News from FishingNosara

Greetings!

This is Craig Sutton with FishingNosara for the January report and boy it is a good one. The blue water has arrived and the big boys came with it.

Captain David on the Explorer has been on fire since his new ride was christened a few weeks ago. One of Captain David's first trips was with our dear friend Eduardo Berrios, who hooked up one of the biggest Marlin of the year before breaking off while still catching two nice Cuberra Snappers. Not bad for 1.5 miles off the beach!

Captain Eduardo had the infamous Sportsman out raising Marlin to the tune of four in one afternoon and has been all over some nice Yellowfin Tunas. Also Eduardo on the Nice n' Tight has spent lots of time reeling in the football sized Yellas and filling the clients stomachs with fresh Sushi.

The Master Captain Vibert and Vibert Jr. had several great dates including four days with one of our family Dick Stacey and company. They caught several nice tunas, a Porgy fish, some Sailfish and a Marlin; Dick and his friends were very satisfied with their trips on the Cabo.

Captain William on the Wanderer put client Steve Mears on a nice Striped Marlin, then Steve Levine and his son got on some good Marlin action plus some big Pacific Sails. Just yesterday the Wanderer released a HUGE Black Marlin...by far the largest fish of the season for FishingNosara! The Wanderer crew is on a tear this year and they are taking no prisoners.

Please remember that our episode of Inside Sportfishing will air Sunday morning January 23 on Fox Sports West. All of our west coast friends be sure to check us out and let me know what you think. The big Marlin we caught is a nice one and they took some spectacular footage.

Myself, Matty Jorn, Jack Weinmann and my old friend Jimmy Hollod will be heading back in mid-February to get the new Safari Cart rentals kicked off; Hopefully we will get a few days to see if we can score some big Marlin.

Jack and Matty are cranking away at our shops in Florida getting these golf carts converted to tackle the rough terrain and rocky roads of Nosara.

The year started a little slow for the billfish but it is heating up fast; the next few months should be world class. Lots of dates are booked but we still have some good dates open.

Tight Lines y Pura Vida!

-Craig

(904) 591-2161
craig@fishingnosara.com

The Explorer represents a new concept in Sportfishing by combining the swift maneuverability of a Panga boat with the fishing tools of a boat twice her size. The result is a smooth-riding craft that is capable of offshore trolling and inshore reef fishing with all the right tackle to bring home the big boys.

Captain David Barrantes has been with FishingNosara for several years as a mate on the Wanderer. It is a pleasure to report that in his first month at the helm of the Explorer, Captain David has begun to grow his reputation for excellence with lots of great trips, happy clients, and full fishboxes

For the construction history and video of the maiden voyage of the Explorer, check out The Explorer Story on the FishingNosara Blog.

The Explorer got off to a fast start...it was booked for the first six days after completing the final rigging! From December 21-27 the inaugural clients on the Explorer caught a wide array of Tunas, Jacks, and reef snappers.

Clients Andrew and Jay had a field day on the Black Tunas and White Tunas...in a single day they caught fifteen tunas, with the largest weighing about 20lbs. Captain David has a knack for trolling the inshore reefs, but the big surprises kept coming from the little boat in the month of January.

On December 28 client Eric was on board the Explorer with his sons and they had a fabulous amount of action. They caught five Black Tunas, five Jacks, and a feisty little needle fish.

In the future we expect to see these boys on the Wanderer for a little Marlin hunting, but a trip on the Explorer is a great way to learn the ropes of offshore Costa Rican Sportfishing.

Our good buddy Eduardo Berrios booked the Explorer on January 2, and he and his daughter enjoyed some great fishing action. After losing a beastly Marlin, the Berrios posse pulled two nice Cuberra Snappers off of the bottom

"We had a great day on the Explorer. David treated us great and put us on fish quickly," writes Eduardo. "Lost track of how many black tuna at least 10 plus one jack and two snappers. We lost a 300lbs.+ Marlin that we just couldn't get any leverage on."

"We also had the opportunity to see a few sting rays, a whale, lots of turtles and dolphin. My daughter absolutely loved it. Again, David was awesome!"

The Explorer offers a wide variety of adventure options besides Extreme Panga Fishing. She is the perfect size for snorkeling trips, hunting unreachable surf breaks, and (in the case of January 6th) taking a Marine Nature Tour.

These clients went sightseeing via the Explorer and they saw lots of dolphins, manta rays, and sea turtles.

Plus this little marlin bird hitched a ride on the bow of the Explorer.

The Explorer is quick and maneuverable, but how would she fare against the big bad billfish that haunt the depths? On January 8, Captain David and the Explorer answered that question with this MASSIVE Sailfish release.

The fight was short but fierce and with client Alex Levine (Steve's son) on the reel and First Mate Alex on loan from the Wanderer, the fish never stood a chance. After this great trip Steve was off for three more days of fishing on the Wanderer...check out his great Marlin catches later in this report.

Client Allen Collen and Captain David stayed inshore and pulled off the double-whammy of bottom fishing: Grouper and Cuberra Snapper on the same trip!

These monsters have been known to exhaust the most seasoned anglers...managing to fight both of these fish in one day is a real feat.

The Explorer has stayed busy in the last week. Nosara Paradise Rentals GM Javier Hernandez and Brooke (daughter of legendary Nosara angler and FishingNosara Hall of Famer Richmond Phipps) took a Saturday night sunset trip and in just 1.5 hours cleared the reef of five White tunas, countless Black tunas, and a tasty Yellowfin.

