June 20, 2014

Steve Mullen is a tough-as-nails angler from Atlantic Beach, FL and a lifelong friend of Craig, even once serving as First Mate on the legendary Fishtastic.

One year Craig and Steve fished 15 major tournaments, so it’s no surprise that Steve signed up for 5 straight days of fishing in Costa Rica.

At long last he and his family have made it down to Nosara and they blistered a wide variety of inshore species with Captain Carlos on the barroom brawlin’ Explorer.

Yellowfin Tunas were abundant as well as an array of Rock Snappers, but the highlight was this monster Rainbow Runner:

The IGFA World Record for this species is 37 lbs. 9 oz., caught back in 1991 by angler Tom Pfleger…all I can say is good for Tom that we don’t have and IGFA approved scale down here!

Captain Carlos also coaxed in the first Congrio of the season (left):

This oddball combination of eel and fish yields a Lobster-like filet that is arguably the best tasting thing to come out of the ocean.

This crew had a blast and we can’t wait to see them again!

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June 9, 2014

Sergio’s group stayed hot on June 9! The Wanderer and Discoverer seized upon a bait ball frenzy near shore scored a ton of fun-fightin’ Rainbow Runnner, some with decent size to them.

The big one of the group came late in the day as both boats were just about to pull up anchors and head for home…goes to show why you always leave a bait in the water, even when your are packing up!

August 5, 2011

After several trips on the Wanderer, Rick Egan made his final lap around our fishery on August 5 hoping to cap off his trip that has already included great bottom fishing action and numerous Sailfish releases.

He chose Captain David and the Explorer for a morning half-day and they got off to a quick start with three Bonitas and a two Jacks (20lbs. and 35lbs.)

Mr. Egan also lost a big Roosterfish on a topwater Williamson Jet Popper close to the boat. It was a monster and it hurt Rick’s heart to not get him into the boat for the picture, but even though he still had a great time. Plus they got a smaller Roosterfish:

June 16, 2011

The Yellowfin Tuna have been all over the recent fishing reports, however the Explorer always seems to have another trick up her sleeve. Captain David stumbled upon a hot spot of the elusive Rainbow Runners this morning and with newlywed clients Jennie and Johnny on the reels, they piled the fishbox to the brim with 10 of these tasty morsels.

The Rainbow Runner (also called Rainbow Tunney) boasts delicious white meat and is a very challenging fish to hook and a strong fighter. It has been quite a while since a boat managed to wear out this many Rainbows. For an idea of how strong the Rainbow Runner can be, check out this picture:

Notice that while Jennie has the rod doubled over, Captain David has a firm hold of the fighting belt in one hand and a white-knuckle grip on the 3 inch. Stainless Steel superstructure of the Explorer. Without this chain of strength, something would have been swimming away (either the client or the fish).

Great job Captain David and congrats to the bride and groom. May the ‘Pura Vida’ spirit stay with you for all of your years together!


May 17, 2011

Fred Schramm and Eddie McGowan were kicking some fish butt all over the reef on from May 5 to May 17 with Captain David on the Explorer. Lots of Tunas in all varieties: White, Black, Yellowfin…the action was so hot we thought they might catch a can of Albacore!

Freddy and Eddie fished the next day with slow action, then on May 7 it picked up in a remarkable way. Captain David put them on the fish and they kept the decks bloody from start to finish. They hit shore with ten Yellowfin Tunas and ten Jacks in the fishbox. All the fish weighed over 15lbs., with a few of the Yella Fellas in the twenties.

Fantastic fourth day of fishing on May 9 with Captain David; as if their previous assault on Yellowfin tunas wasn’t enough, they boated twelve more of the meaty Yellow footballs on this trip. This 45lbs. Cuberra was the perfect finish to another great trip.

Fred Schramm and Eddie McGowan would not give these fish a break! On their fifth day of fishing on the Explorer they caught five more Yellowfin Tunas and another nice Cuberra Snapper; the big red Buick was estimated around 35lbs.

Freddy and Eddie came back on May 17 for a victory lap on the Explorer. They did their typical awesome work on the reefs and nailed another nice Cuberra Snapper and one of the largest Rainbow Runners we have seen this season.

Regular readers of this report know that Captain David has a great affection for loudly-colored boardshorts, so you know he was a fan of these Dorado shorts. Great catches by Fred Schramm and Eddie McGowan on a long week of excellent action.