# Arenal Lake Fishing with Salomón: guapote trips from El Castillo

> Arenal Lake Fishing with Salomón is a one-man guide service on Lake Arenal, run by Capt. Gohering Salomón Rodríguez, who grew up by the lake and fishes it most days of the week. He takes up to 3 anglers in a 2025 Lowe aluminium boat for 4-hour morning or afternoon trips after guapote (rainbow bass), machaca and tilapia. It suits families and first-timers who want a short, easy outing with the licence and tackle included.

Source: https://sportfishing-costarica.com/arenal-lake-fishing-salomon/
Last checked: 2026-11-15
Location: El Castillo, El Castillo, Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
Type: charter
Captain: Gohering Salomón Rodríguez Wecker, 7 years guiding
Boat: a 16-foot Lowe aluminium boat built in 2025, with a wireless trolling motor and fish finder
Engine: a single 40 hp Mercury outboard
Group size: up to 3 anglers
Fishing: guapote (rainbow bass), machaca, tilapia and mojarra
Trips: 4 hours, morning (7 a.m.) or afternoon (1:30 p.m.)
Included: fishing licence, rods, reels, tackle and lures
Leaves from: El Castillo, Lake Arenal

## Who runs it

Capt. Gohering Salomón Rodríguez Wecker, who goes by Salomón, has lived beside Lake Arenal all his life and says he's out on it 4 or 5 times a week. He's been guiding for 7 years and joined FishingBooker in May 2025, and in the 18 months since he's built up 29 reviews and a steady run of fishing reports.

The newest reviews are from trips in March, April, July and October 2026. They describe a friendly captain with good English who knows the lake well, helps beginners untangle snags and hands out tips on where to eat in town. Even on a slow day in October 2026, a couple came back with a handful of fish.

![Two smiling young men in fishing shirts giving a thumbs up and holding a long silver machaca on Lake Arenal](/static/img/arenal-lake-fishing-salomon-machaca-800.webp "Photo: [Arenal Lake Fishing with Salomón](https://fishingbooker.com/charters/view/42867)")

## The boat

Salomón's main boat is a 16-foot Lowe aluminium boat, built in 2025, with a single 40 hp Mercury outboard. It's a small, light lake boat with a wooden casting deck, a pedestal seat, a fish finder and a wireless trolling motor, which lets him ease quietly along weed lines and drowned timber without starting the engine. It takes up to 3 people. A March 2026 review also mentions a newer bass boat, and a second listing under the name Arenal Lake Fishing suggests he has more than one boat; ask which one you'll be on.

## What you'll fish for

The lake's headline fish is the guapote, a hard-fighting cichlid that guides call rainbow bass. Most run 1 to 5 pounds. Salomón also targets machaca, a silvery, leaping river fish, plus tilapia and mojarra, and his reports show other guapote species and the odd catfish. Our [guide to guapote on Lake Arenal](/lake-arenal-guapote-fishing/) explains how the fish behave.

Guapote bite all year on Arenal, and many guides prefer the drier months from about January to May. The western end of the lake gets windy from about November to April, so trips from El Castillo, on the sheltered volcano side, often have the calmer water. Mornings are usually best, before the sun pushes fish deeper.

Fishing is mostly light spinning and casting, with some trolling, jigging and popping. You can keep fish or release them; we'd suggest putting the bigger guapote back.

## Trip types

There are 2 trips, both 4 hours:

- **Morning.** Leaves at 7 a.m., the best time for topwater action.
- **Afternoon.** Leaves at 1:30 p.m., handy if you're coming from La Fortuna after a morning tour.

The price includes your fishing licence, rods, reels, tackle and lures. Children are welcome, though the listing asks families to bring life jackets for kids. It's a no-smoking, no-alcohol boat. Transport isn't included, so you'll need your own way to El Castillo (a car or a taxi from La Fortuna).

![A smiling angler holding a barred guapote with Arenal Volcano rising across the lake behind him](/static/img/arenal-lake-fishing-salomon-guapote-800.webp "Photo: [Arenal Lake Fishing with Salomón](https://fishingbooker.com/charters/view/42867)")

## How to book

Book through his [FishingBooker listing](https://fishingbooker.com/charters/view/42867), where he usually answers within an hour. If you'd like a longer day, a bigger group or a particular species, message him there before you book. For the bigger picture of lakes and rivers around the country, see our [freshwater fishing guide](/freshwater-fishing-costa-rica/); if you'd rather paddle, [Desafío's kayak fishing trip](/desafio-adventure-company/) works the same lake, and [Osprey Fishing Tours](/osprey-fishing-tours/) runs bass boats from the El Castillo dock.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the fishing licence included?
Yes. The listing says the licence is part of the trip, along with rods, reels, tackle and lures.

### How long are the trips?
4 hours, either in the morning from 7 a.m. or the afternoon from 1:30 p.m.

### How many people fit on the boat?
Up to 3. Ask him if your group is bigger; he may have a second boat.

### What will we catch?
Mostly guapote (rainbow bass), with machaca, tilapia and mojarra. Fish of 1 to 5 pounds are typical.

### Is hotel pickup included?
No. You meet him in El Castillo, on the lake's volcano side, so you'll need a car or a taxi from La Fortuna.