Flamingo's Fishing Page
Rooster fish:
These fish can be caught all year round from 10 to 100 feet of water. Rooster fish like big rock ledges and strong currents for chasing and ambushing there prey. One of the reasons people come from all over the world is that Rooster fish are only found on the pacific seaboard from Baja California to South America. The way they fight is another attraction that brings anglers new and experienced to this water of Costa Rica and to my area of Flamingo, Costa Rica. Rooster fish can be caught in sizes everywhere from 10 to over 100lbs on light spinning gear, trolling, or even to test your skills fly fishing for these monsters!
Marlin:
The monster of the deep a favorite for Mr. Trigger and crew truly are the big game test of the sea. With three different kinds in the area Black, Blue and Striped Marlin lurking in the depths off Flamingo Costa Rica any one can be a line ripping experience for any angler. Caught all year long be best when the bait is closer to shore in the months of November – February. These fish are mostly caught on live bait, trolling lures, or frozen cut bait. Growing well over 1000 pounds the Blue and Black Marlin are the Gods of the sport fishing. Their cousin the Striped grow to around 300 pounds and can jump 10 to 20 times when hooked up. Some favorite foods for these predators are bonito, dorado, small tuna, mackerel, and even mullet. A magnificent fish of the sea and a true test of skill, will, and power to any angler.
Sailfish:
These fish can be caught all year around offshore even sometimes near shore in under 100 feet of water. The main reason for the popularity for these fish is the number of hookups in a day 5-20 and the size of these fish. In most areas of the world you are catch these fish but they are in the 30 to 80 pound rang here they are in the 70 to 150 pound range. So with the abundance and size of these fish it is easy to say Flamingo, Costa Rica is a place to go for these huge Sailfish. Eating mostly smaller baits on the surface like ballyhoo, sardines, and squid they are fun to catch on light tackle for many anglers.
Wahoo (Ono):
Wahoo congregate here in the rainy months from September – November because of all the debris and giant logs in the water. These fish are a great catch for the angler and the grill! With burst of speed up to 70 mph they are great fight for the first 30 min dumping a spool of line in seconds on the best of anglers. In the area of Flamingo, Costa Rica they are caught everywhere from 20 to 100 lbs. The smaller Wahoo are caught around islands and structure, as there older counterparts are off shore near ledges and current breaks from 200 to 2000 feet of water.
Dorado / Mahi Mahi / Dolphin Fish:
Best months are May to the end of October; during rainy season when the rivers are flooding it attracts numerous kinds of bait fish like ballyhoo, sardines, needle fish, and herring to the mouths. These are all favorites of the Dorado. Although they can be caught all year around this is the best time to try your luck for one of these rod bending great eating fish. Growing anywhere from 10 lbs to over 50 lbs they are found offshore and even caught in kayaks near the shore by lots of local anglers.
Tuna:
This is a great fish all over the world being the most popular for sushi and one of the best fighters of all of Costa Rica has to offer besides the Marlin. Growing to sizes up to 400 lbs these fish do not get any bigger anywhere else in the world. Feeding on Ballyhoo and other fast moving fish they are a blast on heavy and light tackle. Another reason they are so popular is there is so much meat on a single fish. Over half of the weight might be meat to take home and very little bones to deal with.
Fishing the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is really changing for us. We are now based in Carrillo, Costa Rica for the December through April season. Carrillo, Costa Rica by far is the place to be! With small quant hotels and night life beyond anything the rest of Costa Rica has to offer! Another attribute to Costa Rica thats only in Carrillo Costa Rica is this amazing Blue Marlin bite!!!
The high season or in the US the winter season December through April has just about everything you want to target. It really is a great time for Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sail fish, Yellow fin tuna, Mahi Mahi, Stripe Marlin, Rooster fish, and Wahoo. Boats are getting 10-30 shots a day on Sail fish and we are getting 2-5 shots a day with Blue Marlin and every once in a while we will get that Black Marlin! Most of our clients on Mr. Trigger Sport fishing Carrillo usually fish multiple trips so they get a great chance of catching that pesky Marlin and a shot at a Rooster that everyone needs to have under their fishing carrier belt.
Summer time up north in Papaguyo,Tamarindo,and Flamingo April through November is Marlin season and big Marlin. The reason is there is larger baits around like small Mai Mahi, tuna, and lots of schools of Bonita. It is rainy season so the water is a little bit choppy and a little cooler so the marlin loves being on the surface. This is Mr. Trigger Sport fishing’s favorite time to get that big Black Marlin on our signature pitch bait style!
We have different package deals set up for you to meet us in different areas up north so you can still fish with the best crew in the country!!
FISH CATEGORIES:
Blue Marlin: Blue marlin fishing is amazing in Costa Rica because of the season! A season of 365 days a year makes it one of the top places in the world, another reason is the hook up ratio! You can get multiple shots on Blue Marlin in the 200 pound range and up in one trip! Costa Rica is also a great place to fish different types of fishing for Blue Marlin. Trolling, bait & Switch, live bait, and hooking them on Fly are the most popular methods we use in Costa Rica because of the multiple shots a day we get at Blue Marlin.
Black Marlin: These marlin are around all year long but, Mr trigger Sport fishing likes to really target them when we are up north in Flamingo Costa Rica between the months May through November. Different styles for targeting them are live baiting large bonita, trolling lures, bait & switch, or trolling ballyhoo. In Mr trigger Sport fishing's opinion and like many Captain's the Black Marlin just fights a little harder and if one little thing goes wrong they get away!
Stripe Marlin: These fish are a favorite for deck hand Roger Casante a seasoned Costa Rican deck hand. " they are so quick and come and go in a second" that's what he says make them interesting. " You never know how they are coming in the spread. December - April is our in Quepos Costa Rica is our favorite time to fish for them but, we caught them every month of the year in 2009.
Mahi Mahi aka Dorado: Costa Rica has the biggest dorado I have ever herd of. It is not uncommon to catch 50 plus pound fish in one full day trip. Mr. Trigger has landed 50's 60's and 70 plus pound fish in the months May through November but, they are caught all year around!
Yellow Fin Tuna: Yum Yum tuna, Quepos Costa Rica has the best tuna fishing by far. The reason for this is the shelf that comes off Panama is a great place for them to slide off and school up. Tuna in Quepos can exceed over 200 pounds and can be taken trolling lures or slow trolling live baits.
Sail Fish: The season for Sail fish is for sure December through April south in Carrillo, Los Suenos, and Quepos Costa Rica. We will get 20 to 30 shots a day on sails this time of year it is really insane says Capt. Butterfly. The Sail fish group up to spawn and eat there favorit fish the ballyhoo. These Sail fish are huge, they can be in the 100 pound range and up because of all the bait they are feeding on. Up north in Flamingo we have another smaller run of Sail fish from June – November. They are in the same size range but we see 5 to 10 a day and sometimes in the 20's.