costa rica snook fishing

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 origin, there is even a difference of opinion on how to spell their name.