Panama Fishing — Round Three

Panama Fishing — Round Three

 

I’m supposed to be a writer, but honestly I don’t know how to describe what I’ve now experienced on three trips to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. Is it the start of a new addiction (likely) or the crowning experience of my fishing career (hopefully not)? Every moment there, from popping for hard-charging tuna to dragging massive cubera snapper out of the rocks, to the food to the people, is exquisite and life-affirming. It all reminds me of my earliest days on the water, when everything was new and thrilling and invigorating.

Look at that crazy smile in the photo above. That cubera snapper was my dream fish, the one that eluded me on the first two trips to the Gulf of Chiriqui. It was my last fish of the trip this time, and made all of the bouncy boat rides and wet days worth the hassle. Hanna was shocked that after I released it I pumped my fist and did a little happy dance — I simply couldn’t control my emotions. That’s something that rarely happens.

Our group caught over a dozen species of fish on this trip, all of them hard-pulling, many of them good to eat. We woke up sore each day and ready to hit the water again, and personally I can’t wait to get back. It may not be until early 2024 (sooner if I can find a way to make it happen), but if you’d like to go, I give you my personal guarantee that it is exceptional from start to finish. Email Hanna for more information. In the meantime, here are a few links to tide you over:

I don’t know what else to say, so here’s a big group of photos that likely tells the story better than I ever could. Just know that if you like to fish, and especially if you love topwaters, you need to get there sooner rather than later.