Costa Rica Fishing Report from FishingNosara
Costa Rica Fishing Report Archive | FishingNosara
On August 19 US Representative for FishingNosara Craig Sutton was on the Wanderer for an afternoon billfish hunt with Captain William and First Mate Alex. Joined by Danny Baker of Virginia Beach, they started off with a nice-sized Dorado (about 30lbs.) and then started raising Sailfish left and right. Out of nine potential strikes the boys managed to catch and release three beautiful Sailfish.
It’s been raining for the last few days but yesterday the weather finally lifted and client Mark Carson took to the Explorer for a half-day fishing with Captain David. They got a few Bonitas for use as strip bait then headed offshore to where the swarms of Sailfish were before the rains (see August 8-12).
Though not as thick as before, Mr. Carson still caught and released a nice Sailfish. It’s good to see that the rain didn’t impact the fishing too much and we think that the next few days may provide one of the last weather windows for a few months. Good perseverance by the Explorer.
Jeff and Brian Bickel had such a good time on the Wanderer that they signed up for an additional day of fishing with Captain William and First Mate Alex. After going 4 out of 6 on Sailfish a few days ago, the Brothers Bickel were looking to improve upon an already legendary performance.
The Wanderer went back out to Sailfish Alley and started pulling the high-speed lures over the blue water break. Around 10am the first strike came in the form this big Yellowfin Tuna on a C +ย H Black/Orange lure.
The bill collectors came calling in the early afternoon as several hungry Sailfish started tearing through the spread.
Sailfish hunt in pairs and First Mate Alex has perfected the art of the double header hook-up. Alex quickly sets the hook when the first one hits and Captain William angles the fish so that the backside of the spread can remain deployed.
With an angler keeping the first fish honest, Alex then drops back a pitch bait to the other Sailfish and the double header is on! Many clients have achieved this feat in the already-history-making 2011 season, but very few managed to pull the feat off twice on one trip!
Make room in the Hall of Fame for the Bickels! Excellent job by Captain William, First Mate Alex, and the famous Wanderer.
The Wanderer is on fire this week with the scorecard showing lots of Sailfish releases heading into a full day trip with Dr. Robert Barrett and his crew from Orlando, FL. While on the way out to the blue water, Captain William spotted the telltale splash of a spinning porpoise school and we all know what that means…Yellowfin Tuna Frenzy!
The Florida boys deployed our arsenal of Williamson Jet Poppers into the mass of bubbling water and started pulling Yella Fellas in at a rapid-fire pace. They knocked out fourteen Yellowfin Tunas before moving on to the deep water.
The offshore Sailfish boulevard is still thick with pelagics as evidenced by Robert Barrett’s two monstrous releases. Great trip by Dr. Roberto and the posse…tons of good-eatin’ Yellas and a pair of world class billfish as well!
It has been ‘Sailfish City’ ever since the rain cleared up two weeks ago, and August 10 will go down in history has one of the best days in FishingNosara history. Both the Wanderer and Explorer released big sails today, plus Captain William delivered some of the best fish-fighting photos this report has ever seen.
Martin Epstein from Florida has four trips scheduled this week and his first day on the Wanderer got his acclimated to the fantastic fishing we have in Nosara. Things got started quickly with a nice 35lbs. Dorado in the fishbox and sushi on the plate.
Later Captain William expertly found the blue water / green water break and First Mate Alex switched over to brightly colored lures to take advantage of the clear water. The Sailfish were thick and came swarming through the spread in waves.
After the first five releases and with First Mate Alex’ arms about to fall off, Captain William masterfully billed and released the final Sailfish. The Wanderer’s scorecard shows 6 Sailfish, all released.
Marty and his posse have two more days on the Wanderer and a trip with Captain David on the Explorer booked for this week, so look out for Mr. Epstein to continue his assault on the blue water.
Speaking of the Explorer, client Tyler Malmstrom from New Jersey caught the fish of a lifetime with Captain David very close to when the Wanderer was fishing. So close that Captain William snapped this amazing sequence of the entire fight all the way from the hook to the capture/photo to the safe release. Amazing photos of an amazing fish!
