When it comes to game fish of inshore waters and shallow reefs, these eight brawlers have probably broken more hearts — and rods — than other species. Sure, it’s subjective and, sure, there are other species that might have been included. But no angler who knows his game fish will dispute that these are very tough on rod and reel. Most don’t fight fancy, leaping and cavorting like tarpon, but battling hard, down and very, very dirty. Keep in mind, by the way, that this list is limited to inshore and shallow-reef waters. (So species such as amberjack, that tend to be on somewhat deeper reefs, aren’t included.)

GIANT TREVALLY (Caranx ignobilis)

GT are actually as tough as they look, which is saying something. One of the largest of the jacks (family Carangidae), GT are one of the ultimate, bucket-list game fish for anglers fishing areas such as Australia, New Caledonia, Oman, the Andaman Islands, and even Hawaii. A favorite method for the big boys is throwing large poppers and stickbaits over reef and channel edges — and then trying, often fruitlessly, to power them away from structure, even with 80- to 100-pound braided line. The IGFA world record is an amazing 160 pounds, 7 ounces caught in Japanese waters in 2006.

ROOSTERFISH (Nematistius pectoralis)

Roosters are arguably the most exotic of all nearshore eastern Pacific game fishes, with their distinctive coloration and, particularly, the unique high, comb-like dorsal fin. But, as anyone who’s caught them will tell you, their very tough combatants when hooked. Though not jacks, roosterfish take a page from the playbook of that stubborn family of fishes. Unlike jacks, roosters jump and may clear the water in spectacular fashion. They’re found in the tropical waters of Mexico south into the waters off Peru. The IGFA all-tackle record, caught off La Paz, Mexico, in 1960, is 114 pounds.

MAORI WRASSE (Cheilinus undulatus)

By and large, wrasses tend to be active little colorful fishes of tropical reefs. But the humphead Maori (aka Napoleon wrasse) is a big powerhouse of a fish that can reach 400 pounds or so, dwarfing a man. Seldom are specimens more than a fraction of that landed. Once these fish take a lure, there is truly no stopping them from swimming right back into or around coral. Amazingly strong, they pretty much go wherever they want, whenever they want to go there. Found throughout the Indo-Pacific, the IGFA world record is, surprisingly, just 43 pound, 10 ounces.

PAPUAN BLACK SNAPPER (Lutjanus goldiei)

Widely called a “black bass,” these powerful snapper in fact live in the lower rivers of southern Papua, New Guinea. Heavy currents in muddy waters swirling around omnipresent snags (sunken trees) make for a great challenge; many more of these fish are lost than are landed. But anglers from developed countries make the long trip for the bragging rights of releasing one. The biggest brag goes to the angler with the world record of 47 ½ pounds, taken in December 2015.

PACIFIC CUBERA SNAPPER (Lutjanus novemfasciatus)

There are other species of cubera snapper; the Atlantic and the African versions both get a bit larger. However, unlike those, the Pacific cubera loves to prowl rocky headlands and shallow reefs, and as such is a prime target in the clear waters for anglers throwing large poppers and stickbaits, as well as for those slow-trolling live blue runners. That habitat also means stopping these cubera is critical — and very hard to do. The world record of 81 pounds, 3 ounces was caught in Isla Senora, Archipielago De Las Perlas, Panama in 2022.

RED STEENBRAS (DenItex ruprestris)

Anyone who’s ever fished for porgies — rather small but tasty tropical/temperate fishes — might have trouble accepting the fact that the thick, aggressive steenbras of South Africa’s coastal and estuarial waters is a porgy. In fact, it’s the largest porgy of that family and sports big canine teeth. The slow-growing predators are prized and tightly regulated. The world record is a whopping 124-pound, 12-ounce fish from the Eastern Cape area of South Africa, taken in 1994.

CALIFORNIA YELLOWTAIL (Seriola lalandi)

Although similar in morphology, appearance and down-and-dirty fight to the amberjack, California yellowtail (caught primarily from Southern California south along Baja and the Sea of Cortez) often frequent waters quite near shore and around kelp beds and rocks — where many big yellowtail are hooked and lost. Unless found offshore around floating kelp, light tackle for yellowtail often ends in sorrow (for the angler). Most IGFA yellowtail records come from the California or Baja regions, but some anglers in Japan are also making noise in the record books.

GOLDEN TREVALLY (Gnathanodon speciosus)

In true trevally fashion, goldens are fighters to the end. While they don’t get nearly as large as the giant trevally, goldens fight as hard pound for pound. They also offer anglers a particularly striking appearance with their yellow coloration, and their very widespread availability — throughout the Indo-Pacific all the way to the eastern Pacific, from Baja south to Ecuador. They are caught in near-coastal waters as well as clear flats where, in Australia, they are prime sight-casting targets.

The post Toughest Nearshore Game Fish appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Pick a popular game fish and you’ll find multiple places designating themselves as “capital of the world” for that species. But it’s hard to imagine any spot on the globe more justified in claiming the title of “sailfish capital of the world” than the Pacific coast of Guatemala, south of Guatemala City. The stats don’t lie. Guatemala is among few places that boast good sailfishing year-round, with an annual release average of 12 sails a day per boat, and 20 to 40 shots per day not unusual. 

Or how about 124 sailfish released by a single boat in a day? That’s the highest one-boat total — so far — claimed at Casa Vieja (casaviejalodge.com), the largest sailfish lodge on this coast. Other landmarks for the lodge’s fleet include 300 billfish (sails and marlin) released by one boat over three days, and 57 sails released on fly-fishing gear in a day.

Anglers who visit here regularly have their favorite months or seasons, says David Salazar at Casa Vieja. “But they’re always out there, all year. And it seems like in every month of every year, we’ll usually have at least one exceptional week.”

Casa Vieja boats are pretty single-minded in their approach to finding sails, which they do by trolling ballyhoo (on circle hooks). If sails are around, they seldom resist. But with so many sailfish, fly-casting to them has become a prime sport for many of the lodge regulars.

Most anglers find the resort’s standard Alutecnos reels filled with 30-pound line to be ideal for Pacific sails. Compared to Atlantic sailfish, Pacific sails run on the large side, with 60- to 80-pounders very common, and some growing considerably larger.  

While sails dominate the fishery, they’re not alone, often accompanied by the man in the blue suit, as anglers often label blue marlin. Typically, at least one blue will be hooked every few days, on average. Like sails, they’re around all year, though Salazar says the April through August period offers higher chances. Black marlin also figure in the mix, but considerably less often than their blue cousins. Casa Vieja boats keep a 50-pound outfit rigged for a pitch bait to put out when a marlin is spotted.

Like sails, yellowfin tuna and mahi are caught throughout the year, but April to August is prime time to encounter large schools of these tasty game fish. Nonstop action for 40- to 80-pound tuna can test an angler’s arms.

