The 'Wild Coast' at dawn in front of the camp |
Whilst
on my travels 3 years previously I had discovered a Kayak fishing camp way out in the
wilds of Panama, far off the beaten track. It was run by a Frenchman, called Pascal, who
had the great vision to build an off the grid eco camp at this fantastic
location.
With no people for miles
around and it being a good hour and a half boat ride into the wilderness from
the end of the nearest road, it's a very special place. The fishing is pretty
much as virgin as you could find anywhere. It's untouched. It's places like
this that really excite me and I arranged with Pascal to spend a week with him.
The communal area at the camp |
To make the trip viable and
keep the costs down I needed to get a group of four anglers together. With this
in mind, I invited Jeff Smith, Paul Harman and another friend Kyle Waterhouse. I arranged all the logistics and got the boys to fly out to Panama
in February of this year to join me for an adventure none of us will ever
forget!
Paul, Jeff, Pascal, Kyle and I - The Kayakeros |
It's a simple set up at the
camp. All off the grid and run on solar and gas. With basic wooden structures
to sleep and eat in, it really fits in it's environment well. Every morning the
four kayaks are loaded into a panga along with the anglers and deposited at
some of the most incredible looking fishing spots you could imagine. Pascal
calls it 'The Wild Coast'......and rightly so.
Heading out in the morning |
Once you are afloat in your
kayak you are essentially left to your own devices, which I really liked. To
me, this is the true essence of what kayak fishing is all about. Having to
think for yourself and work it all out. Far better than being told exactly what
to do and where to do it by a guide, in my opinion. Very satisfying when it all
comes together.
We were each supplied with a
heavy spinning/popping set up and a heavy jigging set up. I also had a lighter
spinning outfit of my own to have some fun with the smaller species. Large and
medium sized poppers, shallow divers, deep divers, speed and slow jigs were the
order of the day.
Selection of successful lures |
The big draw at this location are the monster roosterfish,
amberjack and cubera snapper. Some groups of anglers have had over 30 different
species in a week. There is some real variety to be had, such is the
biodiversity of this part of the Pacific.
The thrill of catching hard
fighting fish from a kayak is hard to beat. It adds an interesting extra
dimension to your fishing. Being so low to the water and watching fish chase
down your popper, being towed around by unseen leviathans and the extra skill
required make every capture that little bit more memorable and special.
Preparing the kayaks on our first morning |
It's an exhausting
experience in the heat mind you. Being in a kayak for 8 or more hours in a day
certainly takes it's toll on the body. For me, it's the perfect balance of
thrills and adventure though. It's extreme fishing. Robson Greene.....eat your
heart out!
The smaller species alone
provided us with arm-wrenching battles that at times had you believing you were
attached to a submarine, such was their power. For the first couple of days we
all enjoyed some splendid sport with jacks, snapper and small yellowfin tuna as
we got settled in to the experience.
Jeff with a nice little Yellowfin Tuna |
One species in particular
that gave me a real tussle were the bluefin trevally. Pound for pound, I'd say
they were easily one of the most powerful fish we encountered. They never give
up, fighting with real brutish strength and always ploughing hard for the
safety of the sea bed and rocks below. If you allowed them to take any line
then they'd undoubtedly reach their sanctuary and reef you. Not only did they
fight really hard, they were also incredibly beautiful and happy to take just
about any lure you chucked at them. A serious sports fish.
Nice Bluefin Trevally |
The snapper species were
also very obliging. There were at least 7 different species of snapper
available to us and we caught most of them I believe. I was fortunate to catch
one of the prettiest varieties, the rock snapper, which took a liking to a big
white jerkbait I was using. The fight from this fish was exceptional. It came
flying out from behind a large underwater boulder, I saw it hit the lure and
turn back for it's lair. It was a short but powerful scrap, proper hit and hold
fishing. Eventually my tackle wore the fish down and I got to pose with the
stunning creature for a quick photo before it's release.
