That’s Fishin’ – May/June 2022

Welcome to the May & June edition of That’s Fishin’. We hardly came up for breath during the November to April high season and are so thankful that it has been a great season so far, most of the Quepos charter fishing boats have fished non-stop and all have their own stories to tell of the monsters caught and of course, the one that got away!

OFFSHORE FISHING

During the past 2-3 years, a simply epic Sailfish bite developed around 35 miles from Quepos between May-July. This coincided with a huge amount of Caballa baitfish congregating in 250-300’ of water and brought with it the motherload of hungry Sailfish providing some of the best Sailfishing we have seen in the area in recent years. We are waiting to see if it occurs again this year but we are hopeful that it will again and stay tuned for incoming fishing reports in the next issue. Some staggering numbers of Sailfish were released in this area last year, boats were going out and releasing upwards of 10-20 Sailfish in a day and on some occasions, many many more, that would be hard to believe unless you were there to witness it yourselves, which most of us in the fishing world, did. Fingers crossed it happens again this year!

The rains started early this year and with the rains, the water temperatures start to cool down towards the low 80s and provide the perfect conditions for meat-fish fishing. May to August provides the best Wahoo fishing of the year in our area with many Wahoo in the 20-40lb category caught with a few monster 50-70 pounders every year. Tuna fishing should remain great for the next few months and those interested in Offshore bottom fishing should be provided with some great action for Snowy Groupers, Silky Snappers, Congrio, Tilefish and more. We usually get a run of small Dorado the next few months before the bigger fish start arriving in greater numbers around September. There will always be the possibility for a big Bull Dorado here and March and April provided many 40 pound plus Dorados.

BEST BLUE MARLIN FISHING ON THE PLANET?

May commences the start of our peak Blue Marlin fishing at the Offshore FADS & SEAMOUNTS which are based 60-100+ miles Offshore from Quepos. FAD trips involve spending 2-5 nights on the water on a larger Sportfisher that is totally set up & with world class crews ready to take you on these long range multi range trips. It is sometimes hard to believe some of the catch reports that come through each year. Boats regularly release upwards of 10 Marlin in a day’s fishing but sometimes reports of 20-30 releases per day come through. Just sensational fishing and grabs the attention of the global sport fishing community, each year. May to November is the peak time to take a FAD trip. Some of the best boat options in the Marina Pez Vela for a FAD trip are HOG WILD, CARIBSEA, SPORTSMAN, THE HOOKER, PELAGIC, & PACIFIC FLY. Just contact me if you would like further info on these Blue Marlin Fishing trips of a lifetime.

INSHORE FISHING

Some of the biggest Roosterfish of the year will be caught over the next couple of months. Every year there are Trophy Roosterfish in the 50-80lb category caught here, very often just a few miles from the Marina during the half day trips offered by the Inshore fishing fleet. Congrats to CHLOE FRIJOLE for catching & releasing a HUGE ROOSTERFISH recently to get the season of giants underway. Stay tuned for more reports & photos as they come through. Small to mid-sized Roosters are ever present and can be targeted at the rocks, islands and river mouths close to Quepos. In February & April this year with the help of MARINA PEZ VELA, GRAY FISHTAG RESEARCH, THE ORTIZ FAMILY, & THE FISHERMAN MAGAZINE, we embarked on a ROOSTERFISH SATELITE TAGGING STUDY here in the Quepos area. Satellite tags were deployed in two Roosterfish and we can’t wait to learn from the data received in the coming months exactly where these fish travelled and what other important data is received such as what depths they spend their time at and other important behaviours. Roosterfish are present only in the Pacific Ocean from the northern part of Latin America up to Mexico and it is vital that we understand properly this hugely important species and it continues to receive the protection that it deserves. Here in Costa Rica, 100% of Roosterfish catches by Sportfisherman, are catch & release.

In addition to Roosterfish, May and June should still provide opportunities for a big Snook close to the river mouths plus Jacks, Mackerel, Tripletail, Snapper & Corvina. Inshore trips are either 5, 7, or 9 hours and are a great way to get your family out of the water and start teaching your kids about the wonders of the aquatic world.

SUMMER SOLSTICE SHOOTOUT

The next instalment in our FUN, ONE DAY, Fishing Tournament series is the Summer Solstice Shootout, back for its second year and taking place on 18 June 2022. General entry is just $250 per team and this event appeals to all experience levels and is a great event for novices or newcomers to the sport to get involved and enjoy the fun. This event is sponsored by BLUEFIN USA, a super stylish clothing apparel line and the tournament boasts a scavenger hunt type format where teams set out for a day on the ocean with the goal of catching as many different species of fish as possible. Tactics, planning & team work prevail at this event, just ask TEAM FULL NELSON who were the champions in 2021. Let’s see if they can retain the crown for this year’s event—but I know there will be lots of Quepeño Captains trying to ensure that they don’t!

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Dates are starting to come through for next season’s tournaments and you can keep updated on the full schedule at marinapezvela.com/tournaments as more dates are released.

June 18, 2022 Summer Solstice Shootout
November 12, 2022 Dorado Derby
November 19, 2022 Dorado Derby Dos
January 14-15, 2023 Pelagic Rockstar
February 17-18, 2023 Pescadora Billfish Championship (Ladies Only)

Tight lines! See you on the water!

Benn Gilmour
Jackpot Sport Fishing, Marina Pez Vela, Quepos