Green Season Brings Yellowfin Tuna and Bottom Fish

Report Date: May 30, 2015

May is a transition month for fishing as well as weather as the dry season ends and the green season begins.

We started off May strong, continuing the hot sailfish bite into the second week. We're still enjoying 20+ bites per day and double digit releases. But by the end of the second week, sailfish started to shrink rapidly, to only seeing a handful of sailfish 2 to 8 a day through the rest of the month.

Last year, 2014, we had one of the best run of marlin we have had in years show up and hang around for a couple months. But this year was different, we were expecting it and ready for it but it did not materialize. There was not much flotsam (floating debris) to be found due to the light rains; and the pieces you found did not have bait or marlin around them. We were stuck with only an occasional marlin encounter trolling open water every few days.

On the bright side, the yellowfin tunas have been showing up offshore, much better than last year, when they were uncharacteristically absent in May after several great seasons of them - in 2013 and before. The yellowfin tuna are often the staple of our green season fishing they tough fish that provide and great fight and are terrific table fare. Everybody is always happy when there is fresh tuna in the ice.

The bottom fish became another excellent option. We often have the best bottom fishing for grouper and snapper this time of year. It seems all the spots you try have hungry fish on them, and it is very easy to fill a cooler in just a few hours of bottom fishing in the 200 to 400 ft. range; and all the stuff you catch is great eating. The best white meat you will get here. You can take it so some of the local restaurants and have it prepared for you.

My recommendation is Lemon Zest in Jaco, who will typically make it a few different ways for you, a plate of some type of fried finders and a dinner plate with a couple different recipes. Any grouper snapper or mahi, done in their Franchese recipe is some of the best fish you will ever eat.

The rooster fish have also been consistent inshore. We have been catching a few to several every trip, with occasional cubera snappers, jacks, and other species mixed in; and still have time to do some bottom fishing and fill the cooler with some meat to the home.

Captain Michael "MJ" Alligood
EPIC Sportfishing Costa Rica
[email protected]
USA call: 561-459-5355
CR call: 011-506-8718-2357

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