Tropic Star Lodge has provided the ultimate in offshore and inshore fishing adventures for our guests for the past 50 + years. We invite you to discover why we’ve been named “the best fishing resort in the world.”
Tropic Star Lodge is a world-renowned fishing resort located in Piñas Bay, Panama. The Lodge is carved into the hillside of the Darien Jungle and can only be reached by boat or small charter plane. The remote Pacific location provides amazing fishing opportunities for guests looking to catch billfish; especially black marlin, blue marlin and sailfish. Guests from all over the world visit Tropic Star to fulfill their fishing dreams.
Tropic Star Lodge has accommodations for 38 guests in 19 comfortably appointed, air-conditioned rooms on the grounds. The facilities also feature a restaurant, 2 bars, a freshwater pool and grill area– home to weekly outdoor dining and local entertainment under the stars. The food is fresh and fantastic, the service is first rate and the tropical ambience is a tranquil retreat from the hustle of home.
Tropic Star Lodge features fishing packages for 1 to 4 people in a boat and guests can choose to fish for 3, 4 or 6 days. Our fleet of 13 classic 31’ Bertrams are crewed by outstanding captains and mates who have more experience fishing the area than anyone else in the world.
Built in 1963; the lodge has a rich history and exemplary reputation as one of the best fishing destinations in the world. Tropic Star Lodge is family owned and strives to make everyone feel at home when they visit . The hospitality of the staff and crew keep guests coming back time and again.
We invite you to explore the website to learn more about the lodge, our history and fishing updates which make the Tropic Star Experience so special. Make sure you watch our videos, read the latest fishing report and look at the exciting photos our guests share with us.
Our cabins have both fabulous views and large comfortable spaces.
Locations
1A, 1B great view over the dock and veranda/dining room
2A, 2B overlooking the pool and bay (cabin upgrade) VILLA (2A - King / 2B - 2 Double Beds)
3A, 3B scenic natural area with a private jungle view (longest walk location)
5A, 5B great porch view of the natural ecologically sensitive rain forest environment (some walking challenges)
Here are some of the amenities
Created as a haven of luxury and comfort, the Palace consists of three master suites with an on-suite bath, a sunken family room with powder room, kitchen/bar and a wrap around porch. Amazing views of the pristine bay and surrounding jungle flora and fauna create a one-of-a-kind vacation experience.
Located "up the hill" the Palace boasts its own tram to whisk you home or you can choose to exercise and walk the 122 steps up to your mountain retreat. See the location map at the bottom of this page.
Large enough for the entire family but also romantic and peacefully serene for a honeymoon, anniversary or special getaway, this is the place where memories are truly made.
Boats & Crews: Our rainbow fleet of 16 customized, fully rigged, Bertram 31’s are powered by twin diesel engines, efficient enough for the Pacific Ocean. Rest assured you won’t be left at the dock as we fish a maximum of 12 boats daily. All boats are outfitted with GPS, VHF radios, custom tuna tubes and baitwell. Our captains are all local and have been fishing Piñas waters for many years. Several have learned their extraordinary fishing skills from past generations of captains and are considered legends in the gamefishing realm. Over the years our crews have guided anglers to hundreds of IGFA world records.
The Tropic Star Lodge is completely self sufficient. All the up-keep and repairs of the boats and the tackle is done in-house. You will never have to worry about being on the water with poorly maintained equipment.
These boats have earned a justifiable reputation as true fishing workhorse, and the Tropic Star fleet runs 10 months of the year, rain or shine, a true testament to the enduring practicality of this famous Bertram design. As you would expect, running a lodge in a remote jungle is like running a small city.
Over the years the fleet has been updated to include an incredible live- bait well system which holds 6-live bonito, as well as small baits like Goggle-Eyes. The live-bait-well system has made inshore fishing for large roosterfish & Cubera snapper very popular, with numerous roosterfish in the 50-70-pound range. The bait well, designed by Mike Andrews, was instrumental in making the fishing better than ever, by putting live-bait on the menu.
