7/12/11

ALLOW ME TO START OFF BY WISHING ALL OF OUR READERS A BELATED, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY. WE ARE ANCHORED NEAR THE PARK RANGER STATION AT COIBA ISLAND AS I WRITE THIS FISHING REPORT. THIS WILL BE THE LAST FISHING REPORT FOR PESCA PANAMA'S 2010-2011 FISHING SEASON. WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR DOWN TIME FOR A LITTLE REST & RELAXATION, BUT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE START OF OUR NEXT FISHING SEASON, STARTING THIS COMING NOVEMBER.

THEIR WEEK STARTED OUT WITH THE NICEST WEATHER, WE HAD BLUE SKIES AND VERY LITTLE WIND. THERE WAS THE SW SWELL COMING IN THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT NOTHING TO REALLY SPEAK OF. NOW THE QUESTION WAS GOING TO BE, HOW GOOD IS THE FISHING GOING TO BE?

YELLOWFIN TUNA

TUNA WERE STILL ON TAP THIS WEEK. WE CAUGHT TUNA FROM MONTUOSA ISLAND TO JICARON ISLAND. THOUGH THE YELLOWFIN BITE IS STARTING TO TAPER OFF WE WERE STILL ABLE TO MAKE SOME NICE CATCHES. MOST OF THE FISH WERE IN THE 60 TO 100 LB RANGE WITH SEVERAL 200 LB PLUS TUNA BEING THE LARGEST CAUGHT THIS WEEK. THURSDAY PROVED TO BE ONE OF OUR BEST DAYS FOR YELLOWFIN WHILE FISHING AROUND MONTUOSA ISLAND
INSHORE THE ACTION WAS DOWN SOME FROM LAST WEEK. WE DID SEE MORE CUBERA SNAPPERS CAUGHT THIS WEEK THAN IN PREVIOUS WEEKS AND THE SAME FOR BLUE TREVALLY. WE ALSO HAD A FEW DORADO AND WAHOO CAUGHT BUT THEY WERE SOMEWHAT SCARCE.

WHEN WE FINISHED THE WEEK WE HAD A BARGE LOAD OF HAPPY ANGLERS, GOOD WEATHER, FAIR TO GOOD FISHING AND A LOT OF SCOTCH DRANK. I THINK I CAN REMEMBER EVEN SOME GUITAR PLAYING AND DANCING ON THE FRONT DECK.

I WANT TO THANK THIS GROUP AND ALL THE ANGLERS THAT FISHED WITH PESCA PANAMA THIS YEAR. WE HAVE HAD A FUN TIME AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA.

 

6/26/11

WE ARE STILL TAKING A LOT OF BRAZILIAN ANGLERS FISHING. THIS WEEK WE FISHED WITH; AUGUSTO BRACIALLI, ROBERTO SANTOS, KARL BURR, ALEXANDRE BRASOLIN, RICARDO FREIRE, SILVIO DE MEDEIROS, DIEGO FLORENTINO AND DELAMA DACIO.

BRAZILIANS DO THE TUNA TANGO

IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT HERE IT IS ALMOST THE END OF JUNE AND WE STILL HAVE A GOOD TUNA BITE GOING ON. MOST OF THE YELLOWFIN ACTION WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF HANNIBAL BANK WHEN IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. THERE WERE A FEW SMALLER YELLOWFIN IN THE 25 TO 40 LB CLASS CAUGHT BUT MOST OF THE TUNA WERE IN THE 80 TO 12O LB RANGE. JUST A GREAT SIZE TO CATCH ON A POPPER. THERE WERE ALSO BIGGER YELLOWFIN IN THE MIX AND THE TWO LARGEST CAUGHT WEIGHTED 234 AND 247 LBS.

INSHORE FISH WERE ON THE BITE

POPPERS, JIGS AND LIVE BAIT WERE ALL PRODUCING GOOD CATCHES THIS WEEK. CAPTAIN TITO ANGLERS CAUGHT AND RELEASED 7 ROOSTERFISH UP TO 60 LBS ONE DAY WHILE FISHING THE INSHORE SIDE OF COIBA ISLAND. THE LARGEST ROOSTERFISH OF THE WEEK WAS AN 80 LB ROOSTER. I THINK WE CAUGHT MORE ROOSTERFISH THIS WEEK THAN WE HAVE IN ANY ONE WEEK ALL YEAR. CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS RELEASED A GROUPER THAT WAS IN THE 100 LB CLASS. ANGLER KARL BURR SAID HIS BOAT CAUGHT 12 DIFFERENT SPECIES IN ONE DAY. JAMIE, OUR BARTENDER, TOOK OUR PANGA , MOTORED OVER TO CANALES ISLAND AND LANDED 4 NICE DORADO AND A 40 LB WAHOO. JUST BY LOOKING AT THE TIDES I HAD PREDICTED THAT OUR INSHORE FISHING WAS GOING TO PICK WAY UP THIS WEEK AND IT DID!

OUR WEATHER WAS GOOD THIS WEEK ALL BUT FOR ONE DAY WHEN WE WERE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF A BIG DEPRESSION THAT WAS GOING OVER MEXICO. I WAS GOOD WEEK OF FISHING WITH A GREAT GROUP OF ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL. THANK YOU FOR FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA AND WE WILL BE AWAITING YOUR RETURN.

 

 

6/12/11

THIS WEEK PESCA PANAMA WAS FISHING WITH THREE DIFFERENT GROUP OF ANGLERS. THE NOLAN FAMILY WITH GRANDDAD BUD, SON JAY AND GRANDSON CONNOR WERE BACK FISHING WITH US FOR THE SECOND TIME. THEN WE HAD AN AVID GROUP OF ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL; GILVANDRO PEREIRA, JOCO MATOS SILVERIA AND SANDRO LAHMANN. OUR THIRD AND LARGEST GROUP WAS MADE UP OF MOSTLY OF ANLGERS FROM FLORIDA WITH A COUPLE OF FRIENDS FROM CHICAGO JOINING THEM. THEY WERE DON AND VERMIECE NEWHAUSER, TERRY AND TAMITHA WINN, BRIAN CIEPLY, DAN BURKE, PAT MAGRADY AND CLAY GARALDE.

BIG YELLOWFIN AT THE HANNIBAL BANK

OUR BOATS WERE ABLE TO MAKE LOTS OF BAIT IN THE MOUTH OF THE CHIRIQUI RIVER ON THEIR WAY OUT TO THE FISHING GROUNDS. SEAS HAD MODERATED TO A LONG, LOW SWELL WHICH MADE THE RUN OUT TO HANNIBAL BANK PRETTY EASY. WITH THE PORPOISE IN THE WATER AND BIRDS OVERHEAD IT WASN'T LONG FOR THE FIRST YELLOWFIN WAS HOOKED AND ON THE LINE. JAY WAS FISHING WITH 50 LB STAND-UP GEAR AND USING A LIVE BONITA BRAILED TO A CIRCLE HOOK WHEN HE HOOKED UP THE LARGEST YELLOWFIN OF THE DAY. IT WEIGHTED 260 LBS. SEVERAL OTHER FISH IN THE 180 TO 200 LB CLASS WERE CAUGHT ALONG WITH SOME SMALLER FISH. DON WAS ABLE TO SNAP A ROD, THEN BREAK A STRAP ON HIS HARNESS AND ALMOST LOST A REEL WHILE FIGHTING A FISH. CLAY MADE THE COMMENT HE HAD NEVER CAUGHT SUCH BIG RAINBOW RUNNERS. THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT FISHING ACTION!

SECOND DAY BACK AT THE BANK AND THE ACTION FOR MOST BOATS HAD SLOWED DOWN. BUT NOT FOR TAMITHA AS SHE HOOKED INTO A BIG YELLOWFIN. AFTER BATTLING THE BIG TUNA FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR SHE PASSED THE ROD OF TO HUBBY TERRY. AT THE TIME OF THE PASS OFF HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WOULD STILL BE FIGHTING THE FISH AFTER ANOTHER TWO HOURS. THE YELLOWFIN WEIGHTED 230 LBS. BIG REEF DONKEYS WERE ALSO ON THE FISHING MENU THIS WEEK. CLAY CAUGHT AND RELEASED ONE THAT WAS IN THE 80 CLASS AND TAMITHA LANDED ANOTHER THAT WAS ESTIMATED TO WEIGH OVER 100 LBS.

75 YEAR OLD BUD CAUGHT A 96 LB GOLIATH GROUPER THIS WEEK. THIS IS AN UNUSUAL CATCH FOR HERE. ROOSTERFISH WERE CAUGHT IN THE PARIDAS ISLANDS THIS WEEK. SEVERAL BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE TAKEN IN THE VARIOUS ISLANDS.

WE HAD SOME OUTSTANDING CATCHES THIS WEEK. BUT THE YELLOWFIN TUNA BITE IS FALLING OFF WHICH IS NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. JICARON AND JICARITA ISLAND PROVIDE A GREAT DAY OF FISHING FOR CAPTAIN TOMMY'S ANGLERS. WE HAD GOOD FISHING WEATHER THIS WEEK WITH NOT TOO MUCH RAIN AND VERY LITTLE WIND. BUT EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE FISHED HARD AND CAUGHT FISH, FISHING WAS SLOWER THAN NORMAL THIS WEEK.

 

6/5/11

THIS WEEK, THE LOW PRESSURE CELL THAT HAD STALLED OVER PANAMA LAST WEEK STARTED TO WEAKEN AND WE SAW THE WEATHER CONDITIONS START TO GET BACK TO NORMAL. THE SEAS WERE MUCH CALMER AND OUR ANGLERS WERE ABLE TO ACCESS THE FISHING. FISH WITH US THIS WEEK WERE; ALEXANDRE PAIVA DA FINSECA, VALDECI DI ARAUGO NUNES, NILTON FERREIRA DO BORBA, JULIO CEZAR DO OLIVEIREA, ROBEERTO COSTA ROSA, SIGMAR LUIS VINHAL, JORGE HENRIQUE PES, MAURO HERCULES, OERSIVON DONIZETH PORTE, ANTONIO BUENO NETO, AYRTON RIGAO TEIXEORA, PAULO GARCIA, SERGIO CARDIM, WANDERLEY SILVEIRA DO OLIVEIRA, AND ORLANDO BERTAGNA. AS YOU MIGHT CAN TELL FROM THE NAMES ALL THESE ANGLERS ARE FROM BRAZIL.

YELLOWFIN TUNA ARE STILL IN OUR FISHING AREA. FROM ISLA MONTUOSA TO ISLAS JICRON AND JICARITA WE WERE FINDING SCHOOLS OF TUNA. WE CAUGHT SEVERAL YELLOWFIN IN THE 140 LB CLASS. THE LARGEST YELLOWFIN OF THE WEEK WEIGHTED 220 LBS AND WAS CAUGHT ON HANNIBAL BANK.

INSHORE WE SAW OUR FISHING ACTION STARTING TO GET EVEN BETTER AS THE FISH STARTED MOVING CLOSER TO SHORE. THIS IS DUE TO THE BAIT FISH BEING WASHED OUT TO SEA FROM THE FLOODING RIVERS AND ALSO THE COOLING DOWN OF THE SEA TEMPERATURE DUE TO THE RAINS. THE VARIETY OF INSHORE SPECIES CAUGHT INCLUDED, ROOSTERFISH, CUBERA SNAPPER, MULLET SNAPPER, ROCK SNAPPER, RAINBOW RUNNER, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE TREVALLE, AMBERJACK, SIERRA MACKEREL, CABRILLO, BROOMTAIL GROUPER AND WAHOO,

 

 

5/29/11

IT WAS AROUND 3:00 PM ON SUNDAY WHEN THE AIRLINE FLYING OUR ANGLERS INTO DAVID NOTIFIED US THAT THE FLIGHT WAS GOING TO BE DELAYED AND NOT ARRIVE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 7:00 P.M. THIS IS AFTER SUNSET SO IT MEANT RUNNING THE RIVER IN THE DARK, LOW TIDE WAS AT 8:00 P.M. AND THERE WAS NO MOON TO HELP NAVIGATE. SOUNDED TO ME LIKE WE WERE GOING TO NEED TO PUT OUR ANGLERS UP FOR THE NIGHT IN DAVID AND START OUT EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. WHICH IS JUST WHAT WE DID.

FISHING WITH UP THIS WEEK WERE; Marcelo Egidio Diogenes, Newton Kishimoto, Mitsumasa Ikarimoto, Milton Yamasa, Raul Barretto, Eduardo de Oliveira, Tullio Neto, Tullio Martello Jr, Newton Durato Juliani.,Bernard Cook and Donald Frasier .

LEAVING THE DOCK EARLY MONDAY MORNING WE RAN INTO A HEAVY DOWNPOUR THAT LASTED OFF AND ON ALL DAY. THIS COMBINED WITH WITH A BIG PACIFIC GROUND SWELL SEVERELY LIMITED THE AREAS WE COULD FISH.

TUESDAY WAS A BETTER STORY. THE RAIN HAD STOPPED AND THE SWELL WAS DOWN SOME. ALL OF OUR BOATS WE ABLE TO GET OFFSHORE AND IN TO SOME YELLOWFIN TUNA ACTION. MOST OF THE TUNA WERE RUNNING IN THE 80 TO 120 CLASS AND WE ENDED THE DAY CATCHING 26 YELLOWFIN WITH A HAND FULL OF DORADO MIXED IN. THE LARGEST TUNA OF THE WEEK WEIGHED AROUND 150 LBS.

