Epic Fishing: Sailfish and So Much More in Costa Rica

We blasted away from the marina and roared through Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce toward our offshore target about 15 miles into the Pacific. Tame seas met us near Matapalo Rock just off Osa Peninsula’s point. Nevertheless, the crew and I held on tightly to any nearby flybridge support structure, grab rail or seat arm as Capt. Manuel Rodriguez opened up the four screaming outboards powering the boat.

We were after big Pacific sailfish. It took us about 20 minutes aboard the 39-foot Front Runner to reach the captain’s favored fishing grounds. The crew quickly set out an enticing spread of ballyhoo rigs, giant lures and squid teasers in the cobalt waters behind the craft. Within 15 minutes, we had a sailfish knock down one long-rigger bait before deciding to swim away. Three other bill-slapping strikes also resulted in exiting sailfish that seemed to be finicky about ingesting the ballyhoo.

A few minutes later we got a fifth strike, and this time it was a solid hookup. I fought the big sail to the boat in about 15 minutes. Mate Esteban Sandoval grabbed its bill at the gunwale, and I moved in for a quick photo. I released the bill and watched the tired fish swim off. Esteban and Capt. Manuel estimated the sail at a healthy 110 pounds. The fish marked the final achievement in my goal for the trip, what I call a “Costa Rica Pacific Slam,” catching a sailfish, tuna and roosterfish.

I was pleased but not surprised, as my trip was with Crocodile Bay fishing resort, renowned for putting anglers on a variety of Pacific sportfish. The resort is located on the famous Osa Peninsula and adjacent to the small village of Puerto Jimenez. The peninsula, in the Puntarenas province of southwestern Costa Rica, separates the Pacific Ocean and the Golfo Dulce, or “Sweet Gulf.” Although surrounded by mountains, Golfo Dulce is big: 30 miles long, 14 miles wide and more than 600 feet deep in places. It is where the resort headquarters, Botánika Osa Peninsula lodge, facilities, pier and marina lie. From there, Crocodile Bay employs a variety of productive fishing techniques such as live baiting, trolling, casting and fly fishing. Most visiting anglers sample both inshore and offshore species.

As I’ve found over the years, there is always great fishing in the area. Inshore, anglers can pursue the exciting roosterfish, cubera snapper and other bay bullies. Most inshore fishing takes place along the rocky Pacific coastline, or within a couple miles of it, in waters from 15 to 300 feet deep. Offshore, productive fishing for a variety of brutes can be found anywhere between 5 and 30 miles out from the mouth of the gulf. The catch-and-release billfishing is simply world-class.

The morning venture, which I shared with Crocodile Bay’s fishing director of eight years, Diego Comacho, provided plenty of action. We had four more strikes and billed another big Pacific sailfish, along with landing a 25-pound bull dorado (dolphin). We concluded our efforts in time to head back to the resort for lunch.

BIG BILLS

Offshore, Crocodile Bay’s fleet generally focuses on sailfish and marlin, along with dorado, tuna and wahoo. Bluewater reefs at 400 feet and deeper attract billfish. The upwelling caused by offshore winds to the north and south moves baitfish into the area, and it often leaves a relatively flat ocean with one of the highest concentrations of sailfish in the world.

From the arrival of the first big wave of Pacific sailfish in late November or December, their numbers increase all the way through March. Sails normally are still abundant in April, and they are caught year-round in Costa Rican waters. These Pacific sailfish are heavyweights, averaging around 100 pounds. They can reach speeds of up to 85 mph and are incredibly acrobatic. When hooked, they take to the air and put on a great show. Doubles are not uncommon, and multiple sailfish per boat is often typical amongst the fleet, according to Diego.

“In early December, we had a boat raise 26 sails and land 19 of them in one day,” he said. “Another great day recently was when a group of fly fishermen had one of their anglers raise 19 sails, and he landed seven of them on his fly rod. That is a big challenge and a day he’ll remember forever.”

