Well, i am off to Chawalo on Wednesday for some Ti
- Thread starter avdw68
- Start date
The rappids are up river from Msuna past Olive Beadle on left side(zim fishing assoc.resort)+ 4 klicksfuther up you will find the rapids but please be carefull rather take a local along so that he can show you the channel ,there s' Bigg rocks under water. .If you go down river =+6klicks on the Zim side there is a big bay called Little Kariba excellent for spinning you will see the big bream feeding in shoals just before sunset.On the way to little Kariba you will find a old rusted bouy very good spot if you would like to trawl .Will be there from the 21/10/2009 to02/11/2009 fishing competition.
Hi guys,
Haven't fished Chawalo, but have fished Cahora Bassa itself several times now. Not sure if the same applies to the river, but in the dam the failsafe is the tigerwakka spinner (No's 4 to 6) with 7/0 to 9/0 wide gap hooks. Similar or same as the Mepps Aglia Long (ie Willow leaf blade), but cheaper and more robust version designed at Cahora Bassa specifically for this application - you cannot go wrong with the Tigerwakka.
At Cahora Bassa the favourite colour is copper spinner with red reflective sticker, but the guys are also now starting to use a copper reflective sticker which also worked well for us on the last trip. Silver red also works, and sometimes orange reflective stickers used in dirty water. Use the darker colours in the morning and late afternoon, midday use the brighter colours.
Tie your braid onto swivel and then tie steel trace on, no need for leader. I use 12Kg Piano wire, but many recommend seven strand.
As for rod and reels, use a heavy baitcasting set-up. I have several and all perform well. Some rods you could try are Berkley Lightning Heavy Baitcasting Rod, Daiwa Procaster 7'6" rod (PR76THFB, old model preferably, 2nd best), Fenwick heavy baitcasting rod (although I find this one a bit light compared to the 1st two). The Berkley and Daiwa both have telescopic butt sections so only close down to about 6' which makes them a little cumbersome for travelling, but not too bad. The Fenwick is a 2 piece. For a cheaper rod try the Loomis and Franklin heavy baitcasting series (Justin Booth Signature Series I think) - look like good rods and good value for money. The Daiwa Coastal Inshore Special rod is also good but a bit too heavy in my opinion - I would use this for vundu paired with a Daiwa Millionaire baitcasting reel.
On the reels for Tiger I use a Shimano Curado, Daiwa Coastal Inshore Special 153H, and Abu Record Series RN50. I also have the Shimano Calcuta 200 and the Abu Record RN40, but find the drag on these a bit underpowered for big tiger.
On line, I currently have fireline on all my setups, but after having seen Berkley Powerpro Braid, I will definitely go for this in one colour red next time I spool up. Say about 30lb braid is fine by me.
Cheers
Gilly
Haven't fished Chawalo, but have fished Cahora Bassa itself several times now. Not sure if the same applies to the river, but in the dam the failsafe is the tigerwakka spinner (No's 4 to 6) with 7/0 to 9/0 wide gap hooks. Similar or same as the Mepps Aglia Long (ie Willow leaf blade), but cheaper and more robust version designed at Cahora Bassa specifically for this application - you cannot go wrong with the Tigerwakka.
At Cahora Bassa the favourite colour is copper spinner with red reflective sticker, but the guys are also now starting to use a copper reflective sticker which also worked well for us on the last trip. Silver red also works, and sometimes orange reflective stickers used in dirty water. Use the darker colours in the morning and late afternoon, midday use the brighter colours.
Tie your braid onto swivel and then tie steel trace on, no need for leader. I use 12Kg Piano wire, but many recommend seven strand.
