PURA VIDA from Costa Rica!!! Part 1

[Fish Tank]

Well guys, I finally tied the knot at the end of May and less than 48 hours after we said "I do", my bride an I were on a flight to Guanacaste, Costa Rica for our honeymoon.

When we got to the resort, we had no cell service and very limited wifi so I was a little freaked out that we lost connection to the outside world. Then I got to thinking, this could only leave more time to do the things newlyweds should be doing on their honeymoon... FISHING!

I became fast friends with one of the bartenders and asked him if he had someone to recommend for a charter. He made a quick phone call and put me on the phone with his friend, Capt. Luis. I asked a lot of questions and he made me feel very comfortable with his knowledge of the waters, so I decided to book a halfday trip with him the next morning.

At 6am, Rosanne and I met Capt. Luis, his mate, Elber, and our friend from the bar, Roque. We headed out in his 26" panga and made our way to the fishing grounds. There were tons of birds and fish splashing all over and we thought they might have been yellowfin, but as we got closer, it was just a huge school of porpoises. Had to be over 300 of em and definitely made for a good show, but we were out to catch fish. With all the bait in the water, we set out on the troll and landed a few chicken mahi, some skip jacks and needle fish in pretty steady order. Then all of a sudden, one of the rods started to scream. I set the hook and battled this beast for almost 20 mins until finally Elber stuck the gaff in a beautiful 50lb wahoo! You're probably thinking that's not too bad for a half day trip, but it gets better...

We stuck in out in the same area for another hour or so picking up another mahi and 2 skip jacks, and then we decided to head to the barn as it was getting late. The capt. decided to leave 2 of the lures in the water as we headed back and I'm glad he did. Minutes later, the other rod went off and I handed it to Rosanne. She fought the fish for about 5 mins before begging me to take over, so naturally I obliged I knew this was a bigger fish so I was prepared to take my time, but then it ran right for the boat. I turned that handle as fast as possible to pick up the slack and it finally came tight again. I thought for sure he was a goner. One last run and the battle was over. 65lb WAHOO!!! PURA VIDA!!

All in all, it was a great day spending it with my favorite fishing partner and an awsome capt. and crew. The only thing that comes close would be eating the fish afterwards. Here are a few pics...enjoy!

~Capt. Kevin

[Fish Tank]

couple more pics

[BOOMER43]

Nice! Congrats Kev looks like you and wifey had a great time.

[bolt]

vnice...ty for sharing wish I was there..gj on getting it to the hook...

[Phish On]

I fished that same area 2 summers ago. It was fantastic. Similar experience to yours. We spent a full day. 6 Wahoo, 4 dolphin, rooster fish, skip jack, mackeral, 2 yellowfin. Just my two boys and myself.

Congrats on the wedding and glad you had a great experience!

[MVP]

Great report Kevin.
Congrats on the 2 catches of a liftetime

[jigemup]

Looks like Ro out fished you again.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Congrats to you and your bride Kevin and great report...

My wife and I spent 2 weeks there for our 25th Anniversary a few years ago. We fished on a 1/2 charter out of Quepos and jumped 5 Pacific Sails in 2 hours.. Great fishing there and lots of other stuff to do too

[Fishin Dude]

Nice trip, great fish, cool photos. Fished there last year, went past that same Monkey Head Rock.

[Fish Tank]

Thanks for the kind words and best wishes, guys. Yes, Henry, she out fished me again as usual

I'm in the process of posting the report from our second trip right now so stay tuned...