Panama Marlin Fishing

Packages

Fishing Info

Seasons

Available Species

Accomodations

FAQ’s

Panama offers some of the best marlin fishing in the entire world. Every year between December and March big game anglers flock to fish world famous hot spots like the Hannibal Bank in the west or Piñas Bay in the east. Panama marlin fishing offers both quantity and quality as anglers can catch multiple blue marlin in a day or get lucky and tangle with a 500+ lb black marlin. The packages below will give you an idea of the kinds of fishing trips we organize, but please contact us to customize your dream Panama marlin fishing vacation. Once you speak to us we’ll help you sort through the various options and you’ll see why nearly 40% of our anglers are repeat or referral guests!

Fishing the Hannibal Bank
Panama Fishing Paradise
The Best of Panama
Fishing Highlights of Panama
Affordable Panama Fishing
Popper Addicts
Tropic Star Lodge
Panama Mothership
Panama Private Island Lodge

Where is the Best Marlin Fishing in Panama?

Two of the most famous marlin fishing destinations in the world are found in Panama: the Hannibal Bank and the Zane Grey Reef. The Hannibal Bank is located roughly 50 miles off the coast in the Gulf of Chiriqui in western Panama. This natural underwater formation was found in 1914 by the USS Hannibal when doing survey work for the Panama Canal. Part of the continental shelf of Panama’s Pacific Coast, at the Hannibal Bank the ocean floor rises from several thousand feet to just over a hundred feet deep. In some spots the peaks of reach within just 150 ft of the surface. When combined with the ever present Equatorial Currents, the bank creates an upwelling of cooler, nutrient rich water which in turn kicks off the start of the food chain. In addition to serving as a cleaning station for large predatory fish, the currents and peaks at the Hannibal Bank attracts baitfish which in turn bring in large pelagics like marlin, tuna, and dorado month after month.

The Zane Grey Reef, or Piñas Reef, is found about 150 miles southeast of Panama City in the heart of the great Darrien Jungle. This underwater pinnacle was documented by the legendary Guy Harvey decades ago and is one of the best places in the world to target black marlin. Located just a few miles from the docks of the famous Tropic Star Lodge, this reef can reach just 120 ft deep in parts and with constant currents and bait it is a place that black marlin love to hang around. Just twenty miles out you’ll reach the continental shelf where incredible numbers of blue marlin and Pacific sailfish can be found.

Marlin Fishing at the Hannibal Bank

The Hannibal Bank is located in Western Panama at the southern end of the Gulf of Chiriqui. In order to fish the Hannibal Bank, you will fly into Panama City (PTY) where most people spend the first night (which is what we recommend in case there are any travel delays or hiccups). The next day you will take a 50-minute domestic flight from Panama City to the second biggest city in Panama, David. Depending where you fishing lodge or beach hotel is located, it is about a 1-1.5 hour drive south to the coast.

A closer look at the satellite image from Google Earth shows that the Hannibal Bank is part of the continental shelf that parallels Panama’s Pacific Coast. It is about 55 miles from the coastal town of Boca Chica, where many of the top Panama fishing lodges and fishing charters are based out of. Isla Coiba is 15 miles to the east while Isla Montuosa is 11 miles to the west, both major fishing hot spots in their own right. A typical run time to reach the Hannibal Bank from Boca Chica is about 1.5 hrs. Run times can be shorter if you stay on our island fishing lodge or our mothership. There are weeks when the marlin line up in the strong ocean currents above the Hannibal Bank like trout facing upstream and there can be multiple marlin bites each day. It’s not just quantity either, the smaller marlin at the Hannibal Bank are in the 250-300 lb range while 500-600 lb fish are quite common. While not an every day occurrence, almost all the top captains in the area have stories of hooking up to 800+ lb black marlin.

Marlin Fishing at the Tropic Star Lodge

The marlin fishing at the Hannibal Bank has long been considered some of the very best in the world. There are weeks when the marlin line up in the strong ocean currents above the Hannibal Bank like trout facing upstream and there can be multiple marlin bites each day. It’s not just quantity either, the smaller marlin at the Hannibal Bank are in the 250-300 lb range while 500-600 lb fish are quite common. While not an every day occurrence, almost all the top captains in the area have stories of seeing 800+ lb black marlin taking to the air.

How to Catch Marlin in Panama

Panama marlin fishing is usually approached one of two ways: slow trolling live bait or speed trolling plastics. The most effective way to catch a marlin in Panama is with live bait. Most days, on your run out to the fishing grounds you’ll stop and fill your boat’s tuna tubes with live bonito or even small yellowfin tuna. This can be done by jigging sabiki rigs or speed trolling with planers. Once you reach the marlin grounds your mate will bridle the live bait with a circle hook and you’ll slowly troll over the peaks until your reel screams.

