Fishing Report - 01/23/10

GREETING FROM THE TROPICS

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.

TIGHT LINES,

CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN, CAPTAIN BEN FLOYD AND PESCA PANAMA'S WEST COAST REP RICKY ZUNIGA

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK: CAPTAIN MIKE AUGAT STOPPED BY THIS WEEK TO SAY HELLO AND SHOW ME A NEW POPPING LURE THAT HE IS HAVE GREAT SUCCESS WITH. IT IS A POPPING PLUG CALLED THE BIG SPLASH. IN THE SMALL SIZE, WHICH IS 4.5 IN. LONG AND ONLY WEIGHS 1.5 OZ, MIKE SAYS IT IS EASY TO CAST AND MAKES A BIG SPLASH. YOU CAN CAST IT WITH YOUR LIGHTER SPINNING GEAR WHICH DOESN'T WEAR YOU OUT AS FAST. IT ALSO COMES IN A 2.5 OZ. MODEL. THEIR WEB SITE IS: WWW.STINGOFISH.COM. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING OUT THERE TO HOOK A FISHERMEN.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: ON THE LAST DAY OF FISHING THE NORTH WIND CAME UP AND WITH SOME BOATS COMING IN EARLY AND SOME BOATS STAYING OUT LATER WE MISSED GETTING PHOTOS FROM ALL THE ANGLERS. HENCE WE DID NOT GET THE FISHING PHOTOS OF KENNY AND FRANK AND THEIR SHARK.


TOM WITH A TOPWATER ROOSTER


ROSS WITH ONE OF MANY SAILFISH CAUGHT THIS WEEK


MARK HOOKED INTO A 450 LB BLACK AT HANNIBAL BANK


THE BOYS FOUND SOME REEF DONKEYS DOWN AT JICARON


FIRST CAST ON THE SECOND DAY, NOT A BAD WAY TO START THE TRIP!


LUCHO, CHI CHI, AND HOBIE WITH A GIANT CUBERA


TED WITH A BEAUTIFUL ROOSTERFISH


NOTHING LIKE A CUBAN AND A CUBERA


EVEN THE ROOSTERFISH WHERE EATING CHUNK BAIT


TED WITH AN ESTIMATED 60 LB AJ.