book about fishing in saltwater on the pacific side of Central America

I was raised on books, and continue to look to them whenever I need to take a deep dive into a subject that interests me greatly. Such topics include fishing history and fishing destinations, and while those were semi-esoteric topics under any circumstances, since the advent of the World Wide Web it has generally become less likely that such subjects will make their way into book form. To some extent, that’s good, because the web is more malleable – as things change you can add or update content. On the other hand, perhaps because I’m old, writing a book about something just seems to lend a bit more gravitas. I also think that looking up to my shelf and seeing the titles is satisfying in a manner that looking at my list of internet bookmarks will never be.

Accordingly, as I’ve become passionate about fishing in Central America, I looked for resources to enhance my understanding and enjoyment of the experience. Websites and forums like Bloody Decks and 360 Tuna provided some help, but I wanted more. I’ve fished the Pacific out of San Diego (just a day headboat), Costa Rica (in 1995), and more recently on multiple trips to Guatemala and Panama. Still, those choices were semi-haphazard. If you were looking to book a trip to Central America at a particular time, for a particular species, using a specific technique, I wouldn’t be able to give you a meaningful analysis of the options. That’s why I was glad to find Ray Rychnovsky’s “Fishing Guide to Central America’s Prolific Pacific,” a book that purports to provide an overview of the region.

What the Book Does Best

Rychnovsky’s book is a quick read (I read it all on a flight from DC to Phoenix on my way to a bass fishing trip in Mexico). If you’re looking for hard core spread suggestions or updated lodge recommendations, you’re going to be disappointed, but that’s not its purpose. Instead, it seeks to give you a high-level picture of the fishing opportunities from San Diego to the tip of South America. He provides clear information about why you might choose or recommend one option over another. For example, I didn’t know that the fishing opportunities vary greatly by season from southern Costa Rica to the northern end of the country. Now, if I were heading that way, I’d use that information to my advantage, and to avoid a subpar trip.

He also gives a nice rundown of the different species available in the region – why to chase them, where they live in greatest numbers and at what times. For a freshwater bass geek like me, those were some of the questions I was afraid to ask. I’ve enjoyed catching yellowfin tuna, dorado, roosterfish and sailfish, but don’t know how the bite or fight of a wahoo compares. If there’s a particular species that’s on your bucket list, this book will be a huge help in determining when and where to go. Much of the information on the web comes from the outfitters themselves, and while I won’t accuse them of misleading you, their modus operandi is to paint their options in the rosiest possible colors, which might not lead you in the right direction.

You can tell that Rychnovsky is passionate about the topic and this portion of the globe. Within the travel suggestions and fishing info he intersperses personal recollections and preferences, which adds a touch of color. I’m headed back to Central America (hopefully again and again and again) because of the few incredible experiences I’ve already had – I want to take my guidance from those who love it just as much, if not more.

A Pleasant Surprise

Some of my own earliest personal fishing experiences were on head boats (aka, “Party Boats”) out of Brooklyn, NY, fishing for bluefish. We caught tons of fish and I loved the opportunity to go offshore, but as an introvert I remember dreaming of the day I’d have my own boat, or be able to charter with a smaller party. That’s what we’ve done in Central America – two to four gringos to a boat.

Nevertheless, that left me with a disconnect: Why did so many passionate and incredibly talented anglers, people like Captain Danny Kadota and California bass pro Ish Monroe, rave about the long range boats out of Southern California? After reading this book, I have a better sense of the different locations that the boats visit, what they catch, and how productive they can be. For what seems to be an eminently reasonable price, you can get a long haul “charter” with food worthy of a five-star restaurant, and more fishing time for a wider variety of species than even the most sought-after charters. This book convinced me that at some point in the future I will be going on one of those long range boats and while I may not know precisely which one (yet), I know what to look for and how to get prepared tackle-wise.

Where the Book Falls Short

While I enjoyed the book immensely and took away a great deal of information that will help me in planning future trips, there were some shortcomings. None of them detracted enough from the experience to undermine the value, but two in particular were notable:

The material is in some cases dated -- Things move fast in the world of destination fisheries. Rychnovsky published the book in 2010 and a lot of the lodges and people he mentioned are no longer in the business. In fact, some of the air routes he suggests are no longer feasible since the carriers have gone belly up. In many cases, the leading outfitters for a particular destination in 2022 were not operational at the time of publication. Do your homework before relying on his recommendations. Also, many travelers are concerned about politics and danger when traveling abroad and historically Central America has presented some challenges. Be sure to get current information on your planned destinations rather than relying on his assessments from over a decade ago.
There are some inconsequential mistakes – I’m the world’s worst self-proofreader, so I’m not going to hold this against Rychnovsky, but a pickier reader might find fault with some of his errors. For example, on page 11, a picture of what is very clearly a mahi mahi is captioned as a yellowfin tuna. Elsewhere, he refers to the country of “Colombia” as “Columbia” and spells the Costa Rican city of “Liberia” as “Libera.” Not a big deal as far as I’m concerned.