Fishing Report - 05/05/07

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS

CUBERA SNAPPER, YELLOWFIN TUNA, BLACK MARLIN

THIS WEEK WE HAD OUR ANNUAL FISHING CHARTER FROM CHILE. JOHN BRESSI IS THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSEMBLING THE ANGLERS AND SEEING THAT THEY ARRIVE IN PANAMA.  THIS YEAR HE BROUGHT: ENVO GODOY, JEFF CASTON, FERNANDO ROSSELOT, CAUDIS LOPEZ, TEODORO STORM, TEODORO STORM SR., FELIP BARISON, EDUARDO GONZLES, NICHOLAS THOMPSON, JOSEPH BRESSI AND CRITIAN MOSQUERA.  JOINING THIS GROUP WE HAD RETURNING REGULARS FROM CALIFORNIA, ANGLERS BOB WAIT AND GARY CHANEY.
 
RED TIDE WAS IN MOST OF OUR FISHING AREAS THIS WEEK AND I KNOW THIS HELD DOWN OUR CATCH RATES.  BUT OUR CAPTAINS PUT IN SOME GREAT EFFORT AND OUR ANGLERS CAME UP WITH SOME GOOD CATCHES.  YELLOWFIN TUNA WERE ONCE AGAIN BACK AT THE TOP OF THE CATCH LIST.  OUR ANGLERS BOATED YELLOWFINS WEIGHING; 110. 120, 150, 110, 110, 120, 130, 150 AND THE LARGEST A 200 LB YELLOWFIN  PLUS 123 MORE TUNA THAT WEIGHTED BETWEEN 20 AND 50 LBS.  MOST OF THESE TUAN WERE CAUGHT ON TOP WATER, SO POP TILL YOU DROP!

BLACK MARLIN WERE STILL TO BE FOUND AT HANNIBAL BANK.  FOUR MARLIN WERE CAUGHT AND RELEASED AND SEVERAL MORE STRIKES CAME UP AS A HIT AND A MISS.  THESE FISH WERE ALL IN THE 300 TO 400 LB RANGE.  BASED ON THE PAST TWO WEEKS MARLIN FISHING I THINK OUR MARLIN FISHING WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE RED TIDE HAD NOT MOVED ONTO THE BANK.  THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE SEEN RED TIDE ON THE BANK THIS YEAR.

CUBERA SNAPPER CATCHES WERE GOOD THIS WEEK WITH SEVERAL IN THE 40 TO 50 LB RANGE BEING CAUGHT AND RELEASED.  WE ALSO HAD CATCHES OF WAHOO, BIG AMBERJACK, JACK CREVELLE MULLET SNAPPER, SILK SNAPPER AND BLUE JACKS.

LOTS OF ACTION AND LOTS OF FUN ANGLING.  THANKS GUYS AND SEE YOU BACK FISHING WITH PESCA PANAMA NEXT YEAR.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIPS: ALWAYS BRING AN EXTRA GAFF ON THE BOAT.  THIS WEEK BOB AND GARY HAD JUST LANDED A 150 LB PLUS TUNA AFTER MORE THAN AN HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES OF ROD TIME.  THEN THEY HOOKED UP AN EVEN BIGGER YELLOWFIN ON THE POPPER.  THE FISH WAS AT THE BOAT IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES.  EVERYONE COULD SEE THE STILL "GREEN" FISH WAS WELL OVER 200 LBS.  THE MATE MADE A PASS AT THE FISH WITH THE GAFF,  MADE A GOOD CONNECTION AND THE FISH DAMN NEAR PULLED THE MATE OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AS HE MADE HIS ESCAPE COMPLETE WITH GAFF AND LURE.  MORAL OF THE STORY:  BRING AN EXTRA GAFF AND GET A BIGGER MATE!



BRESSI PUTS THE BEND TO THE ROD


GARY WITH THE WORLDS SMALLEST WAHOO


BOB BAGS A NICE TUNA ON A POPPER, NO BOB IS NOT BLIND HE JUST LOOKS THAT WAY WHEN HE IS TIRED


GARY HEFTS ONE OF THIS WEEKS "REEF DONKEYS"


A BRIGHT AND BRONZE CUBERA SNAPPER


THE BARGE AT ANCHOR NEAR COIBA ISLAND


SOME GUYS JUST LOVE ALL THAT BLOOD


A GROUP OF "BOTTOM FEEDERS"