Rips, defined by water color changes, floating debris and barnacle growth, can be found anywhere from the mouth of the gulf to 25 miles offshore. They attract baitfish and billfish. Sails sometimes come into the bay with the rips, pushed inshore and into the “sweet” water. I’ll never forget the monster sailfish that I caught from a blue-water rip in the gulf on my first trip to Crocodile Bay years ago. My captain and I were heading back to the docks on one of the resort’s 21-foot skiffs that, at the time, was used for inshore fishing.

We both noticed the rip in front of us and a free-swimming sailfish near the surface. I was fishing light inshore tackle, a 7-foot bass rod and casting reel with 15-pound-test line, chasing roosterfish that morning to no avail. I tossed a live sardine about 30 feet in front of the sail, and it blew up on the hapless bait. It peeled line before taking to the sky three or four times. The captain put the boat in gear to keep us near the fish.

After 30 minutes, I had the fish swimming beside the boat about 6 feet down. With my 3-foot, 100-pound-test leader and light line, I couldn’t force it to the surface. Several times I eased the fish up, but we could not grab the short leader. Finally, after another 35 minutes, the captain billed the tired sailfish. He then horsed it into the skiff for me to hold for a few quick photos. That was a legal move back in the late 1990s. Today, you cannot remove a sail from the water for any reason.

The fish measured 105 1/2 inches long, and the captain estimated it at 130 pounds. With the aid of our outboard, we pulled the fish boatside for a couple hundred yards until it fully recovered and swam off. I was told the beautiful fish was the largest ever taken in Golfo Dulce on any tackle. On my recent trip, the captains told me that it is still the gulf’s sailfish record.

OTHER OFFSHORE OFFERINGS

Blue marlin provide another offshore highlight for the big-game angler. On a previous trip to Crocodile Bay, I hooked an estimated 230-pound blue on 50-pound big-game tackle. Within 15 minutes, I got it to the boat and the mate took a wrap of the leader. I handed the rod to my fishing buddy and headed for my camera just as the fish got feisty. The suddenly hot marlin pulled the mate from one side of the cockpit to the other ... before pulling the hook. No pictures!

Blues are the most common marlin species, and they can be caught year-round. The prime time, however, is late October or early November through Christmas. It is the dry season in Costa Rica, the blues are feeding on small tuna, and the bite can be incredible. Diego recalled a day when one of the boats came across a floating log on a good current line with a lot of other trash. A large school of baitfish in the debris had attracted a bunch of marlin. On that December day, the boat raised 16 blues weighing between 150 and 300 pounds, landing seven of them. The marlin action typically slows for a couple of months and then comes back strong in March and April. In fact, the biggest blue marlins are often taken then.

“This past March, one of our boats caught a 450-pound blue marlin on a 50-wide reel,” Diego noted. “It took four anglers about four hours to catch the fish. They got it to the boat, broke the rod, got the reel changed over to another rod and finally wired it.”

Fishing in May and June may be slow for most billfish, but July and August are usually very productive months for all marlin species. Big black marlin in the 300- to 400-pound range are most abundant in those summer months, and a rare straggler striped marlin may show up.

While dorado are caught year-round, they are most common from June through November. According to Diego, sometimes it’s almost impossible to keep them out of the boat’s spread. One boat can often land between 15 and 40 dorado weighing 15 to 55 pounds each in one day. In a recent five-boat fleet tournament, the Crocodile Bay charters landed more than 300 dorado in three days. Bigger ones up to 70 pounds are usually caught later in the year.

In April and May, schools of spinner dolphins typically show up, and yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually close behind. They mix in and feed with the mammals, hanging around all summer and into the fall. Have a strong back? There are usually half a dozen giant tuna exceeding 100 pounds caught every month, and some up to 250 pounds swim in these waters.

On the first day of my recent trip there, I went out with captains Johnny Robles, Alex Sanbrana and Luis Eduardo. We came across a school of about 200 spinner dolphins offshore, which attracted huge schools of bigeye tuna. We quickly caught eight tuna up to 50 pounds and briefly had a small marlin in our bait spread before it turned away. Smaller tuna hang around floating debris and reportedly school in July and August then again in November and December.

