Costa Rica Mix It Up

[Down East Guide]

A LOT of bait has showed up and the sailfish bite cooled off a little bit....too much bait is the excuse of the day, but we are still doing pretty good, catching 7-17/day on conventional tackle. The last couple of days, we've been mixing it up and DRAGIN FLY, pulling mostly teasers and one shotgun ballyhoo with a hook. Both days my dad caught a sail on the fly, I even caught one on the fly yesterday....so you know they were thick. Also another 6-8 that settled for the ballyhoo.

When I was in NC last week I picked up one of those new high tech rods for deep dropping and a few of those funky spider/mouse/squid looking lure....what's it called a Tetacta? By Shimano. After catching our DRAGIN FLY sailfish, we headed home a couple hours early to stop at some 150-200 foot rocks about 10 miles off the beach, there was a little wind and a lot of current, but on every drift we hooked something, all on that crazy looking lure. One BIG bite on a big butterfly jig, but it pulled off, everything else was on the Tecatawhatever.

Today Dad and I slipped out for a some panga time. We each missed nice snappers on live mullet, also missed the roosterfish, but caught a jack....and a nice sierra mackeral casting a rapala and a bunch of little stuff on a small brown bucktail.

[Mark Ray]

Down East, love the pictures, makes me want to set this Yellowfin painting I have been working what seems forever (alot of baitfish) to the side and paint up a nice lit up sailfish. I may have a brain fart going but remind me what kind of grouper that is in the 13th pic, I love the markings on it.

[gottaflylee]

George, looks like you and Doc B had a great time, did he get his Sail on the fly? Love the picture of the Sail you got...

[Fish Hard Fear Nothing]

Great photos....makes me want to be on a place tonight!!
Thank's for the report,

[Down East Guide]

I have got no idea what kind of groupers and bottom fish, that's why I wanted the pics. Posting some more today. A day of total bottom fishing 100-400 ft of water, within 15 miles of Los Suenos. Not a bad day, but tough fishing, it can be a lot of work.

Total count:
5 "Grouper" of decent size, 3 caught in 130-150 feet of water and 2 caught in 300+ feet of water. The shallower versions were the top fish in photo # 5. The deeper versions were the middle fish and....
baits that got bites:
1) squid chunk
2) that Tecatawhatever mouse thing from Shimano with a strip of squid.
3) live sardine
4) strip of bonito belly
5) ?

the one snapper of decent size was the same species as the bottom fish in photo # 5. 5 oz. silver butterfly jig

We also caught two different species of "pan-sized", less than 10 inches red snapper. 7 in total. They ate everything

One sancocho sailfish on a live sardine on the surface. Had one free jumper that almost ran over us. We never put out the outriggers all day.

Then inshore, still with live sardines. We stopped at Punta Mala but it was way too big, I mean....like....killer.... huge waves. Didn't even see any surfers.

We stopped at a couple of rocks, from big breaking waves to 60 feet deep. Immediately we hooked "something. 50 yards of screaming 80 pound braid and down to the rocks.
Gone.

I'm thinking Goliath Grouper, the guys caught a 100 pounder right there a couple of years ago.

I caught a small trigger on the mouse.

Jack attack, including 2 "blue jacks" and a "bunch" of the jack crevalles.

Pics forethcoming.....

You get them here first at www.sportfishermen.com

Eat. Sleep. Fish.......I wish it were that easy.

[Down East Guide]

P.S. Yeah, dad caught sails on the fly both days. He got 3 really hot shots and caught 2 fish, one each day. We raised about a dozen each day, ending the sailfishing after dad caught his fish.

I took my shot on day two and had a great sail that I hooked up with three times......well actually the first time I made the perfect cast....boat out of gear and no "Dragin Fly", got the bite....and pulled the hook.....fly comes back and hooks Alberto......my second hook up.......the fish is still there and looking for something to eat.

Chela de-hooks Alberto and throws the fly in the water, a short "cast" and I'm hooked up again....SOLID. Got mine.

[Down East Guide]

from today

[Charl]

Good day Mates.
Great photos. I got a couple of good size GT here in Borneo 5 for the morings trip ranging from 17,14,11,7 & 4kg. Manage to get a couple of Barracuda's and a dam grey reef shark ate the popper as well, nou that was fun.

Cheers

:

[costaricasportfishing]

Hey! Get out of my inshore spots! haha Punta Mala is a jet ski surf spot only. Many big Tigers hanging around. Surf is up going over to Escondio right NOW!

Good job with the Whippin stick!

[phesh on]

those billfish pics make me kick myself harder for not getting down there,couple of buddys going down 29th of march to fish with capt mitch on the shotgun.....definitely not planning on missing anymore trips