Snook is a prized game fish in Costa Rica for a couple of reasons. One, they are an intelligent fish and there is a knack to fooling them into taking a bait. Two, when they hit the frying pan, they are a real treat to the taste buds. Snook move freely in and out of salt and fresh waters, making the angling possibilities for them almost endless.

They are abundant at the rivermouths that run into the ocean and also can be found far up the rivers and creeks, miles from the ocean. Their habits are similar to the striped bass and are easily identified by their distinct black lateral line. Costa Rica has 8 different varieties of snook, 4 on the Pacific side and 4 on the Caribbean side.

Caribbean snook The common snook is the largest and most sought after of the Carribean snook. The world record is 53 lbs 10 oz taken nearly 20 years ago by Gilbert Ponzi at the mouth of the Rio Parismina.
Many 40 pound fish are landed every year, and several fish larger than Ponzi's have been taken by locals on handlines. The next all-tackle world record is definitely swimming in Costa Rican waters.

Nearly all fishing on the Caribbean side is done with artificial baits with bucktail and plastic tail jigs are the most popular. Some of the biggest snook have been taken by accident while fishing for tarpon.
Even famous fly fisherman Bill Barnes readily admits his target was tarpon on 16 pound tippet when his world record snook hit. Many of the locals have become experts at taking snook in the surf. The locals call them "robalo."

Fat snook These feisty critters begin showing up in November and are taken through February. In December and January they are in schools of thousands. They are common from 2 to 8 lbs and average around 4 lbs.
It is no great feat to catch 50 of them in a day. There is a difference of opinion where they come from. Some think they are leaving Lake Nicaragua on the way to the ocean to spawn. Others believe they are a reef snook and enter the river to travel upcurrent the great lake.

One thing is certain: They are only found in bodies of water that eventually lead to Lake Nicaragua. Fat snook are taken by jigging, trolling and casting crankbaits. In years past anglers used to come down in droves, filling their coolers with fillets before returning home.

Today that attitude has changed somewhat and a few are taken back to camp for dinner while most are released. The locals call fat snook "calva" or "calba" and like their orgin, there is even a difference of opinion on how to spell their name.

Tarpon snook They resemble the tarpon with their huge eye and anal fin. A smaller snook, usually 2 to 3 lbs., they make for great fun on ultralight tackle, easily caught within fresh hatches of shrimps because they often clear the water completely in their excitement to fill their bellies.

Tarpon snook can be found in the main river channel as well as in the back lagoons and creeks. Small bucktail jigs or flies will fool them and they also make for great table fare. The locals refer to them as "cara seca" which means dry face.

Swordspine snook The smallest of the Caribbean snooks rarely going more than a pound and a half, the swordspine is readily identified by its huge first spine of the anal fin. The anal spine on a one pound swordspine is larger than the spine on a forty pound common snook.

They are usually caught by accident while fishing for other backwater exotics like guapote, mojarra and machaca. Small topwater plugs, jigs, and flies will aggravate them into striking. The locals call them by an English name, "hard bone".

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