What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Quepos, Puntarenas for the first time?

Bring sunscreen and lots of it. We got cooked even with the proper gear. Expect to see a lot of wildlife and the opportunity for fish. But remember, fishing is fishing, not catching. Ask questions in advance if you don’t want to be stressed. The direction and communication is limited. Buy licenses in advance of your trip. Bring your passport or photo id. Just show up at the marina around 6:30am, pull up to the guard, tell them you have a fishing reservation and with what boat/captain and they will give you directions on where to park in the gated marina parking lot. Then proceed to the waterside of the marina and wait for your Captian.

Ask the skipper what they recommend. They know the water, season and what species are running. Your idea may be at odds with the situation on the water. Fishing is not Catching, so just keep that in mind. I had an amazing experience, but it could well have been an expensive boat ride! Do your homework and hope the fish gods are smiling upon thee. Bucket List Sportfishing was my choice and it panned out very nicely.

Marina parking is easy, getting fishing licenses is easy and they take credit cards. Wonderful process overall finding the boat and getting going. Good restaurants right at the marina for food and drinks after a day on the water.

September is in the middle of the rainy season so the waters within 10 miles of land are darker from all the freshwater running out of rivers. We had to run about 20 miles offshore before we found blue water for pelagic species. The Mahi-Mahi run heavier towards the end of the rainy season around late November. Billfish are usually solo and are randomly cruising blue water so they are sporadically following schools of baitfish. I was told that many times they will follow the Tuna schools.

Make sure to use bathroom before, have a really big breakfast, and wear hard-to-stain clothing as the fish can get pretty bloody. Maybe also bring nausea medicine. Sunglasses and sunscreen are also good to bring.

Be prepared for afternoon heat. PRE hydrate. If prone to seasickness, reconsider. Dont drink too much alcohol, makes it hard to fight big fish. Remember some fish are compulsory catch and release. Billfish often explode spectacularly out of the water, keep cameras ready. The biology of the ocean is not under your control; if fish dont hit thats life. Likewise they may hit big time; be ready. Crews are lifelong experts, trust them to do a brilliant job. Pura vida and good fishing.

Ask the captain to explain what the plan was, we were unsure so asked. We did some inshore fishing. They help hook fish and you reel it in. They knew the spots and were excellent at fishing. Recommend the crew and boat.

Be OVER prepared for the sun! No matter where you’re from; this sun is brutal. Being closer to the equator and the constant glare off the crystal clear Pacific will make and 8 hour fishing day to feel like 3 days of Mexico sun. If booking multiple days of fishing, do yourself a favor and book a day off in between. Your skin and body will appreciate the break! Sunscreen vs sweat is a constant battle…wear all you can in protective fishing clothing and hats! You maybe hot and look a little silly in your gardening sombrero, but you won’t be too miserable to fish the next trip. A kickass tan is temporary but leather face and melanoma… a life time! Hugs and Fishes Anglers - stay safe on the water ??? The BIG ROOSTER live in Costa Rica!

We were fishing for the first time here. We left with no real expectations except that the crew would do their best to put us on fish and that's exactly what they did. We cannot recommend them enough!

If you’re really into catching lots of fish you should book for Costa Rica trip around the time that particular fish is running. We had hoped for tuna, but this wasn’t the time to catch tuna. Communication with the captain is essential. We were very happy with the Mahi we caught.

Sunscreen and hydration!!! Surprisingly, there were no bugs this time of year. Finally, sun protection and water!!! The sun here is no joke. Long pants and sleeves are best. And a good hat and glasses.

The Mahi were big; there were many sailfish (we had a dozen sailfish hits/fought fish/could see them bite on surface and/or jump), but they would throw the hook before getting them to boat or not hookup long. First time sailfishing for us, so we are not experienced in fishing for them (but we do a lot of fishing). Some were huge too. We were only fishing 19 miles offshore.

September is not peak for Billfish but Quepos is spectacular in September as there are no crowds so the activities, restaurants and National Parks are available without lines. We saw Monkeys, Sloths, Scarlet Macaws, Toucans etc. not only at Manuel Antonio but also at the house we rented, around the town, which has preserved Canopy throughout and even at restaurants. Beach in Manuel Antonio was spectacular and we had it nearly to ourselves. Fishing was good for Mahi Mahi not too far offshore and Snook/Roosters were inshore. Some Tuna and Marlin were also caught the day we went out.

The hospitality we found in Quepos was higher than expected. In no means or ways do I know how to fish, and still I was treated like a friend. I felt welcomed and encouraged even when I messed up the technics. If you are trying out sport fishing for the first time, contact Quepos Sportfishing, they will treat you like a friend and show you what you need to know if for a successful trip. If you are experienced still contact Quepos Sportfishing. Capt Graven and Jerry are locals know what they are doing.

If you can get a reservation, I would recommend the Shana Hotel. Great people, food, views and accommodations. Located in a mountain be sure to wear your hiking shoes. The hotel's tour services are great. All tours are picked up at the hotel. There is no need to rent a car. Taxis are $10 a trip and are immediately available with a call. The town of Queops and the Marina is a few miles away. Fishermen need to reserve the fishing charters and hotel months in advance. They fill up quickly especially if there is a tournament. We had 2 days of exceptional fishing with Captain Jeff on the "Bucket List" - Caught: - 1 Blue Marlin (250-300 pounds) + 3 Sailfish + Tuna. We would have won the local tournament, but it ended 2 days earlier - DARN!

December is one of the best times to come. Peak season. Many variety of fish. Fresh fruit and options of food to eat for lunch. Best way is to book through fishing booker. You can text with the captain and team days to months prior with any questions and they are very responsive. We booked our licenses online the night before. Super easy and saves time when you get to the marina

Fishing Quepos in February is an awesome experience. I've been lucky enough to fish there several times over the years and look forward to my next trip!! Thoroughly research your boat.....I prefer to fish offshore and zero experience in the inshore fishery there.

Remember that it's called "fishing" and not "catching" for a reason. Some days the fish just aren't there. Understand which months are best for the type of fish you're hoping to catch. If you've got specific questions, contact the respective charter contact for details. All of them seemed very willing to assist and answer any questions.

Sail fish a real experience with some exciting small yellow fish to break the calm. Also recommend mixing up with inshore fishing for Roosters.

be patient. You don’t have to charter a big boat to catch a world class fish the smaller boats with the local captain are fantastic.

Be ready to spend a lot of time on the water. It's a lot of traveling to and from the spots (~1 hour 45 minutes of travel time to the eventual location).

LOTS of sunscreen! The weather was amazing, low winds, but the heat was extreme. Even the crew was struggling some mid day with the heat.

Try someone else. Check out the boat before you sign up. There were some nice boats there but I was not on one of them

Bring rain gear if the rainy season lingers longer than it should have like it did for us.

We got some fish but rained most of the time we were here. Was supposed to be dry season.

Patience!!! It's called fishing not catching. Be ready to troll for hours it's just how it's done.

Would definitely recommend. Trolling was slow but fishing off the rocks was insane. Crazy action!

This was not your typical November as there has been so much rain that the ocean was cloudy and green rather than blue

I'd recommend getting a very experienced captain and crew. Its would be hard to beat the guys on the Cowboy Sportfishing boat. They are as professional as they come.

Be open minded that fish travel just like we do, and it's sometimes hard to get ahold of someone when they are traveling!