Reel! Reel! Reel! by Greg Kurdys

Reel! Reel! Reel!

by Greg Kurdys

Big game fishing is a study in contrast. Hours spent mindlessly staring astern numbed by the droning engines are interrupted by the rapid clicking of a big salt-water reel triggering a chaotic ballet. The mate leaps down from his perch, the captain accelerates the boat and you clumsily make your way to the offending rod and fighting chair. You impatiently wait the few seconds required to assure the big circle hook is in position and slide the drag to the strike position. Then the real ballet commences! The big Pacific sailfish senses the hook and rockets ten feet out of the water attempting to dislodge the hook. Experienced anglers know this is the time to look far astern to observe the graceful power and beauty of the big fish as it expends energy on aerial gymnastics. Regardless of how fast you are reeling the captain and mate will encourage you to, “Reel! Reel! Reel!”. After the initial display, the fish will likely confine its energy to the water until it nears the boat where it will make a final attempt to be free. At the boat you catch the glimpses of purples and blues as the fish flashes its warnings and leaps practically into the boat! Finally, the fish is spent. The mate pulls the leader closer and frees the fish with his line slicer. High fives are exchanged and you smile knowing you bested the magnificent fish.

You are truly a lucky man when your spouse of 39 years suggests she wouldn’t mind spending your fortieth anniversary big game fishing on a return trip to Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. Tropic Star is a world-class fishing destination. They specialize in billfish such as blue marlin, black marlin and Pacific sailfish. It also boasts large yellowfin tuna, roosterfish and numerous other salt-water species. Tropic Star is home to over 250 fishing world records! The lodge is located 150 miles south of Panama City, Panama in the Darien Jungle. After an overnight hotel stay, a 50 minute charter flight gets you to a landing strip where you are met by the staff. From the strip a short open-air bus ride takes you to waiting pangas that ferry you around the point to the lodge. The lodge typically hosts 30-40 guests and while there are other amenities and activities, the primary focus is fishing. The staff is first rate and works hard to meet your every need. The accommodations range from one-bedroom bungalows to the spacious three bedroom ‘Palace’ that overlooks the bay. Meals are definitely gourmet experiences. I do not recommend it as a place to lose weight!

The typical day starts with a cup of coffee at your door at 5:45 am. After a quick breakfast you head down to the dock where a dozen boats are waiting. You greet your captain and mate then settle into the boat. Most of the boats are 31’ Bertrams that have been customized for fishing. Some have air-conditioned cabins, although I do not prefer that nicety. The lunch and beverages you ordered are already on board. At 6:30 am the boats all leave the dock with the excitement of a team about to compete in a big game. The first stop is the Zane Grey reef a couple miles offshore to collect some bait. This will be the first experience with the power of salt-water fish. The 2-6 lb bonito that grab the feather jigs feel much larger. Experienced anglers know to save their energy and leave the rods in the holder as they crank up the fish. It is not unusual to catch two at a time. Once the specialized live well is loaded, the captain heads for the best spot based on the target species. If it is black marlin the fishing often commences right there on the reef. Blue marlin and sailfish are typically found further offshore. Roosterfish are found close to shore and allow great viewing of the beautiful coastline. As you motor along you will observe pods of dolphins, whales breaching and sea birds. If you are lucky you come upon a ‘tuna boil’ with the predatory fish chasing small baitfish right out of the water. One can easily spend much of the day targeting the 20-300 lb tuna. I know from personal experience that even a mid-size yellowfin can require an hour of your time to bulldog to the boat. The experience can be worth the effort when the mate prepares fresh sashimi right the on the bait well! The real star attractions, however, are the big billfish, especially the black marlin. The record black marlin at Tropic Star was estimated at over 1200 lb. Fish in the 300-700 lb. range are not uncommon. This is also true for the blue marlin. The Pacific sailfish run large and 140 lb. catches are frequent.

We had booked a 7 day stay with 6 days of fishing. During our week we released 31 sailfish as well as several smaller species. My wife, Melanie, caught a black marlin. She always catches the biggest fish on our trips! She soon realized marlin don’t surrender easily. It required about 90 minutes to get the fish to the boat. About midway through the battle she suggested, ‘a chivalrous husband would offer to take over’. I reminded her that she could win the battle. As Fishing Director Richard White says, “When the fish takes more line he wins, when you take more than the fish you win”. She ultimately prevailed! Unfortunately, the battle was hard on the fish and despite spending 30 minutes attempting to revive it from the ordeal it succumbed. Tropic Star is strictly catch and release, but when a fish can’t be revived it is taken to the local village where it provides many meals.

The departure from the lodge is always bitter-sweet. You leave with memories of the battles won, but also dreams of that next big marlin tail-walking across the water as it melts the line off the reel. You meet the next group of guests as they depart the charter flight. Of course you tell them ‘you should have been here yesterday’ and ‘we caught all the fish’. Everyone laughs knowing this same exchange has been occurring for over 50 years at Tropic Star. I’m looking forward to our next big anniversary!