GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS

THIS WEEK WE WERE JOINED BY FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS. FIRST WERE RETURNING ANGLERS WERE BROTHERS, KURT AND RICK SCHEETZ. AFTER A SEVERAL YEARS ABSENCE, OUR OLD FRIEND ALLAN BARWICK HAD RETURNED ALONG WITH DEAN ADAMS AND BROTHERS DONALD AND BRUCE PAVLOV. ANOTHER LONG TIME PESCA PANAMA ANGLER, DENNIS KULM AND FIRST TIME ANGLERS BRUCE WEINTRAUB AND MICHAEL PARKER WERE FISHING TOGETHER. BRIAN CIEPLY, DAN BURKE, PAT McGRADY AND CLAUDIO GARALDE FISHED WITH US LAST YEAR AND NOT HAD A VERY GOOD TRIP. WHEN BRIAN POLITELY EXPRESSED HIS CONCERNS I GAVE THEIR CAPTAIN AN OPPORTUNITY TO FISH WITH ANOTHER COMPANY AND INVITED BRIAN AND HIS FRIENDS BACK AS PESCA PANAMA'S GUEST. WE WERE HAPPY TO HAVE THE MASARELLI BROTHERS, JOE AND JOHN FISHING WITH US AGAIN AND WOULD LIKE TO SAY, "THANK YOU," FOR BRINGING THE ITEMS WE NEEDED IN PANAMA TO US. I HAVE FOUND OUT THROUGH MANY YEARS OF CHARTER FISHING THAT AS A GROUP, "ANGLERS ARE A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE AND ARE ALWAYS STANDING BY TO ASSIST YOU WHEN YOU NEED A LITTLE HELP."

INSHORE
INSHORE FISHING CONTINUED TO BE HOT. THE CUBERA SNAPPER BITE THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL WITH GOOD CATCH NUMBERS AND SOME BIG FISH MIXED IN. I PERSONALLY SAW TWO FISH OVER SIXTY POUNDS THIS WEEK. CONSIDERING MOST OF OUR ANGLERS SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME FISHING OFFSHORE, THEY STILL MADE SOME IMPRESSIVE INSHORE CATCHES JUST FISHING THEIR WAY BACK FROM HANNIBAL BANK. THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO FINISHING YOUR DAY OFFSHORE, THAN BY CATCHING A FEW CUBERAS AND AMBER JACKS IN ROUTE TO THE BARGE AT COIBA ISLAND. THE ANGLERS THAT SPENT THE DAY FISHING INSHORE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN CATCHING ROOSTERFISH, BLUE TREVALLE, MULLET SNAPPERS, ROCK SNAPPERS, YELLOW SNAPPERS AND A BIG VARIETY OF JACKS, THUS ADDING MORE VARIETY TO THE ACTION.

OFFSHORE
THE OFFSHORE ACTION HEATED UP THIS WEEK AS THE TUNA MOVED IN. ON TUESDAY, CAPTAIN TOM FOUND A SCHOOL OF DOLPHIN AND TUNA JUST OFF JICARON ISLAND. THE FISH WERE HUNGRY AND AGGRESSIVELY STRUCK POPPERS. ANGLERS BRIAN CIEPLY, DAN BURKE, PAT McGRADY AND CLAY GARALDY WENT TEN FOR FIFTEEN ALL ON TOP WATER. DAN BURKE LANDED AN EIGHTY POUND YELLOWFIN THAT WAS HIS PERSONAL BEST ON A POPPER. ANGLERS MIKE PARKER AND BRUCE WEINTRAUB TAG TEAMED A TWO HUNDRED POUND TUNA THAT WAS THEIR FIST TUNA EVER. WHAT A WAY TO START! MIKE AND BRUCE ALSO HELPED OUT FELLOW ANGLER DENNIS KULM WITH HIS ONE HUNDRED FORTY POUNDER “THAT WAS ONE TOUGH FISH." THE TUNA ACTION CONTINUED THE REST OF WEEK WITH A FEW BOATS LANDING BIG TUNA EVERY DAY. MARLIN WERE ALSO CAUGHT THIS WEEK AND ANGLER JOHN MASSARELLI CONTINUED A FAMILY TRADITION LANDING HIS FIRST BLACK MARLIN EVER WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TITO. LAST YEAR JOHN’S BROTHER JOE MASSARELLI ALSO GOT HIS FIRST BLACK MARLIN WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN TITO. CAPTAIN TITO DOESN'T SPEAK MUCH ENGLISH BUT HE IS THE ONE TO GO TO IF YOU WANT TO GO FISHING FOR BIG BLACK MARLIN.

ON WEDNESDAY ANGLER ALLAN BARWICK CAUGHT A THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUND BLACK MARLIN ON HANNIBAL BANK THAT TOOK A LIVE BONITO. OTHER OFFSHORE ACTION INCLUDED CATCHES OF SAILFISH, DORADO AND WAHOO.

IT WAS AN EXCITING WEEK OF FISHING AT PESCA PANAMA; TUNA, CUBERA SNAPPER, A FEW MARLIN, AND THE USUAL MIX OF SPECIES THAT MAKES FISHING HERE SO MUCH FUN. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR ANGLERS FOR FISHING WITH US AND HOPE TO SEE THEM AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN ALLAN SMITH

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: