Nicoya Peninsula Advice

1000clowns · Jul-06-2007, 06:05 PM

I will be visiting Malpais on the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica this August. I am planning a panga trip and and some shore fishing. Any recommendations?

tap · Jul-09-2007, 10:32 AM

Catch live bait, such as cojinuas (green jack) or ojotones (caballito or bigeye scad) and you'll have a lot of success slow trolling nearshore. You may have to improvise everything including getting a barrel and brail bucket onboard the panga in case he doesn't have his act together. You can also take a bunch of poppers and Butterfly jigs to work the rocky points and offshore reefs which is an exciting way to fish. If you can't get bait and you don't cast very well you can troll a red/white, plastic lipped Mirrolure or similar swimming plug which the roosters, pargo and others hit very well down there. From shore I would use poppers, Krocodile-type spoons and white bucktail jigs for corvina, African pompano and roosterfish to name a few. You can have a lot of fun if you know what you're doing because the locals may not be that skilled in sportfishing. If they know where the highspots are and where the bait is you'll be OK. I'll be fishing the Tuna Coast of Panama in late July-early August and will use all of the above techniques.

Tony Pena
"The Roving Angler"

1000clowns · Jul-11-2007, 05:46 PM

Thank you. Some great inputs.

rocksoft · Jul-29-2007, 05:17 AM

Coming in to Mal Pais, go left at Franks place and head all the way towards the end of the road to a place hotel called Sunset reef. Right before the entrance is a little bay where all the pangas go out. Ask for Emiliano, he speaks English and is the main man. We had gone out two other days with other capt. and caught fish but not nothing memorable. Every time we came in, he came in at least 45 min. later and had slayed. After the second time I cornered him and said that I want to fish with him tomorrow or not at all. He agreed. And the next day we slayed 1 dorado, and a 40+ pound wahoo for each of the three people on board, plus some sierra and football Yellow Fin Tuna's. Reasonably priced as well. Have fun. Let us know how it goes.

P.S. Yes it is 4, but I swear its all true

rocksoft · Jul-29-2007, 05:22 AM

Oh yeah, fish plastics off the beach near the rivermouths for snook (robalo). And the surf is better down towards santa teresa unless the mysto reef by Sunset reef is breaking.