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The Let's Talk Hook-up Newsletter is a very special
newspaper (5 annually) delivered free to club card members, tackle stores,
and marine stores from San Diego to Santa Barbara. The newsletter features
unique fish stories and items of interest to anglers, provided by expert
guests as well as many faithful show fans. A few representative stories
include:
by Pete and Marty
By Larry Grine
by Pete and Marty
It has been close to a year since we made the move to the Mighty
1090, and since that time plenty of great things have happened to
Let's Talk Hook-up. Our move to the 7am to 9am time slot has proven
to be a very popular one. It has not only strengthened our position
as the number one fishing talk show in the west, the move has also
allowed us to reach more people in more areas. The power of the incredible
Mighty 1090 signal combined with the quality of the live internet
feed brings our show to areas we never reached before. The Mighty
1090 continues to dominate the southern California sports market
by adding the top talent to the weekday line up and becoming the
home of the Padres and Mighty Ducks. We are also proud to say that
thanks to our great listeners like you, we have become the top show
in the Mighty 1090's weekend line up.
In May Pete and Dave Ezratty started Outdoor Radio, a live call
in talk show heard every Saturday 9am to10am about all kinds of outdoor
activities. Outdoor Radio has covered mountain biking, outdoor photography,
surfing, diving, kayaking, kite surfing, power paragliding, fly fishing
and more in the few months it has been on the air. Look forward to
more about these activities and possibly some new ones in future
shows.
As the winter fishing season approached, we hope to stimulate more
anglers to continue fishing through the winter. The local bays and
islands offer great opportunity, and a short trip to Baja or a long-range
adventure will bring fantastic angling.
Thank you for the great support of Let's Talk Hook-up and sponsors
making this program possible.
Thanks for listening...
Your fishing buddies,
Pete and Marty
THE DISCOVERY
OF PARADISE
By
Bob VanWormer
On December
28, 1956, my brother Frank, Herb Tansey, the original owner of Rancho
Buena Vista, and myself departed from San Diego to Baja California
Sur, Mexico. Our airplane was a Cessna 170, which is not a very fast
airplane. After checking in at Tijuana airport, our next stop was Bahia
de Los Angeles for a fuel and rest stop, then we went on to Loreto
for the next fuel stop, and then on to Buena Vista, arriving in the
afternoon after about eight hours of flying time. At this time, Buena
Vista was quite small with only three cabins of six rooms total. The
main lodge consisted of a kitchen, dining room, and bar. As soon as
I was able to get on my mask, snorkel, and fins, I was exploring the
reef in front of the hotel. It was like swimming in a marine park with
a large variety of tropical reef fish. The following day I went diving
for lobster and brought back six large ones for dinner. On day two,
we fished for cabrilla and pargo and had another great catch for dinner.
On the third day, my brother Frank and I went hunting close by for
white wing dove and bagged a couple dozen again for our New Year's
Eve dinner. At this time, there were no clients in the hotel, so by
10:30 pm, after a delicious dinner and a few rum and cokes, we retired
early so that we could be rested for the trip back to San Diego on
New Year's Day.
After I returned to San Diego, I could not forget Baja and Buena Vista.
I was so impressed with the beautiful beaches, the tranquility of the
area, everything was so peaceful. Then on May 15, 1957 I returned for
a two week vacation. This time, in a few days, I was able to hire skiff
to fish for Marlin. I hooked a big striped Marlin, wearing me down
before I was able to get it to the boat. I released it since it was
only hooked in the corner of the mouth (and to this date, I am proud
to be able to say, that I continue to catch and release all of my billfish).
During the stay of two weeks, I also helped Mr. Tansey repair his outboard
motors and one small power plant which was 7.5 KW (this ran a small
freezer and the lights at night in dining room and bar). When I was
getting ready to return to San Diego, Mr. Tansey asked if I could stay
on a couple more weeks to help him during the busy season. I gladly
told him “ I am not in any great hurry to return to San Diego, so I
will stay with you”. Ironically, the two week vacation ran into three
and one half months stay. The first week of September I returned to
San Diego and my job there as supervisor with Rohr Aircraft on the
Lockheed Electra aircraft program. Then, two months later, Tansey comes
up to San Diego and asks me if I would become a partner in his hotel
at Buena Vista. My duties would include managing the boat fleet and
all outside operations. Also, I would manage the hotel when he was
away. I asked him when I should return to Baja, and he said, “get back
by March 15, 1958”. Shortly after, I drove to Long Beach, shipped from
Long Beach to La Paz, BCS on a coastal freighter. I shipped with me
a 23 ft. outboard cruiser kit with a 55 horse Mercury Motor plus, boat
hardware, glues, fiberglass cloth and resin in February of 1958. In
March, my future brother-in-law, Tico, picked up all of the boat kit
and supplies from the pier in downtown La Paz.
