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Panama News

Source: TVN Noticias -

Panama Guide

A delegation of twenty Panamanian search and rescue experts will be departing the country in the coming hours, to provide assistance to Haiti which was struck by a devastating earthquake yesterday. Copa airlines will make an aircraft available to the government, which will be used to transport the rescue team as well as 10,000 bags of food donated by the office of the First Lady, Marta de Martinelli. Panama's Foreign Ministry said that despite their best efforts, they still have not been able to locate the charge d'affaires of Panama in Haiti, Eugenio Taylor.


Source: Kathyria Caicedo for Telemetro Reporta -

Panama Guide

About 250,000 workers in Panama will see an increase in their paychecks today, as a result of the new increases to the minimum wage announced by the government at the end of last year, which takes effect as of today, 15 January 2010. However, there are many complaints and doubts. Every company is obliged to pay their employees at the new rates as per Executive Order Number 263, which regulates the minimum wage and specifies what has to be paid according to the type of commercial activity and region of the country.

Chavez to use virtual currency for some trade

Chavez new currency has a value on the world market of B 1,000,000.00 = 1 Banana lets how many nukes he can buy from Iran with his new currency. coment buy Panama Jack



Chavez to use virtual currency for some trade
By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)

Venezuela plans to start using a new virtual currency this week to facilitate trade with a bloc of allies in Latin America and the Caribbean that President Hugo Chavez has assembled to counter U.S. influence in the region.
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Chavez has hailed the electronic currency — dubbed the Sucre and valued at $1.25 — as a unique means of helping Venezuela, Cuba and other allied countries reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar for commerce.

The Sucre was officially launched by Venezuela's government with a law's publication in the Official Gazette on Wednesday. Sucre is a Spanish acronym for the Unified Regional Compensation System.

It is to be used between members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Nations of Our America, or ALBA, a leftist bloc that also includes Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Venezuela and Cuba started the group as a socialist-oriented trade alliance in 2004.

Analysts say the electronic trading mechanism won't significantly diminish the reliance of ALBA members on the U.S. dollar because commerce within the bloc is minimal.

The Sucre won't be printed or coined; instead, it will be used solely as a virtual currency to manage debts between governments.

Venezuela's finance minister, Ali Rodriguez, said Wednesday that Chavez's government plans to make its first transaction using the Sucre this week, when it sells rice to Cuba. The state news agency reported that he called it a way "to break the dependence on the dollar" in trade.

Jose Guerra, an economist and former manager at Venezuela's Central Bank, said the Sucre "isn't going to have a major impact for the members of the ALBA" because the bulk of their trade is centered on trade with the United States and the European Union.

"Chavez says his allies will have a true alternative to the dollar, but it's impossible to substitute the dollar," Guerra said.

Guerra estimates that about 2 percent of the oil-producing country's exports are shipped to ALBA-member nations, and about 2.1 percent of its imports come from members of the trade bloc.

The United States remains Venezuela's No. 1 trade partner, with annual trade reaching more than $20 billion last year despite the often-rocky diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington.

In comparison, Venezuela's trade with communist-led Cuba — the South American nation's most active trade partner within the ALBA — is roughly $3.6 billion, according to estimates by Jorge Pinon, an energy fellow at the University of Miami's Center for Hemispheric Policy.

Pinon said putting the Sucre into use is mostly a symbolic act.

"It's essentially an electronic price-transfer mechanism that really doesn't have any important economic impact," Pinon said. "The amount of trade between these countries using the Sucre will be limited. It's more political than anything else."

(This version CORRECTS that Venezuela plans to sell rice to Cuba instead of buying it from Cuba).)



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/14/financial/f194734S46.DTL&feed=rss.business#ixzz0csKY6ma5

Jon Schwartz Kayak Fishing For Marlin

In October of 2007, I finished writing an article on big game kayak fishing for Sport Fishing Magazine. It was really exciting to be asked to write for that publication, and in my delusions of grandeur, I envisioned the next logical step would be TV- springing up and down on Oprah’s couch, no doubt.

In the meantime, all the time I spent in front of the computer writing that article was time off the water, and I was getting soft and pudgy again. I felt kinda like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, in the hotel room, where he’s fretting that for every moment he stays out of combat, his nemesis, still in the jungle, grows stronger. I never quite got to the point where I found it necessary to smash any mirrors and collapse in a fit of pent up rage, but the pile of Cheetos crumbs that littered my desktop was no joke either.

