The Tropic Star is Central America's most famous fishing lodge for more reasons than you can poke a tagpole at. Bill Boyce invites you to share in this Panamanian paradise, where awe-inspiring fishing meets spectacular scenery and world-class hospitality.

Cordial greetings were the order of the day as the lodge guests assembled in the galley of the prestigious establishment for their breakfast and coffee. The equatorial sun was beaming on what was to be another stunning day offshore in the rich, historic waters that surround Bahia Pinas, Panama.

What these unsuspecting guests could not comprehend was the scene of utter mayhem they were about to witness once their boats made it to the fishing grounds.

Each boat at Tropic Star is identical - 31ft Bertrams with twin Detroit diesels, but painted colourfully to distinguish one from another. Each boat is named after the countries from which many lodge guests reside. The Miss Australia, Miss England, Miss France, Miss Scandia, Miss Costa Rica and so on.

The captains and mates - most of which were born and raised in one of the two small villages that represent the only inhabitants in this far-reaching region of the densely forested Darien jungle - could scarcely imagine what they too would soon witness.

The day started like any other. We made our way five miles offshore to the world-renowned Zane Grey Reef - a series of three rocky domes that jut from a mud plain at a depth of 350ft to pinnacles of 145, 159, and 160ft. The typical Pinas fishing day begins there with the ritual of "making some bait" for the day's action.

HOLD THE PHONE
But this particular day evolved differently. Something of deep interest caught the eyes of the focused fleet of captains. That vision was a pileup of birds.

I say birds, but by that understatement I mean pelicans, boobies, petrels, terns and frigates. All were wheeling and cockling in what looked to be a virtual "chicken ranch" some three miles south of the outer bay.

Understanding that cue obviously spelled bait and lots of it, the fleet turned toward it and while en route, the mates readied the bait rigs to stock up on the supply.

Coming upon this melee, it soon became obvious what had created the commotion. It was not just the ever-present black skipjack and bullet tuna surface feeding on ichthyoplankton and small bait fish... No, this "war zone" was the scene of several bait balls being pushed to the limits of the surface from below.

So much so that the schools of sardines, so furiously pursued, literally bulged the surface of the ocean by their scurrying motion.

This sight in itself was captivating, but the sight that no angler on those boats that day will ever forget was not that of those bait balls - instead, it was of the 30–40 pacific sailfish seen fining and dancing with dorsals sailing "high and dry" all around the bait while the song "death to the baitfish" was played in B minor.

Tackle was flying, people were screaming, boats were doing donuts to get in position for a troll pass, yet nobody could make a conscious decision to fish it or film it. I sat there with my rod in my hands not saying a word as I cursed my bad luck of not having my underwater camera gear aboard.

At this instance, those images were already being developed in my mind. What few anglers could comprehend at that moment was that for the dozens of sailfish we were seeing on the surface, how many scores of them were down under the bait to push it that hard?

A conservative estimate from my years of seeing this act in various locations (yet not in this magnitude), I would say possibly hundreds.

PANAMANIAN PRODUCE
This kind of sea life is not uncommon in the Gulf of Panama, which constitutes some of the most biologically productive waters in the world.

Waters laden rich from the deep upwelling nutrients present in the cool Humboldt Current that churn northerly from Peru and Ecuador. These waters then merge with the warm, relatively shallow waters of the gulf.

This mixing action creates a nutrient brew where dense blooms of algae can turn on in a matter of a day - and in doing so, they produce the basic oceanic building block: the bottom rung of the food-chain pyramid that intern feeds these amazing concentrations of bait.

Tides play a major role in this region as well, averaging 14ft. This amount of water movement doesn't allow those ocean fertilisers to settle without first enabling their enhancing powers to take hold.

Having scuba-dived here on several occasions, I have been entranced by the contrast in the warm temperatures found at the surface, to those cooler found just a few fathoms down. With it, at times, a distinct thick algae layer at the surface reminiscent of soup in some areas - yet below this layer in the cooler waters - the visibility increases to 100ft or more.

This eerie phenomenon adds to the mystique of Pinas Bay.

