Trying to lure fish to the surface is no easy task. Along the coast of Los Suenos are endless hiding places: rocks, shelves and coral reefs. All prove tempting for Striped Marlins and Mahi-Mahis, keeping them tucked away from even the most persistent lines.

Chumming is, therefore, recommended. It provides anglers with greater control, allowing them to more efficiently lead fish to their ships. Without the proper kind of bait, however, this method will fail.

Choose oily fish while chumming in Los Suenos. Slick-scaled creatures (such as Mackerels, Bluefish or Herrings) have stronger scents and flavors. They remain heady, even when exposed to the water for long hours, and will leave more pungent blood trails. This proves essential when trying to lure fish toward a charter boat.

Finding oily bait is a simple task. The Los Suenos Marina boasts many shops and will provide the best available options. Rely on seasoned fishermen to choose chum that is as durable as it is enticing.

Contact Costa Rica Fishing Adventures to learn more about chumming. Ask us also about our charter tours and accommodations.

Fresh bait does not ensure a perfect chumming session and yet Los Suenos anglers often find themselves relying purely on finely chopped hearts, livers and heads. They trust in blood trails and concentrated dispersals, certain that this will be enough.

It’s not.

While fishing in Los Suenos anglers must remember to watch the current, instead of focusing only on the chum.

Current speeds dictate the success of every chumming trip. The average Pacific wave reaches four miles per hour, ensuring a steady clockwise motion. This rate requires less chum, simply because the bait will remain within a limited area and will not float too far from the boat.

During the wet season, however, current speeds can increase in the Pacific and waves can reach up to ten miles per hour. This disturbs the chum, sending it far from the ship and reducing its effectiveness. Use more during these times to compensate.

The importance of fresh bait reigns supreme while chumming in Los Suenos. Never forget, however, to track the current as well.

Contact Costa Rica Fishing Adventures to learn more about this method. Ask us also about our accommodations and charter tours.

Chumming is a common practice. Anglers throughout Los Suenos fling bait into the ocean, releasing long trails of blood and slick to create a feeding frenzy.

Those frenzies prove difficult to contain, however, without the use of a chum bag.

A chum bag, as the name suggests, is intended to house an angler’s chum. It features a cylindrical shape, with tiny holes lining its sides. These holes allow bubbles of bait to escape, creating consistent - and contained - drips.

This is essential while in Los Suenos. Strong currents can easily scatter chum, luring fish away from charters. Bags, however, provide steadier releases and keep the bait centered. This increases every angler’s chances of catching a Marlin, Yellow Fin or Spanish Mackerel.

Utilize chum bags while fishing in Los Suenos. They’ll provide greater control and easier reel-ins.

Contact Costa Rica Fishing Adventures to learn more about chumming. Ask us also about our charter tours and accommodations.

First-time anglers often favor the chumming technique. It spares them the tangle of trolling lines and proves simpler than deep-casting. This is a straightforward method that yields results while in Los Suenos.

Fresh bait is not enough to create a proper chum mixture, however. Sand is instead needed to ensure success.

Sand shapes the Los Suenos coastline. It should also shape a charter tour. The fine grains and pliable textures prove essential while fishing, helping to create a more adaptable chum. Bait is dense. It will sink and scatter. By adding sand to the mixture, however, anglers can ensure that their finely chopped Mackerels, Shrimps and Bunkers remain floating.

Sand provides better buoyancy to bait. It allows the pieces to blend and keeps them on the surface. This helps to lure fish to ships with greater ease and accuracy, and it turns chumming into a certainty.

Tossing bait into the water is not enough. Add sand instead to every mix.

Contact Costa Rica Fishing Adventures to learn more about chumming. Ask us also about our charter tours and accommodations.