Another activity that is offered by a number of touring companies is sport fishing. You can do inshore or offshore fishing depending on your budget and what type of fish you are looking to catch. If you go offshore you are likely going to have to do a full day tour as you have to drive about 35 miles off the cost. Inshore can be a half day as you can go less than two or three miles from the shore and catch some nice fish. I went fishing for Rooster as that is very popular in Costa Rica. The week prior one of my friends caught an 80 lb Rooster. I had no delusions of grandeur that I was going to catch a fish this big but decided to give it a try.
Before going out, you will need a long sleeved shirt and a hat that covers your face and neck. If you are like me and don’t pack any long sleeved shirts for Costa Rica you can buy one at the Marina Pez Vela. You can get any clothing and sunscreen you need there. You can also buy your daily fishing pass there. It will be about $20.
When booking a sport fishing tour you don’t need any fishing gear; they will have it all for you. All you need is a tough stomach and the ability to reel in some fish. You can tell your fishing guides what you are looking to do. If you want to bait the hook and try to set the hook in the fishes mouth, you can do that. I told them I just wanted to know when there was a fish on. I sat in the front of the boat and just enjoyed the Manuel Antonio side of Costa Rica as we drove out to some ledges; this is where the Rooster are.
We fished for about 3.5-4 hours total and hooked seven Rooster. I only got three to the boat but that was plenty. It took about 15 minutes each time to get them in. The first was about 20 lbs, the second was about 25 lbs and the third was about 30 lbs. I have no idea how anyone could reel in an 85 lb rooster for 45 minutes. My forearms were burning after the reeling in the smaller Rooster. We actually had double fish on at one time which was cool. Unfortunately, they crossed up the lines and both got off.
If you have a weak stomach and get seasick easily you will want to mention this to your tour guides. You may not want to fish for Rooster if this is the case as you can be in some rough and choppy water right by the ledges. For about 30 minutes I felt as if I was going to get sick but I ended up being fine. Drink water and bring some crackers if you have a weaker stomach.
I was off the boat by noon after starting the trip around 7:30 am. If you are doing the sport fishing tour in the morning you are likely not going to have a lot of energy for another activity later in the day. I would never suggest booking two different activities in one day while in Manuel Antonio. The sun zaps you of your energy and you will likely wake up around 6:00 o 6:30 anyway so its not as if you got to sleep in.
I went with Manuel Antonio Surf School and had a great time. Give them a call if you want to do Sport Fishing in Quepos, Costa Rica.