Tuna Fishing Near Jaco and Herradura: The Los Suenos Advantage

Yellowfin tuna fishing near Jaco and Herradura is a year-round fishery, with the biggest fish, 200 to 300 pound "cows," peaking from June through August off Los Suenos. Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) travel with the spinner dolphin pods offshore, so our captains find tuna by finding dolphins and birds, then present live bait or cast poppers into the feeding schools. It's the most physical fight in Costa Rican blue water. 

Dream Boats CR runs tuna trips out of Los Suenos Marina in Herradura Bay, 90 minutes from San Jose International Airport. Here's how the fishery works and why this stretch of coast has the advantage. 

The Los Suenos Advantage, Specifically 

• Short run to deep water. The continental shelf drop-off starts 20 to 35 miles offshore, a 45 to 60 minute run. More fishing hours, less transit. 

• The dolphin-tuna association. Yellowfin in the Eastern Pacific school beneath spinner dolphin pods. Dolphins and diving birds are visible from miles away, which turns open-ocean searching into targeted hunting. 

• FADs and seamounts for the serious trips. On multi-day charters we run 70 to 140 miles offshore to the FADs and seamounts, where tuna and marlin numbers are on a different scale than the day-trip grounds. 

When to Go for Tuna 

Window	What to Expect
June - August	Peak season. The 200 to 300 pound cow-class yellowfin show up, and this window overlaps the blue marlin second run.
Year-round	School-size yellowfin are caught in every month. Bait, current, and dolphin activity matter more than the calendar.
Multi-day / FAD trips	The 70 to 140 mile grounds produce big tuna outside the standard peak. Ask us about seamount availability.

If your dates fall outside June through August, don't write the trip off. Our captains put anglers on tuna in every season. The difference is average size, not availability. 

How We Fish Them

 

Run and gun on the dolphin schools 

The captain reads birds, dolphins, and temperature breaks, then positions ahead of the moving school. Timing the intercept is the craft, and it's where 20 years on this water shows. 

Live bait 

When fish are on the surface, a live sardine drifted into the school is the highest-percentage presentation for quality fish. 

Poppers and stick baits 

Casting surface lures into crashing tuna produces the most violent strikes in offshore fishing. If you've never seen a yellowfin blow up on a popper, this alone is worth the trip. 

Trolling to locate 

When nothing is showing, we troll a spread across the current lines to find fish, then switch to bait or casting once we're on them. 

Gear for a Fish That Doesn't Quit 

Yellowfin don't jump and surrender like billfish. They dig, circle deep, and test you for as long as the fight lasts. A cow-class fish can take over an hour. We run heavy conventional setups with braided line for the big fish and lighter tackle when school-size fish are thick. Everything is provided, including your INCOPESCA fishing license ($15 per week, $30 per month), arranged at booking. 

What Else You'll Raise Out There 

The tuna grounds are shared water. Sailfish, dorado, wahoo, and marlin patrol the same temperature breaks, and our crews adjust when another species fires. Plenty of tuna trips end with a marlin raised on the offshore grounds or a dorado stop on the way in. Remember that all billfish are mandatory catch-and-release with circle hooks under INCOPESCA rules, while yellowfin and dorado are legal to keep. Tuna you catch is tuna you eat, and sashimi off a fish that was swimming that morning is its own argument for the trip. 

Book a Tuna Charter 

Full-day trips cover the drop-off grounds, and multi-day FAD trips reach the 70 to 140 mile water. Our yellowfin tuna fishing charter page has the full species rundown, or contact Dream Boats CR at +506 8361 6621 (CR) / +1 561 427 2137 (US) with your dates. 

FAQ 

When is the best time for tuna fishing in Los Suenos? 

June through August is the peak, when cow-class yellowfin from 200 to 300 pounds show on the offshore grounds. School-size yellowfin are caught year-round off Jaco and Herradura, so tuna is a realistic target in any month. 

How big are the yellowfin tuna in Costa Rica? 

School fish run from 20 to 80 pounds and provide fast action year-round. During the June through August peak, yellowfin in the 200 to 300 pound class show up on the grounds off Los Suenos, and those fights can last more than an hour. 

How do captains find tuna offshore? 

Yellowfin in the Eastern Pacific travel beneath spinner dolphin pods, so captains look for dolphins, diving birds, and temperature breaks. Once a moving school is located, the boat positions ahead of it for live bait or popper presentations. 

How far offshore are tuna caught near Jaco? 

Day trips fish the drop-off grounds 20 to 35 miles offshore, about a 45 to 60 minute run from Los Suenos Marina. Multi-day trips reach FADs and seamounts 70 to 140 miles out, where the biggest tuna concentrations hold. 

Can you keep tuna caught in Costa Rica? 

Yes. Yellowfin tuna are legal to keep, unlike billfish and roosterfish, which are mandatory catch-and-release. Our crews clean your catch at the dock, and fresh yellowfin makes some of the best sashimi and grilling fish anywhere. 

Are tuna charters suitable for beginners? 

Yes, with one honest caveat: big yellowfin are the hardest-pulling fish we target, and cow-class fights are physical. Beginners do great on school-size fish, and the crew coaches every angler through the fight and hands off the rod when needed.