Looking for that pot of gold? - 2018

Happy New Year! That's another journey round the sun over and done with for now. I hope you enjoyed your fishing in 2017 and managed to achieve the targets you set yourself and find the fish of your dreams......and if you didn't then there's always this year to have another go.

Whatever you're fishing for, big or small, freshwater or salt - Enjoy it! Tight lines :) 

Autumn Perch Fishing - 2017

Autumn wouldn't be autumn without some Perch fishing. There's no other fish in freshwater that is more closely associated with the drawing in of the days and the falling of the leaves to me. If you can feel that nip in the air then it's a dead cert that the perch can feel the same. It sharpens their appetite and they can't resist the urge to feed hard in readiness for the approaching winter.

I've never caught a really big perch. My PB stands at a modest 2lb 12oz and has done for quite some time. They are really very impressive creatures when they get big. The easy thing to do would be to head to one of the plentiful commercial fisheries and target the 'known' big fish that reside within. I've tried a few times in the past but the commercials just don't feel right, they takes the mystery out of it for me.

I prefer the larger more 'natural' types of venues, quarries, pits and rivers for my perch fishing these days and if the water is clear then all the better. The clear water brings out their markings much better than a muddy hole in the ground. The perch probably wont get as big as those found in the commercials but what they lack in size they make up for with their stunning, bold markings. Such handsome fish!

I found a water to try this autumn and it had all the right qualities that a good perch water needs. Most importantly there were huge numbers of silver fish providing a plentiful food source and no pike present meaning the Perch were top of the food chain.

I tried fishing it with small lures first at the tail end of the summer to see if there were any follows but the water seemed devoid of life. Other than one small micro-perch chasing my small lure down, it didn't look too good.

With this in mind, I decided to start with livebaits, I figured that if there were any bigger fish present then this would be the best way to try and pick them out. On my first session I was fishing maggots on a pole down the edge catching 3 inch roach for baits when a big fish was hooked. It rolled after a few seconds and revealed itself as a perch well over 2 lbs, sadly the 2.5lb line on my float rig parted on a lilly stem. At least I knew there were some better specimens in there!

Once my livies were all sorted, I rigged up my avon rod with a float-paternoster rig and got to work. I anchored my the baits just next to a large bed of lillies that was beginning to die back for the year. Loose feeding maggots regularly did the trick and within an hour the float sailed away......a lovely perch that went 2lb 2oz on the scales.

It was a good start. Conditions were perfect that day with a steady, gentle breeze and low light conditions. The perch fed hard all day and by the time it was dark I'd had 6 to a best of 2lb 6oz. Not bad I thought for a first attempt, surely there must be bigger in there.

With life being so busy, I only got to fish the venue one more time before the year was out. I managed a further 4 on the second attempt but none bigger than the 2lb 6oz fish from the first session. As I write this now, I'm currently sat in a backpackers hostel in Nicaragua acclimatising and getting over the jetlag before commencing 7 weeks of fishing and exploring through Central America, so that's it for the perch for now. I'll definitely try that venue again next autumn though......there has to be a 3lb'er in there somewhere 😉

CLICK ABOVE TO WATCH VIDEO FOOTAGE OF PERCH RELEASE IN CLEAR WATER

Autumn Bass Fishing 2017

Best of the autumn just shy of 7lb

I've always enjoyed fishing for bass, they are just awesome fish. In recent years, I've mostly concentrated on fishing for them with lures and flies when the water has a bit of visibility and the Sussex pea soup eases off a little. Most often from a boat too.

This year I decided to dust off the bait rod, slip into my waders and get back in the surf after them. It was one of the best decisions I made. I've enjoyed my autumnal fishing so much and really got the bass bug back.......so much so that I thought of little else between September and early December. They'll do that to you will the bass.

When the wind's howling and the surf is up there really is no better place to be than on a windswept beach soaking a big bait. I didn't realise how much I'd missed it, there's just something about it. The last time I dedicated some serious time to fishing the surf for bass was back in 2009/10 and 11 which culminated in a night where I manged an 8lb fish and a double in consecutive casts. After that I took a break from it all. I figured my work was done.

But here I am scratching the itch once again.....and thoroughly enjoying it. The pounding waves, the spray in your face, the solitude of it all. I love it. It's not for everyone, that much is true, but it's exhilarating being out there in the elements. Makes you feel alive.

Big squid and mackerel baits fished literally under my feet, no more than 15 yards out are all that's required. A small bucket with a few bits of end tackle, your bait and essentials makes for nice, simple fishing. I do enjoy fishing with the minimum of gear. It's always ready to go too, the buckets in the garage and the bait in the freezer. It's easy to head out after dinner of an evening if conditions are right.

It's meditative in the way you're feeling for the bites, poised, concentrating, waiting for that pull with a clear mind.....and when it comes, it's electric. Wham! There's no feeling like it.

The fish don't need to be big either. Once they're over 3 pounds they start to get interesting and don't really deserve to be called 'schoolies' any more. There's always the chance of a proper beast turning up too, that's what keeps me coming back for more.

I was fortunate catching a good number of fish this autumn, to a best just shy of 7 lbs. But it's not about the sizes.....It's about getting out there and doing it, experiencing the moments and immersing yourself in the natural world. The tug is the drug!

Come on and do the Conger - December 2017

With the cod fishing being so poor, we’ve been looking at alternative options to get a bend in the rod in the latter part of the year. Steve at Brigand Charters had been trying out a few new wrecks prospecting for conger and had been very pleasantly surprised by the hectic sport that was found on occasions.  This was something I really wanted to have a go at. They grow big, fight hard and look mean – right up my street then.

Being an all-rounder, fishing freshwater and saltwater too means there’s always something that I’ve not yet tried or a species I’ve yet to catch. Conger Eels are one such species that I’d just never got around to having a go at. With that in mind, I booked myself in with ‘Brigand Charters’ for one of their dedicated conger trips on a suitable tide in early December.

Angler Rob - latches into a big conger

The weather was atrocious leading up to the trip and I had written it off to be honest. With 40 mph winds it didn’t look good and then out of nowhere the forecast changed and it was looking 50/50 according to Skipper Steve. Amazingly, that evening the call came and I was informed we had the green light. We were going.

Rather than use traditional conger tackle I decided to take along a heavy jigging rod that I use on my tropical travels and an 8000 sized Penn fixed spool reel loaded with 50lb braid. I prefer this kind of tackle to conventional multipliers and I’ve boated tuna over 100 lb on this set-up. I had no worries about giving the eels some serious stick to get them away from the wreck should I be lucky enough to hook one.

FishyRob was on board that day jigging up Pollack as we fished for the eels.

The first wreck we tried was no good, the eels weren’t at home. We tried another one and things improved quickly here. Within 10 minutes of getting our baits down the bites started to come. There were a couple of dropped eels at the back of the boat and then my rod tip started to go. I gave a little line, waited for it to tap again, wound down until I felt some weight and then slammed the hook home.

There was a dead weight on the end of the line, so I pumped it hard and away from the wreck a good few times before the eel woke up and realised what was happening. Then the crash dives started and the fish used huge amounts of strength in its bid to get back to the wreck and cut me off. I was amazed at the power it had, my jigging rod hadn’t taken on a curve like that since I was out on Ascension Island!

Tense moments as the eel comes alongside

It wasn’t long before my sturdy tackle did its job and the eel was spinning on the surface, 40 feet downtide of the boat.  I brought it alongside and Skipper Steve slid it through the door on to the rear deck. He used a T-bar to unhook the eel easily and after a few quick photos I slid the fish back. What an amazing experience it was. Easily the strongest fish I have caught in UK waters, I will be trying for a much bigger specimen next year.

Later in the day, the eels revealed their true power when not one, but two rods of my fellow anglers were broken by big fish. I’m glad I went along with the big guns. If there’s any weakness in your tackle, then a big eel is going to find it. These fish need to be respected and fished for accordingly, that’s for sure!

Brill - October 2017

The Brill is one species that has fascinated me for some time. Like all the flat fish native to our seas, I find them rather interesting creatures. I have made a few trips out to the offshore banks off of Sussex in the last couple of years but never managed to catch one! I had been lucky with turbot and rays but a nice brill had always managed to avoid my hooks...........Until now!

I got a call from Steve at Brigand Charters in late October saying there was a weather window approaching and that he was doing his last run out to the banks for the year. I shifted my work schedule around and made the time available. It had to be done, the conditions were looking good. A perfect little slice of high pressure wedged between some big lows. Last chance saloon on the banks….could I find my Brill?

The weather on the day was more like August than late October, it was perfect. Flat seas, clear skies and warm sunshine. It was a pleasure to be out and we had a great crew on board. We made many drifts that day and the fishing was steady enough with some nice turbot coming up, some greater weever, gurnard and small rays. It was more than enough to keep everyone interested.

It’s a real lottery out there, you never know what’s going to get caught. I got a typical flattie bite and gave a little line to allow the fish to get a good hold of the mackerel bait before steadily winding down and lifting into the fish. It felt like a nice one and we were all debating what it might be as I gingerly wound it up through the depths. I explained to Steve the skipper that I’d never caught a Brill before and was hopeful that this may be my chance.

It was my lucky day. A fine, bin lid of a Brill came into sight and made a couple of final, heart stopping lunges for freedom before sliding into the net. It’s nice when a plan comes together and to achieve my target on the final ‘banks’ trip of the year was the icing on the cake. Another one ticked off the list.

Slow jigging on the wrecks - September 2017

CLICK ABOVE TO START THE VIDEO CLIP

This year has seen me pursue the whole 'Slow Jigging' phenomenon with a little more interest. It's something I've been doing overseas for a while but had never really applied to my UK fishing. It's hard not to have noticed this new trend as it has been promoted pretty heavily by various brands on the UK tackle market. And for good reason......

The use of ultra fine modern lines and metal jigs with appropriate 'slow pitch' rods really is a pleasure. It enables the angler to fish direct to the lure in depths that were previously only ever tackled with heavy gear, pirks and flying collars. It's a revelation and surely the future of lure fishing from a boat in many ways. It's so much more sporting....

I've been messing around with small jigs when out drifting the wrecks just off of Brighton with my mate, Paul. The technique proves very effective and on the day in the video, out-fished the 'Fish-minnows' Paul was using quite considerably. They're usually very effective lures themselves as it is! The jigs provided a good variety of species too, with pout, bass and codling coming aboard.

I've even tried for the whiting with them too as you see from the picture below. Drifting across sandy areas and bouncing the slow jigs off the bottom has produced some stunning whiting sport over the autumn months. And some rather nice specimens too.......the light jigging tackle gave the whiting a chance to show off their fighting prowess. It was great fun catching them....which is not something you hear said every day about whiting! Give it a try!

Enjoy the video clip.....

A cracking whiting nailed on a slow jig

Mackerel on the fly and Sole after dark - Aug/Sep 2017

It's always fun catching mackerel! Not only are they great to eat but they provide fantastic sport on the right tackle too. My favourite way of catching them when conditions allow is on the fly. There were some perfect days in late August with glassy seas and clear water. When it's like this I enjoy getting on the shingle just before first light and fishing for an hour and a half before work.

It's all about the change of light. As soon as it creeps in to the east the mackerel often head right in to the shingle, herding shoals of fry up against the bank. It's a fantastic spectacle to watch and chasing the shoals along the beach with a fly rod is tough to beat in my opinion. It usually over as quickly as it starts though, once it gets fairly bright the shoals retreat back in to deeper water. I usually find a few scad and schoolie bass mixed in with them, even once caught a flounder doing this. Great fun.

Sole are another species I like to have a go for at about this time of year. They're tricky customers at the best of times but following a few simple little tricks certainly ups your chances of finding a few. Now as much as I'm a conservation minded angler, I do fish for the pot too. It is possible to do both believe it or not. I managed to catch 2 this year and they made for the most fantastic fish supper. In my opinion, dover sole is about as good as it gets in the culinary world with regard to our UK fish stocks.

As for those 'little tricks' then I always fish after dark, ideally just after it's all settling down after an autumnal blow.....reasonably calm with good colour to the water. Small hooks are essential and I favour a size 2 loaded with lug ideally, but rag will suffice. Pinning the rig down to the sea bed by using a small back-lead or split shot on the snoods all helps. This is the soles domain after all.

I find sitting on your hands essential when sole fishing, the bites are a funny affair. The first indication is usually a few twitches and nods as the sole starts sucking on the bait, there's no mistaking when they take it down and hook themselves though....the rod usually lurches right over! They're amazingly strong and muscular, a most interesting and curious fish. I love 'em!

August - not the best month for fishing?

The stunning Pembrokeshire Coastline

August is a bit of a funny month for the fishing. Everything in the aquatic world seems to get a little stale. With the high water temperatures the fish seem to get a little lethargic and sport slows. Well that's my excuse anyway!

