ABOUT THE RESORT
It’s not uncommon to use superlatives when describing sportfishing and eco-tours in the Península de Osa and the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf – home to C Bay Resort). National Geographic famously described it as ‘the most biologically intense place on Earth.’ That’s right, on Earth. Residents claim it is the most picturesque, the most pristine, the most perfect spot in Costa Rica. Certainly, indisputably, it is the most remote (which goes a long way toward explaining why the other adjectives also apply).
Containing a huge swathe of the pacific rainforest, the Osa is crammed with life. What’s more, you can actually see it. From the army ants toiling away to the scarlet macaws squawking in the almond trees, from Baird’s tapirs hanging around Sirena ranger station to the four species of monkeys swinging in the trees, this is undoubtedly Costa Rica’s top spot to witness life at its wildest. And not only in Parque Nacional Corcovado – although that’s the obvious place – also in the surrounding reserves that create a biological corridor around the gulf. And there are plenty of sleepy beachside towns like Puerto Jimenez, to laze around in, plus brilliant surfing at Pavones.
The peninsula protects the Golfo Dulce from the powerful Pacific, attracting groups fish, whales and dolphins to its tranquil waters. Fringing the bay, miles of shoreline is populated with swaying palms and prodigious birdlife, but hardly a human soul.
While the Guaymí Indians were the earliest inhabitants of the Osa and still live here, much of this area was never populated or developed by Ticos.
C Bay Rooms (standard, deluxe or suite)
Our rooms are a step up from the screened in, open-air fishing and jungle lodges you will find throughout the country. All rooms are spacious with AC, purified water dispenser, fishing gear rack, safe, alarm clock, observation deck, and queen-sized beds. Suites include jacuzzi tubs and a second room. Ask about our private villas that are perfect for family and group vacations!
INSHORE & OFFSHORE COSTA RICA FISHING
Fishing at C Bay Resort is world-class with catch and release bill fishing in the Pacific Ocean for sailfish, striped, blue and black marlin, Dorado, tuna and wahoo. Fishing in Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf) for roosterfish, cubera snapper, crevalle jack, bluefin trevally, Sierra Mackerel, tripletail, and Grouper is excellent throughout the year. We provide a variety of Costa Rica fishing options such as live bait, trolling, casting, and inshore.
The waters are easily accessed from our 850 ft private pier which includes 24′ center consoles, 27′ offshore center consoles and our 32′ and 33′ tower boats, plus the 35′ owner’s tower boat.
OFFSHORE COSTA RICA FISHING SPECIES
Marlin — The “lady in the blue dress” or blue marlin is the most common of our marlins and cruise our cobalt waters all year. They peak in November and December, as well as March and April. Black marlin are most abundant in July and August and few striped marlin are around at the same time.
Sailfish — Again year round when a half dozen are common any day of the year. From November to May the numbers increase and days of 12 fish or more are common.
Dorado — Any day of the year, common January through may and very abundant November and December.
Tuna — Yellowfin is the main species. The big boys, those 100 to 300 pounds, can test your back any day of the year if you are lucky enough to come across a school of porpoises offshore. The big tuna swim with them and the feed on the same baitfish. “football size tunas hang around floating debris or peak in schools in July and August and November and December. No wonder the marlin peak at the same time.
Wahoo — a wahoo can surprise you any day of the year but are not common in this area.
INSHORE FISHING AT C BAY, COSTA RICA – VOTED #1 FOR ROOSTERFISH!
Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
the home of C Bay is voted the #1 roosterfish Destination in the world by Saltwater Sportsman Magazine!
The species most sought after is the Roosterfish. Twenty-five to fifty-pound fish are very common and we catch a couple over 50 each week. The Resort record for this fish is 106 pounds.
Snapper — We have a dozen different kinds of snapper with the cubera being top dog. They average about 15 to 20 pounds with the biggest to date here 63 pounds. Other bottom fish is the Broomtail Grouper as well as other groupers and the Goliath Grouper. These are pretty tasty.
Other species caught inshore include but are not limited to barracuda, several types of jacks, snook, bonito, mackerel, African pompano, bluefin trevally, rainbow runners, and shark.