A LITTLE HISTORY
When you get offshore and look at the distant ridges and peaks that surround this area, you begin to wonder how in the world the Spaniards did it. After all, it was the explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa who stumbled across the Isthmus of Panama to be the first "Euro" to discover the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

At some point he and the boys had to "hack and whack" their way through this unrelenting jungle to make it to the Inca treasures they eventually plundered. The only thing different in that very jungle from his time to the present day is... well, nothing! It is still as wild as ever, and the nearest road to Tropic Star Lodge ends 100 miles to the north.

Therefore, supplies are shipped in by way of the lodge's tender M/V Swiftship. A logistical nightmare for most, but here CEO/operators Mike and Terri Andrews take it all in their stride. What can't be shipped in gets built on site in a very impressive machine shop and boatyard.

The lodge was built in 1961 by a Texas oil tycoon, who did so just to share the fishing and the ambiance with his good friends and business clientele. A Canadian company bought it in 1968 and built up more accommodations with the intention of creating a fishing-charter destination as they had in Northern Canada with their Artic Star Lodge. Hence the romantic name Tropic Star Lodge for this southerly retreat.

A large earthquake rocked the region in 1976, and not wanting to rebuild it with distant, hard-to-come-by materials, they got the insurance settlement and sold the lodge to Conway Kittredge (Terri's father)
in 1976.
Conway purchased it as a potential real-estate investment, with $70,000 in charter deposits and nine of the 31ft Bertrams in the harbour. He decided to renovate it and open it for business to give those folks their charter.

Conrad's good friend in Miami was Richard Bertram. Together they realised what a wonderful piece of paradise could be experienced by international sportsfishing aficionados. Nowadays, 14 of those 31-footers call Pinas their home and operate at full capacity for most of the year.

Guests arrive from Panama City on Aeroperlas airlines flights in twin-engine Otter aircraft, landing on a small, well-maintained cement airstrip built jointly by the Panamanian government, the US Army Corps of engineers, and overseen by Pinas Bay Resorts in 1994.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Historically, the lodge was only open from late autumn to mid spring - the stretch of time typically considered to be the dry season.

It can rain then, but not in the concentrations commonly known as the "wet season" from, say, September to November. After all, it is rainforest!

These dry months had always been thought to be the best marlin-fishing seasons, for it is not uncommon to catch a grand slam on any given day.

The black marlin are daily predators at the Zane Grey Reef, and the blues and striped marlin are found a bit further offshore, chasing the schoolie skipjack in the vicinity of the 100-fathom curve. But after looking at some old tournament data from the lodge's early days, it was discovered that, historically, the biggest marlin were consistently caught in June and July.

The resort's management team of Hennie and Ursula Marais (previously from Africa's Bom Bom resort) has further enhanced Tropic Star's stunning reputation, and bookings have now extended well past April.

Marketing manager, light-tackle world-record fishing guru Raleigh Werking, says: "The real benefit in the exponential rise of lodge clientele is that the marlin and sailfish fishing has now been discovered to be great year-round!"

LET'S GET WET
A typical day at Tropic Star will begin as previously mentioned, with a five-mile run to the Zane Grey Reef. It is here that a constant supply of black skipjack, bullet tuna, pacific bonito and rainbow runners can be seen breezing and jumping in the early-morning hours.

Their commotion and teeming numbers are what hungry black marlin are seeking for breakfast. The proven method here is not rocket science. Catch a few live ones, bridal them with 20/0 circle hooks and set them right back where they belong - fished from the outriggers and slowly trolled right next to the schooling tunas.

Think about it: a large school of feeding tuna is a hell of a chum slick, and when a black marlin makes his polaris-missile approach from below that school, they will scatter to the depths for protection. At which point what is going to be left behind? That's right - your bait!

The outriggers begin to shake as your tuna is helplessly attempting to evade. Snap goes the rubber band and you're bit! A long drop back to get the bait turned in its mouth and tight you come. Suddenly out of the morning's tranquillity comes 600lb of finned fury.

