Brad and Annette Negaard are visting Nosara from good ole’ Jacksonville, FL and they are just the most recent in a long line of First Coast anglers who’ve successfully invaded Sailfish City. The Wanderer headed offshore at 7am armed for battle and as usual the mighty flagship delivered the goods.
The Negaard’s are proud alums of Jacksonville University (mascot: Dolphins) so it is fitting that Annette and Brad bested two of the baddest fish in the ocean. Even in Costa Rica, Dolphins are smarter than Sailfish.
They had a double hook-up leading to a pair of safe releases, plus had a third Sailfish escape just a few yards from the boat. Great performance from these Northeast Florida anglers! Here’s the second release:
The Negaards have another trip on the schedule for the 20th so stay tuned!
Our new buddy TJ Conrads brought his family down from Boise, ID to take aim at some big game. TJ is an interesting adventurer who wrote the book on traditional longbow hunting (hunting with a wooden bow and arrows that he literally makes).
He has hunted with bow and arrow all over the world, in every different place you can imagine. An outdoorsman’s outdoorsman, TJ was also thrilled with the idea of offshore Costa Rican fishing.
Fortunately the Wanderer never leaves port without a full quiver and Captain William set his aim offshore at the blue water beasties.
Things got off to a fast start with this bright green Dorado finding its way to the ice chest in the first hour of the half day trip.
This respectable Dorado clocks in around 25lbs. and will certainly keep the family fed for the week.
Captain William guided the Wanderer a little further offshore into billfish territory and on cue a mean pair of Sailfish took off with baits just after 10am.
TJ and the posse reeled ’em in while the crew coordinated the daring and difficult Double Sailfish Release.
Great safe fish-handling like always by the incomparable First Mate Alex, and truly a fishing feat for the ages by TJ Conrads and his family.
We look forward to seeing Mr. Conrads again down the road…can’t say the same for these fellas:
Another great trip for Scott and his group today on the Wanderer. They added to their tasty Dorado haul with two more monsters.
They also added the first big Yellowfin Tuna of the season with this excellent catch estimated at 25lbs.
Later in the day Scott released a nice Pacific Sailfish. Estimated to weigh around 115lbs., this is the first billfish release of the season for the flagship.
Nice wig…I guess the Halloween spirit stuck around a few extra days for this posse. As always this billfish was safely released and we look forward to catching him again.
Cara Macksoud and her group came to Nosara for some green season relaxation, and fortunately the weather cooperated on October 7 for a little offshore billfish hunt. They put a nice 5lbs. Red Grouper on ice first thing in the morning, then headed offshore in search of Sailfish.
This skyrocketing monster hit the baits just after noon and was released after a short but vigorous 20 minute fight.
We should have more pics of this release really soon. Keep an eye right here for more ‘off-season’ action from Captain David and the unstoppableExplorer.
Tim Seyda and his lovely wife Nancy were interested in some billfish hunting and were willint to wait for a break in the weather to try it. These Northeast Florida anglers have wetted many a line, but this is the first Sailfish to which they have ever buried the hook.
They also added a tasty Pacific Ponpano for the dinner table and made it to shore just in time to beat the incoming afternoon rain storms. Definately a great way to spend their last day before returning to Jacksonville.
¨Craig: Fun trip caught one sailfish…. first time been fishing for sail so glad we caught one ….. Thanks again and was fun to meet u guys….¨
Australian badass Ross Boyce closed down the season today on the unstoppable Explorer and send the Super panga to the hill with a great send off. He replicated his awesome performance earlier in the week with another pair of Sailfish releases.
Ross boasts that he has fishing in small boats for big game all around the world, but his experience on the Explorer was truly one for the memories.
The Super panga ends the year with a staggering number of trips run (120) and bright future for the 2013 season. Stay tuned because if the weather breaks over the next two month we may just sneak the Explorerback in the water for some scattered day trips.
We were told that this hull could withstand a beating, but even in our wildest dreams we never imagined that this boat would stand so strong after so many trips. Big thanks to our main man Ernesto at NBC Boatworks…we´ll be calling him soon for a 15 foot panga for our new Garza transport vessel for sure!
