Central America Fishing

11/02/2025

What a trip for the guys from Washington - who ended with THREE black marlin on their final day at Paradise Fishing Lodge! // “Chris, We had an absolutely amazing time. Couldn’t say enough good things about Paradise — facility, staff, fishing, etc. We decided to stay an extra day in Panama City on the return, so heading home today. Thanks for arranging an incredible trip for us. We plan to be back.”

Ben, Tavo and Shannon from TX & OR

05/02/2025

“Chris , Our vacation to Costa Rica was absolutely wonderful! Everyone had a really good time!

We were greeted at the airport and our shuttle driver was waiting on us. We did keep him waiting for a while because it took an hour and a half to get through customs. San Jose airport has become a very busy place.

Los Sueños Resort was as beautiful and manicured as ever. That place is magnificent. We enjoyed the breakfast every morning and the weather was really nice for us all week. We got to experience all the crowd and excitement that comes along with tournament week. The Triple Crown tournament attracted anglers and lots of super nice boats from all over to include Michael Jordan’s Catch 23.

As for the fishing, it was a bit different from the past couple of years. We caught fish all 3 days aboard the Good Day Too but unfortunately it was all Sailfish. The Dorado are just not there like they have been in years past. The Tuna bite is very slow due to the number of bait fish that exist. Captain Esteban was able to find Tuna and we pulled our baits right through the middle of them multiple times but didn’t get a single bite. Even though we didn’t catch any fish to eat we had a great time fighting those Sailfish! Talking to other anglers around the marina they had the same experience as us. That’s fishing and it varies from year to year. Can’t say enough about the crew aboard the Good Day Too! Captain Esteban and first mate Carlos worked hard for us all 3 days and made our fishing experience a very memorable one. We had 40 Sailfish bites and landed 28 of them.

During our free days we spent a good bit of time at the Beach Club. We visited some of the local beaches and three of our guys actually went surfing. Our entire crew did a side-by-side buggy tour that took us through streams and up a mountain to a magnificent viewpoint. We also got to experience an amazing waterfall!

Thank you and your CAF team for planning another great trip for us! We had another great experience in Costa Rica and look forward to returning!”

3x CAF repeat angler Jeff M. from GA ..

03/02/2025

“Hello Chris!

I wanted to share with you the incredible experience we had on our recent fishing trip to Los Sueños, Costa Rica. It was truly an adventure of a lifetime!

The beauty of Los Sueños is simply breathtaking. From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the stunning scenery and the vibrant atmosphere. The waters were crystal clear, making it the perfect setting for an unforgettable fishing journey.

Our target species were marlin and sailfish. We did catch many sailfish each day, but unfortunately we did not get a marlin hookup although two were raised on our first day. The thrill of reeling in such magnificent creatures was beyond words. The captain and crew on the Sea Fly were exceptionally knowledgeable and hospitable. They truly went ABOVE and BEYOND to make our adventure exciting and fun.

Beyond fishing, on our free day we ventured out to explore the culture and natural beauty of Costa Rica. Every moment was filled with wonder and awe.

In summary, our trip to Los Sueños was nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an extraordinary fishing experience. I also asked if you were in the resort so we could meet and say hello and guest services said you were not there.

Thank you for being a part of making this trip possible. We look forward to returning next year in early February 2026 and increasing our group size.”

Warm regards,

Betty S. from FL ..

24/01/2025

“ Hey Chris, Trip #3 is in the books and it was the best one yet! From the fishing to the housing to all the transportation, it all went very smoothly. We had 8 days in Manuel Antonio. We fished 2 days on the Monkey Shine, 1 day on Monkey Sea, and 2 days inshore with Captain Roy on the Zapata. This year we brought some more family and friends with us (9 of us) and we stayed at the Villa Lora. Oh man, that place was awesome and we had the whole house. It was a perfect setup for that many people.

After getting in and getting settled we went out on the Monkey Shine for our first full day. Our total for the day for 6 people were 11 raises, 8 hookups, and 6 releases. The captain and 2 mates hammered it all day, keeping the lines fresh and working hard all day to give us the best experience. Day 3 for us was a relaxing pool day (luckily), which I needed because I was working a snow storm back home. Day 4 was an inshore day with Captain Roy. It started out rough for myself because I was still dealing with the aftermath of a big snow storm causing me to stay back to work and send someone in my spot. Man did they have a day to remember! Rooster after Rooster and plenty of others for a mixed bag!

As always it was a wonderful trip! I’m already working on the next trip for either late this year or beginning of next. Thanks for all the hard work and effort getting this trip setup for us! Everyone had a great time in Manuel Antonio, and all 9 people were able to put one or more sails under their belts!”

