Fishing Reports: Pesca Panama Fishing Charters ~ Offshore and Inshore Fishing off the Pacific Coast

Tropical Fishing Adventures Panama
PO Box 2104
Montauk NY 11954
631 668 2019

2009 REPORTS

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS

7/10/10

PESCA PANAMA GREETED AN INTERESTING AND MIXED GROUP OF ANGLERS THIS WEEK. FROM ENGLAND WE WELCOMED BACK RETURNING BRITISH ANGLERS PETER THOMAS AND PAUL SHERWOOD. SCOTT COOPER, HEADED UP OUR KANSAS CONTINGENT, RETURNING TO FISH WITH HIS TWO SONS, CAMERON AND CARSTON AND SCOTT'S FATHER JIM COOPER. FROM BRAZIL WE FISHED WITH ANGLERS SAMUEL AVILA, SANDRO AVILA, HERIQUE ARAUJO TEIXEIRA AND CARLOS ALBERTO TEIXEIRA. FROM CANADA WAS FISHERMEN PETE GUSTIN. NO MATTER WHERE FISHERMEN COME FROM THEY ALL WANT TO DO THE SAME THING, CATCH FISH!

FISHING AT ISLA LADRONES PRODUCED A FEW FISH ON THE WAY OUT. BUT THE REAL FISHING ACTION STARTED AT ISLA MONTUOSA WHERE PETER AND PAUL REELED IN 9 WAHOO AND THEN FOLLOWED THIS UP WITH 6 YELLOWFIN TUNA IN THE 30-60 LB RANGE.

OUR BRAZILIAN ANGLERS WERE KEPT BUSY JIGGING. IN FACT THEY REELED IN FISH UNTIL THEIR ARMS ACHED. MY RECORDS SHOW THEY CAUGHT 18 BIG MULLET SNAPPER, 53 JACK CREVALLE, 4 YELLOWFIN TUNA, A 60 LB GROUPER AND A WHOLE HANDFUL OF OTHER FISH.

TALES OF TWO TUNA

AFTER A GREAT DAY OF FISHING IN HANNABAL BANK, THE LAST CAST LED TO ALL THE EXCITEMENT AS THE DAY CAME TO AN END. CARSTON COOPER SPENT ALMOST TWO HOURS REELING IN A BIG TUNA. AFTER A LONG HARD FIGHT, THE 260 POUND TUNA STILL WOULDN'T GIVE UP. FINALLY THE TUNA CAME INTO SIGHT AND WITH THE HELP OF A GREAT CAPTAIN AND MATE, IT MADE IT POSSIBLE TO FINALLY CATCH THE BIG BEAUTIFUL FISH.

PETE GUSTIN AND PETER THOMAS' DAY STARTED WITH CALM SEAS AND SOME SUN. THIS WAS A WELCOME CHANGE AS WE HAD BEEN FIGHTING THE WEATHER FOR THREE DAYS BUT HAD CAUGHT A LOT OF FISH . WE ARRIVED AT ISLA MONTUOSA AND CAPTAIN TATIN SET FOUR LINES TO TROLL FOR WAHOO. WE HOOKED AND LANDED TWO WAHOO OF ABOUT 35 LB. WE ALSO CAUGHT 6 FALSE ALBACORE TUNA BUT THE BITE SLOWED AND TATIN MADE THE CALL. WE WOULD CATCH BONITO, THEN GO TO HANNIBAL BANK. WE ARRIVED ON THE BANK, SET TWO BAITS OUT AND WERE REWARDED WITH AN IMMEDIATE TAKE ON PETE'S ROD. THE FISH RAN OUT A LOT OF LINE, NO JUMPS OR GOING DEEP. WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS. SUDDENLY AFTER 10 MINUTES IT REALIZED IT WAS HOOKED AND LEAPT INTO THE AIR TO SHOW US IT WAS A 250 LB BLACK MARLIN . IT TOOK A LOT OF LINE - JUMPED AGAIN AND SADLY THREW THE HOOK!

HOURS PASSED AS WE WATCHED OTHER BOATS HOOK UP ON BIG TUNA AND WONDERED IF WE WOULD HOOK UP. THE OTHER BOATS LEFT AND THEN SUDDENLY THE SEA EXPLODED AS A SCHOOL OF 250 LB TUNA CRASHED A SCHOOL OF BAIT! CAPTAIN TATIN NEEDED ONLY TO MOVE THE BOAT AHEAD ABOUT 50 YARDS AND THE FISH WOULD BE IN CASTING RANGE. I TOOK ONE SECOND TO LOOK AT MY ROD TIP AND MY GT BULL, THEN I MADE THE CAST OF MY LIFE. MY POPPER LANDED NEAR THE TUNA ,I CLOSED THE BAIL ON MY STELLA 1800 AND STARTED MY RETRIEVE. INSTANTLY I WAS HOOKED UP ON THE LARGEST TUNA I HAVE EVER SEEN ! THE FISH RAN OUT HARD AND MY 80 LB BRAID WAS ALL BUT GONE IN 20 SECONDS. I YELLED FROM THE BOW OF THE BOAT, GO TATIN GO! I WAS ABLE TO GAIN LINE AND THE FISH CHANGED TACTICS AND WENT DEEP, FORTUNATELY THE SCHOOL WAS STILL UP AND TATIN THREW OUT A LIVE BAIT AND WE WERE INTO A DOUBLE ON 250 LBS TUNA. I FOUGHT MY FISH HARD FOR ONE HOUR, MY SPOOL WAS FULL AND I HAD HIM TO WITHIN 50 YARDS. THEN AS FAST AS IT STARTED IT WAS OVER FOR ME. THE REAR HOOK ON MY GT BROKE. I SAT FOR A FEW SECONDS, GRABBED A WATER AND TURNED MY FOCUS TO PETER. HIS 30 SHIMANO WIDE WITH 50 LB LINE WAS ALMOST EMPTY. BUT WITH MY FISH GONE WE COULD NOW GAIN LINE ON HIS FISH. TATIN WORKED THE BOAT EXPERTLY AND AFTER ANOTHER 30 MINUETS PETER WAS ABLE TO BRING THE FISH TO GAFF RANGE. WE GOT TWO GAFFS IN THE FISH AND THE THREE OF US MANAGED TO PULL IT OVER THE GUNNELS. THE CHEERS WENT OFF AND A FEW HIGH FIVES AS PETER HAD HIS LARGEST TUNA EVER. PETER LATER TOLD ME THIS WAS HIS THIRD TRIP WITH PESCA PANAMA AND HIS THIRD TUNA OVER 200 LBS, WOW! PETER'S FISH WEIGHT WAS 244 LBS. MINE, WELL IT'S THE ONES YOU DON'T GET THAT BRING YOU BACK!. WRITTEN BY FISHERMAN PETE GUSTIN

EARLIER PETE LOST A BLACK MARLIN WHILE FISHING AT HANNIBAL BANK AFTER THE HOOK PULLED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE NEXT DAY PAUL WAS ABLE TO CATCH AND RELEASE AN ESTIMATED 300 BLACK MARLIN ON HIS LAST DAY FISHING AT ISLA LADRONES, ALONG WITH 6 MULLET SNAPPER AND A CUBERA SNAPPER.

THIS FISHING REPORT IS GOING TO PUT THE WRAP ON PESCA PANAMA'S 2010 FISHING SEASON. THANKS TO ALL OF OUR FISHERMEN FOR FISHING WITH US. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU FISHING WITH US AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND AGAIN THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA

7/9/10

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO SPEND YOUR 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY GOING FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA.

THIS WEEK WE WELCOMED A GROUP OF ANGLERS, SEVERAL OF WHICH HAVE FISHED WITH US BEFORE AND THEN WE HAD NEWBIES IN THE GROUP. JIM WILSON, WHO ALWAYS HEADS UP THE TRIP, HAD BROUGHT HIS SON ERIC. MATTHEW RIGDON WAS WITH HIS DAD MAX. WILL REAGAN AND JIM DAVIS HAD RETURNED FOR THEIR THIRD FISHING TRIP WITH PESCA PANAMA AND THEN THERE WAS TIM AUGUSTINE, ROBERT COX II, BRADLEY SCHUELKE, BRANDON JENKINS AND JACOB KELLING.

TO START OFF, THE BIG NEW OF THE WEEK WAS THE WEATHER. A TROPICAL LOW SYSTEM HAD STALLED RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS AND WE EXPERIENCED BUCKETS OF RAIN. ALONG WITH THE RAIN WE HAD A BIG OCEAN SWELL THAT ONLY A SURFER COULD LOVE. THE GOOD NEW WAS THIS GROUP OF FISHERMEN WERE EITHER OKIES OR AGGIES AND THEY JUST KEPT ON CHEWIN, SPITTIN AND A FISHIN. THEY CAME TO FISH AND THAT IS WHAT THEY DID!

THE FIRST THREE DAYS THE PESCA PANAMA BARGE STAYED ANCHORED IN THE CALM LEE OF GAMAZ ISLAND WHILE THE FISHING BOATS WOULD EITHER FISH AROUND THE PARIDAS ISLANDS OR RUN OFFSHORE TO FISH AROUND LADRONES ISLAND. WITH THE BIG OCEAN SWELL AND THE CONFUSED SEAS, RUNNING FAR WAS NOT AN OPTION.

BUT BY STAYING ANCHORED IN THIS AREA WE WERE ABLE TO FILL THE LIVE BAIT WELL EVERY NIGHT SO ALL THE BOATS WOULD LEAVE THE NEXT MORNING WITH MORE LIVE BAIT THAT THEY COULD EVER USE. THIS ABUNDANCE OF LIVE BAIT HELPED SAVE THE DAY. USING THE LIVE BAIT COMBINED WITH CASTING TOP WATER PLUGS OUR ANGLERS WE ABLE TO LAND 19 ROOSTERFISH., ALONG WITH ALL KINDS OF SNAPPER AND JACKS, YELLOWFIN TUNA, WAHOO AND SEVERAL 100 TO 150 LB HAMMERHEAD SHARKS. JIGGING WAS ALSO PRODUCTIVE AN ERIC LANDED A 35 LB BROOMTAIL GROUP ON A 4/0, GLOW WHITE, TADY JIG. THIS WAS A FILLET AND RELEASE FISH THAT PROVIDED A DELICIOUS, FRESH GROUPER DINNER.

THEN THERE WAS THE DOUBLE HOOK-UP ON BLACK MARLIN CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS HAD WHILE FISHING WITHIN A HALF MILE OF THE LADRONES ISLANDS. THEY WE SLOW TROLLING A COUPLE OF BRIDLED LIVE BONITA WHEN TWO BLACKS ATTACK THE BAITS RIGHT BEHIND THE BOAT. THE SMALLER OF THE TWO MARLIN THREW THE HOOK ON ITS' FIRST JUMP BUT THE BIGGER OF THE TWO BLACKS WAS A SOLID HOOK-UP. THE BLACK DID SOME FANTASTIC JUMPS EARLY ON IN THE FIGHT. AFTER TWO HOURS THE MATE HAD THE LEADER IN HIS HAND AND THEN THE MARLIN SOUNDED. FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS THE ANGLERS FOUGHT THE FISH ON 50 LB STAND-UP TACKLE, TRYING TO GET THE MARLIN TO THE BOAT. WHEN THEY MADE A GOOD LIVE RELEASE THE FISH WAS ESTIMATED TO WEIGH OVER 600 LBS. IT WAS BRAD'S FIRST MARLIN AND HE HAD THE PHOTOS AND THE ACHING MUSCLES TO SHOW FOR IT.

DAY FOUR, CAPTAINS TOMMY AND TATIN HEADED FOR MONTUOSA IN ROUGH SEAS, LATER MOVING TO HANNIBAL BANK AFTER BEING UNABLE TO HOLD ON ANY SPOTS FOR JIGGING OR LIVE BAITING. ONE HOUR INTO TROLLING TWO BRIDLED BONITA, JIM WILSON HOOKED A BIG YELLOWFIN ON A TYRNOS 20 REEL. 127 MINUTES LATER, A TEAM EFFORT PRODUCED A 226 LB TUNA. MEANWHILE, ON CAPTAIN TOMMY'S BOAT, ERIC WILSON CAUGHT HIS FIRST EVER TUNA, A 130 LB'ER AND BRAD FOLLOWED UP HIS MONSTER MARLIN WITH A 200 LB YELLOWFIN VANQUISHED IN JUST 30 MINUTES.

