Fishing Report - 7/15/06

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS,

PESCA PANAMA WAS BACK FISHING THIS WEEK AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF DOING REPAIR WORK ON THE THE BARGE AND THE OCEAN MASTER FISHING BOATS. IT SURE FELT GOOD BEING BACK ON THE WATER. THIS WEEK WE WELCOMED BACK A GROUP OF EXCELLENT ANGLERS FROM OKLAHOMA. THIS GROUP LOVES TO FISH LIGHT TACKLE FOR INSHORE SPECIES. THE GROUP LEADER WAS JIM WILSON AND HE BROUGHT WITH HIM HIS 16 YEAR OLD SON ALEX ALONG WITH FELLOW ANGLERS; DARRELL NOBLITT, EARL HOSKINS, PETE BRUNEL, BILL IRVIN, MATT RIGDON, JIM DAVIS, STEVE WELLS, WILL REAGAN AND RICHARD CRAWFORD. JIM HAD ALSO BROUGHT RENOWN GROUPER GUIDE AND OUTDOOR WRITER, CAPTAIN KEN ROY FROM CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA. WE REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING KEN SPIN HIS STORIES OF A LIFE TIME OF FISHING. HE WAS EVEN NICE ENOUGH TO SHARE SOME OF HIS FISHING TECHNIQUES WITH US.

FOR THE MOST PART THE WEATHER COOPERATED. THE SEAS WERE USUALLY CALM BUT THERE WAS SOME ROUGH SEAS AT TIMES. WE HAD THE EXPECTED RAINY WEATHER BUT IT REALLY WASN'T BAD. IN FACT THE ANGLERS SAID THEY PREFERRED THE COOLER WEATHER AND OVERCAST SKIES OF JULY THAN THE BRIGHT SUNNY SKIES THEY HAD LAST TIME THEY WERE HERE IN APRIL. I THINK THE OVERCAST SKIES HELPS IMPROVE THE INSHORE FISHING.

NOW FOR THE ANGLING PART OF THE REPORT. TO SAY WE HAD A GREAT WEEK OF FISHING JUST MIGHT BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. CAPTAIN LUCHO'S ANGLERS CAUGHT 8 BIG DORADO WHILE CASTING AROUND A LOG THEY HAPPENED UPON. ANGLERS FISHING WITH CAPTAIN BARTOLO LANDED 10 WAHOO ONE MORNING WHILE TROLLING AT WAHOO ROCK. ON ANOTHER DAY HIS ANGLERS CAUGHT 75 SMALL YELLOWFIN TUNA ON POPPERS AT "HANNIBAL BANK" AND THEN CAUGHT A BLUE MARLIN ON THE TROLL WHILE THEY WERE RESTING AND HAVING LUNCH. NOT TO BE OUT DONE BROTHER CAPTAIN MACHO SHOWED UP AT THE BARGE WITH 14 GOOD SIZED WAHOO CAUGHT NEAR CONTREAS ISLAND. CAPTAIN TOMMY'S ANGLERS FOUND LOTS OF ACTION ONE MORNING AT THE "SNOOK HOLE" WHERE THEY CAUGHT AND RELEASED 4 SMALL SNOOK AND 25 YELLOW SNAPPERS. OUR YOUNGEST ANGLER, ALEX , BROUGHT TO GAFF THE LARGEST CUBERA SNAPPER OF THE WEEK, A 62 LB FISH. SEVERAL MORE CUBERAS THAT WOULD HAVE WEIGHTED BETTER THAN 50 LBS WERE RELEASED AND THIS DOESN'T COUNT THE MANY BIG CUBERAS THAT "ROCKED US" AND BROKE OFF. ALL BOATS HADE GREAT ACTION ON YELLOWFIN TUNA CAUGHT ON POPPERS. MOST OF THESE FISH WEIGHTED 15 TO 25 LBS WITH THE LARGEST FISH WEIGHTING 60 LBS. MANY OF OUR READERS KNOW WE USUALLY DON'T POST FISHING NUMBERS AS I ALWAYS FEEL THEY ARE TOO EASY TO "MONKEY WITH." BUT I DON'T KNOW OF A BETTER WAY TO CONVEY TO YOU THE AMOUNT OF FISH AND THE MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES CAUGHT THIS WEEK, SO HERE GOES.

