Fishing Report - 01/12/08

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS

MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN,
 
JIM MCCORD AND DR. HARRY LOWELL HAVE BEEN FISHING SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR WITH PESCA PANAMA FOR MANY YEARS NOW.  THIS WEEK WE WELCOMED THEM BACK ALONG WITH RETURNING ANGLERS ROSS HOOKER, MARK FIRING, STEVE DINKEL AND HIS SON RYAN, AND NEW COMER WILLIAM COSTELLO. ALSO FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA THIS WEEK WAS "TEAM SEA RECOVERY" MADE UP OF DESMOND COATES AND HIS TWO SONS PHILLIP AND CHARLES, ALONG WITH EDGAR FERNANDEZ.

MARLIN MADNESS CONTINUES AT MONTUOSA

THIS WEEK THE "HOT" MARLIN BITE CONTINUED AT ISLA MONTUOSA. THE FISHING CONDITIONS THIS WEEK WERE EXCELLENT AS THE SEA WAS CALM AND TOOK ON THAT DEEP BLUE, CRYSTAL CLEAR COLOR THAT INDICATES GREAT OFFSHORE FISHING.  THERE WERE SO MANY MARLIN IN THE AREA THAT OR ANGLERS REPORTED SEEING MARLIN FREE SWIMMING UNDER THEIR BOATS.  NOW THAT WILL MAKE YOU QUICKLY RIG YOUR BAIT AND GET YOUR LINE IN THE WATER!

HARRY IS ALWAYS WISHING TO CATCH LARGE MARLIN.  THE WEEK HIS WISH CAME TRUE.  CAPTAIN MACHO RAN TO ISLA MONTUOSA WHERE HIS MATE PUT OUT TWO LIVE BONITA RIGGED WITH 18/0 CIRCLE HOOKS.  AS THEY STARTED TO SLOW TROLL A BIG MARLIN SNEAKED UP UNDER ONE OF THE BAITS AND ATE IT!  NOW HARRY HAD PUT HIS BAIT OUT ON HIS FAVORITE 8/0 ACCURATE REEL SO THE EQUIPMENT WAS UP TO THE TASK.  BUT EVEN WITH THIS HARRY'S LINE WAS QUICKLY DISAPPEARING FROM FROM HIS REEL.  HE KNEW HE HAD HOOKED INTO SOMETHING BIG. WHEN THE BLACK MARLIN WAS BROUGHT ALONG SIDE IT MEASURED 133 INCHES LONG AND HAD A GIRTH OF 70.5 INCHES.  FROM OUR FORMULA, GIRTH SQUARED X LENGTH DIVIDED BY 800, THE FISH WOULD HAVE WEIGHTED 825 LB.  HARRY WAS HAPPY!  HE HAD CAUGHT HIS LARGE MARLIN.

HARRY AND JIM  RETURNED TO THE SAME AREA THE NEXT DAY WHERE JIM WAS ABLE TO CATCH AND RELEASE THREE BLACK MARLIN.  TWO OF THEM WERE ESTIMATED AT 400 LBS AND THE OTHER BLACK WAS ESTIMATED AT 500 LBS.  HARRY MADE ANOTHER RELEASE ON A BLACK THAT WAS ESTIMATED AT 350 LBS.

WILL AND RYAN WERE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TATIN WHEN THEIR BOAT CAUGHT AND RELEASED FOUR BLACK MARLIN IN ONE DAY. ONE MARLIN WAS ESTIMATED AT 250 LBS, TWO AT 350 LBS AND THE LARGEST AT 400 LBS.  GREAT FISHING FOR A COUPLE OF YOUNG MEN THAT HAD NEVER BEEN MARLIN FISHING.

ROSS, WILL AND RYAN WERE FISHING  WITH CAPTAIN TOMMY WHEN THEY HOOKED-UP A SAILFISH.  NEXT ROSS AND RYAN HAD A  DOUBLE HOOK-UP ON BLACK MARLIN.  ONE WAS ESTIMATED AT 350 LBS AND THE OTHER WAS AROUND 500 LBS.  ROSS SAID THEY DID A MERRY DANCE AROUND THE CENTER CONSOLE BOATS WITH THESE TWO FISH.  TEN MINUTES LATTER RYAN WAS BACK IN THE WATER AND HOOKED-UP AND LANDED ANOTHER 350 LB BLACK.  IT WAS GOIN' ON IN PANAMA!

STEVE AND MARK WERE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN LUCHO WHEN THEY HOOKED THEIR MARLIN.  ONE BLACK WAS ESTIMATED AT 350 LBS AND THE OTHER AT 500 LBS. THEY ALSO CAUGHT TWO SAILFISH. STEVE CAME BACK TO THE BARGE AND WILD EYED TOLD ME, "THE SEA IS JUST FULL OF MARLIN!"

TEAM SEA RECOVERY HOOKED-UP SEVERAL MARLIN BUT FOR VARIOUS REASON NONE MADE IT TO THE BOAT.  THEY DID BOAT A 90 LB YELLOWFIN TUNA ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF SMALLER YELLOWFIN.  THEY ADDED TO THE CATCH WITH A COUPLE OF BIG SAILFISH, A DORADO AND A ROOSTERFISH.

NOW I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ABOUT ALL THE FISHING ACTION WE HAD THIS WEEK. BUT OUR ANGLERS THIS WEEK ENJOYED SOME OF THE BEST FISHING THERE IS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.  THERE WERE LOTS OF BIG SMILES AND SOME VERY SORE MUSCLES.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JULIAN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK:  AS YOU CAN TELL FROM OUR REPORT WE HAD ONE HELL OF A WEEK CATCHING AND RELEASING BLACK MARLIN.  FOR THE MOST PART I THINK ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT PERFORMED GOOD.  BUT I DID NOTICE ONE THING THAT RESULTED IN THE LOSE OF A FEW FISH.  SOME OF OUR MORE EXPERIENCED ANGLERS WOULD KEEP ADVANCING THEIR DRAG PRESSURE.  I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE ANGLER NEEDS TO HAVE THE CORRECT MAXIMUM DRAG PRESSURE PRESET AND THEN LEAVE IT THERE.  NOW I DON'T CLAIM TO BE AN EXPERT AT ANYTHING AND DEFINITELY NOT AT MARLIN FISHING.  BUT I HAVE FOUND OUT OVER MANY DECADES OF FISHING THAT IF YOU KEEP PUSHING UP THE PRESSURE YOU WILL FIND THE WEAKEST LINK.  LIKE MY DADDY ALWAYS SAID, "SON, YOU CAN TEAR UP A BULL DOZER IF  YOU TRY HARD ENOUGH!"