Wrasse from the rocks in Wales

I didn't have a great month fishing- wise, in part because I was working solidly and also had 2 weeks away, leaving very little time to actually indulge in any fishing at all.

Best of the bunch

I managed a few short sessions here and there though. I blanked at Selsey Bill fishing for bass and hounds, lost a big sea trout in my local estuary and blanked twice when out looking for mullet...they just haven't been around this year. Very worrying indeed...my feelings are that the netsmen have had them all. So I didn't have a lot of luck really!

My modest Undulate Ray...it's a start

The only success I did have was catching a small undulate ray from the beach at Shoreham one night and a few wrasse whilst away on holiday in Wales. The Ray was a significant catch as it broke my little spell of blanks, so I was happy about that. It's one of my saltwater targets for the year, a double figure specimen is what I'm looking for. They seem to be making a comeback these days.

Roll on September!!

A couple of nights at Linear Fisheries - July 2017

Hardwick Lake at Linear fisheries

I had arranged to meet up with Chris Summers from Masterline Walker at Linear fisheries in Oxfordshire. The plan was to spend a couple of nights fishing and have a bit of a social really. There's a large number of gravel pits on the site and plenty of specimen fish to go for. It's predominantly known for the large number of carp that reside in its waters and this is the draw for the majority of anglers that bivvy up on the banks.

In all honesty, I was much more interested in the other species present as some of the pits are rumoured to hold some huge bream, tench and roach. I wouldn't be complaining if a large carp happened to pick up my bait though!

We decided to start on Hardwick lake which is one of the bigger waters and had a walk round first. There were large numbers of carp topping out on the end of the new north wind that was blowing, so we chose to set up on a point with the wind in our faces. It all looked rather promising!.

Look at the tail on that Tench!

It proved to be very tricky fishing however. The water was crystal clear and full of weed, it was impossible to find a clear spot to present a bait to. We decided to fish solid PVA bags to overcome this problem, using either plastic corn or small boilies and pop ups as bait.

As the day wore on, it was looking bad. Neither of us could buy a bite, despite watching some very big fish crashing out all around us and over our baits. No one on the lake seemed to be catching much. Our alarms did not sound at all during the night. Not good......Once we'd had our breakfast we packed up and loaded the cars and went to have a look at the other lakes. It was time for a move!

Oxlease Lake at Linear Fisheries

The complex had become very busy and the only lake that had a reasonable amount of space was Oxlease. We had a wander round and opted to set up together in the double disabled swim which was nice and sociable and offered plenty of water in front to fish.

There was far less weed on this lake and we were altogether more optimistic as we got the gear out again. I started fishing the feeder and managed to get in to some roach, just small ones though....but at least I was catching! Chris got the carp gear out and got to work too. About 2 hours in, he had his first run.....but sadly the hook pulled! At least things were looking up. The sun then unfortunately came out fiercely and killed sport until the evening.

As the temperature cooled we set our traps and settled in for the evening with a couple of beers and a Chinese take-away. It was a lovely warm evening and around an hour after dark my left hand rod rattled off. It was a male tench around 5lb in size, a promising start. Then I had another one of a similar size that dropped off right in front of the net!

There were a few aborted takes during the night but nothing else graced our nets. Come early morning the rain started and Chris had a run....this was the carp he had been waiting for. A nice mid-double common for his efforts. The weather was much more carpy now!

Chris Summers and his mid-double common carp

Once the rain had stopped after lunch we started to pack up to make our respective journeys home. Literally right on last knockings, the bobbin on Chris's right hand rod jumped a little and he instinctively struck....to find some solid resistance! This seemed to be a much better fish and once in front of us there were a few tense moments as the big lump tried to bury itself in the marginal weed.

It was a chunk of a mirror and when finally coerced into the net we were quite surprised at the sheer bulk of it. Just over 30lb it went on the scales, much to Chris's delight. It was his second biggest carp ever...good things come to those that wait it seems. Well done mate!

Chris Summers and his 30lb Mirror Carp

It was an interesting session and I can see the appeal this vast complex holds for many, for me it was just a little too busy for my liking. I could see myself targeting the big roach there during the winter when it's quiet though. For Chris and I next time, I think we'll head to running water instead, seeking the unknown....

