You know the maxim: The worst day of fishing is better than the best day of work. Are you an avid angler a bit tired of being confined to local lakes and rivers? Think about winter fishing. Cold days on a frozen lake or crystal clear tropical days. Hard choice? Not!!! Trade in your Chapstick and runny nose for suntan lotion, shorts and a flowered shirt, get your ticket to Costa Rica and enjoy fishing like you have always dreamed about. Costa Rica fishing is exactly what the doctor orders for winter time blues.

Certainly, fishing in your frozen lake is fun because you get to be all dressed up in your heavy parka, long underwear, scarf, mittens, and two pair of socks. Then, you have the pleasure of sitting on your butt all day over the ice. All in pursuit of crappies or sunnies nearly as cold as you. Of, you can hop a jet and travel to Costa Rica where the only ice you will see will be in your glass. Think about it. What sounds better: Costa Rica fishing or a frozen butt?

If you want to try coast, the areas of Flamingo and Tamarindo offer the most popular Costa Rica fishing spots. Here, sailfish can be caught throughout the entire year but for the best fishing, plan between May and August . Tuna are common between August to October. Do not be surprised to find tuna schools of 40 to 60 pounders and sometimes groups with some fishing tipping the scales at 200 to 400 pounds. Between November and March, Papagayo Bay is a great place to catch roosterfish. They tend to like shorelines and are usually caught in around 60 feet of water. Good sized marlin, colorful dorado, and wahoo can also be caught here at different times of the year.

Many people fishing in Costa Rica are looking for billfish and these beauties are very common along the Central Pacific coast. Go to luxurious Los Suenos Marina or Quepos and charter into the offshore waters for sailfish and marlin. December through April is the best time to catch these fighters. The vibrant dorado fish is often found here May to October while trolling. Closer to shore, folks commonly catch snapper, snook, roosterfish, and wahoo. Tuna schools can be found offshore.

Golfo Dulce, Drake Bay, and Puerto Jiminez are places to consider when fishing along the South Pacific coast down to Panama. In the months where the waters are warmer, you have a great chance at hooking sailfish and large marlin. For the best inland fishing in Costa Rica, consider the Golfo Dulce area. It is heaven for many varieties of fish because of its rocky bottom and many coves. Expect to catch sharp toothed barracuda, grouper, delectable sea bass, snapper, amberjack, wahoo, and even roosters here. Bring your camera!

Costa Rica’s Caribbean waters contain the famed fishing areas of Tortuguero National Park and Barra del Colorado close to the Nicaragua border. Although these waters are often very choppy, you can catch many types of deep sea fish on days when the water is flat. The spectacular tarpon are plentiful here from May to November and some reach about 150 pounds or more. They are caught close to shore and also in rivers and estuaries that are filled with wildlife. This remote coast is one of the few places where you might catch a rare Atlantic sail. Big snook are also very common. You may even hook a giant grouper, guapote, tripletail, or Jack Crevalle! And, try to time your visit when the Atlantic green sea turtles are nesting on the world’s largest reserve.

Whether you are a pro or just an avid fisherman, Costa Rica fishing offers an outstanding, unique experience. Remember that many kinds of fish migrate throughout the waters. There are plenty of outfitters and sportfishing vacation packages offered for every fishing area in Costa Rica. If you want to get in the sun and have a great time angling, you cannot go wrong with Costa Rica.

The author, Victor Krumm, lives in tropical Costa Rica and has a popular website about Costa Rica Vacations. For many sportsfolk, Costa Rica Fishing is the spectacular culmination of their Costa Rica trip.