Having fished all over the world I must say that truly there are few places on this planet with the marine diversity that Quepos inshore fishing offers. There are a number of unique inshore sports fish species that are found in only a few tropical zones, and Quepos is renowned as a haven for the most important of those.
Quepos Inshore Fishing – Species
Probably the most sought-after inshore gamefish that everyone has on their bucket list is the famous Roosterfish, closely followed by Snook and Snapper.
Inshore Fishing for Roosterfish
The majestic Roosterfish is truly one of a kind. When you hook-up to a Roosterfish there will be no doubt that you have encountered something special. You are now in hand to hand combat with one of the most aggressive and strongest fish that anyone has ever battled. A mature Roosterfish can grow to 100 pounds and his amazing head plumage does indeed resemble a rooster, and the body colour of silver and black stripes always reminds me of warpaint.
If you are one of the lucky anglers to catch a giant Roosterfish be ready for a very very intense fight and don’t think that you’ll be going to the dock early. These are one of the most hardiest fish in the ocean and they do not like to be caught. I’ve had many an epic battle back and forth and then think that I’m the one winning when all of a sudden you hear that mighty scream of the reel and he takes back all of that hard work that you just put in. Many of these epic battles can last well over an hour, so be ready.
Inshore Fishing for Snook
One of the other most-sought after inshore fishing target species is the mighty Snook. The world record Snook was caught in Quepos inshore fishing waters and many anglers come here from all over the world to try and break this record. Imagine fighting a fish that is over 50 pounds, does not like being hooked and which will put on quite an aerobatic display in order to throw the hook! In this type of fight, the Snook usually comes out on top.
Quepos Snook fishing is quite unique even by Costa Rican standards. With a river on either side, Quepos inshore fishing waters provide superb habitat for the giant Snook. One of the best ways to catch Snook is to be on a small inshore fishing boat that is able to maneuver much more quickly than larger sportfishing boats. Fishing mostly with live bait, the boat’s skipper will take you right to the mouth of the rivers almost to the shore. Watching the sets of waves, waiting for the moments when its calm, they will shoot in and turn the boat and have you cast right into the surf where the monsters live.
Inshore Fishing for Snapper
Let’s not forget about the Snapper, one of my favourite inshore fish species to catch. These guys can also grow to be quite large, not least because they have an arsenal of teeth and they are very, very smart.
When inshore fishing for Snapper, you can expect that once they’re hooked, they will immediately head to the bottom and try to wrap you around some jagged rocks. It’s not unusual that when it comes down to man vs fish heading to rocks, the fish comes out the winner! Your only chance of victory is to be very aggressive and get these guys to the surface quickly.
A Day of Quepos Inshore Fishing
Your day will start from when you leave the Marina and the inshore boat crews will look for the large bait balls – usually sardines – floating around in the calm waters just off the beach. Whether they cast with a net or catch them on a Sabiki rig, once you have enough live bait then the crew will head for favoured spots. Often, that is toward the mouth of a river or to some submerged rocks that are a secret spot that sports fishing boat captains guard with their life.
Offering both full days and half days inshore fishing you can have as much action as you possibly can imagine and the beautiful surroundings makes for an unbelievable day out on the water. The waters surrounding Quepos have majestic rocks jutting out that provide excellent big fish habitat, and the Manuel Antonio beach provides a stunning backdrop to some of the best inshore fishing on the planet.
So whatever you do, if you’re flying into this part of Costa Rica to fish or driving yourself around – make sure you get yourself out here for a fantastic day of Quepos inshore fishing.
