When we started sport fishing from Bahía Rica in Paquera about 20 years ago, there was no established sport fishing industry here. Fishing was, of course, always part of life around the Gulf of Nicoya, but dedicated sport fishing for visitors was something new to the area.

We were among the first to develop professional sport fishing here, and over the years we have been fortunate to introduce anglers from around the world to these waters.

Today, we are proud to see more local captains and businesses becoming involved in sport and tourism fishing. For us, that is a positive development — especially if the industry grows with a strong focus on quality, responsible fishing and protecting the resource we all depend on.

Great fishing starts with healthy waters

Paquera gives us access to some fantastic fishing grounds. Inshore, the Gulf, islands and rocky coastline provide exciting opportunities for species such as roosterfish, snapper, jacks and mackerel.

For anglers looking for a different challenge, our fishing trips can also take us beyond the Gulf and offshore into the Pacific, where species such as sailfish, marlin, mahi-mahi and yellowfin tuna can be found depending on season and conditions.

But good fishing today means very little if we don’t take care of the fishing grounds for tomorrow.

That is why responsible fishing has always been important to us at Bahía Rica.

Catch, handle, release — and do it right

Catch and release is more than simply putting a fish back into the water. How a fish is fought, handled, photographed and released can make a significant difference to its chances of survival.

We want our guests to enjoy the excitement of sport fishing while knowing that we are doing our best to minimize our impact.

And sustainability works best when it becomes something the whole local fishing community believes in.

Sharing knowledge and raising the standard together

Recently, almost 20 captains and crew members involved in sport and tourism fishing in Paquera came together for a workshop on good fishing practices, catch and release and responsible fish handling, provided by FECOP – the Costa Rican Federation of Sport Fishing.

Bahía Rica was happy to play a leading role locally in helping bring FECOP and this training opportunity to Paquera, together with Visit Paquera and ADEJ – Asociacion de Desarollo Especifica para la Joventud de Paquera.

For us, this is an important part of how fishing tourism should develop.

We have been here long enough to remember when professional sport fishing was something new in Paquera. Seeing more local fishermen and captains now developing fishing experiences for visitors makes us proud — and it also gives us a responsibility to share what we have learned and help set a high standard.

We don’t see other local fishing operators as a reason to lower standards. We see them as a reason to raise them together.

The future of fishing in Paquera

Our fishing grounds are one of Paquera’s great natural resources. Protecting them requires good practices on every boat — not just ours.

That means respecting Costa Rican fishing regulations, encouraging responsible catch and release, handling fish correctly and taking only what is permitted and reasonable.

For our guests, we hope this adds something important to the fishing experience.

Of course, we want you to catch that roosterfish you’ve been dreaming about. We want to hear the reel scream, see the excitement on the boat and get that great photo.

But one of our favorite moments comes immediately afterward:

watching a healthy fish swim away.

Because after years of fishing these waters, we still want them to be just as exciting for the anglers who come after us.

Great fishing is worth protecting.