As for rod and reels, use a heavy baitcasting set-up. I have several and all perform well. Some rods you could try are Berkley Lightning Heavy Baitcasting Rod, Daiwa Procaster 7'6" rod (PR76THFB, old model preferably, 2nd best), Fenwick heavy baitcasting rod (although I find this one a bit light compared to the 1st two). The Berkley and Daiwa both have telescopic butt sections so only close down to about 6' which makes them a little cumbersome for travelling, but not too bad. The Fenwick is a 2 piece. For a cheaper rod try the Loomis and Franklin heavy baitcasting series (Justin Booth Signature Series I think) - look like good rods and good value for money. The Daiwa Coastal Inshore Special rod is also good but a bit too heavy in my opinion - I would use this for vundu paired with a Daiwa Millionaire baitcasting reel.
On the reels for Tiger I use a Shimano Curado, Daiwa Coastal Inshore Special 153H, and Abu Record Series RN50. I also have the Shimano Calcuta 200 and the Abu Record RN40, but find the drag on these a bit underpowered for big tiger.
On line, I currently have fireline on all my setups, but after having seen Berkley Powerpro Braid, I will definitely go for this in one colour red next time I spool up. Say about 30lb braid is fine by me.
Cheers
Gilly
Good day Gilly
See you have a Curado...is that the E7 perhaps ? Couldnt decide between the curado E and the Calcutta 200... Curado more compact , both got the same drag but the Calcutta take more line ( in this case braid ) So I went for the Calcutta...with a Shimano beast master 7 ' MH...would you say its a to heavy setup ? I would say the tigerwakkas is graet..ordered some mepps to..will see ho they match up when we go up to Msuna...
See you have a Curado...is that the E7 perhaps ? Couldnt decide between the curado E and the Calcutta 200... Curado more compact , both got the same drag but the Calcutta take more line ( in this case braid ) So I went for the Calcutta...with a Shimano beast master 7 ' MH...would you say its a to heavy setup ? I would say the tigerwakkas is graet..ordered some mepps to..will see ho they match up when we go up to Msuna...
Hi Mozi,
I have both the Curado and the Calcutta 200. I think the Curado I have may not be the latest model (Shimano may have since come out with a newer version?) - I have the Curado 300 DSV, but it is still top of the range to me and it certainly still is an outstanding reel - the best baitcaster I have ever had by far. The Calcutta I have is the Calcutta TE 200 and another excellent reel, but if I remember correctly the Curado is a lot more expensive than the Calcutta, probably 2 times the price! So if price is a factor then the Calcutta is probably better value for money (I got my Curado as a gift).
Both are very very good reels, very solidly built and super-smooth, but other than the price, I personally prefer the Curado (300DSV). I think it has a more powerful drag, more line capacity and also casts further. The one I have is spooled up with 30lb Fireline Tracerbraid - terrific stuff when matched with the Berkley Heavy Baitcasting rod. The Calcutta I have is spooled with 14lb Fireline (the new translucent white) and matched with a Fenwick HMG heavy baitcasting rod. Both are terrific outfits and will do the job perfectly for tiger.
As an aside, an interesting story about the Fireline Tracerbraid - we were coming back late one evening from tiger fishing and pulled over next to a Capenta rig to see what they pulled up in their nets (at C Bassa). Whilst waiting we decided to mess around and try some vertical jigging next to the Capenta rig and ended up getting caught in the net. Tried as hard as we could to break off the line, until eventually the steel wire trace (40Lb I think) broke instead of the 30lb Tracerbraid - now thats amazing stuff!
As for the Shimano Beastmaster rod - not sure if this comes in different types but the one I have is a spinning/jigging rod. I wouldn't use this with a baicasting reel. It is also very heavy in the butt section and will become tiring when casting all day for tiger. But as I say, not sure if you might have a casting version as opposed to my spinning/jigging version. To tell the difference, casting rods usually have a pistol grip and the first eye is very small. Spinning/jigging rods do not have a pistol grip and the first eye is very big.
As for Mepps vs Tigerwakka, both are equally effective in raising strikes, but the Tigerwakka is much more robust, and if you can get it cheaper then better to go for the Tigerwakka only. The advantages of the Tigerwakka is that it has a heavier blade so it does not get warped as easily and casts further. I think the main shaft is also made of stronger wire and it also has a sleeve / insert that keeps the blade spinning properly even after several big strikes, unlike the Mepps. You may also have to change hooks on your Mepps, whereas the Tigerwakka comes with the right hook for the job.
