Golfito Sailfish Rancho, Costa Rica



The Golfito Sailfish Rancho in Golfito provides a fishing lodge atmosphere with both inshore and offshore fishing. The lodge offers a wonderful atmosphere, but there is little to do for non-fishing guests as access to other activities is very limited.

Costa Rica has an enticing offshore fishery, with many species including sailfish, marlin, yellow-fin tuna and dorado. The billfish are the draw to most anglers because of the impressive fight of the sailfish and marlin from the surface take behind the boat combined with the acrobatic show. The catch and release policy of both of the fishing operations help to maintain the incredible fishing. Costa Rica is a great place for anyone, from beginner to experienced, to give billfishing a try.

Your fishing day will start at 6:30 in the morning when you walk out on the dock to meet your captain and mate. The Golfito Sailfish Rancho has a fleet of 1999 Ocian Master 27 foot boats which provide the versatility for both inshore and offshore fishing. All the captains are highly experienced with fly-fishing techniques for billfish and will help you have a successful trip. This area is known worldwide for the offshore fishing available nearby.

For offshore species, you will troll with 4 teasers behind the boat. Before you know it, the captain will be shouting commands at the mate to reel in the teaser because a fish is attacking it. As the teaser comes closer to the boat, you will see a large shadow of something that looks impossible to catch on a fly rod. Once the fish is close enough, you will cast about 20-3- feet behind the boat just in front of the last teaser. The mate pulls the teaser out and the fish voraciously attacks your fly. If you haven't experienced the fight of a sailfish, you certainly must. The average size of sailfish is between 65-90 pounds with larger ones reaching 150. Fly-fishing for billfish is an adrenaline rush that doesn't generally accompany most fishing because of the quick sequence of events followed closely by the aerial display of a large fish.

Golfito has a bonus of several inshore species as well as the coveted billfish. The lodge is situated in a gulf, providing full access to inshore species within a short distance of the lodge and the blue water. Inshore species include jack cravalle, blue trevally and rooster fish to name a few.

Golfito Sailfsih Rancho is located in Golfo Dulce, just a short boat ride from Golfito in the south of Costa Rica. Delivering first class fishing with first class boats as well as first class lodging is the mission of the lodge. The lodge has 10 ocean front rooms, each sleeping 2-3 anglers. The ceiling fans combined with the ocean breeze create a cool, pleasant environment. Each room has a private bathroom facilities with hot and cold water. The lodge also provides daily laundry service. The central focus of the lodge is the open air, family style restaurant and bar serving only the finest home-cooked meals of seafood, pasta, meat and other local specialties.

Clothing and equipment checklist -- Tropical

We highly recommend an emergency evacuation membership for this trip. It costs well over $100,000 to be air lifted to a safe US hospital from many parts of the world. These services will not be covered by general travel insurance or medical insurance. We use GLOBAL RESCUE.