Guys who go fishing from Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, catch more sailfish and marlin than anywhere else in the country during high season.
That's because December-May is the high water mark for big billfish in Manuel Antonio and Quepos.
But the sportfishing charter boats only have to go farther out the rest of the year to find them. And there are vast fields of football tuna, wahoo, dorado and other gamefish in these waters, no matter when you go. (Okay, so maybe we went overboard with the line about "vast fields of football tuna." What do you expect from a free Web site such as this one - the New York Times style guide?)
The Quepos dock is as convenient to Manuel Antonio hotels and resorts as it is from downtown Quepos. (There is only one real hotel downtown anyway, the Kamuk.) Most boat charters include pickup at your hotel
Offshore Fishing at Manuel Antonio
Boat charters are either half-day inshore trips for dorado, wahoo and snapper, or full-day outings that pop offshore ten to twenty miles for marlin, sailfish and tuna. They range from twenty to more than 45 feet. A small one can handle two or three anglers; the larger craft, eight with a few non-anglers aboard. Some are based at the Quepos dock all year, others move down from Guanacaste in December, when strong wind and sea conditions make these waters more suitable for surfing than deep sea sportfishing.
Deep Sea Boat Charters from Manuel Antonio.
Some of the top boats in the area for high season 2005 are big boats like WaveDancer (seen to right) and Carib Sea. Both boast seasoned captains and crew and are comfortable, powerful boats that specialize in flyfishing for billfish.
In the 35 foot range, Reel Deal is in town and ready to go. You can find WaveDancer right here. Though the bay will be boat-high in charter craft this year, you have to book the top ones in advance. Walk-up charters are usually limited to the smaller ones during high season. But whichever way you go, we say, "Good fishing this high season!"
