Fishing Report - 03/06/10

GREETING FROM THE TROPICS

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.

THIS WAS CAPTAIN BEN FLOYD'S LAST WEEK TO WORK AS ONE OF OUR CHARTER CAPTAINS THIS SEASON. HE HAS TO RETURN HOME TO SITKA, ALASKA AND START GETTING HIS BOAT AND TACKLE IN ORDER. I THINK HE IS ALSO A LITTLE BEHIND ON HIS HOMEWORK WITH HIS NEW WIFE. WE WILL ALL MISS HIM AROUND HERE WHEN HE DEPARTS FOR THE FROZEN NORTH. THE COLDEST THING HE HAS SEEN IN PANAMA IS A FROZEN MARGARITA. BEN ALWAYS ADDS A LOT TO OUR CHARTERS. HE HAS AGREED AND HIS WIFE HAS ISSUED HIM A KITCHEN PASS FOR ALL OF JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF NEXT YEAR. IN THE MEANTIME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO FISHING WITH BEN IN ALASKA HE CAN BE EMAILED AT, BFLOYD97@HOTMAIL.COM.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAINS JAY GUSTIN AND BEN FLOYD.

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK: NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A HOOKER, I MEAN FISHERMAN. THEY SPEND WAY TOO MUCH MONEY, ARE SELDOM AT HOME AND USUALLY SMELL OF FISH IF THEY DO COME HOME.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:


ANGELO WITH A NICE 30 LB ROOSTERFISH


ANDY, STEVE AND KEITH WITH A 162 LB YELLOWFIN TUNA


FRANK WITH A REEF DONKEY THAT FELL FOR A SUMO JIG


HANK, RICH, AND SHORTY WITH THE BIGGEST TUNA OF THE WEEK. 220 LBS!


CHI CHI GIVING WAYNE'S CUBERA A KISS BEFORE THE RELEASE


PAULY WITH A NICE CUBERA


RUSTY WITH A 35 LB POPPER CAUGHT ROOSTERFISH AT COIBA ISLAND


ANOTHER MONSTER CUBERA CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY RICH KELLY


JOHN WITH ONE OF MANY MANGROVE SNAPPER CAUGHT ON THE SECRET BEACH


SHORTY WITH A NICE CUBERA