INSHORE FISHING WAS ALSO PRODUCING GOOD CATCHES WITH SOME BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WHICH WERE CAUGHT AND RELEASED. IN THE AFTERNOON THE SHOWER RETURNED AND OR BOATS RAN TO THE LEE SIDE OF COIBA ISLAND TO FISH IN CALMER WATER.

WE SPENT THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS FISH IN THE LEE OF THE ISLANDS TO STAY OUT OF THE SWELL. THE RAIN PERSISTED AND IT MADE THE FISHING FOR THE WEEK HARD. WE DID START CATCHING WAHOO SO THIS MIGHT MARK THE START OF THE WAHOO SEASON.

THIS WAS THE HARDEST WEEK OF FISHING WE HAVE HAD ALL SEASON. THIS WAS ONLY DUE TO THE BIG SWELL AND HEAVY RAIN. OUR ANGLERS STAYED AT IT AND LANDED A LARGE VARIETY OF FISH. THANKS TO THE ANGLERS, CAPTAINS AND MATES FOR HANGING IT THERE.
 

 

5/15/11

PESCA PANAMA HAD THREE VERY DIFFERENT GROUPS OF FISHERMEN THIS WEEK. IN GROUP ONE WAS ANGLERS; PATRICK LEE, YVES DAUNAS, MICHAEL KRAUSE AND DONALD RUST. THIS WAS AN INTERESTING GROUP OF GUYS FULL OF FISHING AND HUNTING STORIES. GROUP TWO WERE FROM DENMARK; PETER MEINERTZ. LARS SCHMIDT, SOREN MATHIESEN AND SOREN MEINER. THEY HAD FLOWN TO PANAMA TO EXPERIENCE THE FANTASTIC FISHING WE HAVE BEEN HAVING. GROUP THREE WERE THE KAYAK GROUP. HEADED UP BY JIM SAMMONS WITH WILL RICHARDSON AS PHOTOGRAPHER. KELLY AND CRAIG MILLER WERE TO BE THE ANGLERS.

AS WE FEASTED ON FRESH LOBSTER THE FIRST NIGHT IT STARTED TO RAIN AND CONTINUED TO RAIN ALL NIGHT. HOPING FOR THE RAIN TO LET UP THE NEXT DAY SEVERAL OF THE BOATS WENT FISHING AND SEVERAL DECIDED TO WAIT ON THE BARGE UNTIL THINGS DRIED UP. JIM WENT TWO FOR TWO ON ROOSTERFISH CAUGHT FROM A KAYAK. HIS LARGEST ROOSTER WAS A 50 LB FISH AND THE SMALLER ROOSTER WOULD WEIGH AROUND 25 LB. THE DANES LANDED A NICE CUBERA SNAPPER WHICH FED EVERYONE A DELIGHTFUL DINNER. SOME NICE FISH CAUGHT BUT IT WAS A WET AND WINDY DAY.

DAY TWO DAWNED BRIGHT AS THE RAIN HAD PASSED AND OR FISHING BOATS HEADED OFFSHORE AS THE BARGE PULLED ANCHOR AND HEADED TO COIBA ISLAND, 45 MILES AWAY. PATRICK HAD DEVELOPED A BAD BACK AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO RETURN TO LAND. I ACCOMPANIED HIM TO MAKE SURE HE DIDN'T RUN INTO ANY UNNECESSARY PROBLEMS. I HAVEN'T HEARD HOW HE IS DOING BUT AM HOPING HE IS MAKING A SPEEDY RECOVERY.

THE YELLOWFIN WERE HITTING POPPERS THIS WEEK. MOST OF THE FISH WOULD WEIGH IN THE 80 TO 100 CLASS BUT PETER LANDED THE LARGEST TUNA, 180 LBS, CAUGHT ON A POPPER. MIKE LANDED THE LARGEST "REEF DONKEY" ESTIMATED AT 75 LBS. DONALD LANDED THE LARGEST CUBERA SNAPPER, A 50 LB FISH. SEVERAL DORADO WERE ALSO CAUGHT THIS WEEK ALONG WITH SOME BIG RAINBOW RUNNERS.

Shooting another episode of THE KAYAK FISHING SHOW Jim Sammons and crew had an incredible trip.
Craig Miller hooked-up the fish of the week while fishing from a kayak on Hannibal Bank. Craig was able to see the Black Marlin, estimated at over 400 lbs, as it jumped ahead of him. He fought the fish for over two hours before it straightened the hook. Jim landed the big Tuna for the kayakers an estimated 100 pounder and a lot more in the 50-80 class. Great Roosters were also caught up to60 pounds and Jim also caught a 45 lb cubera. The guys left with big smiles knowing they had put two great episodes together from the epic fishing. Some of the best fishing they have ever had!

WE HAD RAIN AND WIND TO CONTEND WITH THIS WEEK. THESE LESS THAT IDEAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVENTED US FROM FISHING SOME OF THE MORE PRODUCTIVE AREAS WHEN WE WANTED TO. BUT MOST OF THE ANGLERS WERE PRETTY HARDY! THANKS TO ALL OF OUR ANGLERS FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA

 

 

5/8/11

WE HAD TWO RETURNING GROUPS OF ANGLERS FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA THIS WEEK. THE FIRST GROUP WAS THE DE SIEYES FAMILY THAT INCLUDED CHARLES, DAVID, MALCOHM AND TWO OF THEIR FRIENDS, EDWARD DICK AND JAMES KROESSER. OUR SECOND GROUP WERE ANGLERS "POPPA" JOE WOFCHUK AND HIS TWO SONS ROBERT AND MITCH ALONG WITH THEIR FRIEND DAVID CONTERAS.

THE FURIOUS TUNA ACTION FORM THE PREVIOUS WEEK HAD STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, THOUGH A LOT OF YELLOWFIN WERE CAUGHT. JIM, CHUCK AND MALCOLM WERE HAVING SUCCESS CATCHING SMALLER YELLOWFIN AND SKIPJACK TUNA OF FLIES. QUICK STRIPPING OF THE FLY WAS THE SECRET TO GETTING TO TUNA ATTRACTED AND EXCITED ENOUGH TO EAT THE FLY.

CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE WAITING IN THE ROCKS TO SEE WHAT THE ANGLERS WOULD HAVE TO OFFER. JIM CAUGHT ONE OF THE LARGEST CUBERAS CAUGHT THIS WEEK ON POPPER. MALCOLM ALSO HAD SOME EXCITING POPPER ACTION THIS WEEK WHEN A WAHOO EXPLODED FROM THE SEA WITH HIS POPPER HELD FIRMLY IN ITS' TOOTHY GRIP.

I TALKED WITH ONE OF THE DIVERS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE THIS WEEK AND HE TOLD ME THAT BELOW 20 FEET HE WAS ENCOUNTERING A COLD THERMOCLINE. I WOULD SUSPECT THIS COLDER WATER IS WHAT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR INCREASED GROUPER CATCHES, LIKE THE SPOTTED GROUPER, JIM CAUGHT THIS WEEK.

CATCHES OF DORADO WERE MADE THIS WEEK AS THE FISH ARE STARTING TO GATHER AROUND THE LOGS THAT THE SPRING RAINS ARE WASHING DOWN OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS. THIS SHOULD START TO INCREASE EVEN MORE.

THE MOST INTERESTING THING TO ME THIS WEEK WAS THE FACT THAT WE WERE CATCHING BAIT, SNAPPERS AND JACKS UNDER THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT WHILE AT ANCHOR IN THE CONTREAS ISLANDS AND ALSO AT PUNTA HERMOSA. THESE AREAS DO NOT NORMALLY HOLD FISH AT NIGHT. I HOPE THIS IS JUST A SMALL SIGN OF THE FISHERY STARTING TO RECOVER FROM THE REMOVAL OF YEARS OF GILL NETS IN THE AREA.

SEAS WERE CALM THIS WEEK AND THOUGH WE DID HAVE RAIN MOST OF IT WAS AT NIGHT. SO THAT HELPED WITH THE SLEEPING. WE HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT FRESH RAIN WATER CAUGHT RIGHT OFF THE ROOF OF THE BARGE AND THE ADDED TO ICE AND LOCAL RUM MAKES A MIGHTY FINE COCKTAIL.

SOME OF OUR MORE ADVENTUROUS TYPES USED THE KAYAKS TO EXPLORE ONE OF THE RIVERS ON COIBA ISLAND THIS WEEK. THEY HAD A GOOD TIME AND WE DIDN'T LOOSE A ONE TO CROCKS. WE HAVE AT LEAST 5 TIDAL RIVERS THAT FLOW OFF OF COIBA ISLAND THAT ARE GOOD FOR EXPLORING AND CAN BE GREAT FISHING ESPECIALLY AT LOW TIDE WHEN THE FISH HAVE TO COME OUT FROM HIDING IN TH MANGROVE FOREST,

 

 

5/1/11

WE HAD A NICE 50/50 SPLIT GROUP OF ANGLERS THIS WEEK. HALF WERE FROM BRAZIL AND THE OTHER HALF WERE FROM THE U.S. Haroldo Paiva Campos, Fabiano De Siqueira Campos, Bruno De Siqueira Campos, Marcelo Bezerra Gonsalez, Andre Barbosa de Oliveira AND MARCOS DA SILVA MENDES ARE ALL FROM BRAZIL. BRUNO HAD FISHED WITH US THE WEEK BEFORE AND HAD BOOKED ANOTHER WEEK OF FISHING SO HE COULD FISH WITH HIS FATHER, BROTHER AND SOME MORE OF THEIR FRIENDS.
Robert Wattenbarger ,Derik Wattenbarger, Hal Hunter, Vint Varner, Brad Peters and Jeff Thorn WERE OUR ANGLERS FROM THE U.S. VINT AND BRAD HAVE FISHED WITH BEFORE ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS AND IT WAS GOOD TO HAVE THEM BACK. THEY ARE ALWAYS FULL OF STORIES OF THEIR FISHING AND HUNTING ADVENTURES FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
THE MAGIC OF MAY
AW! MY MAGIC MONTH OF MAY HAS RETURNED. I LOOK FORWARD TO MAY'S FISHING AS A CHILD LOOKS FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS. AS AN ANGLER YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MAY IS GOING TO HOLD IN STORE FOR THE ANGER BUT YOU KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE GOOD!
 

TRUMP AND THE TUNA

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE I DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE CAN GET AWAY FROM EITHER ONE OF THEM. ONE IS ON THE AIR AND THE OTHER IS IN THE WATER, BUT THEY ARE BOTH ON A FEEDING FRENZY. THE DEEP COBALT BLUE SURROUNDING ISLA MONTUOSA THIS WEEK WAS THE PLACE TO CATCH YELLOWFIN TUNA. THE BRAZILIANS WERE HAVING GOOD LUCK CASTING THEIR POPPERS AND THE GRINGOS WERE GRINDING IT OUT USING LIVE BAIT. THE SIZE OF THE TUNA SEEMED A LITTLE LARGER THAT LAST WEEK'S FISH. WITH MOST OF THE FISH WEIGHTING IN BETWEEN 100 AND 150 LBS. THE LARGEST TUNA WEIGHTED IN AT 200 LBS. TOTAL YELLOWFIN TUNA CAUGHT THIS WEEK WAS 210!
 

BLACK MARLIN KICKS ASS ON HANNIBAL BANK

THE FISHING STORY GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS. CAPTAINS TOMMY'S ANGLER "BASHFUL BOB" DECIDED HE WANTS TO TRY FOR A BLACK MARLIN. SO THEY LIVE BRIDLE A BIG BONITA TO AN 18/0 CIRCLE HOOK AND SLIDE THE BAIT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT. ABOUT THIS TIME A BIG OLE GIRL DECIDES THAT IS JUST WHAT SHE NEEDS FOR BREAKFAST AND CLEARS THE WATER WITH THE BONITA IN HER MOUTH. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW BOB HE WORKS BETWEEN BEING A COMMERCIAL CONTRACTOR AND A BULL SHITTER. BUT WHEN THE BLACK MARLIN JUMPED RIGHT BEHIND THE BOAT BOB SAID, "IT HAD TO BE AT LEAST 16 FEET LONG!"

CAPTAIN TOMMY WAS USING A SHIMANO 50W FRESHLY SPOOLED WITH 100 LB LINE AND A 400 LB LEADER. IF EVERYTHING HELD TOGETHER THIS WAS GOING TO BE SOME FIGHT. THE TWO ANLGERS WERE ALL BUCKLED INTO THEIR STAND-UP FISHING HARNESS'S AND READY TO PUT ON THE HEAT. AFTER 2 1/2 HRS THE BIG GIRL CAME UP AND TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE BOAT TO GET AN IDEA WHO AND HOW MANY ANGLERS SHE WAS GOING TO NEED TO BEAT IN THIS GAME AND AFTER SIZING UP THE SITUATION SHE HEADED STRAIGHT DOWN. NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE DOING IT ALWAYS IS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A BACK UP PLAN. SO BOB CALLS IN DERIK AND JEFF TO GIVE THEM A HAND. THE NEW BLOOD MAKES THE BOAT TRANSFER, ADJUST THEIR HARNESS'S AND GET THEIR ASSES HANDED TO THEM. AFTER 8 HR AND 35 MINUTES THE BIG MOTHER WAS STILL JUST SWIMMING AWAY AND REFUSED TO BE TURNED. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO TO MAX DRAG AND WIN OR LOSE THE BATTLE. WELL BIG MOMMY WON THIS ONE. HOW BIG, WELL WE WILL NEVER KNOW!
 

