Ryan Collins
Just before Christmas, the beach here in Costa Rica experienced a sudden push of "gallo pescado" which means roosterfish in Spanish.
From more than a half mile away I could see the roosters (gallos) crushing sardines, mullet and mackerel on the surface. It looked like torpedo explosions.
I began running down the beach towards the action. I knew this would probably be my last chance to catch a big roosterfish from shore, before I had to fly home to Massachusetts.
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The video above recaps the morning, which included hooking two big gallos/roosters, meeting a bunch of local kids, and enjoying an incredible morning of fishing on one of the most beautiful beaches in the country!
If you are a member of My Fishing Cape Cod and would like to know exactly where I have been fishing in Costa Rica then please click here for a map of where I stayed in Costa Rica.
Tight lines and Happy New Year!
Your patience paid off with getting into some nice Rosters! Well done and helping the locals is a nice touch.
Nice catch Ryan! How did you get the drone through the airport??
Glad to see you gave the fish away, they looked like they could use it!
unreal ryan!! possibly a foolish question but if you were comparing pound for pound power, how would the rooster compare to some of the species we have up here?
I don’t think any fish I’ve ever caught can match the power and stamina of a bluefin tuna. Bluefins have to be the strongest fish in the ocean, aside from maybe Big Eye tuna which I’ve been told fight even harder.
Roosterfish definitely fight harder than stripers, plus roosters will go completely airborne and jump straight clear of the water which is super exciting.
I’d say catching a roosterfish is a like blending a tuna and striped bass into one fish. That is the best way of describing it, lol.
What was your strategy for using the Tactical Anglers Popper this trip and why do you think you were so successful with it?
That TA popper cast better than the others poppers I brought with me, plus it would “POP” much easier, and would come right to the surface even at the very end of a very long cast.
I could also work it quickly along the surface while popping, which I think fish down in Costa Rica respond well to. Often here on Cape Cod, we moving a popper rather slowly across the surface, but down there I like fast and loud retrieves best.
The hooks are good and so are the split rings. No need to replace anything on the TA popper. The lure and paint job held up fairly well to the sharp teeth which many species in Costa Rica have.
My best luck with the popper occurred when I could see fish breaking, and I would cast right at them. However 90% of fish caught were blind strikes. More often than not pure persistence was the key to success. If you make 300 casts you are bound to eventually get hit!
Beautiful place and fish. Great to view when its 10 degrees on Cape.
I agree, the drone shots bring me right back.