Turned out that Doug Olander and some of the people over at Sport Fishing Magazine were planning a kayak fishing mother ship trip in Cabo in late January, and I was somehow invited along for the adventure. We sent emails back and forth discussing what gear to bring. I kept in contact with Durance Lowendick, the owner of the Marlin Masters Sportfishing, the charter operation that would be running the kayak fishing mother ship operation in Cabo. Just before Thanksgiving, Durance shoots an email off to us about a remote location called Finger Banks, 57 miles off of Cabo, where he witnessed an incredible scene replete with pods of bait-crashing marlin, breaching whales, and acres of porpoise and tuna. My kinda scene! I’d never heard of the place before, but I figured, hey, let’s get in on the action while it’s hot, as in, drop everything and fish, now! There were a few problems with this. Everyone else was booked that week, and I was actually in the middle of a juice fast (during Thanksgiving Vacation, no less!) that had rendered me so weak that I could barely brush my teeth.

Durance suggested that we try a week later. That would give me time to get some gear ready, and get back in some sort of shape- at least to the point of where I could walk a block or two. All that was left was to make sub plans for the days I’d be gone from my second grade teaching job in San Diego.

All, that is, except the packing. I always leave that to the last minute. Here it is, midnight, I have to leave at 5am, my gear is stacked up next to my bags, and no matter how I cram it together, it won’t fit. I don’t know why- all I had was, 7 rods, 7 reels, 2 gaffs,1 paddle, 3 sets of gloves, 2 wetsuits, booties, assorted clothes, 4 cameras, a vhf marine radio, 5 adapters and chords, 3 pairs of glasses, gobs of lures, weights, and leader material….

When my wife called to see how I was doing from the other room, I barked back, “FINE!!!” The cool thing is that we’ve been married enough long enough to see through each other’s lies, and within a minute she arrived in the garage with a caring smile and went to work on the wretched pile of debris. 5 minutes later she’s done. Go figure.

I hadn’t been to Cabo in a long time- about ten years- and when Durance picked me up at the airport and drove me into town, I couldn’t believe my eyes. First off, there was no trash on the side of the road, and all of the “Get drunk and throw up for 99cents!” bars that catered to the college crowd were gone, replaced by really ritzy shops and boutiques. The marina in particular totally blew me away- it was like downtown La Jolla, with tons of really classy restaurants and stores catering to the well-heeled crowd. I usually hate malls, but the mall they have on that marina kicks butt. I’m talking about, you’ll have one store with expensive Persian rugs, next to a Rolex store, a perfume store, a fashion boutique, and then an art gallery. Way out of my league!

Durance brought me to his store at Marlin Masters Sportfishing in the mall and introduced me to his wife Sharon and their 23 year old son Phillip. Turns out Durance is a semi- retired attorney from Atlanta who decided to transfer the charter boat business he ran in Florida to his favorite vacation spot- and he seems to be doing really well. The business is run with a “customer’s first” mentality that may have something to do with the fact that it’s family owned and operated. As soon as I got there they treated me like one of their own, and we went out for a dinner to an open air restaurant on the water’s edge. The chef had agreed to cook the fresh fillets from a 40 pound grouper that was landed on one of his boats that day. Marlin Masters has a fleet of 7 boats, ranging from 33 to 57 feet, and one of their captains specializes in light tackle fishing and fly fishing. The delicious grouper was landed on the latter charter.

The next morning, we loaded 3 kayaks on the 38 foot Bertram Marlin Maste’s I, filled up the live well with about 50 prime greenback mackerel that we purchased from a bait receiver inside the marina, and headed north past the famous arches that mark the meeting point of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. We’d be heading straight out to Finger Banks, a location so far out, that only a few companies will take their boats there.

Most Mexican sport fishing operations leave the dock at 7:00am and return at 2:30pm, no matter how hot the bite is in the afternoon- it’s an unwritten law. Not so with Durance. He stays out until the sun goes down! Now that’s my kind of person! I guess he kind of blew his employees’ minds when he told them that they wouldn’t be coming back at the regular times, but he pays them more than the other companies, so they’re lining up to work for him.

We hadn’t made it out 5 miles when we saw our first giant breaching whale, and a striped marlin right near it that was all lit up. As we made our way out, I prepped my gear. I’d brought along my favorite super short rods with 40 pound lever drag reels, so that if we hooked up with our intended quarry, the striped marlin, I’d be able to reel them in and release them in time to affect a successful release, where the fish swam away in good shape.

We were using circle hooks, which many kayakers prefer because they set themselves without requiring a full ‘swing” with the rod that can be hard to execute on a kayak. Circle hooks are also the choice of many conservation minded anglers because their cam-action almost always results in the hook becoming lodged in the fish’s jaw or lip, rather than the stomach, a common by-product of the old fashioned j-hook. If the fish is hooked in the jaw, the hook can be easily removed, which increases their survival rate by not interfering with the fish’s feeding process.

Not long after Captain Juan announced we were “on the grounds”, we saw birds diving on a mass of bait. Phillip and I launched the kayaks and began to paddle around in hopes of hooking up with the predators that were driving the bait to the surface, but it wasn’t as easy as plopping the kayaks in the water and waiting for a hookup. The mass of bait with diving birds was a fast moving entity, which we quickly realized upon entering the water. In less than a minute, the swirling bait ball, which reacted to the submarine strikes from its attackers by shuddering and undulating in spasmodic waves, had moved hundreds of yards from us. There was no way we were going to be able to catch up, so we decided to slow troll around the area with mackerel in tow, hoping to get a blind strike from a passing fish.


This slow trolling only worked for a bit. Invariable bait balls would come closer to us, and we’d get all excited and paddle like the devil in hopes of catching up, but these mad dashes only succeeded in raising our hopes and tiring us out. After 45 minutes passed with no luck, I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get hooked up. If the only way to strike gold was to be in the midst of a bait ball, we’d have to get incredibly lucky and basically get run over by one. Not only that- our mad dashes were wearing our baits out. Just as I began to reel in my bait to see if it was even alive, I felt a slight pull on the line, and then nothing. Was I imagining something? Good thing I still had my thumb on the spool though, because the next thing I know, line is racing off the reel. Hookup!

I slowly increased pressure on the spool, and when I tightened down the drag and the line came taught, the bow of my kayak swung around 180 degrees. Seconds later the line goes slack- which either means the fish is off or it’s changed directions- and then I see it- a marvelously lit up striped marlin, bursting out of the water 75 yards in front of me in a sea of spray, furiously waving his bill and twisting furiously in midair! The line was still not taught, and I wondered if he had shook the hook loose- but not to worry! The fish took off again at an even faster pace, the line finally came taught, and I was treated to the famed Nantucket Sleighride that all kayak fishing enthusiasts live for.

I took my submersible vhf marine radio from my lifejacket’s pocket, and radioed in to the boat that I was hooked up. I wasn’t the only angler on the water; I was about 500 yards away, being towed in the opposite direction by the magnificent marlin. Every so often the line would go slack, and my heart would sink, since I thought he came off, but each time I was rewarded with the incredible sight of the marlin once again breaking the surface in an amazing aerial display.

Part of the purpose of the trip was to get pics and video for the upcoming article in Sport Fishing Magazine, but we hadn’t a proper photographer with us. Instead, I had left my cameras with the deckhands, hoping for the best. When the boat caught up with me, Captain Juan announced, “Jon, I can’ take any pic-chor- I heer a alahrm when I poosh de button!” (Jon I can’t take any pictures, I hear an alarm when I push the button). Despite his broken English, I was able to understand him completely- being married to a Mexican woman helps.

In either case, I knew there was nothing I could do to fix the cameras right then, so even though we might miss some good shots, at least they were able to take some video. The fish was still dragging me all over the place, and changing directions. One moment the boat would seem too far away to get footage, and then the next moment he would go right for the boat, and I was worried that the line would get caught in the prop. I kept thinking, “Get closer…no…wait….go away!”

Something else was happening that was kind of funny. The kayaks that we were using were meant to be used with a rudder, but I thought that the line might get caught on it, so I disengaged it, and in doing so, made the kayak track, or stay on course, very poorly. Usually on big fish, when they swim away from you, you can turn your bow in the direction of the fish by tugging on the line, but this kayak wasn’t cooperating. I felt like I was in a salad bowl with no front or back to it, like those circular bumper cars that have no steering. It just kept sliding sideways towards the fish, and since I had no intention of fighting the fish like this, I sat side-saddle on the kayak. Even so, the fish was pulling me and the kayak, sideways, at a decent clip!

By the time I got the fish close to me, it had calmed down quite a bit, so I wasn’t worried about getting attacked or impaled. Fortunately, I had brought it in quickly enough so that it still had enough energy to swim away, and I grabbed the leader and cut it right at the hook, which was wedged perfectly in the outward edge of his jaw. I could have chosen to remove the hook, but I sensed that the fish was too “green” and he would go nuts if I grabbed him, so this was the best solution, the hope being that the hook would rust out within a short amount of time.

To see video highlights of the last few minutes of the fight with this marlin, click here.

As I paddled back to the boat to get another bait, I noticed through the drizzling rain that bait balls were still on top, but the predators weren’t on the surface anymore, so I put a 4oz olive sinker on my line so that my bait would drop to where the big ones were still lurking. For the next couple of hours, I did a lot of paddling, with no luck. The rain started to come down horizontally and the wind picked up, but since I came prepared with the proper wetsuit gear, I felt fairly comfortable, as long as I kept paddling.

At some point, one of these crazy masses of bait and big fish appeared again in the distance. It didn’t seem to be moving and I was able to catch up with it. I paddled right into the middle of it, let my bait drop in free spool, and soon the line starts smoking off my reel, and I’m on to something big and fast. It wasn’t a marlin, for sure- it was heading for the bottom, then changing directions on a dime, and shaking it’s head ferociously underwater. I fought the beast for several minutes, but it was all I could do to stem the flow of line racing off the reel, and when I applied pressure, the line snapped. Once the boat caught up with me and they saw the frayed leader, they surmised that it had been mako shark- lots of them in this area.