6/19/10

I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO SPEND A SPECIAL FATHERS' DAY THAN TO TAKE YOUR SONS FISHING. THIS WEEK WAS JUST THAT AS PESCA PANAMA FISHED WITH PATRICK SALVI, BRAIN SALIVI, PATRICK SALVI 11, CHRISTOPHER SCHOSTOK, MICHAEL SCHOSTOK, MICHAEL SCHOSTOK JR. AND BRIAN SALVI. THE SECOND GROUP FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA HAD BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER BY TEDD TENNIS AND INCLUDED JOHN M. CHAPUT, JOHN J. CHAPUT, THOMAS TACIA AND THOMAS O. TACIA.

YELLOWFIN FOUND AT HANNIBAL BANKUSUALLY BY THIS TIME OF YEAR THE YELLOWFIN TUNA HAVE MOVED ON SOME OTHER UNKNOWN LOCATION AND OUR ANGLERS ATTENTION TURNS TO CATCHING OTHER SPECIES. WELL THIS WAS NOT THE CASE THIS WEEK AT HANNIBAL BANK! OUR FIRST DAY AT THE BANK CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS LANDED A 150 YELLOWFIN WITH SEVERAL SMALLER TUNA LANDED BY OTHER ANGLERS. THEN ON THE SECOND DAY AT HANNIBAL BANK CAPTAIN'S TITO ANGLERS RELEASED A 250 LB BLACK MARLIN, A 500 LB BLACK MARLIN AND BOATED A 250 YELLOWIN. CAPTAIN TOMMY'S ANGLERS LANDED A 150 AND A 170 LB YELLOWFIN AND CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS LANDED 3 MORE YELLOWFIN WITH THE LARGEST WEIGHTING 175 LBS. NEXT DAY ANOTHER 150 LB YELLOWFIN HIT THE DECK FOR CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS. THEN CAPTAIN TATIN'S AND CAPTAIN TITO'S ANGLERS CAUGHT FOUR MORE YELLOWFIN ALL BETWEEN 200 AND 220 LBS. WEDNESDAY AND CAPTAIN TOMMY'S ANGLERS BOATED THE LAST BIG YELLOWFIN, A 200 LB TUNA. ALL THE TUNA ACTION WAS AT HANNIBAL BANK AND MOST OF THE FISH WERE IN THE 150 TO 250 LB RANGE. THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF SMALL TUNA MIXED IN WITH THE BIGGER FISH. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A YELLOWFIN TUNA WEEK! THE SEAS WERE MODERATE THIS WEEK, VERY FISHABLE FROM OUR 27 FOOT CENTER CONSOLE BOATS. THERE WAS SOME RAIN AND RAIN COATS WERE NECESSARY. THE TEMPERATURE WAS PLEASANTLY COOL. WITH ALL THE GREAT FISH WE CAUGHT THIS WEEK, COMBINED WITH THE GOOD FISHING CONDITIONS, THESE ANGLERS WILL BE ABLE TO MARK THIS DOWN AS A FATHERS' DAY TO REMEMBER FOREVER.

5/26/10

THOUGH THE MARINE FORECAST WAS CALLING FOR A BIG OCEAN SWELL THIS WEEK, THE SUN WAS SHINING WHEN I MET THIS WEEK'S ANGLERS MARCO AURELIO PEREIRA, MARCO ANTONIO PEREIRA, SANDRO HISSNAUER, WANDERSON KALIL AND MICHAEL CAMPANELLA. ALL ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL COMING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA.

THE FIRST DAY OUR FISHING BOATS ENCOUNTERED THE BIG OCEAN SWELL. IT WAS FISHABLE BUT NOT COMFORTABLY. BY EARLY AFTERNOON WE WERE FISHING IN A TORRENTIAL TROPICAL DOWNPOUR, IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO FISH UNDER AT WATERFALL! THE CREW OF THE BARGE DECIDED TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE ANCHORED THE BARGE IN THE PROTECTION OF THE RIVER UNTIL THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IMPROVED.

THE BARGE STAYED ANCHORED IN THE RIVER FOR THREE DAYS AS THE FISHING BOATS WOULD

VENTURE OFFSHORE, BUT NOT FAR OFFSHORE. ALL THE FISHING WAS DONE AROUND THE INTER MOST GROUPS OF ISLANDS; PARDIAS, LA DRONES, SECAS AND CONTREAS. BUT EVEN AS BAD AS THE WEATHER WAS OUR ANGLERS WERE PRODUCING GOOD CATCHES THAT INCLUDED; WAHOO, CUBERA SNAPPER, RED SNAPPER, YELLOW SNAPPER, AMBERJACK, BLUE JACK AND JACK CREVALLE.

BY TUESDAY THE WEATHER WAS A LITTLE BETTER AND THE BARGE MOVED TO A PROTECTED ANCHORAGE IN THE PARDIAS ISLANDS. THE FISHING BOATS DECIDED TO BATTLE THERE WAY OFFSHORE TO LOOK FOR SOME YELLOWFIN ACTION AT MONTUOSA ISLAND. THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN FINDING THE YELLOWFIN TUNA AND LANDED 10 TUNA IN THE 50 TO 100 POUND RANGE. BOTH BOATS ALSO LOST A BIG YELLOWFIN.

BY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE WAS READY TO HEAD IN. A DAY TOUR OF BOQUETE AND A NIGHT AT THE CASINO WAS SOUNDING GOOD.

IT WAS A TOUGH WEEK TO FISH BUT OUR ANGLERS, CAPTAINS AND MATES HUNG IN THERE AND MADE THE BEST OF IT. MOTHER NATURE JUST DOESN'T ALWAYS COOPERATE.

5/19/10

WITH THE PREVIOUS WEEK SPENT TIED TO THE DOCK, THE CREW OF PESCA PANAMA WAS RESTED AND WAITING FOR THIS WEEK'S GROUP OF ANXIOUS ANGLERS. RICHARD CASS, OWNER OF CASS TOURS, WAS ACCOMPANIED BY GARY LITTON, JOE COTETTI, DAVID COOPER, ALAN LARSON, JIM CHI, JIM WELCH, LARRY ENIG, JERRY LONG, KENNETH ROSS, PETER GRAY, RICHARD TOPP, TED WEICHSELBAUM AND JEFF PENROD.

WE ANCHORED THE FIRST NIGHT NEAR GAMAZ ISLAND AS OUR CAPTAINS HAD REPORTED CATCHING LOTS OF LIVE BAIT WHILE FISHING THERE ON THEIR WAY OUT THE FIRST DAY. WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED AS THE MATES WERE ABLE TO LOAD UP OUR LIVE BAIT TANK IN SHORT ORDER. NEITHER WERE WE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE WAHOO THAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED CATCHING AT LADRONES ISLAND. SOME REAL FATTIES. ADD IN SOME ROOSTERFISH, CUBERA SNAPPER, MULLET SNAPPER, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE JACK AND BIG RAINBOW RUNNERS AND THE WEEK WAS OFF TO A GOOD START!

THE NEXT DAY WAS GOING TO GET EVEN BETTER AS OUR BOATS BATTLED THEIR WAY OFFSHORE IN SLOPPY SEAS. AT HANNIBAL BANK, RICH AND PETE DOUBLED TEAMED A BLACK MARLIN FOR OVER TWO HOURS ON 50 LB STAND-UP TACKLE BEFORE GETTING THE BIG FISH ALONG SIDE OF THE BOAT FOR RELEASE. THE BLACK WAS ESTIMATED TO WEIGH IN THE 550 LB RANGE.

YELLOWFIN TUNA WERE FOUND FEEDING NEAR MONTUOSA ISLAND. FOURTY THREE YELLOWFIN WERE LANDED THAT DAY WITH THE BIGGEST TUNA OF THE DAY A 120 POUNDER. BUT THE FISH STORY OF THE DAY WAS DAVE COOPER LANDING A 60 POUND YELLOWFIN THAT ATE A SARDINE PATTERN FLY HE HAD PRESENTED USING A 12 WEIGHT FLY ROD. OH, THE FLY ROD BROKE AS THE FISH NEARED THE BOAT BE DAVE STILL WAS ABLE TO LAND HIS FISH.

WE HAD ANCHORED THE BARGE IN THE SECAS ISLANDS FOR THE NIGHT DUE TO THE TROPICAL RAIN SQUALLS THAT KEPT PASSING THROUGH. BY THE NEXT DAY THE SEAS HAD CALMED DOWN AND THE WEATHER HAD CLEARED UP. JIM CHI, JIM WELCH AND JERRY LONG WERE CASTING POPPERS NEAR COIBA ISLAND WERE THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LANDING 3 YELLOWFIN TUNA; 80, 120 AND 150 LBS WITH THE TWO LARGEST TUNA CRASHING POPPERS. JEFF, FISHING IN ANOTHER BOAT, WAS SUCCESSFUL IN LANDING A 180 LB YELLOWFIN. ALONG WITH FELLOW ANGLERS KEN AND TIM, JEFF HELPED BOAT 5 BIG DORADO THEY FOUND SWIMMING AROUND A LARGE LOG THEY HAPPENED UPTON. THESE VETERAN ANGLERS, WHO WERE NEW TO POPPER FISHING WITH SPINNING TACKLE, WERE AMAZED TO SEE THE TUNA STRIKE THEIR TOP WATER POPPERS. THEY WERE ALSO IMPRESSED HOW THEY COULD PUMP THE TUNA IN USING THE BIG SHIMANO STELLA SPINNING REELS. JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THERE IS SOMETHING NEW EVEN FOR US "OLDER DOGS" TO LEARN.

WE CAUGHT A LOT OF FISH THIS WEEK AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT SPECIES. THANKS TO RICHARD CASS FOR GETTING THIS GROUP OF ANGLERS TOGETHER AND THANKS TO ALL THE ANGLERS FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. I SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT.

4/24/10
I WAS SITTING AT THE HOUSE LOOKING AT THE NOAA WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE WEEK. SEEMS THERE HAD BEEN TWO BIG STORMS IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC. ONE STORM WAS IN NEW ZEALAND AND THE OTHER IN THE COOK ISLANDS. BOTH DEPRESSIONS HAD GENERATED WAVE TRAINS THAT WERE NOW HEADED OUR WAY AND WERE GOING TO CRASH ON TO THE SHORES OF PANAMA. WE WOULD HAVE TO KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.

PESCA PANAMA HAD TWO GROUPS FISHING WITH US THE WEEK. ROBERT CAVALERO AND HIS TWO SON ROBERT JR AND DALE CAVALERO, JOE WINTERBERGER AND BRIAN VOYNICK WERE IN ONE GROUP. THE SECOND GROUP OF FISHERMEN WERE BROTHERS CHRIS, ANDY AND ERIC GEORGE.

AS IT TURNED OUT THE SEAS WERE ROUGH BUT NOT TOO ROUGH TO FISH. WE HAD RAIN AND LOT OF IT ONE DAY. THE GOOD NEWS IS THE WATER TEMPERATURE HAD COOLED DOWN TO 82 DEGREES AND THERE WAS LOT OF FLOATING LOGS IN THE WATER TO ATTRACT FISH. SOMETHING I HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF BEFORE WERE THE HUGE SCHOOLS OF SMALL AMBERJACK THAT WERE SCHOOLED UP UNDER THE LOGS. OF COURSE THE WITH ALL THE FLOAT IN THE OCEAN I WAS HOLDING BAIT, SO TUNA AND DORADO ACTION WAS TO BE HAD.

THE GEORGBE GROUP FISHED FOR THREE DAYS IN THESE LESS THAN IDEA WEATHER CONDITIONS. THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LANDING SEVERAL NICE CUBERA SNAPPERS, A COUPLE OF BROOMTAIL GROUPERS THAT WEIGHTED UP TO 50 POUNDS AND A HANDFUL OF VARIOUS OTHER FISH. BUT AFTER THREE DAYS THEY WERE READY TO "THROUGH IN THE TOWEL" AND HEADED TO TOWN.

MEANWHILE THE OTHER TWO BOATS FISH ON. BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE BEING CAUGHT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. DORADO AND SAILFISH WERE IN THE DRIFT LINES. BUT THE BIG NEWS WAS THE BIG TUNA CAUGHT. 9 TUNA BETWEEN 100-150 LBS, 2 TUNA IN THE 200 PLUS RANGE, ONE OF WHICH ROBERT JR CAUGHT ON A POPPER AND OUR BIGGEST YELLOWFIN EVER. A WHOPPING 322 LBS. YELLOWFIN BRIAN AND ROBERT DOUBLE TEAMED. BOTH ANGLERS PUT IN ROD TIME AS THIS FAT FISH HAD EATEN A LIVE BLUE RUNNER THEY HAD PITCHED OUT ON A BIG SPINNING RIG. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS ON LANDING A GREAT FISH!

JOE LANDED A GOOD SIZED ROOSTERFISH IN THE 60 LB RANGE. DESPITE MOTHER NATURE AND THE WEATHER, SHE WAS PROVIDING SOME GREAT FISHING ACTION THIS WEEK AT PESCA PANAMA.