RAUNCHY ROOSTERFISH

BOTH HAROLD AND BOB CAUGHT AND RELEASED ROOSTERFISH ESTIMATED IN THE 75 LB RANGE WHILE FISHING NEAR PUNTA HERMOSA AND PUNTA ALDALARDA. SEVERAL OTHER SMALLER ROOSTERFISH WERE ALSO CAUGHT THIS WEEK. SEE I TOLD YOU MAY CAN BRING SOME MAGIC TO YOUR FISHING.
 

 

 

4/24/11

 

BRAZILIAN YELLOWFIN BONANZA

CARLOS "CABE" MOTA AND A LARGE GROUP OF HIS FRIENDS HAD RETURNED TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. IF YOU REMEMBER IT WAS CABE'S GROUP OF ANGLERS THAT HAD SUCH FANTASTIC YELLOWFIN FISHING LAST YEAR. I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD PRODUCE GOOD CATCHES FOR THEM AGAIN. INCLUDED IN THE GROUP WERE;
Marcos Akira Miyabara
Mario Onaga
Nonato Yoshioo Naga
Celso Akira Arakaki
Paulo Casanova Castro
JoaO Frederico Antunes Pinheiro
Rogerio Cesar Da Silva Gomes
Bruno De Siquera Campos
Alexandre Ribeiro Antunes
Sergio Claudio Dos Santos
Mauro Luis Vasques Moreira
Fernando Mota
Carlos Mota
 

IT WAS FIVE DAYS OF THE MOST AWESOME TOPWATER TUNA ACTION YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE! THIRTEEN ANGLERS FISHING IN 4 BOATS LANDED AN AMAZING TOTAL OF 568 YELLOWFIN TUNA. OVER HALF OF THE TUNA WERE IN THE 50 TO 100 LB CLASS. ALL THE SMALLER FISH WERE RELEASED AND WHEN POSSIBLE THE LARGER FISH WERE ALSO RELEASED. NOW HERE COMES THE INCREDIBLE PART. ALL THE YELLOWFIN WERE CAUGHT ON TOPWATER USING POPPERS AND SPINNING TACKLED! FISHING WITH POPPERS AND USING NO LIVE BAIT IS THE ONLY WAY THESE FISHERMEN LIKE TO FISH FOR TUNA. THEY ARE SO GOOD AT IT WHY WOULD THEY TRY ANYTHING ELSE?

THE BEST TUNA ACTION THIS WEEK WAS FOUND AROUND ISLA MONTUOSA. WE DID HAVE ONE LARGE YELLOWFIN IN THE 250 CLASS RIGHT TO THE BOAT AND THEN THE 80 LB SPECTRA LINE PARTED. I BET THE DRAG SETTING ON THE BIG STELLA REEL HAD TO BE CLOSE TO 65 LBS. THE BIG SPINNING ROD WAS BENT OVER LIKE A WET NOODLE. I PERSONALLY THINK LOOSING THE DRAG AT THIS POINT WOULD HAVE HELP RELEASE THE STRAIN ON THE EQUIPMENT THUS NOT TAKING IT TO THE BREAKING POINT. BUT I AM GETTING A LITTLE OLDER AND FIND OUT I KNOW LESS AND LESS EVERYDAY. HA

THESE ARE SERIOUS TOPWATER ANGLERS. THEY FISH WITH MOST OF THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT. THIS WEEK THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM 9 STELLA 18,000, 11 STELLA 10,000, 3 STELLA 8000, 4 DIAWA DOG FIGHTS AND 27 POPPING RODS. MOST OF THEIR POPPING RODS AND HIGH END SPINNING RODS FROM JAPAN AND MANY OF US HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF THEM BEFORE. THE YAMAGA ATLAS ROD WAS THE MOST POPULAR ROD WITH A TOTAL OF 7 OF THEM BEING USED. SECOND MOST POPULAR ROD WAS THE HOTS GIPANG TIDELEZ 78 WITH 6 OF THESE RODS BEING USED. ALSO LOTS OF BIG, EXPENSIVE TOPWATER POPPERS.

THAT MY FRIENDS IS THIS WEEKS FISHING REPORT; TUNA, TUNA, TUNA AND MORE TUNA. A GREAT TIME WITH A GREAT GROUP OF ANGLERS. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE TUNA BOIL WITH AGAIN NEXT YEAR FOR SOME MORE "EPIC ANGLING."
 

 

 

4/17/11

TUNA WERE THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC ON THE TABLE FOR THIS WEEK'S ANGLERS. BROTHERS DREW AND RANDY PAULY HAD MADE THEIR SEVENTH YEARLY RETURN TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. ROBERTA VERAS HAS SEND A GROUP OF ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL, MANY OF WHICH HAVE FISHED WITH US BEFORE. THESE ANLGERS INCLUDED; JAMES LIMA, EDSON, "JUNJI," TORIHARA, PAULO MANGABEIRA, LUIZ OCTAVIO REZENDE, VALDO CESTARI RIZZO, OCTAVIO RULLI, THIAGO CARRANO, HERBERT AND FLAVIO SCHMEIL.

GOOD TUNA ACTION WAS FOUND HALF WAY BETWEEN ISLA LADRONES TO MONTUOSA ISLAND AND THEN ON OUT TO HANNIBAL BANK. THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF FISHING PROVIDED SOME GREAT POPPING ACTION AS 91 TUNA WERE CAUGHT TO FIRST DAY AND 141 TUNA WERE LANDED THE SECOND DAY. MOST OF THESE FISH WERE THE PERFECT SIZE TO CATCH ON POPPERS AS MOST OF THEM WERE WEIGHING IN THE 60 TO 80 LB RANGE AND SMALLER. BY DAY THREE THE TUNA BITE WAS STARTING TO SLOW DOWN BUT THE SIZE OF THE TUNA CAUGHT WERE GETTING LARGER. MOST OF THIS WEEKS FISH WERE EITHER CAUGHT ON POPPERS OR JIGS BUT EDSON, "JUNJI," WAS FISHING WITH LIVE BONITA ON HANNIBAL BANK WHEN HE HOOKED AND LANDED A 212 LB YELLOWFIN. RANDY AND DREW WERE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN LUCHO WHEN THEY LANDED A 180 LB YELLOWFIN.

THIAGO WAS FISHING ON HANNIBAL BANK WHEN HE CAUGHT AN RELEASED A 500 LB BLACK MARLIN. HE WAS ABLE TO LAND THE BIG FISH AFTER AN HOUR FIGHT ON 50 LB STAND-UP GEAR.

INSHORE WAS SLOWER THAT USUAL THIS WEEK AS GREEN WATER POURED INTO THE ISLANDS. BUT SOME NICE CATCHES WERE MADE. THIAGO LANDED A NICE 60 LB ROOSTERFISH RIGHT NEAR OUR ANCHORAGE IN THE CONTREAS ISLANDS. JINJI LANDED A HUGE CUBERA SNAPPER.

OUR ANGLERS THIS WEEK ENJOYED CALM SEAS AND GOOD WEATHER UNTIL THE LAST DAY. THEN WITH A STRONG CURRENT RUNNING AGAINST WIND FORMED SOME CLOSELY SPACED, BLOCKY WAVE THAT WOULD KNOCK THE FILLINGS OUT OF YOUR TEETH BUILT UP. YELLOWFIN TUNA WAS THE MAIN FOCUS AS THIS PROVIDED THE MOST FISHING ACTION. OUR ANGLERS LANDED 285 YELLOWFIN TUNA IN FOUR DAYS OF FISHING OFFSHORE. THANKS TO ALL FOR FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA. A SPECIAL THANKS TO DREW AND RANDY FOR BRINGING DOWN THE FISHING EQUIPMENT AND THE MEDS.

 

 

 

4/4/11

FISHING WITH US THIS WEEK WAS RICHARD CASTANEDA FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. RICHARD, WITH THE HELP OF THIS FOUR DAUGHTERS, OWNS AND OPERATES CASS TOURS. FISHING WITH CASS'S GROUP THIS WEEK WERE GARY FURNESS, TED WEICHSELBAUM, KEN ROSS, JEFF PENROD, JAMIE SCHOOP, NIKE SALMON, RICHARD TOPP, JOHN TEXTORIS, PETER GRAY, JAMES WELCH AND JERRY LONG.

TUNA, TURTLES AND JELLYFISH

THE SEA WAS BOILING WITH SCHOOLS OF HUNGRY YELLOWFIN TUNA AND OUR ANGLERS JUMPED INTO ACTION AND STARTED REELING THEM IN. AT THE END OF THE DAY AS WE WERE SITTING IN THE BAR AT THE FRONT OF THE BARGE SEVERAL OF THE ANGLERS NOTED THEY HAD SEEN LOTS OF SEA TURTLES. THEN THE SUBJECT CHANGED TO ALL THE JELLYFISH THAT WERE IN THE WATER. GARY FURNESS WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THESE AS COMB JELLYFISH AND THAT THERE WAS NOT MUCH DOUBT THAT THERE IS A FEEDING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE JELLYFISH, THE TUNA AND THE TURTLES. I WAS VISITING WITH P.G. GONZALES, ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL LOCAL FISHERMEN, HE SAID THE WEEK BEFORE THE TUNA THEY WERE CATCHING WERE FEEDING ON KRILL AND WERE FULL OF THEM. IT ALL STARTS TO ADD UP TO WHY THE TUNA ARE HANGING ABOUND WITH ALL THE FEED THAT IS IN THE AREA.

BANANA BANK "BONANZA"

THE BANANA BANK HAS BEEN PRODUCING SOME GREAT YELLOWFIN CATCHES FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. BUT IT CAME AS A SURPRISE FOR CASS AND GARY WHEN THEIR CAPTAIN PULLED THE THROTTLES BACK AND THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TUNA FEEDING FRENZY. GARY TOLD ME THEY ENJOYED NON-STOP TUNA ACTION FOR THE NEXT 2 1/2 HOURS.

GARY ADDED ANOTHER SPECIES OF FISH THAT CAN BE CAUGHT HERE. HE DROPPED DOWN A JIG NEAR SECAS ISLAND AND LANDED A FISH NONE OF US HAD EVER SEEN. AFTER REFERRING TO OUR LIBRARY WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION THAT THE FISH GARY HAD CAUGHT WAS A, "GULF CONEY."

INSHORE ACTION WAS HAPPENING

ALONG WITH THE FANTASTIC TUNA BITE, OUR INSHORE ACTION THIS WEEK WAS PRODUCING CATCHES OF BIG ROOSTERFISH AND CUBERA SNAPPERS. BOTTOM DROPPING WITH DEAD BAIT OR FISHING WITH JIGS WAS ALSO PRODUCTIVE FOR AMBERJACK AND GROUPERS.

 

 

3/27/11

MASTER GUIDE, MIKE AUGAT, WAS ONCE AGAIN FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA THIS WEEK. FISHING WITH HIM WERE RETURNING ANGLERS EBAN HUSTON, HIS WIFE DIANNE HUSTON, DAUGHTER ALICIA CROTEAU, TED MERLETTI, MIKE PELL, TOM ROUSSEAU, KEVIN FITZPATRICK AND MOEEN ABU-SITTA. OUR NEW ANGLERS INCLUDED KYLE SMITH, CHUCK GRIFFETH, BILL TOWNSEND AT A SPRY 83 YEARS OLD , DAVE ST. HILARIE, STEVE EMERY AND JIM HOSEY.

CAPTAIN TATIN WAS RUNNING TO ISLA MONTUOSA WHEN ONE OF THIS OUTBOARDS DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH THE LOWER UNIT. HE RADIOED THE BARGE AND WE IN TURN RADIOED FOR ONE OF THE TWO BACK UP BOATS THAT WE NOW HAVE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST HIM. WHILE WAITING FOR THE BACK-UP BOAT TO ARRIVE A SPREAD OF PLASTIC LURES WAS PUT OUT AND PROCEEDED TO HOOK-UP A MARLIN. KYLE MANNED THE ROD AN WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HE HAD RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 300 LB BLACK MARLIN. THE FIRST MARLIN HE HAD EVER CAUGHT. CONGRATULATIONS KYLE! SHORTY THERE AFTER THE BACK-UP BOAT ARRIVED, THE CREW AND ANGLERS CHANGED OUT BOATS AND THEY WERE FISHING AGAIN. WE BROUGHT THE BLOWN LOWER UNIT BACK TO THE BARGE WHERE WE HAD A REPLACEMENT READY. BY THAT EVENING WE HAD THE NECESSARY REPAIRS MADE AND WERE READY TO GO AGAIN.

HUGE SCHOOLS OF BAIT

HANNIBAL BANK WAS COMPLETELY COVERED UP WITH HUGE SCHOOLS OF BAIT. USING THE LONG HANDLED, COMMERCIAL BAIT NETS, THAT CHUCK ERWIN HAD BROUGHT DOWN LAST YEAR, OUR CREWS COULD JUST DIP DOWN INTO THE BAIT BALLS AND FILL THEIR LIVE WELLS.