3x repeat Ryan R. from VA

18/01/2025

“Good morning Chris. Our vacation was fantastic. The woman who picked us up in Panama City was great. She got us through immigration very quickly and smoothly. Hilton in Panama City was very nice and comfortable.

Now for the resort. Pure awesomeness! We had the whole place to ourselves. Luis, Orlando, and Carlos were fantastic. Luis went over the top to make sure we had a great trip. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and amazing. The food was delicious! Some of the native sides weren’t to our liking but we enjoyed trying them. Our fresh caught fish were so good. The cleaning lady, Maria, was awesome. She did our laundry everyday and had the room spectacular when we got back. The overall experience with the lodge was great! Luis has the perfect personality to run that place. All in all, I think someone would be hard pressed to find a better lodge to visit.

If I had to grade the fishing, I would say my boat had a good trip. The May family’s boat had a great trip! They caught a big marlin, a couple sailfish, several huge cubera, a couple big roosterfish, and lots of other species. My boat caught several huge cubera, 2 good wahoo, my oldest got his roosterfish (small but still got it), a huge pompano, lots of small tuna (fun to catch), and several other species. We had 3 good days of fishing, both boats. The captain and the mate did work their butt’s off trying to get us on fish and we do appreciate that! Overall, we were very pleased with the fishing.

All in all, thank you for organizing a trip of a lifetime. Both families had a great time. I really don’t think I would change anything. Half way through the trip, everyone was already discussing when the return trip would happen. We had a blast. Thank you!”

The Stinson’s & May’s from FL ..

17/01/2025

“Hello Chris, We had an amazing time! You did a great job of putting things together for us and we can’t thank you enough! Sorry you had to hold our hand a lot LOL but we really appreciated that. The view from the house was incredible just like you said. We saw monkeys, macaws, toucans and many of the birds. We had an amazing time on the fishing trips and the captain Johnny was amazing and his son Andrey too. I caught a Marlin that Johnny said would be about 300 lb. I also caught two sailfish and Dave caught a big sailfish too. Tough coming home from a vacation like that. We were extremely happy and the trip was magnificent.Thank you.”

Lorraine and Dave from MA..

15/01/2025

Hey Chris! With your help we had our best family vacation ever. All the travel arrangements were handled well with no problems. We arrived in Quepos and were greeted at the house by the concierge who went over everything. The house was amazing and even better than I had hoped.

After a day of rest and relaxation, we went fishing offshore on the Double Nickel. You picked the best boat for our group, and they did an amazing job! With a great captain and crew, we went 8 for 8 on Sailfish! My family really had a great time, and they all had the unique experience of catching a trophy. The following day we all went on the zipline canopy tour and it was fabulous. The transportation to and from as well as the tour guides were top notch. After taking a day off for New Years Day, we went inshore fishing with Captain Roy. He was a treat as always and put us on the fish. Me and my two sons-in-law had a great day and caught a nice box of snook, roosters, jacks, snapper, and Spanish mackerel. I love Marina Pez Vela. The facilities are top notch and the ladies had a great place to spend some time shopping waiting for us to return. We finished out our week with the ATV and Rainmaker tour and the crew had a blast. I almost forgot, we really loved watching the Toucans each day and the occasional monkey visits to our balcony.

Thank you so much for helping us put this trip together. You and your team did a great job. With everything arranged in advance, it really made for a fun and relaxing week. My family made some great memories, and I look forward to doing it again! Take care!

The Sandefur’s from AL

# roosterfish

13/01/2025

“ Hello Chris, Our trip to Costa Rica for the third time was planned out perfectly by you and your team....again!!

Meet and greet at the airport, transportation to Quepos, dinner reservations and our room were exactly on point. Our room had a kitchenette and a great view. Monkeys invaded our room and ate all of our snacks on day 3 and came back on day 4 so we could video them. It’s so nice there we forgot to shut the glass doors!😂

Weather wasn’t so conducive for fishing unless you wanted to be wet most of the day but what’s a little rain?!😂 We didn’t get offshore due to that but still had a great time.

Roy brought me a cake to celebrate my birthday early! He and Greg are great people and it was awesome to fish with them again!
We took fish to several restaurants for dinner and they prepared it so well.

Thank you again for planning another great trip! Anxious to see Panama again in March!”