4/10/10

TRAVELING ACROSS "THE POND" THIS WEEK TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA WERE A GROUP OF ENGLISH ANGLERS. MIKE NORTHCUTT HEADED UP THE GROUP THAT WAS COMPRISED OF HIS WIFE TRACEY, SON JOHN, ALONG WITH MARK NIGHTINGALE AND KIP WELCH. FROM THIS SIDE OF "THE POND" WAS RETURNING ANGLER JOE WOFCHUCK WHO HAD BROUGHT HIS SON MITCHELL AS HIS FISHING PARTNER. HARRY AND HOBIE LOWELL, LONG TIME ANGLERS WITH PESCA PANAMA, WERE ONCE AGAIN MARLIN FISHING AND ENJOYING THE "GOOD LIFE" ABOARD THE PESCA PANAMA BARGE.

MARK AND KIP WERE THE FIRST ANGLERS TO GET IN ON A GOOD CUBERA SNAPPER BITE. WHILE FISHING WITH CUT BAIT AND CIRCLE HOOKS THEY LANDED 11 BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS IN THE 40 TO 60 LB RANGE WHICH WERE RELEASED. THEN THEY BOATED A 70 LB "REEF DONKEY" AND SEVERAL OTHER FISH TO ROUND OFF A GREAT DAY OF FISHING.

JOE AND MITCH WERE LANDING THE BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS THE NEXT DAY. THEY RELEASED 8 CUBERAS THAT WEIGHTED BETWEEN 40 AND 80 LBS. THE LARGEST CUBERA HAD A HUGE GIRTH AND IS ONE OF THE LARGEST WE HAVE EVER BEEN ABLE TO BRING TO THE BOAT. OH, THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER BIG CUBERAS THEY JUST COULDN'T STOP. WITH THE DRAGS SET ON FULL, RODS DOUBLED AND THE ANGLERS KNEES BUCKLING, SOME OF THESE BAD BOYS WERE HEADED HOME TO THE ROCKS.

A FEW BLACK MARLIN WERE FEEDING THIS WEEK AT HANNIBAL BANK. HARRY REPORTED SEEING 6 OR 7 FREE JUMPERS THE FIRST DAY THERE AND RELEASED A SMALL BLACK MARLIN IN THE 250 LB CLASS. LATTER ON IN THE WEEK HE HAD A COUPLE MORE MARLIN HOOKED-UP THAT DIDN'T GET TO THE BOAT. JOE AND MITCH ALSO CAUGHT AND ESTIMATED 400 LB BLACK MARLIN THAT THEY BROUGHT TO WITHIN ABOUT 15 FEET OF THE BOAT AND MADE WHAT I REFER TO AS "A LONG RELEASE."

THERE WAS LOTS OF BONITA IN THE OCEAN THIS WEEK, SO MAKING LIVE BAIT USUALLY DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG. IN FACT THE OCEAN WAS FULL OF ALL KINDS OF BAIT FISH. OUR WATER TEMPERATURE REMAINS HIGH WITH READING OF 90.3 DEGREES IN SOME AREAS. FARTHER OFFSHORE THE TEMPERATURES DROPPED DOWN 4 DEGREES TO 86 WHICH IS STILL ON THE WARM SIDE. I DO THINK THE HIGH WATER TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN SLOWING DOWN THE FISHING OFFSHORE FISHING ACTION THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

IT WAS AND INSHORE FISHING SHOW THIS WEEK. AGAIN, BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE THE MAIN ATTRACTION. SCHOOLS OF SMALL YELLOWFIN TUNA WERE ACTIVELY ATTACKING POPPERS. JOE AND MITCH LANDED THE LARGEST YELLOWFIN OF THE WEEK AT 218 LBS. CONGRATULATIONS! THE NIGHT FISHING FROM THE BARGE JUST ABOUT WORE THE ANGLERS FOR ENGLAND OUT. OUR BARGE LIGHTS WERE ATTRACTING HUGE SCHOOLS OF SARDINES AND SCHOOLS OF FEEDING FISH WOULD BUNCH THE SARDINES AGAINST THE BARGE AS THEY SLASHED IN ON THEY ATTACK. IT WAS A FUN WEEK TO BE FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA. THANKS TO ALL OF THIS WEEKS ANGLERS.

4/3/10

PECSA PANAMA WELCOMED A COUPLE OF FATHER AND SON FISHING TEAMS THIS WEEK. SON MARK WAS FISHING WITH FATHER KEN REED. JACK WAS FISHING WITH HIS FATHER BOB LITSCHEWSKI. IN ANOTHER BOAT WE HAD THREE HARD CHARGING ANGLERS MIKE KENFIED, JIM MANDLY AND JACK SPRENGEL. WE HAD TWO MORE GROUPS OF ANGLERS FROM CHILE THAT WERE PLANNING ON FISHING WITH US. THAT WAS BEFORE THE ECONOMY TURNED DOWN AND THEN THE EARTH QUAKES. THEY HAVE RESCHEDULED FOR NEXT NOVEMBER. WE ALL WISH THEM WELL AND HOPE FOR THEIR SPEEDY RECOVERY.

FROM DAY ONE, MIKE, JIM AND JACK WERE INTO THE FISH. THESE ANGLERS WERE HARDCORE JIGGING AND POPPING, WITH AN OCCASIONAL LIVE BAIT THROWN IN TO KEEP THE FISHING ACTION GOING. IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS THEY HAD CAUGHT 7 CUBERA SNAPPER, 9 JACK CREVALLE, 6 BLUE TREVALLE, 1 SILK SNAPPER, 1 MULLET SNAPPER, 8 FALSE ALBACORE, 6 POMPANO, 2 ROCK SNAPPER AND 6 BONITO. THEN WHILE FISHING AT COIBA ISLAND THEY HOOKED A GIANT SIZED TARPON ESTIMATED AT AROUND 200 LBS. WITH THE DRAG BUTTONED DOWN THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT WATCH AS THE TARPON JUMPED AND RAN FOR THE ROCKY SHORE LINE. MIKE HAD BETTER FISHING LUCK AT THE "SNOOK HOLE" WHERE HE CAUGHT AND RELEASED A 25 LB SNOOK, THEN JIM HOOKED AN EVEN LARGER ONE THAT GOT AWAY ON A SPECTACULAR JUMP. DAYS THREE AND FOUR THE NORTH EASTERS TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO YELLOW-FIN TUNA, RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE CAPT JACK HOOKED UP AND LANDED A DORADO UPWARDS OF 50 LBS, SHORTLY

AFTER THAT THE TUNA SHOWED UP AND AND ALL THREE ANGLERS RAN A CLINIC ON THEM, LANDING OVER 16 FISH ON POPPERS AND SPEED JIGS. DAYS 5 AND 6 WHERE CLEAN UP DAYS TARGETING MULLET SNAPPER AND AMBERJACK, AND TARGET THEM THEY DID. AFTER THEY LANDED MULTIPLE REEF DONKEYS ON VERTICAL JIGS, MIKE KENFIELD GOT OLD SCHOOL AND LANDED A LARGE MULLET SNAPPER USING A "HAND-LINE". TO RAP UP AN AMAZING WEEK JIM MANDLEY SCORED AN XL SPANISH MACKEREL MOMENTS BEFORE HEADING HOME!

MEAN WHILE MARK AND KEN WERE CATCHING A FEW ROOSTERFISH WITH KEN LANDING ONE THAT WOULD WEIGHT 60 LBS. CAPTAIN TOMMY LOCATED A SCHOOL OF YELLOWFIN LESS THAN THREE MILES FROM PUNTA HERMOSA WHERE THE BARGE WAS ANCHORED. THEY WERE ABLE TO LAND 13 YELLOWFIN UP TO 80 LB, A COUPLE OF GOOD SIZED DORADO AND CAUGHT VARIOUS SNAPPERS AND JACK AS THEY FISHED THEIR WAY BACK TO THE BARGE.

JACK AND BOB STAYED FISHING ON HANNIBAL BANK TRYING FOR A BLACK MARLIN. THEIR EFFORTS PAID OFF WHEN A BLACK MARLIN SWAM UP AND ATE BOTH OF THEIR SLOW TROLLED LIVE BONITA. THEIR LINE CROSSED AND BOB LINE PARTED BUT JACK'S LINE HELD. AFTER A 45 MINUTE BATTLE JACK HAD THE FISH ALONG SIDE OF THE BOAT. HE SAID, "HE HAD JUST ABOUT HIT THE WALL ON THIS FISH!" AT RELEASE, THE BLACK MARLIN WAS ESTIMATED AROUND 400 LBS.

OUR TUNA NUMBERS WERE DOWN THIS WEEK FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS. BUT THE TUNA WERE ACTIVELY HITTING TOP WATER BAITS AND OUR ANGLERS WERE ABLE TO LAND A TOTAL OF 46 YELLOWFIN TUNA. BIG AMBERJACKS WERE ALSO HITTING JIGS GOOD THIS WEEK, PRODUCING SOME KNEE BUCKLING STRIKES.

WE ENJOYED CALM SEAS THIS WEEK AND THE RAINY SEASON HASN'T STARTED YET. I FOR ONE AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RAIN AS IT WILL COOL DOWN THE SEA TEMPERATURES. THANKS TO ALL OUR ANGLERS FOR PUTTING OUT THE EFFORT TO MAKE THIS A MOST ENJOYABLE WEEK. WE HOPE PESCA PANAMA IS IN YOUR FUTURE FISHING PLANS.

3/27/10

IT WAS LIKE LOOKING BACK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN SALT WATER ANGLING IN SOUTH FLORIDA AS THIS WEEK'S ANGLERS JOINED PESCA PANAMA. MOST OF THESE GENTLEMEN WERE EITHER BORN OR RAISED IN THE FORT LAUDERDALE-MIAMI AREA AND HAVE BEEN AVID ANGLERS SINCE THEY WERE WADING IN KNEE PANTS. MY FRIEND, CHUCK IRWIN HAD PUT THE TRIP TOGETHER AND THE CAST OF FISHING CHARACTERS INCLUDED WITT HUDSON, CORTLAND PEDDY, HERMIE COS, LARRY SCHRODER, PETER SCWEITZER, GEORGE BUNNNELL AND CHARLIE PALMER. FROM THEIR MOUTHS FLOWED THE FISHING STORIES FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF FISHING IN SOUTH FLORIDA. LARRY ARRIVED WITH AN OLD FIN NOR 2 1/2. I ASK HIM IF I COULD EXAMINE THE REEL AND NOTICED HIS NAME ON IT. I INQUIRED WHEN AND WHERE HE GOT THE REEL. I LOVED HIS ANSWER, "OH, THAT WAS MY DAD'S REEL AND I GOT IT FOR HIM."

YELLOWFIN TUNA WAS ON THE MENU

THE YELLOWFIN TUNA BITE AT MONTUOSA CONTINUES. THE OCEAN IS FULL OF TUNA CRASHING INTO HUGE SCHOOLS OF BAIT THAT ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE BECOMING PART OF THE FOOD CHAIN. THERE IS SO MUCH BAIT IN THE WATER THAT I HAD CHUCK BRING US DOWN FROM FORT LAUDERDALE SOME LONG HANDLED, COMMERCIAL BAIT NETS SO OUR CREWS COULD JUST DIP THEIR LIVE BAIT RIGHT OUT OF THE BAIT BALLS THAT ARE TRYING TO HIDE UNDER THE BOATS!

MOST OF THE YELLOWFIN CAUGHT WERE IN THE 30 TO 80 LB RANGE AND PROVIDED A LOT OF FISHING ACTION. BOTH POPPERS AND LIVE BAIT WERE PRODUCING THIS WEEK. SEVERAL TUNA WERE TAKEN THAT WERE IN THE 120 TO 150 LB RANGE. CAPTAIN TOMMY'S ANGLERS HAD ONE OF THE BEST DAYS WHEN THEY LANDED 30 YELLOWFIN THAT INCLUDED A 230 LB TUNA THAT HERMIE BOATED. CHUCK AND BRAD WORKED TOGETHER TO BRING IN ANOTHER X-LARGE YELLOW THAT WEIGHTED 206 LBS. JUST A GREAT WEEK FOR TUNA FISHING!

CHUCK AND CHARLIE WERE SUCCESSFUL FISHING FOR SNOOK AT, WHERE ELSE, "THE SNOOK HOLE." WHILE CHARLIE WAS CATCHING SNOOK ON A CAST PLUG, CHUCK CAUGHT TWO SNOOK ON A FLY. A COUPLE OF THE SNOOK WEIGHTED IN AT JUST OVER 20 LBS ON CHUCK'S BOGA GRIP SCALE. THE ACTION CAME ON THE EVENING, HIGH TIDE.

