Pacific Needlefish Photos

Pacific Needlefish in Panama is a bycatch species. Anglers don’t target these species but are caught when trolling either a live bait blue runner, trolling a silver spoon, or a diving lure. Like all ray-finned they are capable of making short jumps out of the water at up to 37 mph. This jumping activity is greatly excited by artificial light at night; night fishermen and divers in areas across the Pacific Ocean have been “attacked” by schools of suddenly excited needlefish diving across the water towards the light source at high speed. Average Needlefish grow to around 2 feet but sometimes grow to 4 feet. Pacific Needles are usually found in and around the many islands that hug the coast of Panama. Should you catch one of these toothy species it’s best to release back to its natural environment.