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Fishing Tackle
Argentina golden dorado – Part 2 : Lure fishing for giant golden dorado at La Zona
24 April 2009
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Plenty of big golden dorado at taken at La Zona using lures, and nothing beats taking fish off the surface. Seeing big predators smashing into poppers will always be top of my list, but it is vital to tackle up properly for these powerful fish. I used only the Greys Missionary 6 40-100g 6-piece spinning rod, and for four days I tried all I could to break it, but this thing is built to take it. I really like the fact that this rod fits in my main bag as well. Make sure to replace the trebles on your lures with some decent ones, such as some Owner 5/0 patterns, for these fish made ugly meals of standard treble hooks. Short wire biting traces are vital, and nothing I know of beats the 50lb Tyger wire that you can tie.
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It can happen at any time, and frequently it happens the moment your popper hits the water. Seeing a golden dorado smash into a surface lure and then leap clear of the water in a shower of warm water got me every single time, especially when it happened to me. Trying to nail these jumps on camera is really tough, but I got some good sequences. “Smaller” dorado at La Zona tend to jump a lot more than the bigger ones, but then “smaller” here is I suppose fish up to about 25lbs. I kept having to pinch myself to take it all in. It really is that good.
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I was really struck but how some of the largest dorado we landed during the four days (fish up to 43lbs) were taken in such shallow water. At times I could not believe my guide was telling me to put my poppers in certain areas, but what’s the point of paying for a guide if you don’t go and take their advice ? I really like to learn as much as I can from the guys who are on the water all the time, and by following local advice I smashed a good number of big fish. And often these monsters came right out of the shallowest, rockiest ground you could imagine. And yes, I was also unceremoniously smashed to pieces a few times, even on 50lb braid and a very powerful spinning rod. It’s that kind of fishing.
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One of the most stunning examples of a big freshwater fish that I have ever had the pleasure of photographing, and the smile isn’t bad either !! Andy Thillainayagam proudly clutches 39lbs of prime golden dorado before gently releasing it. What this photo can not tell you is how he hooked the fish less than ten yards from the boat, right in amongst a load of rocks, and then had no choice but to hold the fish on a tight drag and fight it right by the boat. Getting the Boga-Grip on that beast was a real team effort. Just take a look at the flanks of the fish lighting up in that sunshine and you will see just how I have fallen for these predators.
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That is how to properly load a spinning rod. My guide Enzo is putting the Greys Missionary 6 40-100g through its paces right below the Salto Grande dam. This is a good example of the kinds of areas you might fish out there – see the deeper water right below the dam, and note the rocks and current around where the boat is placed. Very much like many freshwater fish, golden dorado love to lie just in front of and right behind rocks, so the more accurately and efficiently your lures, the greater your chances. Most fly fishermen who have a go at lure fishing come away completely amazed at just how much water you can cover. But the big dorado at La Zona can be taken on flies and lures just the same.