HANNIBAL BANK STATED TO LIVEN UP A LITTLE THIS WEEK. GEORGE AND CORTLAND CAUGHT AND RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 450 LB BLACK MARLIN. THE FISH WAS HOOKED WHILE SLOW TROLLING A LIVE BONITA. BRAD AND PETER WERE SLOW TROLLING LIVE BONITA AT THE BANK WHEN A BLACK MARLIN ATE BOTH OF THEIR BAITS. THE MARLIN WAS ESTIMATED AT 400 LB AT ITS' RELEASE.

THEN THERE WERE ALL THE OTHER CATCHES MADE THAT HELPED TO MAKE THIS A GOOD WEEK OF FISHING. THEY INCLUDED; SAILFISH, DORADO, ROOSTERFISH, CUBERA SNAPPER, WAHOO, MULLET SNAPPER, AMBERJACK, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE TREVALLE, RAINBOW RUNNERS AND I AM SURE SEVERAL OTHER SPECIES.

JUST LIKE GOOD WHISKEY AND FINE WINE, FISHING STORIES SEEM TO BETTER AS THEY AGE. OR IS IT THAT THE STORIES TELLERS GET BETTER AT TELLING THEIR STORIES. EITHER WAY IT WAS A MOST ENJOYABLE WEEK OF FISHING HERE AT PESCA PANAMA. THANKS TO ALL OF OUR ANGLERS THIS WEEK.

3/20/10

PESCA PANAMA WELCOMED 13 ANGLERS THIS WEEK. RETURNING FISHERMEN JIM BUTTERWORTH AND BILL BOTELER, BOTH 5TH YEAR RETURNING ANGLERS WERE FISHING WITH MIKE NEWBERRY, HIS 2ND YEAR FISHING WITH US. JOINING THEM WERE RUSS DEVILBISS, ART CRUM AND MARK HEINTZELMAN. ANGLERS RICHARD CAMBRIA AND HIS TWO SONS DAN AND MATT WERE HERE ON THEIR FIRST TRIP. JOE AND MIKE CASEY WERE FISHING WITH GARRETT HUME AND BOBBY MERRITT. IT WAS ALSO THEIR FIRST FISHING TRIP WITH PESCA PANAMA. WE WELCOMED THEM ALL AND HEADED TO ISLA MONTUOSA.

MAYHEM AT MONTUOSA

THE YELLOWFIN TUNA BITE CONTINUES AT MONTUOSA ISLAND. THE CAMBRIA'S FAMILY CAUGHT 40 YELLOWFIN IN THE 30 TO 130 LB RANGE ON POPPERS. OLE DAD, RICHARD, LANDED 3 TUNA; 35, 45 AND A 100 LB PLUS ON A 15 WEIGHT FLY ROD AND A FLY HE TIED. CAPTAIN TOMMY'S ANGLERS; JOE, MIKE, GARRETT AND BOBBY LANDED OR NEARLY LANDED 7 YELLOWFIN IN THE 50 TO 150 RANGE. THEN CAUGHT 11 MORE TUNA THE NEXT DAY. MONTUOSA WAS DEFINITELY THE PLACE FOR TUNA ACTION THIS WEEK!

FISHING AT ISLA JICARON AND JICARITA WAS OFF THIS WEEK. A STRONG CURRENT HAD MOVED COOLER, GREEN WATER INTO THE ISLANDS AND I DON'T THINK THE FISH LIKED IT. LIKE WISE HANNIBAL BANK WAS NOT PRODUCING THIS WEEK. BUT THEN WITH THE TUNA BITE GOING OFF AT MONTUSOA ISLAND, OUR ANGLERS DIDN'T SPEND MUCH TIME AWAY FROM THIS ACTION.

CAPTAIN TATIN'S ANGLERS; JIM, BILL AND MIKE WERE STILL ABLE TO CATCH AND RELEASE 10 BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS UP TO 70 LBS IN ONE DAY WHILE FISHING AT JICRON. THEY ALSO CAUGHT 12 TUNA IN ONE DAY AT MONTUOSA WITH 3 OVER 100 LBS. THESE ANGLERS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LANDING OVER 20 DIFFERENT SPECIES ON THIS TRIP.

ART, RUSS AND MARK ALL CAUGHT BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS THIS WEEK THEY ALSO WERE IN ON THE SEVERAL "HOT TUNA" BITES. RUSS'S CATCHES THIS WEEK INCLUDING A LARGE ROOSTERFISH. JOE WAS WANTING TO CATCH A ROOSTERFISH ALL WEEK AND WAS SUCCESSFUL ON HIS LAST DAY OF FISHING. SEVERAL OTHER ROOSTERS WERE ALSO CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY OUR ANGLERS. GARRETT WAS OUR OLDEST ANGLER THIS WEEK AND HE HUNG IN THERE JUST LIKE A YOUNG PUP. CONGRATULATIONS GARRET!

TO SUM UP THE WEEK, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY WE HAD OUTSTANDING YELLOWFIN TUNA ACTION. I CAN NOT INCLUDE ALL THE TUNA STORIES FROM THIS WEEK IN THIS FISHING REPORT, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY. ANGLERS AND CREW ALIKE WERE AMAZED AT THE AMOUNT OF BAIT THAT THE TUNA HAD BALLED UP. CATCHING BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WAS ALSO HIGH ON THE LIST OF FISH CAUGHT. WE ARE STILL IN THE TUNA, SNAPPER PATTERN. WE HAVE SOME GREAT PHOTOS FROM THIS WEEK. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM AND THANKS TO ALL OUR ANGLERS FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA.

3/13/10

JUST AS THE RED ROBINS RETURNING NORTH IS A SURE SIGN THAT SPRING IS SOON TO FOLLOW SO IT GOES WITH ANGLERS BILL MARTIN AND GREG KRESSE AS THEY HAD RETURNED THIS SPRING TO ONCE AGAIN FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. THIS TIME THEY BROUGHT BROTHERS BILL AND CHARLIE GOFORTH WITH THEM. BILL AND CHARLIE WERE ON NUMEROUS CHARTERS WITH ME YEARS AGO IN ALASKA. LATER THEY MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO FISH ON THE AMAZON RIVER. WE WERE GLAD TO WELCOME THEM. EVERYONE ENJOYS THE HOME SPUN YARNS THESE, "TWO PEAS IN A PODS" CAN WEAVE. KEVIN, BUD AND JIM CRAGER WERE FISHING WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME. FATHER STEVE AND SON CONNER ESTRICK, BOTH ARDENT FISHERMEN, WHO HAD FISHED PANAMA PREVIOUSLY WERE ON THEIR FIRST TRIP WITH US. TRAVELING THE FARTHEST TO FISH WERE RETURNING ANGLER BRUNO GABRIEL AND HENRIQUE SATKANAS FORM BRAZIL. THEY WERE HERE TO POPPER AND JIG FISH!

IN THE PAST THREE TO FOUR WEEK OUR FISHING HAS SEEMED TO DEVELOPED A FAIRLY CONSTANT PATTERN. SO THIS FISHING REPORT IS GOING TO BE WRITTEN A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN THE PREVIOUS ONES. INSTEAD OF BREAKING THE FISHING ACTION DOWN INTO DAYS FISHED AND THE ANGLERS FISHING IT IS GOING TO BE MORE OF AN OVERVIEW.

OFFSHORE, YELLOWFIN TUNA ACTION

THE YELLOWFIN TUNA FISHING IS STILL HEADING UP THE MAJORITY OF THE OFFSHORE FISHING ACTION. BIG TUNA BOILS ARE BEING ENCOUNTERED FROM BETWEEN THE SECAS ISLANDS AND ISLA MONTUOSA, ON TOP OF HANNIBAL BANK AND SOUTH TO JICARON ISLAND. YOU NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE BIG SCHOOLS OF YELLOWFIN ARE GOING TO BE FOUND AS THEY ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE, BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM. THIS WEEK THE TUNA WERE MOSTLY IN THE 20 TO 80 LB RANGE AND WERE ACTIVELY ATTACKING THE TOP WATER BAITS. THESE ARE A GOOD SIZE FISH TO CATCH AND PLAY ON POPPERS. THE LARGEST YELLOWFIN OF THE WEEK WAS A 6 FOOTER THAT GREG AND BILL LANDED. BY FORMULA THE TUNA WOULD HAVE WEIGHTED IN AROUND 245 LBS THOUGH EVERYONE THAT SAW IT THOUGHT IT WOULD WEIGHT MORE. ANY WAY, IT MADE A LOT OF TUNA STEAKS. CONGRATULATIONS ANGLERS!

THERE WERE SEVERAL BIG DORADO CAUGHT THIS WEEK WITH YOUNG CONNER BEING THE ANGLER THAT CAUGHT NOT ONLY THE BIGGEST BUT THE MOST DORADO. NOW IT WAS NOT A WIDE OPEN DORADO BITE BUT SOME BIG DORADO WERE LANDED.

SAME GOES FOR THE SAILFISH. NOT A BITE BUT SOME BIG SAILS WERE ADDED THIS WEEKS CATCH.

BLACK AND BLUE MARLIN CATCHES ARE STILL SCARCE. YOU WOULD THINK WITH ALL THE SMALLER YELLOWFIN TUNA AND SCHOOLS OF BAIT FISH IN THE AREA THAT THE MARLIN WOULD BE HERE FEEDING, BUT THEY AREN'T. IT COULD BE THE HIGH WATER TEMPERATURES WE ARE EXPERIENCING THAT ARE KEEPING THEM AWAY. WHO REALLY KNOW? I DO THINK THE MARLIN FISHING WILL PICK BACK UP WHEN THE WATER STARTS COOLING OFF IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS WITH THE STARTING OF THE RAINY SEASON. I ALSO JUST SAW A REPORT ON THE PANAMANIAN NEW THAT A COLD WATER CURRENT IS HEADED OUT WAY. IF THIS HAPPENS I WOULD PREDICT THE MARLIN FISHING TO IMPROVE.

INSHORE, CUBERA SNAPPERS ARE STILL THE KING

THE WINDWARD SIDE OF CUBERA ISLAND IS STILL PRODUCING SOME HUGE CUBERA CATCHES. MANY OF THE UNCHARTED REEFS AND ROCK PILES SURROUNDING JICRON AND JICARITA ISLAND ARE ALSO PRODUCING BIG SNAPPERS. THIS WEEK OUR ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL, BRUNO AND HENRIQUE, WERE TUNED INTO THE POPPING ACTION LANDING SEVERAL X-LARGE SNAPPERS.

BOTTOM FISHING THIS WEEK PRODUCED SOME STRONG CATCHES OF AMBERJACK. BROTHERS, CHARLIE AND BILL, WOULD FIND OUT AS THESE FISH WOULD MAKE REPEATED RUNS, BURNING OFF LINE AS THEY HEADED BACK TO THE BOTTOM. BILL SAID," I HAVE JUST NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT AND I AM POOPED!"

OUR ANGLERS TOOK SOME GREAT PHOTOS THIS WEEK. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM. THANKS TO ALL OF OUR ANGLERS THIS WEEK, BOTH YOUNG AND OLD, REPEATS AND NEW COMERS FOR FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA.

3/6/10

FOURTEEN ANXIOUS ANGLERS CAME TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA THIS WEEK. TEN WERE RETURNING ANGLERS AND WE HAD FOUR, SOME CALL THEM VIRGINS, BUT I PREFER TO CALL THEM

NEW COMERS. TWO OF THE NEW COMERS WERE BROTHERS FRANK AND PAUL SWATSCHENO, JOHN RHODES AND GREG LOSPINOSA WERE THE OTHER TWO. THEY HAD JOIN WITH RETURNING ANGLERS HANK AND RUSTY ZUCATTI, RICH KELLY AND SHORTY INGALLS. WAYNE THOMAS WAS ON THIS SIXTH CHARTER WITH PESCA PANAMA AND WAS FISHING WITH ANGELO SAMMARTANO AND ANTHONY MONTONE. FATHER AND SON, STEVE AND ANDY WURST WERE FISHING WITH KEITH HILDEBRAND. WE WERE GLAD TO SEE ALL THE FAMILIAR FACES AND WELCOMED EVERYONE .

DAY ONE WAS SLOW FISHING BUT THERE WERE SOME HIGH POINTS. THREE ANGLERS; ANDY, RUSTY AND KEITH ALL LANDED A ROOSTERFISH IN THE 25 TO 35 LB RANGE WHILE FISHING IN THE PARADIAS ISLANDS. ANDY'S ROOSTER CATCH WAS SPECIAL AS HE CAUGHT HIS ROOSTERFISH ON A TOP WATER PLUG THAT HE HAD MADE. STEVE BOATED A 35 LB CUBERA LATE IN THE DAY AND IT WENT ON THE DINNER TABLE.

NEXT DAY WAS AN OFFSHORE DAY FOR MOST OF THE BOATS. HANK, RICK AND SHORTY WERE GOING TO BOAT THE BIGGEST FISH OF THE DAY WHEN ALL THREE OF THEM DID STAND-UP BATTLE WITH WHAT WAS A 220 LB YELLOWFIN TUNA THAT FELL FOR A SLOW TROLLED BLUE RUNNER WHILE FISHING AT HANNIBAL BANK. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GUESS WHAT WE HAD FOR DINNER. STEVE ALSO CAUGHT A YELLOWFIN IN THE 130 LB RANGE AND A COUPLE OF OTHER BIG ONES WERE LOST. FOR THE SECOND WEEK IN A ROW WE WERE STARTING TO SEE SOME LONG AWAITED TUNA ACTION.

TUNA ACTION EXPLODES AT HANNIBAL BANK

MONDAY MORNING AND ALL THE BOATS HEADED TO HANNIBAL BANK WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS. ON THEIR WAY OUT THEY ENCOUNTERED SMALL POCKETS OF PORPOISE, BIRDS AND TUNA, BUT THE REAL ACTION WOULDN'T START UNTIL THEY GOT OUT PAST THE BANK. THERE THEY ENCOUNTERED A TUNA BOIL THAT WOULD MAKE THE MOST EXPERIENCED ANGLERS WEAK IN THE KNEES! THE TUNA BOIL WAS DESCRIBED AT BEING AROUND 300 YARDS WIDE AND LOOKED LIKE A STANDING WALL OF WATER AND TUNA. OUR ANGLERS FOUND THE FEEDING FISH HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS, "A TUNA EXPLOSION!" ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHED THE WATER GOT EATEN! WHEN THE BITE WAS OVER 4 BOATS TALLIED; TWO PARTED LINES, A SPOOLED REEL, SEVERAL LOST FISH AND 6 TUNA RANGING FROM 50 TO 170 LBS. THE HIGHLIGHTS WERE A 90 LB TUNA LANDED BY ANTHONY ON POPPER, TWIN 120 LB FISH LANDED BY HANK AND STEVE ON POPPER AND KEITH LANDED A 170 LB FISH THAT ATE A BLUE RUNNER

TUESDAY THE YELLOWFIN ACTION STEPPED UP ANOTHER NOTCH WITH STEVE AND SON ANDY LANDING 30 YELLOWFIN TUNA IN THE 20 TO 60 POUND RANGE ALL CAUGHT ON POPPERS AND MADE BY ANDY. SHORTY AND RICH LANDED 17 YELLOWFIN IN THE 25 TO 130 POUND RANGE, AGAIN ALL ON POPPERS. THEN FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH 7 CUBERA SNAPPERS AND A ROOSTERFISH. PAUL AND FRANK CAUGHT AND RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 400 LB BLACK MARLIN CAUGHT ON LIVE BAIT. ALONG WITH 6 YELLOWFIN TUNA AND A COUPLE OF CUBERA SNAPPERS CAUGHT ON POPPERS. LET'S JUST SAY, "THE TUNA BITE WAS ON!"

"SECRET BEACH" PRODUCES GREAT LIGHT TACKLE FISHING

KEITH AND JOHN ENJOYED SOME FAST ACTION ON POPPERS ONE MORNING WHILE CASTING POPPERS AT THE "SECRET BEACH." THEY DESCRIBED SCHOOLS OF UP TO 30 SNAPPERS ATTACKING THEIR POPPERS. THEY WERE FISHING AT LOW TIDE SO THEY WERE ABLE TO CAST FROM THE BEACH. THEY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THIS FISHERY TO ALL ANGLERS THAT LIKE TO FISH LIGHT TACKLE FOR MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SPECIES.

2/27/10

JAY CAPMPANA RETURNED TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA ALONG WITH A FEW OF HIS FISHING BUDDIES, RAY REINHARD, THOMAS DONNICK, RICHARD BAGAKIAN AND CHRIS SMITH. COMING FROM THE CAROLINAS WERE FISHERMEN MARK MITCHELL, JEFFERY RICHARD, CHARLES PADGETT, STEPHEN MCLAUGHLIN AND WILLIAM STEVESON. MIKE AUGAT ALSO SENT DOWN RETURNING ANGLER BO NORRIS FROM MAINE ALONG WITH FRIENDS MIKE AND JOHN ENDRES FROM MINNEAPOLIS.

AFTER WEEKS OF BEING FRUSTRATED WITH THE SLOW TUNA BITE WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE TUNA TO "TURN ON." WE FOUND THE TUNA NEAR HANNIBAL BANK AND FOLLOWED THEM NEARLY 15 MILES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ALL THE WAY BACK TO MONTUOSA ISLAND. TOP FISH CAUGHT THAT DAY WERE TWIN 130 LB FISH LANDED BY RICHARD AND STEVE, A 170 LB FISH LANDED BY BO AND A 220 LB FISH LANDED BY WILL. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS ON SOME GREAT FISH. MARK ALSO HOOKED A TUNA ON POPPER THAT HE FOUGHT FOR ONE AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE THE HOOKS FINALLY PULLED. ON TUESDAY TOM TANGLED WITH A TUNA COMING IN AT 150 LBS. ALTHOUGH THERE WASN'T AS MUCH TOPWATER ACTION ON THE SMALL TUNA WE WERE GLAD TO GET A SOME BIG FISH TO EAT BONITA AND HAVE WHAT WE WOULD CALL A "TUNA BITE".

WITH ALL THE TUNA ACTION GOING ON IT TOOK SOME TIME AWAY FROM THE MARLIN FISHING. WILL GOT TO TANGLE WITH THE ONLY MARLIN OF THE WEEK COMING IN AT 450 LBS. IT WAS A GREAT FISH THAT PUT UP A SPECTACULAR FIGHT BEFORE GETTING A CLEAN RELEASE AT THE SIDE OF THE BOAT.

THIS WEEK WE HAD WHAT I WOULD SAY WAS GOOD TUNA FISHING AND GREAT INSHORE FISHING. THE MULLET SNAPPER THIS WEEK WERE UNBELIEVABLE. WE GOT TO SEE THE FAMOUS "RED HORDE" 3 TIMES THIS WEEK AS SCHOOLS OF MULLET SNAPPER AND JACK CREVALLE ROSE TO THE SURFACE FEEDING AT HANNIBAL BANK AND MONTUOSA ISLAND. THE FISH RANGED FROM 15 TO 30 LBS AND WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE EATING POPPERS, JIGS AND CHUNK BAIT. ALONG WITH THE GREAT MULLET SNAPPER BITE WE ONCE AGAIN HAD GREAT ACTION ON CUBERA SNAPPER. EVERY WEEK WE ARE MORE AND MORE SURPRISED TO KEEP SEEING HUGE CUBERA SNAPPER COME TO THE SURFACE. WITH MANY FISH LANDED IN THE 30 TO 50 LB CLASS TWO FISH REALLY STOOD OUT THIS WEEK. ONE LANDED BY RICHARD AND THE OTHER LANDED BY JOHN. BOTH FISH WERE ESTIMATED TO BE OVER 70 LBS. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS ON SOME TRUE MONSTERS.

ONCE AGAIN WE HAD A WONDERFUL WEEK WITH GOOD FISHING, GOOD FOOD AND A GREAT GROUP OF GUYS. THANKS FOR COMING DOWN TO SEE US AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE FUTURE.

2/20/10

DUE TO AN AILING BACK PROBLEM I HAD TO STAY HOME THIS WEEK AND SEND THE BARGE ON ITS WAY WITH CAPTAIN BEN FLOYD. BEN GREETED RETURNING FISHERMEN JIM AND JAMES MCCORD WHO BROUGHT BRIAN DOERR AND JEFF GREENHILL WITH THEM. OUR NEXT GROUP OF FISHERMEN ARE FROM FRANCE; CLAUDE PORT, JACQUES PLANCHOT AND HERVE AUBRILL. OUR THIRD GROUP OF FISHERMEN ARE WORLD TRAVELING ANGLERS; LARRY AND DICK OLSEN, TOM STOKES AND ED WEBSTER, FROM YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

GETTING AN EARLY START FROM THE BARGE ON SATURDAY, THE CREW ENCOUNTERED MEDIOCRE FISHING AT BEST. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY INCLUDED A PAIR OF SAILFISH LANDED BY TOM AND LARRY WHILE FISHING NEAR LADRONES ISLAND. THE BOTTOM FISHING WAS SLOWER THAN USUAL BUT WE WERE STILL ABLE TO LAND A FEW NICE CUBERA WITH THE BIGGEST BEING A 45 POUNDER LANDED BY CLAUDE. ALL OUR BOATS HEADED BACK TO THE BARGE AT AN EARLY HOUR TO ENJOY A GREAT MEAL PREPARED BY RETURNING CHEF EDINA, KNOWING THAT THE BETTER FISHING WAS YET TO COME.

HEADING OFFSHORE TO MONTUOSA ISLAND THE NEXT DAY WE FOUND VERY NICE WEATHER BUT VERY LITTLE ACTION. BAIT WAS HARD TO COME BY AND THE MARLIN AND TUNA EVEN HARDER. AS THE BOATS SLOWLY MADE THEIR WAY TO COIBA ISLAND WE ENCOUNTERED A POD OF PORPOISE NEAR HANNIBAL BANK. ONCE AGAIN WE VISUALLY SAW TUNA UP TO 150 LBS ON THE SURFACE BUT IT WAS VERY HARD TO GET THEM TO BITE. WE THREW EVERYTHING AT THEM FROM CEDAR PLUGS, MARAUDERS, POPPERS, JIGS, BLUE RUNNERS, AND BONITA OF ALL SIZES AND WERE ONLY ABLE TO GET A FEW SMALL TUNA ON POPPERS. BY MID AFTERNOON THE BOATS HAD MOVED INSHORE TO TRY THEIR LUCK WITH ROOSTERFISH AND CUBERA SNAPPER. THE GUYS FOUND GREAT ACTIVITY WITHIN MILES OF THE BARGE WITH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS BEING A 45 LB ROOSTERFISH LANDED BY JAMES ON A LIVE BONITA AND A 50 + LB CUBERA LANDED BY TOM.

MONDAY THE BOATS HEADED OFFSHORE LOOKING FOR MARLIN. WITH BOATS SCATTERED BETWEEN HANNIBAL BANK AND JICARON ISLAND WE FOUND GOOD ACTION COUPLED WITH NICE WEATHER. IT WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY OF FISHING. BUT IT WAS A DAY THAT THE FISH WON. WITHIN A SPAN OF 1 HOUR MISSING OR LOSING FOUR MARLIN. TWO SPIT THE HOOKS ON THE INITIAL JUMP AND ONE HAPPENED TO EAT A BAIT ON A TIAGRA 30 AND IN THE PROCESS NEARLY SPOOLED THE REEL AND BROKE THE LINE AFTER ABOUT 45 SECONDS. AS THE OFFSHORE BITE COOLED DOWN THE BOATS AGAIN HEADED INSHORE TO ENJOY SOME OF THE SAME ACTION WE HAD FOUND THE DAY BEFORE. BROTHERS DICK AND LARRY FOUND A GREAT CUBERA BITE LANDING AND RELEASING 6 CUBERA SNAPPER BETWEEN 30 AND 60 LBS IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES. CLAUDE, JAQUES AND HERVE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET IN ON THIS BITE LANDING 4 CUBERA SNAPPER AND A FEW MULLET SNAPPER. WHILE THAT WAS GOING ON JAMES WAS DOING BATTLE WITH A 50 + LB ROOSTERFISH. MINUTES LATER ED WOULD CATCH AND RELEASE THE BIGGEST ROOSTERFISH OF THE YEAR, BRINGING BOAT SIDE A 70 LB ROOSTERFISH. THIS FISH WAS LITERALLY HOOKED WITHIN SITE OF THE BARGE AT PUNTA HERMOSA. TALK ABOUT LIVING ON THE FISHING GROUNDS.

EARLY TUESDAY MORNING WE WOKE TO THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. AS WE HEADED OUT FOR THE DAY WE ALSO ENCOUNTERED A STRONG WEST WIND AND 6 TO 8 FOOT SEAS. THIS WAS GOING TO MAKE FOR DIFFICULT FISHING. FINALLY AROUND MID AFTERNOON THE WIND ABRUPTLY STOPPED, THE SEAS DROPPED INTO FISHABLE CONDITION AND WITHIN MINUTES JAMES, JIM, BRYAN AND JEFF WERE ABLE TO GET INTO A WIDE OPEN CUBERA BITE. THEY LANDING 9 CUBERA BETWEEN TWO BOATS IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WITH THE BIGGEST BEING A 60 LB BRUTE TAKEN BY JIM MCCORD. JIM, A TWELVE YEAR COIBA ISLAND FISHING VETERAN SAID, "THIS WAS THE BEST CUBERA BITE HE HAD EVER SEEN." BRYAN CAPPED OF HIS DAY A FEW MINUTES LATER LANDING A SMALL, 25 LB ROOSTERFISH ON TOP WATER. TOM AND DICK WEATHERED A SLOW DAY OF FISHING FINISHED THE DAY OFF WITH A 30 AND 50 LB ROOSTERFISH AFTER THE SEAS HAD CALMED DOWN.

