Hi All, Well, after achieving one large freshw

R

ripplefisher

Senior Member
Capiez wrote:
That is just @#$@%$ awesome.
The Golden Dorado has been on top of my bucket list for years.
It looks like you guys are using pretty heavy reels?!
What weight/length rods did you use?
And what reels?

Awesome report. Really jealous!
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The problem is, the fishing environment is very harsh - magnum 30's and similar in strong currents put pressure on rods, and you need a decent strength braid as it does rub on dam walls, rocks etc.

I lost a very good fish on the second day - 40lb power pro - broken up. Not a case of bad fishing, but in huge currents close to a dam wall, you need to put serious pressure on the fish to get it out..

Ironically on our boat, Garreth and I both used G. Loomis Escape rods - heaviest model. Although I had one other outfit I liked a lot - an Ilex Ashura 'monster jerk' rod - Japanese conception - not cheap, but a nice stick, and paired it with a Curado 300e and 65lb power pro, which was about right for the job..
 
K

kaptein delarey

Sealiner
Great catches!

Some awesome species caught.

Does the Golden Dorada grow to 100lb plus?

Because if that's how a 48 pounder looks, a 100 pounder must be huge.

Cheers
Werner
 
C

Capiez

New member
kaptein delarey wrote:
Great catches!

Some awesome species caught.

Does the Golden Dorada grow to 100lb plus?

Because if that's how a 48 pounder looks, a 100 pounder must be huge.

Cheers
Werner
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That 48 pounder is a monster.
The world record is just over 55lb.
 
N

nicos

Senior Member
Excellent report!

Those Surubim make absolutely excellent eating, did you try it? And Capybara is also surprisingly good!

I have fished Argentina for Golden Dorado twice, the second time in the Rio Parana delta (for other readers, this is an inland delta). What an amazing beautiful place, I will always recommend it.

I'd like to go back and combine it with hunting.

We focused on fly fishing, but have to admit out best fish was also live bait.

Will see if I can find some photo's somewhere.
 
R

ripplefisher

Senior Member
nicos wrote:
Excellent report!

Those Surubim make absolutely excellent eating, did you try it? And Capybara is also surprisingly good!

I have fished Argentina for Golden Dorado twice, the second time in the Rio Parana delta (for other readers, this is an inland delta). What an amazing beautiful place, I will always recommend it.

I'd like to go back and combine it with hunting.

We focused on fly fishing, but have to admit out best fish was also live bait.

Will see if I can find some photo's somewhere.
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Hi Nicos,

Thanks - yes, was very impressed with the country and the beauty of the area - the whole River Plate system has so much to offer.

I think further up north (the delta as you say) the river gets clearer and there are more channels etc with water hyacinth and so on - there are plenty golden dorado here and I think this is where they target them on fly - only slight drawback is the average size seems to be a bit more modest.

Did indeed try Surubi - 'milanese' style - which is pretty much just in breadcrumbs, at a restaurant - very good indeed. It is good to se however that they have slot limits and catch limits for these and others -releasing the small and big fish - even I had wanted to, the fish I caught was too big to be kept.

Never tried Capybara - it was talked about and we were offered by one of the gaucho's on the island - but never go round to making a plan to organise it (i.e. get him to shoot one!) - next time perhaps, as I also heard that if prepared well it is very nice indeed.

would love to see a few photo's of your trip - always nice to share experiences.

Tight lines, Marc.
 
N

nicos

Senior Member
Here's a few:

First, from 2004, I was in BA for work, and took two days at the end of it to sneak in some quick fishing. As we didn't have a lot of time, we went to San Pedro, which is a 2 hour drive from the city.

We only fished on fly. Fish were generally smaller, but we got quite a few in this size:







We also had great fun catching something the guide called a "dogfish" (no idea of the correct Spanish name), a really aggressive fish found in shallow pools next to the river. This is sight fishing; cast a little popper, strip it hard and fast making a lot of noise, and you are on pappa! Good fun fighting them in the grass and reeds.





And then I caught this little bugger, which apparently only eats algae and cannot be caught on fly - there is always one isn't there! I stalked and fished for it for probably 45 minutes:



The ragged looking tails are piranha nipping everything that swims.
 
N

nicos

Senior Member
Then a year or two later, I took 5 days to go fish the Rio Pirhana delta properly. This is a 2 hour flight and 6 hour drive from BA if memory serves. We were three mates, and each got assigned his own gilly, own cook and own beer girl! (more on this later).


Anyway, first cast on the first day and I land this baby beauty, great start!



Over the next few days we caught a lot of good sized piranhas - they are really strong fighting fish. They fight a bit like caranx, using their deep bodies to great effect in the current.





Decent dorado's were all around,they are lovely fighting fish, jumping and running and generally just causing havoc.






One night we had dorado and piranha on the braai, the pirnaha is not bad, but the dorado is shit.





