Calba Season Starting on Northern Caribbean

HURRICANE Beta, which hit Nicaragua’s east coast last weekend, was considerate enough to dodge around Costa Rica, although lodges on the northern Caribbean coast maintained a tropical storm watch and saw it go through just outside the Río Colorado river mouth before vanishing into Nicaragua.The first showing of calba was reported Monday morning at Barra Colorado, when anglers fishing out of the Río Colorado Lodge saw a couple of local fishermen jigging the small snook in one of the back lagoons, with 10 already aboard before noon.A small species of snook, running an average of three or four pounds, calba swarm into the area this time of year and make great eating.More evidence was seen as park rangers sighted two local boats loading up on the small snook in nets at Samay Lagoon, lodge owner Dan Wise reported Monday.A local angler casting from the beach on Monday also caught a common snook – the larger variety that abounds in this region – estimated at about 18 pounds. But if you want to fill the freezer with those tasty calba, this is the time to plan a trip.ROY Ventura, owner of Playa Zancudo Lodge on the southern Pacific coast, and his wife Dunia were at the Río Colorado Lodge last week, and scored a big tarpon and a fly and a snook on a four-pound tippet before moving into the backwaters to fish mojarra on ultra-light tackle, Wise said.Mike Teeny and Clark Jenny, from Minnesota, boated tarpon each day of their four-day trip last week, but didn’t keep count until their final day, when they jumped seven, with two to the boat for release.Jack crevalle and tripletail are also being caught on the outside.NOT much information on the west coast fishing. Gamefisher II skipper Richard Chellemi said Monday that the weather is nice, but there are just no clients and few, if any, boats getting out. We should have more information by next week, as Chellemi has trips scheduled in the coming days.The first report we have been able to get from the central Pacific coast in some time comes from Costa Rica Dream, which books 20 boats out of Los Sueños Marina. They had about 10 of those boats fishing sporadically from Oct. 17-29, scoring one marlin, 30 tuna, 41 dorado, a couple of snappers and roosterfish and an impressive 350-pound black marlin. No sailfish.Look for fishing to swing into high gear on the southern and central Pacific coasts by the end of November or early December.For more info on fishing or assistance in planning a trip to Costa Rica, contact Jerry at jruhlow@costaricaoutdoors.com or visit www.costaricaoutdoors.com.Skippers, operators and anglers are invited to contact Jerry with fishing reports by Sunday of each week. Call or fax 282-6743 within Costa Rica or write to the e-mail address above.