AMBERJACK: 11
BARRACUDA: 17
BLACK GROUPER: 1
BLACK MARLIN: 1
BLACK SNAPPER: 3
BLACK TIP SHARK: 1
BLUE JACK: 29
CORVINA: 1
CUBERA SNAPPER: 34
DORADO: 19
FLAG CABRILLA: 1
FORTUNE JACK: 1
HORSE-EYE JACK: 11
JACK CREVALLE: 11
HAMMERHEAD SHARK: 1
MANGROVE SNAPPER: 7
MULLET SNAPPER: 9
PALOMETA: 1
RAINBOW RUNNER: 20
RED SNAPPER: 3
ROCK SNAPPER: 18
ROOSTERFISH: 5
SIERRA MACKEREL: 9
SNOOK: 9
SPOTTED CABRILLA: 1
WAHOO: 48
WHITE TIP SHARK: 5
YELLOWFIN TUNA: 182
YELLOW SNAPPER: 48
NOTE: MANY OF THE FISH CAUGHT THIS WEEK WERE SUCCESSFULLY RELEASED!

AS YOU CAN SEE INSHORE BITE WAS ON! IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW, THIS IS THE WAHOO SEASON IN PANAMA. "WAHOO ROCK" PRODUCED SOME NICE WAHOO CATCHES AS DID THE AREAS AROUND CANALES AND CONTREAS ISLAND. ANGLERS ALSO FOUND GOOD FISHING ACTION AT COIBA, JICARON AND JICARITA ISLANDS.

THOUGH THESE ANGLERS FISHED A LOT WITH PESCA PANAMA'S EXCELLENT TACKLE THEY ALSO FISHED WITH THEIR LIGHTER SALTWATER TACKLE AND FRESH WATER TACKLE THEY HAD BROUGHT. YOU WILL LOSE MORE FISH WHEN FISHING WITH LIGHT TACKLE BUT I THINK IT REALLY ADDS TO THE FISHING ENJOYMENT, SPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR FISHING WITH THE LIGHTER TACKLE. ENJOY THE FISHING PHOTOS AND COME JOIN US NEXT JULY FOR SOME OF PESCA PANAMA'S FANTASTIC INSHORE FISHING.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIP: THESE ANGLERS ENJOYED SOME FANTASTIC FISHING ACTION CASTING A LOT OF DIFFERENT LURES. MANY OF THESE LURES WERE EITHER SMALL SALT WATER OF FRESH WATER LURES THAT WE DON'T USUALLY FISH WITH. SO WHEN COMING TO PESCA PANAMA THROW IN SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LURES AND GIVE THEM A TRY IN PANAMA. IT SURE WORKED FOR THESE ANGLERS.


ALEX WITH HIS 62 LB CUBERA


WAHOO TIME IN PANAMA FOR BILL


STEVE GAFFS A DOLPHIN FOR DINNER


PETE WITH A "REEF DONKEY"


DARRELL GETS A LAP DANCE FROM HIS WAHOO


MATT WITH A NICKEL BRITE CORVINA CAUGHT NEAR LA DRONES ISLAND


TOP WATER KING CASTER "CRAWDAD" WITH A COPPER COLORED CUBERA


WILL WITH A BEAUTIFUL RED SNAPPER


MARLIN READY TO RELEASE
CAUGHT ON A DOLPHIN PATTERN MOLDCRAFT WIDE RANGER JR


PETE WITH AN AJ AND KEN WITH A CUBERA