How 'bout some roosterfish?

[kinembe]

http://kinembesportfishing.com/images/forums/big-roosterfish.jpg
Imagine, your first time in the salt, and the first fish you encounter gobbles up your live 10 inch lookdown like a mere gumdrop, then makes a screaming run that burns the skin off your thumb. As you try to maintain control of the Penn International 12 that you have been livelining with the spool in freespool, your captain lends a hand and kindly slides the lever drag up into the strike position and a 60 pound slob of a rooster comes flying out of the water 30 feet from the stern of the boat and the 40 minute battle has begun.

http://kinembesportfishing.com/images/forums/roosterfish.jpg
Ok, you've managed to get one of these pigs on your line, are you sure you really wanted to? 45 minutes into this one, this woman wore out and passed the Penn International 975 to her husband for another 15 minutes of deep bulldogging fight before we hauled the giant into the boat.

http://kinembesportfishing.com/images/forums/roosters.jpg
Well, i s'pose that when you're catching 20+ roosters in a single day, you're bound to find a few dinks along the way...it was a tough decision not bridling this chicken for bait and seeing what really lives down there, but we figured we'd let it live to mature a little so we could catch him again.

Guys, don't mess around...get down to Quepos and check out the drag screaming inshore action!!!

...more topics to follow, if anybody cares.

[PanamaJack]

Hi Kinembe
And welcome to the forum. Roosters look impressive and, as you say, like any Jack are one of the toughest inshore challenges. They never cease to impress, even the babies! And whilst I've caught them in Costa Rica (Golfito), Panama (Isla Coiba) and Guatemala (Ixtapa) I've never had a really big one. Lost a few though!

For several years one of our Club members held the IGFA 20lb tippet class record with a 40 pounder from Flamingo. Now that's even more of a challenge! And that record's now I understand a 47 pounder from Golfito, with the World All Tackle record still a 114 pounder from La Paz, Mexico back in 1960.

But, in answer to your question. Yes, please! I'm sure many of the forum members will be fascinated with details of the fishing from Quepos.
Kindest regards
Dave

[cool wez]

wow, some cracking fish there mate, those roosters are stunning fish :clap3:

[BigAl]

Fantastic looking fish!!!!

I'd love to know more about them,

Al

[PanamaJack]

Hi Al
They're encountered in Pacific inshore waters - often just at the back of the surf line or around reefs - from Mexico to Peru. And slow trolling livebaits - Blue Runners are good - or casting surface poppers, and working them relatively slowly, are probably the best ways of targeting them.

Often, just before they strike, you'll see that distinctive dorsal scything through the water. Once they strike though you'll get a fast run, butthey'll occasionally hold the livebait across their jaws without swallowing it. And, in those situations, they'll hold on. I can remember loosing a fish that looked close to 50lbs that finally threw the bait with a flurry just 15' from the boat.

In terms of a fight they're really strong, just like all the other Jacks, you get fast runs and they'll also jump.

Here're some pictures from our Club's web site of some from Panama - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_WhatsNewNfc200404.asp and Mexico - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_Aratw_CSAmerica_Mexico_Pacific_1.asp. The Mexican fish is a real biggy.

And some others from lodges I've fished on that coastline - Costa Rica - http://www.crocodilebay.com/notes.htm and Panama - http://www.coibadventure.com/index.html, http://www.tropicstar.com/, http://www.panamafishingandcatching.com/.
Dave

[Kingfish81]

Kinembe, tell us more and post more pictures!!! Roosters are just about the best looking fish in the world I reckon! One of my long-term ambitions for life is to get one on a fly... Although it may be a while before that happens!

[PanamaJack]

Hi Kingfish81
I bet those two weeks before you get to go to Mexico can't go quickly enough!

So on the fly, get the skipper to bridle rig a small livebait, like a Blue Runner, without a hook on your set of heavy spin gear and slow troll it as a teaser. But he's going to have to 'watch it like a hawk'. As soon as it starts to get twitchy there's a good chance that it's being shadowed by a Roosterfish (or possibly another type of Jack). Watch for the 'Cock's comb' and wind it in quickly then, when it's say 30 to 40' away jerk it out of the water and replace it with your fly. Easy.....I think NOT! And, of course, you will have needed to ensure that he took the engine out of gear when you cast to claim any record.

Seriously I'm sure I've read an article on the 'Net that explains the technique more succinctly. I'll try and track it down.
Best wishes
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Hi Kingfish81
There're links to several good articles from Fly-Fishing in Salt Waters on Golfito Sailfish Ranchero's home page - http://www.golfitosailfish.com/.

Second thoughts probably DON'T read them, how are you going to cope with all that anticipation?
Go for it!
Dave

[kinembe]

well, Jack, you've covered quite a but on roosters and fishing for them...sounds like you know your sh*t. All i would add is to the part on flyfishing...
I have had days where i teased a dozen fish up and could not get one to eat a fly, other days raise 2 fish and both eat...go figure. On those difficult days i'll switch to another tactic that actually produces more roosters for me than just trolling a hookless bait. I first need to be sure i am near alot of fish, and prefferably the small to less than medium size schoolies. These fish will frenzie willingly when they see another eating, they will even fight over your bait...i have seen as many as 5 roosters trying to eat the same bait, right at the transom!
Anyway, the idea is to troll live rigged bait (i preffer threadfin herring as they like to run to the surface when chased) on a pretty stout rod and close to the boat. When your rooster eats, hook him and keep him close. This will trigger other fish to liven up and start looking for more food and therefore make them attack a fly, as often as not, as soon as it hits the water...fish-on.