The Morro islands and the verdant green mountains make a spectacular backdrop for this fighting arena. When the bite goes on, it is not uncommon to see several hook-ups in the course of the morning's efforts.

When the sun gets higher, the bait will slip deeper and more offshore - and the fleet goes off with it. But before this departure, the boats will catch their day's supply of baits to be used both live (in the newly installed bait tank/tuna-tube combos ) or as dead bait in the artful form of the infamous Panama belly strip.

A bait presentation so nicely done I would even considered eating one!

PELAGIC PLAYGROUND
The 100-fathom curve is found approximately 10 miles offshore, with the 1000-fathom curve another five or so beyond that. In these waters anything can happen.

Sailfish can be thick as fleas at times, and when you're targeting marlin they can actually become a nuisance. The pacific sailfish here can attain some jumbo proportions. In fact, of all the IGFA world records - for both line-class and fly-fishing - a full 20 per cent were captured in Pinas Bay waters.

Sails here are commonly found in groups, and multiple hook-ups are standard operating procedure. Once a fish is hooked, the skippers like to make a slow circle in the hope of enticing a second - or pray tell, a third hook-up.

The little Bertrams, as everywhere else you find them internationally, are consistent at raising fish. Once they do, their agile manoeuvrability is perfect for these calm waters, and the fish are brought to the stern in a timely manner.

The lodge rule of conservation ethics is ever present, and the sole use of circle hooks is strictly enforced. All billfish are released unless a world record is at stake.

The marlin offshore can be found anywhere near the drop-offs but the lack of variation in the offshore topography makes the fishing grounds widespread. Sometimes the fish are straight out to the west and 25 miles out, whereas the next day they can be 15 miles south and hugging the scenic rocky shoreline.

When offshore, the ratio of black marlin to blue marlin is about even. The size of the blues is usually in the 250–500lb range, with an occasional 600 or 700lb fish turning up periodically. The blacks run a bit bigger, averaging 350–600lb with some going 800 to the grander mark.

Lures in the darker colours seem to have preference, but when lots of small dorado are encountered under the flotsam that collects in the offshore tide rips, then brighter greens and yellows can be effective.

In these productive waters it is not uncommon to have an occasional striped marlin sneak into the pattern just to keep you up on your billfish-ID toes. Or sometimes in early spring, swordfish can be been seen sunning on the surface and several have been landed in recent years.

TEASE ME
No matter what lures you want to pull for teasers, you will find it hard to out-produce the ever-popular "Tropic Star Daisy Chain" teaser - which incidentally does not vary from boat to boat.

Every boat runs two - one on each stern corner - and they consist of five Mold Craft 6in squids in a colour combination of green, pink and light yellow, followed by the tried-and-true Mold Craft 12in wide-range or 12in chugger models.

Some look as though they have been on the boat since they came out of the mould, but no worries - damn, do they raise fish! Once a fish is raised, a drop-back technique can be incorporated or an outrigger bait can be reeled up to tempt a strike.

The dorado season is year round as well, but the definite season for the "raging bulls" is November to March. Fish in the 50–60lb class are commonplace, and nearly 25 per cent of the entire IGFA world-record dolphins have been caught in Pinas Bay. They will surely eat the large lures, but they just can't resist those succulent belly strips. Got some wasabi?

Large yellowfin tuna venture these waters and most often can be found in association with either the spinner dolphin, or more commonly the spotted dolphin that forage in the region. Find a school of these dolphins with birds actively working their perimeter and it's a sure bet that the school is holding tuna.

A couple of techniques can be employed at this stage. Trolling feathers, chrome-headed islanders or cedar plugs through the milling mammals is one way to hook up - but typically this results in the smaller "schoolie YFTs" in the 20–50lb size. A good trick when fish are hooked is to have someone drop a heavy chrome jig like a Hopkins or a crocodile down to about 200ft and wind that jig back quickly from the depths.

Often the bigger fish in the school are active deeper, and a drag-smoking strike will let you know you found one. If you have any live bait, and the dolphins are feeding in a particular spot that's not ranging much, then slow trolling a live skipjack is definitely the method of choice to get "bowstrung" to a 200+lb yellowfin.

