That’s Fishin’- November 2015

By Sarah Munro

Can you feel it?  It’s coming. Not winter. The Fish. Actually, thanks to El Niño, the waters have stayed unseasonably warm and the bite has been good year round. Not the world=record-breaking kind of bite that we have during dry season, but there are plenty of fish out there right now.

I went out with friends at Gran Gallo Sportfishing this past month on a bottom hunting trip for snapper, grouper, runners, and amberjack. Lucky for us, we had some awesome co-ordinates from our Captain, Merlin, and we struck fish gold most of the day. Well, Merlin, Jim and Gerrardo did. I can’t remember when I lost so many fish off the bottom. The guys can’t remember laughing so hard at my attitude when I lost fish. It was very, very, hard seeing lines bite and fish brought in all around me and, well, I was just feeding the fish. It’s funny how sometimes your luck can change when you talk to the Fish Gods. I got to the point where I knew that I had done something to upset them, so I poured my beer into the ocean to give them a drink as I made my apologies and prayers to them. The mate grabbed me some fresh hunks of meat for my hook and down down down went my line to the bottom of the ocean. (Not too deep, we were mostly at 2-300 feet.) I felt it hit the bottom, I flicked it up and found my tension and lo and behold!!! The Fish Gods had listened! Right away I knew that this was a big one and I was in for a fight. He ran, straight for some rocks and my friends were yelling ‘keep him up Sarah, he’s running for the rocks.  You don’t keep him up he’s gonna break that line’. Of course, there is a fine line here in fishing. If you put too much tension and reeling in at the same time, you will pull the hook right out of the fishes mouth or snap the line. Keep it loose and the fish runs or spits the hook. Lucky again for me this was a big fish. I put my all into it and pulled up and worked that reel hard on the way down. Sweat was pouring down my face, my knees braced on the back of the boat, back and hips working the fish to the surface. The Fish Gods had answered, but I needed to show my worth and bring this fish in. This fish was tough and smart, but on this day I was smarter. He fought hard, taking the line out more than once, but I managed to boat a 25lb Amberjack in under 10 minutes with no help from the boat—other than the good advice—which is indeed priceless now as I will always remember that fight, that conversation with the Fish Gods, that day of fishing.

Make sure that you don’t miss it, because the fishing here is amazing, world class, epic. Where else on the planet can you go and find this diversity of fish on any one day? Nowhere I reckon. Costa Rica contains 20% of the worlds ENTIRE Biodiversity. That means one out of every five plants and animals reside in Costa Rica. I’ve seen pods of dolphins reach the 5000’s, countless whales, sea turtles, rare dolphins, sea snakes, easily caught 30 different species of fish here. The list goes on and on. If you miss the ocean while you’re here, you’re missing out on a huge perspective changer. There’s nothing like being on the water and looking back at the shore you just left—we’ve all done it in different places, but here is unbelievably special. Sea to Sky mountains covered in lush jungle, with the most clear, vibrant water beneath you, and birds above you. It really is heaven on earth here.

The BITE is ON.  Sailfish numbers are coming back up and the Marlin are coming. Same as winter, they will draw some of the best anglers in the world, there are boats here that chase records. All you have to do is hit a fishing joint and check it out for yourself. The stories may not all be true, but one thing is. They are all here for a reason. What about you?

Want a referral to one of Sarah’s preferred Captains? Call 8708-6152 or email [email protected]. OR, come on down to THE HAWG ‘N’ BILL at Playa Espadilla! Our awesome chef cooks your catch and our waiters serve up the coldest beer on the beach! All that and LIVE MUSIC, THURSDAY THRU SUNDAY 6-9pm!

Sarah Munro is an ex-pat Canadian living in the Manuel Antonio area; who has been fishing since infancy. Rumor has it, Sarah gutted her first fish before she could ride a bike. It’s quite likely, that yes, one day, the fish will come for her. Looking for more of That’s Fishin’? Check out all the articles at: quepolandia.com/category/sarah-munro.

Until then peeps, keep your sea legs swayin’, and your rod hand ready! So, what are you waiting for????? Get out there and GET FISHIN!!!!!