Fishing Report - 04/18/09

GREETING FROM THE TROPICS

WE HAD A REAL MIXED BAG OF FISHING THIS WEEK. WHILE FISHING FOR BAIT WITH A SABIKI RIG, CAPTAIN TITO'S ANGLERS KEN GARCIA AND JOE SIEGEL HOOKED WHAT THE CAPTAIN THOUGHT WAS A ROOSTERFISH. THEY FOUGHT THE FISH FOR 90 MINUTES BEFORE THE SABIKI CAME UNDONE AND THEY LOST THEIR ONLY ROOSTER OF THE DAY. ANOTHER DAY JOE HAD ALREADY RELEASED A 450 LB CLASS BLACK MARLIN AND THE TWO ANGLERS HAD LANDED 3 AMBERJACK,3 CUBERA SNAPPERS, A ROOSTERFISH AND A HAMMERHEAD SHARK. IT HAD BEEN A GOOD DAY OF FISHING FOR THEM BUT CAPTAIN TITO WANTED TO TRY BOTTOM FISHING AT ONE OF HIS FAVORITE FISHING SPOTS ON THE WAY BACK TO THE BARGE. AT AROUND 5:30 HE PUT A LARGE CHUNK BAIT ON A CIRCLE HOOK AND SENT IT TO THE BOTTOM. THERE WAS AN INSTANT HOOK-UP. THE FISH AT THE END OF THE LINE FELT BIG BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT ABOUT THE FIGHT. AFTER PLAYING THE FISH FOR AWHILE A BLACK MARLIN EXPLODED FROM THE WATER RIGHT NEXT TO THEIR BOAT. WITH THE BLACK MARLIN HOOKED UP ON A SHIMANO TIAGRA 16 SPOOLED UP WITH 50 LB TEST MONO, IT TOOK THE NEXT THREE HOURS BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING THE ESTIMATED 350 LB FISH TO THE BOAT. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU TO CATCH NEXT WHEN YOU ARE FISHING IN PANAMA!

DENNIS AND CHAD KLUM WERE HAVING GOOD ACTION BOTTOM FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TOMMY. BUT EVERY TIME THEY WOULD HOOK UP THE A BIG FISH IT WOULD CUT THEM OFF IN THE ROCKS. WITH THEIR DRAGS LOCKED DOWN AND USING 80 LB BRADED LINE DENNIS SAID, "WHEN THE BIG FISH WOULD HIT IT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO TO HANG ON TO THE RODS." THE BIG BOTTOM DWELLERS WOULD PEAL OFF THE LINE AS THEY HEADED FOR THEIR ROCKY LAIRS. BUT THROUGH OUT THE WEEK THESE TWO ANGLERS PRODUCED SOME GOOD CATCHES WHILE BOTTOM FISHING.

BRAD OAKS AND JAMES SENA WERE LIVE BAITING WHEN A MARLIN ATE THE LIVE BONITA AND TURNED ON ITS' AFTERBURNER AS IT TAIL WALKED TO THE HORIZON. CAPTAIN LUCHO QUICKLY TURNED HIS BOAT TO PURSUE THE FISH AS HE SAW ALL OF HIS TOP SHOT OF FRESHLY SPOOLED 80 LB MONO DISAPPEAR FROM THE REEL. THEN THE LINE WENT SLACK AS IT HAD BEEN CUT BY SOME UNSEEN MENACE. THERE IS ALWAYS TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY BRAD RELEASED AN ESTIMATED 400 LB BLACK MARLIN AND A BIG PACIFIC SAILFISH.

FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TATIN WERE PASCAL DERAULY AND PHILIPPE DANOS. THESE ANGLERS PREFER TO FISH WITH POPPERS AND JIGS BUT WILL SWITCH TO LIVE BAIT IF THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A HOOK-UP. THROUGH OUT THE WEEK THEY PRODUCED CATCHES OF YELLOWFIN TUNA, DORADO, CUBERA SNAPPER, BLACK GROUPER, ROCK SNAPPER, BLUE JACK, MULLET SNAPPER, JACK CREVALLE, HORSE EYE JACK AND RAINBOW RUNNERS.

ONE DAY ALL THE BOATS SET THEIR COURSE FOR ISLA MONTUOSA WITH THE HOPES OF FINDING A SCHOOL OF YELLOWFIN TUNA. THE FIRST BOAT TO SPOT THE FEEDING YELLOWFIN CALLED IN THE OTHER BOATS TO WHAT WAS A HUGE SCHOOL OF 50 TO 100 LB TUNA. THESE FISH PROVED TO BE FINICKY FEEDER BUT ALL OF OUR ANGLERS WERE ABLE TO CATCH YELLOWFIN TUNA WITH SMALL, LIVE BONITA BEING THE BEST BAIT.

THE FISHING WAS SLOW THIS WEEK AND THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE HOT 89 DEGREE WATER MOVING BACK INTO THE AREA. BUT GOOD CATCHES WERE STILL TO BE MADE, IT JUST TOOK MORE EFFORT ON THE PART OF THE ANGLERS WHICH THEY WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PROVIDE. THANKS TO ALL OF THIS WEEKS ANGLERS FOR FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JULIAN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK: I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND WILL SAY IT AGAIN. ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED WHEN FISHING IN PANAMA. IT IS THESE UNEXPECTED CATCHES THAT WILL MAKE YOU FISHING STORIES THAT CAN BE TOLD FOR A LIFE TIME.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:


LAST MINUTE HOOK-UP


THE KLUM BOYS WERE INTO THE SNAPPER THIS WEEK


DENNIS AND CHAD WITH A BIG CUBERA SNAPPER


TRACY, BRAD'S FIRST WIFE, WITH HER SPRING GOBBLER


DORADO FOR DINNER


CAPTAIN LUCHO READY TO RELEASE BRAD'S MARLIN


HOOKING UP IN THE ROCKS


SUNSET IN THE ISLANDS


JOE WITH A SCHOOLIE YELLOWFIN


ROOSTERFISH READY TO RELEASE