TOM OLSON GROUP AT AQUA ADVENTURES PANAMA

[JPKIPP63]

Hooked on Panama Lodge trip Jan. 14 - 22, 2011
.Left SD with fishing friends Rene and Rick early on January 14th and drove to LAX for a nonstop flight on Copa Airlines (Panamanian national airline) to Panama City. After a 6 hour flight arrived at PC at 5:30 PM and were met and escorted through customs by a “meet and greet” service hired by the HOPL. Spent the night in PC at the Sheraton and were picked up the next morning and taken to the domestic airport for our flight to David. Once in David our driver Auturo, who spoke perfect English was waiting to drive us to the lodge. About a 2 hour drive including stops for beer and weak bladders. Arrived at the lodge around noon for fresh dorado, rice and beans lunch. Spent the afternoon in the pool and enjoyed the open bar which was included in the price of the trip. We met our captain Oliver and mate Carlos that evening to plan for fishing the next day……we did this each night before fishing. Oliver is a 33 year old Costa Rican who speaks perfect English and loves to surf as well as fish. As we planned our day of fishing Oliver pointed out the Quicksilver yacht passing by which had been anchored up for 2 days as the mothership for surfers surfing Punta Burica which was a 10 minute boat ride from the lodge and about 500 yards from where we made bait each day.

The next morning we settled into our routine for the next 5 days of fishing:
-up at 5:45 AM (east coast time-2:45 SD time)
-coffee in the restaurant building at 6:00 AM
-meet the panga on the beach at 6:30 for the 100 yard ride to the custom sportfishers
-get on board along with our breakfast of egg, bacon & salsa burritos and lots of stuff to make sandwiches for lunch (beer, sodas and water already aboard in a 270 qt ice chest)
-10 minute boat ride to Punta Burica to make bait-3-5 lb. bonito
-go fishing
-return from fishing between 4:00-5:30 PM
-hit the pool with Fernando the bartender delivering drinks poolside
-sashimi appetizers followed by fresh fish dinner
-head for the bungalows to sleep

Each day our fishing choices were as follows:
-Stay in the immediate area where we made bait and fish the reefs for cubera snapper and roosterfish……..there are smaller fish which can be caught there also but they really have a hard time swallowing a whole bonito.
-Go offshore about 10-20 miles for sailfish, dorado and Yellow Fin Tuna.
-Go 46 miles to Isla Montosa for blacks, blues and Yellow Fin Tuna (our captain Oliver wasn’t wild about the long ride to Montosa but he made it clear that it was our boat for the 5 days of fishing and that he would go anywhere we wanted weather and safety permitting).

Fishing Day 1-Offshore for sailfish and dorado. Caught 5 sails and numerous dorado. All sails were caught on ballyhoo dropped back once the jigs had raised the sails into the spread. Some dorado ate the jigs but we also got them on drop backs. I’m guessing the sails at 80-100 lbs with the dorado averaging 30-50 lbs with the biggest dorado being caught on bait and weighing in at 65 lbs.

Fishing Day 2- A thunderstorm passed through during the night and it was windy the next morning with sloppy seas. Decided to stay inshore for the cubera snappers and roosters. Caught some large cubera snappers and one roosterfish. (the day we checked in I talked to a guest who had caught a rooster estimated at 90 lbs 2 days earlier). When the water laid down went offshore for 2 more sailfish in the afternoon.

Fishing Day 3-More sailfish and dorado

Fishing day 4-Off to Isla Montosa. Slow trolled live bonito (boats have 6 tuna tubes) on 18/0 hooks. The black porpoise were a nuisance as they often killed our baits. Hooked 2 blacks estimated at 350-400 lbs. Landed the larger one after about an hour of pulling. Oliver estimated its weight at about 400 lbs. before we released it. On the ride back to the lodge we stopped to drop back baits on several schools of porpoise and caught a couple of school sized 20-25 lbs Yellow Fin Tuna.

Fishing Day 5-Back to Montosa. Saw at least 5 large blacks and blues caught while we were fishing but couldn’t get bit ourselves. To get an idea of what fishing at Montosa is about picture a group of boats (maybe 10-12 boats from 5-6 different lodges) slowly dragging around the Lower 9 off North Island when the marlin are in except here the marlin are a lot bigger. We did get even with the black porpoise as we actually hooked one and fought it to the boat before cutting the leader. It jumped higher when hooked than anything you’ve ever seen before. Left the island to look for Yellow Fin Tuna under the porpoise. Rick got a 124 Yellow Fin Tuna by dropping back a live rainbow runner in front of a school of porpoise. He caught it on what I think is about the smallest Avet reel made……..80 lb leader tied directly to 50 lb braid. Took him just under an hour.

Return Home-Started home the next morning after breakfast at the lodge………drive to David airport…….fly back to PC………spend the night at the Sheraton……..fly back to LAX the next day.

General comments on the Hooked On Panama Lodge:
-The lodge and guest bungalows are only 2 years old and in great condition. This place was built by Americans for Americans who travel to fish and understand quality. Great place to bring the wife/girlfriend if you can afford to bring them along.
-The boats are great. They are pretty much 35’ pangas on steroids with flybridges. Great day boats as there’s lots of room to relax out of the sun and great ventilation. Twin diesels push them along at 25 knots weather permitting. Bait tank plus 6 tuna tubes.
-Two American husband and wife teams (they are owners)were there to attend to all our needs. Mike and Gay split their time between Panama and Maui, and Rex and Connie are from Texas. Rex is a custom boat builder and actually designed and built the lodge boats. Cannot say enough nice things about how they treated us.
-The food was great with one exception that I would never have imagined being an issue. We had fresh fish for dinner 6 nights in a row………dorado, Yellow Fin Tuna and snapper. It couldn’t have been any fresher as we had caught it ourselves and Carlos cleaned it and put it on ice 10 minutes after they hit the deck but by the end of our stay we were all craving a steak or In and Out. We solved this problem on our way home in PC when we went out to dinner at an Argentina beef restaurant near the Sheraton.
-The fishing was generally slower than we had expected numbers wise, but the quality of the fish we did catch was remarkable. We were there on the full moon and the water was still a little green from all the rain they’d had. Additionally, I came away with the feeling that their seasons are a little screwed up this year which seems to be a common theme around the world.
-Our trip was booked through BD member Fred Stephens of Adventure Sportfishing here in SD. Fred had previously spent 10 days at Hooked On Panama Lodge fishing and surfing with Oliver and knew the place well. It was exactly as he represented it to be. As far as exotic fishing trips go, this was a very good value……..and a good alternative to Tropic Star for those who can’t afford TS or get good dates. Fred is also one of the top booking agents for TSL so he knows them both well. Fred is a great resource no matter where in the world you want to fish. Even if he can’t make a buck helping you book someplace he is very generous with his information and a great resource.

Tom Olson