Fishing Report - 1/6/06

GREETING FROM THE TROPICS,

THE PACIFIC SIDE OF PANAMA AND THE COIBA ISLAND REGION ARE KNOWN IN THE SPORT FISHING WORLD; BOTH FOR THEIR DIVERSITY AND FANTASTIC "COMBINATION" FISHING. THIS REMOTE AREA OF THE WORLD HAS A HUGE RESIDENT POPULATION OF INSHORE FISHES. THE FISH ARE ALWAYS HERE BUT AT TIMES THE FISHING VARIES (THE FISH TURN ON AND OFF). THIS PAST WEEK WAS AN "ON WEEK" WITHOUT A DOUBT; WITH BOTH THE INSHORE AND OFFSHORE FISHING TO HOT TO TOUCH!!

VETERAN COIBA ANGLER CAPTAIN AL RISTORI RETURNED THIS WEEK ALONG WITH RETURNING ANGLERS HANS KASPERSETZ AND BOB CORRELL. ACCOMPANYING THEM WAS BOB'S BROTHER TODD CORRELL, ART CONWAY, DOUG SMITH AND KARL DREHWING.  THESE FISHERMEN WERE LOADED DOWN WITH RODS, REELS AND BAGS OF NEW LURES.  THE FISH WERE IN FOR SOME REAL TROUBLE THIS WEEK!

OUR ANGLERS WERE INTO THE FISH RIGHT FROM THE START.  THE STRETCH OF WATER FROM LADRONES ISLAND TO MONTUOSA ISLAND WAS STACKED UP WITH BIG DORADO.  WHILE FISHING WITH TEAM MACHO DOUG AND ART LANDED 12 DORADO WITH THE LARGEST FISH BEING A 54 LB BULL. ON DAY TWO PESCA PANAMA ENCOUNTERED THE PORPOISE AND THE TUNA BITE WAS ON. SEVERAL TUNA BETWEEN 60 AND 110 POUNDS WERE LANDED ON SPINNING TACKLE. THE SAILFISH FISHING SEEMS TO BE WARMING UP AS THE SEASON PROGRESSES, LANDING UP TO THREE PER DAY THIS WEEK; AND VISUALLY SEEING MANY MORE FINING AND FREE JUMPING.

AS IS THE NORM WHEN UNCLE AL IS IN TOWN, MUCH OF OUR TIME WAS DEVOTED TO CASTING THE ROCKS AND REEF SYSTEMS. HANS STARTED THE WEEK OFF WITH A BANG WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN LUCHO LANDING A 40 LB CUBERA ON TOP WATER. GIVING THE OFFSHORE FISH A REST, CAPTAIN BARTOLO HEADED TO JICARON WHERE HE LANDED THREE ROOSTERS UP TO 60 LBS AND TWO CUBERAS TOPPING THE SCALES AT 52 AND 54 LBS RESPECTIVELY. WHILE BARTOLO WAS PLAYING WITH THE SNAPPERS, MACHO WAS UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS OF DROPPING LIVE BAIT TRYING TO FIND OUT JUST HOW BIG OF AN AMBERJACK A TLD 20 WILL HOLD.

CAPTAIN AL "LA MAQUINA" RISTORI WAS ON FIRE WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TRAVIS.  ON DAY THREE HE LANDED 2 ROOSTER FISH, 6 CUBERA SNAPPERS UP TO 42 LBS, AND LOST COUNT ON THE NUMBER OF JACK CREVELLE AND BLUE JACKS. AL ALSO HAD A SENSATIONAL WEEK WITH ROOSTERFISH LANDING SEVEN ON THE WEEK; ALL ON TOP WATER. UNCLE AL WAS UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS AT NIGHT AS WELL. WHILE SACRIFICING HIS SLEEP TO FILL THE BARGES LIVE WELL; HE ALSO CAUGHT MANY HORSE EYED JACKS, NURSE SHARKS, AND AN AFRICAN POMPANO.

THE ANGLERS HAVING HAD THEIR FILL WITH COIBA ISLAND AND JICARON ISLAND, DECIDED TO TRY THEIR LUCK AT HANNIBAL BANK. THIS DECISION WAS PARTIALLY BASED ON MACHO'S REPORT OF SEEING A MARLIN FEEDING ON THE SURFACE THAT MACHO DESCRIBED AS "THE BIGGEST ANIMAL I HAVE EVER SEEN." THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP A VISUAL ON THE FISH FOR MANY MINUTES AND TRIED TO PUT THEIR BAITS IN FRONT OF THE MARLIN BUT TO NO AVAIL. AS ALL FOUR PESCA PANAMA BOATS MADE THEIR WAY TO THE BANK, THE REPORTS STARTED TO COME IN. THE BANK WAS ACTIVE. WITHIN MINUTES OF ARRIVING MACHO HIT THE FIRST FISH. AFTER RUNNING OFF LINE FOR FIVE MINUTES THE FISH UNFORTUNATELY SPIT THE HOOK. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, CAPTAIN LUCHO HAD A BLACK RISE AND TAKE A LOOK AT HIS PLASTICS, BUT WAS NOT CONVINCED. SECONDS LATER, TEAM PONCHERA SAW A SWIRL AND HEARD A ZIP, FISH ON! AFTER MANY BREATH TAKING ACROBATICS AND 40 MINUTES OF SWEATING, CURSING, AND CRANKING KARL "THE COACH" DREHWING, LANDED HIS FIRST BLACK MARLIN ESTIMATED AT 500 LBS! CONGRATULATIONS KARL, GREAT FISH!

ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND VISITING US DOWN HERE IN THE TROPICS WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT YEAR AND MAKING A FEW MORE FISH STORIES.

TIGHTLINES,
CAPTAIN JAY AND CAPTAIN TRAVIS


Reef Donkey on the iron!


Looks like this scrappy 100 pound yellow fin is  putting the heat on Bob!


Nice Cubera coach!


Nice Rooster Doug!


The "king" of inshore...Uncle Al....Good job  Al!!


Hannibal Bank!!! Need we say more?


The ever illusive silk snapper...on the  iron!


Dorado Time!


Tuna on Top!!! Good job Todd!


Now that's a Dorado!