Fishing along the shore offers action of a different sort, and it’s not unusual for anglers on the water for several days to spend one day fishing for roosterfish, as well as skipjack, Sierra mackerel, rainbow runner, and crevalle and horse-eye jacks. So far, slow-pitch and speed jigging hasn’t taken off here, but Salazar mentions that one of the resort’s skippers enjoys doing this on his own time with great success.

Planning a Trip

When to Go: The billfish grounds are a trek offshore, with an average run from the lodge of 25 miles. But again, Salazar points to the variability: “Some days it may be a five-mile run, and others 50 miles.” Fortunately, the seas here are known to be tranquilo mostly, only occasionally becoming uncomfortably choppy. Salazar acknowledges that the area gets more rain from about mid-June through mid-October, but unlike many Central American regions on the Pacific, heavy, monsoon-type rainfall is rare.

Where to Go and How to Get There: Getting to Casa Vieja means flying into Guatemala City. A flight is two hours in the air from Miami and 3 ½ hours from either Dallas or Atlanta. From there, a Casa Vieja Lodge van takes anglers the two hours south to the coast, Puerto San Jose and the lodge.

What to Expect: There is more to see and do here in addition to the fishing. Salazar notes increasing numbers of families in recent years.  Guatemala City offers a variety of art galleries and museums, including collections of pre-Columbian art.

Also in the area: Lake Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world; the Pacaya Volcano (try a guided hike or trail ride); and Tikal National Park, in the northern Guatemala rainforest.

The post Guatemala’s Pacific Coast is Billfish Central appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Colombia’s northern coast can justifiably be called one of the best destinations anywhere on the Pacific coast of South and Central America for serious anglers. Not simply hype, that’s based on a number of elements. For one thing, there just seems to be so many fish around offshore and inshore. One contributing factor has to be the Zona Exclusiva de Pesca Artisanal. Nearly 15 years ago, Colombia designated more than 240 square miles of northern coastline (out to 22.5 miles) exclusively for local artisanal — versus large-scale industrial — fishing. Bahia Solano, where Darien Lodge sits, is situated in the midst of this zone. The lack of pressure from nets and longlines has really paid off.

“It seems like there are always yellowfin and mahi around,” says Beto Mejia, with Fish Colombia of Darien Lodge and other fishing resorts. Unlike fishing resorts in many other South and Central American countries, which must make runs of 15 or 20 miles, pelagics are a very short run off the beach. Meija says lodge captains are removing otoliths (ear bones) of yellowfin, recording sex and otherwise gathering data to help scientists track the tunas’ movements.

While black marlin prowl well offshore, sailfish form huge pods in the spring, feeding on shoals of sardines. But again, not the usual 20-mile run that sailfish enthusiasts widely face; these are often within a half-mile of the beach, where anglers sight-cast lures, flies and live baits to them.
    
The pristine, sandy and rock-strewn coast here offers a wealth of opportunities for nearshore game fish including roosterfish and cubera snapper, as well as African pompano, jacks, mullet snapper, bluefin trevally and Sierra mackerel. Along the shore and in the many estuaries, anglers connect with some impressive snook and orangemouth corvina as well as tarpon — the latter not as an oddity as it once was. Mejia reports seeing baby tarpon in estuaries and assumes the species is indeed breeding here.

Darien Lodge boats have also been targeting grouper and other deep dwellers, dropping baits and jigs into 200 to 800 feet of water just two or three miles out from the lodge, with an abundance of productive spots to fish.

Yet another appealing aspect of fishing this stretch of the Colombian coastline is the lack of competition. Unlike many productive South and Central American areas where dozens of boats head out each morning, Darien Lodge boats have the waters largely to themselves.

The headlines out of Colombia in 2022 seemed to spell doom for the country’s sportfishing industry — ”Colombia bans sport fishing,” and so on. Meija is adamant that the law — driven by urban “fish huggers” — will not stand for long, but more importantly, it has not been a problem. On the coast (versus in the city), people are well aware of the tremendous economic importance of sport fishing, so there’s little effort to enforce such a “backwards” law and no problem finding ways around it. One example is the gathering of scientific data, as Darien Lodge captains are doing, making fishing a research-oriented activity.

Getting to Darien Lodge is straightforward enough, starting with a flight into Medellin’s international airport. From there, airport pickup is provided and takes anglers to the Diez Hotel to overnight. Next morning: A short flight from Medellin to Bahia Solano. For more information, visit fishcolombia.com/darien-lodge.

About that sport fishing ban: Council officers continue to collaborate on addressing the disturbing news from Colombia, whereas previously reported, recreational fishing was declared unconstitutional by the nation’s Constitutional Court on May 2, 2022. Conservation Committee Chairman, Pedro Rodriguez, reports that the law is officially under effect; however, due to pressure from recreational angling groups the Colombian National Aquaculture and Fishing Authority (AUNAP) is working toward a new ruling to make recreational fishing possible. The concept is to turn recreational anglers and industry related businesses into scientific aides assisting on fisheries monitoring. Anglers would then be able to fish and upload information on each catch (fish size, weight, location, etc.) onto a central database to help assist fisheries management agencies. For additional information, including how to get involved, and to get in touch with the Council regarding this matter please contact IGFA Marketing Manager Andy Saldana at asaldana@igfa.org.

The post Unreal Fishing off Colombia’s Northern Pacific Coast appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Tucked away in the southeastern corner of the Yucatan Peninsula, this tiny Central American nation (about the size of Massachusetts) was known as British Honduras until 1973. Belize boasts the second largest barrier reef in the world (after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef) with dozens of cays and islets. The country’s 174-mile coastline offers huge areas of sandy flats dotted with patches of turtle grass — ideal habitat for bonefish and permit.

Among anglers, Belize is known for its consistently productive, year-round fishing for both of those prized inshore trophy species. Add tarpon to the mix and it’s understandable that Belize ranks near the top of places in the world where anglers can accomplish a coveted shallow-water slam: permit, bonefish and tarpon in one day. But don’t limit yourself! Belize boasts a good population of snook in its rivers and mangrove-lined bays. Add snook to the other three species and join the ranks of super-slammers. Slam or not, fishing Belize is particularly popular with fly fishermen.

Unique among Central American nations, at least 40 percent of the country’s mainland and coast is protected. The barrier reef system has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. The reef runs for more than 180 miles, in places only 1,000 feet from shore but in other areas 25 miles out.

Some popular areas include Turneffe Atoll, the country’s largest atoll, located about 20 miles off the coast, near Belize City. It’s renowned for big schools of bonefish, but also numbers of permit. A marine reserve, Turneffe remains pristine, with vast expanses of mangrove and seagrass habitats around the island. Ambergris Caye is Belize’s largest island, famed for white-sand beaches and turquoise shallows. It’s perennially popular with tourists, being a mere 15-minute small-plane flight from Belize City. Nevertheless, it remains a solid spot for inshore fishing, particularly for sight-casting to tarpon on its extensive flats. Some of Belize’s other outstanding spots for anglers include the Placencia peninsula, and Hopkins and Glover’s reefs in the south.

