Fishing Trip Panama: More variety is not possible! Travel2Fish

PANAMA, THE TUNA COAST

– Fishing on the coast of diversity with plenty of potential for surprises –

Panama offers everything that makes an angler’s heart beat faster. If you don’t want to limit yourself to one type of fish on your fishing trip, this is the place for you. Because here you never know which special fish will take your lure next. It is not without reason that Panama means “abundance of fish”!

Enjoy almost unspoilt nature that makes you forget the time. It is said that the Tuna Coast area is one of the last areas of Panama still to be “discovered”. You can look forward to a tropical climate, the use of a variety of fishing techniques, numerous fishing surprises and relaxation in a cosy lodge away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Below you can find out why you should fish with us in Panama, what you can expect on your fishing holiday and lots of more interesting information about your fishing experience.

OUR TOP 5 REASONS FOR A FISHING TRIP TO PANAMA

Particularly high species richness with large specimens & lots of surprise potential
diverse fishing techniques (popper fishing, speed jigging, slow jigging, light tackle fishing)
family-run lodge in an idyllic location & with first-class cuisine
German or English-speaking tour guide
All fishing tackle can be hired on site

FISHING IN PANAMA – WHAT TO EXPECT

This is how your adventure trip starts:

After your overseas flight, you will usually arrive in Panama City in the late afternoon. We recommend staying in a hotel on the day of arrival, as the transfer to your accommodation in Pedasí takes around 5-6 hours. We will be happy to book this for you.

The next morning, your transfer bus will be waiting for you directly in front of the hotel at around 9.00 am. Once you have left Panama City behind you, enjoy a relaxing journey to the southern end of Panama. During occasional breaks, you can stretch your legs, eat something and gather your first impressions of this distant country.

In the early afternoon, you will reach the cosy fishing village of Pedasí in the south-east of the Azuero peninsula, in the province of Los Santos. Now you have enough time to arrive relaxed, enjoy a cool drink and take a refreshing dip in the pool. You can also prepare your fishing tackle in anticipation, as your fishing adventure in Panama finally begins the next morning!

THE FISHING AND FISHING GROUNDS

Our guiding boats are mostly unrivalled on the water! We only share the area with a few local fishermen, who traditionally only fish with a hand line. There is no net fishing here.

The fishing area on the Tuna Coast has plenty of variety in store for you. The diversity of species is so high that you never know what highlight awaits you next. In one week, it is not uncommon to have 20 different species of fish in the boat.

Special feature: There are probably more roosters off Pedasí than anywhere else on the coast. Especially during the dry season and the sardine run (February-April), it is often possible to catch double-digit catches.

Main fish species: Rooster, Jack Crevalle, Cubera Snapper, Mullet Snapper, Rock Snapper, Pacific Red Snapper, Amberjack, Almaco Jack, Yellowfin Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Sailfish, Marlin and many more.

FISHING IN PANAMA CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 3 CATEGORIES:

Inshore popper fishing,
offshore popper fishing,
offshore jigging.

When we fish poppers or stick baits inshore it is either about casting towards rocks or along the beaches. Here, we mainly fish for rooster fish and jack crevalle (though there are many other possible bonus catches). Without too many obstacles on the bottom we can usually let a hooked fish run and therefore get away with fishing tackle that is lighter than when we fish off shore.

The off shore popping grounds can be several miles out to sea. Either around island or more often just where the seabed rises into small underwater mountains or plateaus. Again, the rooster fish is one of the main targets but out here we also find the vicious cubera snapper – the main reason for bringing heavier popping tackle to the Tuna Coast. When fishing on the off shore popping grounds we can run into lots of different species. Though certainly not the norm, there has even been marlin hooked on poppers out here as these spots are surrounded by deeper water. More normal and most welcome by catches include wahoo, sharks, yellowfin tuna, various snappers, bluefin trevally, jacks, groupers, sailfish, dorados and amberjacks. Just be ready and hold on – you can never be sure what grabs your stick bait or popper out here…
Jigging is also carried out at different hot spots off shore. Don`t get mad at your captain if he decides to leave while the action is still good. We are careful not to fish these hot spots too hard; then the amberjacks, groupers, snappers or whatever we are catching will leave the spot for good so after a few good fish it’s better to savee something for another day.

Apart from the three different types off fishing grounds mentioned above we also chase yellowfin tuna off shore chasing diving schools of birds. As you can imagine, a week st the Tuna Coast can pass all too quickly.

TYPICAL ITINERARY FOR YOUR FISHING TRIP IN PANAMA:

Day 1: Arrival in Panama City & short transfer to the airport hotel

Day 2: Transfer to the Tuna Coast (Pedasí)

Day 3-9: 7 full days at the lodge, including 6 full fishing days

(additional fishing day possible & bookable on site)

Day 10: Transfer to Panama City & return flight home

Longer or shorter tours are possible – just contact us.

By the way: Would you prefer to be travelling in a small group of 2-4 anglers rather than taking part in a mixed guided group tour? You are also welcome to travel to Panama and fish on your own – we can offer you individual travel planning and transfer options.

THE TACKLE

For heavy popping, we recommend a quality rod with a casting weight of around 150-180 grams. That will basically cover all your fishing with larger poppers and stick baits. There are lots of good rods on the market and for a while we have been fishing new three piece rods. They are much easier for travel as you can fit them into a larger suitcase or duffle bag but being a bit shorter (usually between 7’ 6” and 8 feet) they don’t cast quite as well as the longer (8’6”) two piece rods. Still, we think it’s a fair trade off.

