Gulf of Papagayo

Fish Species & Seasons in the waters of Papagayo

World-class sportfishing year-round. Here's what you can catch, and when.

Offshore · Catch & Release

Blue & Black Marlin

The ultimate bucket-list catch. Blue and Black Marlin are the kings of Papagayo's offshore waters. These massive billfish are caught trolling in deep water 25+ miles from shore. Expect explosive surface strikes and runs that will test your tackle and your arms.

Best Season

Year-round

Typical Size

200–600+ lbs

Where Found

25+ miles offshore

Technique

Trolling with live bait or lures

Captain's Tip

Use 50–80lb tackle. Our captains deploy multi-line spreads with a mix of lures and live bait. Early morning trolling produces the most strikes.

Catch & Release: Required for all billfish. Protecting the population ensures great fishing for future generations.

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Blue marlin sport fishing Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica

Offshore · Catch & Release

Sailfish

Papagayo is one of the best sailfish destinations in the entire Pacific. Acrobatic jumpers with that unmistakable sail, they fight hard and jump repeatedly. Our crews regularly release 5–10 sailfish on a single day.

Best Season

Year-round

Typical Size

40–100 lbs

Where Found

15–25 miles offshore

Technique

Live bait, trolling

Captain's Tip

Light tackle (20–30 lb) maximises the fight. Sailfish respond well to live bait teasers pulled close to the boat before a drop-back.

Catch & Release: Required for all billfish. Protecting the population ensures great fishing for future generations.

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Inshore · Catch & Release

Roosterfish

Costa Rica's iconic inshore gamefish, named for the dramatic comb-like dorsal fin. Roosterfish are non-migratory, abundant year-round, and extremely powerful fighters. Papagayo's rocky points hold impressive specimens averaging 40–50 lbs.

Best Season

Year-round

Typical Size

20–80 lbs

Where Found

Nearshore, rocky points

Technique

Live bait, poppers

Captain's Tip

Live bait (small tuna, sardines) dramatically increases hook-up rates. Fish the rocky points at dawn and dusk. Poppers work for smaller fish.

Catch & Release: Required on our boats. Roosterfish grow slowly, and the inshore fishing stays this good because every one goes back.

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Roosterfish inshore fishing Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica

Mahi-mahi dorado catch Gulf of Papagayo Costa Rica sport fishing

Offshore · Keep & Eat

Dorado / Mahi-Mahi

One of the most beautiful fish in the ocean, and one of the best to eat. Dorado run from late March through early November, picking up once the rains arrive around May and rivers start carrying debris offshore, creating the floating trash lines where they congregate. Troll past a floating log and you'll almost certainly hook up.

Best Season

March – November

Typical Size

15–50 lbs

Where Found

5–20 miles offshore

Technique

Trolling floating debris lines

Captain's Tip

Look for floating debris, birds, and color changes in the water. When you hook one, keep your line in, the whole school often stays nearby.

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Offshore · Keep & Eat

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin Tuna provide some of the most explosive fishing in the Pacific. Available year-round with no down season, these muscular fish are prized for both the fight and the table. Sashimi-grade tuna straight from the Gulf of Papagayo.

Best Season

Year-round

Typical Size

20–200 lbs

Where Found

10–30 miles offshore

Technique

Live bait, jigging, trolling

Captain's Tip

Match your tackle to the fish size, 30lb for schoolies, 80lb+ for the big boys. Chunking with live bait near birds and bait balls is most effective.

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Yellowfin tuna catch offshore fishing Gulf of Papagayo Guanacaste Costa Rica

Inshore · Must Release

Cubera Snapper

The biggest snapper in the Pacific. Cubera Snapper are reef ambush predators found around rocky structures and ledges near Papagayo's coastline. They are available year-round for inshore bottom fishing, and the big ones go back in the water.

Best Season

Year-round

Typical Size

10–50 lbs

Where Found

Rocky reefs, nearshore

Technique

Bottom fishing, live bait

Captain's Tip

Fish heavy, Cuberas are notorious for running into structure when hooked. Use 50–80 lb leader and live bait dropped to the bottom near rocky points.

Catch & Release: A house rule, not a law. The fleet releases large cubera because they grow very slowly and carry the breeding stock.

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Offshore · Keep & Eat

Wahoo

One of the fastest fish in the ocean, and one of the best on a plate. Wahoo show up on Papagayo's offshore current lines during the dry season, December through April, when the water clears to that deep cobalt blue. The technique is different from other offshore trolling: lures run at 12–16 knots instead of the usual trolling speed.

Best Season

December – April

Typical Size

20–60 lbs

Where Found

Offshore current lines and structure

Technique

High-speed trolling, 12–16 knots

Captain's Tip

Wire leader is non-negotiable, wahoo have teeth that cut straight through mono. Purpose-built high-speed lures track best in the 12–16 knot range.

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Two anglers hold up a wahoo by the tail on the back deck of a sport fishing boat, with open ocean behind them.

Planning Your Trip

Fishing Calendar

There's no bad month to fish Papagayo, but peak seasons vary by species.

Bite quality by species and month on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica
	Dry Season				Green Season							Dry
Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sailfish	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Fair	Fair	Good
Marlin	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Dorado	Fair	Fair	Good	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Fair
Yellowfin Tuna	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good	Good
Roosterfish	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good
Wahoo	Good	Good	Good	Good	Fair	Fair	Fair	Fair	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good
Snapper	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Grouper	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent
Jack	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good	Good	Good
Mackerel	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Excellent

Excellent Good Fair

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