Fishing Report - 5/20/06

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS,

CATCHING YELLOWFIN TUNA WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME THIS WEEK AT PESCA PANAMA. THE BITE WAS WIDE OPEN AND OUR ANGLERS WERE ONCE AGAIN LANDING UP TO 40 YELLOWFIN A DAY. THE COMMENT I HEARD MOST WAS, "THE ACTION WAS INCREDIBLE" AND "WE COULD HAVE CAUGHT MORE BUT MY ARMS JUST GAVE OUT!"

OUR GUEST THIS WEEK INCLUDED; BEVERLY "BAJABEV" SELTZER, BROTHERS RICK AND TOM HUTCHINSON, KEITH HILDEBRANDT, TIM SNYDER, FISHING PARTNERS "BERT" DELGADO AND RAMON SILVESTRE, TODD PYLE AND GIRLFRIEND STACY RUBICK, PESCA PANAMA'S WEST COAST REPRESENTATIVE AND MANUFACTURER OF WILLY"Z" LURES RICKY ZUNIGA AND VIDEOGRAPHER DANNY JACKSON.

TODD AND STACY WERE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN BARTOLO WHEN TODD CAUGHT A 150 LB YELLOWFIN ON A POPPER AND AN EVEN LARGER 160 LB YELLOWFIN ON LIVE BAIT. STACY LANDED A 50 LB YELLOWFIN AFTER IT TOOK HER POPPER. TIM CONNECTED WITH A 120 LB YELLOWFIN WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TATIN NEAR HANNIBAL BANK. BEV BOXED A 50 AND A 60 LB. TUNA ON BAIT. KEITH LANDED A GOOD SIZED CUBERA NEAR CANALES ISLAND WHILE HE WAS FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TATIN. THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO VISIT THE VILLAGE IN BAHIA HONDA WHEN THEY CAUGHT THIS FISH.

TOM, RICK AND RICKY WERE RUNNING TO HANNIBAL BANK WHEN THEY RAN INTO RAIN. SO THEY DECIDED TO MAKE A DETOUR TO MONTUOSA. WHEN THEY ARRIVED THE RAIN HAD STOPPED AND THEY RECEIVED A CALL THAT THE YELLOWFIN WERE GOING OFF ABOUT 10 MILES FROM WHERE THEY CAME FROM. THEY SPUN THE BOAT AROUND AND IN A SHORT TIME FOUND BIRDS DIVING, WITH PORPOISE AND TUNA CRASHING A HUGE BAIT BALL OF BLUE RUNNERS. THE FIRST CAST CAME OUT WITH A 115 LB YELLOWFIN. FROM THEN ON IT WAS EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF! MACHO DECIDED TO BACK INTO THE BAIT BALL AND SCOOP UP A BUCKET FULL OF BAIT. TO TOM, RICK AND RICKY'S SURPRISE HE SCORED! NOW THE TABLE HAD TURNED, THESE WEST COAST BOYS HAD LIVE BAIT AND THEY WEREN'T AFRAID TO USE IT. AFTER USING UP THEIR BAIT THEY HAD BOATED 25 TUNA, 40 TO 100 LBS. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THE CREW SPOTTED A SECOND MEATBALL GOING OFF. OUT CAME THE BAIT BUCKET, BAIT TANK FULL AND READY FOR ACTION! ONCE AGAIN THE BOYS WERE LOCKED AND LOADED. TUNA WERE CRASHING ALL AROUND THE BOAT, NOT ALLOWING THE BAITS TO SWIM MORE THAN 5 FEET. ANOTHER 20 TUNA AND IT WAS TIME TO GET BACK TO THE BARGE TO LICK THEIR WOUNDS. WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY OF FISHING!

RAMON AND BERT WERE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN LUCHO. THEY SPENT MOST OF THEIR TIME CASTING POPPERS TO SCHOOLS OF YELLOWFIN TUNA AT HANNIBAL BANK. THEY LANDED SEVERAL TUNA OVER 100 LBS. AND MANY SMALLER TUNA. BEING FROM FLORIDA THESE FISHERMEN WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE TUNA FISHING THEY HAD AT PESCA PANAMA THIS WEEK.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIPS: WHEN HOOKED-UP TO A LARGE TUNA OR MARLIN, SNAP SWIVELS CAN AND DO OFTEN GET PULLED OPEN. THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO LOOSE A GREAT FISH. SOME ANGLERS USE COPPER RIGGING WIRE TO TIE THE SNAP SWIVEL CLOSED WHILE OTHER PREFER TO TIE THE LEADER DIRECTLY TO THE MAIN LINE. NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF SNAP SWIVEL YOU DECIDE TO USE, REMEMBER TO ALWAYS FISH WITH BIG SWIVELS WHEN FISHING FOR BIG FISH.


TIM AND ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF YELLOWFIN CAUGHT THIS WEEK


KEITH WITH A "BAHIA HONDA" CUBERA SNAPPER


STYLING RICKY "Z" HEFTS A HOO. NOTE THE MATCHING PURPLE SHIRT AND ROD BELT


BERT AND RAMON WITH SEVERAL TUNA


TIM WITH A RED SNAPPER CAUGHT ON IRON


DANNY WITH A ROCK SNAPPER


RAMON AND A "LAP SIZE" YELLOWFIN


CAPTAIN BARTOLO HELPS TODD WITH A YELLOWFIN CAUGHT ON A POPPER


STACY IS ALL SMILES WITH HER WAHOO


BEV TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE "WAHOO SEASON"