Roosterfish in Costa Rica

What a roosterfish is

The roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis) is the only member of its family, and you can't mistake it for anything else. Its first dorsal fin is a crest of 7 long, separate spines, striped black and pale, that it raises when excited, like a rooster's comb. The body is silvery blue-grey with dark curved bands, two across the head and two on the body, and a deeply forked tail.

FishBase lists a maximum of 163 cm fork length and a published weight of 51.7 kg, which matches the long-standing IGFA record fish from Mexico. MarViva gives a common size of about 60 cm, and Crocodile Bay, in the south, reports most of its roosters at about 7 to 23 kg (15 to 50 lb).

Roosterfish live only in the Eastern Pacific, from California to Peru and the Galápagos, which makes them one of the fish that draws anglers to this side of the world.

Where to find them in Costa Rica

Roosterfish are an inshore fish of the Pacific coast. MarViva describes them as a fish of shallow coastal water, mostly in less than 20 m. Look for them along rocky points, reefs, river mouths and sandy beaches where they chase sardines, mullet and other baitfish into the shallows.

They're found along the whole coast. Well-known areas include the rocky shores and islands of Guanacaste, the coast around Quepos and the central Pacific, and the southern Pacific around the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce. There are no roosterfish on the Caribbean coast.

Best months

Roosterfish are caught every month, and MarViva's data shows them abundant all year. Charter calendars give slightly different peaks:

• FishingBooker's month-by-month guide rates January to August strongest, with September and October a little slower.
• Adventure Tours Costa Rica, on the central Pacific, reports the most fish from November to March.
• Crocodile Bay, in the south, reports its strongest roosterfish season from March to June.

The months most sources agree on are about January to April. See the season chart for the full picture.

How crews fish for them

Most roosterfish are caught from small, fast boats (pangas and center consoles) working close to the rocks and the surf line. The classic method is slow-trolling a live bait, often a blue runner, mullet or sardine, along structure and beaches. When a rooster is interested you'll often see the comb slice through the surface behind the bait before it eats.

Casting is the other favourite: big topwater poppers and stickbaits thrown at the rocks, on spinning gear in the 20 to 50 lb range. Fly anglers target roosters too, using teasers to pull fish close to the boat. A few people catch them from the beach on foot, especially at dawn.

The fight is fast and strong, with long runs toward the rocks, so drag settings and quick boat handling matter.

The rules

In 2014 INCOPESCA's board approved sport-fishing rules (agreement AJDIP/086-2014) that list roosterfish, together with billfish and tarpon, as species of tourist and sport-fishing interest to be fished on a catch-and-release basis, with circle hooks required when natural bait is used. MarViva's 2023 guide to Costa Rica's sport-fishing rules lists roosterfish among the protected sport species whose catch can't be sold. Costa Rican crews release them as standard practice.

The general rules apply too: everyone fishing from a boat needs an INCOPESCA sport fishing licence (Ley 8436, article 75), and fishing is banned inside national parks and biological reserves, such as Manuel Antonio, Marino Ballena, Corcovado and Isla del Caño.

Eating quality

Roosterfish are edible but not highly rated, and MarViva notes they have low commercial value and aren't sold. Since crews release them anyway, keep a snapper for dinner instead.