By now it’s about 3:30, we’ve got maybe 90 minutes left of light, and I really wanted a shot at a second marlin. As far as I know, no one has hooked and landed more than one in a single day from a kayak, and I thought I had a good chance at setting a record that might stand for awhile. I rebaited at the boat, and paddled off. After some more time on the water, I spotted another bait ball with diving birds, bigger than any I’d seen yet, and paddled towards it. This thing was moving helter skelter all over the place and eventually I just stopped paddling and threw my paddle down in frustration- no way I could catch up. Of course by this time my bait was half dead from me dragging him through the water. As I sat there with my head hung low, feeling dejected and trying to regain my breath, I heard a tremendous roar- the very same gigantic bait ball, with free jumping porpoise and scads of diving birds-was heading back straight towards me!

By the time this cavalcade of craziness overtakes me, I feel like I’m in the middle of an episode of Blue Planet. Huge porpoise are free jumping all over the place, and striped marlin are all around me, slashing the surface with their bills, putting on what looked like some type of medieval cross-swords display. I counted at one point a minimum of six marlin slicing the surface within 30 yards of me- and the craziest thing was, all I could do was watch!

They had plenty of live bait to choose from, and even though I pitched my lifeless bait right next to them, they would have none of it! I radioed back to the boat “Guys! Get over here now! Marlin all over! Hurry up!” but it turns out that tons of marlin had erupted next to them as well and they had decided to take a break from kayak fishing and fight a couple from the boat. I sat there alone in disbelief as the display went on for another five minutes, and when the frenzy abated, made my way back to the boat about ½ a mile away.

By this time the deckhand Fernando decided that he wanted to give this kayak thing a try. This was the first time that I’d ever seen a local Mexican get in a kayak, let alone try kayak fishing. Phillip, Fernando, and I all baited up and started trolling bait behind out yaks, and about ten minutes later I get hooked up- another marlin! It’s dragging me all around, tail walking, and then the guys on the boat radio me to tell me that we’ve got a triple kayak marlin kayak hookup- Phillip and Fernando are on too!

The three marlins were all evidently pulling us kayakers in different directions, and the boat stayed with me because it seemed I might land mine first. After another classic sleigh ride and some more awesome aerial antics, the fish and I slugged it out in a vertical battle, and I got him to leader. This marlin was more exhausted than the first, and knew I had to work to revive him, so I pulled him up to me to remove the hook from his mouth, and then gently placed him back in the water.



He wasn’t healthy enough to swim off, but rather was looking like he might go belly up so I decided to try something I’d been dreaming about…...


I jumped in off of my kayak, swam up next to him, gently grabbed his fins with my gloved hands, and held him upright. He seemed to appreciate the gesture and within a minute or two he was wagging his tail happily and the iridescent glowing stripes on his sides had returned, indicating he was ready to swim away on his own. I grabbed his rear fin and gave him one last big push and he swam off with vigor. What a thrill that was!

Several people have seen the photos of me doing this and asked me if I was crazy. My response is, I never felt in any danger at this stage of the game. People watch videos of freshly hooked giant marlin rushing the boat and almost skewering people and assume that that’s the way these fish always act. This one just wanted to get away, and by the time I was in the water, he needed help to simply remain upright.

I got another bait from the boat to try for marlin number three, and the boat took off after Phillip and Fernando, who ultimately both landed and released theirs in good health. Although Fernando and Phillip were both new to kayaking, they had spent years being mates on sport fishing boats, so they had no problem dealing with the fish.


We had about 45 minutes more of light to go, and got back in the boat to take a break and get us back in a better spot. Within 10 minutes Fernando and I are on the water again, and guess what happens next? We’re both hooked up, and the fish are going in exactly opposite directions! The boat followed me for awhile, but after 25 minutes or so, it became evident that whatever I was on was a different type of fish entirely- it wasn’t surfacing, and was taking long, punishing runs that were really sapping my strength. By this time the sun had set, and since I had a VHF radio on and Fernando didn’t, the boat decided to take some pictures of me and then take off and track Fernando down and get him aboard before nightfall. So there I am, all alone in the middle of the ocean in near dark conditions, on some type of mystery beast, and let me tell you, I am getting worked. I considered cutting the line because it was towing me farther and farther from the boat, and I had no flashlight, so I decided that I was going to try and hasten an end to the fight by upping the ante and applying maximum pressure.


Oh, I forgot to tell you one thing. Remember when I went swimming with the marlin? Well, my reel had fallen in the water when I jumped off the yak to do that, and now, just when I need the reel to perform flawlessly, it is jamming, only giving out line in spurts and jolts, and I am afraid the line in going to break, so I lessened the drag pressure and … get a wretched backlash!!! Now I’m really in trouble, because if the fish takes any line and gets me down to this tangle on the spool, the line will snap, so I go into hyper drive and crank on the reel for all it’s worth, managing in several minutes to get enough line on so that I can weather a run or two from this mystery monster.

