That’s Fishin’ – November 2021

November 27, 2021

Welcome to the November instalment of That’s Fishin’ & the start of a new high season here in Quepolandia! A huge thank you to everyone who Fished in Costa Rica this past season and we look forward to another great year on the water welcoming visitors from around the world.

We are lucky to experience some great fishing almost year-round, however, the next couple of months are literally my favourite time to fish. It is not only our peak season for both Dorado & Marlin but there are plenty of other great species to target also!

OFFSHORE FISHING

When everything comes together perfectly, the Dorado fishing here during November is simply amazing. After the heavy rains of September and October, debris lines form along the tide lines and current breaks very often around 8-15 miles Offshore. Whole trees, logs, branches and more can be found floating around Offshore after washing out of the rivers during heavy, heavy rains. This floating structure attracts lots of baitfish which draws the Dorado and other predators in. At this time of year, we catch lots of Dorado in the 15-25lb range with 30-lb pound fish showing up commonly and a few monsters in the 50-70lb class too.

Full or Half-day trips out of the Marina will give you opportunities to go Dorado fishing this November. Further Offshore, November and December are peak months for Marlin also. Blue Marlin are the most common with most fish in the 150-300lb range but there will be some Striped Marlin in the mix also and the chance of a big Black Marlin over the Offshore Reefs. Sailfish are present here year-round and we are lucky to see them on most Offshore trips but numbers will increase in December as we move towards peak Sailfish season January through April. The end of the year is a great time for large Yellow Fin Tuna which are found here together with mega pods of Spinner or Spotted Dolphins. Some of the largest Tuna of the year are typically caught in December and January but November will still provide good opportunities for Tuna for the boats fishing 20+ miles Offshore.

2021 DORADO DERBY

The Dorado Derby has been so popular these past few years that we decided to run two tournaments this year, the Dorado Derby and the Dorado Derby Dos on November 13th & 20th respectively. The Dorado Derby has become a highlight on the Costa Rican tournament calendar with a format designed so that literally anyone has a chance of winning the event, all you need to do is catch the biggest Dorado on the day! This year we have Top Lady prizes, Top Junior prizes and Top Rookie prizes, as well as some fun additional Jackpots such as the closest fish to 20lb or 30lbs and the heaviest combo of up to four fish. Team entry starts at just $250 per team plus some optional Jackpots to increase the fun factor! Registrations are still possible up to the night before the tournaments and can be done via marinapezvela.com/tournaments. So grab your fishing buddies, come up with a cool team name and contact the team at iFish Marina Pez Vela or myself if you need help finding a boat. Tight Lines & best of luck to all that will join us for the tournaments!

INSHORE FISHING

As the seasonal rains come to an end, our Inshore fishery should come into its own by late November. With the last of the rains, the water clarity Inshore will start to improve and large schools of sardines will start to move in which is the primary bait source for our Inshore fishery here along the beaches and close to river mouths. Snook, Snapper, several Jack/Trevally species, Mackerel, Triple Tail, Corvina, and more can all be caught during Inshore trips. Roosterfish are what many Anglers flock to Costa Rica in search of and we are lucky here in Quepos to have a fantastic Roosterfish fishery. Small to mid-sized Roosterfish can be targeted along our beaches where they can be found in greater numbers but our largest Roosterfish should be targeted at our rock and island locations out in deeper water. 20-30lb Roosterfish are common at the rocks and every year lots of fish in the 30-80lb category are caught here also.

Half-day Inshore trips are a great way to get the family & children on the water for a few hours for those not wanting to commit to a full day trip and there are a host of great Inshore boats in the Marina waiting to take you fishing. Check out Chloe Frijole, IDRA 2, Good Day, Captain Sky, Mirse Azul, Mucho Fisho, or just contact me for me info.

2022 TOURNAMENT DATES

From now through June we have a packed tournament schedule to look forward to here at the Marina Pez Vela in what is set to be our biggest tournament season ever! With tournament formats to suit all experience levels, we would love to hear from you if you are interested in taking part, marinapezvela.com/tournaments/.