Costa Rica is an active traveler's dream. It has, for example, earned a reputation among surfers for having some of the best waves on the planet. This country also offers visitors a slew of canopy-skimming zip lines and challenging rainforest and volcano hikes. And to top it all off, Costa Rica was named the happiest country in the world by the World Economic Forum. But the best news if you're a fisherman considering a vacation in this beautiful country? Costa Rica also boasts amazing deep sea fishing, including an excellent chance of reeling in a billfish grand slam.
What is a Grand Slam
According to The Gun & Hook Outdoor Journal, for an angler to get a grand slam, they must catch three different game fish species in a single day. So if a fisherman, for example, wants to go after the Billfish Grand Slam, they need to catch three of the following game fish on the same day:
Although this is not typically an easy feat, it has been done countless times in Costa Rica. In July 2017, for instance, a woman caught a blue marlin, a striped marlin and a sailfish for her grand slam. And in May 2017, a teenager caught a blue marlin, a sailfish and a rare black marlin, which can only be found in three places in the world and is the fastest fish on the planet.
Planning a Trip
Fishing for marlin and sailfish is good no matter what time of the year you visit Costa Rica. But the season when you'll have the best chance of catching one of these trophy fish is between late December and April. And of those months, February is often considered the best month. Unfortunately, this is also the dry season and the most popular time for tourists to visit Costa Rica, which means that prices tend to be at their highest during this period
If you want to save money and don't mind dealing with some rain, you might want to consider planning your marlin fishing trip during the wet season -- from May to December. While the fishing may not be quite as spectacular during this period, it's still good. And, as noted above, grand slams can even occur in July. Another plus? Some of the best captains, who are typically booked solid during the high season, may have spots available on their boats during the off season.