Fishing Report - 04/10/10

GREETING FROM THE TROPICS

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.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK: PESCA PANAMA IS GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR CHEF OF THE LAST 10 YEARS, EDINA, HAS RETURNED TO COOK ON THE BARGE. THOUGH WE LOVED EDINA'S COOKING BEFORE, IT IS NOW EVEN BETTER THAN EVER. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED HER THIS YEAR, "SHE'S BACK."

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:


MITCH AND JOE WITH A BIG ROOSTERFISH


KIP HAS A NICE ROCK SNAPPER


KIP AND HIS BIG AMBERJACK


KIP WITH A JACK CREVALLE


JOHN AND A NICE SIZED CUBERA SNAPPER


MITCH AND ANOTHER OF THE BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS CAUGHT THIS WEEK


MARK AND A BLUE TREVALLE


TRACEY AND MARK SHOW US THEIR DOUBLE ON CUBERA SNAPPERS


MIKIE WITH A CUBERA SNAPPER


MITCH AND JOE WITH THE WEEK'S BIGGEST TUNA