What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Herradura, Puntarenas for the first time?

We came in on a Cruise Ship. I would suggest if you are coming in from a cruise ship, don't book a trip. Too many variables that will delay your arrival to your charter boat and timeframe is too tight for an all day offshore trip and you would be one traffic jam away from missing the ship departure.

This fish were there, some species chose not to bit today, but that is fishing. For others chartering this boat or any other, expectations before hand can ruin a trip. Captain's are not magicians, but hard working knowledgeable fishermen who do their best to put you on fish, it is up to the fish to bite. In this case it was not the Captain's fault Sailfish didn't bite. Expect to see things you never have, enjoy the dolphins, maybe a whale and the scenery in general, that is what makes a trip fun!

Ask questions about the condition of the boat. I assumed that the A/C would be working to help cool our group. The boat we went on the fishing trip was a bit outdated and the AC wasn't working. It was a very hot and humid day on March 13. Make sure to eat something before the trip or take snacks. People that aren't used to the culture might not always enjoy what the boat has to offer for snacks/meals.

We had read that this was a great time for fishing but then were told on our trip that there had been rough seas due to two fronts that had been hanging around. No fish were caught other than 2 baitfish.

You should wear protective clothing. We got burnt up pretty good would wear long sleeves, pants and hat to shade face, neck and plenty of sunscreen. If you don't want to be embarrassed tack on 20% of trip price (what you pay captain) for tip.

We spoke with other anglers who went our multiple times in the area and also went out with the same captain multiple times (a different captain than ours). I would recommend targeting the $800-1000 range for better captains with additional equipment and better accommodations. Our boat did not have a seat for anglers to use when reeling in catch, did not seem to have pole waist belt holders, and struggled with getting fish on the line.

Get to the Herradura beach early. Give yourself at least 30 minutes if you are staying in Jaco. You will have to take a water taxi so walk down to the beach and tell the water taxi guy which Charter you are fishing with and they will take you right out to the boat. Your feet WILL get wet boarding the water taxi. Ask your Charter Capt to send you a picture of the actual boat you will be fishing on preferably before you book the trip! If you book a $700-ish Charter, chances are you will be fishing from a 26-28' Panga style local fishing boat. You will probably find it to be a bare-bones seaworthy but rough ride. For $700-ish you probably won't be on a nice sportfishing boat like a Bertram, Hatteras or Cabo.

Bring some cash (American dollars are fine) to provide tips to the captains taking you out to the fishing boat, and as a tip to the deck hands. Make sure to bring sunscreen and a buff to protect your face/ears, it's very sunny!

This is a great boat for experienced and new fisherman. Stable and fast. Plenty of room on board. Capt. had some great music while traveling which helps make a good day. David was great deck hand, kept all the gear and landed fish in order. Helpful with landing this fish, but gave us plenty of latitude to do what we where comfortable with handling the rods.

The weather tends to be nice in early May. Low chances of rain, especially during the mornings. It's not usually too windy, so not very choppy. There's mahi to be had at this time of the year, though they tend to be on the smaller size. You can go chase yellow-tail, but it might be too far offshore for a half-day trip, so if yellow-tail is your target I'd go for a full-day trip. Bring lots of sunscreen and sun protection (long sleeve shirt, hat, sunglasses)

It's fishing can be hot and cold. If you want to try different things or spots, because of not getting bites etc, communicate it or it may not happen. Our Capt only spoke to us once and that was at very start. If coming in from nearby city, get an Uber. Charter charged us $40 round trip for a 14 min ride. Uber would have been $10.

The sun is bright and the weather is beautiful. Message the captains before booking and understand what style of fishing they do, such as trolling, jigging, stick baits, drifting live bait. I like to have options and a captain that is willing to switch things up as conditions might dictate,

Before booking in the Herradura / Jaco area, check the calendar. Read reviews suggesting the best season to fish. Weather conditions do not dictate success - moon phase and season are better gauges.

Prepare for a long boat ride to get to the tuna this time of year; I thought we'd be much closer to shore. Sporadic action but when it's on...it's on.

I can see kids having trouble reeling in those larger fish. This trip was actually more than I expected, great lunch, beverages, knowledge and overall day. Just fabulous.

Make sure you have a clear plan with your captain, and make sure they understand what you want to catch. Find another spot if you're not catching.

The trip is behind the pelican restaurant next to los suenos. A mistake I made was going to los suenos marina. Then I had to walk 20 min. To the actual spot.

We caught a bad moon cycle and the fishing was a little slow.(some days are like that) however We did catch a really nice trophy size cubera.

Captain said that they caught 13 fish the day before. Hard to believe we did not catch anything except two small fish.

Drink a lot of fluids! Not counting beer, it is hot & humid here and subject to hear stress.

Fishing was great with multiple species available and great weather with calm seas.

The perfect mix of patiently waiting for a bite and knowing when to look elsewhere!

Great crew that takes care of all of your needs. Very nice boat with padded seats and nice shad.

Ask the captains what’s biting and fish for whatever that is. Don’t waste your time chasing a dream fish that’s not in the area at the time you’re there.

Fishing in january in this part of costa rica is one of the best times of the year highly recommended.

Understand if you want to fight or eat or both. Redfish are a great fight and taste great. Roosters are a good fight but are terrible on the table. Understand your bait.

Just have some fun. With Fishing there is no guarantee you catch what you catch. And we got to see turtles and dolphins.

I’ve fished over a 12 times here in the month of January and never got skunked; something is always biting

The water taxis expect tips. I did $20 1 way then $10 on the way back. $10 each way is more than fair in my opinion for such a short ride.

remember that fishing is fishing. but with a professional guide, he will know how to put you on the fish every time