Forgot to mention, at C Bassa they also use a small strip of belly-shine tiger fillet, hooked onto the back of the spinner. Apparently this improves strike rates, but I find it also helps with casting weight. As already said by somebody else on this thread, the retrieve is usually deep and slow, just fast enough for the blade to turn, but if this doesn't work try varying speed and depth. As you cast out, let the spinner sink to the bottom before beginning your retrieve. You can also pause about half way through your retrieve to allow the spinner to sink back to the bottom again.
Hope this all helps. Tight lines!
Gilly
I have both the Curado and the Calcutta 200. I think the Curado I have may not be the latest model (Shimano may have since come out with a newer version?) - I have the Curado 300 DSV, but it is still top of the range to me and it certainly still is an outstanding reel - the best baitcaster I have ever had by far. The Calcutta I have is the Calcutta TE 200 and another excellent reel, but if I remember correctly the Curado is a lot more expensive than the Calcutta, probably 2 times the price! So if price is a factor then the Calcutta is probably better value for money (I got my Curado as a gift).
Both are very very good reels, very solidly built and super-smooth, but other than the price, I personally prefer the Curado (300DSV). I think it has a more powerful drag, more line capacity and also casts further. The one I have is spooled up with 30lb Fireline Tracerbraid - terrific stuff when matched with the Berkley Heavy Baitcasting rod. The Calcutta I have is spooled with 14lb Fireline (the new translucent white) and matched with a Fenwick HMG heavy baitcasting rod. Both are terrific outfits and will do the job perfectly for tiger.
As an aside, an interesting story about the Fireline Tracerbraid - we were coming back late one evening from tiger fishing and pulled over next to a Capenta rig to see what they pulled up in their nets (at C Bassa). Whilst waiting we decided to mess around and try some vertical jigging next to the Capenta rig and ended up getting caught in the net. Tried as hard as we could to break off the line, until eventually the steel wire trace (40Lb I think) broke instead of the 30lb Tracerbraid - now thats amazing stuff!
As for the Shimano Beastmaster rod - not sure if this comes in different types but the one I have is a spinning/jigging rod. I wouldn't use this with a baicasting reel. It is also very heavy in the butt section and will become tiring when casting all day for tiger. But as I say, not sure if you might have a casting version as opposed to my spinning/jigging version. To tell the difference, casting rods usually have a pistol grip and the first eye is very small. Spinning/jigging rods do not have a pistol grip and the first eye is very big.
As for Mepps vs Tigerwakka, both are equally effective in raising strikes, but the Tigerwakka is much more robust, and if you can get it cheaper then better to go for the Tigerwakka only. The advantages of the Tigerwakka is that it has a heavier blade so it does not get warped as easily and casts further. I think the main shaft is also made of stronger wire and it also has a sleeve / insert that keeps the blade spinning properly even after several big strikes, unlike the Mepps. You may also have to change hooks on your Mepps, whereas the Tigerwakka comes with the right hook for the job.
Forgot to mention, at C Bassa they also use a small strip of belly-shine tiger fillet, hooked onto the back of the spinner. Apparently this improves strike rates, but I find it also helps with casting weight. As already said by somebody else on this thread, the retrieve is usually deep and slow, just fast enough for the blade to turn, but if this doesn't work try varying speed and depth. As you cast out, let the spinner sink to the bottom before beginning your retrieve. You can also pause about half way through your retrieve to allow the spinner to sink back to the bottom again.
Hope this all helps. Tight lines!
Gilly
Thanx Gilly , great help.
Ja, the TE Calcutta was a bit to pricy for me,couldnt afford it, but I recon its the best. Ive seen the Curado sample video on the Rapalasa website ...they test the new curado 300 there, it looks amazing. The Curado cu200TE7 is nearly 600 bucks more expencive than the Calcutta200B, but I think it compares more to the Calcutta200TE than the 200B series..
