Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis 

4.8/5 (315 reviews)
 Guanacaste Province, Playa Hermosa, GU, Costa Rica

Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis 

Playa Hermosa, GU, Costa Rica
30 ft
5
4.8/5 (315 reviews)

If you're looking for your next unforgettable fishing adventure, head to Playas del Coco and book a trip with Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters! Emerge on the fishing experience of a lifetime! Captain Mendez will take you fishing in the Gulf of Papagayo!

Welcome aboard the captain's 30' Panga boat. This centre console has all the necessary navigational and safety equipment, an ice box, and a live bait tank. There's enough room for 6 guests. If you're bottom fishing, everybody can do it at the same time, but in the case of trolling, 5 rods can be in the water.

Sailfish, Roosterfish, Mahi, Wahoo, and many other game species are on the menu throughout the year – you just have to hunt them down and reel them in. These are not easy catches, so Capt. Mendez will assist you in case it gets too hard. Please note that all Billfish and Roosterfish are strictly catch and release.

The captain will provide you with Penn and UglyStick fishing equipment and prepare live bait in advance. The catch cleaning service is included in the price as well. There's going to be drinking water and seasonal fruit onboard but feel free to bring other beverages and snacks. The captain can also purchase your fishing license, and you can pay him when the trip starts.

Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters is at your service year-round. Ready for your awesome Costa Rican adventure?!

Please note that we can offer pick-ups at your location, but it isn't included in the trip prices, and it will depend on your exact location.

If you're looking for your next unforgettable fishing adventure, head to Playas del Coco and book a trip with Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters! Emerge on the fishing experience of a lifetime! Captain Mendez will take you fishing in the Gulf of Papagayo!

Welcome aboard the captain's 30' Panga boat. This centre console has all the necessary navigational and safety equipment, an ice box, and a live bait tank. There's enough room for 6 guests. If you're bottom fishing, everybody can do it at the same time, but in the case of trolling, 5 rods can be in the water.

Sailfish, Roosterfish, Mahi, Wahoo, and many other game species are on the menu throughout the year – you just have to hunt them down and reel them in. These are not easy catches, so Capt. Mendez will assist you in case it gets too hard. Please note that all Billfish and Roosterfish are strictly catch and release.

The captain will provide you with Penn and UglyStick fishing equipment and prepare live bait in advance. The catch cleaning service is included in the price as well. There's going to be drinking water and seasonal fruit onboard but feel free to bring other beverages and snacks. The captain can also purchase your fishing license, and you can pay him when the trip starts.

Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters is at your service year-round. Ready for your awesome Costa Rican adventure?!

Please note that we can offer pick-ups at your location, but it isn't included in the trip prices, and it will depend on your exact location.

Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
Captain
Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
12 years of experience
ID & credentials verified
responds within an hour

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Group Size:
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August 2026
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Number of days
1
Group Size
2 adults • 0 children
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Half Day Trip (AM)
FREE Cancellation 14 days notice
5 hour trip starts at 6:00 AM
US $450
Entire boat: up to 5 people
Half Day Trip (PM)
FREE Cancellation 14 days notice
5 hour trip starts at 1:00 PM
US $450
Entire boat: up to 5 people
Full Day Trip
FREE Cancellation 14 days notice
8 hour trip starts at 6:00 AM
US $600
Entire boat: up to 5 people
There are 6 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

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Rating

4.8
315 reviews
4.6
Boat & equipment
4.9
Captain & crew
4.8
Fishing Experience

Anglers' gallery (1442)

What anglers say

91%
Great experience
94%
Family friendly
98%
Friendly captain
95%
Good boat
95%
Recommended
92%
Caught fish

All reviews (315)

Frequently mentioned
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Showing 15 of 315 reviews
Joris Rouchon
Joris Rouchon
fr
France
Member since 2026
5.0
Verified
Fishing trip PM
Half Day Trip (PM) on March 10, 20263 adults

