GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS,
CALM SEAS AND A WIDE OPEN WAHOO BITE GREETED OUR GUEST THIS WEEK. FROM BOCA RATON, FLORIDA CAME ANGLERS TERRY LEEN, BRENDAN LEEN, LOUIS TOMASIELLO AND KIRK WARRIOR. ALSO FISHING WITH US THIS WEEK WAS, FAMILY FRIEND, HAROLD BURKUM FROM ANACORTES, WASHINGTON.
WAHOO WERE THE "FISH OF THE WEEK." THE FLORIDA BOYS GOT RIGHT INTO THE BITE LANDING 10 WAHOO WHILE FISHING NEAR LA DRONES ISLAND. THIS WAS FOLLOWED UP THE NEXT DAY BY MORE WAHOO, A RELEASED SAILFISH AND A COUPLE BIG CUBERA SNAPPERS WHILE FISHING NEAR MONTUOSA ISLAND. KIRK WAS ABLE TO CATCH AND RELEASE AN ESTIMATED 350 LB BLACK MARLIN WHILE FISHING AT HANNIBAL BANK. ACTION ON BIG TUNA SLOWED THIS WEEK BUT LOUIS WAS ABLE TO LAND A 210 LB YELLOWFIN AND PULLED THE HOOK, RIGHT AT THE BOAT, ON ANOTHER LARGE TUNA, CAPTAIN MACHO REPORTED GOOD TOP WATER ACTION ON FOOTBALL SIZED TUNA WITH THE FISH AGGRESSIVELY STRIKING POPPERS.
WHILE THE FLORIDA BOYS WERE FIGHTING THE BLACK MARLIN AT HANNIBAL BANK, HAROLD AND I RAN DOWN TO JICARITA ISLAND AND GOT INTO ANOTHER WAHOO BIT. WITH CAPTAIN LUCHO, WE LANDED 7 WAHOO, A COUPLE OF SMALL YELLOWFIN TUNA AND A JACK CREVELLE. HAROLD ALSO HAD ONE OF THE BEST DAYS EVER AT THE "SNOOK HOLE" ON COIBA ISLAND. HE SUCCESSFULLY CAUGHT AND RELEASED 12 SNOOK ONE MORNING. OTHER NOtABLE CATCHES THIS WEEK INCLUDED; BRENDAN'S CATCH AND RELEASE OF A 100 LB SAILFISH ON A POPPER AND BOTH TERRY AND HAROLD CAUGHT AND RELEASED ROOSTERFISH ON A POPPER. GOOD GOING GUYS!
AS JUNE ARRIVED OUR ANGLERS ENJOYED CATCHING THE BIG VARIETY OF FISH AVAILABLE THIS TIME OF YEAR HERE AT PESCA PANAMA. THIS WEEK THE FOLLOWING 23 SPECIES WERE CAUGHT; AMBERJACK, BARRACUDA, BONITA, BIGEYE JACK, BLACK GROUPER, BLACK MARLIN, BLUE JACK, BLUE RUNNER, CABRILLA, CUBERA SNAPPER, DORADO, JACK CREVELLE, HOUNDFISH, LADYFISH, MULLET SNAPPER, POMPANO, ROOSTERFISH, SAILFISH, SIERRA MACKERAL, SNOOK, WAHOO, WHITETIP SHARK AND YELLOWFIN TUNA,
I SHOULD NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO FISH LIMITS IN PANAMA. SO WHEN THE ANGLER GETS INTO ONE OF THESE WIDE OPEN BITES IT IS UP TO HIM TO REGULATE HIS CATCH. MOST OF OUR ANGLERS DO A GOOD JOB OF LIMITING THEIR CATCH, KEEPING 6 TO 10 WAHOO A DAY PER BOAT. GUY HARVEY ONCE TOLD ME,"THE SPORT IS IN THE CATCHING, NOT IN THE KILLING." THIS STATEMENT REALLY MADE AN IMPRESSION ON ME,
TIGHT LINES,
CAPTAIN JAY GUSTIN
P.S. FISHING NOTES:
AT PESCA PANAMA WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED REPLACING THE OUTBOARD MOTORS ON ALL OF OUR OCEAN MASTERS. WHAT DID WE REPLACE THE MOTORS WITH? THE SAME MAKE OF MOTOR WE TOOK OFF, THE SUZUKI 140 4-STROKE. THE ENGINES WE REPLACE HAD BETWEEN 3500 AND 4200 HOURS RUNNING TIME. I FIND THIS REMARKABLE FOR OUTBOARDS MOTORS. THE ONLY THINGS WE DID TO MAINTAIN THE MOTORS WAS CHANGE OIL EVERY 100 HRS AND THE OTHER SCHEDULED MAINTENCE. WE DID HAVE TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS, SEVERAL FUEL INJECTOR AND A COUPLE OF HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS, THESE MOTORS ARE COMPETIVELY PRICED, REQUIRE LOW MAINTENCE, ARE FUEL EFFICENT AND OFFER SURPRISING LONGIVITY. SO WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING A MID-RANGE OUTBOARD, MAKE MINE A SUZUKI 140 4-STROKE. I AM SOLD ON THEM!