THE SEA WAS FULL OF TUNA. THIS TIME THEY WERE NOT PICKY EATERS. NO MATTER WHAT YOU THREW TO THEM, THEY ATE IT. WHILE SOME TIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE A HUNDRED OR A THOUSAND CAST WITH A POPPER TO GET A HIT, DAVE SAID HE JUST DANGLING HIS POPPER IN THE WATER PREPARING TO MAKE A CAST AND A YELLOWFIN HIT IT. MOST OF THE TUNA THIS WEEK WERE IN THE 60 TO 120 LB RANGE WITH A FEW BEING SMALLER AND A FEW BEING BIGGER. LIKE THE 200 LB PLUS YELLOWFIN JOHN TOOK ON A POPPER AND THE 150 LB YELLOWFIN THAT TOM HOOKED AND LANDED ON A POPPER! THE TWO DOCS, MIKE AND TED, WERE ALSO INTO THE TUNA ACTION, LANDING 28 YELLOWFIN ONE DAY.

GOOD INSHORE FISHING ACTION WAS TO BE HAD AS BEAUTIFUL BLUE WATER COVERED THE ENTIRE AREA. WE ARE STARTING TO SEE MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GROUPER CAUGHT AND RELEASED THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN THE PAST. THIS COULD BE TO THE REMOVAL OF GILL NETS IN THE PARK SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

WE WERE ANCHORED IN THE SECAS ISLANDS WHEN I SENSED THE AIR SEEMED HEAVIER THAT USUAL AND THE SKY WAS COMPLETELY OVERCAST. I THOUGH MOTHER NATURE WAS TELLING ME WE WERE COMING TO THE END OF THE DRY SEASON. THE NEXT EVENING WHILE ANCHORED AT COIBA ISLAND I SAW A SQUALL LINE APPROACHING, COMPLETE WITH WIND AND A COOL, SOAKING RAIN. A SURE SIGN THAT THE WET SEASON WAS BEGINNING AND THE INSHORE FISHING WAS GOING TO GET EVEN BETTER!

NEXT TO THE LAST DAY OF FISHING SOME OF OUR CAPTAINS DECIDED TO,"BRUSH UP," AGAINST HANNIBAL BANK ONE LAST TIME. THEY MADE THE RIGHT DECISION! EBAN CAUGHT AND RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 500 LB BLACK MARLIN. MIKE CAUGHT AND RELEASED AN EVEN LARGER BLACK MARLIN ESTIMATED AT 600 LBS. THEN ON THE LAST DAY TOM WAS FISHING WITH CAPTAIN JUAN WHEN THEY SUCCESSFULLY CAUGHT AND RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 500 LB BLACK MARLIN NEAR ISLA LADRONES.

OUR GUYS AND GALS HAD A FANTASTIC WEEK OF FISHING. IT WAS GOOD TO SEE OUR PREVIOUS CLIENTS RETURNING ONCE AGAIN TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. IT WAS EQUALLY GOOD TO MEET OUR NEW ANGLERS, ESPECIALLY 83 YEAR OLD BILL TOWNDSEND. I HEAR BILL IS QUITE THE ANGLING LEGEND AROUND HIS HOME STATE OF MAINE. NOW HE ALSO A LEGEND IN PANAMA.

 

 

3/20/11

WOW, WHAT A LARGE GROUP OF ANGLERS WE WELCOMED THIS WEEK. THROUGH A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH MANZANILLO INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL WE HAD ARRANGED TO GO FISHING FOR THREE DAYS EACH WITH TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS. WE WERE HAPPY TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING ANGLERS; WILLYS DELVALLE, RICARDO LINCE, LUCIANS FERNANDEZ, RUBEN KARAMANITES, BRADLE BINGHOM, ALEXEL ODUBER, THOMAS KENNA, RICARDO FERNANDEZ, OSVALDO ROBLES, JUAN CARLOS CROSTON, DON WRINKLY, WILLIAN ELLIOTT, JIM WINN, ELKIN RODRIQUEZ, JOSE IRIBARREN, T.J. RUCKER, GREG HIGHTOWER, MIKE KITCHEN, DON TAYLOR, TOM VAN BUSKIRK, ERDAL TANNER, TODD TATTERSON, SCOTT O'HARA, HEATHER MILLER, MARY YOUNG, DEBBIE ARNOLD, EDGARDO LOPEZ, GILBERT FERRO, AISSA MCKENZIE AND CARLOS URRIOLA. YES, WE WERE FULL TO THE TOP OF THE GUNNELS.

DAY ONE AND BLUE WATER WAS FOUND IN THE LADRONES ISLANDS. WE FOUND THE BOTTOM FISHING THERE PRODUCTIVE FOR SNAPPERS, GROUPERS AND ALL KINDS OF JACKS.

DAY TWO AND IT WAS OFF TO MONTUOSA ISLAND WHERE THE TUNA WERE RUNNING IN HUGE SCHOOLS AND GET THIS, THEY WERE FEEDING ON ANYTHING YOU PUT IN FRONT OF THEM. THE YELLOWFIN BITE WAS WIDE OPEN FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AND THEN THEY SOUNDED. BUT IN THAT TWO HOURS OUR ANGLERS LANDED 32 YELLOWFIN IN THE 60 TO 120 RANGE. EVERYONE WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE NON STOP FISHING ACTION. IN THE EVENING THE FRONT BAR ON THE BARGE WAS FULL OF FISHING STORIES BEING TOLD, DRINKS WERE BEING POURED, FRESH GRILLED TUNA STEAKS WERE BEING SERVED AND A TROPICAL MOON WAS SHINNING DOWN ON US. IT WAS MAGICAL!

BEFORE LEAVING ON DAY THREE, SEVERAL DORADO AND AMBERJACK WERE CAUGHT. THEN THE ANGLERS RETURNED TO THE BARGE AROUND NOON AND PREPARED TO RETURN TO PANAMA CIY. THE CREW OF THE BARGE WAS BUSY GETTING THE BARGE READY FOR THE NEXT BIG GROUP.

THE SECOND ANXIOUS GROUP OF ANGLERS ARRIVED AS SCHEDULED AND STARTED THEIR EXCITING, THREE DAYS OF FISHING. GROUPERS HAD MOVED INTO THE LADRONES ISLANDS AND WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH 23 THE FIRST AFTERNOON. MOST OF THEM WERE IN THE 20 TO 25 LB RANGE, THOUGH I KNOW MANY OF THE SMALLER FISH WERE RELEASED. THEN JIM WINN HOOKED A BLACK MARLIN. AS HE CAME TIGHT ON THE MARLIN HIS LINE PARTED AND THE WAS A LOST FISH. LATER WE CHECKED THE LINE ON THE REEL AND FOUND IT WAS FAULTY. BUT REST ASSURED THAT JIM LET ME HERE ABOUT IT, SEVERAL TIMES!

NEXT STRANGE THING TO HAPPEN CAME WHEN DON WAS SLOW TROLLING A LIVE BONITA ATTACHED TO A CIRCLE HOOK. HE HOOKED INTO SOMETHING BIG BUT COULDN'T TELL BY THE FIGHT WHAT IS WAS! WHEN DON HAD REELED HIS CATCH TO APPROXIMATELY 15 FT BELOW THE BOAT EVERYONE COULD SEE HE HAD SOMEHOW FOUL HOOKED A LARGE RAY. DON LEANED BACK ON THE 50-80 ROD TO RAISE IT. THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE TIME HE SNAPPED THE ROD, BROKE THE 80 LB LINE AND THE LAST TIME THE MASSIVE MANTA RAY WAS SEEN HE WAS SWIMMING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF MIDWAY ISLAND.

DAY TWO AND THE ANGLERS WERE FISHING HANNIBAL BANK WHERE THEY ENCOUNTERED HUGE SCHOOLS OF YELLOWFIN TUNA. IT WAS AN EXCITING BUT FRUSTRATING FISHERY. ONE BOAT WOULD BE REELING IN THREE TUNA AT A TIME AND SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO THEM WOULD BE ANOTHER OF OUR BOATS THAT COULDN'T GET BIT. WE ENDED THE DAY CATCHING 18 YELLOWFIN WITH THE SMALLEST FISH WEIGHING AROUND 50 LBS AND THE LARGEST WAS A 200 LB PLUS YELLOWFIN THAT WAS FOUGHT FOR OVER TWO HOURS BEFORE BEING BOATED. A COUPLE OF BLACK MARLIN WERE BAITED UP BUT ALSO PROVED TO BE PICKY EATERS. T.J. ALSO BOATED A SAILFISH. A LONG, BUT GOOD DAY OF FISHING.

OVERNIGHT THE WATER IN THE PARADIAS ISLAND HAD CHANGED FROM GREEN AND MUDDY TO BLUE, BLUE, BLUE. THE LAST DAY OF FISHING WAS ROUNDED OUT WITH TEN ROOSTERFISH CAUGHT AND RELEASED, ALONG WITH LOTS OF JACK CREVALLE AND POMPANO.

 

3/14/11

SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE HAVE A GROUP OF ANGLERS FROM TEXAS, WE HAVE A GREAT TIME! THESE BOYS HAVE A BUNCH OF FISHING AND HUNTING TALES TO TELL, KNOW GOOD BARBEQUE AND HAVE BEEN KNOW TO ENJOY A SPLASH OF BOURBON ON THE ROCK WHILE SITTING ON THE FRONT DECK OF THE BARGE. THE WEEK WE WELCOMED BACK A GROUP OF ANGLERS FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS THAT INCLUDED RON ELLISOR, JIM REDMOND, JASON AND JOHN FULLER, PERRY SENDUKAS AND WEIGHT GAIN EXPERT, JEFF WOODWARD.

THE BLUE WATER IS BACK
BLUE WATER BROUGHT IN BY STRONG CURRENTS, COVERED OUR FISHING GROUNDS THIS WEEK. WITH IT CAME SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL OF YELLOWFIN TUNA. TUNA WERE TO BE CAUGHT FROM MONTUOSA ISLAND, TO HANNIBAL BANK AND ON SOUTH OF JICRON AND JICARITA ISLAND. THEY WERE THOUSANDS OF THEM. RON SAID, "EVERY WHERE YOU LOOKED THERE WAS ANOTHER SCHOOL OF YELLOWFIN TUNA.

FEAST OR FAMINE
THE TUNA THIS WEEK PROVED TO BE PICKY EATERS. THE WATER WAS FULL OF SOME KIND OF WHAT I THINK WAS SOME KIND OF "LARVA" THAT LOOKED SOMEWHAT LIKE SMALL JELLY FISH. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE TUNA JUST MIGHT BE BINGE FEEDING ON THEM. MANY TIMES YOU JUST COULD SEEM TO ENTICE THE FISH TO HIT YOUR BAIT KNOW MATTER WHAT YOU TRIED. BUT AT OTHER TIMES THE BITE WAS ON AND NONE STOP. JIM CAUGHT SIX YELLOWFIN IN A ROW ON A POPPER. SIX CAST AND SIX TUNA IN THE BOAT. MOST OF THESE FISH WERE IN THE 60 TO 100 LB CLASS. I GREAT SIZE OF FISH TO FIGHT ON HEAVY SPINNING TACKLE OR ANY TACKLE FOR THAT MATTER. JIM SAID, " IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. I WAS CASTING POPPERS FOR THE BOW OF THE BOAT AND REELING IN 100 LB TUNA AND AS QUICK AS I COULD GET THEM IN THE CREW WAS STANDING BY RELEASING THEM BACK INTO THE OCEAN."

TWO OF OUR BIGGEST TUNA CAUGHT THIS WEEK WERE CAUGHT BY THE FATHER AND SON FISHING TEAM OF JOHN AND JASON FULLER. JOHN CAUGHT THE BIGGEST TUNA OF THE TRIP THAT WEIGHED 292 LBS ON OUR SCALES. SON JASON, A VERY AVID ANGLER WHEN I CAN GET HIM OUT OF BED, FOLLOWED SUIT THE NEXT DAY WITH A TUNA THAT WAS ALMOST AS LARGE. THESE BIG KNEE BUCKLING BOYS WERE FILLETED AND WENT INTO THE FREEZERS. IT WAS A GREAT WEEK FOR ENJOYING ALL THE FRESH OF YELLOWFIN SUSHI YOU COULD EAT, ALONG WITH BIG TUNA STEAKS GRILLED RARE FOR DINNER.

HANNIBAL BANK AND BLACK AND BLUE MARLIN
A FEW MARLIN WERE AROUND THIS WEEK BUT YOU REALLY HAD TO PUT IN A LOT OF TIME TO HOOK ONE. WE LOST THE FIRST TWO MARLIN THAT WE HOOKED UP.. THE FIRST MARLIN CHOMPED DOWN ON A BIG, LIVE BONITA AND CHARGED PAST THE FISHING BOAT WHILE BEING AIR BORN MOST OF THE TIME. THE CREW SAID IT WAS A BLACK MARLIN IN THE 500 LB RANGE. BUT EVERY THING WAS HAPPENING SO FAST THAT THE CREW AND ANGLER NEVER DID HAVE THE CHANCE TO COME TIGHT ON THE LINE TO SET THE CIRCLE HOOK BEFORE THE MARLIN DROPPED THE BAIT AS WAS LONG GONE. THE SECOND BOAT HAD A LINE FAILURE RIGHT AT THE REEL AS THE ANGLER CAME TIGHT ON HIS FISH. I HEARD THE CAPTAIN GAVE THE MATE, WELL LETS JUST SAY HE USED SOME STRONG LANGUAGE. BUT THREE TIMES IS A CHARM, FOR THE THIRD MARLIN, CAUGHT BY ANGLER JOHN FULLER WAS ESTIMATED TO WEIGH IN THE 350 LB RANGE.