Finally, I managed to get the fish to leader, and I start thinking, now what? I had a small gaff with me, but this fish is still full of energy, and it’s too dark out for me to see what he is even though he’s only 6-7 feet away, so I crank on the line to get him closer, hoping to get a better glimpse of him, and the very second that I start to make out his huge silhouette, he turns away from me and makes a last run, snapping the line! I never did figure out what it was.

Disappointed? You bet- but to tell you the truth, not terribly so. I have been lucky enough to land some really large fish before on kayaks, and whatever this was, it was huge, so I don’t think I could have handled it with the gaff alone. Now if I had only had the spear that I had thought about bringing down!

Tropic Star's Black Marlin by Jon Schwartz

Tropic Star's Black Marlin
Jon Schwartz finds monster black marlin in Panama
By Jon Schwartz Web-Site
A Week at Tropic Star

In the winter of 2008, I had the great fortune of photographing some of the world's greatest fishing spots running at full steam. Swarms of surface-breaking striped marlin provided Cabo anglers with nonstop action. The pristine paradise of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula served up a tropical mix of billfish, roosters and bull dolphin. To top it all, the annual run of sailfish in Guatemala, where anglers released an average of 20 per day's charter, eclipsed even my wildest fishing fantasies. I returned to the States in January, flush with a wealth of images and adventure that would surely quench my traveling jones for a good while.

Just when I'd started to acclimate to my normal stateside routine, I got an e-mail from Raleigh Werking, manager of the Tropic Star Lodge. Turns out that they'd just experienced their best month ever of marlin fishing: 97 released in a single week! Had this report been from any other place in the world, I would have been able to brush off this incredible news, satisfied that I'd recently seen enough similar action. The problem was that this wasn't any old spot.

Panama's Tropic Star Lodge (TSL) is home to a great many species and boasts one of the most productive inshore fisheries in the world. Huge cubera snapper, grouper and roosterfish are landed on a regular basis within yards of the coastline. TSL's all-tackle record roosterfish tipped the scales at 96 pounds, and many are caught in the 50- to 70-pound range. Incredibly, this top-notch nearshore bite rates a distant second to the international contingent of anglers who flock to TSL for one reason alone: close and personal encounters with Makaira indica, the majestic black marlin.

We've all seen Guy Harvey's pictures of brutish blacks rocketing skyward within feet of TSL's fleet of 31-foot Bertrams, deckhands' arms fearlessly reaching for the leader while the angler sits with mouth agape. Always the skeptic, I'd assumed that these incredible scenarios were fairly rare. If they weren't, one thing was for sure - I was missing out on some of the most dramatic displays of man versus beast to be found on the planet.

A confluence of events: Raleigh's report, a whole week off from my day job and payday succeeded in rendering me utterly incapable of resisting the temptation to see for myself. In addition, black marlin were one of the few species that I'd been unable to get on film (compact flash card, really). The potential to plop myself into the middle of some big-game madness and score some epic photos of my own sealed the deal.

TSL usually books out a year in advance, so it was only with some great luck that I was able to book a room during the peak season for black marlin. Bonnie Karp at the lodge's office in Orlando, Florida, helped me find a flight from LAX to Panama City's Tocumen Airport. Arriving guests usually spend the night in one of the deluxe hotels near the airport and take a transfer plane to the remote airport near the lodge the next morning.

To my delight, a well-dressed representative from TSL was waiting for me as I exited the plane. She whisked me through customs and brought me to the VIP lounge, where I sipped espresso and caught up on e-mails via wireless until Jimmy Owens, the larger-than-life valet, showed up and brought me to a deluxe hotel, smack-dab in the middle of Panama City.

One of the things I enjoy most about fishing travel is exploring the host countries. Although I'd soon be on a plane bound for one of the most remote fishing lodges on earth, I had a full day to tour Panama City, a thriving modern metropolis. Jimmy hooked me up with a classic old Panamanian gentleman named Luis Singh who took me on one of the most enjoyable half-day tours I've ever experienced. Winding through the districts in Luis' prized Crown Vic, I got the lowdown on the country's history: the building of the Panama Canal, the international flavor the city enjoyed as a result of the constant influx of trade and tourism, and the structural and political stability that grew from the decades-long partnership with the United States.

After witnessing a massive cruise ship squeak through the Miraflores locks of the canal, we passed by the nearly finished phalanx of skyscraping luxury condos that line the city's waterfront. This area of the city is as sophisticated and metropolitan as any that I've see in the States. In visiting a modern mall to get some last-minute electronic goodies for my cameras, I noticed that the quality of goods was high, but the prices were reasonable. The U.S. dollar is the country's official currency, which makes transactions effortless. International Living magazine ranked Panama City as one of the world's top five places to retire, and it's no wonder. Between the low cost of living, the surge in development and its central location, Panama City is clearly blossoming.

