# This is where I disappeared to.



## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

Hello all. Some of you have noticed that I haven't been on in a while. Well after the long ordeal of liquidating "stuff" I headed South. I am still creeping around the Forum reading post but since I basically have no skin in the game anymore (locally) I have been holding off commenting or shooting you some of what's going on. 

Since this is a fishing forum, I finally found some time to post something appropriate. Miss talking to a lot of you, but have been busy getting back into "Island Time" in Panama. Found a interesting little Island on the Caribbean and considering making it permanent after 5 weeks here. We will see. 

Anyway, this is a trip that we took Monday to finally get a hook wet. The boats down here are called Pangas. Very narrow compared to the normal fishing machine from our area but very fuel efficient and are mostly used for water transport.

We went to the outskirts of an Island in about 600+ foot of water and started trolling while following the birds. What we ended up within a couple of hours was 10 Tuna (both black fin and yellow fin), 2 sharks, 4 lost at the boat, and a monster 60 pound yellow fin that made it back into the deep when the Captain hit the lure while attempting to gaff. After a 28 minute fight my arms are still sore. We also saw a Whale Shark that was much larger that the 23 foot of hull that was under our feet. Enjoy the photos. 

By the way, loving it down here and couldn't be happier. 

The stress is gone as well as the headaches, weekly visits to the massage therapist and the meds went out with the last load of trash. Tight lines guys.


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

Great report................Jason is gonna be all over that cooler full of fish photo for his Foot Thread... He should be along shortly...


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

A few more for ya.


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## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

Real nice box of fish, Tom.
keep us posted,


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## stc1993 (Nov 23, 2014)

That's my kind of fishing. No hurry no worry on Island time.


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## Murphy's Law (Sep 27, 2007)

Living the dream Tom, happy for ya!

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk


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## Sequoiha (Sep 28, 2007)

Looks like you did what a lot of us want to do, any room for a boat mechanic down there


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## FelixH (Sep 28, 2007)

Nice!
Just curious, do those folks not keep their catch on ice?


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

I wrote a full page of "stuff" for you guys this morning and it just disappeared. 
So in short from questions and PM's;

Yes Ice, just bleeding out and shifting boxes.

Good to hear from you Captain Murph and Pat.

Not sure about boat mechanics but will ask around.

Temps sometimes in the mid 90's, not a lot of A/C. (nothing seems to dry out)

*NO, there are not herds of available women with morally lax attitudes around.*

Some things are MORE expensive, remember it's an Island and everything has to be shipped in.

High season is December to March / April. Some rooms and rental can almost double in price. Other items increase also.

Don't need a vehicle South of the 1 gas station. Taxi's are 60 per head anywhere below that gas station.

Ooooohhhhhh yeah, speaking of Gas. *They don't know what ethanol is.* There are some REALLY smart people down here.

And last but not least, one more for Jason. 








Thanks guys, have a great rest of the week. T

PS. This was from a little trip last week to the other side of the country. Los Olas. Beautiful and very much undeveloped.

PSS. If any of you are wanting to follow more of our adventures, shoot me a PM and I can give you contact info on a dreaded social sight that you can follow. I WILL NOT post this directly to this forum in an effort to keep it pure!


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Heck yeah baby....as long as dem painted piggies are mommas and not yours!!! Glad ya'll are having a good time!!!! Looks like a dream!!!


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

I have been waiting for you to come back to life on here since you liquidated and headed to a land with a different ruler.

Looking forward to you telling us more about another day, in another Paradise. When typing a long story, I write in it "Word", spell check it, change it, and when ready, copy it to the Forum Thread. 

Soooo, you gonna help a Pensacola Buddy out and tell us which Island, so I can Google Earth and Dream.


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Dang Tom, I guess I was asleep at the wheel. Had I know you were thinking of bugging out, I would have taken you a few doors down from you biz for a beer. Sending you a pm.


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

BananaTom said:


> I have been waiting for you to come back to life on here since you liquidated and headed to a land with a different ruler.
> 
> Looking forward to you telling us more about another day, in another Paradise. When typing a long story, I write in it "Word", spell check it, change it, and when ready, copy it to the Forum Thread.
> 
> Soooo, you gonna help a Pensacola Buddy out and tell us which Island, so I can Google Earth and Dream.


Hello Tom, good hearing from you and thank you for your help in getting us here. The Island is “ Isla Colon, Panama “. We are just over a mile North of Bocas Town (Bocas Del Toro, Mouth of the Bull). 
9 20’43.27”N 
82 15’08.08” W. 

Very interesting place for sure. Lots to do and see, and this is the rainy season (off season). Google is your friend, lolololol. Lots to explore and learn.


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

H2OMARK said:


> Dang Tom, I guess I was asleep at the wheel. Had I know you were thinking of bugging out, I would have taken you a few doors down from you biz for a beer. Sending you a pm.


 
Hello Mark. You weren't asleep, kinda kept it on the DL as it took us almost two years to accomplish. One day we will have that cerveza my friend! Sending you a PM shortly..... Thanks for the note....


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

Jason said:


> Heck yeah baby....as long as dem painted piggies are mommas and not yours!!! Glad ya'll are having a good time!!!! Looks like a dream!!!


Lololololol..... You can rest easy big guy,,,,, they are most definitely HERSSSSSSSSSSS...


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

Found a descent pic for you guys that were curious. We are at the isthmus facing the Caribbean (East, on the right of the pic) and overlooking the bay from our villa bedroom window (West, to the left of the pic).


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## bwendel07 (Sep 30, 2007)

Its funny what sometimes you see first and I am only poking fun not trying to derail but in the 7th picture are you fishing that spinning reel tourist style with a yellowfin on it? 

It dosent matter blue water and good times with a beautiful story. 

Glad to hear a good trip.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Sure are allot of images on Google Earth of that place. Just a few Here:


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

I was stationed down there for a while. Loved every minute of it. Planning a trip down there myself in January.


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

bwendel07 said:


> Its funny what sometimes you see first and I am only poking fun not trying to derail but in the 7th picture are you fishing that spinning reel tourist style with a yellowfin on it?
> 
> It dosent matter blue water and good times with a beautiful story.
> 
> Glad to hear a good trip.


Dude, you win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was waiting to see if anybody was going to pick up on that. It's an old style Penn Slammer spinning rod with a trolling reel mounted to it. I didn't say anything either when I climbed aboard as I didn't want to piss in anyone's Wheaties, but Sir, you are correct. They use whatever they can get there hands on down here. Hell, a used Stretch 25 runs over $20 bucks......... 

If you see the Locals ( 3 guys ) in the other Panga in one of those last photos, they actually use a nylon hand line with a bent stainless steel nail and part of a foil candy bar wrapper with a hook. They catch 3 to 1 the "football" Black and Yellow fins and not a rod or reel in sight. Troll and jig by hand until the hook-up. I wouldn't want to be doing that with a hog like I had on nailing that bait. I am still nursing the bruises because I wasn't wearing a gimbal. 

And those photos are accurate and in the first picture, I use that water Taxi dock there (far right of that 1st Photo) to get to the other islands. One buck per head to get to the Cosmic Crab, and two bucks per to get to the Bocas Marina & Yacht Club. Different prices for different locations. Crazy thing is, some of them run late into the night and most of them DO NOT have running lights....... I have the water taxi dock's phone number now in my favorites, and when we are ready to go, I just call the number, tell them how many people that I have and where I am. They send a boat out immediately.


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