INSHORE, ALWAYS!
WITH THE HUGE SCHOOLS OF TUNA SWIMMING AROUND, NOT A LOT OF TIME WAS SPENT FISHING INSHORE THIS WEEK. JASON CAUGHT A COUPLE OF ROOSTERFISH ON POPPERS WHILE PERRY CAST UNTIL HE THOUGHT HIS ARM WAS GOING TO FALL OFF AND NEVER GOT A TAP ON HIS POPPER. I STILL DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A CASE OF BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME OR HOW YOU WIGGLE YOUR WORM. I WOULD SUSPECT IT IS A BIT OF BOTH.

LOTS OF SORE ARMS, ACHING BACKS AND BRUISED KNEES THIS WEEK. IT WAS A GREAT WEEK FOR CATCHING YELLOWFIN TUNA AND SITTING BACK ON THE FRONT DECK OF THE BARGE WITH A FEW DRINKS UNDER OUR BELTS WITH A FUN GROUP OF "GOOD OLE BOYS FROM TEXAS.
 

 

 

3/7/11

FIFTEEN ANGLERS HAD TRAVELED TO PANAMA TO FISH WITH US THIS WEEK. BROTHERS MARTIN AND SEBASTAIN HAD TRAVELED THE FARTHEST AS THEY FLEW IN FROM BRAZIL. MIKE KINGSLEY AND JUSTIN ALLENWORTH WERE FISHING WITH US FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR. DREW REGER, OWNER OF THE GPS STORE, HAD RETURNED AS HAD LARRY AND MATT SCHMIDT . WITH THEM WAS A NEW ANGLER TO THEIR GROUP, KEVIN PENTO. PAT CALALLA WAS FISHING WITH HIS FISHING PARTNERS RICHARD KOHLER AND STEVE SCHWARTZ. AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS ABSENT WE WERE GLAD TO SEE BILL ECKERT RETURNING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY DREW WILLIAMSON, JOE CLARK AND A BIG OLE GUY FROM TEXAS THAT WE COULD BARELY FIT IN THE DOOR BY THE NAME OF JIM GRAVES.

WE QUICKLY DEPARTED THE DOCK IN DAVID AND HEADED DOWN RIVER TO RENDEZVOUS WITH THE BARGE WHICH LAY AT ANCHOR IN THE PARADIAS ISLANDS AWAITING OUR ARRIVAL. THE CHEF INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD PURCHASED LIVE LOBSTER FROM THE LOCAL FISHERMEN AND THE POT ON THE STOVE WAS BEGINNING TO BOIL. EVERYONE SETTLED INTO THEIR CABINS AND THE JOINED TOGETHER ON THE FRONT DECK FOR A LITTLE LIBATION OF SOME KIND, JUST TO HELP SETTLE DOWN AND CALM THE SOUL.

THE FIRST DAY WE CAUGHT 11 YELLOWFIN TUNA FROM 20 TO 120 LBS AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER FISH, NOT A GREAT START. THE SECOND DAY THE FISHING PICKED UP AS OUR BOATS WERE ABLE TO RUN DOWN AND FISH JICARON AND JICARITA ISLAND. JUST SO I COULD SEE WHAT THE DAYS FISHING REALLY WAS LIKE I ADDED UP THE NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT THE SECOND DAY AND ALSO THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SPECIES CAUGHT. I MUST SAY I WAS SURPRISE! OUR ANGLERS HAD CAUGHT AND MOSTLY RELEASED 115 GAME FISH, 47 OF THEM WERE YELLOWFIN TUNA. WE HAD ALSO CAUGHT 14 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FISH NOT COUNTING OUR VARIOUS BAIT FISH.

BY DAY THREE BLUE WATER STARTED FLOWING IN BETWEEN ISLA MONTUOSA AND ISLA LADRONES. NOW THIS WAS A GOOD SIGN! OUR ANGLER CAUGHT 60 YELLOWFIN ON POPPERS, JIGS, LIVE AND CHUNK BAIT. THEY WERE NOT PICKY EATERS. JIM BOATED THE LARGEST TUNA THAT WEIGHTED 120 LBS. OUR ANGLERS ALSO MISSED TWO SHOTS AT MARLIN TODAY WHILE FISHING AROUND ISLA MONTUOSA. INSHORE ACTION WAS ABLE TO ADD ANOTHER 34 FISH TO ALL TO THE DAILY COUNT.

BY DAY FOUR, WITH THE REPORT OF BLUE WATER STARTING TO FLOOD BACK INTO THE FISHING AREA MY HOPES WERE RUNNING HIGH. BY DAY FOUR EVERYONE WAS READY TO SEE WHAT CHANGES IN THE WATER HAD TAKEN PLACE OVERNIGHT. WE HAD THE BARGE ANCHORED AT PUNTA HERMOSA SO IT WASN'T FAR TO RUN TO THE FISHING GROUNDS. CAPTAIN LUCHO ANGLERS. LARRY, MATT, DREW AND KEVIN HAD BEEN TRYING TO HOOK A MARLIN ALL WEEK. WELL, TODAY WAS THE DAY AS THEY CAUGHT AND RELEASED TWO BLUE MARLIN. AFTER A 30 MINUTE FIGHT KEVIN RELEASED A 300 LB BLUE AND MATT RELEASED A LITTLE BIT BIGGER BLUE ESTIMATED AT 350 LB AT THE TIME OF ITS' RELEASE. BOTH FISH WERE CAUGHT NEAR ISLA MONTUOSA WHEN THEY ATE TROLLED PLASTIC LURES.

THE YELLOWFIN TUNA CAME IN WITH THE BLUE WATER AND OUR ANGLERS CAUGHT ANOTHER 45 TUNA. MOST OF THE FISH WERE RUNNING IN THE 60 TO 120 LBS. WE WERE STARTING TO STACK UP SOME NUMBERS. WHAT HAD STARTED OUT SLOW WEEK HAD TURNED AROUND TO BE A GOOD WEEK. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR FISHING WITH THIS WEEK.

 

 

2/30/11

AGAI0N THIS WEEK, PESCA PANAMA WELCOMED AN ANXIOUS GROUP OF AVID ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL. MANY OF THESE ANGLERS HAVE FISHED WITH US BEFORE AND WE WERE GLAD TO SEE THEM RETURNING TO FISH WITH US ONCE AGAIN. THE GROUP INCLUDED ANGLERS FERNANDO AND JAYME GARCIA, MAERCIO SAMPAIO, ORIVALDO AND ARTHUR MARCHI, PAULO BLONE, JOAO YAZ, LUIS AND LUCAS FONSECA, PAULO ANDRADE, ALBERTO QUINTAES, MARCOS LIPS, ALBERTO WINDMULLER AND VICENTO DIGENNADRO.

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, FERNANDO GARCIA WAS THE FIRST ANGLER FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA TO LAND A YELLOWFIN TUNA THAT WEIGHED OVER 300 LBS ON SPINNING TACKLE. THE BIG TUNA WEIGHED IN AT 305 LBS. SINCE THEN FERNANDO HAS PLACE SECOND IN THE WORLD FAMOUS BISBEE TOURNAMENT IN CABO SAN LUCAS AND HAS BEEN THE NATIONAL FISHING CHAMPION OF BRAZIL FIVE TIMES.

THIS YEAR FERNANDO WAS FISHING WITH PAULO AND MARCOS NEAR JICARON ISLAND WHEN CAPTAIN TOMMY SPOTTED A SCHOOL OF DOLPHINS AND TUNA FEED TOGETHER. AS THEIR FISHING BOAT NEARED THE FEEDING SCHOOL THEY COULD SEE THE YELLOWFIN TUNA FREE JUMPING IN THE AIR. THE ANGLERS GRABBED THEIR POPPING RODS AND CAST INTO THE FRENZY. THE TUNA WERE AGGRESSIVE AND WOULD ATTACK THE POPPERS. MOST OF THE 10 OR SO TUNA CAUGHT WERE IN THE 60 LB RANGE BUT THERE WERE MUCH BIGGER TUNA FEEDING IN THE SCHOOL. FERNANDO'S POPPER GOT HIT AND THE FIGHT WAS ON. WITH THE HELP OF HIS TWO FISHING PARTNERS THEY TOOK 30 MINUTE TURNS FIGHTING THE FISH. AFTER AND 1 1/2 HOURS THEY HAD THE BIG YELLOWFIN RIGHT OFF THE BOW OF THE BOAT WHERE THEY COULD GET A GOOD LOOK AT IT. EVERYONE AGREED THAT IT WOULD WEIGH WELL OVER 200 LBS. THEY ALSO AGREED THAT SINCE THE FISH WAS NEAR THE SURFACE IT MUST BE GETTING PLAYED OUT. JUST AS THAT THOUGH WAS PASSED AROUND THE TUNA DECIDED TO MAKE A DEEP DIVE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BOAT. FERNANDO'S NEW 850 DOLLAR CUSTOM ROD AND 18,000 SHIMANO STELLA ALSO MADE THE DIVE AS IT WAS RIPPED RIGHT OUT OF THE ANGLER HANDS AND INTO, "DAVEY JONES LOCKER." TALK ABOUT A HELPLESS FEELING AS THE ROD AND REEL ALONG WITH THE BIG YELLOWFIN DISAPPEARED INTO THE DEEP OCEAN.

THIS WEEK GREEN WATER WAS STILL IN MANY OF OUR FISHING AREAS AND WE SAW THE OFFSHORE FISHING SLOW DOWN DUE TO THIS. BUT MOST OF OUR BRAZILIAN ANGLERS LIKE INSHORE FISHING WITH POPPERS AND BOTTOM FISHING WITH JIGS AND THE GREEN WATER DIDN'T SEEM TO EFFECT THIS TYPE OF FISHING ALL THAT MUCH. WE HAD SOME HUGE CUBERA SNAPPERS CAUGHT AND RELEASED THIS WEEK. WE ALSO CAUGHT QUITE A FEW BIG POMPANO WITH IS UNUSUAL. THE JIGS PRODUCED LOTS OF HOOK-UPS ON AMBERJACK AND WELL AS SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GROUPERS. EVEN WITH THE GREEN WATER AND THE FISHING ACTION SLOWER THAN NORMAL WE STILL CAUGHT AND RELEASED OVER 300 FISH THIS WEEK!

WE ALSO LOST A COUPLE OF NICE FISH THIS WEEK. ONE WAS A BLACK MARLIN WHO CHARGED AHEAD AND NICKED THE LINE WITH ITS' BILL AND A BIG DORADO THAT GOT AWAY RIGHT AT THE BOAT. BUT THAT IS FISHING!
 

 

 

 

2/23/11

THE BAIT TANK WAS LOADED WITH "LIVIES" AND FRESH CAUGHT LOBSTER TAILS WERE A BOILING IN THE POT. THE WIND WAS CALM ANDTHE SEA HAD JUST A RIPPLE. I WAS WONDERING, "HOW MUCH BETTER CAN IT GET THAN THIS?" WELL, THIS WEEKS ANGLERS WERE ABOUT TO FIND OUT AS WE WELCOMED A, "BAND OF BROTHERS." FISHING WITH UP THIS WEEK WERE BROTHERS KURT AND RICK SHEETZ; DON AND BRUCE PAVOL; FRANK, PAUL AND STEVE SWATSCHENO; JOHN AND JOE MASSARELLI; AND ANTONIO GAMBINI ACCOMPANIED BY ANTHONY ZALONIS.

WAHOO RETURN

AFTER SEEING THE NUMBER OF WAHOO WE CATCH DWINDLE DOWN EACH WEEK, WE THOUGH THAT THE WAHOO SEASON WAS COMING TO AN END. WELL SOME ONE FORGOT TO TELLTHE WAHOO. SEVERAL GOOD CATCHES OF WAHOO WERE CAUGHT WHILE TROLLING FOR THEM NEAR JICRON ISLAND. THESE WERE SOME NICE SIZED WAHOO AND REALLY A SURPRISE TO ME.

DORADO ON THE DOORKNOB

DOORKNOB, GT BULL, YOU NAME IT. JUST THROW YOUR POPPER AT JUST ABOUT ANY BIG FLOATING LOG THIS WEEK AND BANG, YOU WERE HOOKED UP. MOST OF THESE WERE GOOD SIZED DORADO IN THE 25 TO 40 LB RANGE. ONE ANGLER CLAIMED HIS BIGGEST DORADO WENT 60 LBS. I SAW THE PHOTO AND NOT THE SCALE BUT EVEN I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE STRETCHING JUST A LITTLE TOO MUCH. BUT WE ALL KNOW A FISHERMAN WOULD NEVER LIE ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF HIS CATCH!

SAILFISH WERE THE NEXT SURPRISE

MOST OF OUR BOATS THIS WEEK WERE ABLE TO CATCH AND RELEASE BIG PACIFIC SAILFISH. LIVE BAIT, SLOW TROLLED ON A SMALL CIRCLE HOOK WAS THE PREFERRED BAIT.

BLACK MARLIN CAUGHT ON HANNIBAL BANK

AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF NOT REALLY FISHING FOR MARLIN, THIS WEEK'S ANGLERS WERE READY TO ADD THEM TO, "THEIR FISH CAUGHT LIST." THE WATER CONDITIONS ON THE BANK WERE GOOD THIS WEEK AS THE BIG TIDES HAD BROUGHT IN THE CLEAN, DARK BLUE WATER FROM WAY OFFSHORE. THIS IS JUST THE TYPE OF WATER THAT BLACK MARLING LIKE.ANTONIO GAMBINI WAS FISHING WITH CAPTAIN JUAN WHEN HE CAUGHT THE FIRST BLACK MARLIN ON A BLUE AND SILVER, MOLD CRAFT, WIDE RANGER. WHEN RELEASED THE MARLIN WAS ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE 350 LB RANGE. NEXT BLACK MARLIN ATE AND LIVE BAIT THAT JOE MASSARELLI WAS SLOW TROLLING. JOE SAID, "AFTER A LONG THIRTY SECONDS THE LINE CAME TIGHT AND THE BIG GIRL JUST, SKY ROCKETED OUT OF THE WATER!" AFTER A GOOD FIGHT ON STAND-UP TACKLE THE FISH WAS RELEASED ALONGSIDE THE OCEAN MASTER. CAPTAIN TITO, OUR OLDEST AND MOST EXPERIENCED CAPTAIN, ESTIMATED THE MARLIN AT OVER 650 LBS.

ROOSTERFISH AND CUBERA SNAPPERS

OUR INSHORE FISHING CAN JUST ABOUT ALWAYS CAN BE COUNTED ON TO PRODUCE A LOT OF NICE CATCHES. THIS WEEK WAS NOT ANY DIFFERENT. SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THE ROOSTERFISH THIS WEEK WERE STRIKING POPPERS. I REMEMBER ON ANGER SAYING ON HIS LAST DAY OF FISH, "I DIDN'T HOOK A ROOSTERFISH TODAY BUT I HAD EIGHT OF THEM FIGHTING OVER MY LURE." NOW YOU KNOW WHY
 

 

 

2/13/11

OUR BRAZILIAN FRIEND, ROBERTO VERAS WHO IS NOW WITH ECOAVENTURA, BROUGHT A GROUP OF AVID BRAZILIAN ANGLERS TO PANAMA TO FISH THIS WEEK. WHEN I GREETING THEM AT THE AIRPORT IN DAVID THEY HAD WITH THEM NOT ONLY THEIR ALLOWED LUGGAGE WEIGHT BUT AND ADDITIONAL 792 LBS OF FISHING GEAR WITH THEM. I THINK YOU COULD SAY, "THESE ANGLERS WERE PACKING SOME HEAVY HEAT WITH THEM!" WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE MANY RETURNING ANGLERS IN THIS GROUP THAT INCLUDED; HUNGRIA OLAVO, ALEXSANDER MALAFAIA, ANDRES MORALES, FERNANDO REGADAS, SALVADOR BASILE, SERGIO AND DIONISIO GOMES, VALDIR MILANI, JOSE LUIS DOS REIS, JOSE RONALDO BIGATAO AND MAURO EDA.

WE STARTED OFF FISHING THE INSHORE ISLAND AS MANY OF THESE ANGLERS HAD EXPERIENCED GOOD FISH THERE ON PAST TRIPS. I WILL SAY THAT THE INSHORE ISLAND FISHING CONDITIONS LOOKED IN "TOP FORM" AS THEY WERE BATHED IN THE BLUE WATER THAT HAD PUSHED INTO THE AREA LAST WEEK. ALSO THESE BRAZILIAN ANGLERS HAD BROUGHT WITH THEM THEIR "SECRET FISHING WEAPONS" THE DAIWA ELECTRIC JIGGING REELS. OVER 50 AMBERJACK, AKA, REEF DONKEYS, WERE CAUGHT AND RELEASED THIS DAY. ALSO INCLUDED THE CATCH WERE FOUR TASTY BROOMTAIL GROUPERS WEIGHTING BETWEEN 30 AND 50 LBS. ALL THESE FISH WERE CAUGHT IN WATER UNDER 150 FT DEEP. I AM CONVINCED THAT IT IS THE RAPID RETRIEVE AND JIGGING ACTION OF THESE REELS HELP ENTICE FISH TO BITE.

NEXT WAS THE MOVE OFFSHORE TO MONTUOSA ISLAND. BEAUTIFUL BLUE WATER WAS STILL IN THE AREA. FERNANDO CAUGHT AND RELEASED THE FIRST BLACK MARLIN OF THE TRIP. CAPTAIN TOMMY ESTIMATED IT AT OVER 400 LBS. BIG YELLOWFIN TUNA WERE ALSO FEEDING IN THE AREA. 14 TUNA WERE LANDED TODAY IN THE 100 TO 200 LB RANGE WITH THE LARGEST TUNA OF THE DAY CAUGHT BY VALDIR WEIGHED 287 LBS AND THE SECOND LARGEST TUNA CAUGHT BY ANDRES WEIGHTED 220 LBS. THEN ADD ON THE 4 BIG PACIFIC SAILFISH THAT WERE CAUGHT, A COUPLE OF DORADO AND ALL KINDS OF INSHORE FISH CAUGHT ON THE WAY TO COIBA ISLAND WHERE WE HAD THE BARGE ANCHORED. IT WAS A GREAT DAY OF FISHING!

OUR NEXT EXTRAORDINARY LARGE YELLOWFIN CATCH WAS CAUGHT RIGHT ON TOP OF HANNIBAL BANK. CAPTAIN JUAN GOT AN EARLY MORNING START WITH FATHER AND SON ANGLERS SERGIO AND DIONISIO GOMES. WHEN ARRIVING AT THE BANK THE MATE SLIPPED A BRIDLED LIVE BAIT INTO THE OCEAN AND STARTED THE SLOW LIVE BAIT TROLL THAT IS SO PRODUCTIVE HERE. LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT A HUGE YELLOWFIN TUNA WAS FEEDING JUST BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. THE HUGE TUNA ATTACK THE BAIT AND THE CIRCLE HOOK WORKED JUST LIKE THEY SAY IN THE BOOK. DIDONISIO FOUGHT THE FISH ON STAND-UP GEAR THROUGH A EXCITING FIGHT THAT ENDED WITH THE TUNA IN THE BOAT AND WEIGHTING IN AT 317 LBS. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS, SO FAR THIS IS OUR LARGEST YELLOWFIN TUNA OF THE SEASON.

WHILE CAPTAIN JUAN HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO FISH AT HANNIBAL BANK THIS MORNING, HE WAS THE ONLY BOAT THERE,

THREE OF OUR CAPTAINS DECIDED TO HEADED BACK AND FISH AT ISLA MONTUOSA. CAPTAIN TATIN'S ANGLER, VALDIR, CAUGHT A BLUE MARLIN THAT WAS ESTIMATED AT 500 LBS WHEN RELEASED. CAPTAINS TITO AND LUCHO WERE ALSO FISHING IN THE AREA. AT AROUND 1630 WHEN ALL THE OTHER BOATS THAT HAD BEEN FISHING THE AREA HAD TO RETURN TO THEIR LAND BASES, AN ASTOUNDING BITE WENT OFF! WHEN IT WAS FINISHED, PESCA PANAMA'S THREE BOATS HAD CAUGHT 23 MORE YELLOWFIN TUNA, MOST OF TOP WATER PLUGS. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY HAD 6 LURES THAT WERE JUST TOTALLY DESTROYED. THEY ALSO HAD RELEASED 4 MORE SAILFISH AND KEPT A COUPLE OF DORADO FOR DINNER. REALLY, AS I SITE HERE AND WRITE THESE FISHING REPORT I JUST SHAKE MY HEAD IN AWE AT THE FISHING!

THE FISHING REPORT BY NO MEAN TRIES TO TELL OF ALL THE FISH CAUGHT. INSTEAD IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE EXCELLENT AND EXPLOSIVE FISHING ACTION THAT WAS EXPERIENCED BY THIS GROUP OF ANGLERS. THANKS TO ALL FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA

 

 

2/6/11

THIS WEEK PESCA PANAMA HOSTED 10 ANGLERS COMPRISED OF TWO FISHING GROUPS. ONE GROUP; PETER BROABENT, CHRIS METRON, YORK SIKORI AND BRIAN GRAHAM WERE ALL FROM THE CANADIAN PROVIDENCE OF ONTARIO. THE SECOND GROUP OF FRIENDS HAVE BEEN FISHING TOGETHER FOR 25 YEARS. YOU CAN ONLY GUESS AT ALL THE STORIES THEY HAD TO TELL OF THEIR COMBINED EXPERIENCES OVER A 25 YEAR PEROID. THIS GROUP CONSISTED OF PETE IRVING, FRED AND JIM FEHSENFELD, DAVID MYATT, JOHN DILLOW AND NICK RURIGLIANO.

THE YELLOWFIN TUNA WERE HERE THIS WEEK

ON DAY ONE ARE ANGLERS HEADED OUT WITH THEIR LIVE BAIT TANKS BRISTLING FULL OF LIVES. ON THE WAY RUNNING TO ISLA MONTUOSA THEY FOUND SCHOOLS OF YELLOWFIN TUNA IN A FULL FLEDGED FEEDING FRENZY. BIRDS, PORPOISE AND TUNA WERE ATTACKING BALLED UP SCHOOLS OF BAIT FISH. THE BAIT FISH WERE TRYING TO FIND COVER FROM THE ONSLAUGHT AS THEY RACED TO HIDE UP THE FISHING BOATS. CREW WERE BUSY DIPPING NETS FULL OF LIVE BAIT RIGHT OUT OF THE OCEAN, THEN HOOKING THE LIVE BAIT ON A CIRCLE HOOK AND TOSSING THE BAITS OVER THE SIDE TO A CERTAIN DEATH. POPPERS WHERE BEING CAST THROUGH THE AIR AND GETTING BITE SOMETIMES BEFORE IT HIT THE WATER. IT WAS WHAT ANY FISHERMEN COULD EVER HOW FOR! ALL THE YELLOWFIN TUNA YOU WANTED TO CATCH IN THE 60 TO 200 LB RANGE. BUT HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM! OUR ANGLERS ARMS WERE NOW STRETCHED SEVERAL INCHES LONGER THAT WHEN THEY STARTED FISHING, THEIR BACKS HURT AND THEIR BRAINS POUNDED WITH EACH HEART BEAT. THEY WERE TO POOPED TO POP!

MARLIN OF THE BANK

PETER BROABENT HAD BEEN TRYING TO CATCH A BLUE MARLIN FOR YEARS. HE JUST WAS NEVER IN THE HOT SPOT AT THE RIGHT TIME. WELL HIS FISHING LUCK CHANGED THIS WEEK WHILE FISHING ON HANNIBAL BANK. PETER AND FELLOW ANGLER YORK SIKORI DOUBLE TEAMED A BLUE MARLIN ON STAND-UP TACKLE. WHEN THE LIVE RELEASE WAS MADE THE FISH WAS ESTIMATED IN THE 350 LB RANGE. LITTLE DOUBT THAT IT SHOULD GROW CLOSE TO 500 LB BY THE TIME THE FISHING STORY GETS BACK TO CANADA. CONGRATULATIONS!

WITH 5 MINUTES UNTIL LINES IN, ON THE LAST DAY AT THE BANK, JOHN DILLOW LANDS A 300 LB PLUS BLACK MARLIN. SO ANOTHER CONGRATULATIONS IS IN ORDER! NOT A LOT OF MARLIN AROUND THIS WEEK BUT ENOUGH TO SPICE UP THE MIXED BAG OF FISHING THAT WE HAVE GROWN FAMOUS FOR.

CATCHING BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS CONTINES

THE AMOUNT OF FISH CAUGHT AND RELEASED WHILE FISHING NEAR JICARON AND JICARITA ISLAND CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME. LOTS OF XXL CUBERA SNAPPER WERE CAUGHT THIS WEEK. THE ROOSTERFISH WHERE HERE TO BE CAUGHT AND WERE ATTACKING TOP WATER LURES. ADD IN THE ROOSTERFISH, HORSE EYED JACKS, JACK CREVALLE, BLUE TREVALLE, FORTUNE JACKS, AMBERJACK AND THREE BIG WHITE TIP SHARKS AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF FISHING ACTION GOING ON. THEN NICK LANDED A BROOMTAIL GROUPER THAT WASN'T RELEASED AND WAS BIG ENOUGH TO PROVIDE, "FRESH SEARED GROUPER FILLETS," FOR DINNER FOR EVERYONE ONBOARD. THANKS NICK! JIM FEHSENFELD ALSO CAUGHT A BIG BROOMTAIL GROUPER. THIS ONE WEIGHTED 65 LBS. THE BIG BROOMTAIL GROUPERS ARE AN AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL FISH AND MAKE SOME OF THE BEST FILLETS YOU WILL EVER TASTE.

