Fishing guide?

Can anyone recommend a good fishing guide in Colon? Thanks

The only way is to fish in the Gatun Lake (peacockbass). You have to do it by your Cruise lIne, they usually offer this tour.

You fish with ok´s gear with live bait. Every body on the tour got something.

I just got back from the fishing tour on gaton lake from the Coral Princess. I am a bass fisherman and jumped at the chance to fish for peacock bass as was advertised. I have seen peacock bass fishing on tv, so I had some idea what type boat and equipment to expect. To my surprise the boat was one step up from a flat bottom wooden row boat with a manually operated 10 hp pull rope motor. It had six fiberglass fishing seats bolted to the bottom. The rigs were light wt open faced spinning with about 6lb line, something the walmart sells complete for $14.95. We fished with two inch minnows on a bottom rig. We caught small, I mean SMALL! fish because that's what we were fishing for, not peacock bass. One in our group did catch about a 14 inch peacock bass but he cut up a small fish and used it for bait. That shows that the fish are there if they used the proper equipment to fish for them. I would not use the ships tour. Find an independent fishing guide and make sure he plans to catch peacock bass.

Marc.

Marc,

Thanks for the update. I will let my husband know this as he was interested in this tour.

I love these boards!!

I lived in Panama for six years (5 on the Atlantic side). If you are not catching 5lb or larger bass, something is wrong. Best way to fish for them is at the edge of a weed bed using shiners (minnows). Drop the bait to the bottom and crank up very slowly. Be prepared for a good fight.

To fred111:

Any recommendations for a guide for Peacock bass fishing in Gatun Lake, instead of the ship's excursion, since it does not seem that they were equipped for peacock fishing.

Also, I was told only the ship's excursion passengers were allowed to get off in Panama. Is this true?

If so, why?

Thanks,

I'm not sure why they only let people off who have ship sponsored tours. Could be a security issue or positive control of people who have left the ship. Colon (Atlantic side) is not the safest place in the world. As far as the fishing, living there, I never used a guide. Far and away, the best fishing is on the Atlantic side of Gatun lake. I like going east of the channel, around the shoreline between the locks and Isla Juan Gallegos.

so my dh who is avid fisherman would be disappointed in this excursion? if so any recommendations,

To fish in the Gatun lake you MUST do it through the ship. There is not private:( tours for fishing in that lake.