Fishing Report - 06/02/05

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS,

AFTER TROPICAL STORM "ADRIAN" PASSED WE FOUND OURSELVES FISHING IN LARGER THAN USUAL GROUND SWELLS.  OUR "OCEAN MASTER" BOATS DID GREAT IN THESE SEAS TAKING OUR ANGLERS OUT TO THE FISHING GROUNDS.  MIDWAY THROUGH THE CHARTER THE SKY CLEARED UP, THE SEA LAID DOWN AND WE WERE ONCE AGAIN BACK TO OUR NORMAL TROPICAL WEATHER.  ANGLERS THIS WEEK INCLUDED: THE RETURN OF OUR FIRST CLIENT EVER ON THE "FLOATING LODGE," BRUCE JARVIS.  HE BROUGHT TWO OTHER SOUTH FLORIDA FISHERMEN,  GLEN ANDERSON AND CECIL BRODERICK.  FROM REDDING, CALIFORNIA CAME FIRST TIMERS ROB SMYTH, NICK BORGWAT, CHUCK BYARD AND CAMERAMAN BART HAWKINS. INTERNATIONAL  FISHING GUIDE MIKE AUGAT BROUGHT RETURNING ANGLER TED MERLETTI FROM NEW YORK STATE, FATHER AND SON, ED AND BLAINE NICKLAUS FROM SOUTH FLORIDA AND JACK FRIEZE HAILING FROM ROCKPORT,TEXAS.

FISHING WASN'T CONSISTENT THE FIRST HALF OF THE  CHARTER AND THE DAILY FISHING  REPORTS VARIED FROM  FAIR TO FANTASTIC .  CAPTAIN BARTOLO GUIDED THE CALIFORNIA ANGLERS TO A HOT WAHOO BITE AND THEN FOLLOWED UP CATCHING AND RELEASING 6 SNOOK WEIGHING UP TO 15 LBS,  ANGLERS FISHING WITH CAPTAINS BARTOLO, LUCHO AND SERIGO GOT INTO ANOTHER HOT WAHOO BITE AT CANALAS AND RANCHARITA ISLANDS.  THE FIRST 100 LB YELLOW FIN TUNA CAUGHT ON A POPPER WAS TAKEN BY TED MERLETTI.  CAPTAINS MACHO AND LUCHO HAD GOOD YELLOW FIN ACTION THIS WEEK ON BOTH BANANA BANK AND HANNIBAL BANK. CAPTAIN MACHO'S ANGLERS, BRUCE, GLEN AND CECIL CAUGHT TUNA WEIGHTING 90, 100, 147 AND 152 LBS.  CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS, ROB, NICK AND CHUCK CAUGHT A TOTAL OF 14 YELLOW FIN THIS WEEK WITH THE LARGEST WEIGHTING 110, 157, 160 AND 214 LBS.  THEY ALSO LANDED SEVERAL NICE CUBERA INCLUDING A 28 AND 42 LB FISH.  THE HEAVIEST CUBERA OF THE WEEK WAS LANDED BY CECIL, A BEAUTIFUL 52 POUNDER.

SO, IF YOU WANT TO TANGLE WITH A TUNA OR WRESTLE WITH A WAHOO YOU NEED TO CALL 1-800-946-3473 AND BOOK YOUR CHARTER FOR NEXT MAY.

THE BITE IS "GOING OFF" IN PANAMA!

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING NOTES:
IN LAST WEEK'S FISHING NOTES I WROTE OF MY HIGH REGARD FOR THE SHIMANO TLD SERIES OF REELS.  THEY ARE IN A "WORK HORSE" OF A REEL. WE HAVE CAUGHT HUNDREDS OF HALIBUT,  FROM 100 LBS TO 300LBS, IN ALASKA WITH THESE REELS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM. FISHING HERE IN PANAMA WITH THESE REELS HAS PROVEN TO BE A DIFFERENT STORY.  OUR ANGLERS ARE HAVING THE GRAPHITE REEL FRAMES PULLED APART.  THIS BREAKAGE OCCURS WHEN THE FOLLOWING  HAPPENS; YOU ARE HOOKED-UP WITH A YELLOW FIN TUNA OR MARLIN THAT IS IN THE 200 LB CLASS OR LARGER. THE ANGLER IS APPLYING MAXIMUM DRAG PRESSURE AND IS USING BOTH A GIMBLE FIGHTING BELT WITH A FIGHTING HARNESS ATTACHED TO THE TOP REEL LUGS.  I SHOULD NOTE THAT SHIMANO HAS ALWAYS REPAIRED THESE  REELS FREE OF CHARGE.  SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM?  IT IS REALLY QUITE SIMPLE.  FISH THE TLD REELS ON FISH SPECIES THAT DON'T USUALLY WEIGH MUCH OVER 100 LBS OR YOU CAN SIMPLY USE A LIGHTER DRAG SETTING.  FOR THE HEAVY WEIGHT FIGHTERS, FISH WITH AN ALUMINUM FRAMED TWO SPEED REEL. AS FOR THE TLD'S, THEY ARE STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES.


OCEAN MASTERS, "READY IN THE RIVER"


ROB AND A RAMPAGING SNOOK


TED WITH "POPPER CAUGHT" TUNA
YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS ON A SPINNING ROD!


CHUCK WITH A CHUNKY BLUE JACK


TED WITH A SELDOM SEEN "GOLDEN JACK"


JACK READY TO RELEASE A SMALL ROOSTERFISH


WAHOO LOVE THE WILLY "Z" LURE


CHUCK, NICK AND SOME NICE "HOOS"


GETTING READY FOR THE RELEASE


BLAINE READY TO RELEASE A BLUE JACK,  "GOTTA LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH"


CECIL WITH 52 LB CUBERA AND GLEN WITH 147 LB TUNA


CHUCK, NICK AND ROB WITH THREE BIG ONES