The Zancudo Lodge – May Report – The Year in Review
Another successful year of sportfishing action during our 2023/2024 season!
Being able to work in one of the world’s most amazing locations in a high energy, adrenaline charged activity makes every season fly by. Running a world class fishing operation during Costa Rica’s peak months is a labor of passion purely fueled by satisfied and happy clients.
Our entire Lodge family would like to extend our gratitude and a sincere thank you to all our clients who return year after year AND to all the new guests who joined us this year. We hope we met most of your expectations and that we will meet again in the not so distant future.
During the next few months, the staff and management will be working diligently to bring new projects to life for the 2024/2025 season and we are excited for all our guests to experience the next upcoming fishing season at the Zancudo Lodge.
Here is a quick thank you video just for our guests featuring TZL staff, captains and crew. Enjoy the show!
“We’re over the moon grateful for a successful season with our Zancudo Lodge family. Muchas Gracias to all our guests for visiting us and we hope that you stay healthy and happy until we meet again!” -Greg and Goldine
2024 Was Packed!
In all our years this has been our busiest since opening TZL with close to 100% occupancy for most of the season. We attribute this to a mix of our stellar captains and crew, friendly and attentive house staff, and obviously our location at the doorstep of one of the world’s most productive inshore and offshore fisheries.
The fact that most of our clients come back year after year to enjoy some of the best fishing on the planet also keeps our lodge buzzing. If you don’t like crowds don’t worry, because we only have 15 rooms so the lodge never really gets a feeling of being overcrowded and we are able to offer a high level of personalized service. Having three miles of beachfront to relax on, lodging on par with the world’s best five star resorts, and an amazing seaside open air restaurant also keep anglers returning year after year.
If you are planning a visit with us in 2025 we do recommend booking as far out as possible to get the prime dates you want and boat you prefer. Space is limited, check availability here.
Video: Take a Quick Look Around The Lodge
Fishing Was off the Charts
Our last group of the season got to experience an epic tuna bite offshore and inshore anglers released some massive roosterfish as well as the coveted bluefin trevally. Big bucket-list roosterfish and pitbull sized Cubera snappers (all released) have been some of the highlights of this season.
TZL’s position on Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce makes our lodge the definitive destination for exotic inshore species and the fantastic fishing starts just 5 minutes from our dock in the cavernous, volcanic structure that lines Costa Rica’s inshore coastline.
From the Gulf, offshore fishing starts in just 45 minutes which means anglers can get a chance to experience both fisheries in a relatively short amount of time.
Offshore Big Tuna Were The Main Draw, sailfish bite was steady
Yellowfin tuna are one of the most popular offshore species in the angling world and if you’ve visited us in the last few years, chances are you have some amazing stories to tell the folks back home about your experience. Not only is it a treat to eat your own freshly caught Sashimi and steaks (pass the Wasabi), but the fights these monsters bring to your rod and reel is nothing short of legendary.
Many a first time tuna angler has let out a “chuckle” after easily getting their first 70+ lb tuna to the boat (usually because the fish doesn’t know it’s hooked yet 😉 ) only to have their eyes widen in disbelief as the fish goes on to peel another 70 more feet of line off their reel. Sometimes these fish will repeat the “circle and dive” game 5 or 10 times before finally conceding to the gaff and forcing the angler to use an ice-pack on their arms and lumbar for the next few days.
Our largest tuna this season got close to 200lbs with 60-100lbs being the average. We find these fish hunting with spinner and spotted porpoises using our state of the art radar and sonar combination with high speed custom Contender’s that get to the bite fast. If you have tuna on the brain there is no better equipped outfitter in Central America to make this sport fishing dream a reality.
El Niño Crashes the Offshore fishing Party
After several seasons of La Niña here in Southern Costa Rica, the weather finally shifted and the bad “Little Boy” aka El Niño arrived and threw a tantrum that primarily affected the marlin bite. Not unlike a trouble making little brat, he brought with him hot and dry conditions which lead to a decrease in marlin production compared to previous seasons. The sailfish bite was good however, and many still experienced the excitement of releasing blue and black marlin. Dorado and other species seemed unaffected and the amazing tuna bite was always a great go to if the billfish bite slowed.
The little girl, aka La Niña may return next season which is always good news for the marlin. No matter what the weather gives us to work with, Southern Costa Rica is so loaded with diversity in terms of fish species that when one species is quiet, several others are going off like a five alarm fire. When you head out each day the captains will be able to tell you what species should be pursued based on conditions and recent catch reports. But the final say on what to target is always up to you. Whether you’re fishing inshore or offshore, you’re almost guaranteed to land a fish most anglers can only dream about.
What’s happening during off season
- The continuation of new projects and renovations to the Lodge
- We have selected 4 of our top performing Lodge employees to join us on a 5 star trip to Switzerland in June2024. Our biggest joy is to introduce a new culture to our staff and this is the perfect way to show them how much we appreciate them for another great season of top notch service for our guests.
- As a way of thanking our crew of amazing captains, we asked them where they would like to go and they all responded with “FISHING”! So we’ve arranged a trip to Bolivia, Columbia in order for them to experience some new and exotic species.
- And with our commitment to promoting the love and care of our 4 legged friends and family, we will be continuing our support to Zappa, a 30 year local animal rescue organization. The summer will be the start of our annual renewal of our spay and neuter clinics for all street animals in the Southern zone. This is planned for the next 8 months, targeting 450 street dogs and cats and covering 6 neighboring townships.
- During June2024, our 1st annual Veterinary Wellness Clinic for our staff’s 4 legged family members will be held and 100% sponsored by the Lodge. Our employees will have the opportunity to bring their beloved to the Lodge for a wellness check instead of traveling a minimum of 2-3hrs to visit our local veterinarian.
RESERVATIONS are now available for the 2024/2025 season. As space is limited, please call or email us if you are considering a trip to the Lodge. This past season, we sold out all prime times before December so please reserve now in order to get your specific dates locked in.
