Ryan Collins

Inlets are prime spots to surfcast in Costa Rica. Jacks, snook, and roosterfish can be caught around inlets using the same tackle that works on Cape Cod.

Where we are staying in Costa Rica, there is a large inlet located about a 30 minute bike ride from our cabina by the beach. At this inlet the turqoise waters of the sea collide with the muddy water of the freshwater lagoon. 

Whether you are fishing on Cape Cod or in Costa Rica, each inlet will have its own "most productive tide" based on geography, fish patterns etc. According to the locals, the most productive tide for the inlet near our cabina is the middle of the incoming.

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Here is what the inlet looks like on a nice sunny morning. The view is quite spectacular and it's a gorgeous place to cast a line.

This past week my wife Lauren and I hosted three members of My Fishing Cape Cod here in Costa Rica. We traveled around and fished together nearly every single day from December 9-16.

On several occasions I took the group via bicycle to fish the inlet. Below is a map of the exact spot where we fished.

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Crevalle Jacks At The Inlet

At 5AM this past Monday morning I met MFCC members Jim Thames and Jim Murphy at their cabinas. It was raining but the showers soon dissipated once we began pedaling our bikes along the bumpy and muddy dirt road towards the inlet.

According to the locals in this area of Costa Rica, the tide would be best around 6:30am for casting lures or live bait at the inlet. Our early departure would get us to the prime position at the perfect stage of the tide.

The action was slow to start, but once the tide and current got moving the action heated up. At around 6:45am I had a big fish crash my topwater popper, but it missed the hook. Fortunately the next big bite came 15 minutes later, and this time the hooks did their job!

The hits continued for another half an hour, but in general the jacks were much smaller. Regardless these fish fight hard, and are great eating, granted you know how to properly prepare them. 

We soon all headed back to my cabina for breakfast. I received quite a few congratulatory shouts and thumbs ups from the locals as I pedaled my bike along the dirt road with the big fish hanging out of my bike basket.

Once again this fish bit what has become my "go-to lure" during my last 4 weeks here in Costa Rica. Members of My Fishing Cape Cod can access the lure as well as a 10% OFF discount code below.

Roosterfish In Shallow

During my 2015 trip to Costa Rica, I had one week in which I hooked 4 roosterfish from shore, and landed 3. However so far this trip the roostefish has proven to be incredibly elusive.

However myself and the MFCC crew had a close encounter with roosterfish this past Monday evening just before sunset at the inlet, at the northern tip of where we are staying.

Jim Murphy was the first person to spot finger mullet jumping out of the water in a last ditch attempt to avoid being eaten. About 20 minutes later I saw the unmistakeable dorsal fin of a roosterfish slashing through the inlet waters, spraying large mullet into the air.

Roosterfish have a telltale dorsal fin that gives away their presence in shallow water. The fish in the above photograph was caught from shore during my 2015 trip to Costa Rica.

Just before it got dark the roosterfish moved into less than 2 feet of water, crashing mullet right next to Jim Murphy's legs. It was quite the sight to behold, seeing full grown adult roosterfish in such shallow water, but we were unable to get them to bite. 

Stay tuned all this week for more updates from Costa Rica, as well as new Cape Cod fishing content, tutorials and video lessons coming soon.

Tight lines!