Planning a Trip

When to Go

As noted above, this is truly year-round fishing. Larger tarpon tend to be more seasonal, given their migratory nature; late spring and summer is a peak time but smaller fish can be caught anytime on flats, in channels, creeks and bays. Winter can be tougher for bones, while fall is prime time for permit. Because fishing can be good throughout the year, timing a trip may come down to weather more than anything. Spring tends to be a bit windier (prevailing trade winds are generally from an eastern quadrant). From late February into May is the dry season, and June through much of the fall, is the wet season. It’s worth noting that the northern part of Belize receives considerably less rain than the south. Also keep in mind the possibility of hurricanes summer and fall. Direct strikes on Belize are rare, but tropical wind and rain spun off by big storms can hinder fishing.

Where to Go and How to Get There

Major airlines offer regular flights from several U.S. cities into Belize City’s international airport. Once in Belize, there are regular flights and ferry service to Ambergris Caye, but more distant resorts are reached primarily via chartered flights that the resorts provide or arrange.

Grand Caribe Belize is a beautiful resort in San Pedro Belize, located 2 miles north of town on Ambergris Caye. The condo style accommodations cater to anglers and families, plus the barrier reef sits just a half-mile offshore their beaches. This year, the resort hosted their 7th annual Deep Sea Classic fishing tournament in July.

What to Expect

English, for one thing: While you’ll hear Spanish and creole, English is the primary, official language, making Belize the only country in Central America where this is true. You’ll find plenty of hotels in Belize City. Most resorts provide tackle, though serious fishermen often bring their own (and fly fishing is particularly popular in Belize’s shallow waters). Though largely overlooked, reef and bluewater fishing await just beyond the flats. Besides fishing, in Belize’s forested interior you can plan visits to the country’s amazing Mayan ruins, remnants of a great ancient Maya empire. Note: upon leaving, you’ll need to pay a departure tax (unless included in the airline’s fare), and only cash is accepted.

Helpful Links

• For general information: travelbelize.org
• You’ll also find more good information at: travel.usnews.com/belize

The post The Beauty of Belize appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The privately financed Dolphinfish Research Program (DRP) reports that a rare international return of a tagged dolphin has been made recently.

Venezuelan angler Carlos Rosales caught a dolphin with a DRP tag, showing it had been a free-swimming fish for over a year, moving from South Florida to Venezuela before it was caught a second time.

DRP reports that the dolphin had been caught by Capt. Todd Lewis and his son Parker off Lighthouse Point near Ft. Lauderdale on June 25, 2021. The 16-inch dolphin was caught in 100 feet of water, tagged and released by the Lewis’s

Rosales caught the dolphin a second time off the coast of Venezuela on July 4, 2022 – 374 days after it had been caught, tagged and released in South Florida as a 16-inch juvenile dolphin. The recapture of a tagged dolphin is only the 24th international recovery of a DRP tagged fish. It’s the third recovery for dolphinfish tagged and released along the U.S. East Coast that has been reported in Venezuela.
DRP was not able to get an accurate size of the dolphin when Rosales caught the fish the second time off Venezuela. But the DRP data base of research from over 20 years of such catches and recaptures of dolphin shows the fish had grown to a remarkable 57-inches in length, with an estimated weight of 58-pounds.

Such stunning growth rates seem implausible, except for the fact that dolphin are among the world’s fastest-growing marine fish. They grow at staggering rates. And the fish range far, wide, and fast, as they shadow baitfish schools on which to feed.

“Dolphin are eating machines, almost a non-stop foraging apex predator, which is why they so readily hit lures and baits, and why they can grow to 80 pounds in under four years,” said South Carolina marine biologist Don Hammond, who was the head man at DRP for many years.

“Dolphin don’t know where they are, and they don’t care. A dolphin is happy and at ‘home’ if it’s in water temperature it likes – and there is plenty of baitfish around for it to eat. This is one of the primary keys for finding dolphin, and that includes big fish – food, abundant food, which is why they are so often holding around large beds of sargassum weeds.”

So far this year, DRP reports 104 boats have submitted dolphin tagging reports. The also have had international tag returns from Venezuela, Antigua, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.
Consistent DRP tagging of dolphin is being done in several new international locations including the United Arab Emirates, Aruba, Ecuador, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico.

One interesting dolphin tag return, DRP reports, is one that recently washed up on the southwest coast of the United Kingdom. DRP says that “doesn’t represent a true recapture, but does raise the question of whether in the future a trans-Atlantic movement for this species” will be documented.

“My belief is dolphin may completely circle the Atlantic Ocean, rather than simply following a north-south migration along the East Coast of the U.S.,” says Hammond. “It also underscores the need for international co-operation for dolphin management.”

The post Remarkable Giant Dolphin Catch Off Venezuela—One Year After Its Release in Florida appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Florida International University (FIU) graduate student and Ph.D. candidate Devanshi Kasana was tagging tiger sharks in the Caribbean Sea with a group of local fishermen. They were in the Central American country of Belize when they ran across something none would have dreamed to discover.

A report from the prestigious Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida details what happened:

Kasana and the fishermen were checking some baited fishing lines when one unusual catch suddenly appeared.

On one line wasn’t a tiger shark, but a rather sluggish creature. Kasana said it looked old — even ancient — and more like an elongated, smooth stone that had sprung to life. It had a blunt snout and small pale blue eyes.

“At first, I was sure it was something else, like a six-gill shark—that are well known from deep waters off coral reefs,” Kasana said. “I knew it was something unusual and so did the fishers, who hadn’t ever seen anything quite like it in all their combined years of fishing.”

Kasana texted Demian Chapman — her Ph.D. advisor and Director of Sharks & Rays Conservation Research at Mote — to share the news. She also sent a photo of the shark. Chapman said it wasn’t a six-gill shark, but looked a lot like a Greenland shark.

Several shark experts were contacted, and it was confirmed Kasana’s shark is a “sleeper shark,” likely a Greenland sleeper shark or perhaps a hybrid from the Greenland and Pacific “sleeper shark” families.

The Mote Laboratory reports the Greenland shark is most common to the frigid waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans and are extremely slow growing, and can be hundreds of years old. Their vision is so poor they are about half blind.

The species can live 250 years, and perhaps more than half a century. They are the longest-living vertebrate species known. They’re believed to live in freezing Arctic waters, scavenging on polar bear and whale carcasses.

Because little is known about Greenland sharks, nothing can be definitively ruled out about the species, contends Mote Marine. Greenland sharks could possibly be swimming the frigid depths of the oceans all around the world.

