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11-08-2014, 08:38 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Tarpon and snook -Costa Rica bound
Three guys from work and I are in planning to fish costa rica for tarpon and snook.
Anyone try this here before? I think I can fit up to 10 anglers. We are working on a group deal.
I have lots of tarpon flies...just not sure if they would work there.
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It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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11-08-2014, 09:34 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West Edmonton
Posts: 5,174
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Where in Costa Rica?
I tried for Tarpon in Nicaragua in the Rio San Juan. The company I went with only used crankbaits though. I had 4 or 5 strikes in the day and a half I fished and had one fish on for 4 jumps before it got off. Slow fishing but man those were some big fish(100+ lbs), really disappointed I was never able to get one to the boat. It is a spot I wouldn't mind trying again but I would want to go with a different company/guide, I wasn't impressed with mine at all.
I know they also have them along the east coast and around the Corn Islands but those fish are seasonal and not as large on average from what I understand.
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11-08-2014, 10:45 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak
Where in Costa Rica?
I tried for Tarpon in Nicaragua in the Rio San Juan. The company I went with only used crankbaits though. I had 4 or 5 strikes in the day and a half I fished and had one fish on for 4 jumps before it got off. Slow fishing but man those were some big fish(100+ lbs), really disappointed I was never able to get one to the boat. It is a spot I wouldn't mind trying again but I would want to go with a different company/guide, I wasn't impressed with mine at all.
I know they also have them along the east coast and around the Corn Islands but those fish are seasonal and not as large on average from what I understand.
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Thinking the tortuga area. It is supposed to be similar the the river fishing in Cuba. Lots of smaller tarpon but with some minsters around. Also lots of snook.
Catching tarpon in Cuba was very fun.
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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11-08-2014, 12:35 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
Thinking the tortuga area. It is supposed to be similar the the river fishing in Cuba. Lots of smaller tarpon but with some minsters around. Also lots of snook.
Catching tarpon in Cuba was very fun.
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I think the monsters are not around in march April.
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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11-09-2014, 03:06 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Sherwood Park
Posts: 143
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Similar to RavYak, I've fished tarpon on the Rio San Juan, landing a 160 lb specimen. We were there March 2010, and stayed at the Monte Cristo River Lodge http://www.montecristoriverlodge.com/ . Fishing was incidental, as we were spending a month travelling through the country. The guide service was VERY basic, but incredibly friendly and we caught fish.
If you every have the opportunity, totally worth the trip.
Pyke
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11-09-2014, 03:31 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pyke88
Similar to RavYak, I've fished tarpon on the Rio San Juan, landing a 160 lb specimen. We were there March 2010, and stayed at the Monte Cristo River Lodge http://www.montecristoriverlodge.com/ . Fishing was incidental, as we were spending a month travelling through the country. The guide service was VERY basic, but incredibly friendly and we caught fish.
If you every have the opportunity, totally worth the trip.
Pyke |
Good to know you caught one in March. Was it in the ocean or the river? Did you catch any in the canals?
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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11-13-2014, 06:24 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West Edmonton
Posts: 5,174
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Pyke, you got a picture of that beast? I would love to see what I was unable to land...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
Good to know you caught one in March. Was it in the ocean or the river? Did you catch any in the canals?
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That is a river and the lodge is mid way up towards Lake Nicaragua. It is the same company I was with.
As he says very basic guiding, gear and boat were mediocre too. Guide didn't speak English and looked bored out of his mind, I guess if you spoke good Spanish instead of traveller Spanish like me then it would probably be a better experience. All we did was troll Rapala Super Shad Raps back and forth over a couple km section of the river. No one in the lodge really spoke English either other then the owner and he would get annoyed when I talked to him instead of his workers... Glad another group of people showed up otherwise I would have been bored out of my mind.
Overall the prices were reasonable especially since he worked with me on the price but overall I would say the lodge values weren't great. Whether there are actually better options there not sure because it is a fairly remote basic area.
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11-13-2014, 07:53 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak
Pyke, you got a picture of that beast? I would love to see what I was unable to land...
That is a river and the lodge is mid way up towards Lake Nicaragua. It is the same company I was with.
As he says very basic guiding, gear and boat were mediocre too. Guide didn't speak English and looked bored out of his mind, I guess if you spoke good Spanish instead of traveller Spanish like me then it would probably be a better experience. All we did was troll Rapala Super Shad Raps back and forth over a couple km section of the river. No one in the lodge really spoke English either other then the owner and he would get annoyed when I talked to him instead of his workers... Glad another group of people showed up otherwise I would have been bored out of my mind.
Overall the prices were reasonable especially since he worked with me on the price but overall I would say the lodge values weren't great. Whether there are actually better options there not sure because it is a fairly remote basic area.
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I am looking for more of this type of fly fishing for tarpon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKAglhnvRQ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqhJyDtq1jI
You know it is a small world when...you are out fishing...a manatee is watching...hook into a nice baby tarpon...and Terry from Fish Tales shows up.
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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11-13-2014, 06:52 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West Edmonton
Posts: 5,174
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Yeah I have seen your videos of that trip before. Those aren't tarpon though, those are babies lol.
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11-14-2014, 05:21 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak
Yeah I have seen your videos of that trip before. Those aren't tarpon though, those are babies lol.
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Yup... I am going to pick up a heavy spinning rod and try for the 80 lbers.
I am leaning away from Costa Rica and leaning back towards Cuba. At least for one more year. I am also leaning towards South eastern Mexico.
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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11-14-2014, 06:35 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West Edmonton
Posts: 5,174
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
Yup... I am going to pick up a heavy spinning rod and try for the 80 lbers.
I am leaning away from Costa Rica and leaning back towards Cuba. At least for one more year. I am also leaning towards South eastern Mexico.
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If you already know a good guide etc that might be a decent idea.
Time of year will probably make the biggest difference on tarpon fishing and finding the larger fish.
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11-15-2014, 08:34 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak
If you already know a good guide etc that might be a decent idea.
Time of year will probably make the biggest difference on tarpon fishing and finding the larger fish.
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I kept the contact info for the last guide I had. Good English and like most is college educated. This guy was a professor.
Now is the best time for bigger tarpon. Still in March you can get 80lbers.
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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12-09-2014, 10:01 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: stony plain ab
Posts: 263
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hey sundance, don't forget your bug spray! not just cuba, but anywhere down south. I have done lots of Caribbean fishing and have always pushed people toward cuba. I went in august this year as my usual guides (duny and alex) said it was best for the tarpon. the mosquitoes were the worst I have seen anywhere ever and I paid for it dearly. a few days after I got home I started to not feel well with really odd symptoms. severe headache, unbelievable pain in my leg bones, strange rash, and my gums were bleeding a bit. I was at work(fly in site) when my symptoms started so I flew home and went right to the hospital. after lots of tests including a lumbar puncture(which took the dr 8 trys to get in) and 5 days in hospital they figured out it was Dengue Fever. its a mosquito carried virus that has 4 strains. I was quite sick last year when I came home from cuba as well but the dr had only done a few parasite tests. after talking to the dr this time, they figured that it was Dengue the first time too which is why I was so sick this time.
I wore my bug spray(98% deet that I got my hands on) religiously when fishing but at the resort I didn't. so just remember mosquitoes kill more people than an other animal does and it only takes one.
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