Panama Fishing - Fishing in Panama can be anywhere from simple (off the bank) or complex (deep sea fishing ). If you want to go fishing right away without a lot of planning (just at the spur of the moment) then Panama is the place to do it. But be prepared. You will more than likely catch something. In fact, the name "Panama" means "many fish.' The most popular fresh water fish caught in the lakes and waterways flanking the Panama Canal is the Peacock Bass. The locals know this fish as the Sargento which is the Spanish word for "sergeant."

You can get started fishing very easily here. Just get you a standard casting rod and reel and a bait bucket, extra hooks, a pair of needle nose pliers, bobbers, line weights—just the basics. Head out on the highway going to Gamboa from Panama City. Stop along the way and by a couple dozen minnows for your bait bucket (you will see locals selling minnows on the side of the road). Turn off somewhere in Gamboa and you will see small lakes alongside the Panama Canal. Here is where you can stop the car, get out, put a minnow on your hook, and cast the line. You will probably have something biting very quickly.

And this is just one Panama fishing scenario. Many like to rent a boat and go out on Gatun Lake which is a manmade lake feeding the Panama Canal with fresh water. Once you find a place on the lake where the fish are biting (and that is not hard to do) then get ready to do some work because you will be pulling in the fish constantly. Take an empty ice chest to stack the fish in.

And of course there are many companies in Panama running deep sea fishing tours. The charter and fishing guide services are close to Panama City. You can catch Tarpon and Snook on the jungle rivers . Panama is famous for its "Tuna Coast" and many charter companies run fishing tours in that area as well. Other species of saltwater fish you can catch are Cubera Snapper, Blue and Black Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, and even Dolphin.

There is no doubt that Panama fishing is an angler's paradise.