Costa Rica Fishing with Mike Hennessy and Colio Sportfishing

The southern zone of Costa Rica on the Pacific coast holds what can be argued is the absolute best overall fishery in all of the country. It is definitely one of if not the best live bait fisheries in the world. On the way to whatever you are fishing fishing for, you can pull up, drop a sabiki and haul in pilchards, blue runners, goggle eyes, small snappers, lookdowns and then drag a feather rigged sabiki behind a small planer and load the tuna tubes with skipjacks or bonito. With your kit of lures and loaded bait tanks, you are ready for anything.

The offshore fishing is out of this world. Good sized black marlin, blue marlin, dorado, wahoo, sailfish and large yellowfin tuna abound. The wahoo and black marlin are in less than 200 feet and close in. If it's trophy sized roosterfish, a specimen in the 60-80 lb range, you are after, they are in the same area. There is so much topography littering the coast for miles and miles. The current and the almost endless upwellings cause baitfish schools to get trapped very near the surface in a rich oxygen layer. It is this confluence of current and bait that draw shoals of sailfish, dorado and tuna to the upper  water column. You know, that when you have all those fish in the mix, blue marlin will follow. The action pops of at a dizzying, at times. This is a must fish spot, if you are considering Costa Rica or have just not fished the southern zone.

The crazy part is that the inshore fishing may be even better. There are now 100 lb tarpon that were populated by megalops swimming thru the Panama canal and setting up shop. Massive snook hold it down in the rivers that feed the Gulfo Dulce. Live bait, artificial lures or flies are equally lethal for tarpon and snook. This really is an inshore fishing paradise. You still have 20-30 lb roosterfish in the surf, huge snapper bagged bottom fishing and a wild assortment of other gamefish to target.

The Fishing Tradeoff

For me, it all starts with how good the fishery is, but my next move is to decide who's the best person to fish with there. I want to fish with very smart fishermen, guys or gals that have a fishy quality derived from wealth of experience perfecting multiple disciplines. Folks who are well versed in conventional, spinning and fly fishing with a unique knack for reading the conditions above and below the waters surface are my favorite.

One key factor you have to entertain is whether you want your fishing experience to be shaped by a required routine or a serendipitous carnival of sportfishing wonder. One way is boring and the other what memories are made of.

What I mean by a required routine is that most operators or “lodge boats” are going to follow a very scripted pattern. They fish a defined area using defined techniques with a strict time window. No spontaneity, no deviating, no immersion. Who wants to watch as the boat crew baits the hooks, sets out lures and hooks the fish before looking at you to take the rod? Yeah, no serious fisherman!

On the flip side, the captain that is way outside the box and ready to embrace the unexpected or run way offshore to fish FAD's or run well south to the pinnacles and smash huge dorado and get multiple shots at blue marlin offers a more compelling experience.

If you want to sip from a sport fishing jet stream and go on one of the most enriching gamefishing journey's of your lifetime, Mike Hennessy is the globe trotting, fish smashing, technique guru you want to go with.

The Mike Hennessy Experience

I first meet Mike Hennessy a little over 20 years ago fishing out of Puerto Jimenez with another ninja that is no longer in the country. We were trolling for sailfish and I see this guy backing down on a sailfish his client was reeling in all the while battling a dorado on spinning gear from the fly bridge. I was thinking who is that sport fishing maniac. It was Mike Hennessy.

Mike went on to run a boat in Costa Rica for several more yours hammering big yellowfin tuna, black marlin, blues and dorado before heading to Hawaii. In the islands he had huge success catching his largest blue marlin weighing 1245 lbs and guiding bonefish trips on Oahu. He won the Bisbee's Black and Blue tournament in Cabo San Lucas. From these destinations to Cape Verde, Australia, all over North America and his secret nook in Fiji, Mike has dominated all meaning of gamefish on spinning gear, fly tackle and conventional setups.

Mike Hennessy is a super heady fishermen, widely respected amongst the upper echelon of global sport fishing ninjas as one of the very best. I am proud to call him a friend and stoked beyond belief to be able to fish with him in some of the best destinations around the world.

Well, Mike is back with what many will argue is the singular sport fishing experience in Costa Rica. With access to the sickest fishery in country from Golfito, his base of operations, and a well appointed sled, the Mike Hennessy Experience is far more accessible to those of us in the States than ever before.

Colio Sportfishing Costa Rica

Colio Sportfishing has been Mike's dream setup for a Costa Rica fishing charter, since he left. It is now up and running and awaits your trip. The sled is a 34 Twin Vee powered by Suzuki 350's and equipped with Garmin electronics with 6-mile bird radar, Flir Night Vision, 8 Hooker Tuna Tubes, a huge bait tank, graphite outriggers, all the safety features you could imagine and the very best spinning, conventional and fly tackle.

By every metric, Mike Hennessy excels at marlin fishing. Lures or bait, it doesn't matter. Whatever the fish are asking for, Mike will deliver. He has the fish and tournament wins to prove it. His passion though lies with big tuna and dorado. Spend a few days fishing with Mike and you walk away a smarter fisherman.

The intangibles Mike brings to Colio are not just his knowledge, experience, and ability to put you on fish all day, but his character and hospitality. His stories will captivate you and the adventures he delivers will be among your favorite lifelong memories.

We will look back and see this moment in Costa Rica fishing as an inflection point. The choice will be crystal clear. Do you want out of this world or mundane? Go Colio!

Seth Horne In The Spread,
Creator