Tag: Sailfish

March 4, 2012

John Winter Preiss returned to the Explorer for a full day of fishing and proved that with 8 hours to work with (and such close proximity to the blue water) it is possible to nab billfish and bottom fish on the same day.

Captain David set up on the reefs at Pincha Padre around 11 am and gathered the required bait for offshore hunting; meanwhile John and his group plucked a meaty pair of Groupers off of the reef.

In an abnormal development, the Red Grouper has been more prevalent than the Broomtail Grouper recently. Nice to see a true Broomtail again!

As the 1pm Sailfish bite neared, Captain William and Mate Carlos took the unbreakable Explorer out the blue water and put the billfish spread on display. A high-flying Sailfish came calling and charged one of the outrigger lures. The hook found its home and the fight was on with this acrobatic Sailfish.

Great bill and release by Mate Carlos to ensure the safety of boat, fish, and angler. Carlos is a local legend in Garza and his fishing prowess is unmatched; he has been a wonderful addition to the Explorer and has cemented her reputation as the best mid-sized boat in the bay.

The Explorer proves what can be done in this fertile fishery with the right combination of boat size, motor power, and tackle; this boat has no equal!

February 27, 2012

John Murdaugh and his group come from a small South Carolina town but when these guys hit the water in Nosara they meant buisness big-time. On board the magnificent Wanderer with Captain William and First Mate Alex, these guy brought home a trio of fish that are all monsters in their own regard; taken together this is truly the trip of a lifetime.

This 50+lbs. Dorado was first out of the chute and John brought him in like an old pro. Next up was a mighty Pacific Sailfish who they caught and released very efficeintly…less than 15 minutes from hook up to release.

The final fight was from a MASSIVE Striped Marlin that came screaming through the baits like a banshee. The fight was a true test of angling mettle, but John Murdaugh and his team were apt to win the battle. Both billfish wereย  safely released as always…niceย  work by First Mate Alex.

I can’t wait to see the video from their pole camera but hopefully we’ll have in up here real soon.

A fantastic day of catching that will have the whole town of Hanahan, SC talking.

February 26, 2012

John Michael Burling and the boys finished off their fishing odyssey with Captain David on the 27 foot Super Panga Explorer. After fishing for a few day on the bigger boats, one could imagine that the fishing on the barroom brawler would be a let down…turns out they saved the best for last

First up on the hook was another nice Red Grouper weighing in at a good 15 lbs.

With dinner taken care of, this group set out for the deeper water and tried to best their wonderful Blue Marlin release from the previous day. The first curious billfish that came knocking was this awesome Sailfish, which when released was estimated to weigh over 120lbs.

The final victory lap came for these guys in the form of this massive Striped Marlin. Usually the Stripeys are the smallest of our Marlins, but this guy is a behemoth…it looks like it’s got shoulders!

All in all it was a great week of fishing for the Burling group with lots of good fishing stories to take back home.

February 20, 2012

Thompson Rains come to Nosara as a result of winning the Ancient City Kingfish Tournament raffle last Spring. The whole family is in town and they have already had some excellent action around Garza.

On February 20 they joined Captain William on the Wanderer for an offshore billfish hunt and we are happy to report that they released two amazing Pacific Sailfish.

The first came around 12:30pm and hit the spread very aggressively. A quick fight followed and this beauty was set free after just 20 minutes.

The second sail blasted through he blue water around 2:30 and was released at 3pm. Fantastic day by some Florida anglers who know how to handle the blue water beasties. Excellent work by Captain William, First Mate Alex and the whole Rains group.

February 19, 2012

William and Jessica Bronner followed up their incredibly large Dorado with another trip offshore with Captain William and the flagship Wanderer. This father-daughter fishing team notched the scorecard with two excellent Sailfish releases

Mr. Bronner was first up on the reel at 1pm when this MASSIVE Pacific Sailfish came tearing through the spread. Captain William kept the angler in an advantageous position while First Mate Alex coordinated the action from the cockpit. They kept the fight short and sweet, releasing this beauty in under 30 minutes.

An hour later Jessica Bronner flexed her fishing muscles on a Pacific Sailfish of her own. Jessica hails from the hard-fishing town of Del Rey Beach, FL and she didn’t need any explanation on how to bring in big-time billfish.

“Jessica is one of the best female anglers I’ve ever seen,” commented First Mate Alex, who has been a professional boatman for over 14 years. “She fought this fish like a pro and even assisted on the bill and release. Jessica Bronner can fish with me anytime!”

Once again the Wanderer delivered a fantastic trip for a fantastic fishing family. Great work by Captain William, First Mate Alex, and the Bronners.

February 5, 2012

What a great trip for Colorado angler John Betz! He and the wife put in the hours necessary for bill fishing success and their temporal investments paid huge dividends.

The highlight of the trip with this incredible Striped Marlin (safe released as always), but Mrs. Betz backed up that monster with a beastie of her own: this beautiful Pacific Sailfish.

Another fantastic trip from Captain William and the world-famous Wanderer!

February 2, 2012

FishingNosara has been working for years to dispel certain myths about fishing in Costa Rica, namely that the fishery is world-class yet the boats and tackle are the exact opposite. Our reputation for top-notch tackle and aggressive fishing proceeded us when we received a call from Derrell McCrary.

Mr. McCrary was fishing on another boat in theย  area back in December when he noticed that FishingNosara was catching monsters while he was catching minnows. He booked a full day on the Wanderer and this time we vowed that his fishing experience would be world class.

Captain William pointed the mighty Wanderer south and found the blue water break just 6 miles offshore. The spread was working early in the day, snaring a pair of nice Dorados (Mahi-Mahi) that weighed 30lbs. each. Here is one of the tasty green morsels:


After a brief spell of nothing biting, the 1pm Sailfish bite lit up and two hungry Pacific Sailfish came tearing through the spread. First Mate Alex coordinated the fights and the releases, notching the Wanderer‘s scorecard with three more excellent billfish releases including a double header Sailfish release.

This performance certainly exorcised the Costa Rica fishing demons for Derrell McCrary, but FishingNosara’s reputation wasn’t built on meeting expectations but on exceeding them. That is why after 7 great hours of fishing the mighty Wanderer still had a trick up her sleeve.

This 180lbs. Striped Marlin releases is the third of the month for Captain William and proves that the FishingNosara flagship Wanderer is indeed the top boat in the area; she is a vessel that flourishes where other fail.

January 27, 2012

Captain David and the 26-foot Explorer welcomed Jay Johnston and his group for an afternoon half-day fishing trip. The California anglers wanted to target Yellowfin Tuna primarily, but the 1pm Sailfish bite proved too alluring so Captain David took it offshore early in the trip.


This excellent Sailfish was released unharmed after a brief but vigorous 10 minute fight. Captain David knows what to do when these big fish come calling and he brought this fight to a quick, safe and satisfying conclusion.


Jay’s posse kept their collective foot on the gas once the Explorer returned inshore and anchored up to Pincha Padre. They finished the evening with 10 Yellowfin Tunas weighing between 12lbs. and 20lbs. in the box.

Check out the Wasabi/Soy sauce tray in the right foreground…No one’s going hungry in the Johnston group tonight!


January 25, 2012

Brian Bickel and his boys from South Georgia lit it up today with nice Sailfish and Dorados. The spinning porpoises led the famous Wanderer out to a full-on feeding frenzy.


They had three Sailfish in the spread throughout the day with two successful catch and releases.


This hungry posse also put three big Dorados in the box which should keep them pleasantly plump for the rest of the week.






Great start for these fellas who still have more fishing planned this week.