The Grouper Gospel

[CFScheer]

I got back down to Costa Rica about a week ago and had my dad and one of the other development principals and his son down to Sierpe del Pacifico http://sierpedelpacifico.com for a few days to fish and check out the new jungle crib overlooking the river we call the "owners' lodge" in development speak.

More on the jungle crib later….on to the fishing.

We got out on the water 2 half days and one full day. The first two half days were spent on the reefs around Cano Island dropping the metal and throwing the wood. On the way out both days we couldn't help but notice all the commercial boats around. It didn't take long to figure out why as we started crushing the strawberry grouper in the 10-20 lb. range. On day two we got into a nice pod of broomtails as well. A nice mix of striped bonita, football yellowfin, cera snapper, almacos, and a 50 lb. rooster made their way into the boat as well. I tossed poppers most of the day and never even got a follow.

















Jigging is a great way to pick up the random skipjack that promptly gets thrown on a big circle hook and parlayed into a 50 lb. roosterfish




The bend in this tiny trevala is from a 40 lb. broomtail grouper that we quickly released boat side because it was in good condition.



Day three consisted of some offshore time in which we had great success in raising and hooking fish and some colossal fails in actually landing them. We went 8-4-0 on sails and 2-2-0 on a black and blue marlin. I also managed to hook, and lose, a nice bull dorado on a swim bait hanging near some flotsam. We finished off the day on a good note back at the reefs dragging up some more grouper.

After the friends and family left I managed to get out with an expat fishing buddy Bruce and Jesus. Jesus is one of those old fishing captains who has never been on a message board, only knows about 5 fishing knots, and had never fished a vertical jig until I first showed him one about a year ago, yet he was the one spreading the gospel on this day - showing us how to make grouper out of lead. He told us why the grouper were there (pre full moon spawning in February), what tide they would bite (high), and showed us how to best catch them…(slow 2 foot yo-yos). He outfished us combined on the groupers 2:1. Unfortunately I was too busy fishing to snap many pics and didn't get any of Jesus.









Here are some pics of the new jungle crib.











Pura Vida - Cassidy
http://sierpedelpacifico.com
Costa Rica Riverfront Lots w/Ocean Access Boat Slips

[paul708]

nice report.
great pics

[colorado]

That is just so mind boggling awesome!!!!

[MarioDou]

nice tree house! great pics!! I regret everytime i remember i went to costa rica and didnt had the oportunity to go out and fish

[shoefish]

Absolutely awesome Cassidy! Love the jungle crib too!

[SeaBiscuit]

Another fine report Cassidy. Good looking bottom fish!
Third picture down, is that what you call a broomtail? Looks like an Atlantic or gulf side black grouper?
Your piece of heaven is a very nice one!
SeaBiscuit

[Sea Draggin]

Looks awesome Bro. It might be tough to get me to leave that sweet crib to fish

[CFScheer]

Another fine report Cassidy. Good looking bottom fish!
Third picture down, is that what you call a broomtail? Looks like an Atlantic or gulf side black grouper?
Your piece of heaven is a very nice one!
SeaBiscuit

Yeah, that is a broomtail. I agree that they look very similar to a black grouper. Neither one of the two shown in the report have a good representation of the "broom" shape of the tail that their name comes from. On bigger specimens the tail spines stick out noticeably further than the connecting membrane and create a "broomlike" configuration. The get up to nearly 100 lbs. here, and any fish over 50 lbs. could take just about any drag setting and skilled angler to the rocks if they wanted. I feel like we maybe end up landing slightly less than half of these fish.