Authorities say Kasana’s discovery is the first Greenland “sleeper shark” found in the tropical Caribbean Ocean, which is over 9,000 feet deep and near where Kasana was fishing. And that’s where maybe more “sleeper sharks” are sliding across the depths of even warm oceans.

One of the world’s top experts on Greenland sharks — University of Windsor Associate Professor of Biology Nigel Hussey — gave the Kasana shark team four satellite tags to fit in more sleeper sharks if they’re discovered.

The post What’s a Hundreds-Years-Old Arctic Shark Doing in Belize? appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The French appreciate a good Bordeaux, a wedge of Camembert, a fresh baguette—and throwing poppers tirelessly for hours. Given that I haven’t spent much time in France, that description might well reek of stereotyping; however, I can vouch personally for the last item in the list.

French anglers who travel to fish tend to be all about popping and jigging.

Ditto French fishing-resort owners I’ve known, most recently Pierre-André Demauge in Pedasi, Panama.

A group of us flew down there for a week with a good idea what to expect, per the Panafishing website home page: “Our fishing lodge is the only one in Panama that caters exclusively to popping and jigging enthusiasts.”

More explanation on the fishing states that throwing “artificials is definitely the most exciting and rewarding way to catch a fish, but it is also tiring and demanding, so one should come prepared and willing to cast and jig all day long.”

Each day, Demauge fished with our group, and we couldn’t help but be impressed with his enthusiasm and tenacity as he heaved heavy poppers from our first hour to our last. Though he lives here, his focus on hooking big fish was no less fanatical than that of us visitors.

Explosive Testing Grounds

There’s nothing wrong with sitting back and watching a slow-trolled rod pulling a live blue runner, which no one can argue is damned effective. But that’s a very different kind of fishing. It’s hard to beat seeing a massive boil or blowup behind a big popper or shallow-running stickbait.

The promise of just such heart-stopping action out of these waters near Pedasi (about 100 miles due southwest of Panama City) that consistently produce massive cubera and huge roosters lured seven gringos here this past July. Among our group were Magnus Gunnarsson, Sam Root and Jose Chavez, all with Savage Gear, and Adrian Gray with the International Game Fish Association. Chavez’s main responsibility with the tackle manufacturer is designing lures, so he was keen to try out some of his creations in these tropical testing grounds. With a total of eight anglers, including Demauge, we divided up each day into three Panafishing boats—two 26-foot Twin Vees with twin Suzukis, and one of its two Caribe Pro 25s.

After an early breakfast, we piled into a pickup, with some ridiculous number of rods and reels strapped to racks on top, and headed the few minutes to the beach from which we would launch.

Don’t look for any marinas anywhere along this coast; except where broken by rocky headlands, sandy beaches extend endlessly. Pangas, used mostly for artisanal fishing, lined the beach where a road from Pedasi extends. Once there, we hopped down and helped transport tackle, coolers and insulated water jugs to the waiting panga that would ferry gear and anglers to one of the Twin Vees tethered to mooring buoys just beyond the beach.

Panafishing crew and staff helped hold the panga at the surf’s edge while being loaded. Then, with impeccable timing, they pushed the boat forward through the swells as the outboard operator quickly dropped and cranked up the engine. Fortunately, seas here seldom loom large. During a week’s stay, we had no problem getting out or back in.

The Tuna Coast

One of Gunnarsson’s goals for this trip was to catch his first cubera snapper. While cubera were caught every day, the prize snapper eluded Gunnarsson during his first three days of fishing. I joined him on day four, the choppiest morning of all.

About midmorning, our skipper, Eduardo, moved us into friendlier water closer to shore, near a rocky point just south of the beach where we had launched. Gunnarsson, throwing a big Savage Gear Panic Popper, let out a shout, and I looked over to see a large, dark shape charging it near the boat. The fish missed but circled back, and this time nailed it.

With considerable effort, Gunnarsson managed to keep the snapper from the rocks, and soon he released his first cubera, a respectable if not monster 30- to 35-pounder. By trip’s end, cuberas up to 50 pounds had been released, and some considerably larger—and unstoppable—hooked.

Not long after, the breeze began to die out, and we moved south and offshore to a large island, essentially a great, sheer rock. Here we were reminded, as we had been on previous days, why some refer to this area of the Azuero Peninsula as the tuna coast. Yellowfin tuna swarmed in large areas, jumping after sardines. The schoolie-size fish all but made up for their modest heft with sheer numbers and lively action on top. We had great luck on smaller Panic Poppers and Savage Gear Mack Sticks (a stickbait introduced in 2019).

We had hoped to run 30 miles or more offshore to the serious tuna grounds, where schools of yellowfins well into three digits typically forage. But early on, conditions weren’t flat-calm, as is often the case, and Demauge suggested we wait for the right day. Unfortunately, that day didn’t come—maybe next trip!

While I had brought mostly serious gear, as anyone bringing tackle here should, I also brought a fairly small and light spinning rig with 30-pound braid and had a blast using it for these tuna. But one should be judicious using anything that light in these waters.

Later that same afternoon, back near Pedasi, in a shallow, sandy, quiet cove, I cast a tiny pink Savage Gear Sandeel from that rig, hoping for a corvina or small rooster. Naturally, I hooked what had to be an oversize snapper. I hadn’t a prayer of stopping its rush out to some rocks that I couldn’t see, but I felt when the line parted.

Surprise Party

Every day seemed to have its surprises. While casting a Mack Stick stickbait right against shoreline rocks, one angler hooked a respectable mahi. On our last day, we ran into a pack of large bull sharks roaming the same shoreline in quiet water.

Somewhat uncharacteristically, they aggressively rushed poppers and stickbaits, and when 300 or 400 pounds of bull shark explodes on a lure, it’s a major rush. Each one we hooked quickly proved a losing proposition—not surprisingly—and, after four break-offs, we resisted the urge to hook others or feed them any more lures, and moved on.

Several in the group spotted tarpon unmistakably rolling nearshore. They had no chance to hook them, but Demauge says it’s become fairly common for anglers to hook silver kings here, as it is along much of the Central American Pacific coast.

Besides cuberas, most in our group had roosterfish as an item to scratch off their lists, and most met that goal using various sorts of lures. Root caught one of the biggest roosters of the trip while throwing a Panic Popper. (While impressive, the 45-pounder couldn’t match the 80- to 90-pounders that have been caught on Panafishing boats.)

Mine came on the last day, when I decided to try a large Savage Gear Pulse Tail Mullet Swimbait. I was glad I did; the damned thing looked more like a swimming mullet than an actual swimming mullet, and apparently a rooster thought the same because, about 15 feet from the boat, it surged up to grab the soft lure. In another boat, Chavez landed a good rooster of 30 pounds or so when it struck a metal jig in about 90 feet of water.