The braid thesedays are strongstuff hey, cant believe you gave it sutch a pull before the wire gave in ! wow.Wonder though if 14pound would do on the Calcutta200 (will be my only tiger reel im taking up there?) They say I should stay away from clipswivels, but a guy I know uses the kind they use 4 deepsea angling and he caught plenty. ? One on top that is that you clip onto the swivel that joins the mainline ( braid ) to the trace. Wgat size though, the swivels ?
The beastmaster goes under 'tiger spescial' asswell. its the same rod as far as I know. The medium heavy 7' baitcasting rod they say is made of a exceptional blank and according to the Shimano people the best , for tigerfishing that is. It makes me wonder because lots of people prefer longer rods...7'2" and even 7'6"..they come only in onepiece and I find it difficult traveling with that. I must say, the Calcutta sits very well on the rod and doesnt feel to heavy..but on the otherhand if casting the whole day with that combo one should be fit I suppose ! Ill mix it up with a light spinning rod to target the nembwes and so.
The mepps is lot more expensive than the tigerwakkas...I thougt it would be the other way around. But I orderd both kind and cant wait..only the braid that I should sort still. Wanna try all the species up there, recon the salmo hornets will catch something of everything. Do you fish with anything else as bait than spinners and fillets or doba doba ?
Sorry for all the Q man, but I need all the info I can get. Thank you
Ja, the TE Calcutta was a bit to pricy for me,couldnt afford it, but I recon its the best. Ive seen the Curado sample video on the Rapalasa website ...they test the new curado 300 there, it looks amazing. The Curado cu200TE7 is nearly 600 bucks more expencive than the Calcutta200B, but I think it compares more to the Calcutta200TE than the 200B series..
The braid thesedays are strongstuff hey, cant believe you gave it sutch a pull before the wire gave in ! wow.Wonder though if 14pound would do on the Calcutta200 (will be my only tiger reel im taking up there?) They say I should stay away from clipswivels, but a guy I know uses the kind they use 4 deepsea angling and he caught plenty. ? One on top that is that you clip onto the swivel that joins the mainline ( braid ) to the trace. Wgat size though, the swivels ?
The beastmaster goes under 'tiger spescial' asswell. its the same rod as far as I know. The medium heavy 7' baitcasting rod they say is made of a exceptional blank and according to the Shimano people the best , for tigerfishing that is. It makes me wonder because lots of people prefer longer rods...7'2" and even 7'6"..they come only in onepiece and I find it difficult traveling with that. I must say, the Calcutta sits very well on the rod and doesnt feel to heavy..but on the otherhand if casting the whole day with that combo one should be fit I suppose ! Ill mix it up with a light spinning rod to target the nembwes and so.
The mepps is lot more expensive than the tigerwakkas...I thougt it would be the other way around. But I orderd both kind and cant wait..only the braid that I should sort still. Wanna try all the species up there, recon the salmo hornets will catch something of everything. Do you fish with anything else as bait than spinners and fillets or doba doba ?
Sorry for all the Q man, but I need all the info I can get. Thank you
Hi Mozi,
14lb braid is fine in my opinion, although some guys go as high as 40lb - I really think this is overkill. The general recommendation is no less than 14lb braid on baitcasters, and I think this may actually have more to do with the diameter than the breaking strain - if too fine diameter, you may tangle easier and tangles on finer braid are more difficult to undo. This can be frustrating and ruin an entire trip, so if you are not completely comfortable with your baitcaster, rather go with say 20 to 30lb braid. Also, the first strike of a tiger is usually explosive, so if you have poor quality braid or bad knots, say bye-bye. Make sure you get a good quality braid. I use the palomar knot for braid to my swivel, which has not failed me yet.
On the rod you have, obviously a different model to what I have and sounds ideal for the job. Might check out one like that for myself netx time I'm in town.
