Sport fishing in Panama is some of the best on Earth with a legendary marlin bite, one of the best yellow-fin tuna fisheries in the world, and trophy inshore species like roosterfish and cubera snapper. Enjoy big game offshore fishing at world famous hot spots like Zane Grey’s Reef in the far east or Coiba Island, Montuosa Island and the Hannibal Bank in western Panama. Few places on Earth can offer giant blue and black marlin, cow yellow-fin tuna, and light tackle fishing for up to 30 species of inshore gamefish on the same fishing trip. Browse our Panama sport fishing packages below, then once you contact us we’ll work with you personally to customize your dream fishing vacation. Trust our decades of local expertise and see why nearly 40% of our anglers are repeat & referral guests! 

Panama Sport Fishing Info

Over the past few decades, Panama has earned a reputation as one of the world’s top destinations for marlin fishing. So many trophy blue and black marlin, including a few granders, have been released in these waters the lore of big game fishing in Panama seemed to grow with each fish.  It wasn’t just the size of the fish that lured anglers here, reports of multiple marlin bites during the peak season meant constant action throughout the week as opposed to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Very similar to it’s neighbor to the north, Costa Rica, Panama is fortunate to be at the confluence of two major ocean currents which holds baitfish throughout the year. While some months are historically better than others, marlin are always available and are caught 12 months a year. Nearly all marlin caught in Panama are blue or black marlin, striped marlin are not a common occurrence. Unlike Costa Rica and Guatemala where trolling a spread of teasers and dead ballyhoo is the gold standard, the main technique when billfishing in Panama is speed trolling plastic squids or slow trolling live bait.  The ideal live bite when marlin fishing is bonito, but small yellow-fin tuna can also be bridled with a circle hook and sent down. In part because of this method the offshore fishing in Panama typically doesn’t produce the gaudy sailfish numbers like Costa Rica and Guatemala, but the Pacific sailfish that are caught here tend to be very large (100-150 lbs).

All billfish in Panama are strictly catch and release. Panama also mandates the use of circle hooks when fishing for billfish (sailfish and any marlin).  This has proven to increase hook up ratios, but more importantly it has proven to significantly increase the survival rate of hooked fish. Circle hooks tend to imbed themselves in the meaty corners of the mouth and are less likely to be swallowed and hook the fish’s vital internal organs like J-hooks.

Of course a conversation about Panama sport fishing would be remiss if it didn’t include the incredible yellow-fin tuna fishery. Nowadays the tuna fishing in Panama is as popular, if not more-so, than the marlin fishing that put it on the map decades ago.  There are few places on Earth that can offer such a consistent and reliable tuna bite year after year, and best of all most of this happens on topwater lures. When fishing with poppers and stickbaits the majority of the tuna caught in Panama are in the 40-100 lb range, but 200+ lb cows are caught with regularity in our peak season.

In addition to the big game offshore fishing, Panama also offers fantastic inshore fishing as well. It’s so good in fact that Panama sport fishing might be one of the few destinations where the inshore fishing is just as popular as the offshore fishing. Here we can catch up to 30 different species in a week, though it seems nearly every angler has roosterfish and cubera snapper at the top of their list.

Where is the Best Offshore Sport Fishing in Panama?

Panama’s Pacific Coast is about 1,000 miles long from east to west, so it offers various departure points from which to enjoy the spectacular offshore fishing. From the Gulf of Chiriqui in Western Panama to Piñas Bay in Eastern Panama, giant marlin, sailfish and tuna are caught all along the coast. Fishing in Gulf of Chiriqui allows you to access legendary hot spots like the Hannibal Bank, Montuosa Island, and Coiba Island – all of which are about 50 miles from the mainland. If you visit the famous Tropic Star Lodge you can fish the Zane Grey Reef just a few miles from the dock. The Azuero Peninsula isn’t known for it’s billfishing, but it’s called the ‘Tuna Coast’ for a reason as big tuna can be caught just a few miles from the coast when they are migrating through the area. While the offshore game fish are highly migratory, the three main destinations we focus on when offshore fishing are:

1) Gulf of Chiriqui 
Home to famous offshore fishing hot spots such as the Hannibal Bank, Montuosa Island, and Coiba Island, this may very well be the best big game fishing in Central America. These are 50 miles from the mainland, but between our mothership and our island lodges we can have you stay much closer to the action. Whether you are after big marlin or boiling schools of yellow-fin tuna, this is offshore fishing at it’s finest.

2) Azuero Peninsula
The Azuero Peninsula is not known as a destination for billfish, but the ability to catch yellow-fin tuna in pangas just a few miles from the coast earned it the nickname “the Tuna Coast“. The peninsula juts out into the Pacific and puts you right at the edge of the continental shelf where tuna, wahoo, dorado, and the occasional marlin will be enjoyed.

3) Piñas Bay
Home of the famous Tropic Star Lode, this is what put marlin fishing in Panama in the lime light decades ago. The famed Zane Grey Reef is just a few miles from the dock, so for anglers looking for some of the best marlin action in the world this is the place to be.

When is the Best Time for Offshore Sport Fishing in Panama?

The best sport fishing in Panama is done on our Pacific Coast. Being nearly a thousand miles long from Costa Rica to Columbia, the fishing seasons vary somewhat from east to west. Some months also tend to offer more sailfish and marlin while others offer more meat fish like yellow-fin tuna and dorado. All of this can be affected by on sea conditions, the presence of bait fish, and seasonal weather patterns so you can review our Panama fishing calendar below. Once you contact us and we have a better idea of what you want to fish for and when you are visiting, we can customize a package to put you in the right spot, at the right time for the species you’d like to target.

Available Species Offshore Sport Fishing in Panama

Panama Sport Fishing Lodges & Accommodations

Sport fishing enthusiasts have been visiting Panama for decades so Panama is home to a fantastic array of fishing lodges and beach hotels. Your choices include affordable boutique hotels, luxury beach resorts, and all inclusive fishing lodges including an island-based lodge and our 70′ mothership that spends all week 50 miles offshore. We even have one fishing lodge in Panama that is 100% dedicated to lure fishing so they specialize in inshore and bottom fishing. 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.

Panama Day Tours & Non-Fishing Activities

Our Panama Sport Fishing packages don’t need to be all fishing, all the time. Panama has so much more to offer than just sport fishing such as great history, lush rain forest with incredible wildlife, beaches, islands, and of course the Panama Canal itself. Whether it’s an off day from fishing or for the non-anglers in your group, there are several great eco and adventure tours available. We can also customize your Panama fishing vacation so you spend a few nights in different locations throughout the country so you can see how diverse it is. 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

All Panama Sport Fishing Packages booked with Central America Fishing include 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.
• All in-country domestic flights
• Luxury accommodations in your choice of all inclusive fishing lodge, luxury beach resort, or a boutique hotel.
• Private fishing charters
• 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