OUR GREAT WEATHER CONTINUED THIS WEEK; LIGHT BREEZES, FAIRLY CALM SEAS ACCEPT ON DAY THE ANGLERS GOT THEIR BUTTS BOUNCED AROUND ON THE WAY OUT TO THE BANK. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T SEEN TO REMEMBER WHERE I STOWED MY SNOW SHOVEL AND TIRE CHAINS. OH WELL, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE I AM GOING TO NEEDING THEM ANY TIME SOON.

 

 

1/29/11

 

LAST WEEK'S GOOD WEATHER AND CALM SEAS CONTINUED FOR THIS WEEK'S ANGLERS. FROM BRAZIL WAS FATHER AND SON HIDEO AND CLAUDIO NAKAYAMA.  ANOTHER FATHER AND SON FISHING TEAM WAS RETURNING ANGLERS. STAN SR. AND STAN JR. BERGSTOM.  ALSO JOINING US THIS WEEK WERE PANAMANIAN ANGLERS FERNANDO ANGUIZOLA, JUAN ARAUZ, CEZAR ZEBEDE AND ROBERTO SIEIRO.

HIDEO HAD SOME RECENT PLUMBING DONE ON HIS HEART AND SO HE AND HIS SON CLAUDIO WANTED TO FISH ONLY INSHORE AND ONLY FOR SMALLER FISH.  NO NEED TO PUSH THINGS AT THIS POINT IN LIFE. PROBABLY A WISE DECISION ON HIDEO'S PART.  SO THEIR WEEK WAS SPEND FISHING IN THE CALM BACKWATERS OF THE ISLANDS PURSUING THE SMALLER FINNY FISH.

LOT THE SAME STORY WITH STAN SR.  STAN HAD FISHED WITH US BEFORE AND KNEW WHAT KIND OF TERRIFIC FIGHT SOME OF OUR LARGE FISH MAKE.  THEY CAN REALLY EXHAUST AND ANGLER.  SO HE TO REQUESTED WE TRY AND KEEP THE SIZE OF FISH CAUGHT THIS WEEK ON THE SMALLER SIDE.  I THINK WE DID PRETTY GOOD UNTIL STAN LANDED THE BIGGEST ROOSTERFISH OF THE WEEK.  STAN SR. AND STAN JR. ALSO LANDED A PAIR OF 60 LB YELLOWFIN TUNA ON SPINNING GEAR AFTER THE FISH SMASHED THE POPPERS THEY WERE THROWING

 

                                                    ROOSTERS RULE THE ROOST

WE HAD A COUPLE OF BIG ROOSTERFISH CAUGHT AND RELEASED.  ONE WOULD HAVE WEIGHTED AROUND 65 LBS.  THE OTHER WAS EVEN LARGER WITH ITS' WEIGHT ESTIMATED CLOSE TO 80 LBS.  SEVERAL SMALLER ROOSTERFISH WERE ALSO CAUGHT AND RELEASED THIS WEEK.

AS IN PREVIOUS WEEKS BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE BRINGING OUR ANGLERS TO THEIR KNEES AS THEY FOUGHT TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM IN THEIR ROCKY HOMES.

AT THE REQUEST OF OUR ANGLERS WE DID NOT PUT TIME IN TARGETING MARLIN THIS WEEK.  BUT WE DID HEAR OVER THE VHF RADIO THAT THERE WAS SOME MARLIN CAUGHT AND RELEASED JUST TO THE WEST ON ISLA MONTUOSA.

THE WEATHER AND SEAS CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL THIS WEEK.  SEAS WERE CALM AND THE WEATHER WAS NOT TOO HOT AND EVEN FRESH AND A LITTLE COOL IN THE EVENING.  I THINK I MIGHT HAVE EVEN FELT A SMALL SHIVER RUN DOWN MY SPINE ONE TIME.  BUT THAT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN FROM REALIZING HOW LUCKY I WAS TO BE HERE.

 

1/22/11

LAST WEEK'S GOOD WEATHER AND CALM SEAS CONTINUED FOR THIS WEEK'S ANGLERS. FROM BRAZIL WAS FATHER AND SON HIDEO AND CLAUDIO NAKAYAMA. ANOTHER FATHER AND SON FISHING TEAM WAS RETURNING ANGLERS. STAN SR. AND STAN JR. BERGSTOM. ALSO JOINING US THIS WEEK WERE PANAMANIAN ANGLERS FERNANDO ANGUIZOLA, JUAN ARAUZ, CEZAR ZEBEDE AND ROBERTO SIEIRO.

HIDEO HAD SOME RECENT PLUMBING DONE ON HIS HEART AND SO HE AND HIS SON CLAUDIO WANTED TO FISH ONLY INSHORE AND ONLY FOR SMALLER FISH. NO NEED TO PUSH THINGS AT THIS POINT IN LIFE. PROBABLY A WISE DECISION ON HIDEO'S PART. SO THEIR WEEK WAS SPEND FISHING IN THE CALM BACKWATERS OF THE ISLANDS PURSUING THE SMALLER FINNY FISH.

LOT THE SAME STORY WITH STAN SR. STAN HAD FISHED WITH US BEFORE AND KNEW WHAT KIND OF TERRIFIC FIGHT SOME OF OUR LARGE FISH MAKE. THEY CAN REALLY EXHAUST AND ANGLER. SO HE TO REQUESTED WE TRY AND KEEP THE SIZE OF FISH CAUGHT THIS WEEK ON THE SMALLER SIDE. I THINK WE DID PRETTY GOOD UNTIL STAN LANDED THE BIGGEST ROOSTERFISH OF THE WEEK. STAN SR. AND STAN JR. ALSO LANDED A PAIR OF 60 LB YELLOWFIN TUNA ON SPINNING GEAR AFTER THE FISH SMASHED THE POPPERS THEY WERE THROWING

ROOSTERS RULE THE ROOST

WE HAD A COUPLE OF BIG ROOSTERFISH CAUGHT AND RELEASED. ONE WOULD HAVE WEIGHTED AROUND 65 LBS. THE OTHER WAS EVEN LARGER WITH ITS' WEIGHT ESTIMATED CLOSE TO 80 LBS. SEVERAL SMALLER ROOSTERFISH WERE ALSO CAUGHT AND RELEASED THIS WEEK.

AS IN PREVIOUS WEEKS BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE BRINGING OUR ANGLERS TO THEIR KNEES AS THEY FOUGHT TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM IN THEIR ROCKY HOMES.

AT THE REQUEST OF OUR ANGLERS WE DID NOT PUT TIME IN TARGETING MARLIN THIS WEEK. BUT WE DID HEAR OVER THE VHF RADIO THAT THERE WAS SOME MARLIN CAUGHT AND RELEASED JUST TO THE WEST ON ISLA MONTUOSA.

THE WEATHER AND SEAS CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL THIS WEEK. SEAS WERE CALM AND THE WEATHER WAS NOT TOO HOT AND EVEN FRESH AND A LITTLE COOL IN THE EVENING. I THINK I MIGHT HAVE EVEN FELT A SMALL SHIVER RUN DOWN MY SPINE ONE TIME. BUT THAT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN FROM REALIZING HOW LUCKY I WAS TO BE HERE.

 

1/15/11

FRESHLY RESTED FROM THE HOLIDAYS, THE CREW OF PESCA PANAMA WAS READY TO GET BACK TO THE FISHING ACTION THIS WEEK. WE STARTED OFF WITH QUITE A DIVERSE GROUP OF FISHERMEN. MANY OF WHICH WERE RETURNING ANGLERS. JOHN MESSENA WAS AGAIN FISHING WITH US ALONG WITH CHRIS COCCAVELLA AND SCOTT CROKER. JOHN SAMUELS HAD RETURNED AND BROUGHT WITH HIM ALLEN ADGER. DAVID RICHARDSON WAS FISHING WITH HIS TWO SONS, DAVID AND PETER. LEONARD LANSBURGH WAS BACK WITH HIS SON DAVID AND FRIEND DOUG KLEES. NEW COMERS RALPH ROTH, KEN GOTO AND JACQUES TORRES ROUND OUT THIS WEEK GROUP.

THIS WEEK MARKED THE IMPLEMENTING OF PESCA PANAMA'S NEW FISHING SCHEDULE. BY THE TIME OUR ANGLERS ARRIVED IN DAVID SUNDAY EVENING WE HAD THE BARGE ALREADY IN POSITION IN THE PARADIAS ISLANDS. WE WERE AWAITING THEIR ARRIVAL WITH A FRESH CAUGHT LOBSTER DINNER. THAT NIGHT WE LOAD UP ON LIVE BAIT. MONDAY MORNING, INSTEAD OF HEADING OFF TO WORK, OUR ANGLERS HEADED OUT FULL OF OPTIMISM AND THEIR BAIT TANKS LOADED.

WE HAD GOOD FISHING THIS WEEK AND I HAVE A LOT OF GREAT PHOTOS INCLUDED IN THE REPORT OF THIS WEEK'S FISHING. THE WEATHER ALSO COOPERATED AND ALL OF US ENJOYED CALM SEAS AND PLEASANT TROPICAL WEATHER. THE WATER COLOR WAS OFF A LITTLE, TOO MUCH ON THE GREEN SIDE. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE AROUND HANNIBAL BANK. NOT MUCH MARLIN ACTION THIS WEEK, THOUGH WE DID MANAGE TO HOOK UP TWO BLUES. ONE ATE A PLASTIC LURE BUT MANAGED TO SHAKE IT ON THE FIRST JUMP. THE SECOND BLUE, ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE 450 LB CLASS WAS BROUGHT TO THE BOAT FOR A LIVE RELEASE.

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

IF THIS IS INDEED TRUE, THEN OUR ANGLERS HAD A PRETTY SPICY WEEK OF FISHING AS WE LANDED 26 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FISH. THE TUNA BITE WAS NOT ON BUT WE CAUGHT A COUPLE OF NICE YELLOWFIN TUNA IN THE 160 TO 180 LB RANGE. SEVERAL BIG DORADO WERE ALSO BROUGHT TO THE DINNER TABLE. BUT THE BIGGEST NEWS WAS THE NUMBER OF COLOSSAL SIZED CUBERA SNAPPERS THAT WERE CAUGHT AND RELEASED. I CAN'T REMEMBER A WEEK WHEN WE EVER CAUGHT SO MANY BIG CUBERAS. OUR INSHORE ACTION THIS WEEK WAS GOOD IN ALL THE ISLAND GROUPS.

 

12/11/10

THE MONTH OF DECEMBER CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE MOST DELIGHTFUL FISHING WEATHER I THINK I HAVE EVER SEEN. YOU COULD EVEN DESCRIBE IT AS "BALMY." IT SURE BEATS FREEZING YOU BUTT OFF IN A BLUE NORTHERN BLOWING OUT OF WHITEHORSE.  ON TOP OF THE GOOD WEATHER WE ARE ENJOYING SOME GREAT FISHING.  POPPING AND LIVE BAITING INSHORE IS WERE WE ARE STILL CATCHING MOST OF OUR FISH.

 

THIS WEEK WE FISHED WITH A GROUP OF CANADIAN ANGLERS THAT INCLUDED RETURNING ANGLERS THOMAS HORN AND DON GRESS ALONG WITH "BUFFALO" BILL BOUFFIOUX AND MIKE HALLS.  FROM SOUTH OF THE 49TH PARALLEL WAS PAT KIRK, CHRIS KERGER,  BUD CRAGAR HAD RETURNED TO FISH WITH HIS TWO SON-IN LAWS, DONNIE KELLY AND TRACY LOCKE.  KEVIN CRAGAR, ALSO A RETURNING FISHERMAN, WAS FISHING WITH RICK STILL AND JULES GALIOURAS.  GALIOURAS IS A GREEK THAT WAS BORN AND LIVES IN NEW ORLEANS.  I GUESS THAT WOULD QUALIFY HIM AS HALF COON ASS.  ANYWAY HE WAS A LOT OFFUN AS MOST COON ASSES ARE.

 

ONE OF THIS WEEK'S HIGH LITES  WAS WHEN MIKE HALLS HAD A WAHOO "SMASH" HIS POPPER WHILE CASTING OFf THE EAST END OF COIBA ISLAND.  AFTER A REEL DUMPING,  DRAG SCREAMING RUN AND HAVING TO FOLLOW THE FISH AROUND THE BOAT SEVERAL TIMES HE WAS ABLE TO LAND THE BIGGEST WAHOO ANY OF US HAVE EVER SEEN CAUGHT AROUND HERE.  THE FISH WAS FILLETED AND PUT ON ICE BEFORE IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE BARGE TO BE WEIGHTED,  BUT EVERYONE ONBOARD AGREED THAT IT WAS IN THE 100 LB PLUS RANGE. CONGRATULATION MIKE.

 

TRACY LOCKE CAUGHT ONE OF COIBA ISLAND'S, COLOSSAL CUBERA SNAPPERS IN THE 60 LB RANGE.  BUD FOLLOWED UP THE NEXT DAY WITH ANOTHER BIG CUBERA.  IT WAS A GOOD WEEK FOR CATCHING CUBERA SNAPPERS ALONG WITH WAHOO AND ROOSTERFISH MIXED IN.

