The Pacific Coastal Region is divided roughly into the Northern, Central and Southern fishing areas, with conditions varying with the seasons in each area.

Northern Pacific:

Cabo Blanco to the Gulf of Papagayo

Flamingo Beach, with a full service marina, is the major sportfishing center in the Northern Coastal area but boats also charter out of the nearby Coco's beach, Tamarindo, Ocotal, Potrero, Brasilito and a few points in between. A bit further south, there are boats operating below Cabo Blanco, out of Nosara, Garza, Samara and Carrillo beach, a region that gets more protection from the winds that normally blow late December into March and April. Some boats from the more northerly areas often base at Carrillo beach from about December through March if the wind is blowing and the main bullish population is moving north from the Central Coastal area.

Marlin:

Caught every month of the year, with mid-November to early March exceptional, then slowing a bit from April into early June when it picks up again, peaking in August and September.

Sailfish:

Caught throughout the year, with May trough August normally the top seasons. They may begin to thin out in September and the slowest months are from late August through November.

Tuna:

Peak months are probably August through October, but when all else fails, there are always tuna, anytime of the year you want to look for them, and more often than not when you'd just as soon avoid them to concentrate on bullfish. The yellowfin and some bigeye tuna are often found well inside the Santa Catalina Islands 30 minutes or less running time from the beach, while schools of the 12 to 20 pounders are usually abundant on the outside. You frequently find concentrations of 40 to 60 pound tuna, and there are plenty of the 200 to 400 pounders caught every year.

Dorado:

More properly known as dolphin, these colorful gamesters are most abundant from late may through October when the seasonal rains flood the rivers, carrying out debris that forms trash lines close inshore that they like to lie under. Troll past floating log and you will likely hook a Dorado.

Wahoo:

The first showing begins about the time the rains start in May, peaking in July and August. Most are caught around the rocky points and islands, but you will pick one up occasionally fishing offshore. Roosterfish:

Available all year, but there are more caught in the Papagayo Bay area from November through March. That may be because more boats in the northernmost area of this region are fishing inshore during those windy months, and the roosters like the structure of the shoreline and islands where they are found in 50 to 60 feet of water

CENTRAL PACIFIC:
CABO BLANCO TO DRAKE BAY

SEASONS

Marlin:

October is normally the top month for marlin in this area, but action is also good in September and November and occasional blues and rare blacks are likely to be found anytime of year although they are usually out further than the boats hunting for sailfish are likely to be fishing.

Sailfish:

Middle of December to end of April when they begin moving north is rated the best season, but the big schools often move in about October and occasionally stay longer. A few sails always show among the catch from June through September, mixed with the other species that are found inshore during those months.

Tuna:

Found throughout the year as they are all along the Pacific coast, but most abundant from about June through September. Most are the eight to 12 pounders, but a dozen or more over 200 pounds and maybe another two dozen in the 100 to 200 pound range are taken every year. Wahoo:

Not common in this area around Quepos but more abundant in the late summer further south, especially the Drake Bay and Caño Island area from late June to early August.

Dorado: Best action begins with the winter rains that start in late and wash debris from the river mouths creating the inshore trash lines that the dolphin favor.

Roosterfish:

Fishing for this hard-hitting inshore species is incredible, with the best spots off the river mouths and the rocky drop-offs. Favored spots are the mouth of Parrita; Palo Seco between Parrita and Damas; off the mouth of Naranjo River; around the points at Dominical and throughout the Drake Bay and Caño Island area. Best fishing is from June through early September.

Snook:

Favored spots are just off the many river mouths all along the coast, up the Sierpe river and the big lagoon on the Sierpe. The IGFA world record pacific black snook was taken in the month of July at the mouth of Naranjo River on a boat trolling just outside the breaker line. This is a relatively new target for some small charter boats, but the best months seem to be from July through November during the heavy rainy season.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC:

Golfito & Playa Zancudo

Golfito is the largest town on Costa Rica's southern coast, but there are only a half dozen operators scattered between the northern end of Dulce Gulf, the town of Golfito, Puerto Jimenez on the Peninsula de Osa and Zancudo Beach. Zancudo is a narrow peninsula with miles of beach on the ocean side and bordered by several rivers on the other. Expect to raise a dozen or more sails and likely a marlin or two outside Matapalo Cape during peak season, and plenty of jacks, runners, mackerel, amberjack, roosterfish and big snapper inshore. There. Are two modern marinas in Golfito, both offering fishing charters as well as facilities for transient yachts. Light tackle fishing inside Dulce Gulf, with its profusion of small coves and rocky islets and shoreline, is also good for small barracuda and snapper, corvina and occasional snook to over 40 pounds. Fishing the drop-off outside Matapalo Cape they get sails, marlin tuna and other blue water species, and inshore there are roosters that average over 30 pounds, grouper, jacks, barracuda, trophy size Pacific cubera snapper and more. There is also excellent snook fishing inside the Zancudo Peninsula, and further north, at the mouth of the Esquinas River.

SEASONS:

Marlin:

August through December is the peak season, but an occasional striped, blues and rare blacks may be taken most any month if the water temperature is up.

Sailfish:

A few taken off and on year round with the best fishing from December through March. It often slows from April into early June, then picks up again and peaks in August and September.

Tuna:

Best fishing for the100 pound and up yellowfin corresponds with marlin and sailfish season, but the schools of up to 30 pound tuna can nearly always be found outside range are taken every year.

Wahoo:

Not abundant in this area but occasional fish may be taken most any time of the year while trolling offshore for bullish or around the structure off Matapalo Cape.

Dorado:

Best runs are traditional from late May through October, when the rivers are running full.

Roosterfish:

The region is famous for its big roosters and they can be caught virtually any month of the year.

Snook:

All year, but best from mid or late May through July and in January and February.

SEASONS

Tarpon:

They are always around, with the traditional high season from December through May, but that was a number of years ago when all of the lodges were fishing with 16-foot boats and couldn't get outside the river mouths as the do today with larger boats designed for the purpose.

Snook:

Big snook generally peak from March through May and again September through the end November.

Fat snook:

(Calba) Peak from mid-November through late January, but often make an appearance much earlier.

Bullish:

When you can get outside to the blue water you will find Atlantic sailfish and occasional Atlantic Blue Marlin most anytime of the year. Most are caught from February through September.

Wahoo:

Plentiful on the outside from early February through mid June.

Dorado:

Caught just outside the river mouths throughout the year. Best fishing is when the run off carries out the debris that forms inshore trash lines.

Tripletail:

January through June.

Kingfish:

Spanish and Cero Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Barracuda: Abundant close to shore anytime the ocean is flat.