Another point on the fly is it's best to stay relatively shallow, 20 feet and less works best for me.

And, Jack, i'm gonna have to pay more attention to the line class records on roosters because you mentioned a 47 pounder holding the 20 pound record...i'm catching most of these fish here on 20 lb...gonna have to try gome igfa tippet and see what i can do...

Here is a rooster from a recent night trip...he ate the fillet from another big rooster that had been hit by a wahoo while fighting it in. They actually became a nuisance this night as we were chunking for snappers and kept having to fight in these big roosters, t'was quite the dilema.
http://kinembesportfishing.com/images/forums/night-rooster.jpg

[PanamaJack]

t'was quite the dilemma. That's a fine old Anglo Saxon expression Kinembe!

Seriously, good to hear from you and great to read of those techniques for getting Roosters to strike. Excellent advice. Getting on for the same frenzy that you get with Dorado.

I've only ever fished Costa Rica 'way down South' out of Golfito, Golfo Duce - mainly fly fishing for Sails - but I guess Roosters are around season long off Quepos? But are there any times of year better than others? I'm aware that some months can be quite windy. And what are the best months for the Blue Marlin (and Sails)?

Finally your point about chunking for Snappers. I'm sure I've got some pictures of some real monsters taken off Isla Coiba, Panama. Let me sort through and I'll post the urls.
Kindest regards
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Hi Kinembe
I know most people call them Cuberas but the IGFA, in its wisdom, refer to them as Pacific Dog Snapper. Here are the urls - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_Aratw_CSAmerica_Panama_B.asp and http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2196.

The first took a Black Skipjack livebait, whereas the second was taken jigging - one of those 'extreme' fisherman using a big Stella fixed spool reel loaded with super braid.
Dave

[Kingfish81]

Dave, I'm really struggling to cope with the anticipation!! Time seems to be dragging substantially in the build up to the trip. Those roosters really are something else. Cheers to both you and Kinembe for the tips! I'm not sure how many there will be around Loreto when I'm there but I'll have a chat to Pam when I arrive. I would give my eye teeth for a rooster on a fly, but I'm only carrying 10wt gear, so think I might get smoked by a big'un! Current reports for Loreto sound excellent for the sails and dorado though - they're getting sails to 160lb and dorado to 50lb!!!

[PanamaJack]

Hi Toby
Certainly a 50lb Dorado's going to tax that 10 weight!

Have you seen this brief write up of a trip some Americans, from the North-East, took to the Sea of Cortez fishing pangas, accompanied by a mothercraft - http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2472. From their report nothing overly large was caught, but there is a picture of a nice Yellowtail (not Kiwi size!) and, interestingly, some big Squid taken at night jigging.

Have a successful trip. Best of Luck!
Dave

[Kingfish81]

Dave, I can barely control my excitement - the next thirteen days cannot go fast enough. Check the most recent report:

http://www.bajabigfish.com/fly_report.html

I think I'll fish until I drop!!!

[Panama Bob]

One of the best areas to fish , and catch, roosterfish is the area of Panama outside DAVID. The many island chains , Isla Parida , Las Secas, and of course Coiba, offer the perfect conditions to tease these fish to a fly.
We have great luck with Yo-Zuri 'surface cruiser ' poppers on surf rods too.
I won the rooster division in the Sept. Coiba Tourny in 2001 with a 58 pounder on a bridled blue runner/circle hook rig, and again won that division in a tourny out of Pedregal (David) the following year with a 56 pound bruiser.

Teasing roosters is touchy. As has been said, sometimes you will get a LOT of them to follow, but no bites. And then, you'll tease two and hook two.
Problem we have in that area of Panama just mentioned is you are likely to be slammed by a huge CUBERA SNAPPEr just before the big roster reaches the fly or lure. I HATE ! when that happens !!

We also have numbers where we've sent a live , 8-9 pound bonito straight down , trying for a cubera or big grouper, and hooked BLACK MARLIN over 400 lbs.

Light tackle ? First time I showed up for the Coiba Tournament with rod holders full of Penn 975 lever drags, Accurate Boss reels, and the like, everyone wanted to know why I brought all the "bait rods" with me!!

In the estuary, for corvina , snook, and snapper, you're BARELY safe with these rigs, but it sure is FUN !

Fly anglers I've guided stripped weighted lines down, down, down, and maybe got to strip three or four times before they were hooked up to fish they couldn't stop. But the strikes were AWESOME!!

For light tackle punishment, we're throwing Yo-Zuri poppers into boiling porpoise /tuna schools and burning them back to the boat. We've many yellow fin tuna over 100 lbs. with that tactic. This on spinning rods (surf rods the best, more action on the lure, and reels loaded with SPECTRA 30 or 50.

When casting flies to roosters, try a two-hand strip with the rod between your knees to get them to bite. Faster the better, wakes them up !!
Good Fishing ! Wherever You Are Panama Bob