Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica – Have you ever had a favorite song on an old disc that gets to a certain spot and then it starts skipping. You like the song so much you keep trying over and over to listen to it but again just when you think it might be alright, it’s stuck on the same verse again. Well that is exactly how my offshore fishing reports have been over and over lately and it has made me lose hair I can’t afford to lose. Not this time. The music is playing without a skip and everyone has kicked off their shoes and is dancing. THE SAILFISH HAVE ARRIVED.
Pictured above Raffie Cordes of Cordes Travel from the Netherlands prepares to release a beautiful sailfish
It has been consistent for the last 5 days and offshore anglers are getting 10 to 15 shots a day. Doubles are popping up in the spread and enough fish are around the fly fishermen are not worried about missing an opportunity to cast a half pink dyed chicken in front of a charging ballerina. My blood pressure has finally gone down 15 points and I’m even tapping my foot in my sleep.
Costa Rica is finally getting to see the results of the Presidential decree keeping tuna purse seiners 45 miles off the coast and protecting more than 200,000 square kilometers of territorial waters. This initiative was a project of FECOP, the sport fishing voice of Costa Rica in which Crocodile Bay’s Cory Williams is a board member. We have taken tuna lately up to 150 lbs and further up the coast a monster yellowfin estimated at 400 lbs was recently taken.
If Dr. Doolittle loved finny creatures rather than furry critters his first name would surely be Mark. Mark and his wife Kay have been coming down here since my beard had more color in it besides gray. Doolittle who fishes all over the world, fishes to relax and have fun. That I think that is why he always catches fish and a wide variety of them. On this trip he caught his 100th sailfish at Crocodile Bay. When I send this to the web-master Will, Mark had 107 under his belt here (that number ended up reaching 114).
Mark Doolittle also experienced great inshore action – pictured above with a nice snapper
On the other hand, the inshore fishing is still a broken record like my last reports. It is still FANTASTIC.. Lots of roosterfish, snapper, amberjack, and African pompano mixed in with a smorgasbord of other species. Roosters over 50 lbs have been taken lately at Matapalo and Iguana reef.
Todd Staley,
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica
www.crocodilebay.com
Special Feature – Mark Doolittle Gets His 100th Sailfish at Crocodile Bay
Guests in the Spotlight (by Crocodile Bay Staff) – Mark and Kay Doolittle from the state of Oregon, have been regular guests of Crocodile Bay Resort for just about 10 years now. Their first visit to Crocodile Bay was in 2006 when after much research they decided that, for Mark and Kay who doesn’t fish, the resort offered a variety of non-fishing activities and eco tour adventures.
On his first vacation at Crocodile Bay Resort the fishing was good but a little slow; understanding that this is part of fishing, he and his wife took their chances and returned the following year just the same. The main reason for the return visit was the pura vida (pure life) lifestyle that they had experienced along with the warm genuine culture and hospitality that the Ticos and Ticas are so famous for. For Mrs. Doolittle who is a retired executive from a local bank in her home town, she had many more eco tours that she wanted to participate in and the resort activities insured that she was never ever bored. The lodges simple and warm setting with the variety of wildlife on property was a natural magnet for Kay Doolittle.
Mark, who is a retired colonel from the US Air Force after 38 years of service, managed to catch just about everything that the ocean had to offer. Indeed, over the course of the past 10 years the catch of the day has been a variety that includes just about everything. But it is on this particular trip, on his official 10th visit to our resort, that caught his 100th sailfish for an average of 10 per year!
On the first day of his arrival he had told Anthony…his favorite captain…that he needed to catch 12 sailfish during this vacation, in order to reach a milestone of 100 catches…and Anthony was up to the task! On the 6th day of his vacation, he caught his 100th sailfish – but that was on his 6th day. On his 7th day of vacation he was forced to catch 7 additional sailfish.How many years will it take him to catch his next 100 sailfish! We are all waiting eagerly to learn the answer to that question!
Meet the Newest Addition(s) to the Crocodile Bay Family!
We are proud to introduce you to the newest member of our family “Tonka”, a four month old German Shepard who enjoys long walks on the beach, licking the hands of clients who recently caught and touched fish, and the magic of ice cubes. Along with Tonka we welcome two new 2015 Boston Whaler Outrages and two new 2016 Toyota Land Cruisers to the Crocodile Bay fleet of inshore boats and eco tour vehicles. We pride ourselves on offering our guests the best boats, vehicles and fishing gear available! When you come to visit, Tonka will be ready to greet you at the door!