That was my first great investment into Baja, a 15 ft. glass spar
and a 23 ft. cruiser with a 20 horsepower Mercury engine. Today, I
find myself and my wonderful family, my wife Rose Marie, my three boys,
Bobby Jr, Eddie, and Chucky, as being the owners of the largest sport
fishing fleet in Mexico, and God only knows where else (over 85 boats
between our three hotels).
Unfortunately, my friend Tansey and Artie Young, crashed while flying
from La Paz to Buena Vista on January 5, 1959. Therefore, I found myself
with the responsibility of managing and operating Buena Vista. I did
this until the middle of March 1959 when Buena Vista was purchased
by Colonel Eugene Walters from the widow of Herb Tansey. I stayed on
with the Colonel (basically as his commanding officer). He did not
appreciate my scolding him now and then. I stayed with him until August
of 1959 when I took a leave of absence to oversee the operations of
Hotel Bahia Palmas while the owner, John Mitre, was on a one month
vacation. Ironically, I received the first paying guest for that hotel,
which is now known as our Palmas de Cortez. Upon Mr. Mitre's return,
he asked me to stay on with him and help build up their hotel. At the
time, I had absolutely no idea that I was actually building up what
was soon to be our hotel. I stayed at Hotel Bahia Palmas until August
of 1964.
In August of 1961, I returned to Buena Vista to work, as the Colonel
needed me. In August of 1964, I resigned from my duties at Buena Vista
in order to start my construction of Hotel Punta Colorado. June 27,
1965 I married Rosa Maria Ruiz, fondly know to everyone as Chacha.
Chacha and I were able to receive our first guests in the fall of 1966.
The Hotel consisted of a total of eight rooms, and the original large
dining room and bar (which is still there today). Today, we have 39
rooms. We recently added new luxury suites overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
Shortly, as the Hotel was growing, so was the family. November 1, 1967
saw the arrival of Bobby Jr., most recently the Director of Tourism
for the State of Baja California Sur. My son Eddie was born September
5, 1969. Eddie is now the manager of Hotel Punta Colorado. Our third
son, Chucky, was born September 21, 1970. Chucky is General Manager
of all our hotel systems.
The other two hotels were developed in the following manner. Palmas
de Cortez was being managed by my brother-in-law, Tico Ruiz. He took
control in 1972. He added another ten units to the existing hotel.
This put the total number of rooms at thirty. He operated this hotel
up until his death in March 1983. Shortly thereafter, my wife, Chacha,
came up from Hotel Punta Colorado and took over the management of Palmas
de Cortez. When Eddie was able to manage Hotel Punta Colorado, I came
to help my wife to continue the expansion of Palmas de Cortez. Today
we have, all tolled, 65 rooms. We recently built a beautiful new pool
with a swim up bar and waterfall that cascades into the Sea of Cortez.
We have renovated all of the original older rooms to be the most modern
available in the East Cape. We have a new spa at Palmas de Cortez where
you can get a facial, massage and other treatments. Our convention
center is now complete and we would enjoy hosting your gathering large
or small.
In 1993, our neighbors to the north, Playa Hermosa Hotel, offered
their hotel for sale. Already operating two hotels in the area, we
seemed to be the natural choice to purchase the hotel from the Verdugo
family. Today, this hotel, known as Playa del Sol, a favorite with
windsurfers from December through March, boasts 26 rooms, a family
dining room, bar, and a very large swimming pool. Many of the rooms
at Playa del Sol have also recently been renovated.
All of our hotels are located right on the beach and I most extend
my most heart felt invitation to all who wish to experience a little
bit of quiet paradise.
Outdoor
Radio Premiers
on the Mighty 1090AM
by Pete Gray
A brand new show hosted by Pete Gray and Dave Ezratty premeired
on the Mighty 1090AM May 17. The program is called Outdoor Radio and
is heard every Saturday from 9am to 10am, immediately following Let’s
Talk Hook-up. This call in talk show features guest interviews and
reports about many of the great sports and activities available to
southern California outdoor enthusiasts. Subjects that Pete and Dave
cover include: mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, surfing ,
fly fishing , diving and much more. “ The possibilities are
endless with this new and exciting show” says co-host and creator
Pete Gray. Pete is active surfer, skier, fly fisherman and diver.
