This Powerful Milkfish Gave Me a Battle That I Will NEVER Forget!

In my last Costa Rica fishing report I talked about catching a giant hawkfish while fishing from the rocks. I find it interesting they call this fish a giant hawkfish because their maximum size is only 24 inches. Nevertheless it was a cool catch and is one of the prettiest fish I've ever hooked.

The giant hawkfish was fooled by a 4 inch white Gulp curly tail grub on a 1/2oz leadhead. The Gulp curly tail is a scented soft plastic lure that imitates minnows, shrimp, and various other small bait fishes. So far it's worked well on not just the hawkfish, but also on yellow corvina, and other various fish that like to hang around the rocks.

So far this trip I have enjoyed using my smaller travel rod setup and I've been having fun targeting these smaller, yet delicious fishes. It seems that if I cast the Gulp around the rocks, then I am pretty much guaranteed to at least get a bite from something, which has been fun.

Safety on the Rocks

Last week I decided to once again head down to the rocky shoreline and try my luck fishing the rocks directly in front of where we are staying in Costa Rica. It was the middle of the afternoon and the sun was shining bright. The tide was incoming but still low enough to allow me to access some very fishy looking water.

The rocks can be extremely slippery and many of the rocks have very sharp edges. I have fallen on these rocks before and it is no joke how easily you can get cut up. This year to help me get a better footing on the rocks I installed 15 boot studds to each of my heavy duty sandals.

If you aren't familiar with Frogg Togg boot studds then I will tell you right now that they are one of the cheapest and best fishing investments I have ever made. The Frogg Togg studs easily screw into the bottom of any sandal, shoe or boot, providing terrific traction on rocks and other slippery terrain, such as at the Cape Cod Canal.

I could feel the Frogg Toggs doing their job as I clambered over the ancient lava field in an effort to access deep water. Eventually I spotted a rock that provided me with decent casting access to a pool where I thought more giant hawkfish or black jacks might be hiding. I hopped up onto the rock and began casting around.

The Biggest Surprise of the Trip (So Far)

The pool directly in front of the rock looked fishy enough, but to my surprise I did not get any bites on my first, second, or third cast. That's when I decided to make a slightly longer cast out beyond the pool into deeper water. Little did I know what was about to happen next!

I was still using the 4 inch white Gulp curly tail but I had switched to a lighter lead head that is probably only 1/3 to 1/4 ounces. The lead head is white with a red eye and it has a very sharp, but very lightweight hook. I've used this lead head for catching schoolie stripers back on Cape Cod, but I would never intentionally use such a lightweight lead head when targeting big fish.

However, sometimes big fish bite when you least expect it! My cast out into the deeper water landed with a splash and the lead head began to sink towards the bottom. As the lure was sinking I felt a sudden and solid take. My rod instantly doubled over and I was tight to a powerful fish.

There was no need to set the hook as the fish was already screaming line from my VR50 spinning reel. Whatever this fish was, it was strong! Line kept being pulled from my reel and the mystery fish surfaced yards offshore. The fish had a forked tail similar to that of a tuna. It was darting back and forth and thrashing on the surface, pulling line the entire time. 

Big Fish on Light Tackle

I had my drag set tight enough to maintain good pressure, but I couldn't tighten the drag too much because of the lightweight hook on my lead head. If I was to apply too much pressure, then the hook would certainly straighten out and I would lose the fish. Instantly I recognized the fact that I was in for a battle and that this fight could very well extend for 30 minutes or more. 

I have found myself in similar situations before while fishing in Costa Rica. Back at one of our favorite places to visit in Costa Rica I will often use a lightweight setup with small epoxy jigs to target Sierra Mackerel. One time a few years ago while targeting mackerel I accidentally hooked into a 20 pound jack crevalle which nearly spooled me. 30 minutes later, with some very sore biceps, I was finally able to land the jack. 

The moral of my story is that I never intentionally enjoy hooking powerful fish on tackle that is not meant for them. It always results in an agonizingly long fight. Nevertheless I am sure many of you reading this right now can relate. If not, then just keep fishing and eventually you'll accidentally hook a huge fish on tackle that is not meant for it. 

I decided my only option was to hold on and hope that the fish would quickly tire. Unfortunately this is not what happened. Whatever species of fish I had hooked had incredible stamina. To make matters even more interesting, the fish was now moving down the coastline and I realized I did not stand a chance of landing this fish while standing on my current rock. I faced the reality that I needed to make a move and somehow reach another rock that was situated further offshore.

Moving to an Offshore Rock

There was a swell rolling in from the Pacific Ocean that would occasionally break over the lava crusted rocks that I was standing on. The tide was coming in which meant I would need to be extra cautious about accessing another rock further offshore. I have been knocked off rocks before by waves and it is no fun, and is arguably the most dangerous situation a surfcaster can find him and or herself in. 

Finally I picked a rock that from my current vantage point seemed suitable for fighting, and hopefully eventually landing, this powerful mystery fish. I figured I would use a smaller rock as a stepping stone for accessing the bigger rock offshore, but when I stepped my foot found nothing but water. I was plunged into the sea and went completely underwater.

Upon surfacing I found that by some miracle I was still tight to the fish. I did my best to keep the braided line off the razor sharp rocks, while simultaneously using my other hand to grab a hold and hoist myself out of the water. Somehow it all worked and within a few moments I was standing on the rock where I hoped to eventually land this surprise monster.

When I stood up I could not believe what I was seeing. Behind my hooked fish were several other fish of the same species, except these specimens were even bigger than the fish I had on the end of my line. There were four or five of them, and they would end up hanging around for the duration of the fight.

I was now about 15 minutes into what was turning into a very memorable fishing experience.

The next chunk of time was spent slowly and ever so carefully maneuvering the mystery fish closer to the coast. I had to be careful to keep the braided line off the sharp rocks, while also keeping an eye on the waves that were breaking over the rocky reef.

Finally, after the most fun battle I've had in a while, I had the fish in the wash right in front of me.