Southern Pacific - Osa Peninsula

The Southern Pacific zone of Costa Rica is comprised almost entirely by the famous Osa Peninsula. Often referred to as the final frontier of Costa Rica, the Osa Peninsula is home to the gem of all of Costa Rica’s national parks, Corcovado National Park. Corcovado is the largest lowland rainforest in Central America and one of the largest in the western hemisphere. It is so large in fact that its 11,300 square miles make it bigger than Rhode Island and Maryland combined. The Osa Peninsula combines its mountains, jungle rivers, an enormous tropical rain forest, and pristine Pacific waters to make what National Geographic calls ‘the most biologically intense place on Earth’.

Accessible only by plane, the Osa offers an almost incomprehensible amount of biodiversity. On your visit there you can see all four types of monkeys native to Costa Rica, crocodiles, a rare variety of exotic birds like the quetzal and scarlet macaw, as well as Costa Rica’s big cats like the elusive jaguar. Bordered by the deep waters of the Golfo Dulce to the east and blue Pacific waters to the west, this is one of the most exotic locations in all of the Americas. As you can imagine, this also makes for a truly incredible fishing experience. Of all of Costa Rica’s IGFA records, over half of them have come from these waters.

To the Pacific side of the Osa Peninsula you’ll fly into Drake Bay – named after Sir Francis Drake who explored these waters in the 1500s. Fishing near the mouths of one of the several rivers inside the Corcovado National Park is almost a guarantee for great in-shore action. The nutrient rich waters that empty into the ocean from the rivers attract bait fish which in turn attract the larger game fish. To prove that point, some of the ocean’s apex predators have made this area home for centuries. At Rio Sirena, which runs through the middle of national park, one may be lucky enough to see the rare phenomenon of bull sharks and crocodiles hunting in the mouth of the river at the same time. While the under water volcanic reefs and river mouths make for great in-shore fishing, what most anglers are amazed by is the incredible number of sailfish pulled out of these waters. It is not a rare occurrence for one of our boats to land more than 15 sails in the same day. Of course making a run out to open water is always a good choice, however you can also troll the waters between the coast and the enchanting Isla del Caño for tuna, sails, and large dorado.

On the other side of the Osa Peninsula you will find the beautiful Golfo Dulce. Calm, clear water and beautiful scenery aside, one could not ask Mother Nature to create a better situation for fishing. The entire western and northern coasts of the gulf are composed of the Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Parks while the Talamanca Mountains loom in the distance. When the pristine rivers flowing out of the parks and down from the mountains combine with the Pacific currents that enter the gulf each day with tide, the fish gather in thick clouds.

Roosterfish, jacks, wahoo, barracuda, and dorado are always found here as they are feed on the plentiful bait fish. Add into the equation that the Golfo Dulce is one of the deepest gulfs in the world and it makes for an even more explosive situation. The gulf is generally several hundred feet deep even close to shore, but at some spots the depths can reach over 1,000 feet! Deeper water usually means bigger fish, therefore the roosterfish and dorado here are huge and it is not unusual to catch sailfish inside the gulf itself. Whale sharks and humpback whales are also commonly seen here as they use the rich, calm waters of the gulf to give birth and raise their young. The experts in the area are our guys at the Crocodile Bay Lodge, which is one of the top fishing lodges on this side of the world. You can fish for roosterfish just minutes from the dock at an underwater reef called “La Nicaragua”, or just cast and troll behind the surf anywhere along the stunning 35 mile shoreline of the gulf. Most days the best location for in-shore fishing is Matapalo Rock, nicknamed ‘The Rock’. It not only provides great in-shore action but also a point of reference when off-shore fishing for billfish and big yellow-fin tuna.

With just a quick 30 minute run to deep water it won’t be long until you find a good current or garbage flow where sails and marlin are sure to be lurking underneath. After you catch your first sailfish or marlin you’ll captain will get on the radio to report that what you just caught and what your heading was from The Rock.