GREETINGS FROM THE TROPICS,
INTERNATIONAL FISHING GUIDE, MIKE AUGAT RETURNED THIS WEEK WITH A GROUP OF NINE ANGLERS. SEVEN OF THE ANGLERS HAD FISHED WITH US BEFORE. THIS GROUP WAS COMPRISED OF BILL LAMADUE, DEAN SNYDER, MIKE PELL, RICHARD BARR, TOM ROUSSEAU, TED MERLETTI AND ALLAN SMITS. WE WERE HAPPYTO WELCOME NEW ANGLERS KEITH BAREFOOT AND MERLE WEBER.
MONTUOSA IS WHERE THE TUNA ACTION WAS THIS WEEK. BILL AND KEITH HOOKED UP WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN MACHO GONZALES. THEY BROUGHT TO GAFF A 160 LB AND A 190 LB TUNA. BROTHER BARTOLO GONZALES WAS RIGHT THERE AND HIS ANGLERS RICHARD, MERLE AND DEAN BOATED A 155 LB AND A 188 LB YELLOW FIN. CAPTAIN TRAVIS’ ANGLERS, TED AND MIKE, HAD AN EXHAUSTING THREE HOUR BATTLE WITH A HUGE YELLOW FIN WHICH ATE THE POPPER. WITH THE NEW “PERSPECTIVE” (SPINNING GEAR) PESCA PANAMA RECORD . SO IT GOES SOMETIMES. THE FOLLOWING DAY MIKE WENT TO WORK WITH THE HEAVY GEAR AND MADE QUCIK WORK OF A 130# YELLOWFIN!
CAPTAIN TRAVIS WAS IN THE JIGGING AND CASTING MODE THIS WEEK AND ON THREE DIFFERENT DAYS GUIDED TED AND MIKE TO SOME KNEE BUCKLING ACTION AS THEY CAUGHT AND RELEASED OVER 10 “REEF DONKEYS” PER DAY ALONG WITH A LONG LIST OF OTHER SPECIES.
AS THESE ANGLERS WERE FISHING OFFSHORE, CAPTAIN LUCHO GUIDED TOM, ALLAN AND MARK TO SOME GREAT INSHORE ACTION IN BOTH THE SECAS AND CONTRAS ISLAND. HERE THEY CAUGHT; CUBERA SNAPPERS, WAHOO, GROUPERS, BLUE JACKS AND ROCK SNAPPERS. THEY ALSO HAD SOME AMAZING ROOSTERFISH STRIKES FROM 50 LB PLUS ROOSTERFISH BATTLING WITH JACK CREVELES TO EAT THE POPPERS.
NIGHT FISHING FOR NURSE SHARKS AND STING RAYS IS BECOMING A REGULAR OCCURRENCE WHEN THE BARGE IS ANCHORED NEAR COIBA ISLAND. SEEMS THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO END THE DAY WHEN YOU WANT TO GET, ‘JUST ONE MORE FISH.’
WITH WEDNESDAY CAME SOME UNUSAL FISHING. WHILE FISHING WITH CAPTAIN BARTOLO, RICHARD HOOKED INTO A BIG TUNA ON THE POPPER. AS THE FISH WAS NEAR THE BOAT CAPTAIN BARTOLO COULD SEE IT WOULD GO OVER 200 LBS AND THUS BECOME THE NEW BOAT RECORD FOR A TUNA ON A POPPER. WITH THE BIG FISH ON TOP OF THE WATER AND JUST OUT OF GAFF RANGE IT DECIDE TO GIVE IT ONE MORE RUN AND THE LEADER PARTED. I DO LOVE IT WHEN AFTER YOU GIVE IT ALL YOU HAVE THE FISH WINS.
ON CAPTAIN MACHO’S BOAT BILL HAD CAUGHT AND RELEASED TWO 100 LB PLUS SAILFISH ON 40 LB SPINNING TACKLE. WHEN HE GOT ANOTHER HOOK-UP HE THOUGHT HE HAD HOOKED ANOTHER FIESTY SAIL, BUT AS THE LINE STARTED TO SIZZLE THROUGH THE WATER SOMETHING SEEMED QUITE DIFFERENT AND OUT OF THE WATER JUMPED AN ESTIMATED 300 LB BLACK MARLIN. AFTER A PROLONGED FIGHT BILL PASSED THE ROD OFF TO HIS FISHING PARTNER KEITH, AND THEY CONTINUED TO FIGHT THE FISH FOR THE NEXT FIVE HOURS AS THE FISH TOWED THE BOAT SEVEN MILES. THE MARLIN MADE THREE BEAUTIFUL JUMPS, WHICH KEITH CAPTURED ON VIEDO, THEN IT SOUNDED AND NEVER CAME BACK UP. AT THE END OF FIVE HOURS AND WITH THE DRAG BUCKLED ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE PARTED. ONE MORE FISH THAT WON THAT DAY.






