Hosted Crocodile Bay Resort | Big Game Fishing

The below itinerary is only a suggested one, as we have daily flights departing from the UK, therefore should you wish to extend your stay with either more fishing days or free days, the itinerary below can be tailored to suit.

DAY 1:

Depart UK (alternative routes available)
Arrive San Jose

The rest of the evening is free for you to relax.

Overnight accommodation: The Doubletree Cariari By Hilton (Single room) B/B

DAY 2: (Inshore Fishing day)

In the morning you will be picked up and taken to the internal airport where you will embark on a 45 minute flight across Costa Rica to our lodge.

After breakfast around 8 AM, you and the rest of the group will meet your captain and you will have a full day inshore fishing. Our Guide, captain and crew will be happy for you to do as much or as little of the rigging, running lines and hooking of fish as you require.

Overnight accommodation: Crocodile Bay Lodge (Single room) F/B

DAY 3: (Inshore Fishing day)

After breakfast around 7 AM, you and the rest of the group will meet your captain and you will have a full day inshore fishing. Our Guide, captain and crew will be happy for you to do as much or as little of the rigging, running lines and hooking of fish as you require.

Overnight accommodation: Crocodile Bay Lodge (Single room) F/B

DAYS 4 TO 6: (Off Shore Fishing Days)

After breakfast around 7 AM, you and the rest of the group will meet your captain and you will have a full day offshore fishing.

Our Guide, captain and crew will be happy for you to do as much or as little of the rigging, running lines and hooking of fish as you require.

Overnight accommodation: Crocodile Bay Lodge (Single room) F/B

DAY 7:

In the morning you will be picked up and returned to the small local airstrip for your return journey to San Jose. You will then be met at the airport and be transferred to your hotel.

The rest of the day is free for you to relax.

Overnight accommodation: The Doubletree Cariari By Hilton (Single room) B/B

DAY 8:

In the morning you will be picked up for a private transfer to the International Airport for your return flight back to the UK.

Depart San Jose

DAY 9:

Arrive UK

Where is the Lodge?

Crocodile Bay Resort is located in a small village called Puerto Jimenez on the Pacific side of Costa Rica and is set amongst 44 acres of some of the most stunning tropical gardens in the whole of Costa Rica and when you have seen all the wonderful wildlife at this resort you will want to go back year after year.

Where do they fish?

If you chose to offshore fish then the fishing will be out in the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. The inshore fishing takes you along some of the most remote and beautiful deserted beaches in Costa Rica.

How long does it take to reach the fishing grounds?

The offshore fishing takes around 40 minutes to reach the drop off where you will start to find cobalt blue waters where the Billfish will be hunting their prey. Depending on what zones you will be inshore fishing, these can be anything from 20 minutes from Crocodile Bay Resort to 50 minutes as you will not be fishing the same inshore fishing grounds from day to day and will be done on a rotation basis.

What fish will I catch?

The main draw to Crocodile Bay Resort is the Sailfish as these are in huge numbers. The peak months for the huge numbers of Sailfish are between January and March. There are also many Blue Marlin that cruise the offshore waters. There are also large shoals of Dorado, which are great fun on light gear. You will also find many different species of Tuna. The inshore species list is huge but the main one is the Roosterfish these grow huge in Costa Rica. You will also catch all different types of snappers, jacks, barracuda, small shark species, African Pompano and Cubera Snapper.

How many fish will I catch?

When you are fishing offshore targeting Billfish it is a waiting game and you could spend a few hours trolling before you see any action from the Billfish. However, there are normally other species like the Dorado and Tuna. The inshore fishing is very different you should be expected to be kept very busy all day long with constant action from all the species you will be targeting. If you chose to troll with baits the action can be a little slower than if you lure fish all day.

How do they fish?

