Greetings from the tropical paradise of Crocodile Bay in Costa Rica! September was yet another month of fantastic fishing adventures off the coast of the Osa Peninsula. We were blessed with great weather conditions and calm seas throughout the month, creating the perfect backdrop for some incredible fishing for our guests.

August had a wonderful start to the month with an abundance of roosterfish, ranging from 20 to 60 lbs. Many ask, “What is the most effective way to target roosterfish?” At Crocodile Bay, what sets us apart is our versatility in targeting these prized fish. We use a variety of techniques, from live bait to jigging and casting artificial lures. Throughout August, due to natural debris from the rains and shifting currents, we noticed that roosterfish were more inclined to go for topwater action. Witnessing them leap out of the water to strike the lure is a thrilling experience. Our guests had a blast.

The month of July at Crocodile Bay has been fantastic for our fishing guests! In both inshore and offshore waters, our anglers have experienced steady fishing action with a variety of exciting catches and releases. Inshore, our anglers had the thrill of reeling in countless roosterfish, cubera snappers, groupers, and African pompano. Meanwhile, offshore expeditions proved even more rewarding, with sailfish, marlin, and monster yellowfin tuna making their appearances.

On November 1, we start fishing again. I feel like we are getting paroled, and there is nothing like the salt air and a cobalt sea to liberate ones soul. After being prisoners for so many months there will be nothing more exciting than the sound of line racing off the reel when a big fish makes the first run. I so need that adrenalin rush.

And what a great time to re-open. The fall marlin season will be in full swing and historically, and the dorado bite will be going on with the yellowfin tuna busting bait shoals offshore. The sails are not here in big numbers yet, but there are some cruising the area and they are usually hungry.

I have always made it a habit, especially when I travel in the ‘third world’, to seek out the oldest person I can find and start up a conversation. I have found that is how I can get the true flavor of an area. One example of this insight was when my boss at the time, many years ago, kept a boat in Havana, Cuba.

Not until the early 1990s did sailfishing off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast attract major international attention, and by the turn of the century, Costa Rica was billing itself as the “sailfish capital of the world.” Just after that, however, sailfish numbers began to take a major hit, and many anglers ended up more disappointed than excited. But thanks to the adoption of regulations limiting the commercial exploitation of sailfish about 10 years ago, sailfish populations have rebounded and remain strong enough to justify the country’s self-anointed title.

A circle hook is a fishing hook manufactured so that the point is turned perpendicularly back to the hook shank to form a generally circular, or oval, shape. It has become widely used among anglers in recent years because the hook typically catches more fish and is rarely swallowed. Since the circle hook catches the fish on the lips at the corner of its mouth, it usually decreases the mortality rates of released fish.

Did you know the picture above is now illegal in Costa Rica? Ten years ago a regulation made it illegal for the sports fishing sector to take a billfish, sailfish and marlin, out of the water for a “hero shot” photo of their prized catch. The web is full of photos that could potentially bring a 2 million colones fine ($3,250) to the offender who pulls a billfish out of the water. To date, I don’t know of anyone who has ever been arrested or prosecuted on this. In fact, after all these years, many still claim they don’t know about the law.

The fishing charter website “FishingBooker” has named Costa Rica as the fourth-best billfish destination in the world.The list — based entirely on customer preferences and reviews, according to a FishingBooker spokesperson — ranked Costa Rica ahead of the Florida Keys, calling the country’s Pacific Coast “nothing short of paradise.”

Twenty-five years ago, Costa Rica was known as the sailfish capital of the world.This was quite an accomplishment, as the sport fishing industry was still relatively new here. Quepos was the epicenter, and names like Larry Hustler, Jeanette Perez, John Cory, Bill Cannon, and Harry Gray and their crews had put Costa Rica on the world fishing map. Days of 20-plus sailfish per boat were common. Marsha Bennett was opening the Gran Escape, which became the place to be for fishermen when not on the water.