12 hours, 17 species...manta ray included, artificials only!

[CFScheer]

With all the client visits over and only one more day left in Costa Rica before flying back to Atlanta there was never any question as to how I would be spending it....chucking jigs and poppers at every fish that swims in this ocean!

My buddies Jim and Trevor were down to go as well, so it was any easy decision to overnight at their place right at the mouth of the river. This would allow us a first light departure and a last light return.

eve of the big day


5:20 a.m., we're already outside of the boca...new record for all of us! Bear in mind that it only gets light here around 5.

We found a good trash line right outside of the boca and figured we had a chance to pull some dorado out of it. In about 45 minutes trolling we iced down 3 good eaters (nothing worth photographing), but left in hopes of something bigger on the jig

Diablo didn't dissapoint and once again gave us steady action with a mixed bag of YFT, albacore, pompano, amberjack up to 30-40 lbs. and a mixed bag of snappers.




a good guacamayo snapper and AJ


pargo cera...the tastiest of all snappers down here


this was a first...chalk manta rays up on the species caught while jigging list


We tried dropping at a few other smaller rocks near diablo but couldn't connect on any larger AJs or grouper so we headed further off-shore for a bit. I put out my big Pakulas in an area with some frigates up high and big flyers breaking in hopes of a marlin, sail or big mahi, but ended up just going for a cruise. The hour or so to let the upper body rest was sorely needed though.

Next it was on to the Paraiso reef to drop and pop. This is the best spot that I know of so far to routinely connect with big snapper on the surface and this day turned out to be my most action packed yet. Second cast with an OTI wombat and the surface explodes with the color red...it's a cubrera, I can see teeth the size of pinkies. I get a solid hook-up, but a minute into the fight everything goes limp...my knot slips. I'm a bit perplexed, the 40 turn bimini to 40 turn albright never fails me, and I had caught other fish on this same knot so if anything I figured that it was sufficiently tightened. Still, it's time to learn the PR knot...this albright is too bulky to go through the guides so I have to use a shortened leader.

After a minute or two of mourning and F-bomb dropping I tie on with absolute precicision the only other chugger I brought with me - a Williamson Jet popper. In the next 2 hours I get a dozen big snapper strikes. I connect with 6 and land 2 - both mullet snapper - which more or less explains the low hook-up and landing ratios...these guys have smaller mouths that are really soft - hooks pull easily with high drag. Still, it's a riot! Fish are taking 3, 4 reckless strikes in a row sometimes. I can see multiple fish going after the popper at the same time as well. One of the fish that I land (and release) is a pretty fierce mullet, 25 lbs. or so...


T-Money gets one as well...his first fish on a popper!


This guy was the highlight of the popping session though. I'm figuring him to go 65-70lbs. He struck right at the boat, but so quickly I couldn't tell that he was an AJ at first. I think this was an odd occurance as AJs aren't very surface oriented here...awesome fight and awesome fish! Tried desperately to revive him, but he was pretty much spent. Fish never goes to waste here though...lots of local families very grateful to receive large amounts of protein.




caught a few of these as well...always are fun


We are back on shore at 5:30 for a solid 12 hours on the water. Final tally on the day includes 17 species total...manta ray included. Everything aches and after an hour of fish cleaning and a couple imperials I pass out without eating dinner or taking a shower...twas a good day!



Hot Jigs on the day were the 7 oz. lazer eyes and 200g ET flatsiders. Color was unimportant


- Cassidy
www.SierpeDelPacifico.com
"Where the Jungle Meets the River that Meets the Sea"
Homesites with slips from $40K

[Sea Draggin]

Your living the dream. Been so long since I have been for a session, I have forgotten how to do it.

[shoefish]

Cassidy,

Have you ever seen those mullet snapper rise up in huge groups on the surface? I was down off of Quepos last year and some kind of snapper did it (we couldn't tell exactly what kind it was, we just saw tons of red). We tried to hook them up but they didn't want to touch anything. I figured they were probably spawning so had other things on their mind but never came to any definitive answer.

Anyway, thanks for the report- it looks like a great little patch of the world you've landed in down there!

Shoe

[CFScheer]

Cassidy,

Have you ever seen those mullet snapper rise up in huge groups on the surface? I was down off of Quepos last year and some kind of snapper did it (we couldn't tell exactly what kind it was, we just saw tons of red). We tried to hook them up but they didn't want to touch anything. I figured they were probably spawning so had other things on their mind but never came to any definitive answer.

Anyway, thanks for the report- it looks like a great little patch of the world you've landed in down there!

Shoe

This past February I was at the Foruno Banks (30 miles southwest of Quepos) trolling for billfish when we came across the phenomenon you describe above....big pods of mullet snapper cruising the surface at slack tide. We tried jigs, chunks of bonito, and lipped poppers to no avail... but eventually put half a dozen 15 lbers in the boat using small pencil poppers worked very slowly. Ever since then I always keep a black and silver Rapala X-walk on a medium sized casting outfit in the rocket launcher...it's deadly on any snapper, dorado or tripletail cruising the surface.

[SeaBiscuit]

Cassidy,

Have you ever seen those mullet snapper rise up in huge groups on the surface? I was down off of Quepos last year and some kind of snapper did it (we couldn't tell exactly what kind it was, we just saw tons of red). We tried to hook them up but they didn't want to touch anything. I figured they were probably spawning so had other things on their mind but never came to any definitive answer.

Anyway, thanks for the report- it looks like a great little patch of the world you've landed in down there!

Shoe

I have seen snappers (mixed mullets and reds) do that a couple of times in Panama Dan. Fast and furious with lots of white water involved. Judging from the rain of bait scales left on the spot after the dust settled in wasn't love those fish were making!

Fantastic report CFSheer, with some cool photos to boot! Is the fish on your second picture what you call an albacore? Looks more like a bonito to me?

Please keep these reports coming!

SeaBiscuit

[CFScheer]

I have seen snappers (mixed mullets and reds) do that a couple of times in Panama Dan. Fast and furious with lots of white water involved. Judging from the rain of bait scales left on the spot after the dust settled in wasn't love those fish were making!

Fantastic report CFSheer, with some cool photos to boot! Is the fish on your second picture what you call an albacore? Looks more like a bonito to me?

Please keep these reports coming!

SeaBiscuit

Yeah, at first glance the albacore (what the Ticos call an albacore here) and bonito look quite similar as their general size and coloration are pretty much the same. The stripes on the albacore are completely horizontal while the bonitos slant and actually swirl up near the head. Albacore are also a little bit skinnier and actually have a small row of somewhat sharp teeth - similar to a spanish mackeral. The biggest difference would be the flesh. The bonito are very bloody, dark, and downright fowl for culinary purposes while the albacore is lighter in color and very delicate in both flavor and texture....bonito makes great bait, albacore makes great bait and sushi! Both are little powerhouses on the line.

[KeepItReel]

Great Report. Its interesting that on the east coast we use the words albacore and bonito exactly opposite of Ticos. Of course, they are called Atlantic Bonita over here but they appear to be the same fish as the one in your picture. Atlantic Bonita are good to eat, false albacore are terrible.
I'm sure you hate to leave that paradise down there. Thanks for the reports.

[crmarlinfisher]

how many miles is the paraiso banks outside of the island

[CFScheer]

how many miles is the paraiso banks outside of the island

It's about 3.5 - 4 miles off the island...you used to be able to see it on google earth, but the 5.0 version has it obscured.

How has the marlin and sail bite been up your way? Any schools of big tuna?