Name: Todd Staley

Date: 03/10/2009

Report Location: crocodile bay resort, puerto jimenez, costa rica

We continue to have the best billfish season as far as numbers go that we have seen in a couple of years. It seems the new stronger protection laws for billfish in Costa Rica are working. There are just so many notable catches it would be impossible to cover them all. 10 sails raised to the teasers is a daily average and many boats have seen as many as 20 a day for the last 6 weeks. The last couple of days have been closer to 10 but that should change as we pass the moon. A marlin now and then is still popping up and Larry Flynn’s 200 lb blue yesterday was his first. Teresa Pacor’s 61 lb dorado was the biggest of the month, and Team Pre Marlin Syndrome, Jane Flatt, and Janet Bowling are now Post Marlin Syndrome as seen in the photo of Jane kissing her first Pacific blue marlin. Mark Dolittle caught a mixed bag of everything including a nice broomtail grouper which I managed to get a piece of at the dinner table. Fishing for sailfish has been so good that most anglers have abandoned inshore fishing which is hot one day and mediocre the next. We have seen a couple 40 plus size roosterfish and dinner size snappers. This is the driest summer, (this is our summer) I’ve seen in a decade the clear water is making inshore species a little shy. The good fishing and Olimpia’s new desserts are making for lots of smiling faces around here. When you meet three thousand new friends every year it is impossible to remember them all. Don Libby was not one to forget. The minute you met him you knew that whatever he did whether business or pleasure he was a take charge guy. His rough edge fooled me at first and I thought he was just a demanding grumpy old guy. It didn't take long to learn that under that tough skin Don was a marshmellow who truly loved his family and the outdoors. Don passed away when the great outdoorsman in the sky called him home while Don was enjoying another passion, pheasant hunting. His son Ed, who accompanied Don on many trips here at Crocodile brought a group of friends here this week to see first hand why Don loved this country and to honor his dad. Don, you will be missed around here. Todd Staley Fishing Director Crocodile Bay Resort Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica www.crocodilebay.com

Name: Todd Staley

Date: 01/14/2009

Report Location: crocodile bay resort, puerto jimenez, costa rica

The first of the year brought families and couples to Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica and the fish were there to greet them. Lots of marlin have been popping up in the teasers and though the dorado action as slowed, there are enough around for a little garlic and butter. Tuna pleased and aggravated guests but the sailfish still haven´t showed in big numbers. We have had a couple double-digit days but not the consistency that will be here by the end of the month. Lots of free jumpers have been seen but are shy to take a bait. Graig Gosen and his son Hayden came down from the frigid ¨motor city¨ so Hayden could show his stuff fishing light tackle. I teased him every day about his light spinning rod. He hooked everything on it including a marlin but it was a sailfish that finally got the best of the tackle. His pictures tell the story. Kevin Werts from Cabela´s in Nebraska brought his family and friend Dave Rogers and family. Dave managed to whip a 250lb tuna and 12 year old Blake Werts has my vote for angler of the year with his sailfish. Paul Brown and friend Dina put in a full day on a tuna. Every day Dina reminded me she wanted to fight a big fish and the fish gods decided to grant her wish. Together the pulled on a big tuna the crew estimated at 350lbs for seven and a half hours getting the fish near the boat several times. When the fish was almost finished the hook broke and the monster left them with only one heck of a story to tell at the resort bar. Almost all the other guests had seen them fighting the fish during the course of the day. The amazing story goes to a couple of fisherman visiting us from Kuwait. Al Soudan and Abdul Aziz have been fishing the way they are accustom to, with handlines. Fishing mostly on the bottom and catching an array of snapper they decided to try the bluewater. The mate through a bait on 20 lb gear into a school of dolphin and a 115 lb tuna gobbled it up. The rod broke and the two did what they do best. They landed the tuna by hand after a two hour battle. Not many people fishing inshore but Ron Marrazo managed 8 roosters on day and a few snapper and African pompano hit the decks. Todd Staley Fishing Director, Crocodile Bay Resort Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Name: alex pina

Date: 09/22/2008

Report Location: south of the point

Beto lobs landed this big marlin Aug 27 the marlin hit a slow trolled live bait on 80lb line

Name: George Maynes Jr.

