# Fishing Techniques in Costa Rica: Trolling, Live Bait, Jigging, Fly and More

> Offshore, Costa Rican crews troll teasers, dredges and rigged ballyhoo to raise sailfish and marlin, then switch to a bait or fly on a circle hook. Inshore, live bait, poppers and jigs take roosterfish, snapper and tuna, while snook and tarpon are fished in the river mouths. Billfish are always released, and circle hooks are the law with natural bait.

Source: https://sportfishing-costarica.com/costa-rica-fishing-techniques/
Last checked: 2026-11-14
Offshore: trolled teasers and dredges, rigged ballyhoo, bait and switch
Inshore: live bait, poppers and jigs for roosterfish, snapper and tuna
Fly: bait and switch for sailfish, 12 to 15 weight rods common
Rivers: snook and tarpon on plugs, jigs, flies and live bait
Hooks: circle hooks required with natural bait for billfish
Release: billfish stay in the water, by law
Licence: INCOPESCA sport fishing licence on every boat
No fishing: national parks and other no-take reserves

## The short answer

Costa Rican fishing comes down to 2 kinds of day. Offshore, the boat runs out to blue water and trolls a spread of teasers, dredges and rigged baits to raise sailfish, marlin, dorado and tuna. Inshore, a smaller boat works the rocks, beaches and islands with live bait, poppers and jigs for roosterfish, snapper, jacks and the odd tuna. Add the rivers and lagoons, where snook and tarpon live, and you have most of what happens on the water here.

What sets Costa Rica apart is how it's done. Billfish are released in the water by law, circle hooks are required whenever natural bait is used for them, and the crews have decades of practice at the bait-and-switch, the method that raises a sailfish on a hookless teaser and then feeds it a bait or a fly. This guide explains each technique the way a crew would, so you know what's happening and what to ask for.

If you're new to all this, our guide to [planning a Costa Rica fishing trip](/planning-a-costa-rica-fishing-trip/) covers choosing a boat, and [bait and tackle in Costa Rica](/costa-rica-bait-and-tackle/) covers gear.

## Inshore or offshore: which day are you on?

| | Inshore | Offshore |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Within sight of land, around rocks, islands and river mouths | Usually 15 to 40 miles out, sometimes much farther |
| Boat | Panga or centre console, often 22 to 28 ft | Sportfishing boat, often 28 to 60 ft |
| Main methods | Live bait, poppers, jigs, slow trolling | Trolling teasers and dredges, rigged ballyhoo, live bait, bait and switch |
| Main fish | [Roosterfish](/roosterfish-the-majestic-fish-of-costa-rica/), [snapper](/snappers-in-costa-rica/), jacks, [grouper](/grouper-in-costa-rica/), mackerel | [Sailfish](/the-pacific-sailfish/), [marlin](/marlin-the-tropical-sporting-fish/), [dorado](/the-dolphin-fish-mahi-mahi/), [yellowfin tuna](/yellowfin-tuna/), [wahoo](/wahoo-in-costa-rica-a-faboulous-catch/) |
| Good for | Half days, families, light tackle, fly | Full days, billfish, tournaments |

The FECOP billfish guide gives run times of 30 minutes to 2 hours to the offshore grounds, depending on the port, and longer trips of 2 to 3 days to the floating buoys (FADs) far offshore. Our zone guides explain which grounds each port fishes: [Guanacaste](/guanacaste-fishing-guide/), the [Nicoya Peninsula](/nicoya-peninsula-fishing-guide/), the [Central Pacific](/central-pacific-fishing-guide/), the [Southern Pacific](/southern-pacific-fishing-guide/) and the [Caribbean](/caribbean-fishing-guide/).

## Trolling for billfish: teasers, dredges and ballyhoo

Trolling is the backbone of offshore fishing on the Pacific. The idea is simple: drag something that looks like a school of fleeing baitfish behind the boat, let a billfish come up to investigate, then give it something to eat.

**Teasers** are hookless lures, often rubber squid, plastic baitfish or skirted heads, pulled from the outriggers and the stern. They splash and smoke on the surface and pull fish up from below. A good mate watches them constantly.

**Dredges** are teasers hung underwater: a frame or bar carrying a cluster of rubber or real baitfish, towed a few feet down. Seen from below, a dredge looks like a bait ball, and it raises fish that won't come up to a surface teaser.

**Rigged ballyhoo** are the classic natural bait. A ballyhoo is a slim baitfish with a long lower jaw; the mate rigs it on a circle hook, often with a small skirt in front, so it swims straight and skips on the surface. On many boats the ballyhoo are pulled on light outfits behind the teasers, ready to drop back.

![A trolling spread of bright teasers splashing in the white wake behind a boat on deep blue water](/static/img/tec-teaser-spread-800.webp)

### How the spread works

The crew sets lines at different distances so the baits sit on the waves of the wake. When a fish shows, the captain calls where: FECOP's guide notes the Spanish words you'll hear, largo (long), corto (short), izquierda (left) and derecha (right). Everyone needs to know which teaser the fish is on.

Tackle for sailfish is light: 20 to 30 lb class conventional or spinning gear is typical. Marlin boats pull bigger lures and heavier outfits, 50 to 80 lb class, and some crews troll lures with a skirted head for blue marlin without any teasers at all.

![An underwater view of a dredge, a cluster of silver rubber baitfish swimming in formation just below the surface](/static/img/tec-dredge-underwater-800.webp)

### The bait and switch

This is the signature Costa Rican method for sailfish. When a sail comes up behind a teaser, the mate reels the teaser away while the angler drops a rigged ballyhoo or live bait back to where the teaser was. The sail, now worked up, turns on the bait.

FECOP's guide sets out the timing: wait for the fish to eat, turn and start swimming away, feed it line, then calmly put the reel in gear and start winding. With a circle hook you don't strike hard. You let the line come tight and the hook slides to the corner of the jaw. Strike like you would with a J hook and you'll pull it out of the fish's mouth.

## Live bait: bonito, sardines and blue runners

Live bait is how Costa Rica catches roosterfish, big snapper and many of its tuna, and it's widely used for marlin and sailfish too.

- **Sardines** are the everyday live bait inshore. Crews catch them at dawn with cast nets or sabiki rigs. A slowly trolled live sardine on a circle hook is also how the Pacific black snook world record (72 lb 9 oz) was caught near the mouth of the Parrita River in May 2026, according to the Tico Times.
- **Blue runners** and other small jacks are tough, lively baits for roosterfish and cubera snapper. They're often caught on small jigs around buoys and rocks.
- **Bonito** (small tunas such as black skipjack) are a favourite bait for big marlin and yellowfin. A live bonito bridled through the nose and slow-trolled is hard for a big fish to ignore. FECOP's guide names bonito and ballyhoo as the main natural baits used by Costa Rican captains.

Most live bait is slow-trolled, barely moving, along a rocky point, a temperature break or a pod of feeding birds. For roosterfish, crews drag a live bait along the edge of the surf or over rocky reefs; when a roosterfish's comb pops up behind the bait, it's one of the great sights in fishing.

The rules apply here too. Costa Rica's fishing regulation requires circle hooks with natural bait, live or dead, when fishing for big pelagic fish. INCOPESCA's agreement AJDIP/280-2014 also sets rules on catching and using live bait, including limits on using commercially important species as bait. In MarViva's survey of Costa Rican crews, about 87% said they don't use J hooks with live bait.

## Popping and jigging for roosterfish and snapper

Artificial lures have become hugely popular inshore, especially for anglers who like to work for their fish.

**Popping** means casting a big surface lure, a popper or stickbait, toward rocks, reefs or feeding fish and working it back with sharp jerks so it splashes and gurgles. Roosterfish, jacks, cubera snapper and tuna all hit poppers, and the strike is explosive. You'll want a long, powerful spinning rod and a reel loaded with braid. Many crews keep poppers rigged with single hooks to make release easier.

**Jigging** is the opposite: dropping a heavy metal jig to the bottom or to a school marked on the sonar, then working it back up in fast jerks (speed jigging) or with slower, fluttering lifts (slow-pitch). Jigging takes cubera and other snappers, amberjack, grouper and tuna. It's hard work, but it's how many of the biggest inshore fish are caught.

Best areas include the rocky islands and points of Guanacaste, the Gulf of Nicoya islands, the reefs off Herradura and Quepos, and the Golfo Dulce and Osa. Roosterfish are treated as a catch-and-release species in Costa Rica, so keep handling short and get them back in the water quickly.

::: triptych "Inshore gear: poppers, jigs and the fish they're for"
![A white wooden popper lure and a pink stickbait resting on a teak deck in warm afternoon light](/static/img/tec-popper-and-stickbait-800.webp)
![A row of chrome metal jigs with single assist hooks laid on a wet wooden dock table](/static/img/tec-metal-jigs-800.webp)
![A roosterfish with its tall comb-like dorsal fin raised](/static/img/tec-roosterfish-800.webp "Photo: [Roosterfish](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roosterfish.jpg) by Carol Neuhoff, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons")
:::

## Fly fishing for billfish

Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world to catch a sailfish on fly, because there are so many of them and the crews know the drill. It's the bait and switch, with a fly instead of a bait.

1. The boat trolls hookless teasers (no hooked baits are in the water).
2. When a sailfish rises to a teaser, the mate pulls the teaser toward the boat, keeping the fish excited and close.
3. The captain takes the boat out of gear.
4. The angler casts the fly, usually a big pink and white or blue and white popper fly, to the side of the fish, and the teaser is snatched away.
5. The sail turns on the fly. The angler sets the hook with the line and a sideways sweep of the rod, not by lifting the rod tip.

Under IGFA rules, trolling a fly behind a moving boat isn't allowed, and the boat must be completely out of gear when the fly is presented and during the retrieve. Costa Rica's circle-hook rule doesn't apply to fly fishing as long as no natural bait is used.

Gear is heavy: FECOP's guide lists 14 to 18 weight rods on one specialist boat, and 10 and 14 weight rods at [Crocodile Bay](/crocodile-bay-resort/), which uses Temple Fork fly gear. A 12 to 15 weight rod with a big saltwater reel and plenty of backing covers most sailfish. Not every boat carries fly tackle, so book a crew that does it often. There's no fly shop in Costa Rica, so bring your own flies and spare line.

Inshore, roosterfish on fly are one of the hardest prizes in saltwater fishing, and crews often tease them up with a hookless live bait before the cast. Fly anglers also fish for snook and tarpon in the rivers and for resident tarpon at Caño Negro (see our [freshwater guide](/freshwater-fishing-costa-rica/)).

![A large saltwater fly rod and reel resting on the gunwale of a boat beside a big pink and white billfish fly](/static/img/tec-billfish-fly-800.webp)

## Shore and surf fishing

You don't need a boat to catch fish in Costa Rica. Locals fish from beaches, rocky points, jetties and river mouths all along both coasts, and many visitors bring a travel spinning rod for a morning cast.

- **Where:** rocky points and headlands for jacks, snapper and the odd roosterfish; river and creek mouths for snook, especially after rain; sandy beaches for corvina, pompano-type jacks and snook in the surf.
- **What to use:** a 9 to 11 ft spinning rod for the surf, metal spoons and jigs, swimming plugs, or cut and live bait. In the river mouths, white jigs and shallow plugs are classic snook lures.
- **When:** early morning and late afternoon, and the 2 hours either side of high tide. Calm days after rain are good at the river mouths.
- **Safety:** Costa Rica's beaches have strong rip currents and big surf, and river mouths can hold crocodiles. Never wade at a river mouth, watch the sets, and fish rocks only when the swell is down.

Fishing is banned in national parks and some other protected areas, so check where you are before you cast. Our [rules guide](/costa-rica-fishing-rules/) explains the licence and the protected areas.

Some lodges offer guided surf casting. Crocodile Bay at Botánika, in Puerto Jiménez, lists surf casting alongside its boat trips.

![A surf rod standing in a sand spike on a golden Pacific beach at sunrise, waves breaking beyond](/static/img/tec-surf-rod-sand-800.webp)

## Kayak fishing

Kayak fishing has a small but growing following in Costa Rica, especially on the calm bays of the central Pacific and the southern Nicoya Peninsula, and on Lake Arenal for guapote. Guided trips use stable sit-on-top fishing kayaks with rod holders, and the guide brings the tackle. Crocodile Bay offers kayak fishing on the Golfo Dulce.

From a kayak, the usual approach is to slow-troll a live bait or a lure along rocky shorelines and reefs, or to cast poppers at structure. Roosterfish, snapper, jacks and the odd dorado or tuna can all turn up. Being low on the water makes even a 10 lb fish feel enormous.

A few tips:

- Go with a guide the first time. Tides, currents and afternoon winds can change conditions quickly.
- Fish early, before the sea breeze builds.
- Wear a life jacket and carry water and sun protection.
- Keep big fish in the water beside the kayak for release.

![A sit-on-top fishing kayak with two rod holders pulled up on dark volcanic sand beside calm turquoise water](/static/img/tec-fishing-kayak-800.webp)

## Bottom fishing

Bottom fishing means anchoring or drifting over rocky reefs, ledges and wrecks and fishing baits or jigs on or near the bottom. It's the best way to put snapper and grouper in the fish box for dinner, and it's popular on half-day inshore trips and with families.