Miscellany on Metal

Most popping enthusiasts, it seems, are also fans of jigging. We had come fully prepared to do both, and we soon figured out that drifting and working jigs offered a welcome use of some alternative muscles from those used to throw large lures. And, as jigging always seems to, it got results, particularly for a variety of species.

Jig-caught fish included broomtail grouper, roosters, skipjack tuna, African pompano, cabrilla, yellow snapper, rose snapper, orangemouth and yellow corvina (at one point, on a large school in 90 feet, offering nonstop action), barred pargo, almaco jacks, jack crevalle and others.

We variously fished these metal lures as speed jigs or went with the finesse of slow-pitch jigging. Both methods caught fish. This gave us the chance to try out several varieties of Savage jigs, particularly the venerable Squish jig, as well as some newly introduced designs, generally in 50 to 200 feet.

Interestingly, on some days we drifted through dark clouds of bait that showed up on the sounder, even marking some larger targets around the bait, but didn’t get much. In other cases, even where not much showed, we hooked fish. The biggest prize for jiggers would have to be the broomtail grouper up to 50 pounds that we caught. At least one hefty grouper went for a soft-bodied TPE plastic 3D Swim Squid that Gray worked over the bottom.

At the end of a busy week, after an early breakfast, we all loaded into the large van provided by Demauge for the six-hour drive to Tocumen Airport in Panama City for our afternoon flights back home, tired but happy. The Savage team, particularly, felt they’d gotten their money’s worth, having fished so many new or recent designs, and even prototypes, with so much success. For anglers who love the thrill of throwing big poppers and stickbaits, as well as speed- and slow-pitch jigging, Panafishing on Panama’s Azuero Peninsula merits a visit.

Planning a Trip

Most fishing resorts in Panama do a lot of live-bait fishing. Panafishing is all about lures and jigs. A visit to its webpage—panafishing.com[[please make link active]]—will offer immediate visual proof that the resort’s skippers put anglers on fish without ever bothering to bridle up live baits.

The six-hour air-conditioned van ride (with a stop for lunch) from Panama City means that if anglers can arrive in the country before midafternoon, they can go right to the lodge and skip the hassle of an overnight hotel stay.

The boutique-size lodge, which has been here since 2006, and its four boats can accommodate up to 11 anglers. Many guests bring their own gear by preference. Arriving by van means anglers can easily carry all their gear with them; that can be difficult—and costly—when flying from Panama City on a small regional-air flight. As an alternative or supplement to anglers’ tackle, the resort rents gear for a modest price—quality gear such as Shimano Stella and Saragosa reels and Black Hole rods.

Many fishing resorts in Panama provide tackle; however, most charge more for a week of fishing (sometimes considerably more) than Panafishing.

The absence of ports or access to the coast in the entire area helps keep fishing pressure low. Panafishing is closed only during September. During the dry season, January through April, anglers need not worry about rain, though the winds might kick up some days, which can limit fishing to various semi-protected areas, depending upon wind direction.

What Demauge calls the “green season” runs from May through November. At least some rain is likely, but so are the lightest seas of the year, with the Pacific often flat-calm. This is the best time of year to pursue surface-feeding yellowfin, from footballs to industrial-size fish.

Most of the captains have been with the resort for more than 10 years; they don’t speak much English but definitely speak fishing. Still, anglers lacking rudimentary Spanish can use a list of the most useful and essential words and phrases, which is available on each boat.

The post Panama’s Popping Paradise appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Central and South America’s often-­fabulous Pacific coast fishing is no secret. Proof of that lies in the proliferation of marinas, charters and fishing resorts from southern Mexico through Panama. While few areas are yet truly crowded with anglers, in many stretches, you can expect company on the water. Not so off Colombia. In three days of fishing during a springtime visit to that country’s Pacific coast, out of Bahia Solano, I saw precious few other boats, and those were being used for local transportation or artisanal fishing. In that respect, the country might be similar to fishing Panama a few decades ago. The coastal topography is certainly reminiscent of Panama, but anglers who like long stretches of water all to themselves will appreciate Colombia.

And there’s more for sport fishermen to appreciate here. About a decade ago, Colombia declared a large chunk of its waters (including Bahia Solano) from the pristine coastline to 20 miles offshore as a “zona exclusiva de pesca artesanal”—a zone designated exclusively for artisanal fishing, encompassing more than 240 square miles of ocean and, I was told, the country does enforce it.

That might explain why in three days I saw no sign of any large seiners or longliners—and perhaps why, on the mornings we ran offshore, we had no trouble finding schools of yellowfin tuna.

Safe Tuna

After a leisurely breakfast at the Hotel Playa del Oro, I joined Paul Michele, now with a Band of Anglers, and Milo Marulanda and Alejandro Linares, with Sport Fishing Colombia (sport​-fishing​colombia.com), carrying our tackle to the beach where a panga waited to carry us the 50 yards out to the 32-foot Angler center-console (made in Colombia) with twin Suzuki 115s, on which we would explore the fishing off this coast.

Our skipper, Tirso Villaba, said on that first morning, we’d head offshore in search of breezing yellowfin, fast-moving schools chasing bait on top. Both Linares and Marulanda had told us emphatically that, thanks to restrictions on industrial fishing, angling success off Colombia’s Pacific coast keeps improving.

Marulanda says he’s seen large fishing vessels bearing flags from other countries being detained by Colombian military boats for trying to fish in closed areas.

“I think the tuna know they’re safe here,” Linares says.

And sure enough, with a short run offshore on the smooth ocean under leaden skies, we found tuna among the dolphins and began throwing big poppers. Among quite a few smashing strikes, we connected and held onto three in the 30- to 60-pound range. (That also gave us a chance to try out the new Okuma Makaira and Azores spinning reels we’d brought down, which performed flawlessly.) The fish were scattered and moving fast. We could have kept running-and‑gunning for them all morning—and we were tempted—but we decided to make the 30-mile run north to Punta Piña.

Here, we found a line of tall rocks jutting for miles well out into the Pacific. It couldn’t have looked fishier, though the water being cooler than usual—which Linares had warned us about—seemed to have shut off any major bite. That came as a surprise to Michele, who had fished this coast previously. Last time he was here, he says, a huge school of 15- to 30-pound mullet snapper at the surface made for fast topwater fishing. These he generally got to the boat; not so much the big Atlantic tarpon that he also hooked here, which jumped off.

In fact, tarpon are regularly hooked on Sport Fishing Colombia boats along the coast north of Bahia Solano, though few are landed. Linares says the numbers of the resident population of tarpon seem to keep growing. Marulanda agrees, noting that their anglers have caught quite a few tarpon, at least one of which looked to be upwards of 200 pounds.

But we kept working the rocks, and late on that first afternoon, we caught three cubera, two on Michele’s big popper. One of those big snapper would have weighed 50 to 60 pounds or so. As Michele was bringing that to the boat, Linares was lifting in a large bluefin trevally that struck his metal jig.

