DECEMBER IN PANAMA BRINGS DIVERSITY IN BOTH THE WEATHER AND FISHING. THIS WEEK WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE! THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF THIS WEEK'S FISHING WAS DONE MOSTLY UNDERWATER AS PANAMA WAS UNDER A HUGE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT COVERED MOST OF CENTRAL AMERICAN. WE WERE EXPERIENCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND A LOT OF THE LOW LYING AREAS ON THE CARIBBEAN COAST WERE INUNDATED DO TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL. SO WHAT DID WE DO? WELL WE BUTTONED UP OUR RAIN JACKETS AND WENT FISHING. FUNNY HOW FISH DON'T SEEM TO MIND A GOOD RAIN.

CAPTAIN TRAVIS PETERSON JOINED US AGAIN THIS WEEK AS HE FISHED WITH RETURNING ANGLERS MIKE KINGSLY AND GREG ROBERTS. FROM FRANCE, THE FATHER AND SON FISHING TEAM OF DANIEL AND DIDIER ROMELOT HAD RETURNED FOR THEIR THIRD FISHING TRIP WITH PESCA PANAMA. DAVE HAMZEH, WHO FISHED WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST MARCH, WAS BACK WITH AN OUTDOORSMAN THAT WE WERE GLAD TO GET TO MEET NAMED LEE MARGRAVE.

RAINS DIDN'T EVEN BEGIN TO SLOW THIS CREW OF ANGLERS DOWN! DIDIER AND HIS FATHER WORKED OVER THE INSHORE FISH. CASTING THE BEST JAPANESE RODS AND REELS BUILT THE FRENCH FATHER AND SON TEAM SAW TOP WATER ACTION AT ITS BEST INCLUDING XXL CUBERAS AND ROOSTERFISH. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS FOR A GREAT TRIP!

DAVE IS WHAT I WOULD CALL A HARD CORE ANGLER, HE AND LEE ARRIVED WITH SOME OF THE BEST CONVENTIONAL TACKLE MONEY CAN BUY AND COIBA ISLAND PUT THEIR GEAR TO THE TEST!!! "WE JUST CAN'T STOP EM," WAS A REMARK WE HEARD AS THE GUYS RETURNED TO THE BARGE WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACES! BY THE END OF THE WEEK THE GUYS PIECED TOGETHER A GREAT WEEK OF FISHING LANDING SCHOOL SIZE TUNA, MORE DORADO THAN THEY COULD COUNT, BIG CUBERA, MULLET SNAPPER AND ROOSTER FISH, GREAT WORK GUYS!!!!

GREG AND MIKE MAKE A UNIQUE FISHING TEAM. GREG IS A SELF MADE BLUE WATER FLY FISHERMAN, A DIFFERENT CLASS OF FISHERMAN WHO IS WILLING TO MAKE A THOUSAND CAST FOR THAT ONE FISH. MIKE ON THE OTHER HAND WILL CAST TOP-WATER LURES FROM DAWN TILL DARK. " COVER ME ON THIS ONE," IS THE COMMON TERM AS A SCHOOL OF RAVENOUS FISH ATTACK MIKES PLUG AND GREG QUICKLY PLACES HIS FLY BEHIND THE POPPER. THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA FOR YEARS AND ALTHOUGH EVERY YEAR IS DIFFERENT THIS WAS A GREAT ONE! SCHOOLS OF DORADO PROVIDED SPECTACULAR ACTION BOTH ON THE FLY AND POPPERS.

DORADO, MAHI MAHI, DOLPHIN FISH

IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT YOU WANT TO CALL THESE FISH, THEY WERE HERE THIS WEEK AND THEY WERE HUNGRY! WE ALWAYS SAY, "DECEMBER IS THE MONTH FOR BIG DORADO!" DORADO WERE CAUGHT THIS WEEK ON POPPERS, JIGS AND FLIES. YOU PUT IT IN THE WATER AND THEY WOULD EAT IT. BIG TRIPLE TAIL WERE ALSO FEEDING AROUND LOGS OUR CAPTAINS FOUND FLOATING IN THE OCEAN. CAPTAIN TRAVIS WOULD USE HOOKLESS POPPERS OR RIG HOOKLESS PANAMA BELLY BAITS TO BRING THE DORADO NEAR THE BOAT AND THE FLY FISHERMEN WOULD THEN PRESENT THE FLY TO THE FEEDING DORADO. IT WAS FANTASTIC FISHING! IT IS FUN TO READ ABOUT BUT YOU GOT TO BE HERE TO GET IN ON THE FISHING ACTION!

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JULIAN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FISH WITH YOU OWN REELS IN PANAMA BE SURE THEY ARE SPOOLED UP WITH THE HEAVIEST LINE THE REEL WILL HANDLE. FOR JIGGING AND BOTTOM FISHING WE SUGGEST 65 RO 80 LB SPECTRA WITH A TOP SHOT (100 FT) OF 50LB MONO. ALSO BRING EXTRA LINE TO SO YOU CAN REFILL YOUR REEL WHEN NEEDED. LIGHT TACKLE (15-30LB) FOR SNOOK, JACKS, DORADO AND SMALL ROOSTERS IS IS FANTASTIC, BUT WHEN ITS TIME TO TANGLE WITH XL CUBERA AND AMBERJACK SPOOL UP YOUR HIGH-SPEED CONVENTIONAL AND SPINNING REELS WITH SPECTRA!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:


DIDIER AND DANIEL WITH A DOUBLE HEADER


DAVE WITH ONE OF THIS WEEK'S MANY DORADO. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FISH!


DAVE WITH A BIG BRIGHT CUBERA SNAPPER


GREG WITH A SAILFISH HE CAUGHT ON A FLY


NICE CUBERA MIKE!


TEN AT A TIME!!!


GREET WITH A "TINY" TRIPLE TALE


DAVE WITH AN AMBERJACK


LEE WITH A SAIL CAUGHT ON HIS WAY IN FROM SECAS ISLAND


LEE WITH A LAST DAY ROOSTERFISH AT SECAS ISLAND