And here is a nice surubim:






And then, to finish off, a picture of two of the three beer ladies. Their *only* job was to make sure we always had a drink. It is kak hot there, so fishing would be some hours in the morning, back to base from around 11am to 3pm, and then fish in the afternoon. The moment we hit land they would be waiting there for us with ice cold beer, and then follow us around and top up our glasses every time they got to about half.

I think every fishing lodge should have this facility - Cheers!


 
R

ripplefisher

Senior Member
Great photo's Nicos - looks like you guys had a lot of fun over there.

Those fish you refer to as dogfish are Tararira - or Hoplias sp. - a relative of the larger aimara. I think there are a number of species in this genus in Argentina, but the bigger ones are popular sport fish. The photo below is of another Hoplias species - we used these one's as bait - lol..!



The species you refer to as an algae eater - I think this is a boga - they are actually omnivores. There is a chance it is a Sabalo, which are far more difficult to take on rod and line, but they have distinct horizontal lines, unlike boga.

A boga - see the fish bait used - they were pretty easy to catch, and pretty good fun to boot.



Love the photo of the surubi - great fish - I see that it is the 'pintado' or spotted variety..

Apart from the one good spotted surubi taken on lure, I did manage one of each of the spotted and barred variety in Bella Vista (very modest sized specimens!) - see below the colouration difference - really wonderful looking catfish..

Barred surubi catfish..



Spotted surubi catfish..



Interesting thoughts about the dorado as an eating fish - our guide did it an interesting way (we only kept/ate one fish) - deep fried, then put in a salt, water and lemon juice marinade immediately after being taken from the oil - you could hear the 'sizzle' - I must say, tasted decent like this...



Lovely country and fish..

Cheers, Marc.
 
D

Duanejc

Senior Member
ripplefisher wrote:
Duanejc wrote:
Great report RF! Thanks for sharing. South America is most definitely on my bucket list!
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Thanks Duane.

Great snakehead in your profile picture - is that the close to 10kg fish..

Did you get that fish in Thailand, or elsewhere - Malaysia..? I gather that Thailand still the place for trophy snakehead - would you agree..?

Need to get across to Asia soon - not keen on those stocked fisheries, but wild snakehead and freshwater stingray are 'on the list'...! ::S

Cheers, RF.
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Great report on the Golden Dorado! What an epic trip, seriously well done. I will do that trip one day, that is for sure!

Sorry for the delay in reply, but to answer your question, the snakehead in my pic was9.775kg, at that point it was only 225g shy of the official IGFA WR, which was broken last year by a guide in Thailand, it is now just over 11kg. However, the reservoir that I fish here in Taiwan most definitely holds fish that would challenge that record! I'm still working on breaking it...

Thailand certainly has a lot of options when it comes to trophy snakehead, but they are heavily pressured in Thailand. Great fighting fighting fish, and well worth the effort to catch.
 
R

ripplefisher

Senior Member
Duanejc wrote:
ripplefisher wrote:
Duanejc wrote:
Great report RF! Thanks for sharing. South America is most definitely on my bucket list!
Click to expand...

Thanks Duane.

Great snakehead in your profile picture - is that the close to 10kg fish..

Did you get that fish in Thailand, or elsewhere - Malaysia..? I gather that Thailand still the place for trophy snakehead - would you agree..?

Need to get across to Asia soon - not keen on those stocked fisheries, but wild snakehead and freshwater stingray are 'on the list'...! ::S

Cheers, RF.
Click to expand...

Great report on the Golden Dorado! What an epic trip, seriously well done. I will do that trip one day, that is for sure!

Sorry for the delay in reply, but to answer your question, the snakehead in my pic was9.775kg, at that point it was only 225g shy of the official IGFA WR, which was broken last year by a guide in Thailand, it is now just over 11kg. However, the reservoir that I fish here in Taiwan most definitely holds fish that would challenge that record! I'm still working on breaking it...

Thailand certainly has a lot of options when it comes to trophy snakehead, but they are heavily pressured in Thailand. Great fighting fighting fish, and well worth the effort to catch.
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No worries Duane - thanks for getting back to me with that information - a giant snakehead trip definitely on the radar, so listening intently..! ::S

Actually a mate from Singapore - Mark Richards, has sent me some prototype buzzbaits and goodies - would be perfect for snakehead - I know he raves about the Voon lures..

Just need to visit one or two more places before then - have Uganda, Suriname and Guyana lined up next year - hopefully wild arapaima, payara, aimara, big piraiba, Nile perch...ah, well - if it all goes to plan..!

I think I know the reservoir - begins with a 'C' - I have seen a few reports by others on forums like 360Tuna.

Lol - yes, know only too well about the guide with his snakehead record - I think he proclaims it and reposts his achievement every few months - lol - please break his record..!:fbash

Tight lines, and good luck on that record..

RF.
 
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