Signature Trip
Marlin fishing
Any day you catch a marlin is a good day. It takes only one to understand why anglers become captivated by this fish.
At Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge we catch both black marlin and blue marlin. Here's our approach to each.
Black marlin
One of the top black marlin fisheries in the Northern Hemisphere.
For many, the black is the headliner — plenty of our guests come for the chance at one. We catch blacks up to 800 pounds, with most fish ranging from about 250 to 400. Many come off the high spots: Hannibal Bank, the Burbuja — a spot near Montuosa Island where bubbles rise from the sea floor — Islas Ladrones and more.
We catch blacks all year, but the best windows are July and August and November through January, when bonito aggregate around the high spots and the steady bait acts like a dinner bell. Seeing a big black attack a live bait is savage, wild and wonderful — and the first run is something to behold, often punctuated by jumps that carry the fish entirely out of the water. Near the boat, blacks are known to explode from the surface on the leader. Once seen, it's something you can't unsee. We'll also pick up blacks trolling lures offshore, sometimes around floating structure — a barnacle-covered tree in blue water surrounded by bait is always worth a couple circles with live bonito.
In the spread
Black marlin at the lodge
Blue marlin
For many anglers, the pinnacle of the sport.
For many anglers, catching a blue marlin is the pinnacle of the sportfishing experience — and we catch good numbers of them.
Blues are among the most powerful and acrobatic fighters in the ocean. Capable of long, sustained runs, they sometimes spend nearly as much of the fight out of the water as in it. A greyhounding blue, quartering away from the boat as it peels line from a big conventional reel, is a sight you will never forget.
Ready to make the trip?
Secure your dates at Panama's only private island fishing lodge — or send us a note and we'll help you plan.
Keep exploring
