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Panama - Boca Chica
Capt. Bob Baker
November 14, 2005
Boca Chica - Saltwater Fishing Report
Costa Rica-Golfito to Punta Burica
Seas improving and seaonal change to summer continuing gradually.
YELLOWFIN TUNA and BLACK MARLIN continue to dominate the offshore action. some very nice tunas to over 200 lbs. ,along with everything from 'footballs' to bigger. Blacks follow the tuna. Lots of squid, means lots of these fish.
There are more and more hookups with dorado(mahi-dolphinfish) every outing. Wahoo are still here, as the water temp. is only around 80-81 degrees.
Inshore , the SNOOK are moving upriver, both the black snook and the smaller 'fat' or calba snook.
Capt. ricardo brought in a 40 lb. beauty the other day, caught on the outgoing tide in the river mouth. Live sardine/circle hook/20 lb. test mono.
Roosterfish, snapper. amberjack, grouper are all biting well, using either live or dead bait, or JIGGING. If you come down this season, make sure you bring some Gamakatsu, Braid, or Shimano deep jigs. 7/0 and 8/0 'assist' hooks. Fish are straightening anything smaller.
Remember my new policy for this season--If you act as monitor of a group of NO LEEs THAN 5 persons BESIDEs yourself, with a top end limit of 8 (total 9), you will fish "FREE". Only your international airfare and in-country air($160) are your responsibility, I pay the rest !! No discounts during Dec.-June, as I've already lowered my package prices.
If you fish Costa Rica with someone else, YOU WILL PAY MORE , OR YOU WILL RECIEVE LESS.
There are some crooked operators still doing business here. Their"All inclusive" packages are non-existent. I'm still trying to recover a large sum of money for a client that was defrauded of her entire trip last year by a shady operator who says he has "Exclusive hotel arrangments" and other amenities, but in reality he only has a website. He doesn't even have a BOAT anymore!! Be careful.
PANAMA-- Punta Burica to Isla Secas
The environmental marine group "Mar Viva" has convinced the Panama government to CLOSE TO ALL SPORT FISHING, the following areas. ISLA COIBA, ISLAS CONTRERAS, ISLA MONTUOSA, ISLAS JICARON AND JICARITA.
THESE ARE ALL FANTASTIC AREAS TO FISH, DON'T GET ME WRONG. I ran special trips to those areas last year up to August of this year, with fantastic results. But, my area of operation is not dependant on fishing these areas. While "the crowd" went that way, I and my captains explored and marked some fantastic spots farther north and west over the past 6 years. They've been overlooked and underfished for years. We may get more 'company' this year, but they're going to be searching while we're FISHING. In the last 4 seasons , I've actually caught more black and blue marlin on my numbers than the boats that constantly fished the Hannibel Banks. That area is sometimes very finicky, and the long run can result in a no-fish day.
Last week, fishing Saturday and Sunday, my good friend MANUEL ZAMBRANO, a Panama City native and a very serious angler, fished with Capt. SERGIO on my boat out of BOCA CHICA. Manuel is now officially 'addicted' to deep-jigging with iron. The boys had a hard time finding bait. Lots of runoff from rains had them experiencing lockjaw. Sometimes the saline content of the water in their usual haunts, and muddy water, will do that.
Manuel also brought along a few of his "Top Secret" wahoo slayers. And slay they did!! He boated 5 beauties from 25 - 40 lbs. while all other boats in the same area were lucky to even hook up. He told me of one over 50 lbs. that straightened the treble next to the boat and escaped.Then he and Capt. Sergio went deep dropping on some of my numbers and had broomtail grouper, spot snapper, yellowtail snapper, cubera snapper(35 lbs.!), yellowfin to 30 lbs.,ALL on the JIGS !! Add 4 nice dorado while trolling for wahoo, and two more 'footballs', and Manuel went home with a cooler full of a variety of fine eating fish for his Sainted Mother and family. Manuel's a confirmed bachelor, for now, but when he fishes, his family and friends all eat very well. And, he releases a good number of fish on every trip too !!
Capt. Sergio rigged a dorado belly into a "Panama Bait' on the long rigger and a 'football' tuna on the other/short, and they had a savage strike from a huge marlin off the tuna, but the circle hook turned IN and fouled in the tunas head , preventing the hookup on the marlin. Manuel was disappointed , of course, but he was with me for his first ever marlin 7 years ago, and now has many more to his credit. Including a 478 pounder on a RAPALA !! From a panga, no less. If you want to see the pics. of that battle, ask by e-mail and I'll send them along. He also has a 48.9 lb. SNOOK to his credit. Great guy, great fisherman.
We'll be fishing NEW Evinrude TWIN e-tecs this year, both in Costa Rica and in Panama. These motors are working out very well down here.
There are a 'few' sailfish outside Punta Burica right now, and they should only increase in numbers as we get closer to summer. That area has a tremendous dropoff that holds some huge marlin and a lot of sails almost all year round. Dec. to June is best for those two species, and the rocks and reefs off Burica offer some of the greatest sport inshore that you will find anywhere. Big cubera and some huge roosters.
E-mail me at [email protected] to book your trip to Panama this season. Fly fisherman are encouraged to participate!! Women, KIDS too !! A billfish on the fly is a battle to remember!!!!
Talk to you soon. GOOD FISHING !! Capt. Bob
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