Sails on the Surface

Our second morning proved similar to the first, as again we found yellowfin offshore pretty quickly. After moving closer to shore, we spent more time jigging, though powerful currents made that difficult. At one point we found numbers of Eastern Pacific bonito—tasty, toothy, smaller cousins of dogtooth tuna—hanging well above bottom in about 300 feet.

But the third (and our last) day was an eye-opener. Initially we enjoyed some nearshore action, including a roosterfish lost near the boat, some smaller cubera, African pompano, big Pacific jacks and Sierra mackerel. I caught a nice orangemouth corvina in the 12-pound range casting a Z-Man GrubZ near shoreline rocks.

But it was the trip back to the lodge late in the afternoon that I most remember despite not catching much. The Pacific had lost its chop, and its mirrorlike surface reflected the blue sky’s high, thin clouds. We did manage to boat some good mahi, which we spotted while running then pitched baits to. As the sun neared the horizon, we saw a dorsal fin, waving high above the surface. Sailfish! Then we saw another, and a third.

We eased up to pitch a live goggle-eye, but the fish proved pretty spooky, and we had no takers. As we motored on, with dusk approaching, we began seeing more sails and bills and free-jumpers in considerable numbers. We managed to put liveys right in front of a couple as they sat nearly motionless, but they couldn’t have been more disinterested. Soon, the encroaching darkness forced us in.

There was no telling why the fish had lockjaw just then, but in any case, I had to be impressed with seeing so many sails in a small area. I regretted that we didn’t have another day to try trolling the waters for sails.

In fact, our local experts had described some remarkable sailfish numbers, acknowledging that they’re still working out the sailfish fishery here.

“In April and May [coinciding with the peak of the sardine run in these waters], there’s a huge migration of sailfish, when you can find thousands of sails in the waters off Bahia Solano,” says Steve Peak, who owns Sport Fishing Colombia. So far, few recreational fishermen have much awareness of this fishery, he points out.

Linares says the sails are offshore year-round, but when the sardines move in, so do sails, and that’s when they move quite close to shore in great numbers.

Also, Marulanda adds, the average size of sailfish here has been impressive, with many in the 90-pound range.

“Colombia is the last frontier along the Central/South American coast for sport fishermen. The gamefish species are the same as those in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama,” Linares says, “but Colombia lacks big numbers of fishing boats,” and that translates into fish that just aren’t used to seeing lures, he says.

Planning a Trip

Not so many years ago, internal and political unrest made Colombia a place most American tourists avoided. But in the past decade or so, that has changed, and the country has again become an appealing destination.

We flew into Medellin. I had long associated that name with drug cartels, but in fact it surprised me as a large, vibrant, clean and new city. It’s set amid mountains (its 4,500-foot elevation keeps Medellin temperatures mild) and, at least in the part of the city we walked around, we found considerable green spaces. Also, prices remain a relative bargain, so far. For instance, a nice breakfast at the airport was $5, and a great ribeye steak dinner with wine, about $25.

To reach Bahia Solano, we made the one-hour flight out the morning after our overnight in Medellin on Satena airline (satena.com) and checked in at the hotel Playa de Oro (playadeorolodge.com).

While the hotel might be considered rustic, it offered the necessary amenities, and I found it quite comfortable. The meals were outstanding and offered varied preparation each evening for the fish we brought in. (Memo to would-be visitors: Don’t release a good-size corvina!) Nor will the cost set you back unreasonably; at press time, I found the rate for a double room at about $75.

Read Next: Fishing the Lonely Pacific Coast of Colombia

Our Angler center-console boat proved adequate for our needs and was large enough to permit four anglers to fish simultaneously. Sport Fishing Colombia (sportfishingcolombia​.com) can help arrange package trips of four to six full fishing days, including in-country flights, ground transportation, meals and accommodations. We brought our own gear, but Sport Fishing Colombia has plenty of high-quality rods and reels to offer. The outfit suggests that anglers bring their favorite lures and jigs, but it also has a selection available. As far as what else to bring, of course plenty of sunscreen and bug repellent should be in your bag. (Though biting bugs didn’t bother us much, fortunately.) When I travel to remote areas, I take an ACR ResQLink personal locator beacon as well, which offers a bit of peace of mind. (It’s one of those things I’m glad to have and hope to never use.)

Atlantic Tarpon: Going Pacific

Early in this century, anglers fishing along the coast of Panama or Costa Rica reportedly hooked what they swore were Atlantic tarpon. These days, hooking big tarpon on the Central American Pacific Coast has become fairly commonplace. But their numbers seem to be increasing, and Colombia is a good case in point. While most of these fish are jumped off by the anglers, unsuspecting and unprepared for a fish that’s difficult at best to hook, the thrills are there. And Sport Fishing Colombia experts say it’s not just the odd fish but, more recently, anglers are encountering large schools of them and on a fairly regular basis.

Such ostensibly growing numbers suggest the fish could be spawning and growing in the Pacific, and Ross Robertson, Ph.D., a leading expert on Pacific fishes of Central America, says, “There are some very small tarpon in the eastern Pacific that must have been spawned here.” On the other hand, he stresses that Atlantic tarpon have been swimming into the Pacific via the Panama Canal for decades. Also, the recent enlargement of the canal might facilitate such relocation of tarpon. Much remains to be learned, but it is certain that tarpon are here to stay and offer yet another great ­gamefish target for sport ­fishermen in the eastern Pacific.

The post Colombia: Remote Fishing Frontier appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Not until the early 1990s did sailfishing off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast attract major international attention, and by the turn of the century, Costa Rica was billing itself as the “sailfish capital of the world.” Just after that, however, sailfish numbers began to take a major hit, and many anglers ended up more disappointed than excited.

But thanks to the adoption of regulations limiting the commercial exploitation of sailfish, sailfish populations have rebounded and remain strong enough to justify the country’s self-anointed title. For example, consider the one-day total from 43 boats during the second leg of the Los Sueños Triple Crown in 2016, when 1,103 sailfish were caught and released.

But there’s more to Costa Rica’s billfish story than sailfish alone. Marlin were, of course, always here and part of the action, but until recent years, Costa Rica wasn’t really known as a marlin destination. That has changed as well, in part thanks to the overnight trips to seamounts and FADs (fish-aggregating devices) far offshore, trips a number of charters now offer. When boats start raising close to 30 marlin in a day, the international billfishing community takes notice.

This is not to suggest that catching 30 marlin or dozens of sailfish in a day is a foregone conclusion off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. But are such days possible? Absolutely.

Costa Rica is fortunate to have two billfish seasons: The fishing peaks from November through April in the central and southern regions and from May through December in the north. There are fishing clubs such as the Club Amateur de Pesca and the National Fishing Club that have been around for decades, but tourists traveling to Costa Rica is also very common these days.

Billfishing in Costa Rica

Wherever you fish for billfish in the world, the approach is a little different; each location has its own style. Costa Rica is no exception.

