The Day We Nearly Stayed Ashore: Tuna, Sailfish and Roosterfish in Costa Rica
It all started with the photographs. Several tuna, a sailfish alongside the boat, a magnificent roosterfish with its unmistakable dorsal fin, and a group of exhausted, soaked, but clearly very happy anglers. It was only when Petr told me what had happened before those photographs were taken that the day gained a completely different meaning. It was not simply about the number of fish or several exceptional catches. The real story was that, earlier that morning, nobody even knew whether they would be able to launch the boat.
The best fishing days do not always begin with calm seas, blue skies and a perfect forecast. Sometimes they begin beneath heavy clouds, in tropical rain, with everyone wondering whether turning around and heading home might be the wiser decision. That was exactly how this day began on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
Arriving in Malpaís beneath a black sky
Petr and the group set off early in the morning. The sun was still shining at Beach Resort Playa Leona, and there was little to suggest that the original plan might have to change. As they continued through Paquera and Tambor towards Cóbano, however, the weather began to close in quickly. The clouds grew heavier, the daylight faded and by the time they reached Cóbano, it was already raining. When they finally descended towards the coast at Malpaís, the rain had temporarily stopped, but the sky above the Pacific was so dark that the morning felt more like late evening. To one side, another solid curtain of rain could clearly be seen sweeping across the ocean.
For a while, everyone stood on the beach discussing whether launching the boat made any sense at all. The captain eventually decided that they could go, but the original plan had to change. There would be no long offshore run in search of large tuna. Instead, the boat would remain closer to the coast, allowing the crew to return quickly if the weather deteriorated again. Moments like these show exactly why the experience of a local captain matters. The aim is not to head out at any cost, but to read the sea, adapt the plan and understand where adventure ends and unnecessary risk begins.
The first half hour made everyone want to turn back
From the beach, the sea had not looked particularly dramatic. Once the boat moved beyond the shore, however, the situation changed quickly. Waves began breaking over the bow, water ran across the deck and the crew was hit by intense tropical rain. Within minutes, everyone was completely soaked, and the first half hour was certainly not the kind of experience anyone would choose to advertise as a relaxing fishing holiday.
At one point, returning to shore became a serious possibility. Then the weather slowly began to change. The rain weakened, the worst of the cloud moved on and the sea finally allowed the crew to start fishing properly. The rods went into their holders, the lures began working behind the boat and the trolling spread was set. With the first bites, the mood of the entire trip changed almost immediately.
Tuna — and the fish everyone believed was another tuna
The first fish arrived fairly quickly. Tuna began striking one after another, and four of them took one of the smaller SAF lures. Days like this are the most valuable real-world tests of fishing equipment. This is not about watching a lure move in a tank or repeating claims from a catalogue. The lure is working behind a boat in the real Pacific Ocean, in waves and rain, among active marine predators. Only there can you truly see whether it performs exactly as intended.
Several tuna were already aboard when another powerful strike came. The fish took the lure and headed directly into deeper water. Judging by the way it fought, everyone was convinced that this time they had hooked a larger tuna. It stayed deep, refused to show itself and used its strength against both the angler and the entire setup. Fonda leaned into the rod and steadily recovered line metre by metre. For almost twenty minutes, nobody had any reason to question what was on the other end.
Then the fish appeared above the surface for the first time, and the entire situation changed. It was not a tuna. It was a sailfish. The fish that had spent the first part of the fight deep beneath the boat suddenly began jumping, changing direction and showing the speed and elegance that make sailfish one of the most sought-after sport fish in the world.
A sailfish on a small SAF lure
Fonda handled the fight well, and the crew eventually managed to bring the sailfish safely alongside the boat. For the anglers, it was an unforgettable experience, with one particularly satisfying detail for SAF: the sailfish had taken the same type of smaller lure that had already produced several tuna. Naturally, this does not mean that any particular lure can guarantee a sailfish on every trip. It does show, however, that the right profile, action and carefully prepared rig can appeal to several different pelagic predators.
A few quick photographs were taken beside the boat before the sailfish was released back into the Pacific. With fish like this, there is no need to carry the catch ashore for the experience to have real value. The fight, the first leap and the sight of the fish beside the boat will remain in the anglers’ memories far longer than any trophy hanging on a wall.