FISHING REPORT BY TODD STALEY, FISHING DIRECTOR
C BAY FISHING REPORT – MARCH 2012
Our guest list lately shows that C Bay has really become an international destination. We have had groups from Russia, Holland, Italy, England, Canada, Africa, and of course the USA. Walking through the dining room at night was like a plethora of different languages.
For those who scored marlin, they weighed between 200 and 500 pounds.
Some days the sails would float on the top, more interested in flirting with the opposite sex than stretching a tourist’s string. Other days they went on a feed. Yesterday Saltwater Journal’s Mark Sosin landed three out of the eleven on the fly that popped up in the teasers as most didn’t hang around long enough to pull off the “bait and switch.”
Without the pressures of getting a show filmed, Mark is relaxing with his wife Susan. Mark is one of the pioneers of television fishing shows that I watched as a kid and Saltwater Journal was always famous for teaching as well as entertaining. Inshore has been steady for the most part.
Roosterfish have been the main attraction and fish up to 60 pounds have been taken. The snapper bite has been fair. Lots of dinner size fish are hitting on inshore reefs.
C BAY FISHING REPORT – JANUARY 2012
REELING IN MARLIN, SAILFISH AND THE NEW YEAR AT C BAY RESORT!
I know what Santa Claus did after delivering all his presents across the world. He took a week off and went fishing in Costa Rica. He not only wanted to enjoy himself but also wanted anyone with the same idea to do the same. Between Christmas and New Year, we saw some of the best marlin fishing we have seen in several years. Nothing came to the boat like Jim Nunes 650 pound blue marlin caught earlier in the month, but big numbers were here. Don Bradley booked in for 17, yes I said 17, days of fly fishing for billfish. On the first day out of the box, he raised 9 marlin and managed to land a blue estimated at 300 pounds on a fly rod. Wow!
Steve and Sonia Klunk stopped in for a return trip for the holidays and got off to a slow start but ended up on the top of the leader board twice before they left. Paul DeKort returned with his family for the I lost count time, and it as great to see them again and watch their kids grow over the years.
We were full over the holidays and there were so many great guests to mention them all, but one family stands out in my mind. We had three generations of the Schuelke family, Rich, Mike, and 10 years old Sam visit us for the first time. Rich and Mike each took a blue marlin and little Sam captured his first sailfish while here. On their inshore day, they caught over 20 roosterfish.
Jeff Hill fished with his son Jacob, and although they didn’t see the big numbers of roosterfish, they connected with a double and each landed one of a pair of twin roosterfish that weighed 60 pounds apiece. It was a full week of action and lots of happy people in the holiday spirit.
Looks like that is going to be short-lived because yesterday the boats went back into double digits. Don Bradley landed 4 out of 15 sails on the fly, and Adam Johnson brought his buddies in from Texas, and went 5 for 10 on conventional tackle and brought in a nice dorado for dinner. Looks like a good season is upon us.
THE LADY IN THE BLUE DRESS SHOWS UP TO WELCOME GUESTS IN NOVEMBER!
I really like November. It is sometimes crazy to switch gears after being closed for the month of October and working shorter days, but I love the excitement of cranking up a new season. The October rains left us with lots of green water offshore the first part of the month so most anglers stayed inshore rather than put in the time to get the billfish to bite.
They were rewarded with lots of roosterfish action and big cubera snapper. Mark Harwood who had a good ole rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas with his fishing buddy Brian took the big snapper of the week with a 44-pound monster.
David Plummer’s group from England and Scotland finally broke the ice on billfish and at one point had a triple header hooked up. Day by day the water is getting cleaner and Plummer’s group also took the first marlin of the season.
“C Bay Resort is my favorite place for fishing, enjoying nature, and just plain relaxing in Costa Rica. Accommodations, meals, and service are first class, and the setting is a tropical paradise. I can’t wait to go back again.”
– Robert Montgomery
ESPN/BASS Magazine
“Talented captains with dependable boats; an untapped sail fishery; scads of roosterfish with an inborn hostility to live bait and popping plugs.”
– David Benditto
Field & Stream Magazine
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