Quepos, Costa Rica Offshore Fishing
Dorado, Mahi Mahi, or Dolphin:
(Coryphaena hippurus )
Dorado, as they are known here for their Golden/Green Color when freshly caught, are some of the most common fish found on the pacific coast of Costa Rica. They go by the English name of Dolphin and the Hawaiian name of Mahi as well. When they get aggressive from being teased up to the boat, they turn bright blue with black stripes! They usually weigh in between 30 pounds and average with quite a few 55 pounds big bulls out there! They have a lifespan of 4 to 5 years and are among the fastest-growing species of fish. They are also known as one of the most populated species of fish in the world. They are easily identified by the huge hump they have over their eyes, and for their colors, which can change. They are usually a Green-Gold or Bright Neon Blue color. The males are usually bigger, and the females usually have a less defined mump on their heads. Dorado has white flesh and has a taste similar to tilapia or flounder. We are allowed, if you’d like, to keep some of these fish so you can enjoy them at the restaurant or hotel of your choice after we catch them. After you catch them, bring them down to one of our local restaurants to have them cooked for you!
Dorado Fishing Techniques:
Dorado is caught year-round in Quepos. We use similar techniques to the billfish spreads, and can usually come away from a trip in the dry season (late November to April) with both Sailfish and Dorado. Dorado fishing is really the best though during the end of the Costa Rican Winter (October to December). Quepos, Costa Rica is frequently mentioned in several saltwater magazines as the best place in the world to catch Dorado during these months. Due to the flash flooding of the central mountains in Costa Rica, there are tons of tree branches out in the ocean during these months. We can go out and fish under the bigger branches and pull up tons of dorado each trip. It is not uncommon to pull out 10 Dorado in one day. Another advantage to this is we can find fish 15 miles out instead of having to go out 30 miles, meaning less travel time and more fishing!
Dorado goes after both Bonita and ballyhoo and will bite at anything small enough to put in its mouth. They put up a great fight and also can make spectacular jumps! They are known for having really white meat and when you eat them fresh, taste nearly identical to tender chicken. It’s one of the tastiest gamefish in the ocean, and we can’t wait to get one hooked up for you!