Tag: Inshore Fishing

  • Tropic Star Lodge, Panama

    Tropic Star Lodge, Panama

    Aerial of Tropic Star Lodge and the Bertram fleet in Piñas Bay, Panama
    Black marlin jumping off Piñas Bay near Tropic Star Lodge, Panama
    Marlin jumping on a green line off Tropic Star Lodge, Piñas Bay, Panama
    Tropic Star Lodge marina and sportfishing fleet at sunset, Piñas Bay, Panama

    Piñas Bay, Panama — marlin and sailfish:

    Tropic Star Lodge

    Black marlin

    Zane Grey Reef

    Bertram 31s

    Overview

    Tropic Star Lodge sits on remote Piñas Bay in Panama’s Darién Province, about 20 minutes from Zane Grey Reef. Guests fish black marlin, blue marlin, and sailfish offshore, and roosterfish and cubera on the inshore grounds, from Classic or Premium Bertram 31s. Twenty-three air-conditioned rooms and villas take up to 45 guests.

    Guests fly to Tocumen International (PTY) in Panama City, overnight, then take a 30-minute drive and a charter of just under an hour to Bahía Piñas. A short bus and 10–15 minute water taxi finish the trip to the lodge.

    Peak weeks (January–February) run as 7-night, 6-day packages and book 1–2 years out. Inshore (March–May) and Standard / blue marlin weeks (June–September and December) also offer shorter 3- and 4-day packages. The annual Billfish Tournament is in November; the Roosterfish Tournament is in May.

    Black marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, roosterfish, yellowfin, dorado

    Piñas Bay / Darién, Panama — Zane Grey Reef 20 minutes out

    23 rooms and villas — up to 45 guests

    Classic or Premium Bertram 31s

    Dates: Peak Jan–Feb · Inshore Mar–May · Standard Jun–Sep

    Call or use the form for information about billfish and inshore fishing at Tropic Star Lodge.

    Destination Inquiry

    or

    Fishing Tropic Star Lodge

    Piñas Bay’s offshore bite is black marlin (heaviest in January and February), blue marlin (June–September and December), and sailfish that regularly top 100 pounds. Yellowfin tuna, dorado, and wahoo run with the billfish. Grand slams are common in July.

    Inshore, roosterfish are the draw from March through May, with fish over 70 pounds on the books. Cubera snapper, bluefin trevally, broomtail grouper, and tarpon in the backwaters keep a second rod busy. Local captains and mates — many second- or third-generation on this coast — run the Bertram 31s with GPS, VHF, tuna tubes, and live wells.

    Sailfish held alongside a Tropic Star Lodge boat, Piñas Bay, Panama
    Villa sitting room with jungle view at Tropic Star Lodge, Panama

    The lodge

    Twenty-three air-conditioned rooms and villas look over the bay or the garden. Options run from double-occupancy lodge rooms to two- and three-bedroom villas and private residences. The Palace is the three-bedroom villa with master suites and a view of Piñas Bay.

    Dinner is four courses at the Bayview Restaurant, wine included. The Marlin Bar faces the water. A freshwater jungle pool and hot tub sit in the trees; the rainforest spa is part of shoreside packages (three treatments and three jungle excursions).

    23 rooms & villas

    Up to 45 guests

    Bayview dining

    Jungle pool & spa

    Tropic Star Lodge 2026 rates

    Book through Angler Adventures. These 2026 figures are for a Bertram 31, two anglers, six fishing days (Doug, 25 August 2026). Season names below are the ones we quote: Peak, Inshore, and Standard. The lodge site lists the same windows as Black Marlin / Inshore / Blue Marlin.

    SeasonDatesPackageRateNotes
    PeakJanuary–FebruaryBertram 31, 2 anglers, 6 days$8,590Black marlin weeks. 7-night / 6-day packages.
    StandardJune–SeptemberBertram 31, 2 anglers, 6 days$7,750Blue marlin weeks.
    InshoreMarch–MayBertram 31, 2 anglers, 6 days$6,240Roosterfish and cubera.
    Transfer / charterYear-roundPanama City to lodge$745Per person plus room tax. VIP meet-and-greet, up to four ground transfers.
    2027Not postedAny week, including 26 Feb–6 Mar 2027Call 860-434-9624Lodge has not posted 2027 dollars yet.

    Rates still vary by boat (Classic or Premium Bertram 31), party size (1–4 anglers), and package length. Room upgrades extra. Seasonal discounts and other boats — call or email us.

    2027 lodge rates are not posted yet. Call 860-434-9624 for the week you want, including 26 February–6 March 2027. Our services are free.

    Included

    • 7 nights lodge accommodations (for 6-day packages)
    • All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and wine with dinner
    • Daily guided fishing
    • Use of the pool, bars, restaurant, and spa
    • 3 spa treatments and 3 jungle excursions for shoreside guests

    Not included

    • Round-trip charter from Panama City ($745 per person)
    • Room upgrades
    • Gratuities for guides and staff
    • International airfare to Panama City
    • Travel insurance and personal items

    Getting to Tropic Star Lodge

    Fly to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City. Lodge staff meet you and transfer you to the overnight hotel. In the morning a 30-minute drive and a charter of just under an hour land at Bahía Piñas. A short bus and a 10–15 minute water taxi finish the trip. Panama City to the lodge is about 2–3 hours of travel time after the overnight.

    Billfish at Tropic Star

    on Piñas Bay, Darién, Panama

    Black and blue marlin

    Peak January–February is the black marlin window. Blue marlin weeks run June through September and December. Sailfish over 100 pounds mix through both seasons.

    Roosterfish and inshore

    March through May is roosterfish, cubera, bluefin trevally, and grouper. Tarpon hold in the backwaters for a fly rod.

    Black marlin jumping off Piñas Bay near Tropic Star Lodge, Panama

    Tropic Star Lodge FAQ

    Where is Tropic Star Lodge?

    Tropic Star Lodge sits on Piñas Bay in the Darién Province of Panama. Guests fly to Tocumen (PTY) in Panama City, overnight, then take a charter of just under an hour to Bahía Piñas and a short water taxi to the dock.

    What do you fish at Tropic Star Lodge?

    Black marlin, blue marlin, and sailfish offshore, plus roosterfish, cubera snapper, yellowfin tuna, dorado, and more than a dozen inshore species. Zane Grey Reef is about 20 minutes from the lodge.

    What are the 2026 Tropic Star Lodge rates?

    Angler Adventures quotes a Bertram 31, two anglers, six fishing days at $8,590 Peak (January–February), $7,750 Standard (June–September), and $6,240 Inshore (March–May). Transfer / charter is $745 per person. 2027 lodge rates are not posted yet — call 860-434-9624.

    When is black marlin season at Tropic Star?

    January and February are Peak / black marlin weeks. Those dates book 1–2 years out and run as 7-night, 6-day packages. Blue marlin weeks run June through September and December. Inshore weeks (roosterfish and cubera) run March through May.

    How do I get to Tropic Star Lodge?

    Fly to Panama City (PTY). The lodge transfer ($745 pp round-trip) covers the VIP meet-and-greet, up to four ground transfers, and the charter to Bahía Piñas. International airfare to Panama City is separate.

    Does Tropic Star Lodge have a 2027 rate sheet?

    Not yet — tropicstar.com has not posted 2027 dollars. Call Angler Adventures at 860-434-9624 for the week you want, including 26 February–6 March 2027.

    Aerial of the Tropic Star Lodge dock and sportfishing fleet, Piñas Bay, Panama

    It’s time to begin planning your trip.

    Save time with Angler Adventures. We’ve been doing this for 43 years.

    Call or use the form for information about billfish at Tropic Star Lodge on Piñas Bay.

    Destination Inquiry
  • Crooked Island Lodge

    Crooked Island Lodge

    Updated on

    Crooked Island Lodge has a lot of fishable water close by and it isn’t all just bonefish! There are extensive systems of interior creek and lagoon areas that have big bonefish, an assortment of snapper, barracuda and small grouper, some permit and the occasional small to medium sized tarpon – all catchable on a fly rod or spinning gear.

    Towards the outer edges of the islands, out in the Bight, it’s entirely different fishing: poling or wading crystal-clear sand flats, which hold thousands of school-size (2-4 pound) bones. Along the edges of the mangroves on a high tide you’ll again find larger single and double bonefish nosing through the roots and marl.

    Species: Bonefish (2-4 lbs, some larger), snapper (mutton, mangrove, yellowtail), barracuda, permit, tarpon, grouper, wahoo, blue and white marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi, jacks, sharks

    Location: Northernmost tip of Crooked Island, Southern Bahamas

    Private 3,500-foot airstrip on-site; also accessible via Colonel Hill Airport (MYCI)

    Accommodations: 8 air-conditioned hotel rooms and 6 private cottages with kitchenettes

    Get a custom quote for your Crooked Island Lodge fishing adventure!

    Destination Inquiry

    or

    Flats Fishing

    The beach in front of the lodge offers excellent fishing opportunities for jacks, small permit, grouper, snapper and such with the fly rod. If you’re willing to use a spinning rod or can cast a needlefish fly a considerable distance, you can also catch barracuda up to 5 feet long, either casting from the skiff, trolling behind the skiff or fishing from shore.

