Costa Rica roosterfish

Costa Rica roosterfish charters are one of the top experiences while visiting our tropical paradise! Known for their excellent fight roosterfish provide both professional and amateur alike the trip of a lifetime. Come visit in down here in beautiful Costa Rica to make this a reality.

Book your Costa Rica roosterfish charter today

Roosterfish are easily identified by their silver color with black stripes and very pronounced dorsal fin that looks like a comb or fan. Down here in Costa Rica we generally see roosterfish frequently caught in the 30 to 50 pound range. We do see roosterfish in the 80 pound range as well though, and boy, what a fight you have on your hands with one that size!

The world record for roosterfish is a whopping 114 pounds, but records are made to be broken…

Roosterfish or pez gallo as they are called down here are generally found around islands, rocky outcrops, and inshore waters. We even catch them as they hunt behind the surf. A good fight can usually last anywhere from 30-45 minutes and roosterfish like to run hard and deep when on the line.

A predatory fish roosterfish will consume baitfish like mullet, herring, sardines, and blue runners.  Although you can use poppers, spinners, and even flies when fishing the best option is live bait. For the Costa Rica roosterfish we will usually use baitfish or one of the following: small bonito, rainbow runners, or ladyfish.

The optimal season to catch Costa Rica roosterfish is from June through October but we have had luck year round with this species.

Although edible we practice catch and release with the Costa Rica roosterfish. They make amazing photo ops and by releasing them we ensure future generations are able to enjoy catching such an amazing fish.