PANAMA 



brother had to boat it. The fish weighed 1006 pounds and it 

 would have been the first looo-pounder ever recorded caught 

 if one man had fought it all the way. Unfortunately no rec- 

 ord could be filed in this instance but the International Game 

 Fish Association sent Louis a certificate of honorable mention 

 and he was the first man to receive this signal recognition. 



There have been many fierce fights with heavy blacks on 

 these grounds. I believe one man fought one all night and 

 they had the leader some twenty times, but, again, that is 

 black marlin fishing. A big one, sick and emaciated but 

 weighing over 900 pounds, was washed ashore in 1940. No 

 doubt about it, Panama has wonderful black marlin fishing 

 and it is too bad that more has not been made of it. The larg- 

 est fish so far taken weighed only 714 pounds. It was caught 

 by James Ernest of Panama City on July 16, 1941. George 

 F. Baker, Jr., of New York, took a 622-pounder while fishing 

 with the Schmidts in 1937. John Gorin has a 600-pounder 

 and a 575-pounder to his credit and in 1940 caught five black 

 marlin. Mr. and Mrs. Tex Stabler have done more than any 

 other couple together. Mrs. Stabler is probably the best 

 woman angler there. All of these folk do their own guiding 

 and bait rigging, operate their own boats and are kind enough 

 to take visitors along. 



When the fine new El Panama Hotel was opened in 195 1, 

 they were smart enough to provide three or four good party 

 boats which are still in service. In July, 1952, they sponsored 

 the first marlin and sailfish tournament as an enticement for 

 anglers to come down. Over two hundred sailfish were caught 

 and four black marlin, Lou Marron beating out Julian 

 Crandall 396 pounds to 338. 



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