From January to March, TSL only offers weeklong bookings; that amounts to six days of fishing and seven nights. Half-week packages are available in December and from April to September. The stay is all-inclusive, except for extras like massages, drinks and tips.



Fishing for Marlin in Panama

Jon Schwartz
Fishing Articles, Photography, and Travel
www.bluewaterjon.com
760-712-7778

I am having a grand time here at Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. The setting here is incredible, and the fishing is fantastic. It's a fishing resort deep in the heart of the Darien Jungle in Panama, 100 miles from the nearest paved road- or maybe any road for that matter.

I wrote an article about this place for Sport Fishing Magazine after my first visit here, which you can read here Fishing and Travel Articles by Jon Schwartz

I came here to witness 'His Majesty the Black Marlin' jump within meters of the boat. They get huge here, and they hit big trolled baits about 10 minutes offshore, depending on the season. When I say big baits, I mean BIG. Here's a mate holding a live bonito bait just before he bridles it to a huge circle hook and tosses it overboard to entice a bite from a monster:

The marlin are pretty thick here right now- good numbers of them. The bite usually happens first thing. First baits in the water get bit. As soon as the reel starts screaming they back the boat down at warp speed and the fish launch themselves all over the place. The fights are full-on adrenalin rushes. It's hard to get good photos because the boat is backing down so hard to catch up with the fish and there is water coming over the transom.

Although the fish get huge, the Humboldt current here, according to several staff, make for an oxygen-poor environment at deeper depths. Instead of heading for the deep like they do in many other locations, the fish tend to stay near the surface. For that reason, they are able to use much lighter tackle- 50 pound rods and reels versus 80 and 130 pound gear that is used in many other big marlin locations- so the interaction with the fish is much more intimate. Smaller boats lower to the water with lighter tackle like they have here make for front row seats to big fish mayhem!

Last year, the first day on my first visit to Tropic Star Lodge, I lucked out with a photo that made it onto the cover of Marlin Magazine.

I kind of had a feeling that after having such luck on my last trip, I would have to do some dues-paying this trip, and my feelings were right. Although the fishing here turned out to be much hotter than last year, I did a lot of zigging when I should have been zagging. I accompanied one couple who caught 8 marlin here in six days ( I think 5 blacks averaging 400 pounds and 3 blues averaging 300), but their best luck occurred on days when I was on other boats.
This all started to mess with my head; I started to think I was bad luck, and went looking for all sorts of things that may have resulted in the hex. Could it be my white socks? I tried wearing the same shirt for 4 days, stuff like that.
Catching fish is hard, but catching a photo of a jumping fish is many times harder. Not only do I have to be on the right boat that is experiencing the action, but the fish has to jump, the lighting has to be right, I have to maintain my balance in the midst of a lot of action, my camera settings have to be spot on, and my gear has to be functioning perfectly. The below shot is one of me posing. In the heat of the battle it's all I can do to stand up straight, and you'd never find me sitting down.

Anyway, as soon as we got here, they had some children from the small village across the bay come and do some folk dancing. It was awesome! It made me realize I should have brought my kids ( I have three girls). My kids are bilingual, and my wife is from a similar-sized town in Mexico; they would have become best buddies with these kids right off the bat.

I took some neat pictures of them, with them, and then made a CD for their parents so they can get them printed the next time they travel to Panama City. For most, if not all, of the parents and children, these are the first photos that have ever been taken of them! You should have seen the look on their faces when I downloaded the shots and showed them to them on my laptop. They are such dolls. Que bonita!

I was super stoked to hang out with them too, but don't show my wife these pics of my new Panamanian beauties!

I talked with their teacher, and it turns out that that her husband is the head of the school at the village. I want to go visit the village tomorrow and hang out with the kids and their parents. Many of them work here at the resort. It's a special feeling, you meet the kids, and then go out on boats manned by their fathers. The personal aspect of it makes it just that much more exciting to me, because I am also a 3rd grade school teacher.

I am already thinking that the coolest thing to do would be to maintain contact with these kids and the teachers and their parents, and have them be pen pals with my own students in San Diego. They are all about the same age. I'll be able to speak with them as I can get by in Spanish, and my wife and daughters can help out with anything I can't handle. It would be terrific if I was able to combine teaching with my sportfishing photography and travel writing and involve my students as well as my own family!!!

I was fishing with Richard and Edie Kearley for several days as well. They were very fun to hang out with. Here is a photo I took of Edie on the way out to the fishing grounds.

And here's a photo of Richard 'going great guns' on a 60 pound tuna:

Below is a shot of Richard with a tasty dorado.There's so many dorado here, they are like pests. Pretty funny considering that these same fish would make for trophy fish on many other fishing excursions.

