The fishing species in Panama are pretty well marked mainly in 2 seasons: The rainy season is in the summer; this time, the waters get warm, which is best for sea fishing. The other season is winter, which is not a cold winter (same temperatures as summer), but it's when the water gets chilly. And we focus on deep-water species. However, between these marked fishing species seasons, there are unexpected species surprises! For example, since June, we've been getting a more active than usual number of sailfish on our bites. From half-day trips to Extended trips, the extended South Pearl Islands and full-day Pearl Islands have the most sailfish catches. We practice catch-and-release for this species, and when possible, we board the species for a nice picture and then release it. The most popular lures for attracting them have been Ballyhoo rigged with an artificial skirt and normal fake surface squids.

The first rains of the season only mean something: deep sea fishing season is ON! Red snapper and its buddies from coastal bottom structures are still biting. However, on our way to the islands for these targeted species, we are dedicating some time to deep-sea fishing, and this will start becoming normal as we enter summer. Rain combined with southern currents will start warming waters, bringing nutrient-rich deep sea currents. The addition of rivers flushing rainwater with driftwood will all combine to form long drift lines to target our favorite pelagic species like tuna, mahi, sailfish, and wahoo!

If you ask our crew which is their favorite time of the year, they will definitely choose peak times of certain species of "transition seasons." By this, we mean changing seasons and species. The reason to like "transition season" is the variety of fish three expands since you can catch very distinct species. For example, you can catch pelagic deep-sea species like mahi or tuna, as well as grouper, which is a coastal structure bottom species, all on the same day!