Dave is an active mountain biker and outdoorsman. Guests on the program
have include world champion surfer Rob Machado, shark diver Lawrence
Groth, Colorado outdoor expert Greg Ralph and a many more. Weekly
surf forecasts are given by the guru of surf forecasting Shean Collins
from surfline.com. We are also giving away a trip to Crocodile Bay
Lodge in Costa Rica to one lucky caller that joins us on the show.
Listen every Saturday on the Mighty 1090 AM 9-10 am for Outdoor Radio,
we promise a fun and energetic hour of great radio for the outdoor
person.
Fly Fishing
Wasn't For Me
By Larry Grine
I'm no purist. I just like catching fish. Whether it's throwing iron
near an offshore patty, targeting calicos with plastics, twitching
a top water lure on a lake, or casting a spinner for native trout,
I'm not picky. And that's why I shied away from fly fishing for so
long. I couldn't relate to the exclusivity that characterized so many
Orvis-clad enthusiasts. Articles on fly fishing often convey snobbishness
as if that attitude is part of the appeal. This pretension was a huge
detriment to my interest. If fly-fishermen can't appreciate a triple
jig strike, the flash of a dorado picking up a sardine, or finally
landing that keeper halibut, I figured I could skip this method. And
I did, for a while.
All this changed about 13 years ago. My wife's uncle lives near the
Yellowstone River in Montana. I couldn't say no to that first invitation.
After watching a cutthroat rise to engulf my dry fly, I was as hooked
as the fish. Still, I resolved to remain a generalist. In fact, for
years I only fly-fished on our annual visits up north. For me, fly-fishing
stayed safely compartmentalized; I didn't use this method in the Southland.
Life changed again when a slow trip to Bahia Conception was redeemed
by the fact that I had packed a fly-rod and some Clouser minnows. Why
was I trolling a CD 14 on 20# for hours each day, only to pick up hoards
of small ribera cabrilla, spotted bay bass, and an occasional jack
or pargo? I switched to the lightest gear I had, a 6-weight fly rod
with a 6# tippet. The trip was saved. I stood in 808 water, catching
and releasing one fish after another. While I would've loved some big
game fish on that trip, on the fly-rod, even one-pound triggerfish
were really fun.
During this transition, I would have benefited by an article with
some simple tips of the trade. All I found were more trout-only purists
badmouthing bait casting. So now that I've read 6 or 8 books on the
topic and have been learning the hard way from Alaska to Cabo San Lucas,
I'll give you what I didn't have: ten tips on fly fishing in So. CA.
Here's some of what you should know if you want to get started.
1. First, catching fish on a fly rod is really fun. Note that I didn't
write that fly-fishing is fun. It can be, but it is not necessarily
so. Learning to cast can be particularly frustrating. Hooking the critters
is what is so fun. Picture yourself straining to see your popper on
the still surface of a local pond in the waning light of a summer evening.
Then, WHAM! A largemouth explodes and you respond by stripping with
your left hand then lifting your right. Your rod arcs and the line
points to the bass, shimmering with bronze iridescence in its skyward
leap. Such splashing sends rings out across the glassy surface of the
water and the commotion attracts the attention of your envious teenage
sons. Ha, ha! For me, this is a weekly experience.
2. When you think about fly-fishing, you need not limit yourself to
trout. In fact, so much is written about trout fishing, that I won't
even go there in this article. I want to explore the kind of fishing
that is so close to home that I can catch fish and still put in a full
day at the office. We are blessed with many lakes and ponds in our
area that are full of cooperative bass and bluegill. It is often mentioned
that bass are the most commonly sought game fish in the United States.
They are readily available, attain a pretty good size, jump and are
easy to release. The Colorado River, our lagoons and harbors provide
many more chances to chase a wide variety of fish.
3. Choose balanced equipment matched to your kind of fishing. With
fly-fishing, this starts with the line. Pick the weight you need to
cast flies for the species you're pursuing. Rods and reels are then
chosen to match. Put your money into the rod. You'll be happy you aimed
high. Concerning the reel, you can always upgrade later. I caught a
whole lot of fish before I ever had one take me into my backing. Who
needs a slick drag system? For years, my reel was only a place to store
line. Now, if you are getting into a serious saltwater set-up, then
you had better put more thought into your reel. You don't want to cast
into boiling yellowfin unless you are confident about the quality of
your drag.
