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Welcome to Magical Mayhem Fishing Adventures! I'm Clinton Wilkinson, owner and host to your next fishing adventure in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.. I've spent the last 25 years guiding on the Arkansas White River in the United States. As I got closer to retirement, I really wanted to chase my dream of fly fishing the salt. I took trips to Florida and Louisiana where I fell in love with saltwater fly fishing. Fly fishing for tarpon had me at hello, and after 12 years of catching them all over the state of Florida, I am a tarpon addict. I can't get enough of it!

Over those ten or twelve years, I noticed anglers fly fishing for tarpon all over Central America, calling them "Jungle Poons." I had to check this out. I took numerous trips to Nicaragua and Costa Rica fishing for Tarpon, Roosters, Mahi, and more. After countless hours, I developed a reputation with some of whom I consider to be some of the best at what they do, they are all seasoned for both fly fishing and conventional tackle. I am here to help you design your next adventure!

I have focused my efforts on two destinations in the countries of Nicaragua and Costa Rica; giant jungle tarpon in Nicaragua, and giant mahi and more in Costa Rica. Both are beautiful countries and have a lot to offer everyone from nature viewing to fishing charters. If you are ready for your next Nicaragua Fishing charter adventure or Costa Rica fishing charter experience, let Magical Mayhem be your guide.

Nicaragua

Your trip begins in Managua airport, where your driver will pick you up, and transport you to the lodge which is about a 3-3.5 hour drive. There are many sights to see along the way. I especially like the small towns with fruit and vegetable stands as far as the eye can see. When you arrive, there will be a captain waiting to transport you across the river to an island that is a designated nature preserve. The captains, food, and accommodations are all spectacular. These are the hardest-working captains I have ever had the pleasure of fishing with anywhere in the world. A full day here means that they are prepared to fish you from sunrise to sunset with a nice break for lunch in the middle. They will be with you from breakfast to dinner and will cater to everything you need. Your captain can also take you on a night nature boat tour or hike around the preserve. The cost of this trip trip is affordable and built for anglers of all ages and skill levels. We provide transportation, food, lodging, and everything else you need for six days of fishing for $2995 USD per person. If this sounds like something you're searching for, reach out to Magical Mayhem and let's get your adventure started, or book on our website today!

This has become my favorite fishing adventure of all time. That might be somewhat biased because I am addicted to Tarpon, but what an amazing destination! The Tarpons of the Rio San Juan are true dinosaurs, some of the largest Tarpons anywhere in the world. Hooking up with one of these prehistoric giants is intense. This fish species is rod-bending, high-flying action that will blast off a two-hundred-yard run in the blink of an eye. Tarpons do not have surrender in their vocabulary its up to you to make them surrender, which is accomplished by applying proper technique ( which is our specialty). Fly fishing and fishing with conventional gear are both available to our anglers. Fly fishing is definitely the draw but trolling or casting with conventional gear is also quite productive. Fly fishing is done by casting to rolling fish, casting to the banks, or anchoring the boat and swinging flies, allowing the fly to finish the swing and giving a couple of strips to allow the fly to settle back to a tight line. I generally spin for 2-3 minutes doing this after the initial swing, this technique is extremely effective. There are fish over 200 pounds caught here every year, so if you are a tarpon junkie, you have found your destination.

Fishing with conventional gear is similar in technique, trolling with 2-4 lines out, casting to rolling fish, or casting to the bank while drifting with the flow of the river. The tackle used is various Rappala-type stick baits and crankbaits, and standard baitfish colors are certainly on the menu, and due to the heavy populations of cichlids bright oranges, yellows, and greens are heavily utilized. They will typically have vertical black stripes to imitate the cichlids. For those of you who have little angling experience but want to feel the adrenaline rush of one of these beasts, your captain will take care of the hook set and pass the rod along to you so that you can experience the thrill of battling the silver king.

Nature viewing tours can also be arranged for those not interested in fishing. there are over 750 species of birds here, many with beautiful vibrant coloration. You may also run into monkeys, sloths, nappers, reptiles, and many other rare mammals, reptiles, and bird species. You never really know what you will see, especially in the early mornings, late afternoons, and at night. Whether you're an angler or a nature lover, Nicaragua has it all.

Costa Rica:

Roosters, billfish, mahi oh my! This is truly one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. If you want to fish in a tropical paradise, this is the place for you. The fishing here is expansive, with so many different species to fish for and so much water to fish, both inshore and offshore. Offshore species include Mahi, Sailfish, Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Blue Marlin, and Black Marlin. Offshore begins catching fresh bait with Sabiki rigs, while bait includes Sardines, Blue Runners, and many more. Dead bait such as frozen ballyhoo are also utilized. When the bait wells are sufficient it's time to go fish! After a short run offshore the trolling begins. Your captain & mate will put out various lines at different lengths and depths. Once the lines are set it's anxiety time, just waiting for one of the lines to go off. When it does, you must quickly grab the rod, wait three to four seconds, and engage the reel or close the bail depending on what you are fishing with.

Inshore fishing charters give many fishing options. Roosterfish is the main targeted fish species for many Costa Rica anglers, and techniques will vary based on the type of species that you are most interested in. Trolling with live sardines and blue runners is the go-to technique for jacks, roosters, and cubes. The captain and mate will set three lines to cover the water column and cover a lot of water along beaches and outcroppings where these fish hunt. When one of the rods goes off you quickly grab it, wait three to four seconds, close the bale, reel tight, and game on!

Bottom fishing is an excellent way to catch dinner, grouper snapper, and other species that make wonderful table fare spend most of their time on the bottom feeding on just about anything. Graphing the fish and then dropping cut bait or live bait is the best way to catch these tasty fish. Vertical jigging is also another productive technique that will produce almost any species as you are covering the entire water column. Jigging is a simple technique but not necessarily what you want to do all day as it gets tiring on the arms and shoulders. However, when your captain marks fish you simply drop your hook and jig your way up to the surface. Essentially, you set the hook and then reel and repeat the process until you are all the way to the surface.

Casting artificial bats is a popular option with our guests, primarily for roosters. With this technique, you will cast poppers to the beach or to the rock outcroppings where the fish like to hunt.

Fly fishing is a great opportunity depending on fish responsiveness and seasonality. It is always a good idea to have a fly rod rigged and ready, but not something you would want to do all day because sometimes it is just not productive. The conditions and everything have to be productive.

We also offer walking trips offered to the avid fly fisherman. These trips are guided by the hour because it is completely dependent on the tide. The cost for these trips is 100 dollars per hour simply because there is only a small window of opportunity each day. Your guide will walk you to a flat at the beginning of an incoming tide where you will primarily site cast with small shrimp and crab patterns as well as clouser minnows. The incoming tide brings the bait back up onto the flat and the predators follow the bait which allows you to cast flies to actively hunt fish. These trips are for one or two experienced casters. You must be able to cast accurately a minimum of 40-50 feet quickly as these fish are often on the move. It's an absolute adrenaline rush watching a rooster or a jack blast through the shallow waters of the flat!