Nous voulions essayer la pêche au Costa Rica et notre expérience fut inoubliable! Nous étions à la recherche d’une espèce de poisson du nom de poisson-coq ou roosterfish, cependant les conditions n’étaient pas au rendez-vous pour ce poisson emblématique du Costa Rica. Pas grave ! Les thons jaunes étaient de sortie !! Munis d’une canne spinning et d’un leurre, nous étions à la traque des bancs de thons qui chassaient tout autour de nous, c’était spectaculaire ! Résultat : 5 jolies prises et de beaux souvenirs. Merci au capitaine et à son équipe qui ont été très agréable et qui on tout mis en oeuvre pour que cette sortie ce deroule au mieux pour nous.🔥🇨🇷

Reported catch:
Jack Crevalle
David Unger
David Unger
Repeat angler
ca
Alberta, Canada
Member since 2025
2 trips
5.0
Verified
Fantastic bottom Fishing
Half Day Trip (AM) on February 19, 20261 adult1 child

My son (10 yo) and I wanted to do our first saltwater trip while we were here. Captain Mendez took us out on a fantastic Grouper hunt! He had bait ready to go and breakfast/drinks in the cooler for us to start the day. Fishing started off solid with my son hooking into a Spanish Mackrel giving a good fight for a little lad. We then moved onto other spots for bottom fishing, by the end of the trip we were knee deep in fish. Mendez and his deck hand are calm and coordinated, but he's definitely up for some shenanigans! Muchas Gracias to both of you guys! Definitely recommend you!

Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
Response from Captain

We are here to try to do our best; we always want our customers to go home with a good experience.

Rachel McVean
Rachel McVean
us
California, US
Member since 2026
4.3
Verified
New
No fish but we still had a good time.
Half Day Trip (AM) on July 28, 20263 adults2 children

Our family of three adults and two kids did not catch any fish but it was not for lack of trying in the crew’s part. I don’t think they had a fish finder so maybe that would have helped, but I honestly don’t know. The half day was plenty for us and the kids. It would have been more fun if we had been allowed to participate in the process more - holding rods or casting or reeling in, but the crew either didn’t understand what we wanted or didn’t want us to. The snacks were ok - a couple of pastries and a pineapple, some chips and salsa. Beer, water and a few Coke Zeros. We had much better snacks on our snorkeling trip the next day with another company. This boat was a cheaper option and I think a perfectly fine one, but I think next time I would pay a bit more and have a slightly more upscale experience. Captain Mendez was also only on the boat for less than five minutes - enough to take our money up front and then get off the boat. So we had a couple of other guys as our fishing guides.

Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
Response from Captain

Let me explain: Captain Méndez was down there with you all day, and my deckhand was the one operating the boat. As for the drinks—10 beers, 10 Cokes, 8 teas, and 18 bottles of water—what else did you need? Regarding the trolling: there are seven lines in the water, and each occupies a specific position that I know is the right one. Your children didn't know how to use the gear; you know very well that they don't realize what's happening if a rod falls overboard. For me, a simple "I'm sorry" isn't enough; we fish, and once a fish is caught, we hand it over to the client. We didn't have any luck trolling, but we always do our best to catch something, so we tried bottom fishing at a depth of 370 feet to target grouper; I think the full moon cycle was one of the contributing factors.

Lance Childress
Lance Childress
us
San Antonio, TX, US
Member since 2026
5.0
Verified
Best guided fishing trip we have ever been on!
Full Day Trip on June 16, 20262 adults

Caught 6 mahi, 2 tuna and a 92 inch sailfish which we will be getting a replica mount of. Captain Juan and his first mate were experienced anglers and worked hard to put us on fish. They also provided us with snacks including pineapple, local breads and sashimi made from some of the fish that we caught….delicious. Picked us up from the beach of our hotel and brought us back there at the end of the day. Would highly recommend Captain Juan to anyone considering a fishing trip in Costa Rica.

Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
Response from Captain

Thank God we had a great time and made plenty of catches; we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Eric Tse
Eric Tse
Repeat angler
ca
Ontario, Canada
Member since 2023
3 trips
4.7
Verified
Doradogedon
Full Day Trip on May 7, 20262 adults

My brother and I had an awesome day out with Juan and his hand, Byron. We did an 8-hour trip and Juan got us on a school of Mahi Mahi within an hour. It was exciting action in the morning and mid afternoon. The bite died down mid day, but Juan kept working to try and find the fish during that period. We ended the day in some more exciting dorado action. we were fortunate and saw a lot of different wildlife throughout the day: Manta rays, dolfins, turtles and more. They also prepared some amazing fresh sashimi/poke with one our fish that was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend booking with Juan.

FAQs about Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis

Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $450 per group - Half Day Trip (AM) (5 hours)
  • US $450 per group - Half Day Trip (PM) (5 hours)
  • US $600 per group - Full Day Trip (8 hours)
When you book a trip with Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Live bait well
  • Ice box
Trips booked with Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle (Penn, UglyStick)
  • Live bait (Prepared in advance)
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Snacks (Seasonal fruit, chips)
  • Drinks (Water)
  • First mate (Tips are customary and appreciated!)
Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis offers the following types of fishing:
  • Inshore fishing
  • Nearshore fishing
  • Offshore fishing
Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Bottom fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
Top targeted fish species with Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis include:
  • Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
  • Jack Crevalle
  • Roosterfish
  • Sailfish
  • Snapper (Cubera)
  • Wahoo

Your captain

Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez
Juan Carlos Méndez Gutierrez

Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

24 Fishing Reports
ID & license verified
324 Customer reviews
Typical response within an hour
Member since October 2019

Captain Juan Carlos has been fishing all his life. First, he started as a commercial fishing captain, then he was the captain of a yacht. After a hurricane, he started with his own business, 3 years ago. Born and raised in Playa del Coco, he knows all the good spots in the area and he can easily track the fish, wherever they go.

24 Fishing Reports
ID & license verified
324 Customer reviews
Typical response within an hour
Member since October 2019

Captain Juan Carlos has been fishing all his life. First, he started as a commercial fishing captain, then he was the captain of a yacht. After a hurricane, he started with his own business, 3 years ago. Born and raised in Playa del Coco, he knows all the good spots in the area and he can easily track the fish, wherever they go.

The fish you can target

Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Jack Crevalle
Jack Crevalle
Roosterfish
Roosterfish
Sailfish
Sailfish
Cubera Snapper
Cubera Snapper
Wahoo
Wahoo
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Jack Crevalle
Jack Crevalle
Roosterfish
Roosterfish
Sailfish
Sailfish
Cubera Snapper
Cubera Snapper

Real catches by this captain

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What is the boat like?

Boat image
Boat category
Center console boats
Capacity
5 persons
Boat length
30 ft
Year built
2016
Boat manufacturer
Panga
Boat type
Panga
Engine model
Suzuki
Powered by
1 x 200HP

What kind of fishing will you do?

Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Offshore Fishing

Which fishing techniques you can try

Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Spinning

Which amenities are available onboard

GPS
Fishfinder
Live bait well
Ice box
What's included in the trip price
Rods, reels & tackle
Penn, UglyStick
Live bait
Prepared in advance
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Snacks
Seasonal fruit, chips
Drinks
Water
First mate
Tips are customary and appreciated!

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 14 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 14 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

More details

What the listing policies are

Pickup not included

Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.

Child friendly
All ages welcome; life vests for 5+
You keep catch
Limited
Catch and release allowed
Catch and release mandatory
Billfish and Roosterfish

How you can pay

Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

 Cash

 Bank transfer

What’s biting in Playa Hermosa right now

Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Jack CrevalleJack Crevalle
RoosterfishRoosterfish
SailfishSailfish
Snapper (Cubera)Snapper (Cubera)
WahooWahoo

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Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters – Cabo Luis
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4.8
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30 ft
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US $450