The summer marlin bite has started with marlin making a show almost everyday. Most are in the 150 to 400 lb range.

I could go on for the whole column about Tom Rozanski and Gary Ryan’s grand slam when they took a marlin, sail, dorado and tuna the same day, or how Tony Vastano clobbered the sails and took a nice marlin. “Honeymooners” of 16 years John and Shelly Murray had a bang up day when they went six for ten on sails and landed a nice marlin also.

What really got me excited this month though was the young anglers. Ten year old Meagan Weems had a bout of motion sickness and swore off fishing forever. After a little coaxing I got her to agree to try my wife’s preventive treatment and give it another try. She made it through the day and found out just how hard yellow fin tuna pull.

Josie Slaughter was another who wasn’t so sure about fishing. Her dad Kevin arranges fishing and hunting trips all over the world for clients. She didn’t let a little rain dampen her day when she took a really nice dorado.

Jimmy Heuring and Teddy Smoyer came down with their parents as a graduation present. Fishing against their fathers they got more roosterfish and stuck the hook in a 40 lb snook that stopped everyone's heart for a second before it escaped.

Sixteen year old Jeffery Adams caught by far what is the biggest rock snapper I have seen. The fish weighed just a hair under 17 lbs and took 15 minutes to land. At one point the fish was buried in the rocks but Jeffery managed to work the fish out of the structure. Pending verification from the IGFA Jeffery will be in the record book for the largest all tackle catch for Barred Pargo, the fish’s official name.

Another on break from school is University of France student Zoe Gerard who is doing a study in conjunction with the University of Costa Rica of the different aspects of fishing in Costa Rica from commercial to sport fishing. Here she gets a close up look at Istiophorus playtpterus

 

Todd Staley,
Fishing Director
Crocodile Bay Lodge
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica