Way To Go - Costa Rica, Belize, Panama

Costa Rica's Fishing Seasons

Caribbean Coast

Tarpon can be found all year round, high season from December through May.

Snook generally peaks from March through May and again September through the end of November.

Fat Snook (Calba) peaks from mid-November through late January, but often makes an appearance much earlier.

Billfish Atlantic sailfish and occasional blue marlin can be found almost anytime of the year.

Wahoo is plentiful on the outside from early February through mid June.

Dorado can be caught just outside the river mouths throughout the year.  Best fishing is when the runoff carries out the debris that forms inshore trash lines.

Tripletail is available January through June.

Kingfish, Spanish and Cero Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Barracuda are abundant close to shore any time the ocean is flat.

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Central Pacific Cabo Blanco to Drake’s Bay

Quepos is the center of fishing, but there are charters out of Puntarenas, the southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula, Jaco Beach, Punta Leona and Drake’s Bay.

Marlin has its top month in October, but it’s also good in September and November; occasional blues and rare blacks are likely to be found anytime of the year.

Sailfish are best from the middle of December to the end of April when they begin moving north, but the big schools move in October.  A few sails always show from June through September.

Tuna are easily found throughout the year along the Pacific coast, but the more abundant from June to September.  Most are 8 to 12 pounders but you can make catches in the 100 to 200 pound range as well.

Wahoo are not common around Quepos, but in late summer you can find them on Drake’s Bay and Cano island, from late June to early August.

Dorado begins with the winter rains late in May that wash debris from the river mouths creating the inshore trash lines that dolphins favor.

 

Northern Pacific the Gulf of Papagayo to Cabo Blanco

Marlin can be found every month of the year, especially from November to early March; then slowing from April to early June and picking up in August and September.

Sailfish are also available throughout the year, with May through August as the top season.  The slowest months are from August through November, with September as the lowest time.

Tuna peaks from August through October.  Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are found at Catalina Island, 30 minutes from the beach where schools of 12 to 20 pounders are abundant.  There are frequently large concentrations of 40 to 60 pound tuna and there are plenty of 200 to 400 pounders caught every year.

Wahoo season begins with the May rains and peaks in July and August.  They are caught around rocky points and islands and occasionally offshore.

Roosterfish are available all year.  In Papagayo Bay more are caught from November through March. The roosters like the structure of the shoreline and islands where they’re found in 50 to 60 feet of water.

 

 

Southern Pacific Golfito & Playa Zancudo

Marlin peaks from August through December, but you can pick up an occasional striped, blue or black if the water temperature is up.

Sailfish peaks from December through March.  Slows from April into early June and picks up again in August and September.

Tuna best fishing for the 100 pound and up yellowfin follows the marlin and sailfish season, but schools can be found nearly always.

Dorado is best from late May through October when the rivers are running full.

Wahoo is not abundant, but can be occasionally taken almost anytime of the year around the structure off Matapalo Cape.

Roosterfish can be caught virtually any month of the year.  The region is famous for big rosters.

Snook can be found all year, but is best from mid- or -May through July and in January and February.

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"Winner of the 2008 Costa Rica's International Promoter"

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