Each evening around the dinner table the fishing manager will come and see you to have a quick chat about what you want to fish for the following day. These are your boats so you decide what is targeted. The fishing manager then sits down with all the captains to decide where people fish. Each boat is given its own zones to fish so you do not troll over water that has already been fished over that day. Many of the areas are rested during the week as to give the fish a rest. When you are fishing offshore you will be mostly trolling lures and using the switch and tease method which is when they tease the fish to the back of the boat and you get to throw the bait. The inshore fishing is also mainly trolling but another very good method is to use lures as this will really get their predator instincts flowing.

Do the guides speak English?

The captains of the boats at Crocodile Bay Resort speak perfect English. Some of the deckhands speak broken English but enough to get by. If there is something complicated you need to tell the deckhand then simply ask the captain to ask them.

Who is best suited to this destination?

The beauty of Crocodile Bay Resort is that it is suitable for all levels of angling ability due to the Captains and deckhands they will make it as easy as you wish or as hard as you wish. They really are there to take all the stress out of the fishing. On the other hand, if you want a morehands-onn approach then this will be welcomed.

What skill level is required?

As we mentioned above, there is no skill level required fro the fishing at Crocodile Bay Resort as you will have a deck hand and captain who will assist in everything. You are more than welcome if you are a little more experienced to do everything and the deck hand will just make sure you have all the equipment that you will need for a days fishing.

How physically demanding is this trip?

On the whole Crocodile Bay Resort is not a physical demanding destination. There is a short walk from the lodge to the boats of around 5 minutes through the jungle but apart from that all the resort facilities are ground level and located in and around the hotel.

When to go?

If you want numbers of Sailfish then January to April, the Marlin starts to show up around the beginning of November along with the Dorado, the Marlin tend to thin out in numbers around the time when the first load of Sailfish turn up. The Tuna fishing is from November to July and the inshore fishing for Roosters is year round with the peak time being June.

How to get there?

The normal route is UK to either the US or Madrid then on to San Jose. If you time your holiday on certain days then we can arrange a direct flight from London Gatwick direct to San Jose Costa Rica. The second option of the direct flight only happens on certain days but we highly recommend taking this route to Crocodile Bay Resort as it cuts out the need for an American Visa.

What is the accommodation like?

Crocodile Bay Resort is set amongst some stunning lush tropical gardens and is in the heart of the rainforest. The main entrance to the lobby is stunning and very welcoming. You then walk through the lobby in to a bar / restaurant area which is where you will take your breakfast and evening meals. Just outside of this room is the swim up pool bar with Jacuzzi. Surrounding the pool are 12 very private rooms with their own balconies looking out in to the jungle. The rooms are very spacious with lovely en-suite bathrooms. In genera,l the whole atmosphere at Crocodile Bay Resort is very friendly and welcoming.

What is the food like?

Breakfast is served in the morning and there is a huge selection to choose from. You can have cereals, waffles, cooked breakfast, eggs on toast and if there isn’t something you like then they will fix it. Lunch is mainly taken on the boats and you will have the choice from lots of different sandwiches to salads plus lots and lots of fruit and drinks. The evening meals and very tasty and all produced from locally sourced farms. The food ranges from big Steaks to the catch of the day and again if there is something you really like that’s not on the menu all you have to do is ask.

Does the lodge provide fishing tackle?

The lodge provides all the tackle to spend a great days fishing even if its offshore or inshore. There is some fly-fishing equipment but it is very limited but most of the bait fishing and some lure fishing is included.

Is internet and phone signal available?

The phone signal and internet is good how ever the Wi-Fi is a little patchy when you get away from the main bar area but once at the bar the connection is very good

Are there other activities available?

At Crocodile Bay Resort it is all about eco tours and there are just too many to list. For example, you can spend the day shooting around on tree top zip lines then the next day you could find yourself on fully guided nature walks through the jungle spotting all different manner of animals and creepy crawlies. For full details of all the tours contact a member of Sportquest who will be more than happy to assist.

How much does it cost?

Sportquest Holidays offers you the complete package including all flights and transfers. To view all prices and & availability click the “Dates & Prices” tab above.

Alternatively, if you wish to arrange all your own travel arrangements Sportquest Holidays can book just the lodge and fishing for you.