INSHORE FISH SAMPLING
The often-overlooked fishery at Tropic Star Lodge is that found inshore. In the secluded sandy bays lying north of the lodge, roosterfish are found in quantity and can be fished by slow-trolling live baits or trolling plugs like Rapalas.

These roosters average 20-50lb and really become common commodities in late March and April. When actively feeding in these shallows, their rooster-like dorsal fins can be seen slicing the surface. They are a great gamefish and their first run and overall tenacity will surely gain your respect.

When fishing a slow-trolled live bait, you really have to be patient after the strike as they will play with the bait for a long while before inhaling it.

Another inshore fishing opportunity is the dogtooth snapper or cubera. These big dogs pretty much rule the rock piles and can be very territorial when intruded.

Fishing a live bait is a sure bet, but sometimes casting then chugging a big Yozuri surface plug will get their attention when you're fishing near their rocky lairs. Cuberas can also be enticed to chew on the chrome lures when fished deep over structure like that found at the Zane Grey Pinnacles.

Some large gropers do reside in Pinas, with the broomtail groper being the one most highly prized - but they are rare.

The most common large inshore fish that can pin an unsuspecting angler to the rail is the jumbo jack - the almaco jacks, also known in some circles as amberjack. These brutes can attain 120lb in these waters and will eat a large skipjack like a candy bar.

Again, I have hooked many on the deeply worked chrome jigs but didn't land a good percentag because I was "deeply worked" by them instead. These jacks, being home-guard species, are almost always found at the reef in deeper waters of 100–300ft.

When trolling live baits off the downriggers for black marlin, these big jacks can ultimately be pests.

Of all the great fishing destinations in the world, Tropic Star Lodge stands in a class by itself. It's been the "fishing dream of a lifetime" for many who have heard the stories but have never thought it possible to get there.

One such person is Roy VanLanen of Wheeling, Illinois. Raised in Middle America and having fished only freshwater his entire life, he figured he'd treat himself to the trip of his life. That being the experience of pulling on a fish that actually pulled back!

Well, his recent five-day journey to Tropic Star Lodge fulfilled those dreams, and he now promises to make it annual pilgrimage. Why, you ask? Because his five-day total was two large dorado, 16 sailfish, two striped marlin of 200lb, a 500lb blue and a 600lb black. Not bad for a farm boy.

Dreams do come true, and a trip to the Tropic Star Lodge will have you blessing your lucky stars for many years to come.

Box Story: Getting there

Getting to the Tropic Star Lodge is the first obstacle, but not such a big one - many flights on several carriers are available from the United States.

American Airlines services Panama City from Miami, Florida. Continental Airlines flies direct to Panama City from Houston, Texas, as well as its Newark, New Jersey hub.

Delta Airlines services Panama City non-stop from its Atlanta, Georgia base. Iberia Airlines flies direct from Miami. The national airline Copa has non-stop service from Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando, Florida.

Once in Panama City, the usual trip has a Friday-night stay at the well-appointed Caesar Park Hotel, where Tropic Star Lodge guests receive a reduced rate. All transfers to and from the airport - as well as to and from the hotel - are in the charter package.

A Saturday-morning flight on Aeroperlas will take you from the Allbrook Airport in Panama City to Pinas Bay, which is about a one hour away by air. Upon arrival in Pinas, your room assignments are given and you are welcome to participate in an array of activities - trail hiking the rainforest; kayaking the inner bay; bird watching; fishing off the docks for jack crevelle, snook, and corvine; or simply quaffing pina coladas at the pool while eating the Lodge's famous seared tuna sashimi, delectable dorado sticks and outstanding home-made potato chips.

The fishing week will start on Sunday and continue through till Friday. Some half-week charters are available and can be arranged from Bonnie - the US booking agent - in Orlando, Florida. Tell 'em Bill Boyce sent ya!

For more information, contact the Tropic Star Lodge, mail 635 N Rio Grande Ave, Orlando, FL 32805; tel +1 (407) 843 0125; fax +1 (407) 839 3637; or visit www.tropicstar.com.