Eric I'm no pro at saltwater fishing but your best bet from shore would be a pyramid sinker and leader with shrimp ,squid or sand fleas. The pyramid sinker is a must in order to keep you in the surf and not rolled up on the beach.You can also go to Half hitched bait store there in Panama and buy some Pompano jigs for casting along the surf.When I fish from shore I make my own pole holder out of a piece of 2inch pvc cut at an angle on one end to stick in the sand then insert the but of your pole in the other end...works great. As far as catching your own bait I personally think the second pier is the best for both fishing and bait. A sabeki rig will catch all you want.Hardtail,allswives, and what they call baba's(spell) I think are small balayoo's spell again. As far as a go to artifical bait you can't beat a Gotcha (prefere the ones with a red head) they are the roostertail of the ocean IMO. I think July might be a little hot for king action but you may still get some spanish from the pier.Hopefully JD7.62 will chime in on this one...Good luck hope this helps.Chuck P.S. were ever you fish carry a small towel to pick your fish up with, and needle nose pliers....some a them critters can reach out and touch ya if you no what I mean.