Stunning looking Rock Snapper |
Pascal,
our host, had his very own version of a 'Grand Slam' which is in fitting with
the location and the hard fighting species present. The big three that make up
this 'Slam' are the Roosterfish, the Cubera Snapper and the Amberjack. All of
which grow to huge sizes. Targeting them from a kayak with lure fishing gear
adds a real element of the 'extreme' to the whole situation. Having little
experience with big fish from a kayak,
hooking anything monstrous would be a baptism of fire!
Over
the first couple of days, we all got accustomed to our new fishing platforms
and had fun with some of the less challenging species available. It wasn't
until later in the week that I was able to open my account on the 'Slam'.
Kyle with a beautiful Mullet Snapper |
After
a slow morning where my only real action was losing a large fish in the rocks,
the wind then got up making our drift too fast. It was no good, fishing became
impossible and we had to move locations.
After
loading all the kayaks back in to the panga and motoring a couple of miles down
the coast we were dropped off behind a large peninsula. This was tucked out of
the wind nicely and made fishing much more comfortable.
Stunning scenery on the 'Wild Coast' |
I
immediately made a beeline for the point where there was white water washing
all over the exposed rocks. As I did so, I chucked a large popper around 30
feet behind my kayak and trolled it along, popping it every few seconds.
Paul with a Pacific Barracuda |
I
passed over a shallow reef and from out of nowhere there was a huge splash
behind me, the rod was nearly ripped from my grasp. Something had smashed my
popper like it was it's last meal ever. With my drag locked down tight, the
kayak stopped immediately and started to turn as the fish made a dive for the
reef below. I held on for dear life as the rod took on it's full fighting
curve, my kayak now being dragged in the opposite direction.
Nice Cubera taken on a Popper! |
It
was insane how powerful this fish was and I leant as far back in to it as I
dared, managing to get a few turns on the reel every now and then. After the
initial crash dive for cover, I sensed the fish realised it wasn't going to
make the sanctuary of its lair. It was only then as it circled deep below me
that I got my first glimpse of a large
Cubera Snapper.
Business end of a Cubera Snapper |
It
didn't like the sight of the kayak and tried to crash dive a couple of more
times, but the fish was tiring. The strong tackle absorbed it's final lunges
with ease and before long it popped up on the surface. There were a couple of
tense moments trying to get the fish on the grip but once it was secured, she
was mine.
CLICK BELOW FOR VIDEO OF CATCHING A LARGE CUBERA SNAPPER ON A POPPER
It wasn’t until pulling the fish out of the
water on to my lap for photos that I realised quite what a lump it was. I was
elated and could have gone home happy then and there. To catch and release a
specimen Cubera in itself was enough for me. Little did I know, there was much
more to come.
The
following day dawned hot and bright again. The plan was to target Roosterfish.
So far, only one very small one had been caught by Kyle. I think it's fair to
say that this is one species all of us longed to catch. With their
characteristic comb like dorsal fin and striking black and white stripes, they
really are the most handsome of fish.
Pascal
ran us East to where long stretches of sandy beach were interspersed with
patches of rock and reef, it was classic Roosterfish territory . Poppers and
stickbaits were the order of the day and I stuck with my trusty 'feed popper'
lure that had brought me success with the Cubera.
Almost
immediately, I had a hit and was briefly connected to a small Rooster before
the hook came unstuck. It was unlucky but I wasn't phased, I was after a much
bigger fish. They are known to reach sizes up to 100lb in the waters of Panama
and that's what I was after.
Heading out after breakfast full of anticipation |
A
little later, I approached a small group of rocks breaking up a stretch of
beach and decided to troll my popper as I had done for the Cubera capture. I
worked my way along the face of the rocks parallel to the shore, popping the
lure every few seconds.
On
about the fifth pop, everything went tight and I slammed the hooks home over my
shoulder. As I turned and looked behind me, I saw the remnants of a huge boil
and the kayak suddenly lurched to one side as the unseen fish fled. It towed me
straight in towards the rocks and I had to work hard to keep the fish from
dragging me into certain carnage.
