Costa Rica Fish ID

[Jlavine]

I caught this on a spoon (top water skipping) off the rocks of Costa Rica's west coast. No one here says they have seen it before or know what it is. It's eyes, scales and meat look like a mullet. Can someone help ID. Thanks!

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac350/jefflavine/IMG_5645_zpsgujej5wz.jpg (http://s914.photobucket.com/user/jefflavine/media/IMG_5645_zpsgujej5wz.jpg.html)

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac350/jefflavine/IMG_5644_zpsnogmhd0y.jpg (http://s914.photobucket.com/user/jefflavine/media/IMG_5644_zpsnogmhd0y.jpg.html)

[Gerry Zagorski]

Not sure what it is but looks like a big Mullet.

[Capt Joe]

maybe Pacific variety of this?

http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=ladyfish&v_t=keyword_rollover&b=image%3Fq%3Dladyfish%26s_it%3Dkeyword_rollover%2 6ie%3DUTF-8%26VR%3D3430%26oreq%3Dca020e98c2a54f7496d0fa37dae 856a8&img=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lagooner.com%2Ffish-species%2Fimages%2Ftarplady.jpg&host=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lagooner.com%2Ffish-species%2Findex.php%3Fspecies_id%3D7&width=263&height=85&thumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcQ-Eqw-2mQfY4W_bwmlmW2cLHpDJBZWAEOCVW5Vyp5vFQM3U5nbBtDtcg 4&imgWidth=353&imgHeight=114&imgSize=8517&imgTitle=ladyfish

[Capt Joe]

or:

http://betterknowafish.com/2013/10/27/machete-elops-affinis/

[Gerry Zagorski]

Just got this in my email


Hope it's been a good fishing day. I noticed you linking to my ladyfish/machete blogpost today on NJ Fishing.

I took a look at the guy's photos. My guess is that it is a milkfish (Chanos chanos), not a machete.

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/80
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkfish


Milkfish is one of the most important food species in the world, farmed to a great extent in Asia (in U.S. frequently found in Asian supermarkets). It is also found in the Eastern Pacific.


Hope that helps! Thanks for linking to the blog!


Cheers,
Ben Landis




--
Ben Young Landis
writer/creator

[Capt Joe]

"Milkfish" could be it!!! Most unusual catch!!!!!:)

[Jlavine]

Yup, milkfish it is! It put up an amazing fight, 20 minutes. I have my Okuma travel rod with 20 braid and 20 flouro. It really ran me around the rocks! most of the time I actually thought it was a mahi mahi that came in close as it jumped a lot and had the same large forked tail. As it got closer it looked like an amberjack. My mind was certainly racing.

It been a good trip so far. Came to a hotel for just some R&R with the in-laws. Hotel Punta Islita. I'm on the rocks by 6am and meet them for breakfast at 8am. Yesterday I was out there with a man from CA flying fishing. He'd also been coming out in the morning and mostly got small permit. Today I had a large parrot fish on a spoon and some small grouper. Yesterday got slammed by a permit but got off. I'll post tomorrow if something new comes in.

[Jlavine]

Also went kayaking in the river today that leads into the ocean. Kicked myself (and my wife....) (not literally) for not bringing my rod. The guide said this mouth and area we tested in was the best snook spot in the area. As we kayaked, I could see large snappers in the mangroves.

Lesson: Never leave your rod at home!!!!

[thefishermanmechanic]

Filipinos call them Bangus, and and eat them fried whole, they are very good to eat, hope you enjoyed it!

[Dino]

milkfish

[Jlavine]

Had the kitchen cook up the milkfish for lunch yesterday. It was very tasty meat, though a little tough and very very bony. This was in part due to the preparation and cooking and part to the inherit bonyness of the fish.

Went to the mouth of a river today to try for some rumored big snook. Had to head out with some other fishermen (hotel guests) early since they also had a flight to catch. We hit the area probably 2 hrs early for the ideal tide conditions. I got a tiny jack and 12-18" juvenile snook. Looked like a perfect spot, but the tide and conditions just weren't right at the time.

I'll be hitting the ocean rocks tomorrow morning and will post again. Thanks!

[Jlavine]

Well, hit the rocks this morning. Second cast, my reel breaks. Has never happened before and of course when your on vacation.

The bail mechanism won't close and therefore can not reel in under tension. I will try to fix it tonight.

Anyone have a local NJ or NY recommended reel repair store? It's a Penn Battle.

[shrimpman steve]

The reel seat

They service all my reels.