PINAS BAY, PANAMA

You won't find any golf courses, megaresorts or late-night discotechs in Piñas Bay, Panama, and that's part of the charm. What you will find is some of the best fishing in Central America, perhaps anywhere, and one of the sport's most treasured outposts, Tropic Star Lodge. Home to more than 250 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world records, the productive waters off Piñas Bay attract the world's best anglers on a regular basis and a few surprise visitors.

Located on the edge of the Darien Rainforest, Tropic Star sits on a wild stretch of land 150 miles south of Panama City and is accessible only by airplane or boat. The lodge features a fleet of classic 31-foot Bertram sport-fishers, each named after a different country and all run by experienced crews. These captains see more big fish than just about any other place in the world. Everything about Tropic Star is first class. As the only operator in the region, the lodge provides everything an angler could want or need and then some. Lodge owners Terri Kittredge Andrews and her husband Mike Andrews run a tight ship with efficiency and quality assured. Get down to Tropic Star and you're bound to have the trip of a lifetime.

"Their guestbook reads like a who's who in the annals of sport fishing for good reason."

A typical day at Tropic Star begins with a knock at your door signaling the arrival of fresh-brewed coffee and warm Danish as a prelude to breakfast in the main lounge. The boats depart at 6:30 a.m., fish all day, and return at 3:30 p.m., although guests are free to adjust the hours if they so desire. Captains primarily target Piñas Reef, also commonly referred to as Zane Grey Reef. The "rock" is home to a rich biomass that draws tremendous numbers of forage species such as black skipjack, frigate mackerel and sardines. With such a large abundance of bait in the area, the reef attracts and holds game fish on a year-round basis. Located just seven miles offshore, this world-famous seamount attracts huge populations of black, blue and striped marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, dorado, wahoo and numerous light-tackle game fish.

Most anglers travel to Tropic Star with black marlin in mind as the main target. Black marlin up to 1,000 pounds account for about 80 percent of the marlin catch. Crews usually slow-troll live bait for the big marlin with black skipjack usually getting bridled up and towed behind the boat. In other hot spots further offshore, the ratio of black to blue marlin runs roughly 50/50. As opposed to Cabo San Lucas, striped marlin are not a common catch in these warm, tropical waters. The peak fishing season, at least for the best weather and sea conditions, runs from December through March. While the prime time runs during the winter and early spring, you can count on catching something at Tropic Star any time of year, according to manager Raleigh Werking, who says billfish are available year-round as well as the inshore species, such as the prized roosterfish.