They ended up landing 8 marlin in 6 days of fishing, but almost all of them were landed on days that I wasn't with them. One day they had 4 black marlin! Of course I wasn't with them that day. Arrgh!!

I also accompanied famous fly fishing angler and multiple world record holder Margo Vincent and her grandson Kyle Vincent.

Kyle set a (pending) new world record for mullet snapper at 24 lbs! You can bet his grandma was super proud of him! Everyone kept telling him, "You realize you have the coolest grandma in the world, don't you?"

He also landed a 375 pound blue marlin earlier in the same day. Here's him fighting the big blue as Margo looks on from the bridge:

Pretty amazing for a 12 year old, no?!

Both Richard and Kyle kept Dockmaster Albert Battoo busy recording their various achievements. With his first black marlin in day one, Richard his Royal Grand Slam: catching one of every type of billfish in the world!

The funny thing is that the most elusive billfish, the spearfish, was actually the first one that he landed like 30 years ago. I took particular interest in this because I wrote a 2500 word feature article about spearfish that will be featured in the February issue of Marlin Magazine, which should be on newsstands in about 3 weeks.

Here's Richard having his Royal Grand Slam recorded by Albert Battoo.

And here is Albert, one day later, making the sign for Kyle Vincent's pending world record 24 pound mullet snapper.

In addition to taking fishing related photos, I enjoy portrait, scenic, and architectural photography. I took a photo of the spa area and got this neat shot of Marisol the masseuse working with a client:

In addition to taking fishing related photos, I enjoy portrait, scenic, and architectural photography. I took a photo of the spa area and got this neat shot of Marisol the masseuse working with a client:

Finally I ended my week's stay with a visit to the nearby village of Pinas.

I wanted to check out the computer lab that is being set up and meet up with some of the folks I met last year there.

Jose ( pictured on the right) works with Tropic Star and also lives in the village. He introduced me to the teacher of the school (on the left) and they showed me the lab. It'll be cool when it's up and running in the next couple of months so I can communicate with my friends down there!

On the way out of Pinas I met up with one of the mates of the boats that I had been on over my week's stay. His name is Alexi. He is Margo Vincent's favorite mate and is probably going to end up as a captain at some point.

He also happens to be super friendly and he introduced me to his children when I walked by the house. It's funny to see these guys chase around monster fish all day, every day, and then see them relaxing at home. What seems like extreme angling to many is for them another day on the water. They've undoubtedly wired and released thousands of huge marlin, perhaps as much or more than anyone in the world. (FYI "wired" means grabbed onto the leader, brought the fish to the boat, and removed the hook). Thrill seeking anglers from all over the world travel to Pinas Bay to take part in a ritual that these fellows perform as a matter of course. Here's marlin whisperer Alexi with children:

Last year, I took a lot of scenic and architectural shots when I was at the lodge. It turns out that some of my photographs will be included in the soon to be released book by Guy Harvey called Panama Paradise: A Tribute to Tropic Star Lodge.

The book has 334 pages, and in it, Guy Chronicles the beginnings of the lodge in 1961 to the present day. Needless to say I am thrilled and flattered to have my work featured in Guy Harvey's book!

I am writing an article about Panama for the World Billfish Series Magazine. The editor of the publication Sam White suggested that I might like to get some scenic shots of Panama City, so I hired Panama's best guide, Luis Singh, to take me on a tour of the city. I went with him last year but needed to get more material. I desperately wanted to get good night shots taken from on high that showed the city's skyline, but after touring the city with Luis, I began to think I might strike out.
Most of the skyscrapers in the city- and there are a lot of them-are closed to the public. They are the homes of the ultra wealthy. Not sure if you know but Panama has a lot of new development and new buildings.

Trump Towers type of stuff, but even richer, and a new John's Hopkins Hospital branch, a bustling modern business sector, and tons of high-cotton shopping malls that feature stores like Rolex, Gucci, and all the rest.

After a series of unsuccessful attempts at getting a good vantage point for a shot, I decided to get crafty. Luis let me off in front of a popular tourist spot, and suggested I try to find the best spot I could on foot. I talked my way into the lobby of a posh 51 floor condo high rise, and the bellman let me onto the exercise room on the deck of the 15th floor. I was so excited! He left me there alone, though, and the room was so hot, I ventured out into the hallway to cool off.
A couple walked by and we started talking. The next thing I knew they were asking me if I wanted to go up and take pictures from the penthouse on the 51st floor!!! The bellman came back to keep an eye on me and sees me with my new friends, so I say, "These kind folks are gonna take me up to the penthouse!" All he could do was smile.

I had with me my Nikon D700's and several of my favorite lenses, and I got some AWESOME shots that I will post and include in that article for the Would Billfish Series magazine. I was so happy to be up there by myself, I was simply ecstatic! I completely lost track of time, and when I returned to Luis's car two hours later he said in a panic, "What happened to you??"

