First trip of the year

[Bill McIntyre]

Today was the first trip on my boat this year. I did have one prior trip on a friend's boat. My boat has been at the doctor, but was finally healed yesterday.

I have trouble finding crew for week day trips, but I had two lined up. Unfortunately, both had to cancel for reasons over which they had no control. The good news is that Ryan Moore and Austin Derry called me and wondered if I might have room on my boat any time soon. I did.

It was a hell of a first trip, even if I didn't shoot a fish. Ryan shot a 48-50 pound white sea bass (depending on the bounce of the scale), and then later shot a 43 pound yellowtail, which is the biggest one ever taken on my boat. Austin and I just pouted. If only I could be 29 again.

 

[cdavis]

Its gonna be a good year.

Nice fish.

Connor

 

[Anders]

What a double!

 

[Timinator]

Hey Bill, your favorite truck salesman here! Hope you still have that truck! Glad to see your still actively diving. I'm in Ohio now but travel back to San Diego frequently. Maybe, some day we can do a trip together. I just got back from spearfishing in Costa Rica and Panama. I think I'm going to concentrate on the states and Baja from now on. Tim

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Hi Tim, good to hear from you.

Yes, I'm still driving the truck. It has just under 80,000 miles on it, which isn't bad for a 1999 model. It doesn't get driven too far since I retired, and I'm hoping it will keep on pulling the boat as long as I'm capable of diving.

 

[Timinator]

I think we ordered that one with extra mojo so you should be fine for many more years!

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Lets hope so, but sometimes I get the feeling that my mojo is leaking.

 

[Timinator]

That's just excess mojo and to be expected. Tell Nancy I said hello.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

That's just excess mojo and to be expected.

So that's what stinks up my wetsuit?

Tell Nancy I said hello.

I will.

 

[slingshaft]

Don't worry Billy Mac, those fat and sassy WSB will start to swim your way!
Cheers from another Surface shooting scumbag!

~~ Kerry.

 

[Oscarroos]

Hey Bill, your favorite truck salesman here! Hope you still have that truck! Glad to see your still actively diving. I'm in Ohio now but travel back to San Diego frequently. Maybe, some day we can do a trip together. I just got back from spearfishing in Costa Rica and Panama. I think I'm going to concentrate on the states and Baja from now on. Tim

Bill sorry to jump in but wanted to ask Tim where he dove in Panama and with whom? Curious since you (Tim) implied it didn't go well (might have read between the lines wrong).

Sorry about the weather messing up the diving for next few days Bill.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Sorry about the weather messing up the diving for next few days Bill.

The rain is finally tapering off, but so much mud has been washed into the ocean that I bet it will be at least a week before we have any visibility.

 

[Oscarroos]

Better than where I am Bill. Was mid upper 70's yesterday and I drove to OKC today to teach this week in snow and ice and now 12 degrees F with snow and ice and strong north wind - ugh! Hope it clears up enough relatively soon - reports are showing some slug WSB early this year. Hoping you can beat the kook kids in the smakdown this year.

 

[Timinator]

Bill sorry to jump in but wanted to ask Tim where he dove in Panama and with whom? Curious since you (Tim) implied it didn't go well (might have read between the lines wrong).

Sorry about the weather messing up the diving for next few days Bill.

Sorry, just got back to this thread. I dove two spots in Panama; the first was with Spearfishingpanama.com which in off the island of Morro Negrito. It's a 6 plus hour drive from Panama City, then a boat ride to the island. I think at my age I expected too much maybe. No AC, limited electric, nothing cold at all, no ice at all, very primitive beds, very few places to relax or just sit, lot's of bugs both dead and alive, and most importantly, just reef fish. I didn't go on a blue-water trip as I was with two beginner Freedivers, but the islands we were taken to and the different spots on the island we were staying only produced small reef fish. I didn't get the feeling they were catering to the two beginners and that was the reason because the divers before and after us were talking about going to the same spots. I think this "camp" could be great during the tuna season and going out 60 miles, but I felt it was a little over-fished at the spots we were taken. Could have been just the days we were there, who knows, sometimes that's just fishing.

The second area we went to was on the west side of the Nicola Peninsula about an hour south of Santiago to the town of Torio. Miguel was our panga guide and we were taken to spots along the coast that had snappers so large I was afraid to shoot them (and didn't shoot) with the Riffe gun I was loaned by my friend who lives in the area. This area is pretty much untouched by spearo's. There was lot's of groupers, snappers and lot's of different jacks to point where I wasn't sure what the hell I was shooting at. This area is pretty cheap to stay at, closer to the airport and loaded with fish. Pretty amazing.

Now, Panama City, at least for me, was such a deal breaker of a city, just trying to get from the airport out of the city or from outside the city back to the airport was such a pain in the butt, I don't think I'd ever go to Panama again because of it. That bad. Not to mention Copa airlines never delivered my Sportube with all MY guns, floats, line, wet-suit, etc. till the day we left to go home only to find out one of my guns, my float line, my float, my wet-suit, etc. was all gone.

 

[Oscarroos]

Sorry, just got back to this thread. I dove two spots in Panama; the first was with Spearfishingpanama.com which in off the island of Morro Negrito. It's a 6 plus hour drive from Panama City, then a boat ride to the island. I think at my age I expected too much maybe. No AC, limited electric, nothing cold at all, no ice at all, very primitive beds, very few places to relax or just sit, lot's of bugs both dead and alive, and most importantly, just reef fish. I didn't go on a blue-water trip as I was with two beginner Freedivers, but the islands we were taken to and the different spots on the island we were staying only produced small reef fish. I didn't get the feeling they were catering to the two beginners and that was the reason because the divers before and after us were talking about going to the same spots. I think this "camp" could be great during the tuna season and going out 60 miles, but I felt it was a little over-fished at the spots we were taken. Could have been just the days we were there, who knows, sometimes that's just fishing.

The second area we went to was on the west side of the Nicola Peninsula about an hour south of Santiago to the town of Torio. Miguel was our panga guide and we were taken to spots along the coast that had snappers so large I was afraid to shoot them (and didn't shoot) with the Riffe gun I was loaned by my friend who lives in the area. This area is pretty much untouched by spearo's. There was lot's of groupers, snappers and lot's of different jacks to point where I wasn't sure what the hell I was shooting at. This area is pretty cheap to stay at, closer to the airport and loaded with fish. Pretty amazing.

Now, Panama City, at least for me, was such a deal breaker of a city, just trying to get from the airport out of the city or from outside the city back to the airport was such a pain in the butt, I don't think I'd ever go to Panama again because of it. That bad. Not to mention Copa airlines never delivered my Sportube with all MY guns, floats, line, wet-suit, etc. till the day we left to go home only to find out one of my guns, my float line, my float, my wet-suit, etc. was all gone.

 

[Oscarroos]

Thanks for getting back Tim. I too have read/heard mixed reviews on Spearfishingpannama and had considered contacting them but decided not to do so based on reports like yours. Sorry to hear that your experience with COPA was unsatisfactory especially with the delayed equipment and loss of gear. I was born and raised in the Canal Zone and started diving (freediving/spearfishing) in the early 50's around age 11-12 but mostly around the two entrances to the Canal and the Perlas Islands. My good friend from the 60's diving in Panama - Mike B. still lives in Panama and continues to dive and I plan to return soon to dive with Mike again around the Perlas Islands. I am intriqued by your comments on diving around Torio - I know Santiago but never heard of Torio - Pacific side right? Sorry you didn't have a good experience.

 

[Timinator]

Yea, Torio is just East of Cebaco Island on the Pacific side. Pretty area and very nice people. Lot's of fish all along that coastline.