When it comes to reels we think a fixed spool reel like Shimano’s Stella 14000XG (or 10000SW) is the perfect size for the Panama. There is no need to bring bigger (and heavier) models.

For light tackle you should consider bringing a fixed spool reel in the 6000 size and a lighter popping rod casting up to 100 grams.

The choice of line is a matter of personal taste but we prefer 80-100 lbs braid for the heavier popping tackle and 50-60 lbs for light tackle.

For jigging we use a short rod of a little over five feet with a recommended jig weight of around 300 grams. We use a fixed spool reel the same size as when popping (10000 or 14000) but find it is easier to get away with a less expensive model than the Shimano Stellas or Daiwa Saltigas when jigging.

Quality tackle can be hired at the lodge but make sure to let us know in advance if you plan to do so.

The lodge has some lures for sale but we recommend that you bring some of your own, too. Good poppers are FCL Labo Ebipop SC 150, Heru Cubera, Dumbell Pop (L), Orion Fraser Pop and RAPALA Magnum XPLODE 130 + 170. Of course, many other poppers in the 80-150 g range will work well too. Sinking stickbaits of 15 to 20 cm that will cast well also do really well.

NOTE: It’s possible to rent quality tackle for popping and jigging at the lodge. Just informs us so we are sure the have it set up and ready for you when you arrive.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PANAMA

Panama is located exactly between Central & South America. It borders Costa Rica to the west & Colombia to the east.
At ~75,000 km², Panama is about 1/5 the size of Germany.
About 4.2 million inhabitants (as of 2019)
Average annual temperature: 29 °C
You can pay in Panama with the local currency Balboa (PAB) or USD.
In addition to indigenous languages, Spanish and English are predominantly spoken in Panama.
The inhabitants (Panamanians) are called Panameños in Spanish and Panamanians in English.

YOUR ACCOMMODATION DURING YOUR PANAMA FISHING TRIP

The cosy, family-run lodge is located in the tranquil fishing town of Pedasí – far away from the hustle and bustle of Panama City.

The centre of the complex is a swimming pool, which invites you to take a refreshing dip in between. Right next to the pool, you can indulge in culinary delights in the separate dining area. Here you will find the bar and the kitchen, which is known for its excellent food.

There are four rooms in total, each with its own bathroom and air conditioning. During our Travel 2 Fish mixed group trips, we have the lodge exclusively to ourselves and enjoy the full attention of the team.

As a bonus, the accommodation also offers a laundry service – meaning there is more space for fishing tackle in your suitcase and, in theory, you can travel with hand luggage only. You can even do without your own equipment and make use of the lodge’s extensive selection of hire tackle.

By the way: 100% of the fishing at the lodge is with artificial bait only. No livebait or trolling!

THE BOATS FOR YOUR PANAMA FISHING TRIPS

The lodge owns four boats:

two TwinVee 26′ power catamarans &
two Caribepro 25′ centre console boats.

All boats are fully equipped for sport fishing and are powered by a twin engine (SUZUKI four-stroke). Each boat is equipped with VHF radio, GPS, depth sounder, a livewell and tuna tubes.

We have been working with the guides since the lodge opened in 2006 and we can safely say that they are the most experienced on the entire Tuna Coast.

THE BEST TIME FOR YOUR FISHING TRIP TO PANAMA

Panama has a tropical climate with average daytime temperatures of 27-28°C and maximum temperatures of just over 30°C. The water temperature is a fantastic 28-29°C during the rainy season and 20-22°C during the dry season. This begins in December and ends in May, but the fishing season is year-round.

Our fishing trips mainly take place from January to April or from October to November – just the right time to escape the cold climate at home.

Tip: Panama is the perfect destination for beginners to tropical fishing, especially during the dry season (mid-February to mid-April). Fishing here is mainly done with light tackle (heavy pike rods) and smaller lures – for all kinds of fish species. So you don’t have to go to the gym as preparation to be able to only go after big fish with the elephant gun.

HOW MUCH DOES YOUR PANAMA FISHING HOLIDAY COST?

PRICE: from USD 3250 (plus flights) for 7 nights in the lodge & 5 fishing days included

Included in the price:

5 full fishing days of fishing (3 anglers on the boat),
1 day off (can also be booked on site as an additional fishing day),
1 night at the airport hotel on the day of arrival (twin room incl. breakfast),
7 nights at the lodge,
full board incl. water, tea, coffee,
transfer from Panama City and back.

And also:

German or English-speaking tour guide,
cosy lodge in a quiet location with first-class cuisine,
very good boats with modern technology,
safe airport transfer by shuttle bus.

Not included in the price:

International flights to Panama City (price varies depending on the departure airport),
soft drinks & alcoholic beverages,
tips for the guides and lodge staff (approx. 150-200 $ per angler).

By the way: Pedasí is not just a paradise for anglers. Anyone who not only wants to fish in Panama, but would also like to go surfing, horse riding or diving, will also get their money’s worth here – for example, by adding another week to your fishing holiday. Please contact us and we will be happy to help you plan your individual holiday.

BOOK A FISHING HOLIDAY TO PANAMA NOW

& LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW ADVENTURE

You are only a casting distance away from your new adventure!
If you want to experience breathtaking nature and enjoy pure holiday feeling, you will get your money’s worth with our fishing trip to the Tuna Coast, Panama.

Book your next fishing holiday with us and look forward to exciting days full of variety.

Your team from Travel2Fish