 

BUT WAHOO, ROOSTERFISH  AND CUBERA SNAPPERS WERE NOT THE WHOLE STORY OF THIS WEEKS FISHING. "BUFFALO" BILL WAS KEEPING TRACK OF HOW MANY SPECIES HAD BEEN CAUGHT THIS WEEK.  HIS FINAL NUMBER WAS 26.  NOW THAT IS INDEED A MIXED BAG OF FISH.  LIKE I KEEP SAYING, "YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO HOOK WHEN FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA."  

 

THIS WILL BE PESCA PANAMA'S LAST FISHING REPORT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.  IN FACT, NOW THAT I THINK OF IT, IT IS THE LAST FISHING REPORT FOR THIS DECADE. FOR SOME REASON THAT SURE SOUNDS STRANGE TO ME.  IT WAS IN NOVEMBER OF 1999 WHEN TRAVIS PETERSON AND I LEFT MIAMI TO START UP THE PESCA PANAMA FISHING OPERATION.  DAN "ROOSTER" LEAVENS HAD BEEN FISHING IN PANAMA A COUPLE OF YEARS PRIOR TO US ARRIVING, SO WE HAD SOME IDEA OF HOW GREAT THE FISHING POTENTIAL WAS GOING TO BE!  WE HAVE NOT BEEN DISAPPOINTED!

 

THE TIME SEEMS TO FLY BY BUT THE MANY FISHING MEMORIES REMAIN FOREVER.  FROM ALL OF US AT PESCA PANAMA WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY, "THANK YOU," FOR FISHING WITH US AND MAY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ENJOY A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.

12/4/10

 

THERE ARE TWO THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY WEEK, SUNSHINE AND EAGER ANGLERS. THIS WEEK WE HAD BOTH! NIKKI BRANDT, ALES KONVICKA AND MICHAEL HAGEN WERE THE FIRST THREE ANGLERS TO ARRIVE AFTER A TWO DAY FLIGHT FROM EUROPE. THEY WERE HAPPY TO GET SOME SHUT EYE AND REST UP BEFORE THE FISHING STARTED.

 

NEXT TO ARRIVE WERE JUSTIN ALLENSWORTH AND MIKE KINGSLEY JOINED BY LEE MARGRAVE. ALL THREE ARE VETERAN PESCA PANAMA ANGLERS. ANGLER GREG ROBERTS WAS LEFT BEHIND THIS YEAR BUT HIS WIT AND ENTERTAINING WERE SURLY MISSED AND NOW HAS BEEN DULY NOTED IN THE FISHING LOG .

 

BY SUNDAY MORNING, MASTER GUIDE MIKE AUGAT ARRIVED WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF "MOSS BACK" REGULARS ALONG WITH SEVERAL NEW ANGLERS. DAVE BELL, DAN HUTCHIONSON, THIS 12TH TRIP TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA, ALONG WITH COLEY BURKE, BILL POSSIEL, BARRY FINGERHUT, ROBERT POWER, KEN HENDERSON AND OUR JOKE TELLER FROM NEW YORK, SIDNEY WAUD. WE WELCOMED ALL OF OUR ANGLERS, LOADED UP IN THE FISHING BOATS AND HEADED OUT TO FISH IN THE TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN.

 

AS IT TURNED OUT, WE HAD FANTASTIC WEATHER ALL WEEK, A LITTLE RAIN, A LITTLE WIND AND THE MOST DELICIOUS AIR AND DELIGHTFUL TEMPERATURE ONE COULD EVER HOPE FOR.

 

THE ACTION WAS INSHORE THIS WEEK AND THAT IS WHERE MOST OF OUR ANGLING WAS DONE. AT LAST COUNT OR ANGLERS HAD CAUGHT 18 DIFFERENT SPECIES, WITH BIG ROOSTERFISH, CUBERA SNAPPER, WAHOO AND A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF JACKS PROVIDING LOTS OF ROD BENDING ACTION. OUR POPPERS WERE REALLY PRODUCING SOME NICE CATCHES FOR OUR ANGLERS. BUT OUR ANGLERS FROM EUROPE, THOUGH EXPERIENCED ANGLERS, WERE HAVE TROUBLE GETTING INTO THE PANAMA FISHING GROOVE. THROUGH LOTS OF EFFORT AND MAY MILES GETTING BOUNCED AROUND ON THEIR ASSES THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE SEVERAL NICE CATCHES. JUST WISH THEY COULD HAVE DONE BETTER.

 

A SPECIAL THANKS TO MIKE FOR DELIVERING THE GENERATOR PARTS WE WERE NEEDING. JUSTIN FOR PROVIDING US WITH HIS C&W MUSIC, SIDNEY FOR SOME OFF THE WALL FUNNY JOKES AND GREG FOR THE SPORTING CLASSIC MAGAZINE HE SENT ME. THANKS TO ALL OF THIS WEEKS ANGLERS FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. I SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOUR PATRONAGE.

 

11/27/10

YOU TALK ABOUT EXCITED FISHERMEN, THIS WEEK WE FISHED WITH A GROUP OF ANGLERS FROM ILLINOIS THAT HAD NEVER EXPERIENCE FISHING IN PANAMA. IT WAS A REAL EYE OPENER FOR THEM AND SOMETHING THAT I KNOW WILL CHANGE THEIR FISHING EXPECTATIONS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.

 

STEVE AND RICHARD HESTER HAD PUT TOGETHER A GROUP OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO MAKE THE FISHING TRIP. FISHING WITH THEM WERE BRIAN FALETTI, RAY FIALA, JONAS KUJAWA, JAMES ANDREWS, RICK KAUFMAN, JAMES HERING, THOMAS STARR, ROBERT ETTEMA, DAN WALLACE AND RANDY GRAVES.

 

THE FISHING WAS GOOD RIGHT FROM THE START OF THE TRIP. CUBERA SNAPPERS ON POPPERS AND AMBERJACKS ON LIVE BAIT KEPT THESE ANGLERS BENT OVER THE RAIL FOR MOST OF THE TRIP.

THE FIRST WORDS IF EXCLAMATION I HEARD FROM THEM WAS, "I HAVE NEVERCAUGHT SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF FISH IN ONE PLACE IN MY LIFE." THEY WERE AMAZED, AS A LOT OF OUR ANGLERS ARE, AT THE VARIETY OF FISH WE HAVE TO FISH FOR HERE IN PANAMA.

 

BUT EVEN WITH THE GOOD FISHING THAT WAS NOT THE MAIN TOPIC OF THE WEEK. IT WAS THE RAIN. IT RAINED HARD ENOUGH TO, "DROWN A DUCK." ALL THE ANGLERS HAD PRUNED HANDS AND A COUPLE WERE STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF DEVELOPING WEBS BETWEEN THEIR TOES.

 

AS I WRITE THIS ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON THE WEATHER HAD STARTED TO CLEAR UP. LET US HOPE IT HOLDS UP FOR NEXT WEEK. UNTIL THEN I WILL BE DRYING OUT MY RAIN SUIT.

 

 

11/20/10

PESCA PANAMA'S FIRST BRAZILIAN ANGLERS OF THE SEASON ARRIVED THIS WEEK. OLIVO GROMES WAS THE GROUP ORGANIZER AND THE ANGLERS INCLUDED; ZECA MAGALHAES, RICARDO RETZ, CHRISTIAN KELETI, ANDRE PIEDADE, EDUARDO DAVILA, BRUNO BOFF AND BASSIN TRABULSE.

 

TRUE TO FORM, THESE BRAZILIAN ANGLERS LIKE TO THROW POPPERS. MOST OF THIS WEEKS' CATCHES WERE TAKEN WITH POPPERS AS YOU CAN SEE BY LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PHOTOS. WE FOUND GOOD INSHORE FISHING FROM THE PARADIAS ISLAND ALL THE WAY TO JICRON AND JICARITA ISLANDS. BIG CUBERA AND MULLET SNAPPERS WERE RISING TO THE SURFACE TO ATTACK THE POPPERS THAT WERE OFFERED. DORADO WERE SHOWING UP IN THE TRASH LINES AND THEY WERE ALSO READY TO ATTACK POPPERS. ADD IN ROOSTERFISH IN THE 60 LB PLUS RANGE ALSO CAUGHT ON POPPERS AND LET'S JUST SAY, "THE BITE WAS ON!"

 

THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE PARADIAS ISLANDS WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH A LOT OF LIVE BAIT. THESE LIVE BAITS PRODUCED SOME NICE CATCHES OF AMBER JACKS WHEN DROPPED ON TOP OF THE MANY SUBMERGED ROCKS AND REEFS THAT OUR CAPTAINS HAVE MARKED WITH THEIR GPS UNITS.

 

 

NICE CATCHES OF WAHOO ADDED TO THE FISHING ACTION THIS WEEK. TWO OF OUR FAVORITE LOCATIONS TO FISH FOR WAHOO, JICRON ISLAND AND WAHOO ROCK, WERE WHERE WE FOUND THE MOST WAHOO SCHOOLED UP. MOST OF THE WAHOO CAUGHT WERE IN THE 40 LB RANGE WITH A 70 LB WAHOO BEING THE LARGEST. A COCK PHEASANT SQUAWKING AS HE RISES FROM THE CORN FIELD, THE FLUSHING OF A COVEY OF QUAIL RIGHT UNDER YOUR FEET AND THE SCREAMING OF THE REEL WHEN A WAHOO MAKES IT FIRST RUN ARE THREETHINGS MAKE MY OLD HEART RACE AND MY BLOOD RUN HOT.

 

WE PUT IN A GOOD DAY MARLIN FISHING AT HANNIBAL BANK AND AROUND MONTUOSA BUT DIDN'T RAISE A ONE. THE WATER WAS OFF COLOR AND I REALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF IT HAD BEEN HOLDING MARLIN.

 

IT WAS A GREAT WEEK OF FISHING WITH A GREAT GROUP OF ANGLERS. I WANT TO SAY, "THANK YOU," FOR CHOOSING TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN AND OFTEN.

11/13/10

AFTER TWELVE SUCCESSFUL YEARS OF FISHING THIS MOST INTERESTING  AREA WE ARE STILL CHALLENGED AND ENCHANTED BY ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE FISHING AREAS TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

 

THIS FIRST WEEK'S FISHING PROVED TO BE A RECONFIRMATION OF JUST THAT.  IN THE TWELVE YEARS I HAVE BEEN FISHING THIS AREA I CAN NEVER REMEMBER US HAVING A WIDE OPEN YELLOWFIN TUNA BITE IN NOVEMBER.  BUT IT HAPPENED THIS YEAR.  FISHING WEST OF ISLA MONTUOSA, CAPTAIN TATIN ENCOUNTERED A HUGE BAIT BALL OF RAINBOW RUNNERS THAT WERE RAVENOUSLY BEING FEED ON BY YELLOWFIN TUNA.  OUR ANGLERS, JIM BUTTERWORTH, BILL BOTELER AND MIKE NEWBERRY WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY BOAT 11 TUNA IN THE 50 TO 150 POUND RANGE.  BUT IT WAS THE MONSTER TUNA THAT THEY ALL FOUGHT FOR AN HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES THAT EARNED THEIR RESPECT.  THE ANGLERS WATCHED IN AMAZEMENT AS A HUGE TUNA STRUCK ONE OF THE TOP WATER BAITS THEY HAD THROWN.  IT WAS AT THIS MOMENTS THEY KNEW THEY WEREGOING TO GET THEIR BUTTS KICKED!  UNCHARACTERISTIC OF THE TYPICAL YELLOWFIN TUNA FIGHT, THIS BIG GIRL STAYED SWIMMING ON TOP AND FOUGHT TO STAY AWAY FROM THE DEADLY GAFF. AS SHE WAS REELED INTO GAFF RANGE AND THE MATE MADE HIS LONGEST REACH, SHE MADE A STUNNING DIVE RIGHT UNDER THE BOAT AND THAT WAS THE LAST THEY EVER SAW OF HER.  BUT THESE ANGLERS ARE GREAT SPORTSMAN AND WERE NOT DISMAYED AT THE LOSS.  THEY ALL AGREED THAT AN ANIMAL THIS MAGNIFICENT DESERVED TO LIVE.

 

THE WEATHER THIS WEEK WAS RAINY AND THE OPEN SEAS WERE FISHABLE BUT NOT COMFORTABLY.  THE BARGE STAYED SAFELY ANCHORED IN THE PARADIAS ISLAND WHERE THE EVENING BITE ON ROOSTERFISH WAS GOOD.  OUR BIGGEST CATCH ON ROOSTERFISH WAS EIGHT ONE EVENING.  BY FISHING SO CLOSE TO THE BARGE OUR ANGLERS WERE ABLE TO FISH RIGHT UP TO LAST LIGHT BEFORE RETURNING TO THE COMFORT OF OUR FLOATING HOME.

 

BESIDES THE ROOSTERFISH, OTHER CATCHES IN THE ISLANDS THIS WEEK INCLUDED LOTS OF BIG JACK CREVELLE, SIERRA MACKERAL, CUBERA SNAPPER, HORSE EYE JACK, RAINBOW RUNNERS AND DORADO.  ADDING TO THE LARDER WERE THE LARGE JUMBO SHRIMP AND SOME SMALLER SIZED LIVE LOBSTER WE BOUGHT FROM THE LOCAL FISHERMEN. LET'S JUST SAY IT WAS A GREAT WEEK TO START THE FISHING YEAR IN PANAMA AND NO ONE WENT HOME ANY SLIMMER.