Paul with a nice Bluefin Trevally from the rocks in front of the camp |
It
was a tense experience to say the least, the power of the fish was beyond anything
I had experienced before....let alone from a kayak! I had no idea what I was
attached to and it kept wanting to tow me into dangerous water. Repeatedly, I
had to turn the kayak and peddle for the safety of open water.
Eventually,
I got a safe distance from the shore . The fish then went deep and there were
moments where it was pulling so hard that I was almost turned out of the boat.
It was an extreme experience and by now Paul and Kyle had paddled over to watch
the show. We still hadn't seen the fish at this point.
A rather unusual catch on a big jerkbait! |
Out
of the blue, it got a burst of strength and managed to rip a good fifty yards
of braid off a nearly fully locked drag. Then it came up in the water, popping
it's head out for just a second, enabling us to get our first glimpse. It was a
Roosterfish of jurassic proportions, we all yelled in unison with disbelief at
the sheer bulk of the fish. It was beyond my wildest dreams!
Seeing
it only added to the intensity of the experience. I was looking at a fish of
potentially 70, maybe 80 lbs here. A fish of a lifetime for sure! It took a
further fifteen minutes to subdue with many more hairy moments before it tired.
Happy Campers! |
The
fish finally hit the surface and I couldn't believe what I was looking at. It
was almost as long as the kayak. The frame of the fish was immense with a huge
sickle-like tail that would look more at home on a Marlin! It was a Roosterfish
like no other, a fine specimen and one of the biggest Pascal had ever seen. I
was over the moon - what a result!
This
fish was conservatively estimated around the 70lb mark and released after a few
photos, I was literally shaking with all the adrenaline. I never expected to
find a Roosterfish of that caliber attached to my lure. The 'Feed Popper' had
done it again. It was the only Rooster that was caught that day and spirits
were high in the camp that night as the beer flowed.
Beautiful Rooster! |
Heading
out the following morning, Pascal was quick to remind me that I only needed an
Amberjack to complete the 'Slam'. There was an offshore jigging spot he had in
mind for later in the day that could produce the goods. First spot on the morning itinerary, however,
was inshore over some lovely looking reef.
There were plenty of Jacks to keep us entertained |
There
were plenty of dolphins around as we approached our spot and where there's
dolphins there's often tuna. Once on the water, I started trolling a
deep-diving lure at full speed and was quickly rewarded with a hit. There was
no mistaking the fight of a small tuna.
I
got the small yellowfin to the kayak, unhooked it and tossed the lure back over
the side. As I looked up, I noticed a large fish in the water next to me. It
was big Wahoo circling my deep diving lure next to the kayak. I was amazed to
see a Wahoo this close to shore and so curious in my lifeless lure. It was most
unusual.
As
I watched the Wahoo, it circled the lure a couple of times. It was too close to
the kayak for me to cast at so I lifted the deep diver out of the water to see
what would happen, putting the rod away in the rack behind me. This confused
the fish and with no shiny lure in the water to grab it's attention, it swam
off.
I
then quickly grabbed my lighter rod and cast a minnow lure beyond the fish,
ripping it back as fast as I could. The Wahoo clocked the lure and jumped into
top gear immediately, smashing it at full speed. It was incredible to watch and
once connected, the reel screamed as the fish made an epic first run.
Almaco Jack on the Jig |
It
was a spectacular yet short lived fight and with the razor sharp teeth in mind,
I called Pascal over with the safety boat to gaff the fish . He exclaimed it
was the first Wahoo to ever be caught at the camp and it provided a delicious
dinner for us all that night. I have to say, sight casting to a Wahoo is not
something I ever expected to get a chance to do, let alone from a kayak. What
an experience!
Big Wahoo from the Kayak |
In
the back of my mind, I was still thinking about the Amberjack that was needed
to complete the 'Slam'. When we headed out to the deep water jigging mark after
lunch, I was rather keen to get cracking. Even though the jigging action had
been very poor all week due to the arrival of the cold water currents, in my
mind I knew that there's always a chance.