HAVING SEEN GREAT INSHORE FISHING ALL WEEK THE CREW WAS READY TO HEAD BACK OFFSHORE LOOKING FOR PELAGICS THAT THIS AREA IS SO FAMOUS FOR. THE WEATHER HAD CALMED DOWN QUITE A BIT BUT THE LEFT OVER WAVES MADE FOR A SLOW TRIP OUT TO THE FISHING GROUNDS. TODAY THE ACTION WAS TO BE FOUND AT MONTUOSA ISLAND. JEFF STARTED OFF THE DAY LANDING A SAIL. MINUTES LATER TOM HOOKED INTO THE MARLIN THAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR. THE ONLY PROBLEM BEING THAT THE FISH ATE A BONITA THAT WAS STILL ON THE BONITA RIG. TOM AND LARRY WOULD SWITCH OFF OVER THE NEXT FOUR + HOURS DOING BATTLE ON AN ESTIMATED 450 LB BLACK MARLIN ON A 30 LB ROD AND A SHIMANO TIAGRA 16 REEL. THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING THE FISH TO WITHIN 30 FEET OF THE BOAT TWO TIMES BUT AFTER FIGHTING THE FISH ALL AFTERNOON THEY FINALLY BROKE THE ROD AND SOON AFTER BROKE THE LINE.

THIS WAS THE WEEK FOR CATCHING AND RELEASING BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS. SEVERAL BIG ROOSTERFISH WERE ALSO CAUGHT AND RELEASED. OUR THANKS TO THIS WEEK'S FISHERMEN FOR A VERY ENJOYABLE WEEK. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT KIND OF FISHING EXCITEMENT TO EXPECT WHEN FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA!

2/13/10

THE PESCA PANAMA BARGE WAS LOADED TO THE WATERLINE THIS WEEK WITH 14 ANGLERS ONBOARD. HEADING UP THIS DETERMINED GROUP OF MOSTLY RETURNING ANGLERS FROM COLORADO, WAS RING MASTER TOM DALSASO. ACCOMPANIED BY HIS TWO SONS TOM, JR AND TIM DALSASO, CHRIS BEE, JIM BEE, T.J. COBB, NATE TROOKMAN, MATT CRADDOCK, MARK MEYER, KEVIN KAVENEY, JOHN SHOOSMITH, BEN TUTT A LIFE LONG FRIEND OF SEVERAL OF THE ANGLERS FLEW IN FROM BERMUDA AND A GREAT MAN FULL OF OUTRAGEOUS STORIES FROM MIAMI, RAMIRO RAMIREZ.

NATE TROOKMAN WAS THE FIRST ANGLER TO HOOK INTO A REALLY BIG FISH. LATE IN THE EVENING CAPTAIN TOM WAS SLOW TROLLING A LIVE BONITA RIGHT ON TOP OF HANNIBAL BANK WHEN THE BLACK MARLIN SWALLOWED THE BAIT AND THE CIRCLE HOOK CAME TIGHT IN ITS' JAW. NOW NATE IS A BIG BOY, WEIGHTING IN AT 260 LBS, BUT THIS WAS NATE'S FIRST MARLIN OF ANY KIND AND HE HAD NO IDEA AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE THE BATTLE HE WAS IN FOR. THE FISH WOULD COME UP, MAKE A SPECTACULAR JUMP AND THEN IT WOULD DIVE DEEP. THIS WENT ON FOR THREE HOURS AS NATE APPLIED MAXIMUM DRAG WITH THE SHIMANO TIARGA 50WLRS. DARKNESS FELL ON THE ANGLERS AS WE ANXIOUSLY MONITORED HIS PROGRESS FROM THE BARGE WHICH WAS ANCHORED 13 MILES AWAY IN THE LEE OF PUNTA HERMOSA. FINALLY THE WORD CAME THAT THEY HAD THE FISH TO THE BOAT AND IT HAD BEEN RELEASED, BREAKING THE 400 LB TEST AS IT WAS BEING LEADERED. THE CAPTAIN IS JUDGING THE FISH AT 500 LB PLUS, BUT YOU CAN BE YOUR OWN JUDGE. I AM SURE THE SIZE OF NATE'S FISH WILL CONTINUE GROW AS THE YEARS CONTINUE TO PASS.

RAMIRO WAS THE NEXT TO BOAT AN EXCEPTIONAL FISH WHEN HE LANDED A HUGE CUBERA SNAPPER. THIS SNAPPER LOOKED LIKE A FISH THAT HAD BEEN TAKING STEROIDS! RAMIRO SAYS HE THINKS THE FISH WOULD WEIGHT AT LEAST 50 LB PLUS. MY GUESS FROM LOOKING AT THE PHOTO IS THAT THIS WAS A MUCH HEAVIER FISH. BUT RIGHT NOW THAT DOESN'T MATTER AS MUCH AS RAMIRO ALONG WITH HIS CAPTAIN AND MATE MAKING A GOOD LIVE RELEASE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL FISH. RAMIRO DECIDED TO GIVE THE FISH A CHANCE TO LIVE AND HELP SPAWN ANOTHER GENERATION. CONGRATULATIONS RAMIRO!

JICARON ISLAND WAS WHERE IT WAS HAPPENING THIS WEEK. WITH THE BARGE CONVENIENTLY ANCHORED AT PUNTA HERMOSA, IT WAS JUST A SHORT 30 MINUTE BOAT RIDE TO BE ON THE BITE. JEFF AND JIM ARRIVED EARLY AND BOATED 10 FOOTBALL SIZED YELLOWFIN TUNA ON POPPERS AND JIGS. SEVENTEEN BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS IN THE 35 TO 50 LB WERE CAUGHT THIS DAY AND WE WERE ABLE TO RELEASE 15 OF THE THEM. ALONG WITH THE CUBERA SNAPPERS CAME CATCHES OF MULLET SNAPPER, YELLOW SNAPPER, WHITE TIP SHARK, RAINBOW RUNNERS, ROOSTERFISH, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE TREVALLE, AMBERJACK, ROCK SNAPPER WITH A FEW DORADO CAUGHT FOR DINNER. OUR ANGLERS WERE ALL SMILES.

LEADING THE WAY ON TUESDAY WAS A 70 LB CUBERA AND A 30 LB ROOSTERFISH CAUGHT BY NATE TROOKMAN. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS THIS BIG CUBERA WOULD NOT GO BACK DOWN, SO IT PROVIDED A GREAT DINNER FOR ALL. JOHN SHOOSMITH WAS ALSO ABLE TO HOOK INTO A FEW TUNA LANDING A 80 LB TUNA AND LOSING AN ESTIMATED 150 LB FISH AT THE BOAT. CONGRATULATIONS JOHN ON A COUPLE OF GREAT BATTLES. MARK, JIM, AND JEFF FOUND TUNA ACTION BUT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET THEM TO BITE. THEY ENDED THE DAY LANDING 8 TUNA UP TO 30 LBS ON TOPWATER AND JIGS ALONG WITH A ASSORTMENT OF SNAPPER AND A 40 LB DORADO. SPENDING MOST OF THE DAY ON THE BEACH AT JICARITA;. MATT, COBB, AND BEN ENDED THE DAY LANDING 4 CUBERA SNAPPER ON THE WAY HOME.

HEADING BACK TO THE RIVER ON WEDNESDAY MARK MEYER WAS ABLE TO LAND A 80 LB TUNA ON A LIVE BAIT. ONCE AGAIN THIS WEEK THE TUNA PROVED TO BE ELUSIVE. WE VISUALLY SAW MORE FISH THAN WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO BITE. FRUSTRATING AT TIMES BUT ANY DAY NOW THEY COULD CLICK AND WE WILL BE IN FOR SOME EXPLOSIVE FISHING. THERE WAS ALSO MANY MULLET SNAPPER, AMBERJACK, AND A FEW MORE CUBERAS CAUGHT; INCLUDING A 50 LB FISH LANDED BY JOHN SHOOSMITH, TO FINISH OUT THE WEEK.

2/6/10
THIS WEEK WE WERE HAPPY TO WELCOME BACK A GREAT GROUP OF GUYS THAT BROTHERS, GARY AND TERRY MAUSNER PUT TOGETHER. JOINING THEM WERE TEXANS, FATHER AND SON JOHN AND JASON FULLER, RON ELLISOR, JEFF WOODWARD, DALE GOLDEN, PERRY SENDUKAS, JIM REDMOND AND ONE IRISHMAN, MARTIN LEE.

AFTER THE SLOW FISHING AND GREEN WATER WE EXPERIENCED LAST WEEK WE WERE EXCITED TO SEE CRYSTAL CLEAR BLUE WATER AND BIRD ACTIVITY AT LADRONES ISLAND. AFTER FISHING FOR FIVE MINUTES GARY AND TERRY HOOKED INTO THE FIRST OF 9 SAILFISH THAT WERE LANDED THAT AFTERNOON. ADDING TO THE ACTION, RON TANGLED WITH AN ESTIMATED 400 LB BLACK MARLIN FOR 45 MINUTES AS IT FOUGHT DOWN AND DIRTY. JUST AS THEY HAD THE MARLIN ALONG SIDE THE BOAT SHE DECIDED TO GIVE IT ONE LAST GO. THE MARLIN RAPIDLY TURNED 90 DEGREES AND MADE A DIVE UNDER THE FISHING BOAT COMING UP ON THE OTHER SIDE. RON WAS LEFT STANDING WITH A BROKEN ROD, A PARTED LINE AND A FISHING STORY TO TELL FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. LAST YEAR RON AND JEFF RELEASED 5 MARLIN UP TO 600 LBS IN A WEEK AND SAID THAT WITHOUT A DOUBT THIS BLACK MARLIN PULLED HARDER THAN ANY THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY CAUGHT.

NEXT DAY, ON TO MONTUOSA WE GO WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF THE FISH ON THE BITE! HERE MARTIN CAUGHT AND RELEASED HIS FIRST BLACK MARLIN, ESTIMATED WEIGHTING AROUND 300 LBS. A COUPLE OF BIG SAILS WERE ALSO LANDED. BUT THE HIGH EXPECTATION OFFSHORE WERE NOT PANNING OUT SO A COUPLE OF THE BOATS MOVED INSHORE WHERE THEY FOUND THE FISHING ACTION MUCH BETTER.

DAY THREE FOUND ONE OF OUR BOATS HEADED IN TO CHANGE OUT A TRANSMISSION WHILE OUR OTHER FOUR BOATS WERE UNDERWAY TO JICRON AND JICARITA ISLAND. HERE THEY FOUND THE SEA TEAMING WITH SCHOOLS OF BONITA THAT WERE GORGING ON SARDINES. THE YELLOWFIN WERE SLICING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BAITFISH. OUR ANGLERS FOUND WITH SO MUCH NATURAL FEED THAT THE TUNA WERE PICKY EATERS. JASON, AN EXPERIENCED FISHERMAN, TIED A JIG ON A LIGHT 40 LB TEST LINE AND MADE A CAST. BAM, A 125 LB YELLOWFIN ATE THE JIG AND WAS AT COLOR AND IN THE BOAT 40 MINUTES LATER. SEVERAL OTHER TUNA WERE ALSO CAUGHT BUT THE BITE WAS NOT HOT. A COUPLE OF SAILS WERE LANDED AS WERE SOME NICE SIZE DORADO BUT AGAIN THE INSHORE FISHERY WAS WHERE THE ACTION WAS. THE ROCKS AND REEFS AROUND THE ISLANDS WERE HOLDING FISH! BOTH JEFF AND JIM CAUGHT AND RELEASED 60 LB CUBERA SNAPPERS. TERRY AND RON WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LANDING 40 LB TO 45 LB ROOSTERFISH. A TOTAL OF 42 BIG MULLET SNAPPERS WERE CAUGHT WITH THE MAJORITY OF THEM BEING RELEASED. ADDING TO THE CATCH WERE AMBERJACK, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE TREVALLE, ROCK SNAPPER AND HUGE RAINBOW RUNNERS.

