Aerial drone photo of Los Sueños Marina in Costa Rica with a Marlin in the corner of photo

Costa Rica Fishing Calendar for Jaco Beach and Los Sueños Marina.

We have seasonal runs on a wide variety of fish, and depending on the month which you are visiting Costa Rica, different species will be more prevalent than others. We offer a wide variety of fishing charter boats that can bring you for a great day on the pacific ocean.

What's Biting and When...

To give you a general idea of what you might expect to catch throughout the year in Costa Rica below is a fishing calendar for the Jaco Beach and Los Sueños Marina areas.

OFF SHORE:	NOV, DEC:	JAN, FEB:	MAR, APRIL:	MAY, JUNE:	JULY, AUG:
Black Marlin	Best	Fair	Fair	Good	Good
Blue Marlin	Best	Fair	Fair	Good	Fair
Sailfish	Best	Best	Best	Good	Good
Mahi Mahi [Dorado]	Best	Best	Best	Good	Good
Yellow Fin Tuna	Good	Best	Best	Best	Best
Wahoo	Fair	Good	Good	Good	Good
NEAR SHORE:	NOV, DEC:	JAN, FEB:	MAR, APRIL:	MAY, JUNE:	JULY, AUG:
Rooster fish	Fair	Good	Good	Good	Best
Red Snapper	Best	Good	Good	Good	Best

Off Shore Sport Fishing in Costa Rica

Billfish (Pacific Sailfish, Blue, Black and Striped Marlin) are caught here year round in strong numbers. The peak season for Bill fishing here is December through May. A full day trip is suggested to maximize your chances of catching Billfish. Mahi Mahi & Yellowfin Tuna are caught here year round. Peak seasons are January through April for Mahi and January through August for Yellowfin Tuna.

Man with cigar and sailfish sport fishing in Costa Rica

Sailfish / Pez Vela

Description:
Sailfish are the easiest of all the billfish to identify. Its back and dorsal fin are dark blue, sides are silver, and belly is white. The bill is usually twice the length of the fish's lower jaw. All Sailfish caught aboard our boats are live-released.

Sporting Qualities:
Sailfish are incredible sprinters, reaching speeds of up to 65mph. When hooked, they are known to make spectacular long hard runs and aerial leaps. Sails are prime targets for medium-tackle bait-and-switch.

World Record:
221 lbs. / 100 kg.

Blue Marlin / Aguja Azul

Description:
Blue marlin can be found in tropical and warm temperate waters around the globe. The upper and rear portions of the body are dark, brilliant blue in color. The lower portion is a silver white color with vertical stripes and blue dots. All Marlin caught aboard our boats are live-released.

Sporting Qualities:
Anglers commonly troll brightly colored lures and teasers as well as natural baits such as mackerel, tuna, bonito and ballyhoo in hopes of enticing one of these giants.

World Record:
1402 lbs. / 636 kg.

Black Marlin / Aguja Negra

Description:
The black marlin is the only marlin with non-retractable fins. Another distinguishing trait is their dorsal fin which is proportionately the lowest of any billfish. All Marlin caught aboard our boats are live-released.

Sporting Qualities:
The black's immense strength and exceptional size makes it a favored target among big-game fishermen. A fight with one of these fish can last for hours, wearing severely on the angler as well as the tackle. Anglers commonly troll brightly colored lures or rigged ballyhoo baitfish to catch Black Marlin.

World Record:
1560 lbs. / 708 kg.

Mahi Mahi / Dorado

Description:
The body of the mahi-mahi / dorado is quite slender but fairly deep, with a noticeable tapering from head to tail. The distinctive dorsal fin is long, covering almost three-fourths of the body, and has around 60 soft rays. Although kinda ugly, we don't release these fish because they are delicious.

Sporting Qualities:
The Mahi-Mahi is considered one of the top offshore game fish and is highly targeted by anglers around the world. It is famous for its leaps and flips over the surface when hooked. Because of their speed and agility, dorado provides for an exciting catch as they run long and jump often.