Jeff
and I had been working our jigs over a pinnacle for some time and I was almost
about to give up when he hooked up. I watched and filmed him have a right old
tussle with a large, strong fish. It had to be an Amberjack from the way it was
fighting.
Jeff's Amberjack |
Sure
enough, as we got a look there was no mistaking it, well over 20 lb too. Jeff
was made up and I realised that now was my chance to complete the 'Slam'. Once
I'd done Jeff's photos for him I got straight back on the mark and dropped my
jig down with renewed enthusiasm.
It
took a while, but after ten or twelve more drops I got the 'smash and grab' hit
that I was looking for. Undoubtedly an Amberjack, all I had to do was keep it from
getting back to the reef below and finding sanctuary....which is easier said
than done from a kayak! These fish really do pull and they never give up,
typical of the Jack family.
An absolute belter of an Almaco Jack |
After
several minutes of tense battle, I finally got the upper hand and managed to
start cranking the fish up from the depths. Reluctantly, the fish eventually
broke the surface and laying there beside me was an Almaco Jack of over 30lbs.
Once on the grip, I knew I'd done it and achieved the 'Slam'. I couldn't
believe it to be honest. Pascal came over in the safety boat and took a few
snaps for me, offering congratulations as he did so. I never set out to achieve
a 'Slam' on this trip, I always keep my expectations low. It's too easy to be
disappointed otherwise. That's the thing about fishing....you just never know!
CLICK BELOW FOR FULL VIDEO OF A LARGE ALMACO JACK TAKEN ON A JIG
As
incredible as the events of these recent days had been there was one final
surprise in store for me on our very last afternoon. With only an hour left on
our final day, Paul and I found ourselves fishing a gnarly headland with a
large swell rolling in. It was risky, but as long as you kept your eyes on the
swells it was possible to fish safely. There was white water smashing all over
the point and by now we had worked out these were the 'hot spots' to be
fishing.
After
taking a couple of small jacks and a pompano, I got the kayak into position in
front of the point and sent my popper flying in to the danger zone again. After
two pops of the lure I saw a huge black shape appear behind the lure and chase
it down. Then I noticed the characteristic dorsal of yet another monster
Roosterfish as it smashed the lure and all hell broke loose.
Loading the kayaks after a long day on the water |
This
fish slack lined me and headed straight out to sea. Once I finally caught up,
it towed me with it before then turning and heading right back towards the
thundering swells again. Jeff had now joined us and was following me with the
camera offering words of encouragement and advice. It was a titanic battle and
at times got a little too close to the rocks for comfort. Fortunately, everything
played out okay and besides a close encounter with a rather large wave I
finally managed to get the fish out beyond the swells, to play it out in
safety.
Giant Roosterfish #2 |
After
a fight of some twenty minutes, I was able to boat my second giant Roosterfish
of the trip. Just a fraction smaller than the first and estimated around the 65
lb mark, I honestly never expected to get a chance at another of these
incredible creatures. After a few photos and a little reviving, the fish was
released. That was my last cast of the trip.
CLICK BELOW FOR VIDEO OF A GIANT ROOSTERFISH BEING RELEASED
I
still have to keep pinching myself now when I look back at the moments from
this incredible adventure. It's hard to believe really. It makes everything
worthwhile when it all comes together after all the planning, anticipation,
research and hard work. To share the magical moments with friends old and new
makes it all the sweeter. That's what it's all about - until the next
time.....Tight lines!
If
you'd like to find out more about these trips or fancy joining me next winter
in Central America, please do get in touch. I'm acting as the UK agent for the Panama Kayak Camp with places to fill next February (Peak rooster and cubera time!) and also various other operators out there now. I can help you make your
fishy dreams come true. Contact me on 07813 640066 or Samwadman@hotmail.com or search for 'Sam
Wadman' on Facebook.
Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing knowledge with us. This site is fantastic. I always find great knowledge from it. Extreme fishing adventures
ReplyDeleteHi Steven....I am only just catching up on all the coments on the blog. Thanks so much for your kind words. It means alot to hear that. I'm so pleased you enjoy the site. All the best....Sam
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