4. Visit a real fly shop. The information you will pick up is invaluable.
I've found Peter at the San Diego Fly Shop (phone number) to be an
excellent source of help. His recommendations reflect rich experience.
Because some retail stores are pretty pricey, you will be tempted to
buy flies on line. I have. There are advantages and disadvantages.
On the one hand, they're cheap, but on the other hand, they're cheap!
It can seem like a good deal if all you want to do is admire a variety
of beautiful patterns in your fly box. But flies are meant for fish,
not fishermen. Hook a few fish and a cheap fly will look as worn as
a floating red-nosed pinhead anchovy. We all want the most for our
money, but value must take into consideration the quality of a product,
and quality often costs.
5. Take care of your stuff. These expensive graphite rods are very
fragile. I won't mention any names, but one friend with the initials
P.G. has busted off quite a few tips. I've seen him do so twice and
another of his broken rods was handed down to me. I had it repaired
by a young man who is starting a promising business building high quality
rods for a reasonable price. He has tied flies for my Baja and Alaska
trips and made me a custom 4-piece 4-weight for trout. You can contact
A.J. Rod Company by emailing them at ajdflyfish@juno.com. Care for
your line as well as your rod. When I fish my local pond, my line lays
in the dirt at my feet. When the day is done, I don't want little bits
of gravel and soil compressed between the coils on my spool. Wipe down
your line. For maximum casting distance, the idea is to have as little
resistance through the line guides as possible. Abrasion is to be avoided.
The importance of maintaining your tackle is intensified if you are
fishing saltwater. Poppers are also fragile. Big pliers can ruin flies.
Treat your equipment, the fish, and other fishermen with respect.
6. This sixth tip is to refrain from trespassing. If you want access
to a pond, introduce yourself and ask for permission. Some signs are
up only to limit liability in this litigious society. The land owner
might be willing to share his place after he hears that you practice
catch and release and that you will pack out your trash. As the Good
Book says, maybe "you have not because you ask not." Try
making friends.
7. Fly-fishing combines well with the current kayak craze. From the
time my kids were infants, my wife and I have been fishing from kayaks
all over the Pacific coast. I find it easy to fish the fly from a kayak.
Try it out near the bait receivers in the harbors.
8. Here's my quick tip concerning the cast: I've read it all and the
best thing I learned is to mimic the motion of using a hammer. Speed
up and then stop suddenly. But be patient; let your line lay out nearly
flat behind you before starting the forward stroke. This is the way
to throw a lot of line accurately.
9. Pay attention. Pay attention to your line. Has a fish picked up
your woolly bugger? Pay attention to other fishermen. What is the guy
using catching all the fish? Pay attention to where the fish are moving.
What do you see? Pay attention to the retrieval speed and depth at
which you got your last strike. Where are the fish? How many times
have you approached your favorite section of shoreline only to see
fish shoot away? After realizing how often this happened, I simply
fish my spot before I get there. In other words, I stop 20 or more
feet away from the spot I will be standing and I cast into the shallows
before I go tramping up and scare away all the fish.
10. Timing is important. Time of day, moon phase, and time of year
all come into play. While it's true that you can catch bass all year
long, spring is best when the water warms and these fish get ready
to spawn. The very warm water of summer can hurt the bite. I go in
the evening when the sun is off the water. Winter can be tough. Colder
water slows the metabolism of the fish. Their expenditure of energy
decreases and so also does their need for food. Yet, if you put exactly
want they want right in front of their face, they just can't say no.
Picture a day at the office when you're not particularly hungry. In
fact, you are feeling fat and lethargic. A secretary says she can't
finish her massive carne asada burrito. "Would you be willing
to help me out?" she asks. "Only if you insist!" Make
it hard for the fish. Slow your presentation in winter and flutter
that fly right in the zone. Still, as anyone who fishes bass knows,
there are times when the fish are holding deep. I guess I could get
another sinking line that drops faster, but instead I just switch methods.
I don't want to be out-fished by guys using plastics. In my opinion,
there are times to put the fly rod away.
I'll risk redundancy to reemphasize my initial point: catching fish
on a fly rod is fun. Though my largest fish from the pond I frequent
came on a Zara Spook-type lure, and some whoppers on big purple plastic
worms, I hardly ever bring anything but my fly gear now. It's just
that much fun. I'm still no purist. I just like to catch fish, and
you can catch a lot on a fly rod.