World Record:
88 lbs. / 40 kg.

Yellow Fin Tuna / Atun

Description:
Yellowfin tuna have a muscular, streamlined body like a swimming torpedo and like all tuna they can swim fast as lightning. Yellow finlets run down the back and belly from these two fins to the tail fin and are a bright, canary yellow with black edges. Tuna are delicious and nutritious.

Sporting Qualities:
Yellowfin tuna are considered a sport fish and are highly sought after by anglers and commercial fishermen alike. After hitting a lure or bait, they often go deep and will fight with great power and tenacity.

World Record:
388 lbs. / 176 kg.

Wahoo / Peto

Description:
Long, slender body marked with zebra-like stripes of white and deep blue or black. Mouth is elongated and narrow, and equipped with razor-sharp teeth. Often found on the menus of local seafood restaurants.

Sporting Qualities:
May strike a surface bait in spectacular, greyhounding fashion, but seldom jumps after being hooked. Wild fight is characterized by several sizzling runs, usually at or near the surface. One of the fastest of all game fish.

World Record:
158 lbs. / 72 kg.

Near Shore Fishing in Costa Rica

Roosterfish are caught here year round and peak during the months of July-August & Feb-April. Other species including Grouper, Snapper, Amberjack and Corvina are caught pretty well all year round.

Roosterfish / Pez Gallo

Description:
This is probably the most easily recognized specie in the jack family. Roosterfish have 7 distinct spines that stand high above the dorsal fin when they are excited or threatened. All Rooster Fish caught on our boats are live released after a photo.

Sporting Qualities:
Much like it's relative the Amberjack, roosterfish will make a screaming first run once hooked. These very strong fighters can often be found near surf, circling birds, and inshore waters.

World Record:
115 lbs. / 52 kg.

Red Snapper / Pargo Rojo

Description:
The back and upper sides are scarlet to brick red, and the lower sides and belly are lighter. Small red snapper, up to 10 inches, have a dark spot on the upper sides just below the soft dorsal fin. Light, white flaky meat when cooked. A prized fillet for table fare.

Sporting Qualities:
All species of Snapper offer the angler a challenging battle, especially when hooked on light tackle. They are hard fighters that once hooked make strong, head shaking runs for the bottom.

World Record:
50 lbs. / 23 kg.

Amberjack / Medregal

Description:
Amberjack are well know as a game fish, with large schools often found in the warm ocean waters of Costa Rica. Available year round, this species is abundant and has no real low season.

Sporting Qualities:
Amberjack is a very strong fighting fish. A favorite among anglers who enjoy an extremely tough chalenge. Often providing impresive display while jumping out of the water.

World Record:
156 lbs. / 70 kg.

Grouper / Agrupador

Description:
Grouper has a wide variety of sub species available in Costa Rica including the Black Grouper, Yellowfin Grouper and Goliath Grouper. With a large mouth and heavy body they can easily swallow prey of differnet sizes. This is a popular dish as most grouper have a tasty meat and mild flavor, with a nice balance between soft and firm texture.

Sporting Qualities:
Grouper can be caught near shore, pretty much all year, with a live bait or a dead bait such as squid. They are know to have an agressive strike and are strong fighters.

World Record:
680 lbs. / 308 kg.

Corvina / Corbina

Description:
Corvina which is also known as Pacific white sea trout, is sometimes referred to as sea bass. This is a delicious fish commonly served in Costa Rica restaurants. Theu are most commonly grey and blue along the top, wavy lines on the sides and a white belly.

Sporting Qualities:
Corvina is considered dificlut to hook as they are finiky with bait. They mostly like to eat crab, but can be also be caught with lugworms, clams or fresh mussels. Most can be found in small schools and sometimes swim alone along the surf in shallow water.

World Record:
54 lbs. / 24 kg.