ONCE AGAIN ON DAY FOUR THE BOATS HEADED OUT IN SEARCH OF BLACK MARLIN. AFTER HAVING THE BAITS IN THE WATER FOR 5 MINUTES NEAR JICARON ISLAND, JEFF "WOODY" WOODWARD WAS PINNED UP TO A FIVE HUNDRED POUND BLACK MARLIN THAT WOULD BATTLE HIM FOR CLOSE TO AN HOUR AND A HALF. NOT ONLY WAS THIS FISH THE BIGGEST MARLIN CATCH OF HIS LIFE, BUT IT PUT ON AN AERIAL DISPLAY THAT WILL NOT SOON BE FORGOTTEN.

DAY FIVE WE FOUND THE DORADO ON THE BITE AT MONTUOSA WHEN THE MARLIN DECIDED TO JOIN IN ON THE ACTION. WHILE PERRY WAS BRINGING IN A NICE BULL DORADO THE FISH BIT A RIGGED BONITA AND THE FIGHT WAS ON. LANDING THE FISH IN UNDER 30 MINUTES; JIM REDMOND, PUT A CLEAN RELEASE ON AN ESTIMATED 450 LB BLACK MARLIN.

SO THE WEEK'S FISHING WENT. OUR ANGLERS HAD IDEAL FISHING CONDITIONS AND SOME NICE CATCHES WERE MADE. BUT THE BITE WAS SLOWER THAN USUAL. THANK YOU TO ALL THE ANGLERS FISHING WITH US THIS WEEK. THE FISHING WAS A LITTLE SLOW BUT I THINK THEY SET A NEW BOAT RECORD ON DRINKING JAMIE'S MARGARITAS.

1/30/10

THIS WEEK WE WELCOMED BACK BROTHERS KURT AND RICK SCHEETZ WHO CAME WITH A GROUP OF THEIR FISHING FRIENDS THAT INCLUDED; DAVID KESSLER, JOHN WARNER, JOHN MORGAN, MARK CATTON, BROTHERS BRUCE AND DOP PAVLOV, GREG HOWELL AND GREG RICHARDSON. LET ME TELL YOU, "THIS IS A FUN GROUP OF GUYS TO FISH WITH." APART FROM THE SCHEETZ GROUP WE ALSO WELCOMED BACK SPORTSMAN JULIEN CARTIER- MILLION WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY YANN BOURGAR.

OUR FIRST FEW DAYS OF FISHING WERE SLOW. FISHING INSHORE OUR ANGLERS CAUGHT A HAND-FULL OF FISH THAT INCLUDED POMPANO, AMBERJACK, BLUE TREVALLE, JACK CREVALLE, CUBERA SNAPPER, MULLET SNAPPER, ROOSTERFISH AND SEVERAL OTHER VARIOUS SPECIES. OFFSHORE, WE HAD A FEW DORADO HIT THE DECK AND A COUPLE OF BIG PACIFIC SAILFISH WERE CAUGHT AND RELEASED, BUT THE FISHING OFFSHORE WAS PROVING TO BE EVEN SLOWER. WE ALL BLAMED IT ON THE BIG FULL MOON, GREEN WATER, AND THE BIG TIDES WE WERE EXPERIENCING, BUT WHO REALLY KNOWS? THE SEAS WERE EXTRAORDINARY CALM AND THE SURFACE WATER TEMPERATURE HAD COOLED DOWN TO 82 DEGREES, BUT THE FISH WERE OFF THE BITE. WHAT WE WERE NEEDING WHAT SOME HOT FISHING ACTION!

BY MONDAY OUR FISHING BOATS HAD MOVED SOUTH TO FISH THE JICARON AND JICARITA ISLANDS, WHILE THE BARGE STAYED ANCHORED IN PLAYA HERMOSA, THUS GIVING OUR ANGLERS THE CLOSEST ACCESS TO THE BEST FISHING AREA. THE FISHING ACTION FARTHER SOUTH WAS ALSO SLOW BUT SOME FISH WERE CAUGHT INCLUDING SEVERAL CUBRERA SNAPPERS WITH GREG RICHARDSON LANDING A COLOSSAL CUBERA THAT WEIGHED IN AT 60 LBS.

FIRST ANGLERS OUT ON THE WATER EVERY MORNING AND THE LAST ONES TO RETURN TO THE BARGE EVERY EVENING WERE JULIEN AND YANN. THEY WERE AFTER JUST ONE THING, BLACK MARLIN! YANN CAUGHT HIS FIRST BLACK MARLIN ON HANNIBAL BANK WHEN IT ATE A SLOW TROLLED LIVE BONITA. AFTER AN EXCITING ONE HOUR BATTLE ON STAND-UP TACKLE, HE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE A BEAUTIFUL BLACK MARLIN THAT WAS IN THE 500 LB CLASS. JULIEN WAS ABLE TO GET SOME GREAT PHOTOS WHILE YANN WAS FIGHTING THE FISH.

THEN NEXT DAY OUR BOATS MOVED OFFSHORE ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF MONTUOSA ISLAND. THE THE SEA WAS ALIVE WITH DIVING BIRDS, LOTS OF SEA TURTLES, JUMPING PORPOISE AND SCHOOLS OF YELLOWFIN TUNA. THE TUNA WERE FINICKY AND NOT JUMPING ON POPPERS, JIGS, OR LIVE BAIT. OF ALL THINGS THEY WANTED THE OLD TUNA STAND BY, THE "CEDAR PLUG". SEVERAL OF THE BOATS WERE ABLE TO LAND TUNA IN THE 120 TO 150 POUND RANGE. DAVE AND SEVERAL OF THE OTHER ANGLERS ALSO LANDED TUNA THAT ATE THE POPPERS THEY WERE THROWING. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GOOD DAY OF YELLOWFIN TUNA FISHING.

BOTTOM LINE, OUR ANGLERS HAD TO WORK FOR THEIR FISH THIS WEEK. BUT THE WEATHER WAS FANTASTIC AND THEY ALL AGREED IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN FREEZING THEIR BUTTS IN THE NORTH. SO ALL IN ALL WE HAD A WINNER OF A WEEK.

1/23/10

ANOTHER OUTSTANDING WEEK OF FISHING HERE AT PESCA PANAMA. OUR ANGLERS HAD IDEAL FISHING CONDITIONS, EXPERIENCING LIGHT BREEZES, CALM SEAS, AND A OCEAN FULL OF HUNGRY FISH! GETTING IN ON THE FISHING ACTION WERE ANGLERS HARRY AND HOBIE LOWELL, KEN AND FRANK GARCIA, ROSS HOOKER AND MARK FIRING, TED MERLETTI AND MIKE PELL, DAVE BACCA AND TOM POORE AND PESCA PANAMA'S MAN TO GO TO ON THE WEST COAST, RICKY ZUNIGA.

SINCE RICKY LIVES NEAR MELTON TACKLE IN ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA, I HAD ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD MIND BEING A MULE FOR ME AND BRING DOWN A LOAD OF FISHING TACKLE FOR US. HE AGREED AND THE PESCA PANAMA'S CAPTAINS WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE FISHING TACKLE RE-SUPPLY.

THIS WAS ANOTHER GREAT WEEK OF MIXED BAG FISHING. OFFSHORE, BLACK AND BLUE MARLIN TO 450 LBS WERE FEEDING ON HANNIBAL BANK AND AT MONTUOSA ISLAND. MARK AND HOBIE LED THE WAY LANDING A 450 LB AND 400 LB BLACK MARLIN RESPECTIVELY. POPPING FOR YELLOWFIN TUNA PRODUCED LOTS OF CATCHES BETWEEN 20 AND 100 LBS. TOM AND RICKY FOUGHT A TUNA ESTIMATED AT 250 LBS FOR 1.5 HOURS BEFORE THE HOOK PULLED AT THE LEADER. BIG SAILFISH ARE STILL IN THE AREA WITH SOME NICE SIZED DORADO MIXED IN. A FRIEND OF MINE FROM FLORIDA TOLD ME THAT HE CAUGHT THE LARGEST DORADO THIS WEEK THAT HE HAD EVER SEEN. HE SAID IT WEIGHTED JUST OVER 60 LBS. NOW THAT IS EITHER AN X- LARGE BULL DORADO OR A LOT OF BULL SHIT! HA

INSHORE, WE HAD GOOD ROOSTERFISH, CUBERA SNAPPER, BLUE TREVALLY AND JACK CREVALLE ACTION ON TOP WATER WHILE FISHING NEAR COIBA ISLAND. CAPTAIN TATIN'S ANGLERS ALSO CAUGHT 15 BARRACUDA ONE MORNING WHILE CASTING POPPERS. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE FISHING AROUND HERE.

BOTTOM FISHING NEAR JICARON AND JICARITA ISLANDS THIS WEEK WAS FANTASTIC. TED AND MIKE HAD SOME 40 PLUS FISH DAYS. THE CATCH INCLUDED; AMBERJACK, MULLET SNAPPER, CUBERA SNAPPER, SIERRA MACKEREL, YELLOW SNAPPER, SILK SNAPPER, SEVERAL KINDS OF GROUPERS, POMPANO AND BIG RAINBOW RUNNERS.

KENNY AND FRANK FOUGHT A ESTIMATED 9 FT LONG BULL SHARK FOR 45 MINUTES BEFORE THEY WRESTLED IT TO THE BOAT. WHEN THE MATE WENT FOR THE LEADER THE SHARK JUMPED OUT OF THE WATER, OPENED ITS' JAWS, SPUN AROUND IN MID AIR SLAMMING INTO THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND THEN DOVE. WHEN THE EXCITEMENT WAS OVER KENNY DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THE ROD AND REEL HAD LEFT HIS HANDS AND WAS NOW PART OF THE INVENTORY OF DAVY JONES LOCKER. NOT QUITE LIKE THE STREAM FISHING IN COLORADO THESE ANGLERS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO.

I HAVE ASKED RICKY Z TO HELP WRITE THE FISHING REPORT THIS WEEK. HE CAN GIVE THE FISHING REPORT HIS "WEST COAST SPIN," PLUS I THINK IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO GET ANOTHER PERSONS TAKE ON THE WEEK'S FISHING ACTION. SO LET HER RIP RICKY!

THANKS JAY, HERE WE GO! DAVE, TOM AND MYSELF DECIDED TO MAKE A RUN TO MONTUOSA TO LOOK FOR A FEW YELLOWFIN. WE WERE ABOUT 5 MILES ON THE LEEWARD SIDE OF MONTUOSA WHEN WE SPOTTED BIRDS WORKING. THE SKIPPER MADE A BEE LINE FOR THE BITE AND SURE ENOUGH YELLOWFIN WERE FEEDING. DAVE'S FIRST CAST WITH A POPPER AND "HOOK UP." DAVE PUTS THE SCREWS TO HIM AND THE 100 LB+ YELLOWFIN IS ON THE DECK. NICE WAY TO START THE DAY.

THIS WAS TOM'S FIRST TIME WITH PESCA PANAMA AND IN MY OPINION, HE WENT AWAY WITH A GOOD MIX OF PANAMA'S ABUNDANCE OF GAME FISH. WHILE TROLLING ON THE BANK, THE CLICKER WENT OFF, LINE WAS PEELING OUT AND WE WERE NOW LOCKED INTO WHAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE A BLACK MARLIN. IN TIME WE SAW NO JUMPING AND THEN THE LINE STARTING HEADING DEEP, THEN SOME HEAD SHAKING, THAT'S WHEN WE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS ON THE LINE. TOM PLAYED THAT YELLOWFIN WITH EVERYTHING HE COULD MUSTER! AFTER AN HOUR HE ASKED ME TO TAKE OVER. I JUMPED IN MY HARNESS AND IT WAS OFF TO THE RODEO! THIS BAD BOY HAD MY KNEES PINNED TO THE GUNNELS AND I WAS APPLYING ALL MY WEIGHT INTO THE HARNESS! WITHIN HALF AN HOUR WE HAD COLOR. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING SO EXCITING SEEING A COW COMING UP WITH THOSE BEAUTIFUL LONG SICKLES!

BACK TO IT, WE GET IT TO LEADER 2 TIMES AND ON THE THIRD TIME THE DECK HAND GRABS THE LEADER, ROLLS IT AROUND FOR A GAFF SHOT AND THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED, THE HOOK PULLS, RIPPING OUT THE CORNER OF ITS' MOUTH! TOM AND I BOTH SIGH THAT IT'S OVER. EXHAUSTED, WE JUST STARE AT EACH OTHER AND SHRUG OUR SHOULDERS. TOM ALSO BROUGHT TWO LARGE SAILS TO LEADER ALONG WITH A FEW DODO'S OFF THE BANK. BETWEEN THE SHORT BITES AND THE SAILS FIGHTING FOR THE BAITS TOM HAD A GREAT TIME.

