report – November 2015

Fishing Report by Todd Staley, Fishing Director

costa rica fishing
Todd Staley, Fishing Director

20151105_090032November is one of my favorite months at Crocodile Bay Resort. Historically the dorado are running around like rats and of course marlin are behind them looking to munch down a few. Schools of football size tuna appear and are also a favorite snack of marlin. If the spinners or spotted dolphins pass by bigger yellowfin and bigeye tuna will be traveling below them. In short, November is a good month to knock a marlin off the bucket list. Sailfish will start moving into the area in larger numbers but it is still a month to six weeks before the big numbers are cruising the local waters.

sailfish

Roosters run rampant in November at Crocodile Bay Resort.

costa rica roosterfish

Pictured above father and son team Henry and Sean Trimblett from NJ had a great day of kayak fishing releasing two large roosterfish.

Costa Rica Fishing

Inshore will remain consistent with roosterfish and snapper coming from the reefs in the Golfo Dulce and off the beach outside the gulf as well. Deep water drops will produce grouper, tilefish, congria and an occasional barrelfish (pictured below). In Atlantic waters barrelfish are found in 900 feet of water or deeper. The last few years we have been taking them in 300 feet of water off the Osa Peninsula.

Costa Rica Barrelfish
Crocodile Bay Captain Anthony Santos shows off a barrelfish which can be found in 300+ feet of water in the Osa.

Current conditions:

I have downloaded “I’ve Got You Babe,” on my alarm clock because it seems like I am stuck in Ground Hog Day and that song that woke Bill Murray up every day.

Offshore is a game of patience with those putting in the time getting a shot at a marlin or a sail with a dorado here and there. Inshore continues to be red hot with lots of roosterfish, snapper, jacks, African pompano and the rest of the inshore critters readily available.

Thank you to Joe Hemphill for the following photos from his November fishing trip at Crocodile Bay Resort.

Costa Rica Roosterfish Joe Hemphill

bluefintrevally

Joe Hemphill with a nice Bluefin Trevally pictured above (released)

Thinking of taking a trip to Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica? This is a true bucket list destination for sport fishing and outdoor enthusiasts looking to experience “the most biologically intense place on Earth” (as quoted by National Geographic) Come find out why every major sport fishing magazine and TV show has already been here and can’t wait to come back. The following video features testimonials from editors from Sport Fishing Magazine, Saltwater Sportsman, Coastal Angler and other media members talking about their experiences at Crocodile Bay Resort.

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Sportfishing Calendar

January

Tuna, marlin and dorado taper off. Number of sailfish begins to increase.

February

Prime time for sailfish. Occassional marlin, tuna or dorado.

March

Prime time for sailfish.

April

Sailfish numbers drop mid-April and some marlin begin to appear.

May

Slower for billfish. Typically we start seeing schools of spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

June

Slower for billfish. Spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

July

Marlin begin to appear. A chance for black marlin as well as blues and striped marlin. A chance for tuna.

August

Marlin and tuna.

September

Slower for billfish. A chance for tuna and dorado.

October

Dorado begin to appear in numbers with marlin close behind.

November

A mixed bag of dorado, marlin and some big tuna.

December

Marlin, dorado, tuna and sailfish are all possibilities.