Costa Rica... Sportfishing Paradise!

Costa Rica is one of the most popular Sportfishing destinations worldwide, and Quepos is known to be one of the best places in the world to release a pacific sailfish. Not all anglers know that the best time to catch a giant Yellow fin Tuna or a black Marlin over 500 pounds or a really well sized Dorado is from May to November. This region offers the best inshore and offshore fishing throughout the year. The area is well protected from the prevailing northerly winds and enjoys pretty close to ideal weather year round, although you can expect rain most anytime from May through December, especially in the afternoons.

As part of our role in the sport fishing business in Costa Rica, and the desire to reduce unnecessary waste of those resources, LUNA TOURS SPORTFISHING is actively encouraging the catch and release of billfish and the use of circle hooks. We promote their use in fisheries that use baited hooks for the capture of billfish, tunas, and other species where they can effectively reduce the mortality of released fish. This advice is based upon findings of research done by biologists and other researchers. A circle hook is a type of fish hook which is sharply curved back in a circular shape. It has become widely popular among anglers in recent years because it hooks fish at a much higher percentage and rarely is swallowed by a fish (reducing the hook setting in the gills or vital organs) and thus greatly decreases the mortality rates of released the fish.

The science behind a circle hook revolves around the fact that its unique shape allows it to only hook onto an exposed surface, which in the case of a fish means the corner of its mouth. The fish takes the baited hook and swallows it. As you reel in, the hook is safely pulled out of the fish until it reaches the mouth. At this point it will catch the corner of the mouth of the fish. The result is fewer gut-hooked fish. In terms of technique, it is important to not strike when the fish bites, but rather just reel in. The act of striking while using a circle hook often results in the hook being pulled out of the fish altogether. Using circle hooks also increases the chance of a hookup, and a lot of the time the fish just hook themselves so it is a great hook to use to maximize the chance of hooking a fish