LOTS OF BIG FISH CAUGHT THIS WEEK, LOTS OF BIG FISH RELEASED THIS WEEK AND SOME BIG FISH MISSED THIS WEEK. WE HAD OUR HIGH POINTS AND SOME LOW POINTS. BUT ALL THE TIME WE WERE MAKING FISHING STORIES THAT CAN BE TOLD OVER AND OVER WHILE SITTING AROUND THE BAR AND THE BEST PART IS THE MORE YOU DRINK THE BIGGER THE FISH GET.

1/14/10

WHERE WE ONCE MEASURED OUR TIME SPENT FISHING IN HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS AND YEARS. WE CAN NOW COUNT IT IN DECADES. THE YEAR 2010 MARKS THE START OF OUR 11TH YEAR OF FISHING IN PANAMA. WHEN WE FIRST DECIDED TO START FISHING THIS AREA WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE GOOD, BUT WE HAD NO IDEA HOW GREAT IT WAS GOING TO BE. SO WITH 10 YEARS OF FISHING IN PANAMA BEHIND US, PESCA PANAMA IS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL DECADE OF FISHING.

WHAT A BETTER WAY TO START THE DECADE THAN TO WELCOME BACK VETERAN ANGLER AND WRITER, AL RISTORI. AL'S HISTORY OF FISHING THIS AREA GOES BACK TO 1973 AND THE START OF THE NOW LONG GONE, CLUB PACIFICO. AL CAN BE CREDITED WITH BEING THE ANGLER THAT INTRODUCED "POPPER FISHING" TO THE AREA. A LOT OF OUR FISHING TECHNIQUES HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN WITH THE INVENTION OF GRAPHITE RODS, SPECTRA LINE, BIG POPPING LURES AND $1,000 SPINNING REELS. BUT SOME THINGS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME. THE "PENCIL POPPER" LURE WILL STILL EFFECTIVELY CATCH FISH AND AL IS STILL REELING THEM IN.

CAPTAIN BEN FLOYD HAS RETURNED FOR HIS 10TH YEAR TO HELP GIVE ME A HAND WITH THE FISHING. BEN GOT A "KITCHEN PASS" FOR 10 WEEKS FROM HIS WIFE NICOLE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK HER FOR SHARING BEN'S TIME WITH US. BEN IS ALWAYS A BIG HELP TO OUR ANGLERS AND THE CREW OF PESCA PANAMA. WELCOME BACK BEN!

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK RETURNING ANGLER JOE REAP FOR GETTING THIS WEEK'S GROUP OF ANGLERS TOGETHER. FISHING ALONG WITH AL RISTORI WAS JOE FARRELL, DOMINIC DINAPOLI, JOE HALL, DAVID RIEMAN, BILL BAROSKA, STEVE COLUMBE AND BOB DUFFY. WE ALSO WELCOMED HUSBAND AND WIFE ANGLERS, TRICIA AND CHRIS MANZINI ON THEIR FIRST FISHING TRIP TO PANAMA.

MOTHER NATURE SEEMED TO CONSPIRE AGAINST US THIS WEEK. WE FOUND THE FISHING MUCH SLOWER THAN NORMAL AS THE FISH WERE OFF THE BITE. EVEN WHEN WE GOT INTO A HUGE SCHOOL OF YELLOWFIN TUNA AND ALL THE CONDITIONS LOOKED RIGHT, WITH PORPOISE AND TUNA JUMPING IN THE AIR AND FLOCKS OF BIRDS CIRCLED OVERHEAD, THE FISH WERE SLOW TO BITE. THIS COMBINED WITH DAYS OF HIGH WINDS FROM A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT SEEMED TO STALL RIGHT ON TOP OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA MADE FOR A TOUGH WEEK OF FISHING.

BUT EVEN WITH THESE LESS THAN FAVORABLE FISHING CONDITIONS THERE WERE SOME NICE CATCHES MADE. THE MANZINI'S, WHILE CONCENTRATING ON THE INSHORE FISHING, CAUGHT A MIXED BAG OF FISH INCLUDING THREE ROOSTERFISH THAT WEIGHTED UP TO 50 LBS. AS THE WEEK WENT ON THEY ADDED CUBERA SNAPPER, AMBERJACK, YELLOW SNAPPER, PINK SNAPPER, HORSE EYED JACK, JACK CREVALLE , SEVERAL SPECIES OF SHARKS AND NUMEROUS OTHER SPECIES TO THEIR CATCH.

OFFSHORE A COUPLE OF BIG PACIFIC SAILFISH WERE CAUGHT AND RELEASE BY JOE REAP AND STEVE COLUMBE. WHILE MARLIN FISHING AT MONTUOSA AND HANNIBAL BANK THERE WERE MANY DORADOS CAUGHT ON POPPERS, SWIM BAITS, AND BELLY BAITS. SEVERAL YELLOWFIN TUNA UP TO 120 LBS WERE ALSO LANDED WHILE FISHING NEAR MONTUOSA ISLAND.

OUR ANGLERS PUT IN A LOT OF TIME THIS WEEK TRYING TO REPEAT THEIR SUCCESSFUL CATCHING OF 11 BLACK MARLIN WHILE FISHING WITH US LAST YEAR. WITH DAYS PUT INTO THE FISHING EFFORT ON HANNIBAL BANK FOR MARLIN, IT WAS NOT TO BE. JOE HALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED ONE BLACK MARLIN THAT WAS IN THE 450 CLASS. WE ARE HOPING THAT NEXT WEEK THE WIND DIES DOWN AND THE FISHING PICKS BACK UP.

12/5/09

WOW, WHAT A WEEK OF FISHING! BLACK AND BLUE MARLIN, YELLOWFIN TUNA, DORADO, ROOSTERFISH AND BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS. TRAVIS PETERSON STAYED ON THIS WEEK TO FISH WITH HIS DAD, JUDD PETERSON. OTHER ANGLERS THIS WEEK INCLUDED; TOM AULIK, BRUCE CARLSON, FISHING GUIDE MIKE AUGAT, PAUL DINERSTEIN, DAN HUTCHINSON, LAID AND JIM PHLKAS. COUSIN PETER GUSTIN AND DOUG SPRAGGETT WERE FISHING OUT OF A NEW BOAT THEY HAD SHIPPED DOWN THIS YEAR FROM CANADA. WITH THIS VARIED GROUP IT WAS FUN JUST HEARING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT FISHING AS WE HAD BOATS HEADED TO ALL POINTS ON THE COMPASS.

JUDD BROUGHT WITH HIM A COUPLE OF THE DAIWA ELECTRIC REELS FOR BOTTOM JIGGING. LIKE I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THE FAST RETRIEVE OF THESE REELS GET THE FISH SO EXCITED THAT THEY CAN'T SEEM TO RESIST STRIKING. AFTER THE FISH IS HOOKED THE ANGLER PLAYS THE FISH JUST AS YOU WOULD ON A CONVENTIONAL REEL. TRAVIS SAID THIS WAS THE BEST JIG BITE HE HAD EVER SEEN! OH COURSE TRAVIS IS KNOWN TO SPIN A FEW FISHING YARNS AFTER HE TOSSES BACK A FEW BEERS. WHILE JUDD WAS FISHING ON HANNIBAL BANK HE HOOKED A BLACK MARLIN JUST AFTER HE PUT OUT A LIVE BONITA. AFTER 2 1/2 HRS HE RELEASED THE ESTIMATED 450 BLACK MARLIN. STILL NOT DONE YET, THEY GOT INTO A WIDE OPEN DORADO BITE WHERE YOU COULD CATCH ALL THE DORADO YOU WANTED. THE SURPRISING THING IS JUDD SURVIVED IT. NOT BAD FOR A MAN BORN BACK IN 1946.

PETER AND DOUG FIRED UP THEIR NEW 300 HP SUZUKIS AND BLASTED OFF FOR HANNIBAL BANK. PETER SAID THEIR LINES WERE NOT IN THE WATER TWO MINUTES WHEN A BLACK MARLIN STRUCK THE BLACK BART BIG BREAKFAST LURE HE HAD CHOSEN TO PUT OUT. WHAT A WAY TO BREAK IN A NEW BOAT. AT RELEASE THEY ESTIMATED, NOW YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE SALMON FISHING GUYS, THE FISH TO BE IN THE 400 LB CLASS. HOW MANY 400 LB SALMON HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN? BUT THE SIZE DIDN'T MATTER NEARLY AS MUCH AS IT WAS THEIR FIRST BLACK MARLIN IN THEIR NEW BOAT. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS.

PAULY, DAN AND CAPTAIN MIKE HAD A GOOD EVENING FISHING AT THE SECRET BEACH. MIKE HAD BEEN WATCHING THE TIDES AND WANTED TO FISH THE LAST HALF OF THE FLOOD TIDE ONE EVENING. WELL HE HAD IT FIGURED OUT RIGHT. WHEN THE TALLY FOR THE EVEINING WAS MADE THEY HAD CAUGHT ROOSTERFISH, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE TREVALLE, MULLET SNAPPERS, POMPANO, SIERRA MACKEREL, YELLOW SNAPPERS AND THESE WERE JUST THE SPECIES THEY COULD REMEMBER.

GARY HAD A BIG DAY AT HANNIBAL BANK WHEN HE CAUGHT AND RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 400 LB BLACK MARLIN PLUS BOATED A YELLOWFIN TUNA THAT WEIGHTED 252 LBS. THEN HE TOPPED OFF HIS CATCH WITH 4 BIG DORADO AND A ROOSTERFISH CAUGHT OFF THE BEACH ON THE WAY BACK TO THE BARGE. NOW THAT MY FRIENDS IS A GREAT DAY OF FISHING IN ANY BODIES BOOK! BUT GARY'S FISHING LUCK WAS STILL WITH HIM. THE NEXT DAY WHILE SLOW TROLLING A LIVE BONITA AT HANNIBAL BANK HE CAUGHT AN ESTIMATED 250 LB. BLACK MARLIN. THEN AFTER A SHORT RUN OVER TO MONTUOSA ISLAND HE LANDED ANOTHER MARLIN. THIS TIME IT WAS A BLUE MARLIN, ESTIMATED AT 450 LBS, THAT FELL FOR ONE OF THE OLD TIME FAVORITE TROLLING LURES, A MEAN JOE GREEN. NOW I AM NOT GOING INTO THE DETAILS ABOUT THE NEXT MARLIN HE HOOKED. BUT HE SAID WHEN IT CAME OUT OF THE WATER IT WAS BIGGER THAN THE OTHER TWO MARLIN COMBINED!

T0M AND BRUCE WERE THE DORADO KINGS THIS WEEK. ONE DAY THEY LANDED 15 DORADO AND MISSED A CHANCE AT A BLACK MARLIN. THEN A BIG YELLOWFIN TUNA CAME UNBUCKLED RIGHT AT THE BOAT. OUT THE NEXT DAY AND THEY CAUGHT ANOTHER 25 DORADO AND WERE BACK TO THE BARGE FOR LUNCH. BUT THE BEST WAS YET TO COME! ON THE LAST DAY WHILE SLOW TROLLING LIVE BONITA NEAR ISLA LADRONES THEY HAD A DOUBLE HOOK-UP ON BLACK MARLIN. THE SMALLER OF THE TWO MARLIN CAME UNBUCKLED AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. BRUCE FOUGHT THE LARGER OF THE TWO FISH AND HAD IT TO LEADER IN AN HOUR AND THEN THE BIG FISH SOUNDED. ON 50 LB STAND-UP TACKLE HE FOUGHT ON FOR ANOTHER 2 1/2 HRS BEFORE THE ESTIMATED 700 LB BLACK MARLIN WAS RELEASED. NOW HERE IS ANOTHER FISHING STORY THAT IS GOING TO BE TOLD FOR YEARS. CONGRATULATIONS BRUCE.

I THINK IT WAS LAID AND JIM THAT LANDED THE MOST SPECIES OF FISH. THEY ALSO DID GOOD ON CATCHING DORADO, LANDING 20 IN ONE DAY. ADDED TO THEIR DORADO CATCH WERE CATCHES OF; CUBERA SNAPPER, MULLET SNAPPER, YELLOWFIN TUNA, BARRACUDA, TRIPLE TAIL, JACK CREVALLE, ROOSTERFISH, BLUE TREVALLE, HORSE EYE JACK, AMBERJACK, ROCK SNAPPER AND YELLOW SNAPPER. YOU WILL SEE SOME HAPPY FACES OF THESE ANGLERS WHEN YOU SEE THEIR GREAT PHOTOS.

WE ENJOYED OUTSTANDING WEEK FISHING THIS WEEK. THE FISH WERE HERE, THE SEAS WERE CALM AND THE COMPANY WAS GREAT. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. WE HOPE TO HAVE ALL OF YOU FISHING WITH US IN THE FUTURE.