At the eastern tip of the Azueros peninsula in Panama lays the quaint little town of Pedasi which last month hosted the annual fishing tournament. Pedasi lies along a stretch of coast known as the ‘Tuna Coast’ and is in between two world-renowned fishing spots, Pinas Bay to the east and Hannibal Banks to the west. Pinas Bay is the home of the famous Tropic Star Lodge which is arguably the number 1 spot for Marlin fishing.

The 12th annual Pedasi fishing tournament once again attracted big crowds and an even bigger entry than the previous year with over 55 teams and more than 300 participants from Panama and abroad. There were 45 sponsors and some great prizes which included cash, fishing rods, reels and outboard engines which were supplied by Yamaha and Suzuki. Prizes were given to the first three places in each of the 5 categories, Amberjack, Dorado, Mackerel, Tuna and Wahoo.

Being on the Tuna Coast, it was probably no wonder the heaviest fish caught was a yellow fin Tuna which weighed in at 141lbs. The winning Wahoo was 47 lbs and the heaviest Dorado, 52 lbs. Most of the prizes were taken by local Panamanians but local American Dave Head’s team managed to pick up third prize with their 67lb Tuna.

The winners from each category are as follows:

A 47.2 lb Wahoo caught by Augusto Lopez from El Ciruelo, Pedasi

A 141.3 lb Tuna caught by Adan Carrasco from Las Tablas

A 32.2 lb Bojala caught by Calos Herrera from Pedasi

A 51.9 lb Dorado caught by Team Pesquero Sport from Panama City

A 10.9 lb Sierra caught by Luis Arturo Oro from Las Tablas

Pedasi hosts an annual fishing tournament held by Pedasi Fishing, another local sport-fishing outfit, which last year drew dozens of boats and hundreds of spectators over the weekend-long competition. This year the 12th annual tournament will take place July 15th-17th and is expected to attract in the hundreds once again!

Be sure to follow us as we will be covering the event and  reporting back on all the daily highlights, news and action!

It is the abundant fishing, in addition to the area’s dry climate, clear waters and country charms that have drawn increased tourism and development to the area in recent years.

While tourists and developers aren’t the only ones drawn to the bounty of these Pacific waters. Marine scientists from around the world visit the Achotines Laboratory, in face of the Frailes Islands. The laboratory has been operating in the Pedasi district since 1985, studying the life cycle of yellow-fin tuna. Because their numbers are so plentiful in the waters offshore, scientists can easily collect dozens of juvenile tuna to raise and breed in large, specially-made tanks.

Their studies are helping to provide clues as to the feeding, breeding and migration habits of these tuna in the wild — about which little is known to date — in hopes of instituting conservation programs to prevent the population loss seen in the blue fin tuna, whose flesh is so prized for sushi and other Asian dishes.

“The commission (the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, which oversees the Achotines Laboratory) also works to reduce tuna by-catch,” says lab technician Daniel Perez, “through experimental nets with escape hatches to see if juvenile fish are able to escape while restraining mature tuna.”

Future studies will also include sailfish, he says, which is good news for sport-fishers; their work will help ensure game fish off Pedasi remain plentiful for generations to come.