Most charter captains here troll a combination of teasers, lures and natural baits, including bonito and ballyhoo.

No matter where along the country’s Pacific coast you look to charter a sport-fisher, keep in mind that communication is key to any good charter-fishing trip, and that should start before you step on the boat. Many wholesalers and captains rely on repeat business, so they want to be sure your trip provides more than a boat ride.

If all the info you need isn’t on an operation’s website, feel free to call and ask about such things as fishing hours, type of equipment, if fishing licenses are provided, if the crew are women- and child-friendly, and the level of English spoken on board.

Once you arrive for a chartered day and step on the boat, have a conversation with the captain and crew before you leave the dock. Be honest about your level of experience as far as fishing for billfish is concerned, and remember, there are no stupid questions—particularly if billfishing is a whole new ballgame for you. Most crews will be happy to give you as much or as little help as you want.

When a fish appears in the spread, often the captain on a tower boat is the first to see it, and will start shouting the position of the fish behind the boat to crew and anglers on deck. In these first crazed minutes, the captain’s adrenalin might have him frantically blurting this out in Spanish for the crew, using words that mean: short, long, left and right, depending on which teaser the fish came up.

Six words that can help during the melee of hooking up are often shouted out in Spanish:

• marlin = marlín (mar-LEEN)
• sailfish = pez vela (pays BAY-la)
• left = izquierda (ees-KYEHR-dah)
• right = derecha (deh-REH-chah)
• long = largo
• short = corto

Though most crews speak at least some English, it might not hurt to learn a few simple phrases in Spanish before traveling to Costa Rica because that is the native tongue. Long before you arrive at the coast, you will have probably already learned “Pura vida!” which is a Costa Rican greeting that basically means “Everything is great.” “Cerveza fría” will get you a cold beer. Crews love to teach and love to hear about the fishing you do back home, so don’t be shy. Their world is much smaller than yours. Share it.

Many Costa Rica charters practice bait-and-switch fishing, a particularly exciting method for catching billfish that requires a well-coordinated effort, with the captain keeping track of where the fish is, the mate keeping the fish interested, and the angler presenting the bait at the right moment. With luck, the sail or marlin is interested, but you need to wait for it to eat, turn and start to move away, while feeding it line. The use of circle hooks is required in Costa Rica when using natural baits, so calmly place the reel in gear and just start winding.

Read Next: Fishing Vacations for Anglers

If you understand everyone’s role in the process, you have a much better chance of hooking up the first fish in the spread rather than learning from your error.

A fishing license, which is required by law, can be purchased online at the website of the fisheries agency INCOPESCA (incopesca.go.cr) before your trip. A permit good for up to eight days is $15. The agency allows sport fishermen to keep a total of five fish per boat. (Selling fish is not legal for anglers or sport-fishing charter crews.) By law, all billfish must be released.

Costa Rica Fishing Operations, North to South

Today, there are more than 600 boats registered to charter for billfish and other gamefish in Costa Rica, most of those operating along the country’s 780 miles of Pacific coastline. Here’s a sampling of time-tested operations, most with a good variety of boats to choose from. All of these operations and crews speak at least functional English, and many individuals are fluent. “Cost” refers to one day of fishing unless noted otherwise.

Flamingo

Flamingo Bay Pacific Charters (fishincostarica.com)

• Area fished: Northern Guanacaste (Papagayo to Flamingo)
• Getting there: One-hour drive from Liberia airport
• Crew: Captain and one or two mates
• Season: May-October; peak for sailfish May-August, for marlin June and July
• Accommodations: Can be arranged by Flamingo Bay Pacific Charters in Flamingo and Tamarindo
• Tackle: Penn and Shimano
• Fly tackle: On some boats
• Average run to billfish grounds: 30 minutes to one hour
• Fishing day: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Phone: 506-8713-3386

Gamefisher Charters (gamefisher2.com)

• Area fished: Fishes both seasons, Flamingo in the North and Quepos in Central
• Getting there: One-hour drive from Liberia airport
• Crew: Captain and two mates
• Season: May-December; peak for sailfish and marlin June-August
• Accommodations: Beachfront condos or private houses can be arranged by Gamefisher Charters
• Tackle: Penn International reels, Shimano rods and reels, 20- to 80-pound
• Fly tackle: 14- to 18-weight, with Billy Pate and Able reels
• Average run to billfish grounds: About an hour (20 miles)
• Fishing day: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Comments: More than 50 years’ combined captain and crew experience; comfortable teaching newcomers or the most seasoned anglers; specialize in fly-fishing
• Phone: 904-410-1041

Fishing Nosara (fishingnosara.com)

• Area Fished: 3 to 30 miles from Nosara
• Getting there: 2 ½-hour drive from Liberia airport
• Crew: Captain and mate
• Season: Year-round; peak for sailfish and marlin July, August and November
• Accommodations: Private houses on a nature reserve are part of Nosara’s fishing packages
• Tackle: Shimano Tiagra conventional and Penn spinning
• Fly tackle: None provided, though some crews have fly-fishing experience
• Average run to billfish grounds: 30 minutes to an hour
• Fishing day: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Comments: Friendly, responsible atmosphere with local, English-speaking crew; on-site staff always available; deep water quite close to beach, often making for a short run to the fish
• Phone: 904-591-2161

Herradura

Maverick Sportfishing, Los Sueños Resort and Marina (mavericksportfish.com)

• Area fished: 20 to 40 miles from marina; up to 150 miles out on longer seamount trips
• Getting there: 1 ¼-hour drive from San Jose
• Crew: Captain and one or two mates
• Season: Year-round; peak for sailfish January-April, marlin November and December plus July-September
• Accommodations: Condos, private homes or Marriott Hotel arranged per anglers’ wishes by Maverick
• Tackle: Alutecnos conventionals with 20-, 30- and 50-pound-test
• Fly tackle: On select boats
• Average run to billfish grounds: One to two hours
• Fishing day: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; two to three days for FAD trips
• Comments: Professional, well-maintained boats; benefits from close affiliation with Los Sueños Resort
• Phone: 866-888-6426

Quepos

Ifish, Quepos Marina Pez Vela (ifishquepos.com)

• Area fished: 15 to 40 miles off Quepos
• Getting there: 2½-hour drive or 20-minute domestic flight from San Jose
• Fleet: Represents large fleet sport-­fishers from 26 to 57 feet
• Crew: Captain and one or two mates, depending on boat
• Season: Year-round; peak for sailfish January-April, for marlin November and December plus July-September
• Accommodations: Villas available
• Tackle: Shimano and Penn, 20-, 30-, 50- and 80-pound gear
• Fly tackle: On some boats
• Average run to billfish grounds: One hour
• Fishing day: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Comments: Experienced, professional captain; Ifish organizes tournaments at the marina
• Phone: 506-2774-9006