Our new friend Ross Boyce is a world beating angler who comes to us from Brisbane, Australia. His email to us was so good that we’ve decided to reproduce it verbatim:
Great day yesterday, although nearly didn’t get to go. Overnight Wednesday we had the obligatory thunderstorm but with the loudest and most continuous thunder I have heard in my life and the most intense rain here for quite a number of years in such a short time; so much so the bridge on the road to Playa Garza had water over the top of the railings. (In actual fact it was to the top, approximately 4 feet over the road.) Left at 7.30 but because of the rain, the foreshore water was brown and full of debris for about a mile out or more which precluded us from any bottom fishing. So headed for about the 12-14 mile mark out to sea where the swell was varying from 6 to 10 feet. Absolutely no action for trolling from 8.30 to 11.00; by this time we were about 18 –20 mile out then Wham!
Absolutely full of action for the next 2 .5 hours – a total of 6 sailfish caught and released including two double hook ups!!! Huge adrenaline rush.
Carlos (deck hand) and Captain David were brilliant and professional in the execution of boat work, gear rigging and handling of the fish during the capture and release. GREAT JOB….
During the past 2 years I have charter fished on the Great Barrier Reef, other parts of Australia, King fish at Tairua East Coast of New Zealand, Yellow Fin Tuna at Key West Florida, and on this vacation Salmon at Quadra Island, British Columbia before coming to Nosara and can I assure you the operation here is First Class!
Further heavy rain and thunder are expected in the next 24 hours..so will have to wait on the weather for the next charter. The last picture indicates 5 fingers of the number of fish; but my camera battery ran out..bugger.
Ross Boyce Manly, Brisbane Australia currently in Nosara..August 31st
Although some big swells tore through the area this last week, the Explorer found a break in the weather on August 22 and delivered an outstanding trip for clients Buff and Melanie Hendricks from New Smryna Beach, FL. They scored two nice Pacific Sailfish releases and tabled one of the biggest Dorados of the season.
Let’s have Mr. Hendricks’ take on the action: “We fish out of Ponce Inlet often, so the short ride to large fish was terrific. We were very comfortable with Captain David and Carlos and felt we were in excellent hands.”
“The fishing was superb, (just look at the size of the Dorado) and you can count on us doing it again.”
Melanie had this note to add: “Captain David and Carlos are a great team! We were very impressed and had a great trip!”
It was an awesome pleasure to welcome two of our best old friends to the Explorer for an unforgettable day of billfish action. Greg Saig and Tommy Rady are co-founders of Salt Life and have been surfing and fishing around Costa Rica for as long as we can remember.
r
They booked Captain David and Mate Carlos for a half-day afternoon trip on the Explorer and hooked up their first Sailfish just after 1 pm.
Greg and TR followed up this release with two more mighty Pacific Sailfish releases plus they had a battle with a big Blue Marlin. They didn’t best that beast, but still a three-Sailfish release day is none to shabby.
This water looks so good that it is hard to believe that in a week we will be pulling the boats for the off-season. Conditions were that of a tranquil lake out in the Pacific Ocean on this day.
The Wanderer delivered an amazing end to a great week of fishing for Paul Crevello and the boys with several more Sailfish releases plus a surprise tasty treat in the fishbox. They stayed inshore during the morning and collected some Bonita for use as Sailfish bait, but just as they were heading offshore a mighty fish took the hook.
The result was this beautiful Cierro Mackeral. World renowned for the quality of its meat, the Cierro is a dynamite sushi fish. This specimen is one of the largest we’ve seen down here which is a good thing because the Crevello group would work up a big appetite during the afternoon Sailfish bite.
These beauties came flying by just after 1pm and the ensuing fight was frenetic. Captain William kept the fish on opposite sides of the boat as First Mate Alex coordinated the releases. After the lights-out fishing earlier in the week, Team Crevello are old pros at Sailfish releasing by now.
Another week of consistent excellence by some great anglers and the flagship Wanderer.
r
