Panama Fishing Report - Big Yellowfin Tunas are Back! - March 11-23, 2012

[Captain Shane Jarvis]

We hosted a few groups of anglers, and a group of Spearfishermen, the past two weeks here at Propiedad de Paradise Lodge on Isla Paridas. Water temperatures in the high 80's and some unusually strong winds had the "bite" on one day and off the other. Large schools of Yellowfin Tunas are now up into the Gulf of Chiriqui and are moving between and all around Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa. Moving and working with schools of Porpoise, every day we encountered the Tunas. Getting the Tunas to eat our live Bonitos and Blue Runners wasn't always easy as they are gorging themselves on huge clouds of squid. The spearfishermen, the first week, had much more luck than we did getting big YFT every day. The second week the Tunas started to eat and we boated some up to 200 lbs. We saw Black Marlin activity at both Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa with other boats jumping fish and sighting a few in our spread but we didn't have any luck. We did get a couple of Pacific Sailfish, a few AmberJacks, and managed to hook a Thresher Shark one day. The weather has made a turn in the past couple of days with the wind dying down and some unusual rain. Hopefully the change in climate will cool down the water and the bite will continue to get better!
Enjoy the pictures...........................