You can also troll plastic squid lures if you can’t find live bait or if it hasn’t proved effective. Trolling plastics allows you to cover more area and change colors to find the right combo that the marlin are looking for that day.

When is the Best Marlin Fishing in Panama?

Sport fishing at the Hannibal Bank is productive year round, but there are certainly better months than others depending on what you are targeting. In this part of Panama, the dry season (summer) runs from December to April and the green season runs from May to November.

If you want to go marlin fishing at the Hannibal Bank, traditionally the months of December, January, and February offer the best action. It should be noted that we absolutely catch them 12 months a year, but when anglers ask for “peak marlin season” we advise them to aim for those months. There is also a very good “second season” in the moths of June through August due to the incredible amount of tuna around. Black marlin in particular seem to be in more abundance during the months of July, August, and September.

Available Species Fishing at the Hannibal Bank, Panama

Blue Marlin
Black Marlin
Striped Marlin
Sailfish
Yellowfin Tuna
Dorado
Wahoo

Panama Fishing Lodges & Accommodations

Hardcore offshore anglers have been fishing Panama for decades so fortunately there are plenty of options for accommodations to fit almost any travel style and budget. Our Hannibal Bank Fishing packages can have you stay at an affordable boutique hotel or luxury beach resort and fish local day charters or you can stay at an all inclusive fishing lodge. Our Panama fishing lodges can have you stay on the mainland, an island, or even a 70′ mothership that spends all week offshore just a few miles from the Hannibal Bank itself. As a luxury vacation outfitter, we only work with the nicest 3, 4, and 5-star operations that meet our expectations for quality, reliability, and service. Being local experts, we have personally visited every single property we represent so we’ll use our personal experience to hand pick the perfect fit for your group.

Hannibal Bank Panama Day Tours & Non-Fishing Activities

Our Hannibal Bank fishing packages don’t need to be all big game fishing, all the time. We can certainly mix in a few light tackle inshore days to target roosterfish and cubera snapper. Before you head over to fish the Hannibal Bank we can also set up a few nights in Panama City to experience the culture and history in the capital city. Whether it’s an off day from fishing or for the non-anglers in your group, there are several great eco, adventure, and cultural tours available in Panama. The list includes:

  • Canopy zip-line tour
  • White Water Rafting
  • ATVs
  • Horseback Riding
  • Surfing
  • Golf
  • Guided tours of national parks
  • Waterfalls
  • Island Hopping Tour
  • Snorkeling
  • Kayaking
  • Coffee plantation tour
  • Bird Watching
  • Cultural & Historical Tour of Panama City
  • Panama Canal Tours
  • Panama Canal Fishing for Peacock Bass & Snook

What Our Guests Love
About Panama Marlin Fishing

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

What We Love
About Panama Marlin Fishing

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

E

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Panama Fishing FAQs

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Panama?

Surprisingly, the answer is no. Despite being one of the world’s premier sport fishing destinations for a couple decades now, Panama does not require a fishing license.

How many people will be on my fishing boat?

All fishing charters booked by Central America Fishing are private, so the boat is 100% yours. We do not set up any shared charters.

What is the standard tip for a fishing charter in Panama?

A standard tip for a charter fishing crew in Panama is 10%-20% of the cost of the charter. If you stay at an all inclusive fishing lodge in Panama you may not know how much the boats cost per day as you probably were given a package price, but in general $150 per day would be the lower end while $200-$300 per day would be towards the higher end.

Can I bring my own fishing gear?

OF COURSE! Even though our private charters and fishing lodges provide all the fishing tackle, lures, leaders and bait you’ll need, you are always welcome to bring your own if you want to catch fish using your own tackle. Perhaps more than any other destination in Central America, in Panama avid anglers want to put their own popping and jigging outfits to the test against yellow-fin tuna and our prized inshore species. Fly anglers are should plan on bringing their own fly gear as that will not be provided.

Which fish in Panama are catch and release and which ones can I keep to eat?

By law, all billfish in Panama are strictly catch and release. While not a law, we also strongly encourage releasing all roosterfish, tarpon, and cubera snapper as they are such prized inshore species. Other species like tuna, dorado (mahi), wahoo, snappers, groupers, corvina, snook can be kept and enjoyed for a fresh seafood dinner.

Can I bring fish back home with me to my own country?

