Live from Panama - International Jigging and Popping Festival

[MountainM]

I'd also like to know what area, going to tuna coast in the spring!

[OffTheHookB&T]

Awesome!
What part of Panama?? We are heading to Puerto Armuelles at the end of Feb and can't wait!

[gman]

caught this huge one on a popper yesterday i will post more later have to go celebrate my birthday with my fishing partners ... until later tonight enjoy

[fightingcouch]

Nice fish congrats

Tuna blood war paint

PS Happy Bday Gman

[Tenacious]

Glen,

That's awesome!! Can't wait for more, we want to know all the details!

[Capt Josh]

Mee soo horny....give us the goods amigo!

Couple great shots there already!

[gman]

Ok so here it is, I am here in Panama with 12 international anglers who are here to jig and pop local fish. It is a trip run by Anglers Pro shop in Brooklyn and Ocean Revolution Rods and Lures

Day 1 was extremely slow with not that many fish being caught at all for all of the fleets.

Majestic, beautiful, tranquil but yet exhilarating, those are the first words that come to mind when I describe Panama. We arrived to David this morning from Panama City to be greeted by Paradise Fishing Lodge. Everyone was attentive and accommodating, the lodge is absolutely amazing, including the swim up bar, personal bungalows and huge terrace that overlooks the canals. The views are breathtaking nestled at the top of a beautiful mountain overlooking the many canals and islands … your mind cant help but wonder what the days fishing will bring you.

Once we were all situated we were all in boats by 12-12:30 in search of our prey today which was Roosters and Cubera Snappers. We are a party of 12 so we loded gear and hoped in one of the 3 center consoles waiting for us. Sami, Edwin, Steve and Myself all boarded our center console and pushed off in search of our fish.

The topwater bite was slow at but when we started jigging we started landing fish. I got my jig on hahah Unfortunately my Jack jig magnet kicked in and I quickly landed about 6 Jack Crevale’s jigging and as a group we landed about 14 of them. If you haven’t already purchased a FC Labo SL jig don’t walk … run, they are my new favorite jig. The hard lines and odd shape makes this jig really flutter and move.

Popping like crazy in this beautiful terrain and scenery is not hard to do. All of us kept up the fight and Edwin Steve Sami and I did not stop all day in the HOT weather. Finally Sami ended up jigging a big Blue Trevally as well and Edwin hooked a nice Rooster but unfortunately it came undone in the end. Steve and I continued to hammer the Jacks when at the last stop Sami hooked up to and landed a nice size Roosterfish on the PR Labo popper

We ended up arriving back to the docks around 5:30 extremely tired and welcoming the prepared diner. Paradise Fishing Lodge is a must see as the sites are beautiful. Totals for our boat were 14 jacks, 2 Roosterfish and a Blue Trevally.

[gman]

Day two was pretty slow except I caught one of my targeted species in the mullet snapper. Sami had a nice Cubera on a jig and a nice snapper as well. No tuna has been reported yet

[gman]

well after 2 days of really slow fishing the bite turned on for many species.

Today was my day to shine ... to leave behind all the bullshit and get into it. I hammered everything that swam all day including the elusive fish of Panama Lore. The plan was to go far far away scouting for tuna but Sami's boat wasnt working so Edwin and I took off in search of tuna because nothing else has been co operating with anyone. Well I found the jackpot. I completed my circle of fish to catch while here

Today was going to be great to me I was going to be blessed, it was overcast, a nice sheen on the water and we found some beautiful rock formations to cast to.

Within the second cast I had a barracuda but shortly thereafter I had not 1 but 4 Rooster fish that have been hiding from us all week. Great fighters BTW. Then came the Pargo I wanted, then the Mullet Snapper, Then not one but two Blue Trevally's (one on jig, one on Volador). Could this be happeneing to me after two days of searcing I caught all my fish on m list in one day LOL

Edwin is holding his own with a nice rooster when we sit down for lunch and I hear the words Tuna, Tuna, Tuna on the radio. Immediately we hear that Sami, Carlos and Sami are into some tuna.

Just when I thought my day couldnt get any better, it was about to. We speed 35 minutes away to see not one but all three anglers tied into yellowfin.

Let me rephrase that. All out feeding frenzy, birds diving, spinner dolphins eating and yes .... tuna everywhere. As we get closer teh captain says wait a minute but seeing tuna so close I said screw this and casted ... pop, pop zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Im tight and I look over to Edwin and hear zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Two fish in the boat all in the 140 pound class caught on my true new favorite the Black Devil 100 rods. Cast again ... pop, pop zzzzzzzzzzzz. Again and again and again and again and again. An hour later and it still hasnt stopped. INSANE

Now Im bored, Edwin has fished like a pro tuna hunter so I pick up the lightweight Stealth rod with the Volador and cast it. pull, pull pull zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 60 pound yellowfin in less than 10 minutes with that rod. Couldnt believe it

ON Sami's boat I could see that they were battling a monster demon fish, Edwin and I already landed about 5 fish over the 100 mark two pushing 140 and we have released about 5 fish and lost many others.

35 minutes later the epic battle continues, First Angler Sami's friend from Lebanon hands the rod to Carlos then to Sami so three people trying to beat this demon. Finally a 175 pound yellowfin hits the decks on top of the 8 or so they had already landed. what an epic day.

For me personally it was a moment of rejoicing that I saw through a plan to be here among my peers and especially Sami who is like a brother to me. After two days of nada for us all the bite broke loose and I along with several others were rewarded

Enjoy the photos

[gman]

enjoy the shots I will post todays, tomorrows and Saturdays reports as they come just ate tuna sashimi, tuna steaks, Mahi and a great salad prepared by Chads staff at Paradise fishing lodge top notch outfit

off chasing tuna gain tomorrow found them today but much smaller. Until then ...

Glenn