Re the clips and lures (in the dam): I started out trying every lure I could find, but eventually found that many of them could raise the strikes, but few kept the big fish on as wells as a spinner with a big single hook. So now I only use the tigerwakka spinner. I might change colour and sizes during the day, but try to do this as seldom as possible. Tiger feeding frenzies are short and quick and you don't want to be caught changing lures when three of your buddies go vas with dream fish all at once, and you miss the opportunity. The key is to find something that works (ask the locals) and stick with it - spend more time working the water than changing lures.
Because I started out trying so many different lures I also used a clip at first - there are some seriously strong clips available that I have also used offshore so I have no fear of these breaking. Many guys also say small tigers may bite you off at the clip, but I have luckily not yet had this experience. But nowdays since I change lures less often, I really have no need for a clip. And this lessens he chance of getting bitten off by rats and mice anyway.
A word of advice, if you do intend to use clips, find the smallest strongest double lock snap you can get and tie this onto your mainline / braid. Then do up all your lures / spinners with say 1 foot of steel trace and a power swivel, prepared before hand. When you're on the water, simply change the lure and trace at the mainline clip. Traces often get kinked after a fish is hooked, and this is where the clip may come in handy. But still, these days I prefer to do it without the clip.
BTW, never use a clip right at your lure. if you hook a fish, it could unlock your clip with its biting action, so if you are going to use a clip use it on your mainline, about 30cm away from your lure, seperated by your bite trace.
Just my 2 cents worth, cheers.
Gilly
14lb braid is fine in my opinion, although some guys go as high as 40lb - I really think this is overkill. The general recommendation is no less than 14lb braid on baitcasters, and I think this may actually have more to do with the diameter than the breaking strain - if too fine diameter, you may tangle easier and tangles on finer braid are more difficult to undo. This can be frustrating and ruin an entire trip, so if you are not completely comfortable with your baitcaster, rather go with say 20 to 30lb braid. Also, the first strike of a tiger is usually explosive, so if you have poor quality braid or bad knots, say bye-bye. Make sure you get a good quality braid. I use the palomar knot for braid to my swivel, which has not failed me yet.
On the rod you have, obviously a different model to what I have and sounds ideal for the job. Might check out one like that for myself netx time I'm in town.
Re the clips and lures (in the dam): I started out trying every lure I could find, but eventually found that many of them could raise the strikes, but few kept the big fish on as wells as a spinner with a big single hook. So now I only use the tigerwakka spinner. I might change colour and sizes during the day, but try to do this as seldom as possible. Tiger feeding frenzies are short and quick and you don't want to be caught changing lures when three of your buddies go vas with dream fish all at once, and you miss the opportunity. The key is to find something that works (ask the locals) and stick with it - spend more time working the water than changing lures.
Because I started out trying so many different lures I also used a clip at first - there are some seriously strong clips available that I have also used offshore so I have no fear of these breaking. Many guys also say small tigers may bite you off at the clip, but I have luckily not yet had this experience. But nowdays since I change lures less often, I really have no need for a clip. And this lessens he chance of getting bitten off by rats and mice anyway.
A word of advice, if you do intend to use clips, find the smallest strongest double lock snap you can get and tie this onto your mainline / braid. Then do up all your lures / spinners with say 1 foot of steel trace and a power swivel, prepared before hand. When you're on the water, simply change the lure and trace at the mainline clip. Traces often get kinked after a fish is hooked, and this is where the clip may come in handy. But still, these days I prefer to do it without the clip.
BTW, never use a clip right at your lure. if you hook a fish, it could unlock your clip with its biting action, so if you are going to use a clip use it on your mainline, about 30cm away from your lure, seperated by your bite trace.
Just my 2 cents worth, cheers.
Gilly
Wilhelm Bekker
New member
Hi
Does anone have any contact details for Muna maybe? I want to visit in Oct '09, but would like to arrange accommodation and boats first>
Thanks!!
Wilhelm
Does anone have any contact details for Muna maybe? I want to visit in Oct '09, but would like to arrange accommodation and boats first>
Thanks!!
Wilhelm
Wilhelm Bekker
New member
Sorry, I meant contact details for Msuna, not Muna!
will get them to you next week....