Costa Rica Sport Fishing
Common Snook
The Common Snook is appreciated by sport fishers from all over the world since it is a huge and feisty fish. Its scientific name is Centropomus undecimalis and this fish can reach a length of at least 140 centimeters and weigh almost 25 kilograms. The oldest known Common Snook reached the age of 7 years.
The Common snook is not only sought after by Costa Rica sportfishing enthusiasts; it is also an appreciated food fish and is commercially produced in aquacultures.
If you want to catch Common Snook, your Costa Rica sport fishing trip might take you to jungle rivers as well as to marine environments, since the Common Snook regularly migrates from freshwater to brackish and marine habitats and back. Unlike many other fish species, the Common Snook does not engage in these trips in order to reproduce.
The Common Snook is instead a so-called amphidromous species that migrate for other reasons than breeding. It covers distances of 100 kilometers or more during its journeys and its dept range goes as far down as 22 meters.
Costa Rica Sport Fishing Fat Snook
The Fat Snook (Centropomus parallelus) feeds primarily on fish and crustaceans and is a highly appreciated food fish. Compared to the much larger Common Snook, the Fat Snook is however of insignificant commercial value and is chiefly a game fish. It can grow longer than 70 centimeters but is not very heavy.
A Costa Rica sportfishing trip for those interested in catching Fat Snook can lead to freshwater rivers as well as to the ocean and brackish environments since the Fat Snook is a so-called amphidromous species that regularly migrate between these different types of environments. The Fat Snook is often found in coastal areas, lagoons, and estuaries and prefers low brackish waters. It likes soft bottoms in shallow waters.
Blackfin Snook
The Blackfin snook is also known as Tarpon Snook, and its scientific name is Centropomus pectinatus. It is smaller than the Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) and the Fat Snook (Centropomus parallelus), and rarely grows bigger than 55 centimetres. The max published weight for a Blackfin Snook is just 1.5 kilograms. Compared to the big snook variants, the Blackfin Snook is not considered a commercially important food fish. It is however highly appreciated by sportfish enthusiasts.
You can catch Blackfin Snook in a region that stretches from Florida, the U.S. in the north, and down to Brazil in South America. If you want to catch Blackfin Snook during your Costa Rica sport fishing trip, you can travel to freshwater rivers as well as to brackish river mouths and coastal waters.
Ask your Costa Rica sport fishing trip arranger for more detailed info about where the largest Blackfin Snooks are lurking during the season that you plan to go to Costa Rica. Blackfin Snook is often caught in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal waters where the salinity is low.
