02/01 – 12/01/24
After a great run last season in December 2022, highlighted by an estimated 200 kilo plus black marlin and a 60 kilo sailfish it was time to return to the shores of the city of Quepos.
Quepos is located about 165 km from Costa Rica capital San Jose, usually a three hour van ride at night time, a bit longer during the day with the traffic around the capital.
Weather was great for the ten days we spent in Quepos, we couldn´t have asked for better conditions.
Accompanied by my oldest son Vic and a bunch of friends from the US, Germany and Argentina, we fished a total of four offshore and two inshore runs.
Two days fishing in a row, followed by a day off.
We spent the (fishing-) days off shooting drone footage for the new MP Fishing Travel & Adventure promotion video and with a jungle walk starting from a lodge 40 kms outside Quepos. Jungle walk was great as it is highly recommended to avoid the crowded more famous Manuel Antonio National park during high season. During our three our walk we encountered several sloths, toucans, rare jungle falcons, small jungle boars, monkeys, all kinds of reptiles and several little furry animals.
Fishing turned out to be excellent too. We caught 17 Sailfish, 25+ Mahi-Mahis, including a 75 pounder, big rooster, countless Jacks and others.
On fishing days we would meet for breakfast at marina around 06:15 am, boarding boat at 07:00 am.
Inshore fishing with light tackle is always really exciting.
Method here was slow trolling live bait with free line, no sinkers. Rod in hand with open spinning reel, line in between fingers. Bites using this method are brutal, a 20 pound Jack Crevalle bite feels like you snagged bottom, it nearly rips the rod out of your hand when closing spinning reel. One of the to inshore runs produced no fish despite several heavy bites. Hooking roosterfish is not easy and requires a bit of experience. Second inshore run made up for this though with over 20 fish safely caught and released after.
All four offshore runs produced fish. Despite marlin eluding us on this trip fishing was above average. Trolling skirted and unskirted ballyhoo on circle hook rigs proved very successful for sailfish and Mahi-Mahi, while the big marlin lures and bigger natural baits didn´t produce any bites. We saw a marlin jump one afternoon and one marlin came up behind the teaser but disappeared soon after. My son lost a big wahoo close the gaff, the only wahoo hooked on this trip.
Mahi-Mahis were filleted on the boat and on arrival at shore weighted in at the marina´s restaurant. Immediate happy hour on arrival followed by fresh caught Mahi-Mahi fish tacos, ceviche, grilled and blackened fillets, what could be better.
All in all it has been a perfect trip, hopefully we manage to round up the same gang for the next season.
M.
01/24
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