Fishing Report - 06/24/05

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS,

WE HAD SOME VERY SPECIAL FISHING GOING ON AT PESCA PANAMA THIS WEEK. THE AROSTEGUI FAMILY FROM CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA INCLUDING; MOTHER ROBERTA, FATHER MARTY, DAUGHTER DANIELLE AND SON MARTINI HAD SELECTED TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA.  THIS FAMILY HAS CAUGHT A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 200 IGFA  RECORDS.  MARTY HOLDS 96 IGFA FLY RECORDS AND HIS GOAL WAS TO TRY AND CATCH HIS 100TH IGFA FLY RECORD WHILE FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA.

THE 'DYNAMIC DUO,' JIM MCCORD OF FORT MYERS, FLORIDA AND HARRY LOWELL OF DATONA BEACH, FLORIDA WERE ALSO FISHING WITH US FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS YEAR.  NOW THAT IS MY IDEA OF A RETURN CLIENT!

OUR NORMAL WEATHER RETURNED THIS WEEK AS THE EFFECTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION 'ARLENE' IN THE CARIBBEAN HAD MOVED ON NORTH. THIS LEFT OUR ANGLERS WITH CALMER SEAS, CLOUDY SKIES AND THE NORMAL TROPICAL RAIN SHOWERS WE EXPECT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

THE FISHING ACTION THIS WEEK WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE WAHOO BITE WAS 'WIDE OPEN.' OUR ANGLERS REPORTED BEING ABLE TO CATCH WAHOO, AT WILL, IN MOST AREAS. THE WAHOO WERE SO THICK THERE WOULD BE SCHOOLS OF THEM FOLLOWING THE LURES BACK TO THE BOAT. IF YOU ARE AFTER WAHOO, THEN JUNE IS THE MONTH TO BE HERE.  OFFSHORE, JIM AND HARRY HOOKED A SAILFISH AND A BLUE MARLIN ALONG WITH SEVERAL SMALL 40 LB. YELLOWFIN TUNA. BUT OFFSHORE WAS PRETTY DEAD THIS WEEK. THE AROSTEGUI FAMILY GOT INTO THE ACTION AS SOON AS THEY STARTED CASTING AND NEW POTENTIAL IGFA RECORDS STARTED BEING LANDED.  I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THEIR FISHING. NOW ALL OF THIS IS PENDING, BUT THE AROSTEGUIS CAUGHT 11 POTENTIAL IGFA RECORD FISH THIS WEEK WHILE FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA!  NOW THAT IS GREAT WEEK OF FISHING IN ANYBODY'S BOOK.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN


DANIELLE AND MATE TATIN WITH A COUPLE
OF WAHOO CAUGHT AT "WAHOO ROCK"


MARTY AND MATE TOMMY WITH A GOOD ROOSTER


MATE TOMMY AND MARTINI WITH GOOD CUBERA


ROBERTA AND A LINE CLASS MULLET SNAPPER


MARTINI SHOWS OF A NICE LITTLE SNOOK
MARTINI WITH A BLUE JACK


ROBERTA WITH A 'BRIGHT' CUBERA SNAPPER


MARTY WITH CUBERA SNAPPER

FISHING NOTES;
AS THOSE OF YOU HAVE FISHED WITH PESCA PANAMA KNOW, WE STRIVE TO OFFER OUR ANGLERS THE 'VERY  BEST' IN FISHING TACKLE.  WITH ALL THE INCREASED POPULARITY IN POPPER FISHING AND BEING IN ONE OF THE VERY BEST POPPER FISHING AREAS IN THE WORLD, I DECIDED THIS YEAR WE NEEDED TO UPGRADE OUR SPINNING REELS.  I JUST WASN'T SURE THAT SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY ON A SPINNING REEL WAS REALLY WORTH IN OR NOT, BUT I NEEDED TO FIND OUT.

WE PURCHASED SEVERAL OF SHIMANO'S STELLA SPINNING REELS TO GIVE THEM A TRY.  I COULDN'T DECIDE WHETHER TO BUY THE STL8000FA OR THE STL10000FA, SO I BOUGHT SEVERAL OF BOTH. AFTER SIX MONTHS OF CONTINUOUS FISHING HERE ARE MY OBSERVATIONS ON THE REELS.  OTHER THAN HAVING THE SCREW THAT ATTACHES THE BAIL WORK LOOSE ON ONE OF THE REELS, WE HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE REEL FAILURE.  THIS IS QUITE REMARKABLE WITH THE AMOUNT OF FISHING WE DO AND THE SIZE OF THE FISH WE CATCH.  ALSO WITH THE STELLAS' BEING ABLE TO DELIVER HEAVY DRAG PRESSURE AND THE DRAG STILL REMAIN SMOOTH ENABLES THE ANGLER TO REALLY PUT THE HEAT ON A FISH.  THE HIGH SPEED LINE RECOVERY IS ALSO A BIG HELP TO THE ANGLER.  YOU NOT ONLY RETRIEVE MORE LINE WITH LESS CRANKING  BUT ARE ABLE TO RETRIEVE YOUR LURE AT A FASTER RATE OF SPEED AND THUS DEPART MORE ACTION TO THE LURE.  THIS ADDED ACTION IN TURN PRODUCES MORE STRIKES AND WHEN IT IS ALL SAID AND DONE THIS IS WHAT WE ARE REALLY AFTER.  OF THE TWO SIZES OF REELS PURCHASED OUR CAPTAINS AND ANGLERS PREFERRED THE STL8OOOFA FOR INSHORE CASTING.  THIS IS  BECAUSE OF THE REELS WEIGHT,  IT WEIGHS IN AT 22.8 OZ.  THE LIGHTER WEIGHT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU ARE MAKING HUNDREDS OF CAST IN A DAY.  FOR OFFSHORE FISHING THE STL10000FA GOT THE NOD.  THIS REEL HAS A HIGHER LINE CAPACITY AND OUR ANGLERS THOUGHT THIS WAS A PLUS WHEN POPPING FOR PELAGICS.  THE REEL'S INCREASE WEIGHT OF 31.4 OZ AND INCREASED SIZE DOES MAKE IT MORE TIRING TO CAST. THIS REEL ALSO FEATURES THE HIGHEST LINE RETRIEVE RATE AT 6:1.  WE HAD SOME OF OUR ANGLERS SHOW UP WITH THE STELLA STL20000FA.  THIS REEL HAS EVEN MORE LINE CAPACITY AND A LOWER GEAR RATIO, 4.4:1.  THESE TWO FEATURES MAKE THIS REEL EVEN MORE SUITED TO OFFSHORE FISHING FOR BIG TUNA, ECT.  BUT THE HEAVIER WEIGHT, 32.6 OZ, LARGER SIZE AND SLOWER RETRIEVE RATE WORKS AGAINST THE REEL FOR INSHORE FISHING WHERE LOTS OF CAST ARE GOING TO BE MADE.

SO HERE IS THE MY BOTTOM LINE ON STELLA REELS USED TO CATCH BIG FISH:
STELLA STL8000FA  BEST FOR INSHORE USE WHERE THE ANGLER IS GOING TO DO LOTS OF CASTING
STELLA STL10000FA BEST FOR ALL AROUND USE AND HAS THE HIGHEST SPEED LINE RETRIEVE
STELLA STL20000FA BEST WHEN HIGH LINE CAPACITY IS NEEDED AND WEIGHT IS NOT A PROBLEM.

TIGHT LINES AND KEEP ON FISHIN