Marlin Fishing in Costa Rica

For black marlin fishing trips, Quepos or Guanacaste, Costa Rica, are two of the world's top locations. One of the biggest black marlin catches of 2004 in Costa Rica was on WaveDancer, a 44-foot Jersey that was running fishing trips from Quepos at the time. (The boat moves north to Guanacaste after high season). Captain Jesse Baletti was at the helm in March as...

Pictures of tailwalking are not that common. "Tailwalking," in which the billfish appears to be skipping along the swells on its tail, is one of the most spectacular moves you will encounter. Greyhounding is the other. (See Greyhounding for more details). Both marlin and sails will tailwalk after running fast underwater for a brief time. So whenever it vanishes...

Greyhounding and tailwalking are the most common, yet spectacular, moves seen in sportfishing. This marlin is seen "greyhounding" across the ocean on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, which sport fishing enthusiasts say has some of the best offshore action on the planet. Sails often perform the same tactic, striving to break free from the hook. When a billfish...

Marlin like to "reach for the sky" to shake loose the hook. The marlin seen jumping in this photo fought for five hours before it was brought alongside the boat, tagged and released. When a big one leaps high into the air like the one seen here, all you can do is grip the rod tightly and hang on for a great ride. (The average weight of marlins caught in this...

Marlin fishing in Costa Rica -- for the top marlin fishing here, we suggest one of the beach from towns along the Pacific coast. Quepos is recommended from December through May, with Guanacaste and Nicoya better the rest of the year. (October is generally too rainy no matter where you go). The Atlantic is better for tarpon, though you may find the big billfish...