Here is the email we got from Manuel:
I have to tell you man. Tyler had one of the best trip he ever had in his life. He released 4 sails and lost 2. He never caught big fish before.
When he booked with me he said, “Manuel, I want to catch big fish.” I said, “Let’s do it man”. This guy was totally crazy this afternoon.
Regular readers of this blog always inquire as to the authorship of this thing…basically “Who writes the blog?” The fact is that it is a communal effort between Craig and Matty in the US office, the Captains/crew taking the photographs, and Concierge #1 Manuel passing the information between these two elements separated by 1500 miles and a language barrier.
Great work by the Captains, Clients, and crews…and especially great work by Manuel #1. Pura Vida!
Robert Barrett and his boys from Orlando, FL had a nice trip on the morning of August 9 on the Wanderer. They started on the bottom fishing with our Cuberra Snapper Tactic and guess what? They caught a 35lbs. Cubera Snapper along with three Yella fellas.
Great performance, no? This super-productive day shows what is possible even this late into the season. Great work by the Wanderer and Roberto Barrett!
The Bickel Brothers (Jeff and Brian) had a huge day on the Wanderer on August 8 with Captain William keeping them on the fish and Alex maintaining an irresistible spread. They went offshore a few miles and pulled our high speed lure rig with excellent results.
The Sailfish action has been hot and heavy this month and this day was no exception. The Bickels released four of the mighty fish and missed out on two additional Sails. They also added two nice Dorados for the dinner table that tipped the scales at over 25lbs.
Great late-season action by the Brothers Bickel and the famous Wanderer.
After a nice warm-up trip on the Explorer on August 1, Rick Egan booked the most famous Wanderer for a run offshore after the big sailfish. Captain David signed on to assist First Mate Alex on the big blue beauty and Captain William took her out to the same spot the Explorer worked over with the Jake Davies group.
Clearly this combination of world class anglers, crew, equipment and advance recon of the bite spelled disaster for the hungry Sailfish as the Wanderer and Rick Egan released 5 Sailfish, including the legendary Double Header Release.
Alex and David worked hard all day to ensure safe releases for the fishes and fun times for the clients.
Great work by Captain William, First Mate Alex, David, and the whole Egan group to guarantee the safety of these majestic creatures. All 5 fish were released alive and healthy…and ready to be caught again!
Captain David had an amazing trip with client Jake Davies from New Smyrna, FL and his posse. You know it was a good day when you take this kind of picture:
They headed offshore early in the morning and stayed on the Sailfish as long as they were biting. Using the high-speed trolling tactic and lots of strength on the reel, Jake’s group had four releases on five potential hits. Great fishing for these guys!
Jake lost a nice Dorado, but fortunately they made a stop at the inshore reef/fish market on the way in and caught 2 hearty Amberjacks. Great work once again by barroom brawler Explorer and the incomparable Captain David. Here is an Jake sent us:
Just wanted to say thanks to the boys at FishingNosara! We got into some big sailfish which really made the trip! Captain David and the mate were awesome and we will definitely pass the good word to our friends. Pura Vida Jake.
Captain David and the Explorer have made their reputation by disproving assumed notions about what a 26-foot Super Panga can do. Today with client Christopher Granda from South Tampa aboard, Captain David once again gave notice to doubters that the Explorer is a true world-class sportfishing vessel.
They started inshore to pick up some Bonitas for bait and Christopher brought in this excellent Ponpano. An excellent tasting fish, this particular Ponpano is one of the biggest we’ve caught this season.
Things got serious as Captain David pushed offshore away from the torrential rains bearing down the mountain. He put out a modified high-speed lure setup and almost immediately this beefy Dorado gulped down a bonita strip with a 9/0 hook on the side. A quick fight and this 40lbs. Dorado was headed for the dinner table.
Captain David got the spread back out and after a little more trolling a curious Sailfish came along whacking at the teaser. On the way back to rob the long baits, this Sailfish fell for a pitched ballyhoo with Captain David on the other end expertly setting the circle hook. The fight was on but this fish was no match for Chris Granda on the reel. Twenty minutes after hook-up this Sailfish was safely released.
Great end to a fine day of fishing by Captain David and Chris Granda!