The Bite Is On in Costa Rica, and Lights Out Boston Has Been Living It

A friend of Lights Out Boston tussles with a blue marlin off Quepos, Costa Rica.

What’s the fishing like in Costa Rica these days? Just ask Capt. Rob Carmichael and Lights Out Boston. The team has spent the offseason fishing from Cabo and Magdalena Bay in Baja, Mexico, and made their way down the Pacific Coast. They’ve been docked at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos for a few weeks now. What sets Quepos apart, aside from the thriving sportfishing culture? As beautiful as it is here, there’s a good chance this place would still be an undiscovered backwater without one feature: The billfishing here is some of the best in the world, and a different experience than many other fishing destinations.

Sunset in Quepos, with Lights Out shining bright at right.

That’s why Lights Out Boston is spending the offseason here. For a team focused on catching billfish, the key to staying sharp, and to hone the edge on a program built around finding and catching billfish, is to do just that. And there are few places in the world to offer the combination of volume and quality opportunities that Quepos does.

First of all, it’s a whole new ballgame because the fishing grounds are closer and the conditions are often calm. “We're running from 20 to 45 miles,” said Capt. Rob Carmichael. “I think our best day so far, we had 48 bites. Yesterday we went out and saw three blue marlin. One was probably almost 500 pounds. We managed to release one of them. We missed one and we couldn't get the big one to switch off the teaser.” This kind of efficient angling situation with so many opportunities to target different fish in a range of situations allows a crew to refine their program while using less fuel and causing less wear and tear on Carmichael’s Viking 62, Lights Out.

Working out of Marina Pez Vela Marina in Quepos is an advantage as well. It’s a world-class facility that understands its clientele, with 195 slips, plenty of available marine services, high-speed Internet, a selection of restaurants and amenities, and, best of all, the fuel available there is 100-percent polished. 

A few friends gather for the nightly party at Marina Pez Vela.

“This incredible facility has a camaraderie on the dock,” Carmichael says. “Everybody's working together, with the common goal of trying to go out there and be productive with their day. Everyone helps each other out as to where the bite is.” Upon arriving at a new destination, getting the lay of the land from the talk on the dock is a time-honored angling tradition—one that sometimes is forgotten in other places. Maybe it’s the sheer volume of opportunities from the sailfish and marlin around, but everyone is cool at Quepos.

There’s plenty of experience around. With roughly 100 fishing boats in the marina, ranging from 35-footers to 90-foot sportfish, there’s a thriving community of anglers that bring their boats here, with some leaving and coming back regularly. Some of them rent or own houses, or stay on their boats, coming in for a weekend or staying for a couple of weeks. “When the bosses are out of town that's usually when captains and mates get caught up on their work,” says Carmichael. “They love to fish—no one does this job because they like moving wax. So they'll jump on another boat to go fish for the day if they can.”

Some of the Lights Out Boston crew—Tucker Carmichael, Casey Carmichael, Kyle Paparelli, Jackie Hayes, Brian Bavosi, and Ross Nasin—chill out at Marina Pez Vela.

The crew on Lights Out has been putting that local knowledge to good use. “We've had a local mate that's been fishing with us,” Carmichael says. “And we've had some of the other mates on the dock jump in with us for fun days. It’s cool! We’re always learning, so someone might have a new technique or they do something a little bit differently.”

Now that the SFC has announced the tournament schedule the team is planning their return, and will look to take Lights Out through the Panama Canal and back through the Caribbean on their way to the first league events of the season.

The first competitive tournament will be the Key West Classic, April 17 to 19, 2026.