CLICK BELOW FOR VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE STUNNING 30LB MIRROR

The Roosterfish and Sailfish Challenge - Costa Rica, December 2016

Those of you that watched 'The Big Fish' show on the BBC will be well aware that during the Costa Rican leg of the competition, myself and the other contestants were set the task of catching a Sailfish. Things didn't exactly go to plan as the Sailfish hadn't read the script. Over two days filming, only one was caught by my fellow contestant Dan. I narrowly missed out on one.

This winter just gone, I got the chance to have another crack at them as my wife and I were volunteering in Panama for a couple of months. It made sense to stop in Costa Rica for a few days on our way down there and see if I could come face to face with one.

Shimano Tiagra - Big Game Workhorse!

I wanted to return to the same lodge the BBC took us to but a little digging around revealed it was way out of my price range. After a bit more searching online I discovered 'Jackpot Sport Fishing', based on the Central Pacific coast in the town of Quepos. What stood out about these guys was that they are owned and run by a British fella – Benn Gilmour. His is the the only British owned and run charter business in the country.

Quepos - nestled up against the Costa Rican rainforest - Lush!

Benn and his family sold up everything and moved to Costa Rica back in 2015 to set up their business. They bought a 31ft Sportfisher boat named 'Good Day' from which to pursue the many species, inshore and offshore, that the country is famous for. Benn's team on board includes 'Captain Manuel' who has 30 years experience fishing out of Marina Pez Vela in Quepos with 12 of those on 'Good Day' itself. By his side is Yoxan, his son, who is an extraordinary deck-hand. I really liked the idea of a father and son team working together.

Captain Manuel - A lifetime fishing the waters off Quepos

I got in touch with Benn and we bounced a few emails back and forth. He seemed just the man for the job, making everything straightforward, so I booked in two days in mid-December to fish with him. The plan was to spend one day offshore after the Sailfish and the next day inshore after Roosterfish, Cubera Snapper and the like. With the high season for Sailfish being November through April, Benn assured me we stood a good chance of catching one.....which was just what I wanted to hear!

The more I spoke with Benn the more excited I got, he was passionate and enthusiastic about his fishing. His online catch reports were very impressive too. He and his team were consistently catching some fine fish, I knew I'd picked the right guys. They seemed keen, eager to please their customers and their results spoke for themselves.

Offshore, they work up to the 40 mile range and target Wahoo, Tuna, Marlin, Dorado, Sailfish, Amberjack and Grouper. Inshore, the list of species is mind boggling. The big draw are the Roosterfish but there's also Snook, Grouper, Jacks, Sierra Mackerel, Bluefin Trevally, Tripletails, Corvina, Cubera, Milkfish, Pompano and various Snapper species including the Cubera, Red, Yellow and Mullet to name a few. Then you have to decide how you're going to catch all these incredible species. With gear on board to cover trolling, jigging, popping, lures, livebaiting, fly and bottom fishing you really are spoilt for choice!

A sailfish fly...pink is THE hot colour!

When my wife and I arrived in Costa Rica, it was just at the tail end of some particularly out of season rain that hung around after hurricane Otto. It wasn't looking too clever, but as we made our way down to the coast it fizzled out and some nicer weather moved in, just in time for the fishing. We met with Benn and his family for dinner on our second evening in Quepos and hit it off right away. Plans were made and targets were set. If we could pull it off and get the Sailfish on day one and then a nice Rooster inshore the following day, I'd be one very happy chap. The challenge was on!

Yoxan, the deckhand rigs up a ballyhoo bait

As my first fishing day dawned, it was grey and overcast. Benn picked me up at 6.30am sharp and we made our way down to the modern and well equipped Marina Pez Vela. I was very impressed with 'Good Day', she was immaculately kept. Captain Manuel and Yoxan had been busy preparing everything on board well before I arrived. After introductions and hand shakes, Manuel steered her out of the marina on to the open sea and gunned the engines for our steam out to the fishing grounds.

As we edged ever further offshore, the weather cleared and we soon had the tropical sun beating down on us. We discussed techniques and the drill for if and when we connect with a fish. In a big game fishing situation like this, it's all about teamwork. Our spread consisted of teasers without hooks and trolled ballyhoo deadbaits with rubber skirts. In the boat, the fly rod was ready to go in case we had the chance to tease a Sailfish close enough for a shot. Anything is possible in this situation and it pays to be well prepared. As much as we hoped for a Sailfish, there was every chance we might find Tuna, Dorado or even a Marlin out there.