Other clients took home a Yellowtail snapper and an Amberjack on a sunset fishing trip. Yesterday, client Lester William nailed a trio of Whites, five Jacks, five Blacks and lost a Sailfish right at the boat.

The action on the Explorer is hot right now and should only improve as the season continues. Get your dates into the office and reserve Captain David soon, as his calendar is already filling up fast.

Captain Eduardo is having a ball on the water so far this season. Between the legendary Nice n' Tight and the 31' Sportsman Eduardo has all the tools and tricks to bring in the big fish.

This month Captain Eduardo ran many trips with many clients, but the highlight came on January 13. He took the Sportman offshore and found some really good water. On the way out they caught three nice Yellowfin Tunas...

...but before they could finish their sushi the line screamed off so loud that the whole crew immediately knew that they had found the Marlins. By days end they raised up four massive Marlins! Awesome job by Captain Eduardo.

Captain Eduardo has stayed busy this season. He is fishing so much that you can barely find him on land since the season started in November.

If you want to fish with Eduardo you need to get your dates reserved soon...much of his schedule is already filling up, so don't miss out on fishing with the hardest working man in Garza.

Captain Vibert along with First Mate Vibert Jr. are the most experienced crew on the FishingNosara team.

Our great friend Dick Stacey and company caught several nice tunas, a Porgy fish, some Sailfish and a Marlin; Dick and his friends are very seasoned anglers and they were very satisfied with their trips on the Cabo.

While the other boats utilize more standard Fishing Tactics (trolling, topwater casting, deep jigging) Captain Vibert is the go-to-guy for anglers looking for a different experience.

Take David Caywood for instance. On January 10 Mr. Caywood was on the Cabo with a dream: catch massive billfish on a flyrod!

He had a big marlin and two nice sailfish hooked up, but unfortunately no releases. We have had lots of clients report success using flyrods on the inshore species like Yellowfins, Rooster Fish, and small Cuberra Snappers. If you are a fly-fisherman, Captain Vibert and the Cabo should be your first choice.

Earlier in January, Captain Vibert and the Cabo welcomed client Randy for two days of Marlin hunting. His first day fishing was a great success with a 115lbs. Sailfish Release and a 250lbs. Blue Marlin release. Clearly Captain Vibert is dialed in on the local billfish.

Pictures of these catch are still on the way as of press time, so keep an eye on the Daily Fishing Updates section of the FishingNosara Blog for images of these billfish really soon.

Randy went fishing with Vibert again on January 8, and released another nice sailfish and kept a meaty Dorado for the table. Great work Captain Vibert!

Captain William is off to a fantastic start this season on the Wanderer with lots of great trips, full fishboxes and happy clients.

The Wanderer has been the most consistent boat of the season so far, and the month of January was no exception. As the fishing continues to improve, look for the Wanderer to turn in some monster trips.

In late-December client Steve Mears and his son joined Captain WIlliam and Alex for a day of billfish hunting, and the trip was a great success. Check out this 250lbs. Blue Marlin!

These majestic fish are incredibly challenging to catch and release, but the Wanderer is well-equipped to safely handle these marine monsters.

Tara Barnes' family was on the Wanderer for a half-day of fishing to close out 2010. The crew stayed inshore and caught several tunas highlighted by four big Yellowfins. Great trip from one of our favorite clients.

The new year kicked off with client Robin Baxter who caught 4 Yellowfin tunas (12-25lbs.) and 4 black tunas on a half-day trip.

Ron and Katherine booked the Wanderer and their party came home with a wide variety of fish. To the left, a nice Yellowfin Tuna. Below is a 20-25lbs. Cuberra snapper; not the biggest one we've seen but certainly just as tasty. Beneath that is a nice little Amberjack.

All of these fish are great as sushi or as table fare, and I'm sure that nobody went hungry on this night!

Our good friend Henry Doggrell was on the Wanderer with some friends for a productive half-day of fishing.

Henry got the best Roosterfish of the season last year. This time the action was more steady as the party loaded up on tunas.

Fresh off of catching the first Sailfish on the Explorer, Steve Levin took to the Wanderer to continue his one man War on Billfish. On his first day he brought in this awesome Blue Marlin, estimated to weigh about 300lbs.

Like all billfish caught by FishingNosara crews, this Marlin was live released.

To follow up this legendary catch, Steve Levine and the boys took another shot at the billfish in the blue water. Check out this incredible sailfish:

After three great releases on two different boats, we're sure that the local billfish population are glad to see Steve Levine go. Great fishing!

The Wanderer missed a day for some fuel pump repairs, but in no time at all she was back in the water. Of course, Concierge Numero Uno Manuel (of Nosara Paradise Rentals) had to check and make sure the repairs were up to par...not to mention do a little 'company research' while he was out there.

Nice Fish Manuel!

Recently, client Roy and Cathy Cox caught three Dorados (30, 35, 40lbs.) on the Wanderer on January 16. The Cox crew hails from St. Augustine, FL and brought the skills that pay the bills down to Costa Rica.

These First Coast anglers have once again defended North Florida's reputation as the home of some of the world's finest fishermen. Great work!

Just as we were set to go to press, client Ed Haynes released a GIGANTIC Black Marlin...by far the biggest of the season! This catch is truly the fish of a lifetime and no doubt will be part of the next class inducted into the FishingNosara Sportfishing Hall of Fame.

If you want to catch the fish of a lifetime in Costa Rica, go with the best boat for the job: Captain William and First Mate Alex are ready to make your dreams come true on the Wanderer.