- **Fish:** spotted rose snapper (pargo mancha), cubera snapper, yellow snapper, grouper and broomtail grouper, amberjack and the various jacks. See our pages on [snapper](/snappers-in-costa-rica/), [grouper](/grouper-in-costa-rica/), [amberjack](/amberjack-in-costa-rica/) and [corvina and sea bass](/sea-bass/).
- **Baits:** live sardines or blue runners, squid, or cut strips of bonito, on a sinker rig or a jig.
- **Tackle:** stout conventional or heavy spinning rods. A big cubera or grouper will run for the rocks the moment it's hooked, so you need to lift it away fast.
- **Limits:** Costa Rica's regulation allows up to 5 fish per trip to be landed for eating, and sport-caught fish can't be sold.

Fish pulled up from deep water can suffer from the change in pressure. If you plan to release them, bring them up steadily, keep them out of the water for as short a time as possible and release them quickly, as MarViva's guide recommends for all fish.

![A spotted rose snapper, pink with rows of small dark spots, swimming over dark volcanic rock in clear blue water](/static/img/tec-spotted-rose-snapper-800.webp)

## River fishing for snook and tarpon

Costa Rica's rivers, lagoons and mangrove estuaries hold some of the biggest snook in the world, and on the Caribbean side, tarpon.

**On the Caribbean,** the river mouths at Barra del Colorado, Tortuguero and Parismina are the classic tarpon and snook water. Lodges such as [Silver King Lodge](/silver-king-lodge/) on the Río Colorado and the [Manatus Hotel](/the-manatus-hotel/) in Tortuguero run trips in small boats. When the sea is calm, crews fish just outside the river mouths; when it's rough, they fish the rivers and lagoons. Tarpon are taken on big swimming plugs, jigs and flies (a 12 weight is standard) or on live and dead bait, and they jump repeatedly when hooked. Snook, including the big fall run of fat snook (calba), take jigs and plugs worked close to the banks. The Tico Times gives September and October as prime tarpon months, with a second window around March and April.

**On the Pacific,** snook live in the mangrove estuaries and river mouths from Guanacaste to the Golfo Dulce. Crews fish them with live sardines and mullet, plugs and jigs at the mouths of rivers such as the Parrita, Tárcoles and Sierpe, often on a rising tide. That Parrita River fish in 2026, a new all-tackle world record for Pacific black snook, shows how big they get.

**Inland,** Caño Negro has resident tarpon and the Río Frío and Lake Arenal have guapote and machaca. Our [freshwater guide](/freshwater-fishing-costa-rica/) covers them.

Tarpon are a protected sport species in Costa Rica and are released. Snook are a prized eating fish, but many anglers release the big breeders. See our [snook](/snook-in-costa-rica/) and [tarpon](/tarpon-in-costa-rica/) pages.

::: gallery "River and estuary water: where snook and tarpon live"
![A jungle river on the way to Tortuguero, with dense rainforest on both banks](/static/img/tec-rio-suerte-800.webp "Photo: [River Suerte on the way to Tortuguero](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eventually,_all_things_merge_into_one,_and_a_river_runs_through_it._(28184949055).jpg) by Los Paseos from Earth, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons")
![A school of silver tarpon swimming in clear blue water](/static/img/tec-tarpon-school-800.webp "Photo: [Tarpon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarpon5.jpg) by Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons")
![A common snook with its black lateral line and yellow fins, laid on a white board](/static/img/tec-snook-800.webp "Photo: [Common snook](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Centropomus_undecimalis_Mexico.jpg) by jose_colorado-dapa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons")
:::

## Circle hooks and release: how it's done here

This is the part of Costa Rican fishing every visitor should know, because it's the law and because it keeps the fishery alive.

### What the rules say

- **Billfish are released.** Costa Rica's fisheries law names sailfish and marlin species of sport interest, and sport fishing for big pelagic fish is catch and release. INCOPESCA's agreement AJDIP/280-2014 bans putting billfish on deck for photos and using gaffs or hooks to pull them alongside, except for record or approved-tournament weigh-ins.
- **Circle hooks with natural bait.** Decreto 36782 (articles 67 and 68) allows only natural bait on circle hooks with monofilament leaders, trolling, and catch and release for big pelagic sport fish. Circle hooks aren't required for fly fishing or trolling artificial lures, as long as no natural bait is used. An older INCOPESCA agreement (AJDIP 439-2003) sets circle hooks with an offset of no more than 5 degrees.
- **Roosterfish and tarpon go back too,** as species of sport interest.
- **Keep up to 5 fish per trip** for eating, and never sell sport-caught fish.

