Today on social media I did some daydreaming and reminisced about the surfcasting I was fortunate to experience exactly 7 years ago this week. Specifically I shared a clip of catching a roosterfish from the beach on a popper, which is perhaps my favorite thing to do fishing-wise!
Roosterfish have a distinct, unique and dramatic dorsal fin which gives the fish its name. You can see the dorsal fin in the lower left hand corner of this photo.
The great action occurred the week before Christmas in 2017, when my wife Lauren and I were visiting and fishing this section of southwest Costa Rica. I know at least several My Fishing Cape Cod members are planning fishing trips to Costa Rica for this winter, so I hope the following video helps get you inspired and excited for you trip!
And if you happen to be reading this and are interested in visiting Costa Rica, then please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm more than happy to share travel tips and all the details about where I've been with members of MFCC.
The Week Before Christmas | 2017
During this trip I was fishing the beach shown in this drone video. Specifically I was fishing between the bend in the beach and the point. My Fishing Cape Cod members can view the exact beach and see exactly where we stayed by viewing this page.
Just before Christmas back in 2017 the beach in Costa Rica where I was surfcasting experienced a sudden push of "gallo pescado" which means roosterfish in Spanish.
From more than a half mile away I could see the roosterfish 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 it was time to fly back home to Massachusetts, just in time for Christmas.
The video below recaps the morning, which included hooking two big roosterfish, meeting a bunch of local kids, and enjoying an incredible morning of fishing on one of the most beautiful beaches in the country!
Video timestamps:
Equipment used in this video:
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.
As mentioned above, if you happen to be reading this and are interested in visiting Costa Rica, then please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm more than happy to share travel tips and all the details about where I've been with members of MFCC.
Tight lines and Happy Holidays! 
Your patience paid off with getting into some nice Rosters! Well done and helping the locals is a nice touch.
Hey Ron, Happy Holidays! I just re-updated this post and noticed your comment.
With regards to giving the roosterfish to the locals, I figured I would post a little more about that since I know some people will be asking why I did not release it.
Roosterfish are not highly regarded as a food fish and for good reason. I am not personally a fan of their meat by any means. However I’m told that the locals make a roosterfish stew that is pretty good (I haven’t had the chance to try it).
In my time in Costa Rica I was encouraged by the locals to please give them a fish if I caught one. I prefer to release roosterfish, but with all these kids looking on I knew they would be devastated if I released it.
The next year while fishing this same spot two of their dads walked up to me and thanked me for giving them the fish the year prior. I was amazed that they remembered and was very impressed that they said thank you a full year later.
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!
Hey Warren! Sorry I’m only 6 years late in replying to your comment! LOL. Anyways, with regards to the drone, I take it in my carry on, along with all my other camera equipment.
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.