5x CAF repeat anglers Dana & Ron

11/01/2025

NEW VIDEO ON OR YOUTUBE CHANNEL // Welcome to the home of the BEST tarpon fishing in Costa Rica. Join us as we venture to the stunning Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, home to some of the best tarpon fishing in the world. This remote corner of Costa Rica is a 400,000-acre nature reserve consisting of dense rainforest, freshwater canals, and several major rivers that create the perfect habitat for tarpon and snook. A few of these major river mouths hold so much bait, that the tarpon stick around year-round so we are not dependent on the seasonal migratory tarpon. Better yet, the tarpon in Costa Rica is mostly mature adults, so they average 80-100 lbs! Nearly every trip we see one or two that reach 150-200 lbs (or bigger).

As any tarpon angler knows, this is a fish that is as fun to hook and lose as it is to actually release. With super strong, bony mouths, a strong hook set is mandatory if you are to have any chance against the mighty silver king. Once you do that, the battle just begins. Most tarpon will start the fight with three incredible jumps, which is the most common time they either spit your hook or cut through your line with their sharp gill plates. The best way to survive this is to "bow to the king" - lowering your rod tip as low as you can to relieve the tension as the fish jumps and thrashes. After they show off their athleticism with the jumps, they'll show you their brute strength as they pull, run, and pull some more. If you are fortunate enough to get your tarpon boat-side, grab a great picture and make sure to revive the fish until it swims off with a strong tail kick. This helps its chances of survival after a fight that can last 30-60 minutes, plus it helps them avoid predation from sharks and crocodiles.

You can catch tarpon in Costa Rica in many different ways, but the classic bucktail jig is the most common and productive. We typically slow jig these off the sandy bottom and at different points in the water column as we drift with the currents in and out of the river mouth. Some days, drifting live or dead sardines is also very productive, but the jigs get hit almost every day. Of course with this many tarpon around, fly fishing for tarpon in Costa Rica is also extremely popular. Since these are big adult fish, a 12 wt or 14 wt is recommended with a sinking or intermediate sinking line.

If you are ready to experience the best tarpon fishing in Costa Rica, call us at 855-414-3474 or check out our sample Costa Rica tarpon fishing packages here - https://www.centralamericafishing.com... As with all trips booked with Central America Fishing, we will plan, organize, and execute all the details of the trip from private transportation, domestic flights, private fishing charters, and your luxury accommodations.

For more ideas for your next fishing vacation, check out our site -https://www.centralamericafishing.com/

https://youtu.be/iRo0u-rkv-4?si=DEBkteh5kklkWl8Z

Welcome to the home of the BEST tarpon fishing in Costa Rica. Join us as we venture to the stunning Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, home to some of the best t...

05/01/2025

Hi Dakota, Happy New Year!

We had a great trip to Panama, despite the weather. There were definitely times we would have liked more sun, and others when we were relieved to have some cloud cover or a light rain to cool us down!

We were overall very happy with the fishing, guides, accommodation and trip planning, and would both book again and recommend CAF to others. Especially as we planned so last-minute!

- Rich and his group of captains and guides were terrific. We caught a tonne of peacock bass, a couple of snook, but unfortunately we could only hook (but not land) a tarpon. We’ll have to get them next time! We saw lots of other wildlife, including birds, caimans and monkeys that made it more than just a fishing trip. One of the guides (Augusto), even drove us to see sloths, agouties and a crocodile on the way back to our hotel. We were very appreciative of everyone’s efforts!

- The Hilton was a good choice for us - great location, excellent pool (even with overcast skies and the occasional shower)

- The Boca Del Mar was lovely! Our Family Suite room was great, and although they didn’t switch out the bunk beds there was just enough room for my son. (I guess they remembered on the second day, as we came back to the room to find an extra single bed replacing our seating area, which was fine.) The grounds were beautiful and the food was outstanding.

The fishing was unbelievable! The captain and 1st mate were top notch. We chased tuna around and had an absolute blast catching as many as we could keep, including a 55-pounder. My son caught a Mahi Mahi, which was his goal, and then we went jigging and he caught a good-sized cubera snapper. Then my husband caught a 60 pound cubera snapper that blew us all away. The weather was pretty awful, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the ear-to-ear smiles.

Overall though, we had a really great vacation and want to thank you for putting together such a great trip, especially under such tight timing and during the peak holiday season. Well done Dakota and CAF!

I’ve attached a bunch of pictures in case they’re useful. All the best,

Kristin, Sander and Jasper

04/01/2025

Thanks Chris. So many highlights, the fishing and Manuel Antonio park we have already mentioned and three of the courses, Conchal was a really good course as was Pinilla , however the star of the show by a country mile was Papagayo. It was so good we wanted to play it the following day but didn’t have time. Without doubt the best course in Costa Rica.

The Andaz Papagayo was also our favourite, the quality and attention to detail stood out for me. Great rooms and views, along with Los Suenos they were our favourite two properties.

