Tuna
Toughness
HunDrED-PluS-PounD TunA are the
toughest fish to tackle from a kayak. By
far. I’m sure of it.
Marlin are bigger. These jumpers will
pull a kayak a dozen miles, but not even
a powerful blue poses as many problems. Shuttle craft.
Tuna are sulky creatures; brawlers who
stick with the vertical battle. Incredible
Panama. Legend has it the name means “Place of many fishes” or some such. The guys behind
power with a motor that doesn’t quit. A the new WFN TV show Kayak Fishing with Jim Sammons didn’t go wrong when they selected
kayak angler has little answer.
this glorious, damp, tropically exotic destination. The remote islands that dot the rugged
Pacific coast of western Panama pulse with marine life.
only an elite handful of men have
Rallying in the sleepy, rural port of David after two short flights and a virtually sleepless
managed tuna over the century mark night in the go-go capital of Panama City, we boarded our itinerant home. The barge-based
to my knowledge. The first was Jon
mobile Pesca Panama lodge will never be mistaken for a cruise ship, but it boasts everything
a hardcore fisherman could want: a fleet of fast, far-ranging boats, air-conditioned sleeping
Schwartz, who hooked his from a cruiser
quarters, and Jaime, the bartender who always anticipated when we were ready for the next
to maximize limited time. Schwartz then round. As Sammons quipped, rum and Coke in hand, “Better choose your first night’s drink
hopped onto a ‘yak for the battle armed
with care. You’ll be seeing a lot of it.”
The Pesca Panama operation is slick. Each day the mothership moves to another sheltered
with a shortened custom stick and a
island anchorage. Anglers pile into a state-of-the-art center console, then race off to find ad-
winch. His fish went 111 pounds. venture. It’s solid gold, one of the world’s premier trophy opportunities.
Jim Sammons’ story is a bit different.
They’d never seen the likes of a kayak angler.
That was clear when our motley crew piled our kayaks onto Tommy Bernal’s shiny craft,
He hooked, fought and leadered his
our support boat for the duration. The young Panamanian skipper looked us over skeptically.
stubborn beast, only taking an assist on Although he doled out his English sparingly, I got the sense he’d understood the teasing calls
the final gaff job—and the lengthy ride out
of our more conventional fellow anglers, “Have fun with your pool toys” and “shark bait.”
to blue water. Sammons used a Shimano
Tiagra 12 two-speed and a stiff Tallus
It’s solid gold, one of the world’s premier trophy
to outlast his nemesis. As for its weight, opportunities. They’d never seen the likes of a kayak angler.
we’ll never know. The boat didn’t carry a
suitable scale. We fished that first day off Parida, a series of gnarly islets and hidden reefs not far from the
And finally, as this issue went to press,
mainland. Show producer and former whitewater kayak world champion Ken Whiting con-
nected with a feisty rooster, and Sammons back-paddled another out of a wicked surge that
the impossible? The Cape Cod Times
burst over a hidden reef. They were followed by more dogged drag pullers. On the run back to
reported an amazing catch, a 157-pound the barge, Will Richardson smiled, face finally out from behind the unblinking eye of his video
bluefin corralled by Dave lamoureux in
camera. “The most fish we’ve ever got on a shoot and it’s only the first day,” he said, satisfied.
Next we visited Eden, isolated Isla Montuosa, a postcard-pretty volcanic outcrop with lean-
early november. only sketchy details
ing coconut palms and sugary white sand beaches. Rounding the lee, we came to a giant wash
were available, but several circumstances rock connected to the island by a long line of toothy stones. Every few minutes a foaming
stand out. lamoureux paddled out for
freight train roared out of the deep to smash against the reef. Here we met the shimmery
and beautiful blue trevally, hungry jacks that savaged our live baits before shooting back into
his dance with destiny, in a Heritage
the rocks, threatening to drag us along. Jagged rocks washed by sneaker surf were constant
recreational sit-inside no less. reportedly Panama companions, demanding alertness.
the fish died on the line after a 3-hour
“I could stay here forever,” Sammons said as we stretched our legs on a tiny tombolo, a low
crest of sand encircled by swirling waves that Whiting carved with ease. We climbed back
fight. lamoureux paddled it to the beach.
aboard the support boat and raced off to the famed Hannibal Bank, a series of shallows sur-
His weapon of choice was a Fin-nor rounded by crystalline blue waters.
offshore spinner and a 7-foot Van Staal
We arrived to find the rest of the Pesca Panama boat fleet about to leave. “No fish, no fish,”
shouted one of the guides as he shook his head. He gestured for us to follow them over the
rod. 157 pounds. Break out a bushel of
horizon, but Sammons had other ideas. “Good. Now that it’s quiet out here this place will
chopsticks. That’s a lot of sashimi. pick up,” he said.
Prophetic. Only instants after the engine sounds faded, huge forms leaped from the water
a few hundred yards distant. “Ah, Jim, I think we’re under gunned,” I radioed doubtfully, but
30
…
KayaK angler sPring/suMMer 200
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