Crocodile
Bay-An Outdoor Paradise
By Pete Gray
I am a traveling fanatic. If I find myself home for too long I start
to get a serious case of “gota-go-itis”. Because I run my
own business Let’s Talk Hook-up, it is difficult for me to get
away for more than three or four days, and when I am home, I am usually
working. That is part of the reason I get this serious affliction called
“gota-go-itis”. So when my friend Harry Gualco started working
for Crocodile Bay Lodge in Costa Rica, I felt I had to put a Let’s
Talk Hook-up trip together with him. However, to be gone for six days
was going to be a challenge. Now, as I am aboard an American Airlines
flight back home, this is a place I did not want to leave.
For those who have not been to Costa Rica, I put it on the must go list
of places. I am blessed with a great job that allows me to travel to
fantastic spots to do my “field research” and this spot
is near the top for further research.
The country of Costa Rica has a population of five million, one million
being in the capital city of San Jose. The country has a literacy rate
of 90%, no military and is overall a very safe place to travel. The
people are extremely friendly, you can drink the water and eat the food
safely. The only caution is in the city of San Jose there is a high
theft rate, but as long as you are cautious, you are fine. Our group
of 15 Let’s Talk Hook-up listeners began our trip to Crocodile
Bay Lodge by flying into San Jose. There are many daily flights, I choose
to go through Dallas on American Airlines. It is about a 3 ½
hour flight, and upon our arrival we were met at the airport by Carlos,
the local Crocodile Bay representative. We were taken to the Hotel Herradura
for the night, and early the next morning Carlos took us to the local
airport where we boarded a 20 seat twin Otter aircraft and took a scenic
45 minute flight to Puerto Jiminez, a small city on the Osa peninsula
in southern Costa Rica. National Geographic called the Osa peninsula
one of the most bi-diversified areas in the world for it’s incredible
plant and wildlife.
We were just five minutes from the lodge, where we checked into our
rooms, had breakfast and headed for the docks for a day of fishing.
Crocodile Bay Lodge has one of the best boat fleets of any fishing lodge
I have been to. The twenty boat fleet includes Strike 33’ for
offshore fishing, 28’ inboard diesel center consoles, 24’
center consoles powered by twin Yamaha 115 four stroke outboards. 21’
Champion Bay champs and a couple of flats boats for river fishing. Part
of our group choose to go offshore for sailfish and tuna, part of the
group choose to fish inshore for roosterfish, snapper and jacks.
My fishing partners included our Let’s Talk hook-up webmaster
Tom Ball and Pete Thomas, outdoor writer for the Los Angeles Times.
Pete and I are avid surfers as well as anglers, and we choose to do
a combination fish and surf trip for the day. We were accompanied by
one of the management staff from Crocodile Bay, John Maynard who also
doubles as the local surf guide. Our boat was fully equipped with great
Shimano gear, surfboards, live bait and a cooler full of Costa Rican
fruit, sodas, water and beer. We headed across the Golfo Dulce for one
of the most famous surf breaks in the world, Pavones. After about a
30 minute boat ride in flat calm seas and spectacular scenery, we arrived
at our surf spot. Pete, John and I jumped into the water and within
a minute were riding one of Pavones famous left breaking waves. The
waves this day were three to six feet, just overhead and fun. The water
temperature was 82 degrees. We were surrounded by thick jungle and beautiful
beaches. We had just arrived at the lodge just a couple of hours before
and we were already in paradise! Tom stayed with the boat and caught
roosterfish, jack caravel, Spanish mackerel and cubera snapper. For
the roosters and jack cravelle he used live cabilitos for bait, and
was able to fool the Spanish mackerel with crocodiles. We surfed Pavones
until are arms could barely move and climbed back about the boat and
headed up the coast and did more fishing for roosters and snapper. We
then proceeded back across the Golfo Dulce for another surf spot called
Matapalo. This side of the peninsula has all right handed breaks, and
we jumped back in the water and surfed a break just inside of Matapalo
called Pan Dulce, or “sweet bread”. This break was appropriately
named as it was one of the sweetest waves I have ever surfed.
Though it was small this day, the rides were 3-400 yards long. A very
easy long board wave perfect for beginner surfers. Tom again stayed
on the boat and caught a few more jacks and came back a couple of hours
later to pick us up and head back to the lodge.
After cleaning up our group met at the bar at the resort and Mario the
bartender served us drinks while the kitchen staff brought out horderves.
