TACKLE, EQUIPMENT
Olivier Charpentier advices:
You don’t need many stuff for a Panama trip, but high quality products, otherwise you will have big deceptions on strong fish like cuberas and big tunas.
First the essential equipment:
- Good sun cap
- Polarized glasses
- Buff
- long sleeve shirt
- solar cream 50 mini
- insect repellent (also on sale at the lodge)
- Head light and batteries
- Small dry bag 10 liters.
Rods:
You will need three rods:
- Strong casting rod 60-80 lbs for cuberas
Ex: Tenryu Furary, Zenacq 76-7
- Medium casting rod on 40-50 lbs
- Jigging rod 60 lbs
Ex: Zenacq 53-16
Reels:
SHIMANO Stella 14000 and 8000
DAIWA Saltiga 6500 and 4500
SHIMANO Saragossa good price/quality rate.
IMPORTANT: Rental of popping and jigging combos rods and reels are available at the lodge. Good choice if you don’t want to invest for only one trip.
Small equipment:
All lures and small tackle is available on sale at the boutique of the lodge. You will find all what you need. To give an idea, a list of the lures we use here.
Poppers:
DUM
BELL 200 et 150 Rivertosea
ROOSTA POPPER HALCO 195 et 150
Sticks baits:
We need SKINKING STICK BAITS on sizes 16 to 20 cm. We use them for big cubera fishing on the rocks.
– SEBILE STICKS SHADD 182 SK
– TAIL WALK GUNZ’S SK 160 and 180.
Oliver Fishing can provide the good sticks (the dientons 160 and 180) on sale at the lodge.
Jigs:
We use 100 to 200 grams jigs.
Slow jigs are efficient, and more classic one also:
WILLAMSON Vortex
HAYABUSA
CB ONE
SHIMANO Butterfly
Weepy
Lines, PE and leaders:
I recommend VARIVAS.
For casting:
Braid VARIVAS SMP (super max power) 80 lbs (PE 6) and 50 lbs (PE 4).
VARIVAS shock leader (blue) 140 lbs pour le lancer
For Jigging:
Tresse VARIVAS Big one
VARIVAS shock leader 100 lbs
Hooks and others:
Trebles OWNERS ST66 en 4/0, 3/0 et 2/0
Circle hooks OWNERS MUTU circle 6/0. (Ref 5163-161). (For Roosterfish and Cuberas on live baits.)
Split rings OWNERS n°8 et 9.
Solid Rings OWNERS solid ring n° 6,5 (ref 5195-656)
Swevels SAMPO résistance 200 lbs.
Small Cabiais n°6 for live bait fishing.
Fighting belts and big game fishing rods:
The belts and big game fishing rods for billfish and tuna are provided with the boat. You don’t need to bring them.