That’s Fishin’- March 2019

By Benn Gilmour

What a GREAT start to the year it has been here in Quepolandia with some truly world class fishing taking place during January & February. Plenty of Sailfish & Blue Marlin were caught with some good numbers of Striped Marlin and several huge Black Marlin in the 500lb plus range. Quepos boats have been seeing Dorado on most Offshore trips with some good sized Bull Dorado still being caught which are always a welcome addition to any charter.

PELAGIC ROCKSTAR!

What a blast we all had at the Pelagic Rockstar Tournament held in January! The Marina Pez Vela was one big party for the weekend as a staggering 50 boats joined the action releasing a staggering 413 Sailfish & 11 Marlin between us! There were lots of Tuna and Dorado weighed also for good measure. Huge congrats to BIG OH for winning the big boat division with 26 Sailfish and Amy’s Dream for winning the small boat division with 9 Sailfish, great work guys! TAG TEAM won the Dorado division & The SEA HAWK PAINTS team won the Tuna division fishing on the stunning 50’ Maverick OPEN FLY. Congrats to all & I am already looking forward to next year’s event!

TUNA TIME!

We have enjoyed some great Tuna fishing recently with lots of fish in the 30-80lb class with some larger fish & several 200lb plus fish reported. Most of the larger fish are caught on live baits such as Bonitos, Blue Runners, Goggle eyes & Sardines. Surface poppers, artificial jigs and small tuna lures can also work great and account for many of the 30-80lb Tuna. Our Tuna form huge schools typically 20-50 miles Offshore and travel alongside Spinner Dolphin megapods which consist of several hundred dolphins, which provide some simply incredible scenes. Reason enough to take a fishing charter in itself and March should continue to provide some excellent opportunities for Tuna.

BUCKET LIST BILLFISH?

In terms of Billfish, March is an excellent time to fish for Sailfish and Marlin here in Quepos. Huge numbers of big Pacific Sailfish congregate just 20+ miles from the coast and can be targeted during full day Offshore trips. Costa Rica has long earned a reputation as one of the best Sport fishing destinations on the planet and our peak Sailfish season plays a huge role in that. Not only are our Pacific Sailfish huge in comparison to their Atlantic cousins, with Sailfish averaging 70-80lbs here in Costa Rica and 100lb plus fish very common, but the sheer numbers of fish that can be caught when the bite is on, is incredible. Double digit Sailfish days are not uncommon and every year boats record some truly impressive Sailfish release days. March should provide some great opportunities for some excellent Sailfish fishing. Blue Marlin in the 150-300lb range are the most common of the Marlin species here in Quepos, however, some big Black Marlin can be caught whilst live-baiting our Offshore reefs and there is always the chance of a striped Marlin whilst fishing out deep for Sailfish.

INSHORE FISHING

We have enjoyed some fantastic Inshore fishing in Quepos recently with good catches of Roosterfish, Snook, Corvina, Jacks, Mackerel, Cubera Snappers & other species. There has been a great Corvina bite at the local river mouths and also the rocks at Naranjo provided some excellent fishing. Some world class Rooster-fishing has been taking place also with some real trophy fish caught recently. A shout out to David Guerra & father in law Frank from Texas who had some excellent Roosterfish action catching 6 Roosterfish up to 60lbs during an Inshore trip aboard GOOD DAY. A group of British Anglers fishing aboard the Chloe Frijole recently had a day to remember when they released no less than 13 Roosterfish in one day. Anglers should continue to expect some great Roosterfish fishing during Inshore trips out of Quepos during the next couple of months whilst March and April are always great months to target a big Snook at the Parrita, Naranjo, Savegre, or Baru river mouths.

QUEPOS BILLFISH CUP

Our next tournament is upon us, the QUEPOS BILLFISH CUP which takes place on March 15-16th with divisions for both large and small boats. Top prizes go to the teams releasing the most Billfish and there are separate prizes for the heaviest Tuna and Dorado also. Expect a fun filled weekend down at the Marina Pez Vela, dockside socials and rubbing shoulders with some of the best Anglers and Crews in Central America. With the addition of the small boat division to most of the Marina Pez Vela tournaments it is now much more accessible to take part in one of these events. Simply contact me or go to www.marinapezvelatournaments.com to find out more.

TOURNAMENT DATES

March 15-16, 2019 Quepos Billfish Cup
April 26-27, 2019 Marina Pez Vela Open
April 28-May 3, 2019 Offshore World Championships

See marinapezvelatournaments.com for details!

Tight Lines & I would love to hear from you if you would like to go fishing! Benn Gilmour, Jackpot Sport Fishing Marina Pez Vela, Quepos Cell: 8458 4997 [email protected] jackpotsportfishing.com

Tight Lines Amigos!