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It was a very slow day, the sun just beating down and we're chasing the small amount of shade as the boat worked its way around and about looking for any sign of life. A bird, a jumper, just something so that we'd know we weren't in the middle of a desert. But no action, the lures just bouncing along like they didn't have to worry about anything getting to them, and the ballyhoo running from the 'riggers with not a mark on them. One of those days when you wonder if there are any fish in the ocean.
"Bring 'em in," says Javier, our captain, "there are a couple of boats saying that they are seeing a few jumpers about five miles away. Let's run to 'em."
We reel in the lines thankful to finally be relieving the monotony of the day. "How many have been caught, Javier," I ask.
Javier looks down at me from the flying bridge with a smile and says, "We'll be the first ones!" Not exactly a hot bite, but at least we'll be trying.
We decide to throw out a couple of live bait when we arrive so our deckhand rigs up two harnessed baits (locally called "herring" but I don't know  what they really are). We slide up to several other boats and we slow down to about 3 or 4 knots, then drop the baits back about 100'. I slip the reel into free spool just debating how long I'm going to hold this rod in the sun when I notice the bait getting frantic. What's this? Pick up! The line starts spinning off the reel, then there is a very slight pause and the line continues to go. I point the rod at the fish, slowly tighten the drag and start reeling. The circle hook spins nicely into the corner of the fish's mouth and all hell breaks loose! The sail comes completely out of the water, tail walks for what seems like forever, then lands with a smack that sounds like a rifle shot and creates a splash that looks to me to be the size of a breaching whale.
Javier is absolutely beside himself with glee. "Oh! Oh! Oh!" he keeps repeating, a huge smile on his face. We have just snaked a fish out from between several other boats while the whole fleet is watching, the only fish caught today, and Javier is really enjoying the moment. We get the fish beside the boat, take a couple of pictures and make a nice release. What a great day! Nothing like catching fish.
Now the day is really pleasant, both myself and my partner, Bob Franko, feeling good about things. The fleet gradually disperses and we continue to work the area, but we get no action. Then, off in the distance, maybe a mile or so, I see what looks like birds working. I look up and Javier has seen them too. He heads the boat in that direction. As we get closer it looks to be a dozen or so birds working a very small patch of water. Javier speeds up until we get close, then he slows way down. We put out the live bait and work closer.
"I see two sails," I cry excitedly, "no, three! No there's another!" The sails are swimming in a tight, maybe 25' circle around the bait, their big sails stretched out to herd the bait into a tight ball. Javier slowly, expertly, nudges the boat into the right spot to bring our baits near the excitedly feeding sailfish. "Fish on", Franko yells, the sail greyhounding across the water like the fiends of hell are after it. The fish stops after a long run and jumps several times, great sheets of spray flying across the water. Franko has that smile on his face that he gets only when he is fighting a fish. He is one happy guy at this moment. I start to put down my rod to get my camera. But wait, all of a sudden my line is flying off the reel. I've got a pick up! The pictures will just have to wait, I've got something more important to do.
Just as on the last fish, I wait for the pause, then as the line accelerates again I slowly push up the drag and the circle hook does its job. We've got a double going! What can be more fun than a day like this?
We're fishing out of the Zancudo Lodge in the south part of Costa Rica, a short boat ride from the picturesque town of Golfito, just north of the Panama border. This is a great resort with superb center console boats and great crews. We fished mostly on one of their larger Twin Vee catamarans and had loads of room with just two of us fishing. We trolled lures on the shorter lines, and dead ballyhoo on the outriggers. Those ballyhoo worked like candy to the fish for most of the trip. We also fished with live bait with good success.
The drill was the same every day. Wake at 5, breakfast at 5:30, leave the dock at 6, make a short run to the bait area, catch a couple of dozen live bait, then either run offshore for sailfish, marlin, tuna, and dorado, or fish inshore for roosterfish, corbina, amberjack, jack crevalle, red snapper, and many other species. Costa Rica is fishing heaven. We'd get back about 4:00 PM, take a dip in the pool, have a nice cocktail and a great dinner about 6. Everything was included in the lodge price. That's food, drinks, wine with dinner, and even laundry service every day. The only thing that was extra was the tips when we left.
We came down with a nice group of anglers and they all seemed to have a great time. Bob and I didn't find any tuna but several other anglers did and caught a number of small yellowfin. A number of dorado were caught and we had fresh dorado to eat most nights. One angler who targeted roosterfish caught several decent sized ones. Every angler I talked to wanted to come back.
Costa Rica now requires circle hooks when using bait. I fished down there for many years using "J" hooks, but I am convinced that circle hooks give better hook ups and are much easier on the fish at release. We caught 9 sails and all were hooked in the corner of the mouth, testifying to the fact the properly used circle hooks avoid gut hooked fish. We also caught a number of dorado and they were also all hooked in the corner of the mouth. Javier, our captain, confirmed what we were thinking when he said he'd rather use circle hooks anytime. He also said that the people who weren't used to fishing had an easier time hooking fish using circle hooks: just point the rod at the running fish and slowly tighten the drag and start reeling. Don't set the hook, just reel.
To reach Zancudo Lodge you have to fly into San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica and an inland city. When you arrive someone from Zancudo is there to greet you and get you set up in your San Jose hotel for the night. Early the next morning Zancudo's representative picks you up and puts you on a small prop jet for the flight to Golfito. Upon arrival in Golfito you are met by another Zancudo rep and taken to the harbor where a lodge boat takes you to the lodge. A quick breakfast and you are fishing by 10AM. A very efficient and well organized system.
You can get all the details about Zancudo Lodge at their website. Their toll free number is: 1-800-854-8791. 
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