Yellowfin Popper Madness

[di hrd]

Just got back form Panama, fishing out of the Panama Sportfishing lodge. We had insane popping for tuna every day we fished.

Day one and two.

Our boat, Dave, Pete, Horace, Steve. Captain Macho.

We fished near the Island of Montosa. The tuna and porpoises had cigar minnows balled up on the surface. It was insane. The cigars would get up under the boats to try to hide. You could scoop then up with dip nets, buckets or even by hand!
The tuna would bust the cigars and every boat would run in on them. Now, I have fished for striper in tight with other boats but this was like nothing I had ever experienced. What most captains would do was dip net some of the cigars and freeline them by tossing them in the busting fish. We stuck to the artificial. It was hard not getting tangled with everyone throwing over top of each other let alone landing a hooked fish. We used Sebile stick shads in 155 and 182 sizes. The fish seemed to want a subsurface fast moving bait. Also, our hookups tripled when we went from 100lb mono to 80 floro.

















Day three we fished the Island of Coiba. It looked like the fly over shot on Jurassic park. Volcanic cliffs with waves crashing. We threw topwaters at many rocks and beaches. Fishing was slow with only a few blue trevally, hound fish and horse eye jacks. From there we went to Hannibal Banks to look for mullet snapper. Not much happening there also. We ended up going back to the tuna bite on the way in.









Day four. We popped around some islands and jigged some ridiculous marks, finished with tuna again. We caught a variety of fish. Pete got a mullet snapper and I got a cubere snapper. I brought my snorkel gear with me and got some in water shots of the bait, porpoises and hooked fish.













Day five, final day. We again popped some rocks catching jacks and hounds. I pulled off a big cubera on a tady. We drifted for mullet snapper with Pete catching one. From there we jigged some rocks in 300' catching Aj's. I scored a cubera on a jig. Jigged some 400', Dave and I both pulling off monster pulls. We could see some frigate birds getting up high a mile or so inshore so we checked them. Guess what...tuna again. We were the only boat on them this time. Dave hooked a good one but bulled the hook after a 20 min fight. During his fight I landed three little yellows. The next shot, Pete hooked a good one and landed the 54" yellow after a 20 min fight. Soon after, I got the last tuna which proved to be the last fish of the trip.

[WhiteLakeBuc]

Gotta send a special thanks to Squid for hooking us up with the Sebile Stick Shadd's. Those things were the straight ticket and easily outfished all the other arti's 5 to 1

[mythosbeer]

Wow about sums up that trip! Congrats you guys...that will be remembered for a long time I am sure!

Mitch

[SeaBiscuit]

Welcome back boys! Incredible tuna fishing. X large popping fish for sure. The bait ball & underwater shots are incredible. No place like Panama's Coiba coast.
SeaBiscuit

[Squid]

Glad to see those Sebile baits worked out for y'all!

Incredible fishing and pictures! What I wouldn't give to see one of those baitballs off our coast this weekend.....

[di hrd]

Glad to see those Sebile baits worked out for y'all!

Incredible fishing and pictures! What I wouldn't give to see one of those baitballs off our coast this weekend.....

Thanks for hooking us up with the Sebile lures. All the other boats were asking what lures we were using as they were all using bait and not able to get it in front of the fast moving schools. Our capt only knew two lures if it was a plastic lure it was a "Shibuki" if it was a metal lure it was a "Tady'. Well after the show these lures put on this week now he knows "Sebile"

[Nauti Natured]

Unbelieveable!!!!! Awesome report.

The cubera is beautiful!

Amazing bait ball and yellowfins.

Must find my way down there one day.

Thanks!

[babalaza]

Outstanding

[Dolphin22]

Sick trip

[Sea Draggin]

Wow. I know a lot of guys have gone down there this year hoping for a trip like this, only to come home with little action. I'm glad the fish were there waiting for you and it was a dream trip for you guys. Pretty work.