by Gabriel Fernandez

It was six thirty in the morning and the dark clouds that dumped buckets of water over San Juan del Sur accompanied by the howling winds had blown far offshore. The ocean was now as flat as a swimming pool and we couldn’t wait to get out there. The day before was a little slow, but when it comes to fishing every day is different.

Our baits were rigged up and we were ready to head out of the bay for some offshore fishing. “Capitania, capitania, capitania, Super Fly,” I called on the radio. After reporting our departure from the bay, I throttled the boat up to cruising speed. Every once in a while I would have to adjust my course in order not to run over one of the many Olive Ridley sea turtles. Once I found some nice cobalt blue water with the right temperature, we threw our baits in the water. As I worked the currents and temperature breaks you could see many birds working the surface. When you see birds diving, it is usually a good sign that fish are feeding below the surface of the water.

by Alfred Thorsberg

In 1961, my grandfather Johan Thorsberg traveled from Sweden to Nicaragua to write an article on the archeological discoveries made on Zapatera Island. Grandfather, born and raised on one of the Baltic islands off Stockholm, was an avid sport fisherman. So, with his mission completed on Zapatera he took a few days off to explore the Isletas of Granada.

Armed with his rod and reel, he heads out early in the morning in a hired rowboat, a fellow named Chepe at the oars. As the rowboat slides soundlessly through the narrow pathways between the lush islands, Chepe points at a shaded shore with a rocky bottom.

by Mike Sabine

Just a couple years ago, Nicaragua’s sport fishing business consisted of a few hobbyists offering basic panga trips. Times have changed; the industry has firmly established itself with a variety of professionally run charter services available at destinations around the country. Charter operators out of San Juan del Sur, the Caribbean basin and the Rio San Juan now offer trips with professional captains, fully equipped sport fishing boats and modern tackle. 

Some, like Local Treasure International, offer all-inclusive package deals, with airport pickup, lodging and transportation included. Their secluded lodges near El Ostional, are situated among tropical forest and boast a private beach. “We offer a totally private, complete experience with nature,” said LTI’s Ryan Stockton.

by Marie Mendel

The panorama of the south Nicaraguan coast was our backdrop - thick green vegetation on steep hills overlooking unspoiled beaches. We had pulled out of the port of San Juan del Sur earlier in the day and were heading south towards Costa Rica, the volcanoes peeking over the horizon on our left.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Ballyhoo baitfish jumping, signaling action just below the ocean surface. Again, the silver fish shot out of the cool blue water, this time with the dorsal fin of a sailfish breaking the surface behind him. The sailfish played with his prey. “The sail is a sleeper,” I thought, suspended on the surface, hanging out and making short runs at other fish for fun. Richard, my partner, kicked the gear into neutral and killed the engine of the 32-foot sports fishing boat.

by Mike Sabine

If there is one word to describe the experience of the Rio San Juan, it would be life. There is so much life, in so many forms, in, on and around this river that connects Lake Nicaragua to the Atlantic Ocean that it beggars description where to start. Dense jungle forest rises like twin green palisades along its banks, vine wrapped trees and tangled ground foliage crowd the river’s edge. Egrets, cranes and storks wade the shallows feeding on small fish. Flocks of waterfowl leap frog down the river. Troops of monkeys call from the trees and alligators sunning themselves on rocks slide into the water as your boat glides by. And fish, most apparently the huge silver tarpon, jump and roll on the river’s surface. (more…)