Why We’re Going to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge Next MAY
[EDITOR’S NOTE: There is still space available on this trip. If what you read below interests you, email us ASAP and we’ll fill you in on any other info you need to make an informed decision about whether this trip is right for YOU.]
After trips to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge in April and November of 2021, and then again in 2022, we’re taking 2023 off from visiting one of our favorite lodges. That’s not quite by design, but rather by necessity given our increasingly filled schedules and non-growing amount of annual vacation time.
By the time we work in Guatemala, the Bassmaster Classic, El Salto in May/June, and our return to Alaska’s Bear Trail Lodge there’s not much wiggle room for additions. Hanna has an April trip to the Ozarks to fish with Chad Morgenthaler’s crew, and I have a tentative writers’ event for smallmouth in September. So rather than risk our sanity and our job security, we made the “adult” decision to put off Panama until NEXT YEAR.
That left us with some opportunities and some decisions to make. First of all, it gave us more runway to convince some of YOU to join us. Second, it left us with a lot of open space to work with on Shane’s calendar. Of course, each decision has the “butterfly effect” of displacing other opportunities, so we’d have to work carefully to keep our other planned trips on the table, but ultimately we had a blank slate.
Expected Gulf of Chiriqui Weather in May
May typically marks the end of the “dry” season in the Gulf of Chiriqui, and the transition to the “wet” season. The latter is something of a misnomer – yes, Shane closes the lodge in September and October when it’s likely to storm the most, but the other “wet” months are often quite temperate. In fact, they tend to have more mild temperatures. The dry season, on the other hand, has the advantage of less wind and flatter seas.
We understand that expected weather is just that – a prediction. We had one November trip when it was quite comfortable and another when it rained a fair amount. Fortunately, the fish didn’t seem to care. By placing things in May, however, we maximize the chance of comfort for our traveling companions, which we think is particularly important for some of the first-timers who may join us.
May should mark a period of calm seas and warming water temperatures with reasonable air temps.
Species to Fish For at SFPIL in May
The inshore species are residents, and can be caught year-round, but we’ve done better for them in November than we did in April. Then again, we spent more time chasing tuna boils in April so that left less time to figure out the roosters and cuberas. We’re told that the marlin are on the offshore “mountains” year-round, too, but that the best months for blues are November-February, and the best months for blacks are July and August.
So why are we going in May?
Simply put, the species and experience that keeps me up at night is popping for tuna. We had the opportunity to catch some that way on our November trips, but it was beyond exceptional on our April trip. To be honest, it was the most fun I’ve had with my clothes on in thirty-plus years. I arrived back at the lodge each day both exhausted and exhilarated. I’m told there are few places in the world where the tuna bite gets that wide open — and of those few none are as close to home.
I really want to learn more about how to catch them on the surface and fight them effectively. I also want to test out if I’m in better shape than when we first went. Panama’s wealth of fish species makes it a tough choice, but on this trip (knowing that we’ll be back again), I really want to see the prime event. If you love topwater fishing, or fishing in general, I’m pretty sure this will top just about anything else you’ve ever done.
The One Reason We Scheduled our Trip in May Above All Others
If my description of the tuna boils and the popping bite wasn’t enough to convince you, check out the videos below:
So When is the Best Time to Fish in Panama?
We’re not experts on the topic, but if you’re offering me a trip there I’ll go any time the lodge is open. More specifically, I think that if you have a target species, like a marlin, you might want to time the trip accordingly, but beyond that figure out the best time for YOU and go. We’ve caught tuna popping on all of our trips. We’ve caught inshore species on all of our trips. We’ve caught at least a dozen species on every trip. The calendar fills up fast for January and February, but I think that’s because a lot of Americans want to escape the cold. The calendar also fills up with tuna popping groups in the subsequent months. No matter what, if you want to go, get your dates settled and your deposits in ASAP.
How Does This Affect Our Other 2024 Fishing Travels?
Just about every year since 2013, one or both of us have gone to Lake El Salto in May and/or June. There may still be time to squeeze in a late June bass fishing trip to Mexico, but I’m not sure. Both of us still have demanding full time jobs and back-to-back vacations may prove difficult given current staffing concerns. We’ve already made some switches – moving our traditional (for the last four years, at least) sailfishing trip to Casa Vieja Lodge from February to November. We also have some personal obligations that may rule out traveling to fish in January or February, so El Salto may get pushed back to November. And of course we’re always looking to add new destinations, which might have timing considerations of their own.
In this case, I think shaking things up might keep all of the experiences fresh. Stay tuned for more info – and we’re always happy to give you our honest thoughts and why you should or should not go to a particular location at a given time. A long time ago a friend taught me the mantra of “best places at the best times” and it has been a guiding light in my thought process.