There were enough tuna. It was time to change the plan
The crew continued trolling for a little longer after the sailfish. The tuna were still active, and they could probably have caught considerably more. There were already enough fish, however, so instead of simply increasing the number of catches, the crew changed techniques and began fishing near the bottom. The target was grouper — a powerful fish that knows exactly where to find rocks, ledges and underwater shelter.
The first strike came after roughly five minutes. Petr took the rod and immediately knew that there was nothing small at the other end. For around fifteen minutes, he fought something that remained deep and refused to reveal itself. Eventually, the fish reached the rocks or an underwater cavity. The line rubbed across a sharp edge, and the outcome was decided. The fish broke free, and almost thirty metres of badly damaged line had to be cut away.
Moments like that hurt. You feel a fish through the rod that might be the catch of a lifetime, fight it for fifteen minutes and never even see it. But there is little time for regret at sea. A new rig was prepared, and a whole dead baitfish — a small black tuna measuring approximately twenty-five centimetres — was sent towards the bottom. Several minutes passed before another violent strike came.
When the rooster’s comb appeared at the surface
This time, Láďa took the rod. The fish remained deep, and once again nobody knew what had taken the bait. The fight lasted approximately twenty minutes. Láďa recovered line metre by metre while everyone aboard waited for the first glimpse beneath the surface. When the fish finally came closer, the first thing they saw was not its head or body. Long rays from the dorsal fin appeared above the water, resembling the comb of a rooster.
At that moment, there was no longer any doubt. It was a roosterfish, locally known as pez gallo — and a very large one. The final metres are often the most dangerous part of fighting a fish like this. After a long battle, the catch is almost within reach, but one powerful run, an unexpected movement of the boat or a brief loss of tension can end the entire story with an empty line.
This time, everything went right. The crew managed to bring a magnificent roosterfish alongside the boat, with an estimated weight of around twenty kilograms. Its unmistakable dorsal fin, powerful body and the strength it had shown throughout the fight made it one of the highlights of the entire day. There were already enough fish aboard, so there was no reason to keep such an exceptional sporting catch. After a few photographs, the roosterfish was released and disappeared back into the Pacific.
A storm in the morning, sunshine on the way home
The weather that had almost cancelled the trip gradually improved throughout the day. The heavy cloud began to break, the rain disappeared and the boat returned towards the coast in sunshine. That morning, everyone had been soaked and seriously considering whether to abandon the trip. By the afternoon, they were returning with tuna, the memory of a sailfish, the story of a powerful fish lost in the rocks and photographs of a roosterfish weighing close to twenty kilograms.
It was a complete fishing day in every sense. It was not perfectly planned, comfortable or predictable, but that was precisely what made it so powerful. Nobody could have criticised the crew if they had turned back during the first half hour. This does not mean that poor weather should be ignored or that risks should be taken for the sake of catching fish. The trip could continue because the captain assessed the conditions, changed the original plan and kept the boat within a safe distance of the coastline.
This is real sea fishing. It is not a pre-written scenario in which a particular fish appears at an appointed time. It is about reacting to the conditions, adapting the technique, accepting a lost battle and remaining ready for the next strike.
The Costa Rica we want to show
Days like this are exactly why we did not want to add Costa Rica to the SAF range as simply another exotic destination with attractive photographs. We want to show real fishing. The days when everything works, as well as the moments when a powerful fish reaches the rocks. Equipment tested directly in the Pacific, local captains who understand the water and can adapt each trip to the weather and fish activity, and a reliable base from which a genuine fishing adventure can be organised.
Nobody can promise a sailfish, tuna or roosterfish on demand. What can be prepared are the conditions in which such a story has the chance to happen: suitable equipment, an experienced crew, local knowledge and a programme adapted to the individual group and the conditions at sea. After that, the Pacific makes the final decision.
Would you like to experience fishing in Costa Rica yourself?
Our Costa Rica programme combines organised fishing trips with local support, trusted captains and the option to create an itinerary around the needs of each individual group. You can travel primarily for the fishing, or combine your time on the water with relaxation, excursions and discovering more of Costa Rica.