As soon as I booked the PV flight, I immediately went and booked a panga trip. When in Rome. As soon as I booked it (on FishingBooker) I asked the captain what might be in season, what to expect, etc. He just gave me a generic "can't wait to have you" and didn't answer my questions. Asked again about a week before the trip and still nada. Finally the day before, I send another message with my phone number and he calls me to say they're getting bonito and mahi. Bonito and mahi are fun, but I got my fill this summer and was hoping for new species, like crevalle jack or roosters, or any number of "junk" reef fish.
Day of, we got to the boat and contrary to the site, they didn't have live bait. Or any organic bait for that matter. Captain didn't speak any english and the 1st made spoke a little, but overall was tough communication.
Drove all of a mile or two to get to the first cast. Crew dropped back some slow trollers and signaled for me to cast on the bow. Started with larger poppers, casting into foam. Very fishy water but only saw 1 splash for the first hour, no bites. Eventually the 1st mate started pitching a butterfly jig around so I switched to an iron.
1st section of coast wasn't very lively so we made our way around a point while trolling around 7 knots. Saw a couple humpback whales in tight, and just past them were some boils. Good size school of bonito boiling on bait. Switched over to my lightest rod and started casting KMs their way. Rolling it right through them and no bites. Switched to an LCFM. Then a spook. Went through my whole tackle box and got one semblance of a nudge on a KM. 1st mate was also casting at the same time and not getting anything. This went on for well over an hour. Saw another boat slow troll by us and pick up a small crevalle.
Eventually ran out of time and nothing to show for it. Got back to the launch pier and the crew dropped us off. Walking up, somebody asked how we did and I said jack sh!t. They said they were on the same boat a few days before and didn't get anything either, and saw mahi popping up around the boat, and the same deal with no bait, although they picked up bait off a friend toward the last hour of their day.
I'm certainly frustrated on the outcome of it becoming an expensive boat ride, and in hindsight I wish I would have just fished a sabiki the whole time, or at least the 2nd half. Didn't even know they had a live well under the seat that I could have worked on filling up. They didn't have a fish finder so I couldn't tell if we were going over hard bottom and if it would be worth it to focus there, rather than on the surface. Just tough casting to bonito that I hardly wanna catch and they don't even bite. A good bit of false advertising on the part of the charter, from lack of live bait to even what outboards they said they had, but I'm sure if I spoke much better spanish I would have made off much better. Oh well! Live and you learn. Another day in paradise.
Might have to go back to work soon, boys!
