Panama’s Greatest Hits 1

I blast outa he'aaah for Panama early tomorrow morning for two weeks of adventure in some of the best bluewater fishing grounds on the planet. Whether it's offshore or inshore gamefish species, Panama has it all! We stay on a mothership near Isla de Coiba 40 miles off Panama's Pacific coast that plants us within a short boat ride of these epic fishing grounds every single day. There's thirty plus gamefish species to catch in these waters and every year we rack up about half of them, with a few new twists on every trip. Most of the fish are released, of course, but there's plenty of fresh yellowfin tuna, dorado, and snapper on board the ship for din-din every night to re-energize the gang for the next days adventure. 

Here's a few pics from previous years adventures and I'm sure there will be plenty more when I get back in two weeks!

While the variety of species is nice it's really the marlin that make your heart palpitate. Hooking and fighting the most prized gamefish in the world is something that never leaves you. This magnificant 600 plus pound black marlin towed us around for 4 hours on 30 pound standup gear two years ago. Our captain deployed three 50 pound rigs and a 30 pound boat road for sailfish. Which rig does this black decide to hammer? The 30 pound rig! 

They grow the sailfish big in Panama and Costa Rica. Hannibal Bank and Montousa Island are great places to tie into a prize-fighter like this.

This is a very remote area and we fish off of small center console boats. No fighting chairs here folks…strap on a belt and hang on! Steve Maris lays into a big Pacific sail in this photo.

In 2009 The Outdoor Line's Robbie Tobeck landed his first blue marlin ever with me in Panama. He'll be along with us in Panama again this year and I'm sure will check a few more fish off the bucket list.

2009 was a tough year for dorado in Panama, but by god the ones that were there were HUGE! Steve Maris and Captain Chris below with a 60 pound dorado that slammed a sailfish lure on the troll.

We always find enough 20 to 40 pound yellowfin tuna around to keep the crew in the sushimi at night. Jim "Bucket" Heins with a typical January yellowfin he nailed casting a popper last year.

The offshore fishing isn't always a slam dunk and thankfully there's plenty of inshore options where folks can hope to hook into a roosterfish or other inshore gamefish species.

Tough to beat the jack crevalle for speed and power. This big jack slammed a popper pitched into the whitewash around a big rock off Coiba several years ago.

A quick photo of two complete monstrosity Cubera snapper from several years ago.  

Another big Cubera that ex pro surfer Gabby hammered off Montousa Island.

Tuna aren't the only fish that will hammer the iron. Amberjack love it too!