Another exciting offshore catch is wahoo, which can range from 40 to 65 pounds. February is often a productive month for getting in on some amazing action. Successful anglers can enjoy fresh wahoo prepared by Botánika’s amazing chefs through the resort’s “boat to table” dining option.

ROWDY ROOSTERS

The inshore action at Crocodile Bay is another major attraction. Huge roosterfish and snaggle-toothed cubera snapper up to 60 pounds provide as much excitement as most anglers can handle. At the mouth of the gulf, the expanse of shoreside jungle and mountainous terrain is spectacular. A few rockslides, craggy islands and tiny indigenous encampments dot the beautiful volcanic coastline. Large waves break onshore both north and south of the gulf, but the bottom topography with giant rocks and boulders drops off quickly.

During our recent trip’s inshore fishing day, my wife Rosie and I went after some of the beautiful black-and-silver-barred roosterfish near the rugged shoreline. We each caught a big rooster plus another six fish. The 35-pounder I landed was my biggest to date, but they get much larger. The resort record is 106 pounds, but 40- to 60-pounders are caught regularly.

“One of our clients going after giant roosterfish off the rocks at Matapalo last July was trolling two 4-pound bonitos on two rods,” Diego said. “A huge 70-pound rooster ate one of the baits, and the guy fought it for an hour. He finally got it to the boat where they took pictures and released it.”

Regardless of size, the silver fish with broad shoulders, its streamer-like dorsal and a wide, forked tail is powerful. Roosters seldom jump, but even the smaller fish pull drag during strong runs and sometimes hang up in the rocks. They often circle the boat with their unique, comb-like dorsal fins flared, making the battle memorable.

Spring at Crocodile Bay is special. During that time of year, there is more natural debris in the ocean, where baitfish gather and drive inshore species into a feeding frenzy. I’ve caught cubera snapper, Pacific jack crevalle, red snapper, barracuda and sharks when fishing inshore waters. Add the possibility of sierra mackerel, tripletail and grouper for an even broader inshore variety.

The protected waters near and inside Golfo Dulce have numerous small coves, coral reefs and scenic volcanic rock islets, which are also productive. The dark sandy beach areas inside the gulf have adjacent drop-offs. Water temperatures vary little in the gulf, usually from 78 degrees in the cooler months and up to 84 degrees in the hottest times. Roosterfish and most other inshore species are present all year. Eight rivers flow into Golfo Dulce and provide plenty of opportunities, such as the drop-offs at the mouths of the Tigre and Rincon rivers.

Outside of the gulf, the most popular area to fish is Matapalo Rock, which lies at the tip of the southern point of Osa Peninsula. It is a large volcanic structure with sharp peaks and pinnacles that protrude out of the water; giant fish hooked there win a lot of the battles. From Matapalo up the coast to La Chancha at the beginning of the Corcovado National Park stretches 18 miles of rocky, productive shoreline. Great fishing also lies from Punta Banco, at the southwestern point of the gulf, south 25 miles to Punta Burica on the Costa Rica-Panama border.

FIRST-CLASS FLEET

Crocodile Bay boasts the largest privately owned sportfishing fleet in Central America with in-house captains and mates. All the professional, English-speaking crews come from generations of fishermen with families in the area.

They grew up fishing here and know the waters.

The resort currently charters seven 33-foot diesel-powered Strike Tower boats and four 25-foot Boston Whalers in its fleet. It offers another 35-footer and plans to increase the size of the fleet further. The 39-foot Front Runner that I rode on during my third day of fishing and a 36-foot Front Runner are two new 2024 craft in Crocodile Bay’s “luxury line” of offshore vessels. The 39-footer is powered by four 400-hp Mercury outboards and is fully equipped with outriggers, a Sea Keeper, electronics, WiFi, air conditioning in the small cabin and new fishing gear.

All boats in the fleet do half-day and full-day charters, and fish both inshore and offshore, depending on customer preference. They are outfitted with rigs featuring Penn International 30 and 50 reels, as well as heavy-duty spinning and conventional gear. Most of the fishing at Crocodile Bay is catch-and-release. The fishing tour operator and Costa Rica fishing regulations stress responsible fishing through the use of circle hooks, and anglers are required to use them with any type of bait, dead or alive, noted Diego.

When anglers have been battling fish 20 miles out in the Pacific, around the “Rooster Coast” or Matapalo Rock, or back in Golfo Dulce, they will eventually need a break. Whether that comes in the form of resting up in the Botánika pool or enjoying a delicious, multi-course meal at Tierra a La Mesa, Crocodile Bay will take care of every need. The accommodations are second only to the fishing, and together they make for an adventure of a lifetime.

CROCODILE BAY COMFORTS

• Lodging and dining at Botánika Osa Peninsula

Crocodile Bay Lodge opened in September 1999 with 12 rooms on 44 acres of jungle and waterfront land. It was an immediate success with traveling anglers. The resort later expanded to 36 rooms, meeting space, a spacious dining room and large, inviting pool with swim-up bar. In 2021, Crocodile Bay began construction of Botánika Osa Peninsula, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton portfolio, which when complete became Crocodile Bay’s official lodging.

Built into the tropical jungle, the beautiful three-story buildings—each with large centrally located atriums and designer landscaping—are places to relax after fishing or enjoying the abundant Costa Rica wildlife. Botánika, like all Crocodile Bay facilities, offers a casual atmosphere where shorts and t-shirts are the norm. The service, however, is beyond what you might expect at any remote resort.

Botánika has two great on-site restaurants, Driza Bar and Grill and Tierra a La Mesa. Driza, located by the resort’s sprawling lagoon-style pool, offers fresh fruit juice, exotic cocktails and a delicious lunch menu. Tierra a La Mesa, Botánika’s flagship restaurant, is open for breakfast and dinner. Meals include starters, soups and salads, desserts and delicious main courses from local farms and the sea. The chefs really do exceed expectations, and even our prepared lunches in the charter boats were extraordinary.

Guests can catch their own fish and have it cooked to their preference for dinner at Botánika. My wife and I opted to do that with one of our small bigeye tuna, and the result was an outstanding seared dish. I was not surprised to learn that Botánika was recently bestowed with the Connie Award, Hilton’s most prestigious honor.

Several international flights each day fly into the Costa Rica capital city of San José. Anglers then take a Sansa Airlines flight to Puerto Jimenez/Crocodile Bay. For information on lodging at Botánika Osa Peninsula, go to botanikaresort.com.

JUNGLE IMMERSION

• Ecotours offer an up-close look at Costa Rica’s wildlife

Crocodile Bay is located in the thick rainforest on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Guests partaking in the breakfast buffet may be greeted by the guttural calls of howler monkeys or be joined by hummingbirds at the open-air restaurant lanai. The antics of a troop of squirrel monkeys in the canopy above Driza Grill may provide entertainment during lunch. Scarlet macaws might check out visitors who explore the tropical landscaped grounds or the well-marked jungle paths.

My wife Rosie and I experienced all this more than once. We also scheduled a Monkey Jungle Tour, where we saw more than 60 monkeys and photographed three of the four different types that live in Costa Rica. Along the way, in the trees and at the edge of the forest, we also saw several macaws, yellow-throated toucans, parrots, unique herons and several other wildlife species. In fact, this ecotourism destination boasts more than 650 bird species, several of which are endemic to Costa Rica.

Crocodile Bay offers 19 active and passive eco-adventure day trips on and around the Osa Peninsula, including bird-watching, sloth, reptile, lagoon and mangrove tours. Our monkey tour started on the resort grounds and continued along bumpy, often single-lane, four-wheel-drive vehicle paths. It culminated at a remote surfer’s beach near Cabo Matapalo in the famous Corcovado National Park. An ecotour at Crocodile Bay is a worthy distraction from time spent on the water.

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• This article was featured in the December-January 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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