    The fishing can be fantastic for bonefish that haven’t seen enough pressure to become spooky yet, averaging 2-4 pounds, with some much larger fish on certain flats, tailing or cruising alone or in pairs. Besides bonefish, there are lots of snapper (mutton, mangrove, yellowtail), jacks, some big permit, a few tarpon, ocean triggerfish and tons of barracuda. Photographers will want to catch a bonefish within view of some of the thousands of Flamingos that inhabit this part of the Bahamas.

    Offshore Fishing

    If you like the big fish – the offshore stuff – the lodge operates a completely equipped boat. Offshore fishing with Captain Robbie Gibson is incredible. The lodge is fishing water that no other sport fishing boats are touching. Daily catches may exceed thirty fish and are not uncommon. Fall & Winter are excellent for wahoo and mackerel and some tuna. Spring & winter are excellent for tuna, dolphin (mahi mahi), and marlin. Wahoo and mackerel are also good.

    At the hotel, there is a picture of this fellow holding a wahoo that scaled reliably at 148 pounds. That’s a damn big wahoo. Billfish, tuna, dorado and other offshore species abound (seasonally) just a mile or less from shore or you can arrange longer excursions to productive offshore fishing spots for the day or a sleep over trip to the renowned Diana Banks.

    For fly-casters looking for deep water fish, the lodge has been experimenting successfully with live baiting big jack crevale, horseyed jacks, amberjacks, mutton snapper, dorado and tuna. Live baiting involves releasing live pilchards to attract schooling fish to the boat and then casting flies. Bring your 10-12 weight rods and big deceiver patterns if you’d like to try this (subject to availability of the big boat and access to the live bait).

    Reef Fishing

    Light tackle or inshore fishing is very popular and highly productive with all our guests. Fishing in about 100 ft. of water produces nice catches of grouper, snapper, hard fighting jacks, mackerel, sharks, and cudas. Guests are invited to bring their catch back to the hotel, where the experienced and skilled Crooked Island Lodge chef will prepare your catch for dinner at the Sunset Bar & Grill. Chumming, jigging and live bait techniques are used for inshore fishing. Excellent catches are available all year long. Because of the low population density (the total population of Acklins/Crooked Islands is less than 1,000), the reefs have barely been touched.

    The Lodge

    The setting is lovely – a very dramatic bit of coastline with beautiful beaches and shells, great reef fishing 10 yards from shore and a 30-minute run to the flats. The hotel itself is informal, not luxurious, but modern and comfy, quiet, small and nicely tree-shaded. There are 12 rooms in 3 villas, a separate dining area, a beach cabana where dinners and lunches are sometimes served, a bar and a private airfield. The nearest village is about a mile away. The Crooked Islanders are wonderful, dignified people with big smiles; quiet, polite, religious and good-humored.

    Crooked Island Lodge offers eight air-conditioned hotel rooms, each featuring two double beds, a private bath, sitting area, microwave, coffee maker, and mini-fridge. These rooms provide spectacular sunset views. Six private cottages are also available, equipped with two double beds, a private bath, seating and dining area, and a kitchenette that includes a refrigerator/freezer, microwave, and coffee maker. Private patios overlook the marina.

    Dining & Activities

    The Sunset Bar & Grill, located steps from the main lodge, offers incredible views of Bird Rock Lighthouse and is named for the magnificent sunsets enjoyed almost nightly. The restaurant serves fresh, locally caught seafood such as grouper, snapper, tuna, mahi-mahi, lobster, and conch, prepared in traditional Bahamian recipes. Breakfast includes fresh coffee, juices, fruit, pastries, breakfast meats, and eggs cooked to order. Lunch options are available for individuals and groups, with “cooler lunches” prepared for those fishing or exploring. Dinner features hearty portions of locally influenced dishes, accompanied by homemade breads and desserts. Special dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice.

    The lodge overlooks Bird Rock Lighthouse, surrounded by an extensive reef system. Guests can snorkel steps away from their rooms or experience unique “wall diving” just off the beach. Sea kayak tours of the coast and visits to the historic lighthouse are available. Self-guided snorkeling is also an option.

    The lodge features a 35-slip marina accommodating vessels up to 160 feet, with amenities such as high-quality RO water, full electrical hookups, and fuel services available daily.

    Getting There

    Crooked Island is located in the southern Bahamas, a 1 hour and 15 minute flight south of Nassau. Bahamas Air services the island from Nassau twice per week (Wednesdays and Saturdays), landing at Colonel Hill Airport, a 4,000′ airstrip on the southwest portion of the island, approximately a 30-minute drive to Crooked Island Lodge. For a more convenient travel option, charter flights can also be arranged. Crooked Island Lodge has a 3,500′ private airstrip which makes it ideal for private planes as well as charter flights.

