Fishing Report - 11/24/07

GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS

RED SNAPPER, YELLOWFIN TUNA, BROOMTAIL GROUPER, DORADO, AMBERJACK, ROOSTERFISH, WAHOO, BLACK MARLIN

WHAT A DIVERSE GROUP OF ANGLERS WE FISHED WITH THIS WEEK.  ROBERTO VERGAS HAD SENT TO PESCA PANAMA YET ANOTHER GROUP OF BRAZILIAN ANGLERS.  THESE ANGLERS INCLUDED VICTOR AND LUIS SOUSA, JOAO PAULO, CRISTIANO SAMMARONE, MARCOS SILVA AND RENATO LENA.

OUR ANGLERS FROM BRAZIL ENJOYED CATCHING A BIG MIXED BAG OF FISH.  ON THEIR FIRST DAY OF FISHING NEAR LADRONES ISLAND THEY CAUGHT; WAHOO, JACK CREVALLE, BARRACUDA, SKIP JACK TUNA, AMBERJACK, MULLET SNAPPER, CUBERA SNAPPER AND YELLOWFIN TUNA.  LATTER IN THE WEEK WE HAD A COUPLE OF WINDY AND RAINY DAYS AND IT JUST WAS NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE FISHING HANNIBAL BANK.  BUT THE NEXT DAY THE WEATHER CLEARED AND CAPTAINS TATIN AND LUCHO LOADED THE BRAZILIAN BOYS IN THE BOATS AND WERE BOUND FOR THE BANK.  THEIR FISHING EFFORTS PAID OFF AS BOTH BOATS CAUGHT AND RELEASED BLACK MARLIN.  ONE MARLIN WAS ESTIMATED 250 LBS AND THE OTHER MARLIN AT 450 LBS.   ADD TO THIS A NICE 60 LB. ROOSTERFISH ALONG WITH FORTUNE JACK, ROCK SNAPPER, YELLOW SNAPPER, BLUE TREVALLE, RAINBOW RUNNER AND LARGE AFRICAN POMPANO.  NOW THIS IS WHAT I WOULD CALL A MIXED BAG.

THEN WE HAD A GROUP OF ANGLERS PUT TOGETHER BY DOUG OLANDER, THE EDITOR OF SPORT FISHING MAGAZINE. THEY INCLUDED: BEN SECREST OF ACCURATE REELS; GEORGE LARGE OF RAPALA AND WILLIAMSON LURES; ANDY MEZIROW, OWNER OF CRACKERJACK CHARTERS IN SEWARD, ALASKA; NICOLA ZINGARELLI WHO LIVES IN SPAIN AND IS THE OWNER OF CARANX TACKLE; SETSUO HAMANAKA AND HIDEYUKI "CHARMAS" KITAMURA FROM JAPAN.  "CHARMAS" IS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST JIG FISHERMEN IN JAPAN.  SETSUO IS ONE OF JAPAN'S TOP MARINE WILDLIFE ARTISTS. THIS WAS QUITE THE GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL ANGLERS.

ONE HIGHLIGHT, OF MANY THIS WEEK, CAME WHEN ANDY HAD HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH A YELLOWFIN TUNA ON A POPPER. AFTER MAKING A CAST INTO A SMALL SCHOOL OF YELLOWFIN, ONE OF THE TUNA CRASHED HIS POPPER AND THE FIGHT WAS ON.  AFTER A GRUELING BATTLE ON SPINNING TACKLE, A SPENT ANDY WAS SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE 130 LB YELLOWFIN TO THE BOAT.

"CHARMAS" WAS BUSY THIS WEEK SHOWING US THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HIS JIGGING TECHNIQUES. HE WAS HOOK FISH JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME CAPTAIN MACHO WOULD MARK FISH ON HIS DEPTH FINDER.  IF THE FISH WERE THERE "CHARMAS" COULD ENTICE THEM TO STRIKE.  ALONG WITH A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER SPECIES CAUGHT, HE BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE SOME OF THE MOST BRILLIANT COLORED RED SNAPPERS I HAVE EVER SEEN.

MEANWHILE BEN WAS MORE THAN HOLDING HIS OWN WITH THE JIG FISHING.  WHILE FISHING AT PESCA PANAMA HE WAS ABLE TO FIELD TEST HIS NEW ACCURATE PRODUCTS UNDER ACTUAL TOUGH FISHING CONDITIONS.  I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU JUST HOW MANY ACCURATE REELS BEN BROUGHT WITH HIM BUT EVERY TIME I TRIED TO COUNT THEM, I WOULD GET DIZZY WITH THE HUGE ARRAY OF EQUIPMENT.

GEORGE ARRIVED WITH HIS LUGGAGE FULL OF NEW LURE DESIGNS TO TEST.  NOW IF YOU ARE A TACKLE JUNKIE AS I AM, THIS WAS PARADISE. WE USE WILLIAMSON JIGS ALL THE TIME AND KNOW HOW GOOD THEY FISH.  BUT IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE ALL THE NEW PRODUCTS THAT WILLIAMSON AND RAPALA WILL BE BRINGING TO THE MARKET.  FOR ME THE MOST EXCITING WAS A NEW JET HEAD POPPER WILLIAMSON HAS DESIGNED.  THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE THOUGHT FOR A LONG TIME SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AND SURE ENOUGH, HERE IT IS.  I KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE A BIG HIT WITH THE POPPER FISHERMEN.

NICOLA ZINGARELLI HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE FISHERMEN I HAVE EVER MET.  TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, HE NOT ONLY CAN RECOGNIZE AND NAME ANY FISH YOU CATCH, HE CAN ALSO GIVE YOU THE LATIN NAME.  NOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW THAT CAN DO THAT?  RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE TOP JIG FISHERMEN IN EUROPE IT WAS MOST INTERESTING TO HEAR HIM EXPLAIN HIS IDEAS ON THE DIFFERENT JIGGING ROD ACTION NEEDED FOR BOTH SHALLOW AND DEEP WATER JIGGING.  THIS ANGLER APPROACHES FISHING AS A SCIENCE.

DOUG ORLANDER WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THIS TEAM OF ANGLERS TOGETHER AND BRINGING THEM TO FISH WITH PESCA PANAMA.  IN THE FUTURE, YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO HIS ARTICLE IN SPORT FISHING MAGAZINE THAT WILL DIVULGE MANY OF THE FISHING TECHNIQUES USED THIS WEEK.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JULIAN JAY GUSTIN

FISHING TIPS:  THIS WEEK'S GROUP OF ANGLERS BROUGHT ENOUGH TACKLE TO FILL A SMALL TACKLE SHOP.  I WAS ENVIOUS!  THEY HAD SO MUCH TACKLE THAT THEY HAD TO HIRE A SMALL TRUCK JUST TO GET THE TACKLE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE BARGE!  NO, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. THOUGH I KNOW THIS PROBABLY WILL NOT BE THE CASE FOR MOST OF OUR ANGLERS, THEY DID RUN INTO A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS.  THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CUSTOM AGENTS AT THE PANAMA AIRPORT.  I AM NOT SURPRISED THAT WITH THIS AMOUNT OF TACKLE THEY WERE CHARGED $300 DOLLARS IN IMPORT DUTIES.  THE SECOND PROBLEM WAS SOMEWHERE DURING ALL THIS A NEW 50 WIDE ACCURATE SEEMS TO HAVE DISAPPEARED.  KNOWING HOW THINGS WORK I AM LOOKING OUT FOR  IT PROBABLY CAN BE PURCHASED AT A VERY REASONABLE PRICE.  BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, WHEN YOU DECIDE TO BRING YOUR OWN TACKLE JUST BRING YOUR VERY FAVORITE RODS, REELS AND LURES.  ALSO, WHEN I AM TRAVELING, ANYTHING I EVERY WANT TO SEE AGAIN IS IN MY CARRY ON BAG.  THAT WAY I KNOW WHO HANDS ARE ON IT.