Our [rules guide](/costa-rica-fishing-rules/) has the full detail, and our [conservation guide](/costa-rica-fishing-conservation/) explains why it matters.

![A row of shiny non-offset circle hooks in different sizes laid out on a dark wooden board](/static/img/tec-circle-hooks-800.webp)

### Releasing a fish well

MarViva's best-practice guide for Costa Rican sport fishing recommends:

- **Use circle hooks** with live or dead bait. They hook fish in the corner of the jaw far more often than J hooks, which cuts injuries. Barbless hooks make release faster still.
- **Keep the fight short.** Use tackle matched to the fish; long fights leave fish exhausted and less likely to survive. The captain can use the boat to shorten the distance.
- **Keep billfish in the water.** The crew grabs the bill or leader, removes the hook or cuts the leader close to the mouth, and holds the fish alongside.
- **Use dehookers or long pliers,** especially for toothy fish.
- **If a hook is swallowed, cut the line** rather than dig it out; survival is better.
- **Revive before release.** Hold the fish facing into the water flow, or move the boat slowly ahead, until water runs through its gills and it swims off strongly.
- **For fish you handle,** use wet hands or soft gloves, support the body, avoid touching the gills and keep sunscreen off the fish.

MarViva's survey of Costa Rican crews found over 90% said they practise catch and release of sport species and use circle hooks. Ask your crew how they release fish when you book; a good crew will be glad to explain.

## Which technique, where and when

| Fish | Main technique | Best zones | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Sailfish](/the-pacific-sailfish/) | Teasers, ballyhoo or live bait, bait and switch, fly | Central and Southern Pacific; Guanacaste | December to April (central and south); May to August (Guanacaste) |
| [Marlin](/marlin-the-tropical-sporting-fish/) | Trolled lures, live bonito | All Pacific, offshore | May to September, November and December |
| [Roosterfish](/roosterfish-the-majestic-fish-of-costa-rica/) | Live bait, poppers, fly | All Pacific, inshore | January to April at their best, caught all year |
| [Dorado](/the-dolphin-fish-mahi-mahi/) | Trolled lures and ballyhoo, casting around floating debris | All Pacific, offshore | July to December |
| [Yellowfin tuna](/yellowfin-tuna/) | Live bait, poppers, jigs, trolling | All Pacific, offshore | May to August |
| [Snapper](/snappers-in-costa-rica/) | Live bait, jigging, bottom fishing | All Pacific, inshore | All year |
| [Snook](/snook-in-costa-rica/) | Plugs, jigs, live bait in river mouths | Caribbean; Pacific estuaries | September to January (Caribbean) |
| [Tarpon](/tarpon-in-costa-rica/) | Plugs, jigs, fly, bait | Northern Caribbean, Caño Negro | February to April, September and October |

Months follow our [fishing seasons guide](/costa-rica-fishing-seasons/), and there's more on every fish in the [species guide](/costa-rica-fish-species-guide/). If you'd like to see these techniques under pressure, the [tournaments guide](/costa-rica-fishing-tournaments/) covers the big events.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the most common fishing technique in Costa Rica?

Offshore, it's trolling teasers and rigged ballyhoo for sailfish, then using the bait and switch. Inshore, it's slow-trolling live bait for roosterfish and snapper.

### Do I have to use circle hooks in Costa Rica?

Yes, whenever you fish natural bait, live or dead, for billfish and other big pelagic fish. Circle hooks aren't required for fly fishing or trolling artificial lures without bait.

### Can I fly fish for sailfish in Costa Rica?

Yes. Many crews offer bait and switch on fly: they raise the sailfish on a hookless teaser, take the boat out of gear and you cast to it. Bring a 12 to 15 weight outfit and your own flies, and book a boat that does it often.

### What is popping for roosterfish?

Casting a big surface lure toward rocks or feeding fish and working it back so it splashes. Roosterfish follow and strike it hard. You need a strong spinning rod and braided line.

### Can I fish from the beach in Costa Rica?

Yes, outside national parks and other no-take areas. River mouths and rocky points are the best spots. Watch for rip currents, big surf and, at river mouths, crocodiles. Check our rules guide for the licence.

### Is kayak fishing safe in Costa Rica?

It's safe with a guide on calm water, early in the day. Wear a life jacket, and avoid going out alone where currents or afternoon winds are strong.

### Can I keep the fish I catch?

You can keep up to 5 fish per trip for eating, such as dorado, tuna or snapper. Sailfish, marlin, roosterfish and tarpon must be released.