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

The said hello when I boarded and asked the mate for my money when I got off the boat that was all he spoke the entire trip. we caught one mahi less than 15 inches that had to be thrown back. There was a little effort our concern to catch fish or that we had not caught any fish. I have fish in Costa Rica multiple times. This is the worst outfit I've ever fished with. I have usually gone with someone that I had known someone else to have fish with before but this time I decided to try Fisher because it seemed easy to book. I suggest taking the time to do a little more research than what I did because these guys were clearly amateurs. i've been fishing my entire life and live at the coast in North Carolina, so I understand that it is called fishing and not catching for a reason, but I can also tell when someone is putting forth effort and when someone is not, I would hazard a horn anyone against hiring this outfit $1500 later and all my family had was a terrible experience.

Easy to get there from Jaco. Parking was shaded under trees which was really nice. Cool to take a small boat from the shore out to the fishing boat. Captain Luis is very friendly but he doesn't speak a ton of English and I don't speak a ton of Spanish and we got along just fine. His first mate was also very nice and helpful. I took my girlfriend and my 16 year old daughter and they enjoyed themselves.

Make sure you have good dialogue with your captain and a plan your trip before you head out in regards to what you want to target, what’s biting and how dialed in they are. If your captain is a poor communicator and takes days to respond, find another captain as this is a red flag. No one wants a boat ride as the fishing is primo this area.

Wonderful day on the Luminare; caught both large tuna and sailfish. The crew was outstanding, very professional and capable, and at the same friendly and helpful. The fresh sashimi cut from one of the tuna caught and served on board was absolutely delicious.

Sail fish is the main fish caught here. The captain said Bottom fishing was to deep here...300 to 400 feet and 700 to 800 feet. Would probably need a 12 hour and nice boat to get a marlin or big tubing fish and go way offshore.

If you really don’t want to get hit with sea spray and be wet most of the day, carefully choose the type of boat you pick. Some are designed in a way that protects you from the water more than others.

Fishing at this time of the year is great we’ve done it many times, but not on this boat. This crew did not seem to know what they were doing and didn’t have enough equipment for the number of people we had on the boat

Wear a rain jacket, hat and something to cover your face. It can be sunny and hot and rainy all on the same trip. The waves were high, so the sea spray will get you which is part of the adventure! Be prepared for big fish!

This fish were there, some species chose not to bit today, but that is fishing. For others chartering this boat or any other, expectations before hand can ruin a trip. Captain's are not magicians, but hard working knowledgeable fishermen who do their best to put you on fish, it is up to the fish to bite. In this case it was not the Captain's fault Sailfish didn't bite. Expect to see things you never have, enjoy the dolphins, maybe a whale and the scenery in general, that is what makes a trip fun!

Ask questions about the condition of the boat. I assumed that the A/C would be working to help cool our group. The boat we went on the fishing trip was a bit outdated and the AC wasn't working. It was a very hot and humid day on March 13. Make sure to eat something before the trip or take snacks. People that aren't used to the culture might not always enjoy what the boat has to offer for snacks/meals.

We spoke with other anglers who went our multiple times in the area and also went out with the same captain multiple times (a different captain than ours). I would recommend targeting the $800-1000 range for better captains with additional equipment and better accommodations. Our boat did not have a seat for anglers to use when reeling in catch, did not seem to have pole waist belt holders, and struggled with getting fish on the line.

Get to the Herradura beach early. Give yourself at least 30 minutes if you are staying in Jaco. You will have to take a water taxi so walk down to the beach and tell the water taxi guy which Charter you are fishing with and they will take you right out to the boat. Your feet WILL get wet boarding the water taxi. Ask your Charter Capt to send you a picture of the actual boat you will be fishing on preferably before you book the trip! If you book a $700-ish Charter, chances are you will be fishing from a 26-28' Panga style local fishing boat. You will probably find it to be a bare-bones seaworthy but rough ride. For $700-ish you probably won't be on a nice sportfishing boat like a Bertram, Hatteras or Cabo.

The weather tends to be nice in early May. Low chances of rain, especially during the mornings. It's not usually too windy, so not very choppy. There's mahi to be had at this time of the year, though they tend to be on the smaller size. You can go chase yellow-tail, but it might be too far offshore for a half-day trip, so if yellow-tail is your target I'd go for a full-day trip. Bring lots of sunscreen and sun protection (long sleeve shirt, hat, sunglasses)

We came in on a Cruise Ship. I would suggest if you are coming in from a cruise ship, don't book a trip. Too many variables that will delay your arrival to your charter boat and timeframe is too tight for an all day offshore trip and you would be one traffic jam away from missing the ship departure.

We had read that this was a great time for fishing but then were told on our trip that there had been rough seas due to two fronts that had been hanging around. No fish were caught other than 2 baitfish.

You should wear protective clothing. We got burnt up pretty good would wear long sleeves, pants and hat to shade face, neck and plenty of sunscreen. If you don't want to be embarrassed tack on 20% of trip price (what you pay captain) for tip.

Bring some cash (American dollars are fine) to provide tips to the captains taking you out to the fishing boat, and as a tip to the deck hands. Make sure to bring sunscreen and a buff to protect your face/ears, it's very sunny!

This is a great boat for experienced and new fisherman. Stable and fast. Plenty of room on board. Capt. had some great music while traveling which helps make a good day. David was great deck hand, kept all the gear and landed fish in order. Helpful with landing this fish, but gave us plenty of latitude to do what we where comfortable with handling the rods.

It's fishing can be hot and cold. If you want to try different things or spots, because of not getting bites etc, communicate it or it may not happen. Our Capt only spoke to us once and that was at very start. If coming in from nearby city, get an Uber. Charter charged us $40 round trip for a 14 min ride. Uber would have been $10.

The sun is bright and the weather is beautiful. Message the captains before booking and understand what style of fishing they do, such as trolling, jigging, stick baits, drifting live bait. I like to have options and a captain that is willing to switch things up as conditions might dictate,

Before booking in the Herradura / Jaco area, check the calendar. Read reviews suggesting the best season to fish. Weather conditions do not dictate success - moon phase and season are better gauges.

For some boats, you are required to get on a water taxi and ride out to the actual fishing boat. If there is any chop, this could result in getting hurt. Get a boat located in a marina

When considering my next inshore trip. I think i would try a later trip. We were prepared for the inshore heat and fished hard for results.

Give yourself a long enough charter to maximize your opportunities. Sunscreen and liquids are a must.

Fish nearshore in smaller boats and only use boats 38ft or larger for off shore. January is the best time for the larger fish.

Book fast as it’s busy season, we came planning to book here but the options were limited. But we ended up on the best boat with the best crew! Couldn’t have asked for anything better!

Sunscreen, large billed hat, and a long sleeved sun shirt. These made it a lot more comfortable under the hot sun.

Great fishing location / pods of dolphins; yellow fin tunas jumping/ many sailfish/ some blue mains / lots of mahi mahi

Book close in short trips to catch fish to eat, and book day long trips to go out 20 miles for sailfish.

Not many fish around this December. As the captain said “ you should have been here in November “