New York Harbor Sport Fishing - Capt Chas Stamm

 

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Costa Rica  March 2004

 

How bad can this be?!  I put together a trip with a couple of HRFA members and went to Costa Rica for four days of fishing.  Joe Curvino, Nick Mennona, Ken Carson and I stayed on the southern Pacific side of the country at the Golfito Sailfish Rancho.  This place has been featured on ESPN several times and I can tell you the fishing was outstanding.

This is one of the finest fishing camps I have ever been to.  

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We were targeting sailfish on this trip but I was also looking for some good action with Roosterfish as well. We took a flight to Miami, then to San Jose Costa Rica, stayed overnight in the capital city and then a 6 am flight out to the Pacific coast of the country, very close to the Panama border.  From there we took an hour bus ride and then a boat to the lodge.  

Quite an adventure already!!  This was not an easy place to get to!

lodge1.jpg (90042 bytes) The fishing at the lodge did not disappoint us at all. I guess we raised an average of 10 to 15 sailfish per day. Per boat.  We fished two to a boat in new 27 foot Ocean Master Boats.  All boats at this lodge were 27 foot Ocean Masters.  All meals, drinks and booze were included.

   In “Raising” sailfish, what you do is troll lures without hooks in them.  When a billfish comes up behind one of the lures, you tease him closer to the back of the boat, lift the lure out of the water and throw him either a fly or a live sardine.  When he takes the bait, you hang on!  What an exhilarating experience.  Fifteen times a day!

Although we raised 10 to 15 sailfish each day we averaged getting in the boat and releasing 4 to 8 sailfish per day for each boat.  Roosterfish up to 25 pounds, Spanish mackerel, Dorado, pompano and a host of other fish made this a very special adventure.  The sailfish were outstanding. 

Joe used his fly rods for the most part and I used conventional gear of a Calcutta 400 and a triggerstick to bring them in.  Same stuff I use for the Stripers in the Hudson only these fish were all between 80 and 120 pounds.

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This Jack Crevalle was one tough cookie!

 

One of the benefits of being a member of a fishing club like the HRFA is you have the ability to team up with other anglers and put together some of these exotic trips. We have so many members that you are sure to find people that wish to share your style of trip.   Chas   <'////><
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Nick Mennona Brings in a nice one!

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Joe brings in a nice one on the fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Nick and Chas enjoy the fight.   100 Pound sailfish on light tackle.

Pretty exciting!

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All the fish on this trip were released after a brief photo session.

 

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Capt. Chas brings in a nice Sailfish on a Shimano Calcutta 400. 

Same gear used for fishing stripers in the Hudson only these fish were between 80 and 120 pounds!