Puerto Jimenez-Golfito Area

Crocodile Bay Resort (crocodilebay.com)

• Area fished: South to the Panama border and out to 25 miles or more
• Getting there: Six-hour drive or 45-minute flight from San Jose
• Fleet: Ten 24- and 25-foot Boston Whaler center-console Outrages, and 33- to 35-foot Strike inboard tower boats
• Crew: Captain only on outboard boats; captain and mate on tower boats
• Season: Year-round; peak for sailfish January-April, marlin November and December plus July-September
• Accommodations: 28 rooms and three private houses available as part of all-inclusive-package trips (daily rates also available)
• Tackle: Penn International 30s and 50s, Fathom levelwinds and Spinfisher spinning reels
• Fly tackle: Templefork 10- and 14-weight rods
• Average run to billfish grounds: About an hour
• Fishing day: 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Comments: Named by Sport Fishing magazine as one of the best places for a family fishing vacation; many of the staff have worked at the resort for more than a decade
• Phone: 800-733-1115

Zancudo Lodge (zancudolodge.com)

• Area fished: Southernmost Costa Rica out to 12 to 45 miles; up to 60 miles for FAD fishing
• Getting here: 45-minute flight from San Jose to Golfito
• Fleet: Five 32-foot Contenders with twin 300 hp outboards, five 28-foot open-fish pangas with single 140 hp
• Crew: Captain only unless mate or mates requested
• Season: Year-round
• Accommodations: 12 standard rooms, two junior suites, two master suites
• Tackle: Okuma Makaira 10-, 30-, and 50-pound lever-drag reels and Okuma Azores spinning reels
• Average run to billfish grounds: 30 minutes to an hour
• Fishing day: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Comments: Many improvements made in this boutique lodge; lodge located on the beach
• Phone: 800-854-8791

Also, coast-wide, Fish Costa Rica (fishcostarica.com; 800-407-9438) can help anglers find the right operations for them. With 4 decades of arranging fishing trips, Fish Costa Rica represents many operations and captains, from inshore to FADs.

History: Fisheries Management Made a Difference

Early in this century, the number of fish caught by anglers off Costa Rica began a steady decline, leaving tourists disappointed and charter fleets scratching their heads. Then it was discovered in 2008 that more than 600,000 pounds of sailfish meat were being exported to the United States each year, often ending up in restaurants as smoked-fish spread. Most consumers had no idea the tasty fish they were eating was sailfish.

A small group of charter captains formed La Federación Costarricense de Pesca, or FECOP, a nongovern­mental federation of sport-fishing interests to lobby the government, backed by science, to better manage Costa Rica’s territorial waters. (The country’s territorial waters are 11 times greater than the size of its land area.) The group lobbied INCOPESCA, the governing agency of Costa Rican fisheries, citing the importance of sport fishing to coastal communities. In March 2009, Costa Rica banned the exportation of sailfish. More than a decade later, sailfish numbers have come roaring back. Sailfish can still be taken as accidental bycatch and sold on the national market, but they must be released if they’re alive on a line when captured.

In 2013, FECOP showed the government that the country’s tuna resource was being given to foreign purse seine boats for as little as $37 a ton, and that the purse seiners also were affecting populations of pelagic species that attract tourists. When the purse seiners’ nets actually wrapped up some sport-fishing boats out of Los Sueños Marina as the seiners encircled a pod of spinner dolphins, it was the final straw. In 2014, a decree was signed moving the tuna boats out 45 miles from the coast to protect numerous seamounts, creating an area of 77,220 square miles where purse seiners could no longer operate. Their catch was limited to 9,000 metric tons a year, down from a one-time high of nearly 25,000 metric tons, and that catch had to be sold to the local cannery in Puntarenas.

Moises Mug, a scientist for FECOP, analyzed observer onboard reports for the purse seine fleet in 2018 and discovered that moving the purse seiners farther out was saving 25 tons of marlin annually from ending up as seiners’ bycatch. During the past 10 years, the recovery of various pelagic species off Costa Rica has been remarkable.

Costa Rica FADs

Then there’s the FAD issue. Critics of fish aggregating devices claim that they are akin to hunting in baited fields, putting too much pressure on the fish, and once commercial boats find the locations, they end up killing too many marlin. But more study is needed to really assess the situation. Toward that end, a Stanford University team led by Larry Crowder, Ph.D., made trips to Costa Rica every few months in 2019 to place satellite tags on marlin and sailfish.

At the time of this writing, biologists Danielle Haulsee and Hanna Blondin had placed tags on 33 marlin and 14 sails. They tagged many of the marlin on FADs. The tags were set to pop off and transmit data at intervals of six, nine and 12 months. As they return data, scientists should have a clearer picture of how FADS are affecting these fish.

The post Billfish Angler’s Guide to Costa Rica appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

During the heart of southern Costa Rica’s rainy season, a team from Stanford University recently traveled to Zancudo as part of their billfish satellite tagging project, Project DynaMAR (Dynamic Marine Animal Research). Its goals are to better understand the movement and migrations of blue marlin and sailfish and how those movements are related to environmental and climate variables in the Central American Pacific Ocean. By better understanding environmental preferences and distribution patterns of these fish species, the team hopes to evaluate the various stressors (environmental and human-induced) that may be influencing these important top predators and highly-valued sportfish. By the end of the study, the team hopes to deploy up 100 tags between the two species, hopefully helping scientists to understand how the distribution of blue marlin and sailfish changes seasonally, as well as inter-annually.

Zancudo Lodge, one of Costa Rica’s premier sport-fishing adventure resorts, graciously opened their doors to the researchers during the resort’s off-season, giving them access to fast and well-equipped Contender 32STs. These made it possible for them to reach their target fish, blue marlin, further offshore from the southern Costa Rican coast. The team included, Dr. Larry Crowder, Dr. Danielle Haulsee and Stanford PhD student Hannah Blondin. Dr. Haulsee and Ms. Blondin make up the core of the billfish tagging team and have deployed satellite tags on 22 blue marlin and 14 sailfish between January 2019 and this past summer.

Read Next: How to Fish Costa Rica with Jigs and Poppers

Thanks to the expertise and fishing skills of the captains and Zancudo lodge owner Gregg Mufson, the team deployed six additional satellite tags on blue marlin this trip, bringing their total of tagged blues up to 28. These tags are programmed to stay on the fish for six months to a year and collect data that allow the researchers to estimate the fish’s movements during that time. In addition to six healthy blue marlin releases, the team also landed a sailfish and a striped marlin, marking the Stanford team’s first-ever billfish Grand Slam! It will take a couple years for all of the tag data to be collected, but in time the researchers are hoping that the information collected will be helpful for better understanding the basic behavior of these fish and potential stressors to their populations.

The post Billfish-Tagging Project Successful with Blue Marlin off Costa Rica appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.