At the 2024 Dorado Derby, 63 teams fished out of Marina Pez Vela, and the winning dorado weighed 35.00 pounds. In November 2025, 53 teams fished the first derby and the winner weighed 49.16 pounds. A week later, 40 teams fished Dorado Derby Dos, and the top fish weighed 51.56 pounds.
So the field got smaller each time and the winning fish got heavier. Both 2026 derbies are now on the calendar: the Dorado Derby on Saturday, November 14, and Dorado Derby Dos on Saturday, November 21. In Quepos, the size of the crowd at the docks says little about how big the fish will be.
Three derbies, side by side
These figures come from the live scoreboards CatchStat runs for the marina's tournaments. They show the heaviest single dorado weighed at each event and how many teams entered.
| Event | Teams | Winning team / vessel | Heaviest dorado |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorado Derby, November 2024 | 63 | Carolina Crew / Reel Freedom | 35.00 lb |
| Dorado Derby, November 15, 2025 | 53 | Southern Fly | 49.16 lb |
| Dorado Derby Dos, November 22, 2025 | 40 | Tres Miguel / Muñequita | 51.56 lb |
You can see the gap further down the 2025 boards too. At the first 2025 derby, the second-place fish from Nudge Me / Scatterbrain weighed 39.82 pounds, and third place went to Sea Duction at 36.90. At Dos, Sedna del Sur took second with 44.82 pounds, and Nudge Me / Scatterbrain placed again, third this time, at 37.68. Dos had fewer boats, but its runner-up fish was five pounds heavier than the runner-up a week earlier. Its 40 teams carried 179 anglers and logged 104 dorado, and the top ten were separated by about 18 pounds.
On three events' worth of scoreboards, the later Saturday has drawn fewer boats and weighed bigger fish.
Why the second Saturday sits where it does
Dorado, the fish sold elsewhere as mahi-mahi, are caught off Costa Rica's Pacific coast all year. A Costa Rica fishing calendar published by Central America Fishing puts the peak at October through December. It says the run usually starts in late October or early November and lasts until mid-to-late December, and it ties that window to the marina's November derby.
That puts both 2026 dates inside the run, with Dos a week further into it. The marina has kept the same rhythm for three years: November 9 in 2024, then November 15 and 22 in 2025, and November 14 and 21 this year. The 2026 rules pages describe two events with the same team format, the same minimum weight and the same entry and jackpot structure. Only the names and the dates differ. Anyone choosing between the two Saturdays is really choosing a week in the season.
How a derby day runs
The marina's 2026 rules page sets out the first derby's timetable. The Dos page follows the same pattern a week later.
- Friday, November 13, afternoon. Final registration at Marina Pez Vela, then a captains' meeting at 7:00 p.m. The marina takes questions by WhatsApp at 2774-9006.
- Saturday, 5:30 a.m. The registration desk opens for check-out. Every boat entered has to leave from Marina Pez Vela.
- 6:45 a.m. Boats line up.
- 7:00 a.m. The shotgun start, and lines go in.
- Early afternoon. The weigh station opens. It stays open until 6:00 p.m., and every team has to be checked in by then.
- 3:30 p.m. Lines out.
- 7:30 p.m. Awards.
The scale opens before lines come out, so boats that land a big fish early can come in and weigh it while the rest of the fleet is still fishing. That puts most of the action at the marina between early afternoon and dinner, not at dawn. The marina says the rules posted online are unofficial, and it hands out the official version at check-in and the captains' meeting. Times can change before the morning itself.
What the rules reward
The format helps explain why one fish decides everything. Each derby is a one-day team event, and the team that weighs the single heaviest dorado wins. Cash and prizes go to the top three teams. If two fish tie, the team that weighed first wins.
- Minimum weight. A dorado has to weigh 15 pounds to qualify.
- Four fish per team. Each team can put four fish on the scale, and no more for any category or jackpot. The rules print this in capitals: "make your choices accordingly."
- Team size. A team has one to six registered anglers. Each boat needs a captain and at least one mate, and registered guests can ride along without fishing.
- Special awards. There are separate awards for the heaviest dorado caught by a junior boy or junior girl aged 16 or under, and by a lady angler. Those anglers declare themselves at registration and mark their fish with colored bands.
The mandatory team entry is $500 plus 13% IVA. It covers up to six anglers but not the boat, and the tournament office can arrange charters. Optional jackpots raise the total to $2,765 for a team that enters everything. They include $100 each for the fish closest to 20, 25 and 30 pounds, $100 for the heaviest pair, and heaviest-dorado jackpots at $500 and $1,000.
One jackpot is aimed at a weight, not a record. The $300 Charity Jackpot goes to the fish closest to 22.22 pounds, and the winning team splits it 50/50 with the tournament's designated charity for the year. The 2025 winners weighed more than twice that, so a mid-sized fish that would never top the board can still pay out, and half of that payout stays with a good cause.
Where the evening lands
The 7:30 p.m. awards are held at the marina, so on both Saturdays the day ends at the waterfront. Marina Pez Vela describes its commercial plaza as a meeting place for residents and visitors, a link between the harbor and the wider Quepos and Manuel Antonio community.
The marina's current directory lists these places to eat:
- Runaway Grill
- Gabriella's Steakhouse
- The Butcher Block
- Cuba Libre
- Gelateria Amorosi, for gelato, coffee and pastries
- FAD's, a deli and bakery
- Provisions
The same directory lists shops including CR Primo, Mini Price, Altair Souvenirs, Montecristo Marine, Pluma del Mar, Bambamboo, Habanos, Blue Ocean and Audio Masters. Directories change, though, so check with a place directly before you plan dinner around it.
After November, the calendar moves on to other species. The Marlin Invitational is set for December 10 to 12, 2026, and the marina's calendar lists the Rock Star Offshore Tournament on January 14, 2027, and the Rooster Rodeo on January 30, 2027. The two dorado Saturdays fall right as the run peaks. Last year, the second one weighed the heavier fish.
If you're thinking about a residence or rental villa within easy reach of the marina, the team at Christie's International Real Estate South Pacific Costa Rica knows this stretch of coast well and is glad to talk it through over coffee at the plaza. Inquire Now.
