Panama November ’21: Great Trip, Great Group
I think that Hanna and I are generally pretty easy to get along with on a fishing trip. We’ve been every place from Mexico to Brazil to Alaska to Africa with strangers and semi-strangers, and while sometimes certain group members present a bit of a challenge, we consistently endeavor to make the best of it.
Fortunately, on our second and most recent trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, the effort necessary to enjoy our six fellow travelers’ company was minimal. Our group included:
Samantha Sukupcak and Mike Yee from Wisconsin, one of our favorite multi-species pairs of traveling anglers, who’ve been with us to Mexico multiple times and are headed with us to Guatemala in February.
Ron Zich, who until his recent retirement lived near us in Virginia, and who I met seven years ago when he came to check out a boat I was selling.
Carl and Lisa Vicars, hard core bass anglers from the Chickamauga area with whom we share mutual friends, although we had never met. They found our post about the trip on Bass Boat Central and reached out.
Derek Geddings of Oklahoma, who was looking to latch onto a group headed to SFPIL. He was referred to us through Captain Shane Jarvis.
Except for Samantha and Mike, who recently tied the knot, none of the other members of the group knew one another. Everyone had different levels of international travel experience and fishing experience. We’d be sharing meals, sharing boats, and getting in each other’s business. That could be a recipe for disaster. In the end, however, it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and cohesive groups we’ve ever put together. Here are some of the reasons why:
Everyone Was There to Fish
Whether you’re headed to Panama, Guatemala, Mexico or somewhere else, it’s your vacation and you can take the fishing part of it as seriously as you want, but if fishing is not your number one priority perhaps a different trip would be in order. Every member of this group was jacked to get out there and winch on some big fish, and appreciated what a special opportunity this trip presented.
Left Egos at Home
While every member of our group was a semi-serious or serious recreational angler, across the board we had limited amounts of saltwater experience. Fortunately, we had Captain Shane Jarvis and his team to lead us through the process. Everyone was good about asking questions and requesting advice. That integrated us into the process more fluidly and allowed us to perform better. I cannot tell you how many trips I’ve been on where someone who has “read all about it” insists on telling a guide or outfitter how to do things – it’s embarrassing and counterproductive.
Flawless Punctuality
Hanna and I are obsessively punctual, but this group took it to another level. We were told to be in the lobby of the Hilton for our ride to the in-country flights at 5:30am. Hanna and I got there at 5:15 in case anyone needed assistance and they were all already waiting for us. On a trip where there are four people in the boat, it’s a deal-killer if one or two people are always lagging behind. We had no such problems
Packed Properly
I cannot begin to tell you how many times we’ve put together tackle lists for people heading to El Salto or Picachos, with specific categories, brands and even colors of lures, and they’ve showed up with none of it – I mean, not even in the ballpark. Of course, we didn’t have to bring tackle on this trip, but still everyone had all of the right clothing, electronics, personal items, etc. (including, most importantly, rain gear and sun protection).
Mellow About Personal Needs
If you have specific dietary guidelines or restrictions, most lodges and outfitters will work to help you out, assuming that you give them advance notice. Unfortunately, some people seem to take delight in loudly making their limitations the constant focus of attention. We had two anglers on low-carb diets and one with Celiac disease on this trip. Chef Eddie made them the proper meals, and plenty of them, and there was no issue.
No One Jostled for Prime Positions
Whoever took the first turn on a slow-trolled bait, or a prime front rail position when popping, would likely get more or better opportunities than the rest of his or her boatmates. That drives some anglers into a selfish frenzy, pushing others out of the way to maximize their own success. There was none of that on this trip, and the resulting big fish karma paid off for everyone.
Celebrated the Others’ Success
As a corollary to that last factor, everyone seemed generally happy for the other members’ catches. I know that while I didn’t want the fishing day to end, I was excited to get back to the island each night to hear how the other boats had done. It was thrilling to see others’ faces light up with the tales of their personal bests, major accomplishments and highlights.
Great Attitudes
Look, things go wrong on just about every trip, particularly in the COVID era. On our way to Panama, in Panama City, and then at the lodge, things were remarkably smooth, but on the way home we ran into some issues. Our flight from David to Panama City was severely delayed, which caused some members of our group to miss their international flights. Fortunately, Shane’s team was on it immediately, and got everyone the assistance they needed, but more importantly everyone remained calm. There was nothing that could be done, no reason to pout or throw a fit – but with certain traveling companions in the past those would have been the default moves.
Looking back at all of this, it’s a tremendous blueprint for making a good trip even better. I hope that on future fishing vacations I will remember that, and try to model this good behavior, recalling how much better our six old and new friends made this epic trip to Panama.
