Big Game Fishing - Jigging - Popping worldwide

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Got back from Costa Rica last week and could not resist going back to the Rio Colorado River. So I was off on another Carton (Tom, Terry’s skipper) adventure. This time we found another small port to put the boat in after a 4.5 hour drive from the Pacific side, but only 20 minutes by my boat to the river mouth. We called in to see Glenda at the Silver King Lodge - http://www.silverkinglodge.com/. (That’s on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coastline.) They had closed down for the off season two days before we arrived, but had a look around to find the catch board. Very interesting, anglers had fish from 180- 260 on the last days leading to the close down.

So off we went, very lucky with the weather, just a little rain and calm seas. We fished lures and greenie live and dead baits on the outside of the river mouth and also went offshore to the colour change to catch baits on sabiki rigs. Out there put on a live one and had a nice Tarpon about 85lbs on 20lbs, but back at the river i caught the following fish 185,200, 240, on 20lbs and 240, 260 on 80lbs braid. Tom also had fish of similar sizes.

One fish on braid I fought for an hour, and Tom had another on for an hour when, at the side of the boat, the 150lb leader broke like a bit of cotton. We hooked and jumped off a couple of fish that looked in the 260- 300 range. It was the most fantastic fishing i have ever had. Absolutely awesome! 220lb plus fish with tremendous power jumping right next to the boat. Fantastic!

I went on my big boat – at Los Suenos on the Pacific coast - and we trolled a couple of days, had Dorado 50lbs to 35lbs and released a Sailfish estimated at 95lb on 20lb test. And also pulled the hook on a nice 600 / 700lbs Black Marlin.

Just one last thing. Whilst speaking to Glenda the Manageress at the Silver King lodge she told me that there are two types of Tarpon that exist along the Caribbean coast around the area of C.R. and Nicaragua. They are locally referred to as the White belly and Yellow belly species. The large fish we were catching this November were the Yellow belly type, normally larger and very aggressive. It seems she is right, she told us to be careful in our 18foot boat as big fish have jumped in the boats in the past. Fishing with crash helmets and body armour comes to mind, they were huge fish!

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Chacon explained that it is in fact the same fish and not a sub-species. Many think it is a different fish but it's diet gives it its color.

These fish are trapped, sometimes for years, in backwater lagoons and Lake Nicaragua where they feed mainly on crustaceans. This diet is loaded with axtasantina, a form of beta-carotene which changes the color of the fish. This is the same reason that flamingos are the color they are. Change their diet and they loose their color. In zoos, flamingos are given beta-carotene in supplement form.

You really are what you eat.

The yellow bellies find their way down to the river mouth with the flood waters that set them free. They hang at the river mouth for a couple of reasons. There is plenty of freshwater which they have become accustomed to and there is a constant supply of what they are used to eating coming down the river.

The fish will either work their way back up the river or if they choose, stay in this new environment. If they do their diet will change as the water level returns to normal and the silver color will return to their bodies.