Date: 07/02/2008

Report Location: suggestions for good southwestern fishing?

Greetings, a buddy and me are going down to southwestern area. We are interested in shoreline fishing, lodging and proximity to some night life. We are also interested in fishing for dorado, grouper, snapper and possibly wahoo and tuna. Not interested in bill fish. What suggestions would anyone have that would meet this dream? Appreciate all feedback, thanks, George Maynes

Name: Todd Staley

Date: 05/30/2008

Report Location: crocodile bay resort, puerto jimenez, costa rica

Crocodile Bay Fishing Report - May 28, 2008 Everyone has a hero, somebody they want to be like when they grow up. Well, after his second visit here I decided I met mine in the likes of Charles Frank. The 86 year old was just here at Crocodile Bay with his wife Jean and family celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. That’s right 65th. Charles has published six books, is famous for carving duck decoys and is comfortable in any swamp whether with a fishing rod or a shotgun. He has fished all over the world with his favorite spot being deep in the Amazon. The long trip became a little tiring so he took up fishing in Costa Rica. He had marlin on his mind and unfortunately didn’t get his shot this time but he helped his granddaughter take a 55 lb dorado. A good sign the marlin are on their way. Jean is as big as a sport as Charles and at 85 became our oldest customer to do all seven platforms of the Rainforest zip-line tour. They are coming back in November for the fall marlin bite. Paul Shields and Heather Amity, Safari Club International members happened to be here when we had a flurry of marlin come through. They stayed busy with a mixed bag of marlin, dorado, rooster fish and jacks. The avid fly fisherman then fished across the country with Capt. Eddie Brown and battled some silverkings on the fly. Mike Grace, President of Cummins Atlantic, got the surprise of his life when an Orca paid a visit to the wake of his boat. He was lucky enough to capture the event with his camera....I've sent this series of photos to several people and most still can't believe it. John and Pequita Sissom were after a roosterfish. Pequita is probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet and her roosterfish brought her some bragging rights around the bar at night. We are right at the transition stage when the sails thin out and the marlin move in. The dorado have started to move in and the rain in the mountains has pushed cover for them out of the rivers. June and July bring good numbers of marlin, averaging 150 to 300 lbs Inshore fishing has been steady with roosters to 45 lbs coming off inshore reefs. Snapper and a few grouper as well as dorado have been enhancing the dinner plates at night. Todd Staley, Fishing Director, Crocodile Bay Resort, Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Name: Karl Van Horn

Date: 02/24/2008

Image Location: hotel ojalá bahía dráke

hotel ojalá bahía dráke. Karl and Michelle with Pargo. Just so Rick does not think it is the same fish. ha-ha. Fished with Fred, out of Hotel Ojalá. I have fished with him quite a bit and never been disappointed. Highly recommended.

Name: Karl Van Horn

Date: 02/24/2008

Image Location: hotel ojalá bahía dráke

hotel ojalá bahía dráke.

Name: Karl Van Horn

Date: 02/24/2008

Report Location: drake bay

Fishing was so-so. It took some searching and work, but Fred did put us on some fish. Decent water temps. 82-85 degrees. Some bait, in the area. Saw quite a few sails. They just were not interested.

Name: Jim Butterworth

Date: 01/17/2008

Report Location: zancudo lodge golfito

Just returned from a five day fishing trip to the Zancudo Lodge. The sailfish bite was not wide open but we saw numerous sails cruising and jumping. Black Marlin were present in good numbers with most boats getting shots. The Dorado bite was also very good. Our highlights for the trip were a huge Amberjack caught by Bill Boteler of Frederick, MD estimated at 90 pounds and on the last day of our trip, Bill, his wife Krista and I were able to land a triple on sails in the last ten minutes of our trip. Indications are that the sail bite will turn on very soon. I would also like to say that the Zancudo Lodge which is under new managaement and continues to provide excellent service. Everything was first class.

Name: Edwin Cardenas	Date: 01/11/2008	Image Location:
Email: ecardenas@ticotimes.net

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