Los Sueños Marina, Playa Herradura, Costa Rica: 164 confirmed catches
Reported by Maverick Sportfishing fleet, November 9, 2026
October was a month of two halves on the board. The sailfish climbed, the snapper kept the bottom boats busy, and the mahi that opened the month faded early. The fleet logged 164 confirmed catches across nine named species on 24 charters, an average of 6.8 fish per charter. October is the slowest month of the year for charters, so the catch per trip tells the story better than the total.
The headline is the sails. They went up in a month with fewer logged trips than September, and that is the direction you want to see with the season ahead.
Offshore
Sailfish were the story. 47 releases, up from 40 in September, on 24 logged trips against 31. Sixteen of those 24 trips had at least one sail. Most of the action came in one stretch: 37 of the 47 were logged between October 9 and October 18, including 13 across the fleet on October 12 alone. Trophy Fly led the way with eight on October 12 and nine on October 18.
Mahi mahi dropped to 13, from 40 in September. They came early: 12 of the 13 were logged by October 11, with Super Fly taking five on October 3.
Yellowfin tuna held close to September’s level at 13 fish against 16. Tiger Fly had the best tuna day with four on October 4.
One blue marlin came aboard Open Fly on October 6. October is not the marlin month here. That comes with the December through April season.
Inshore and bottom
Snapper led every species at 62 fish. Down from 96 in September, but still the most-caught fish of the month. Southern Fly had the top snapper day with 15 on October 10, and Los Sueños added ten on each of October 24 and 25.
Grouper came in at 12, from 62 in September. That September number included a single 40-fish day on Trophy Fly, so the drop looks bigger than it was.
Tilefish made the board with 12, after none in September. Dream II and Los Sueños each logged five in a day late in the month.
Snapper, grouper and tilefish together made up just over half of everything caught in October. Bottom fishing remains the right call for mixed groups, families, and anyone who wants steady action close to the marina.
One jack and one amberjack rounded out the inshore board.
October year over year
October 2025 logged 93 catches on 15 charters, or 6.2 fish per charter. This October came in at 6.8 per charter, with 47 sailfish against 8 last year.
Conditions
We are transitioning out of the wet season and the weather is starting to stabilize, which has been great for offshore trips. While the numbers may look low, October is our slowest month for charters. We ran only 24, yet still averaged 6.8 fish per charter. We are seeing a healthy mix of species, and water temperatures are holding steady.
Catch of the month
October was a solid month for the fleet as we gear up for the busy season. Trophy Fly had a standout day with nine sailfish on the 18th, but the highlight was the consistent snapper activity, which led the catch numbers with 62 for the month.
What to expect in November
The sailfish are the thing to watch. The numbers usually build through the back half of the year and run into the December through April season, and October’s mid-month surge is a good sign. A blue marlin was already logged on November 2.
The bottom is still producing. The first days of November have brought more snapper and grouper, including ten grouper and six snapper on Trophy Fly on November 2.
Low-season rates are in effect through December 15, which makes the next few weeks the best value window of the year to fish Costa Rica.
