The waters in Panama are starting to get cool, and that means that the reef water meeting the open ocean becomes our favorite fishing area. Why? Well, enormous bait ball schools start to form, minnows, sardines, and our favorite: blue runners! They will become an attraction for big fish.
As we approach the islands, we pass from 200 feet plus waters to structures between 80 and 40 feet on average. A lot of upwelling creates nutrient-rich waters.
So as our fishing guides suggest, always troll around these areas before going for a swimming break at the islands. In our set of lures, we mainly put sinkers and deep divers; however always leave a surface lure, either a plug or a fake squid with a nice skirt for the occasional pelagic like Mahi, Tuna, or billfish.
Sailfish – Catch and Release
This time sailfish was the species of the moment. It was a 100+ pound monster! It hit our outer surface lure at around 60 feet deep water. Our client immediately took the rod, and we pulled in all the other lines. Like always, the rest of the family became cheerleaders putting pressure on the fisherman not to let the sailfish run away.
It was an intense battle with several fights from the fish-taking line, but our angler never surrendered. We managed to bring the sailfish next to the boat and snap a few pictures with our trophy monster; the crew grabbed it by the bill, out with the hook, stabilized them in the sea, and slowed ahead until we saw the fish was frisky again for a successful release.
We decided to stay a bit longer cruising around the structures, reefs, and bait balls and managed to catch other bites, such as tuna and mahi.
What a magical day at sea onboard with gem charters! Check out the video of the Catch and Release here.
Our captain knows the best fishing spots. Want to book a trip? Contact us through Whatsapp
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