Tarpon Panama

[Maverley]

Has anyone here every gone tarpon fishing in Panama

[PanamaJack]

Yes I have, but only Pacific side. And, yes they ARE Megalops atlanticus, presumably whose antecedants migrated through the Panama Canal. I, and a number of our Club members, have hooked (and lost) them off Isla Coiba. But last year one of our Club members released a 120 pounder fishing from Tropic Star Lodge in Pinas Bay (down near the Columbian border).

Probably the best spot for them though, and somewhere I've only fished once, is the Bayano River in Darien province. The day I was there whilst we could see them on the sounder they were suffering from lockjaw, the authorities having released water from the upstream dam. However the guide I fished with, Tony Herden, has had them to a shade under 270lbs together with really big Snook. Tony trailers his skiff down from Panama City so, even if you're on the Caribbean side, you're not a 'million miles' away.

We did talk about fishing the Caribbean side however and I'm fairly certain there's something regarding that on his web site - http://www.panamafishingandcatching.com.
Dave

[Maverley]

thanks for that, i was checking out that site earlier on today, I am spending 3 months down in Panama city and the Pearl Islands so I am trying to gather as much info as possible.

[PanamaJack]

thanks for that, i was checking out that site earlier on today, I am spending 3 months down in Panama city and the Pearl Islands so I am trying to gather as much info as possible.

I recall Tony on one trip to San Jose in the Perlas Islands archipelago had some incredible action fishing poppers. There's a seasonal upwelling of cold water that brings the deep water species into the shallow water and, as well as the usual Snapper and Jacks, they get massive Grouper. I'll see if I can find the note he sent me.

By the way what months will you be there?
Dave

[PanamaJack]

thanks for that, i was checking out that site earlier on today, I am spending 3 months down in Panama city and the Pearl Islands so I am trying to gather as much info as possible.

Maverley
This was the bit describing a trip Tony Herden made to the Perlas Islands in 2001. A few years ago, but those conditions of cold water upwelling do occur albeit somewhat earlier in the year.
Dave

report on the Perlas Island - Tony Herdon
This describes a trip Tony Herdon organised with two Massachusetts anglers during April 2001.

Ready for a 'no one will believe it" fish story? Well, it all started with a six day charter to Contadora island resort with a couple of guys from Situate, MA. These guys were veteran sportfishermen who knew how to fish and they had "come to play", but nothing could have prepared them for what was to come!

The fishing had been pretty good the few weeks up to that time in the Perlas Island area for all manner of big groupers, rockfish and snappers. The first couple of days out there, the weather was great, the water was still cold, but the bite was off. In fact, the biggest fish we managed to catch was a 28 pound pacific red snapper, plug casting to a bait boil in 60 feet of water. It was the biggest red snapper I had ever heard of, so we weighed and measured it and toyed with the idea of checking out the IGFA book.

The fishing on those first two days wasn't setting the world on fire so we left early the third day for San Jose Island about 30-40 miles further out where the new "Hacienda Del Mar" resort recently opened.

This new resort consists of 12 exclusive cabins, a 50,000 gallon waterfall stone pool, a clubhouse/ bar/restaurant all on a cliff overlooking the end of the world. San Jose is noted for its many deformed-looking, jagged, monstrous volcanic rock formations jutting up to 100 feet out of the sapphire blue ocean and pounding surf all around the island. These fantastic natural fish attracting formations, coupled with the beach spangled jungle coastline accented by clear sunny days tends to overawe first time visitors! It is the most breathtaking view imaginable! Fantasy Island does not compare!

In less than an hour we were plug casting off the north end of the island and hooking scores of really big fish. We had quite a few break offs with the spinning gear, but we still managed to catch several 20- 40 pound gamefish, mostly grouper and snapper. As we moved toward the south end of the island and Hacienda Del Mar resort, fishing the rocky points and near-shore volcanic surface-breaking seamounts on the way, the fishing became extraordinary. We were forced to go to 50 pound test stand-up outfits and mostly troll CD18 Rapalas and Yozuri Hydro Tigers with 5x strong hooks with the drags set at 20-25 pounds.

The fish were really big and hit like night bound freighters!

Each day the fish got bigger and the fishing better. So much so that the two MA Yankees didn't want to leave and extended their stay to 10 days, chartering a flight from the island directly to Panama's international airport on the day of their departure. They continued to catch more and bigger fish everyday - it just got better! These guys were not record seekers and were more interested in sport catching big fish on rod and reel than cutting off sections of line, filling out forms, hunting up certified scales and notary publics in a remote third world area. If they had been record seekers, weighing and processing their catches accordingly they would have set several All Tackle and Line Class IGFA records.

Highlights of what they caught that were weighed and measured are:
Pacific Red Snapper - 28 pounds (all tackle is 12lb 12 oz.)
Greenbar Snapper - 23 & 27 pounds (All Tackle is 21 lb 2 oz.)
Silk Snapper - 21 pounds (All Tackle is 18 lb 5 oz.)
Broomtail Grouper - biggest at 98 pounds, others big ones were 38, 42, 62 and several under 35 pounds that were released. (All Tackle is 100lbs)
Pacific cubera snapper - biggest at 77 pounds and they caught 5 over 40 pounds - 52, 63, 68, 77 & 44 pounds.(All Tackle is 78lbs.2oz. but the 50 pound line class is 68 pounds 10 oz.)

Well to make a long story short they lost almost all the lures they brought and 6 of my biggest Rapalas and Yozuris to fish that we can only assume were bigger than those landed! This was some exciting, out of this world fishing!

[Maverley]

thanks for that panamajack, I am here now(from june to end of august), was fishing yesterday infact.