Rainbow Bass Fishing Costa Rica

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The Guapote or Rainbow bass is native on both slopes of Costa Rica. The rainbow bass is the prize game fish found in the freshwater lakes and rivers in Costa Rica. Known locally as “guapote”, which in Spanish means ‘handsome,’

Mature males will display red and green on their heads before turning to a golden-yellow body that is speckled with blue, black, and purple dots and dark vertical bars. Mature adults can also feature a very pronounced forehead bump. Their fins typically showcase a bluish-green color, which when all put together makes it easy to know how it earned its name. Armed with a mouth full of imposing teeth, guapote earned their ‘bass’ moniker due to the way they are fished.

Females tend to be smaller than males but in rare cases can grow as big as their spawn mates. The gold/yellow coloration is more prominent in the females, especially during courtship, breeding and raising fry. The contrast between the black and gold/yellow will become prominent during breeding behavior.

WHAT THEY EAT: With their size, speed, and nasty set of teeth they feed primarily on smaller fish but can also eat frogs and insects.

Rainbow bass or Guapote are top predators in most rivers and lakes in Costa Rica. seem to be most aggressive right before and after spawning but can be rather lazy during nesting.

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Rainbow bass are found in freshwater rivers all over Costa Rica, but certainly the main spot to fish for them is Lake Arenal. In the early morning and evening you can catch guapote with crank baits and spinner baits in shallower water near tree stumps, underwater shelves, rocks, and grassy areas but once the hot tropical sun is overhead they typically move to deeper and cooler water.

Guapote will burrow ‘nests’ into the mud banks around the lake just under the surface of the water, so when water levels drop during the dry season these can be seen and guapote are often found close by.

Guapote Fishing Costa Rica

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