Roosterfish in Costa Rica

If you are considering heading to the fishing capital of the world, catching a roosterfish in Costa Rica is a must. The roosterfish patrols the Pacific waters from Baja, California down to Peru predominantly around rocky points, reefs and river mouths. They are considered an inshore species typically being caught between 20 and 150 feet of water. Their appearance is photo worthy with a fantastic fanned spine and black stripes along the sides. Using live bait like lookdowns, sardines, rainbow runners, mullet and ladyfish gives you the best opportunity to catch roosterfish however they can be caught on artificial lures. A trolled Rapala or surface plug will typically get the job done and they can even chase a fly for those saltwater fly fishing enthusiasts. Roosterfish can be caught year round in Costa Rica with peak season being December through April. The typical roosterfish ranges from 20-40lbs however a few monsters over 80lbs (I'm pictured with one below)are caught every year. The IGFA World Record for roosterfish is 114lbs caught back in 1960.