Benn Gilmour with one of his favourite Sailfish lures

The anticipation was intense as we approached the fishing grounds. A nice Sailfish breached nearby which gave me great confidence, they were in the area. Once the lines were set, all eyes were on the water behind us with Captain Manuel having the best view from up in the tower. To my surprise, not more than 20 minutes after we started fishing, the trolled ballyhoo bait to my left was away. The reel started screaming and Manuel was shouting 'Sail, Sail, Sail' from the tower. It was all happening!

The clutch was engaged and with it the circle hook driven home. At this point, a magnificent Sailfish, all lit up in blues and purples, started to leap and tail-walk behind the boat in it's bid to shake the hook. It was an incredible sight and the reel was literally fizzing as Benn and Yoxan cleared the other lines and teasers. With these out of the way, I had space to get to work on the fish and the fight began properly.

Once the first run was over, I was able to gain some line back by steadily pumping and winding. It was an immense weight on the end and I was willing it to stay attached. To be honest, I was rather shocked at just how quickly it had all happened after the many months of planning and thinking about it. These guys were on it!

The fish regained some strength after a while and tore off on another blistering run, sounding a little this time. This was to be it's last though. It was then a case of solid pressure from me and the drag that proved too much. Slowly but surely, I managed to edge the fish back to the boat.

Yoxan and Benn's experience shone through in the next couple of minutes as they had the fish unhooked, tagged, measured and got trophy shots for me without the fish ever leaving the water. It's law in Costa Rica that any billfish caught should never leave the water and there's a no-kill policy too. They truly value the incredible fishing they have.

I swam the fish by the boat for a short while as it got it's strength back and then released it, watching as it swam off strongly to fight another day. What an amazing creature and what an incredible experience. I was over the moon and it wasn't even 10.30!

I filled in the paperwork that goes with the tagging research program and the boys set the lines once again so we could continue fishing. With a Sailfish in the bag already, I couldn't quite believe it. There had even been talk of a couple of Marlin being raised on the radio. With this in mind we got the coordinates from one of other captains and headed over to investigate. To catch a Sailfish and a Marlin in one day would be really quite special!

A fine sailfish - 198cm

We got a chance too. After a couple of hours of trolling, Manuel started screaming from the tower and sure enough there was a Blue Marlin in the spread. In a flash, it scythed through the lures and baits slashing at them with it's bill but failed to connect before sinking out of view. As quickly as it began, it was all over.

Apart from one other dropped run from a Sailfish, that was all the action we had that day. It wasn't an easy day by Costa Rican standards but what mattered is that we got a Sailfish to the boat and our target was met. As the lines were drawn in and the bow pointed back towards Quepos, I was certainly returning back to port one happy angler. We did it. Another species ticked off the list, and at 198cm, a fine specimen.

DAY 2

"A Sailfish offshore on day one and a Roosterfish or Cubera Snapper inshore on day two please". That was my request to Benn Gilmour of 'Jackpot Sportfishing' when I made my booking with him back in the autumn of last year. I knew it was a lot to ask from just two days of fishing, but you've got to dream haven't you? Specimens of those 3 species were right up there on my 'bucket list' of fish too.

Day one went to plan in magnificent style with the beautiful Sailfish capture. We couldn't have asked for a better start and as such were in high spirits and full of optimism as we headed out of Marina Pez Vela for Day two.  There had been a little rain in the night but as we pushed up the coast in the early morning light the clouds retreated over the mountains, leaving a clear sky above us.

The first task for the day was to fill the livewell with bait. When looking for trophy fish inshore then a livebait is hard to beat, more often than not it sorts out the better specimens. Catching the bait in itself can often be a challenge and the first couple of spots we tried proved to be just that. We got a few sardines, but not enough for the day.

Captain Manuel made a call that we should try for a Snook as were close to a productive river mouth that he loves to fish. We drifted the mark with livebaits out the back while Benn tried casting lures and poppers to fish that were showing on the surface from the bow. 

After a few quiet drifts and one aborted take on a livebait, the call was made to move on and attempt to fill the livewell properly. Captain Manuel ran us down the coast a fair distance. He had some rock marks in mind where he hoped to be able to put us on to the Roosters and Cuberas. On the way, we stopped and tried to gather some more bait where there were a couple of smaller boats attempting to do the same thing. There were birds working the area and after a quick scan with the fish finder Manuel was able to put us right over a large shoal of sardines.