The final two meals were without doubt our best two meals on the holiday: both private dining with wine pairings and both super experiences. The last night at Billy Sazon was off the charts as a dining experience, and then we were lucky enough to see some of the Festival of light at the end of our hotel street!

In summary the whole trip was superb, every transfer arrived on time or earlier and all the drivers were excellent.

Thank you so much for putting everything together/"



Rex, Pamela, Sara and Tony from the UK ..

29/12/2024

“Panama was truly incredible. You guys nailed it. From the airport greetings, the Panama Canal tour, the drivers to and from and of course Paradise Lodge. Everything was TOP NOTCH. I honestly don’t have enough good things to say about Luis and his crew at the lodge. Those guys are the real deal and went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of.


We are going to try and make a trip to Panama an annual thing. We honestly love the country (and my boys LOVE fishing), so it’s a win win.



But once again, thank you for an incredible vacation. We will be in touch!!!”

2x repeats the Gaertner’s from TX..

17/12/2024

“Hey Chris,

The Mothership and staff were great. The accommodations were a bit tight, but ample. The food for the most part was very good.

The fishing was a bit on and off. The first day I managed only about 10 fish. The next day was rainy and I forgot my rain gear, but wore a trash bag and caught 107 Peacock bass. I overdid myself that day and paid for it the following day, but still caught 45. I averaged about 50 fish a day after that.

I enjoyed the trip very much and appreciate your assistance. Thank you.”

Paul L. from PA ..

14/12/2024

Hi Chris and Co,

Thank you for once again planning and flawlessly executing an incredible trip. MonteVerde was incredible, the flora and birdlife was truly amazing. Hotel Senda is in a class by itself. The food was delicious and the staff was beyond fabulous !
Drake Bay, what can I say but we will be back!!! Truly one of the most beautiful peaceful and amazing places we have ever visited. Copa De Arbol staff is in a league of their own.! The house was spotless always, the staff was impeccable,
friendly, and so hard working. The boat captains at Copa were truly masters of safely getting in and off the boat.

All of our tours from the waterfall to floating down the river to Corcovado Park were all awe inspiring!

FISH ON!! The only thing I can say is how fantastic the fishing in Drake Bay is. Our first day out with Reel Time and Willie was truly a once in lifetime adventure. It started with spotting a humpback whale and her calf. Then a pair of sea turtles on the way to where we started fishing. We didn’t have lines in the water for 10 minutes and - BAM - a marlin hit our lines. Jeff reeled in and released a 9ft marlin. Willie then spotted birds diving and the chase began . Willie took us to a truly National geographic afternoon. We fished amongst a huge pod 500+ of spinner dolphins and slayed the yellow fin
Tuna. Watching the dolphins work the bait and the feeding frenzy that pursued was incredible. Every time we put on rods in the water we had tuna on our rods. Till the
boat was full. We shared our catch with the entire staff and guests of Copa and Willie took the rest to share with his family and friends.

We inshore fished with El Pinello a few days later. We were thinking it wouldn’t be as incredible as our first day, but one giant roosterfish and 3 smaller definitely made for another truly blessed day of fishing!!!

Thanks for a lifetime of memories!

4x CAF anglers Jeff and Amy from OH

10/12/2024

Tamarindo, Costa Rica // We had an awesome day fishing with our good friend Captain Maikel! The day was spent chasing down the pods of spinner dolphin, to throw out live baits for Yellowfin Tuna. We both were able to catch a few before bringing back the fresh fish and watching College Football at our private condo! You can’t ask for much more, all around an awesome day! ..

06/12/2024

“Chris,

Nicole and I had a phenomenal time in Costa Rica. The logistics of the trip felt very organized, the fishing was great, and the in country service was on point.

We ended up doing two inshore days and one off shore day. All three days we found success fishing and were lucky enough to see stingrays, dolphins, and sea turtles. Captain Roy was a true professional and his crew made the days extra special with the fruit trays, tasty lunches, and fishing knowledge.

I’ve been on fishing charters in the past and without question I can say this was my best experience all around.”

David & Nicole M. from NJ ..

03/12/2024

BRAZIL // The best freshwater fishing in the world - the mighty Amazon River. In 2022 CAF ventured into South America to be able to offer it’s anglers the best peacock bass fishing in the world. Whether you are trying to catch 100+ fish a day or focus on double-digit sized trophies, there is no better place than the Rio Negro in Brazil.

📸 ..

01/12/2024

Costa Rica // “Hello Chris, I had a great time. Fishing was great, the condo was very nice and centrally located.” - 3x repeat Richard W. from IL ..