costa rica fishing guide

South Pacific: Golfito and Playa Zancudo
    Golfito is the larguest town on Costa Rica southern coast, but there are only a half dozen operators scattered between the northern end of Dulce Gulf, the town of Golfito, Puesto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula and Zancudo beach. Zancudo is a narrow peninsula with miles of beach on the ocean side and bordered by several rivers on the other. Expect to raise a dozen or more sails and likely a marlin or two outside Matapalo Cape during peak season, and plenty of jacks, runners, mackerel, amberjack, roosterfish and big sanapper inshore.
       

    There are two modern marinas in Golfito, both offering fishing charters as well as facilities for transient yachts.

    Light tackle fishing inside Dulce Gulf, with these provision of small caves and rocky islets and shoreline, is also good for small barracuda and snaper, corvina and occasional snook to over 40 pounds. Fishing the dropoff outside Matapalo Cape they get sails, marlin, tuna and other blue water species, and inshore there are roosters that average over 30 pounds, grouper, jacks, barracuda, trophy size Pacific cubera snapper and more.
    There is also excellent snook fishing inside the Zancudo Penisula and further north, at the mouth of the Esquínas river.

    Seasons
    Marlin: August through December is the peak season, but an occasional striped, blue or black may be taken most any month if the water temperature is up.
    Sailfish: A few taken off and on year round with best fishing from December through March. It Often slows form April into early June, then picks up again and peaks in August and September.
    Tuna: Best fishing for the 100 pound up yellowfin corresponds with marlin and sailfish season, but the schools of up 30 pound tuna can nearly always be found outside.
    Dorado: Best runs are traditionally from late May through October, when the rivers are running full.
    Wahoo: Not abundant, but occasional fish may be taken most any time of the year while trolling offshore for billfish or around the structure off Matapalo Cape.
    Roosterfish: The region is famous for its big roosters and they can be caught virtually any month of the year.
    Snook: All year, but best from mid or late May through July and in January and February.