Give yourself a Costa Rica Xmas fishing gift!

Tell Santa you want to fish in Costa Rica in 2006

Thanksgiving, and the high alka-seltzer consumption, is over. Christmas
is just around the corner. As you start thinking seriously about
holiday gifts for family and friends, add yourself to your Xmas gift
list - have Santa bring you a Costa Rica fishing vacation in 2006.
You've been good, haven't you?

I know I sound like a broken record, but if you decide to give yourself
that Xmas fishing trip present to go after sails in the Central Pacific
between January 1 and April 1, call Americana Sportfishing -
www.americanasportfishing.com - at 1-866-888-6425, 1-800-634-0012 and
1-866-978-5198, or e-mail me. It's getting tougher and tougher to
find open dates with our top captains here, and I want to put you with
the best guys available.

I'm throwing out the bait: Bill McPherson and two buddies fished
three days with Captain Bill Kieldsen on the 35-foot Sailfish out of
Los Sueños Marina in the Central Pacific. They started out with a
bang: Day 1 (November 14) produced a 300lb blue marlin caught on 30lb
test; three sails weighing in at more than 100lbs each, and four
dorado.

Two days later, the catch mirrored Day 1, minus the marlin but one more
sail. Then, on Day 3 (November 18), six dorado and three sails. Not a
bad haul at all.

A couple of days later, Dr. Leo Germin, his wife and their son fished a
lot further south, out of Puerto Jiménez. Captain Bobby McGuinness
came across Golfo Dulce from Golfito to pick them up on his 28-foot
Sweet Dream. Even though it was raining and a bit rough, they decided
to make their way to blue water. On the way, they landed three 15-20lb
tuna.

Once they were out, they went after sails, ending up two for three. At
about 1 PM, the Germins decided that it was time to call it quits. On
their way, back, they came across a floating log, and hit pay dirt
again: one 45lb dorado, seven more a bit smaller than that, plus four
more tuna. As Bobby McGuinness told us, not bad for first-timers -
and once again showing that our captains catch fish!

Back North - all the way up to the Bay of Papagayo - Jon Schisler
and his two boys fished a full day on the 40-foot Plautus with Captain
David James, who took the helm from regular Captain Luis Ruís. Fishing
had been a bit slow up there, says Plautus owner/manager Darrell
Furton, but the Schislers managed to raise a couple of sails which
played with the teasers, and also brought back some mid-size dorado in
the 30lb range.

John Mindedahl (30 years in the rodeo business) decided that he was
tired of roping calves, so he switched to catching fish - on the
23-foot High Tec out of Quepos in the Central Pacific on November 25,
his first day was a huge success: fishing inshore, a monster 70lb
rooster, another at 55lbs and a third at 35lbs. Then moving a little
further out, John caught four dorado. The day after, a bit worse for
wear from ample consumption of certain life-asserting liquids the night
before, so boat manager John Kleimer tells us, John still managed to
haul in four or five dorado and an equal number of small tuna.

Fishing out of Quepos on the same day were honeymooners Patrick Carlin
and Anna Bedient, who were with Captain Francisco Barrantes on the
30-foot Tranquilo II. Their full-day catch amounted to several mid-size
dorado and an equal number of small tuna. On a rather rough day
offshore four days later (although, strangely enough, not a breath of
wind in Quepos itself), Patrick and Anna reeled in their
long-anticipated wedding gift - a large sail, along with a couple
more dorado to round off the trip.

We were able to convince Quepos captain Bill Gannon to put his 33-foot
Unique into the water a couple of weeks earlier than he usually does to
accommodate Jennifer Gabrielli and her father on a three-day charter.
Their final tally was not shabby at all: five sails (although they
raised more), some caught on 15 and 20lb Shimano light tackle which was
lots of fun; 19 yellowfin tuna in the 15-20lb range; and 11 dorado.
Most of the tuna and dorado were caught on light tackle as well which,
according to Bill, made for some very interesting fights.

Al Vezey from all the way up in North Pole, Alaska, decided to fish
seven days for tarpon and snook on the Caribbean side with Captain
Eddie Brown on the 22-foot Bull Shark. At the time of writing, Al was
on the boat fighting a big tarpon, so had just enough breath between
tugs to tell me that the day before (his first day out), he had caught
a 90lb tarpon, followed by a huge 140lb specimen, after which he called
it a day.

Santa's strong on fishing this year. Don't disappoint him, or us
either. Call Americana Sportfishing (www.americanasportfishing.com)
toll-free at 1-866-888-6425, 1-800-634-0012 and 1-866-978-5198 - or
e-mail me. Add an exciting Costa Rica fishing trip to your Christmas
stocking this year.