    Crooked Island Lodge Bahamas marina and boats

    Get Your Custom Quote for Crooked Island Lodge

    Angler Adventures arranges completely customizable packages at Crooked Island Lodge to meet your fishing and/or non-fishing preferences.

    Our services are free! We’ll work with you to create the perfect Bahamas fishing vacation package.

    Ready to Plan Your Adventure?

    Experience world-class bonefishing, offshore fishing, and reef fishing at Crooked Island Lodge. Our team will help you create the perfect custom package for your Bahamas fishing vacation.

    Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm EST

    Request a Quote

    Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you with a custom package quote.

    Destination Inquiry
    Crooked Island Lodge has a lot of fishable water close by and it isn’t all just bonefish! There are extensive systems of interior creek and lagoon areas that have big bonefish, an assortment of snapper, barracuda and small grouper, some permit and the occasional small to medium sized tarpon – all catchable on a fly rod or spinning gear. Towards the outer edges of the islands, out in the Bight, it’s entirely different fishing: poling or wading crystal-clear sand flats, which hold thousands of school-size (2-4 pound) bones. Along the edges of the mangroves on a high tide you’ll again find larger single and double bonefish nosing through the roots and marl. The beach in front of the lodge, the fishing can sometimes be quite good for jacks, small permit, grouper, snapper and such with the fly rod. If you’re willing to use a spinning rod or can cast a needlefish fly a considerable distance, you can also catch barracuda up to 5 feet long, either casting from the skiff, trolling behind the skiff or fishing from shore.

    Off Shore

    If you like the big fish – the offshore stuff – the lodge operates a completely equipped boat. Offshore fishing with Captain Robbie Gibson is incredible. The lodge is fishing water that no other sport fishing boats are touching. Daily catches may exceed thirty fish and are not uncommon. Fall & Winter are excellent for wahoo and mackerel and some tuna. Spring & winter are excellent for tuna, dolphin (mahi mahi), and marlin. Wahoo and mackerel are also good.

    Reef Fishing

    Light tackle or Inshore fishing is very popular and highly productive with all our guests. Fishing in about 100 ft. of water produces nice catches of grouper, snapper, hard fighting jacks, mackerel, sharks, and cudas. Guests are invited to bring their catch back to the hotel, where the experienced and skilled Crooked Island Lodge chef will prepare your catch for dinner at the Sunset Bar & Grill. Chumming, jigging and live bait techniques are used for inshore fishing. Excellent catches are available all year long. Because of the low population density (the total population of Acklins/Crooked Islands is less than 1,000), the reefs have barely been touched. At the hotel, there is a picture of this fellow holding a wahoo that scaled reliably at 148 pounds. That’s a damn big wahoo. Billfish, tuna, dorado and other offshore species abound (seasonally) just a mile or less from shore or you can arrange longer excursions to productive offshore fishing spots for the day or a sleep over trip to the renowned Diana Banks. For fly-casters looking for deep water fish, the lodge has been experimenting successfully with live baiting big jack crevale, horseyed jacks, amberjacks, mutton snapper, dorado and tuna. Live baiting involves releasing live pilchards to attract schooling fish to the boat and then casting flies. Bring your 10-12 weight rods and big deceiver patterns if you’d like to try this (subject to availability of the big boat and access to the live bait). The setting is lovely – a very dramatic bit of coastline with beautiful beaches and shells, great reef fishing 10 yards from shore and a 30-minute run to the flats. The hotel itself is informal, not luxurious, but modern and comfy, quiet, small and nicely tree-shaded. There are 12 rooms in 3 villas, a separate dining area, a beach cabana where dinners and lunches are sometimes served, a bar and a private airfield. The nearest village is about a mile away. The Crooked Islanders are wonderful, dignified people with big smiles; quiet, polite, religious and good-humored.

    The fishing can be fantastic for bonefish that haven’t seen enough pressure to become spooky yet, averaging 2 – 4 pounds, with some much larger fish on certain flats, tailing or cruising alone or in pairs. Besides bonefish, there are lots of snapper (mutton, mangrove, yellowtail), jacks, some big permit, a few tarpon, ocean triggerfish and tons of barracuda. Photographers will want to catch a bonefish within view of some of the thousands of Flamingos that inhabit this part of the Bahamas.