Everything at Crocodile Bay is included, drinks, food and the fun! The
staff at the lodge is one of the most accommodating and friendly you
will ever find. We exchanged fishing stories, and then sat down to a
great meal, hoping the next days fishing would pick up, as it was very
slow for offshore and inshore anglers. Harry Gualco and Richard Casteneda
from Cass Tours entertained us with stories of the ones that got away,
and helped us prepare for the next days fishing or events.
This is the best destination fishing resort I have been to for the non
fishing spouse. There are a variety of activities available every day
in addition to fishing. Rainforest tours, botanical tours, butterfly
tours, horse back riding and waterfall repelling are a few of the more
popular tours available.
On our second day at the lodge, some of the couples that came went on
the rainforest tour while the rest of the group went fishing. We spent
the day fishing inshore as the previous days offshore fishing was slow.
Pete, Tom and I had a good day on the water with three roosterfish,
four jack caravel, two snapper and one Spanish mackerel. It was not
wide open fishing, but certainly exciting and picturesque fishing with
the jungle as a backdrop. Again the stories around the bar that evening
represented slower than normal fishing, except for Harry and Cass who
claimed honors with two big roosterfish and two giant amberjack. Our
third day Pete, John and I spent surfing Pavones and Pan Dulce until
our arms were ready to fall off, along with a fishing in-between. John
sat just outside one of the breaks and caught 2 roosterfish while we
watched from our boards. Tom took the botanical tour that he said was
fantastic. After our day of surfing and fishing, Pete and I were walking
down the long dock and we noticed some large fish busting on some bait.
Any angler knows it doesn’t take much of this scenery to get your
blood pumping, so I ran down the dock, grabbed a rod and a live bait
and was soon hooked up. After I set the hook, the fish jumped and everyone
on the pier gasped, it was about a 30 pound snook. The fish took a blistering
run away from the pier and I felt I had a chance. I worked my way down
the dock and jumped on a boat, but by the time we pulled away from the
dock the fish had already headed for the pier and was gone. It was still
a great finish to another fantastic day in paradise.
Our fourth day at the lodge we started with the rainforest tour. It
was fantastic. We saw all four species of monkeys on the Osa peninsula,
white face, spider, howler and squirrel. We saw colorful toucans and
scarlet macaws and an amazing variety of trees, orchids and exotic plants.
It is an absolute must if you stay at the lodge. We went back to Crocodile
Bay for lunch and then off to go waterfall repelling. Tom and I weren’t
too sure about this tour, but Pete talked us into it and it turned out
to be a great experience. The toughest part was the 2 mile walk up the
stream to the waterfall in the thick jungle. Costa Rica has about 750
species of snakes, 17 of which are poisonous. One of the most deadly
is the Fer-de-lance. One bite from this snake can kill you. It happens
that this stream we were walking up was prime habitat for this deadly
creature. We were further intimidated by actually seeing a baby Fer-de-lance
on the way up. Our guide Jonny said not to worry though as the baby
is even more poisonous than the adult! Actually, the snakes are nocturnal,
so as long as we were out of there before dark, we were safe. Once we
arrived at the waterfall by following every footstep of our guides,
it was all worth it. The climbing and repelling down this two story
waterfall was safe, easy and a real thrill.
Our time at the bar that evening our group shared many of the different
adventures we had all experienced, and the offshore fishing had been
great that day. Lowell Dixon reported raising over a dozen sailfish
and catching and releasing six himself.
Our flight back to San Jose was at noon the next day, but John had told
us there was a big swell building and we had time the next morning to
catch about two hours of surfing at Pan Dulce. Pete and I had a phenomenal
secession on 5-7 foot waves that seem to go on forever! What a finish
to a fantastic five days. We headed back to San Jose for an afternoon
and evening of shopping, gambling and fun.
May is the beginning of the rainy season in Costa Rica where the whole
area turns from brown to green almost overnight. We only experienced
one afternoon of tropical rain, and most every evening we had light
rain. From December to April there is very little rain and cloud cover.
It was hot and humid while we were there, but almost every day part
or most of the day had the welcome relief of cloud cover. The fishing
can be good anytime, but there is a little more variety in December.
Frankly, any time is a good time to go to Costa Rica and Crocodile Bay
Lodge. It is a well run resort with a fantastic boat fleet, great people
and a bargain price. When you add up all the comes with this trip: the
flight from San Jose to the lodge, the fishing, the food, drinks, tours,
transfers, you will not find a better deal. We will be hosting another
trip to Crocodile Bay Lodge in early December of 2004. I hope you can
join us on this fantastic adventure. I wouldn’t miss it!
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