POLLYANNA:
The Pollyanna is Tropic Star Lodge’s upgraded fishing boat. Modern, fast and comfortable; this 45 foot Hatteras offers guests the chance to increase the number of anglers aboard to 6 people. The enclosed lounge offers guests more seating, a quieter experience and air conditioned comfort. Pollyanna is operated by Tropic Star Lodge’s Captain Zane Andrews, who has fished the waters of Piñas Bay his entire life and knows where the fish are.
Hatteras Convertible Sport Fisherman
Year: 1985
Length: 45 ft
Engines: twin CAT C-12. 710 HP each
Gears: ZF 325-1A
Generator: Phasor
2 AC systems
Raymarine GPS/Radar/Chirp Sounder
Tropic Star Lodge offers 3, 4 or 6 day fishing packages for up to 6 anglers aboard the 45’ Hatteras fishing yacht, POLLYANNA. Guests are charged by number of anglers aboard Pollyanna and the numbers of days fishing. Price varies by season. Limited Availability.
"Panama" is an Indian word which means "ABUNDANCE OF FISH." The abundance and variety of gamefish caught in the Pacific waters around the lodge includes black marlin, blue marlin, striped marlin, and sailfish. All species of billfish can be caught “right outside our front door," making this a truly unique location. You have a good chance of catching large dorado, yellowfin tuna (some over 200 pounds), above average size roosterfish (many over 50 pounds), big Cubera snapper, amberjack, rainbow runner, wahoo, grouper and mackerel. In recent years a few “Pacific” tarpon have also been caught.
INSHORE FISHING: this is excellent from mid-March through August. Record-sized Roosterfish, Cubera Snappers and a host of other species are abundant along the coastline. It is not uncommon to catch more than 10 different species in a good day. Giant schools of mid-sized Yellowfin Tunas also show up during spring inshore season.
MARLIN: The Black Marlin and Blue Marlin season usually begins around June and runs through the following February. Peak Black Marlin season runs from December through February, and Blue Marlin are also present. The Black and Blue marlin during peak season average between 300 and 400 pounds. The larger Blue marlin, in the 500 to 600-pound range are usually landed from June through September. WE CATCH MARLIN ALL YEAR ROUND!
SAILFISH: Sailfish are present year-round at Piñas Bay; however, peak fishing is from June through August. Double hookups are common during this time, and most of the Sailfish released average between 90 and 120 pounds.
GRAND SLAM: If you’re after a Grand Slam, December through mid-February and July through September is the best time. Your Grand Slam may include any three of the following species: Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, and occasionally a Striped Marlin. A Super Slam is any four of the billfish species.
FISHING TACKLE: We furnish all of your fishing tackle, Which include Shimano reels and Custom Rods by Dru rods /Shimano 30 & 50-pound class rods. They also have spinning rods and reels with 65 lb braid. Downriggers, braid, and Aftco fighting harnesses, rod belts, lures, teasers, leaders with circle hooks, some plugs and gaffs are also included. The boats are stocked with a variety of poppers, jigs, and plugs; however, you can plan on bringing down some of your own secret weapons if you like.
Note: If you wish to bring your own rods and reels, please let us know in advance as there is limited cargo space onboard the planes to Piñas Bay.
We do not furnish any fly fishing equipment. The recommended fly rod to bring is a 13-14 Wt. for sailfish and dorado etc. You can use a 12 Wt., but a heavier rod will give you more backbone to lift a big fish to the surface. Any billfish fly should work; pink/white and blue/white are good colors.
CIRCLE HOOKS: Tropic Star Lodge® is one of the first fishing resorts to adapt the "circle hooks only" policy for rigging baits for bilfish. Our crews have received international recognition for their innovative skills applied to the rigging of Panama strip baits on circle hooks for sailfish and live bait for marlin.
A TYPICAL FISHING DAY: Fishing days start early at 5:45 a.m. Hot coffee is delivered outside your door. Breakfast is served at 6:00 a.m. The boats leave the dock at 6:30 a.m. You’ll have a packed lunch aboard the boat. Lines are picked up at 3:00 p.m. Boats are back at the dock between 3:30 p.m and 4:30 p.m
