Local Girl Experiences the Thrill of Catching a Roosterfish in Costa Rica

Fishing during the Covid19 Pandemic in Costa Rica

Although sport fishing tourism has all but dried up in the midst of Covid19, locals and some expats are still managing to get on the water while practicing safe Covid19 protocols. The Costa Rican government has just opened flights from select States in the USA so hopefully tourism will begin to improve a little. Roosterfish are by far the most sought after inshore species in Costa Rica and once you catch and release one, you’ll know why. Their magnificent seven spine dorsal cutting across the ocean’s surface combined with their acrobatic jumping ability makes them an exciting prospect for anglers all over the world. They are a release only fish and like their offshore friends the billfish, a very important part of Costa Rica’s economy. This roosterfish was caught by local Costa Rican angler Tatiana with a live blue runner on a circle hook and was estimated at about 50lbs. Roosterfish average 10-15lbs but most charter boat captains will tell you they can see them in the 50lb and higher range once a week during Costa Rica’s peak tourism season. The young angler was fishing aboard a Wingman Sport Fishing charter out of Los Sueños Marina in Costa Rica. The thrilling fight lasted about 25 minutes and was released by the crew. Roosterfish love live bait, but advanced anglers often catch them using poppers and sometimes even on a fly (very difficult and the ultimate inshore challenge). Check out our Costa Rica fishing species guide to learn more about when and where to catch roosterfish and other sport fish in Costa Rica. FECOP supports female anglers and is very happy to share these videos in the hopes of encouraging more women and young people to take up the sport. If you decide to come to Costa Rica and fish for roosterfish, make sure your charter practices catch and release fishing with roosterfish and billfish and uses circle hooks while live bait fishing to minimize the impact on the fish. See you soon in Costa Rica!

Enjoy a quick clip of the catch here: