isla bastimentos . bocas del toro . republic of panama

Jim Kimball and Jay Viola grew up in Houston, Texas, fishing the Gulf of Mexico, both offshore and its inland waterways. They began fishing destinations beyond Texas by the age of 10, and during the last 30 years have fished in Alaska, Western Canada, the Rockies, New Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. Jim and Jay are both light tackle enthusiasts and love taking their fly or conventional tackle to the limit.

The secluded western Caribbean coast of Panama is wild and undeveloped, which is exactly what makes fishing these waters so remarkable.  The fishing in Bocas del Toro is world class, not world famous, we rarely see another angler.  Come fish with us and let exotic wildlife and big fish, surrounded by a surreal untouched landscape, create the fishing experience of a lifetime.

Tranquilo Bay has pioneered fishing Bocas del Toro’s virgin estuaries, flats, rivers, and offshore waters.  Most of the areas we fish are protected reserves and home to a variety of game fish such as Tarpon, Snook, Bonefish, Jack Crevalle, Barracuda, Tuna, Wahoo, King Mackerel, snappers, and groupers.

We encourage you to bring your family; Tranquilo Bay was designed to make everyone in your group comfortable. Our well-appointed facility is sure to please even the most discriminating of tastes, and we offer an array of adventure activities for the non-fishermen in your group, to explore the natural beauty of Panama’s islands and rainforest, from the coral reef to the cloud forest.

Tranquilo Bay is Panama’s most deluxe and unique Caribbean fishing adventure, we specialize in intimate groups of 2 to 8 anglers to explore the most secluded and un-fished waters in Central America.  We hope to put you on the fish of a lifetime soon.

All fishing is done with light tackle on outfits ranging from 8-pound to 30-pound test line. We have both conventional and spinning tackle consisting of Shimano, Ande, and Falcon graphite rods equipped with Shimano reels. We also have a few fly-casting outfits with 9, 10 and 12 weight rods.

While fishing from Tranquilo Bay, we will use trolling, jigging, artificial bait casting, sight casting, fly casting, live bait and chumming techniques to catch a wide range of game fish.

At Tranquilo Bay we do everything we can to conserve Panama’s precious marine resources.  We use the latest in marine research and sustainable practices to develop our processes, and preserve the fragile marine ecology of Bocas del Toro. 

We use de-barbed circle hooks whenever possible, and practice only catch and release on all sport fish species.  Kill gaffs are never used, and every fish is revived by passing water through the gills prior to its release. 

27-foot Caribe Pro center console powered by Yamaha 200-HP outboard motor

1. Furuno depth/fish finder
   

2. Garmin GPS
   

3. Icom marine VHF radio
   

4. 30-galllon live well
   

5. Penn down rigger
   

6. Dry Storage
   

7. Oversized Bimini Top
   

8. Offshore rated PFDs
   

27-foot Sea Vee center console powered by Yamaha 200-HP outboard motor

1. Furuno depth/fish finder
   

2. Garmin GPS
   

3. Icom marine VHF radio
   

4. 30-gallon live well
   

5. Dry storage
   

6. Oversized Bimini Top
   

7. EPIRB
   

8. Outriggers
   

9. Fresh water wash down
   

10. Dive Platform
    

11. Yamaha 15-HP outboard secondary motor
    

12. Offshore rated PFDs
    

25-foot classic Mexican Panga powered by Yamaha 85-HP outboard motor

1. Marine VHF radio
   

2. Bimini Top
   

3. Offshore rated PFDs

Local fishermen in Bocas del Toro fish year-round for snapper, jacks and barracuda. When pursuing game fish the most consistent months are March through May and September through mid November.  The Caribbean Sea in Panama tends to have waves, and more wind during the peak of winter and summer.

Seasonal offshore runs include Yellowfin, Blackfin, and Bigeye Tuna, Wahoo, Kingfish and big Yellowtail Snapper.  Resident bottom fish in these waters consist of various grouper species, and snapper including Cuberas, Grays, Dogs, Blacks and Muttons.  Whale Sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles are sometimes spotted in these pristine waters.

During spring, Tarpon, Snook and jacks can be found schooling in various bays, lagoons, rivers and small flats within the archipelago. These same fish, along with larger migrants, congregate near river mouths in the spring and fall. Small to midsized snapper, jacks, and barracuda can be found within the archipelago near reefs, grass flats, and mangrove estuaries throughout the year.  When all the stars line up, and the conditions are just right, we chase Bonefish on the windward flats.

Since the days of Zane Grey, the country of Panama has been considered one of the top trophy billfish destinations in the world; please note that this is entirely in reference to the Pacific Ocean. The Caribbean coast of Panama is not known to be a prolific billfish destination. While we do have the chance at a Sailfish or Blue Marlin when fishing these waters, encounters are rare.

If you are looking to pursue billfish, the Pacific coast of Panama is as good as it gets. Check out Tropic Star Lodge.