The short answer to this is yes, there is no law in Panama against bringing fish that you caught back home with you. If you are fishing in Panama on a local day charter it is understood that you are the paying client and any edible fish you catch is yours, but of course it is always appreciated when you share the meat with your hard working crew.  When you stay at an all inclusive fishing lodge however the mindset changes a bit as the fish you catch goes to feed the lodge staff and other guests, it should not be assumed that you’ll get to take home every fillet you brought in.  We understand you may love the idea enjoying a seafood dinner in your own home upon returning from Panama, and that may very well be possible if there is enough to go around, but the lodge typically takes what they need to feed everyone first. There are a few things you should consider when trying to bring fish home from your Panama fishing vacation:

1 – Unlike some other popular fishing destinations, in Panama there is no service that will package and ship fish home for you. If you want to bring fish home with you you’ll have to do it yourself in your own luggage. Our best advice is to bring down a soft sided, leak-proof cooler, have your fish frozen completely solid, wrap them in newspaper, and then check your cooler as part of your luggage since it will stay cooler in the cargo hold of the plane versus in the cabin as a carry-on. If you don’t have a cooler or forget to bring one, you can purchase affordable plastic coolers here in local grocery stores. Some of our higher end fishing lodges will have vacuum sealers, ask us when booking your trip.

2 – While Panama does not prohibit you from bringing fish fillets home with you, your international airline might. We strongly recommend you confirm this with your airline (in writing if possible) or you may have the fish confiscated from you at the airport check-in.

3 – Even if your airline lets you fly the fish home, your local customs may have an issue with you bringing in meat products from a foreign country. In our experience most customs agents don’t seem too interested in you bringing back frozen fish fillets from your fishing vacation to Costa Rica, but it can depend on the agent and depend on the day.

What if there is bad weather on our fishing day?

This is a question we hear a lot and typically requires a two part answer:

If the captain, lodge, or government deem the conditions are unsafe the trip will be cancelled.  The first course of action is to try and reschedule you, but if that is not possible you will be refunded in full.

However, rain and dark clouds are not considered bad weather. We are in the tropics and rain is a common occurrence here so that is not a cause for cancelling the trip. Many great fishing days happen in the rain, especially for tuna – as they say the fish are wet anyway! If you don’t want to fish in the rain there will be no refund.

Every single Panama Fishing Vacation booked with Central America Fishing includes the following:

  • Free Vacation Planning (no fees + direct rates)
  • VIP Airport Meet & Greet upon arrival into PTY
  • Private, air-conditioned transfers with English speaking driver.
  • Domestic flights (as needed)
  • Luxury accommodations hand-picked and customized for your group. Choose between private condos & villas, luxury beach resorts, exclusive boutique hotels, and all inclusive fishing lodges.
  • 100% private fishing charters on all our Panama Fishing Packages
  • All eco / adventure tours you’d like to include
  • All Panama taxes
  • Free quotes on travel insurance
  • Pre-arrival assistance with dinner reservations, tee times, pre-stocking your condo or villa, hiring a private chef, and special requests.
  • 24/7 support once you are here in country

Why Fish With CAF?

We have been fishing, living, and traveling around Central America since 2003. Plan your trip with local experts to make sure you are in the right place, at the right time, and on the right boat. We’ll help you fish for what you want, the way you want.

Free vacation planning + the best direct rates. No booking fees!

Personalized service from pre-arrival to 24/7 in-country support.

Hand-picked accommodations, fishing captains, expert guides for the best vacation experience.

%

Nearly 40% of our anglers are repeat & referral guests. CAF puts you on the fish!

We are proud to have a global reach and have hosted anglers from 14 different countries here in Central America!

About the Author

I first visited Costa Rica during a semester abroad in 2003 and instantly fell in love with the language, culture, and natural beauty. I caught my first roosterfish on that trip and knew that I wanted to live here, so I graduated and returned full time in 2005. Today I can proudly say that I’ve been in Costa Rica for half of my life, I met my wife here, and my two boys were born here so they are “Ticos”.

I’ve been working in the sport fishing industry in Central America for twenty years, I’ve had articles published in fishing magazines, hosted fishing TV shows, fished in several tournaments, and I’m a four-time IGFA trophy club member. I am however most proud to say that 40% of our anglers are repeat and referral guests. I’ve personally visited every destination, hotel, and fishing lodge that we partner with so that your next vacation with us is one of the best you’ve ever had.

All fishing vacations booked with Central America Fishing include the following:
  • Free Vacation Planning (no fees + direct rates)
  • VIP Airport Meet & Greet upon arrival into SJO
  • Private, air-conditioned transfers with English speaking driver.
  • Luxury, private accommodations hand-picked and customized for your group. Choose between private condos & villas, luxury beach resorts, exclusive boutique hotels, and fishing lodges.
  • Private fishing charters
  • All eco / adventure tours you’d like to include
  • All Costa Rican taxes
  • Free quotes on travel insurance
  • Pre-arrival assistance with dinner reservations, tee times, pre-stocking your condo or villa, hiring a private chef, and special requests.
  • 24/7 support once you are here in country
Inquire Now
Plan With Local Experts

Please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours. If you wish to speak to us sooner please call us anytime at 1-855-414-FISH. Your 100% customized vacation starts here!

Sticky Sidebar Form