I proudly pointed to the tallest building in the sky and said, "You see that one? I was on the penthouse taking pics of the city!!!!" We had a laugh about that and his eyes bugged out when I showed him the shots. Yahoo!!!

The Kuna Yala

story by The Panama Post

In the North of Panama is the district ( or Comarca) of Kuna Yala, of 3,206 square kilometers of extension, one of the tourist sites more visited in the country, after Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí.

It is an archipelago of 365 islands nearby the coast, of which 36 are inhabited.

Kuna Yala has a population of 36.487 inhabitants, acoodring to the last population census in 2004.

To visit this place you can go by airplane , which is the fastest and safest way to visit the region.

You can board a plane at the Marcos A. Gelabert airport, , located in Albrook, Panama City. There the traveler has several options in airlines such as Air Panamá and Aeroperlas.

The round trip ticket per person is about US$ 45.00, a price that can change according to the destination and if it´s the low or high season.

The flights leave at 6:00 a.m. and return around 8:00 p.m.

Also, you can go by land to the region through the sector known as Chepo and the área of Cartí.

If the tourist wants El Porvenir as his final destination the trip will take about 30 minutes, but if he´s going to Playón Chico, towards the center of the region, it will last about 45 minutes. However, if the trip goes to the East, near the border with Colombia, the journey can last up to one hour.

Most of the tourists who visit Kuna Yala are Europeans or North Americans, though there´s also interest among Latin Americans and Japanese who appreciate the famous “molas”, the feminine outfit made by the woman native of the place.

Getting to know Kuna Yala

The tourists who visit the zone have the opportunity to get to know the richness of the indigenous culture, including the dances, the “molas” and the native traditions, as well as the respect for its beaches and natural resources.

Even though some inhabitants say there are several landing strips in the region, it is also true that only 12 have been officially enabled for transportation.

An aspect to consider is that the leaders of the region charge visitors a tax for using their territory and this occurs because the indigenous have their very own laws approved by the General Kuna Congress.

Two people murdered in Colón
Two people, aged 21 and 25, were gunned down Wednesday evening in Colón.

The victims, whose names were not released, were shot by someone from a passing car in the neighborhood of El Nazareno, where they lived.

The double homicide brings the total number of murder victims in Colón to 132 for the year.


Here is a collection of some of the best day tours in Panama City from our friends at PanamaTours.com.pa




Panama City Tour – Rich history tucked into a modern city. It's more than just a Canal.
Take a tour of one the most vibrant cities in Central America. Discover the old Panama ruins of Casco Viejo, the original location of the city before pirates and disease destroyed the town. Also experience a progressive city of the future, boasting the banking capital of Central America, beautiful plazas, and breath-taking skyline views. Bring your camera, and open your mind to the culturally profound Panama City -- Panama City Tour

Panama Canal Eco Tour – Along the Canal view exotic animals and flora, and swim, fish, and kayak at a nearby lake.
On this tour you'll get an up close and personal look at the historically significant changes being made to the famous Panama Canal. Share the canal with towering container ships, cruises, and other unique vessels as you see the canal's history and it's transition into the future. This is also a nature tour because you'll have the chance to see tropical flora and rain forest animals along the way, and you'll take a canoe trip through lake Gatun. Enjoy some swimming, fishing, and kayaking during the afternoon -- Panama Canal Eco Tour

Embera Indian Village Tour – Experience a real Indian Village amongst an exotic jungle. Travel up the Chagres River through a tropical jungle full of exotic plants and wildlife on your way to visiting a real Indian Village. Interact with the villagers and learn about how they hunt, fish, harvest, and more. You'll even experience their cultural traditions like dancing and body painting, and be able to see their handmade crafts like woven baskets, plates, and masks. Walk through the lush jungle and get a close and personal look at what real jungle life is all about -- Embera Indian Village Tour Anton Valley Day Tour – Beautiful mountain and waterfall views alongside a dormant volcano.
This is a place you may only think exists in the movies, with it's luscious green vegetation, towering cliffs and mountains, and cascading waterfalls, but you can experience it first hand on this Anton Valley Day Tour. Enjoy a scenic drive along the Pan-American Highway, walk through elaborate gardens, and even visit a zoo. Bathe in the hot springs and waterfalls, and don't forget to browse the native Indian crafts at the local artisan market -- Anton Valley Day Tour

Panama Canal Train and the Caribbean Forts – Take a train ride alongside the picturesque canal.
Ride the train for a unique and beautiful vantage point alongside the Panama City Canal, where you'll wind through historical spot after historical spot from Panama City to Colon. Visit the Gatun Locks, the Old School of the Americas, the First Sherman and San Lorenzo National Parks, and enjoy a buffet style lunch at the Sol Melia Resort & Hotel in Colon -- Panama Canal Train and the Caribbean Forts