Bass Tackle for Yellowfin Tuna

One of the really nice thing about visiting Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge is that you don’t need to bring any gear – Capt. Shane Jarvis has assembled top-notch combos from companies like Shimano and Blackfin Rods, spooled with Yo-Zuri Braid. He has the newest saltwater lures from Yo-Zuri, and Mustad hooks for live-baiting. It’s nice to show up with a few pairs of shorts and not have to worry about transporting a heavy rolling tackle box.

Nevertheless, while his gear is custom tailored to the species that are in the Gulf of Chiriqui, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to bring “bass tackle” down there. Could it stand up to the test of these fish, all of which grow bigger and pull harder than any bass you’ve ever caught?

I got at least a preliminary answer when I stumbled across this video from Elite Series rookie and YouTube veteran Ben Milliken, who went down this path on a trip to Costa Rica five years ago.

Milliken went to Costa Rica with our friend Oliver Ngy. I’m guessing that at least some of the  tackle selection was Oliver’s because I saw a Megabass Orochi XX in the mix. He wasn’t specific in the video about which lures he used, but it looked like they were a traditional mix of saltwater poppers, stickbaits and jigs.

As I start to consider whether I’ll bring some of my own gear on our May 2024 and/or January 2025 trips to Panama, I started by taking an inventory of what I already have that might be suitable:

• Shimano Tranx 300 baitcasting reel – this is the same reel that Milliken used in the video

• F5 Rods Conceal Carry 5-Piece Travel Rod

• F5 Rods Departure 3-Piece Travel Rod (discontinued)

• Plenty of 50-, 65- and 80 lb. braid

I wasn’t sure that the 300-sized reel would be beefy enough to handle the tuna we see boiling in Panama. With no offense meant to those in the video, the fish they caught were smaller than our smallest specimens. Accordingly, I’m considering purchasing a Tranx 400 or a Daiwa Lexa 400 – if nothing else, they have a greater line capacity for drag-stripping fish.

I’m also wondering whether spinning gear would be a better choice. While the Daiwa Saltiga that we examined at the Chicagoland show isn’t by any stretch of the imagination targeted at the bass market, it could sling some of the lighter hard baits that we’d want to try down there. Accordingly, I might consider acquiring one of them. I’m not sure what size spinning reel I’d pair it with. I don’t think there’s any chance that a 5000 has enough line capacity. Perhaps an 8000 or 10000.

Lure selection is where I think it gets interesting. I have a few lures made specifically for these sorts of fisheries, including:

• Shimano HD-Orca Flash Boost

• Rapala X-Rap Magnum Xplode

However, I really want to try some of my bass-oriented swimbaits or glide baits (probably not the $150+ models). I just need to figure out which ones have the appropriate hardware – hooks, hook hangers, split rings, and perhaps most importantly, the joints – to hold up during the fight. I don’t want to play everything perfectly only to end up with half a lure, or a hookless lure, and no fish attached. Any thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

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In the meantime, if that wasn’t enough to get you jacked up about the possibility, check out these other videos:

Rodney’s Fishing Adventure

Salt Pursuit

BlacktipH

JE Fishing Adventures

If you have additional tackle suggestions, or you’d like to join us on one of these epic trips, email us today and let’s get the conversation started.