Out came the Sabiki feathers and we all began jigging at the back of the boat. This time the sardines were obliging and it didn’t take long to get what we needed. Within fifteen minutes the livewell was full, the lines were wound in and we were heading down the coast to Manuel and Benn's favoured rock marks.

The further we went, the better the inshore ground began to look. There were deserted black sand beaches interspersed with dramatic cliffs and ominous pinnacles of rock rising up from the turquoise waters. The scenery was fantastic, it was lovely looking ground that simply screamed fish!

Once the engines were cut over our first mark, we prepared the rods. At the rear we had two livebaits out, both hooked through the nose with circle hooks. One was freelined while the other was fished with a bullet lead of 1.5oz on the line to keep it down. With the water column covered at the stern we could fish lures, poppers and flies from the bow, hedging our bets so to speak.

Benn had spotted a large shoal of Milkfish lurking behind one of the pinnacles and was casting flies at them. They were incredibly spooky with just the shadow of the fly line above their heads enough to send them scattering in every direction.  Sadly, they were having none of it.

The livebaits also remained untroubled at the rear and after twenty minutes or so Manuel made the call to move on to the next fishy looking spot. Casting a glance down the coast, it was clear to see we were spoilt for choice. Everywhere I looked had potential for swimming a bait or chucking a lure. Knowing where to start is half the battle and fortunately for me, Benn and his team had a few tried and tested marks in mind.

Live Bait!

The next spot was a cracker. There were two huge pinnacles of rock towering out of the water with swell and white water washing all around them. Manuel edged the boat in to casting distance and we sent the first livebait out to run the gauntlet. Just as the second one was being lowered down the reel on the first rod screamed into life, it all happened so quick.

With the rod bent double in the holder and the drag begrudgingly giving line, the fight was on. I grabbed the rod and hung on for dear life as Manuel was screaming 'ROOSTER!' from the tower. The pressure was on as this was one of the target species!

The Rooster fought hard and long, but didn’t give me any trouble by heading down into the rock like some species do. It was zipping around behind the boat giving us all a great show with it's comb like dorsal fin slicing through the surface on several occasions. They really are very special fish. With their radical hair do and awesome black and silver stripes, they must surely be the rock stars of the ocean.

A few more spirited runs were all the fish could manage before it surfaced by the boat and Yoxan was able to scoop it up with the net. It was an incredible fish and the second target met in as many days. Estimated at a little over 20lb in weight, I was ecstatic. These guys were good!

With the circle hook easily removed, I held the beautiful creature for a few trophy shots before releasing it. The fish swam off strongly, which is always nice to see. They are another of Costa Rica's protected species which makes it easily one of the best places on the planet to catch one.

I was buzzing after that incredible experience and could have gone home happy. But we still had a few hours of fishing left. Benn mentioned how great it would be if we could find a Cubera Snapper as well......I should be so lucky!  The livebaits were once again deployed and Manuel slowly trolled them along a submerged reef.

After changing baits a couple of times, a rather peculiar bite developed. The line pulled tight and the rod bent over slightly. I wound down to allow the circle hook to do it's job and then everything went slack to my disappointment. On checking the bait, all that was left was a head with some puncture marks in it, the body having been savagely bitten off. It seems the fish had just missed the hook and from the teeth marks Benn called it as a large snapper. So close!

By this time the tide had peaked, so rather than wait for it start moving again we trekked up the coast to another big river estuary for the last hour of the day. Once we arrived, the ebb was well underway. Livebaits were sent out to the rear and Yoxan was up the front chucking a big popper around. What happened next can only be described as total carnage!

Within minutes, the first livebait was away and I was bent into fiercely strong fighting Jack. Then the other rod was off and Benn and I were into a double hook up. Then Yoxan hooked a Sierra Mackerel on the popper. It was crazy, there were fish everywhere. As soon as one was unhooked and another bait deployed then it was instantly hit by the Jacks. At one point we even had a triple hook up.

A dozen or so Jacks and several Mackerel later we had pretty much run out of bait and it was time to head back in to Quepos. It had been an incredible day, what a way to finish off my Costa Rican fishing experience. It really doesn’t get much better. All credit to Benn and his team, they did a great job putting us on to some serious fish in such a short space of time. That's two more species ticked off the list. Until the next time.....Tight lines!

CLICK ABOVE TO SEE THE VIDEO FROM THIS COSTA RICA ADVENTURE