    Our Services are Free! Contact us for Seasonal Discounts, Special Offers or Promotional Pricing

    Please call Angler Adventures for custom packages at Crooked Island Lodge, including guided flats fishing, blue water fishing, reef fishing, non-fishing activities, and non-fishing activities. Crooked Island is located in the southern Bahamas, a 1 hour and 15 minute flight south of Nassau. Bahamas Air services the island from Nassau twice per week (Wednesdays and Saturdays), landing at Colonel Hill Airport, a 4,000′ airstrip on the southwest portion of the island, approximately a 30-minute drive to Crooked Island Lodge. For a more convenient travel option, charter flights can also be arranged. Crooked Island Lodge has a 3,500′ private airstrip which makes it ideal for private planes as well as charter flights.
  • Costa Rica

    Costa Rica

    Updated on

    Costa Rica remains our favorite Pacific destination not only for the consistency of the fisheries and amazing diversity of species, but also because of the quality of outfitting and accommodations, the physical beauty of the country, and the warmth and friendliness of the Costa Rican people.

    The Pacific Coast has long been known as one of the world’s greatest sail fisheries for fish averaging 100+ pounds, and at times, the marlin fishing (blues, blacks and striped) can be as good as anywhere. Add to this a smorgasbord of inshore and offshore pelagics including yellowfin and bigeye tunas to 200 + pounds, dorado, wahoo, Pacific dog snapper, roosterfish on the Pacific side and giant tarpon & snook on the Caribbean side and you have a salt water fisherman’s paradise. Pacific Costa Rica has fisheries in three main regions.

    yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, marlin, sailfish, dorado, Pacific dog snapper, roosterfish, tarpon, snook

    Favorable weather conditions year-round

    Professional guides and deluxe accomodations

    Book now, get a quote, or chat with us about Costa Rica fly fishing!

    Destination Inquiry

    or

    North Costa Rica Sail Fishing Outfitters

    The North Region includes areas from the Bat Islands at the top of the famous Gulf of Papagayo, south to Punta Guiones. The best sail fishing occurs in the north mid-May through August, but can heat up any time of year. Marlin fishing picks up in the fall and peaks in the far north October & November but the best marlin fishing occurs down near Punta Guiones during December through mid March. The best boats (27 – 38 foot) and captains in the northern region are Tamarindo SportfishingCapullo Sportfishing , Osprey Sporfishing and Lonestar Sportfishing based in Tamarindo. Several of the American skippers in Tamarindo have been fishing these waters for over 20 years and are among the best in Costa Rica.

    South Central Costa Rica Sail Fishing Tours

    The South Central Region is accessed from the port of Quepos, Costa Rica’s most reliable sail fishery. Prime months for sails are December through April in Quepos when the better boats will average 7 or more sailfish releases per day. During this season, Quepos also produces dorado, tuna (mostly school yellowfin); some roosterfish, and at times good marlin fishing.  But the main draw is the extremely consistent sailfishing of winter/spring. Many of the northern boats migrate from the Papagayo region to Quepos for the “big season”. The outfitter in Quepos is JP Sportfishing Tours with 20 years experience providing top boats and custom packages for anglers.

    South Costa Rica Fly Fishing Lodges

    The Southern Region is accessed from the port of Golfito located in the fertile Golfo Dulce, close to the border with Panama. This area can produce sailfishing rivaling Quepos from mid December through March, but also offers a diversity of species rivaling the Northern region and some of the best inshore fishing in the world.

    The top option in the Golfo Dulce area is the beautiful Crocodile Bay Lodge catering to both fisherman and ecotourists, and boasting an impressive fleet of 33′ Strikes, 27′ Rambos and an assortment of smaller craft for inshore, estuary & river fishing.  Crocodile Bay is our recommendation for serious anglers, and also appeals to couples and families with non-fishing members requiring more upscale accommodations and non-fishing activities.

    Costa Rica’s East Coast Ocean & Surf Fishing

    Costa Rica’s East Coast adds the incredible mix of species beginning with one of the world’s most prolific tarpon fisheries. Two main rivers, the Rio Colorado and the Rio Parismina, drain into the Caribbean and provide multi faceted river, ocean and surf fishing opportunities for tarpon that range from 50 – 150 pounds. Giant Atlantic snook to 50 + pounds can be taken and great numbers of fat snook from 5 – 10 pounds are taken during the “calba” run from mid-November to early January. The best lodges in the area, Silver King Lodge on the Colorado and Rio Parismina Lodge on the Parismina, not only offer the best opportunities for these species but can run offshore for shots at dorado, wahoo, kingfish and Atlantic sails.

    Which Costa Rica fishing destination is right for me?

    Let us help you find the perfect destination and travel package. Our services are free. We just help you save time and make all the arrangements!