Tiger Fishing in ZIM

[Vlam]

After my last unsuccessful tiger fishing trip in December to Josini, I have now decided to take a trip to the Zambezi and I am looking at September or October this year. I have contacted some lodges and got some prices, but as this will be my first trip to zim I am not to familiar with all these lodges and all of them sounds like great places, so if anybody knows of or has stayed at an affordable lodge that is worth the money please let me know as I do not want to spend a lot of money to stay at a crappy place.

Any info appreciated.

Thanks,
Vlam

[Bronnie]

Hi Vlam

I would'nt mind to do some tiger fishing myself,how do you fish for them Vlam?
It would be nice to know...what gear and lures?

Well at least you get a chance to back to zim hey!

tight lines boet 8-)

[robfisher]

Well I?m no expert Tiger fisherman but we did a trip to Josini a few months back and did eventually catch a couple after 3 long days in the sun? we used our bass rods and reels but you need a steel trace (like a shad trace) and around a number 3.0 to 5.0 hook? I just bought Tiger Traces ready made up? and believe it or not you use sardine just like you were fishing for shad? you can also use spoons and we actually were more successful trawling with spoon. They are really exciting fish to catch and they say you only land 1 out of 4 fish because their mouths are so hard and they fight and jump like nothing on earth!

[drew]

Vlam, there are many ways to catch Tigers.

I use a 7ft heavy rod and you can use a normal baitcaster if you wish, but if you fish fast moving waters and hook into a big one, they may spool you. I have a Quantum and a Shimano Corsair that I use for Tigers on 7ft sticks. Not top of the range stuff, but decent quality and I don't do much Tigerfishing anyway.

You can catch them on live bait, or baitfish fillets, and obviously on artificials. Lures will get chewed up pretty badly, so the cheaper range like Catchit lures are worth looking at. Just make sure that whatever lures you buy have thin wire, yet strong hooks. In the spoons category, get yourself a good selection of Dam Effzett spoons. They work well for casting and trolling.

If you are making bait traces, make sure to buy black swivels. Small Tiger are known to strike at silver swivels and if they strike on the mainline side of the swivel, you will have you whole trace bitten off.

Last time I was in Zim doing a bit of fishing was almost 9 years ago, so wouldn't know who is offering what now in terms of lodging.

Ciao, and tight lines.

[Vlam]

Hi Bronnie,

I am not really that experienced in tiger fishing and this will only be my second attempt. But from what I have read and info I?ve got from a couple of guys that have caught some tigers is that there are different ways of catching them a heavy 7" rod with a bait caster with 20 lb line should be sufficient, you can either troll for them with your main motor with a big silver spoon at the end of the line, or one can troll with rapala or similar lures but this option does get expensive after a couple of tigers, then there are also the live bait option but I am not keen on using live bait and then you can also fly fish for them. I am looking for a lodge with experienced guides as I think one of the mistakes I made when I went to Josini was to go on my own without a guide.

[drew]

Vlam, I forgot.

Go to the Boat Centre site (link on the left) and call Shandon. He should have Xavier's number and I know he has spent a bit of time up in Zim doing Bass fishing and a bit of Tiger fishing. Maybe Xavier would be able to head you in the right direction in terms of a competent guide.

[Vlam]

Thanks Drew, will give him a call.

[lazy-ike]

i lived in komatipoort for a couple of years. we used to catch them on what we called dolphin fish. a small fish with an extended snout that we netted in the croc river.
i saw a bloke hooking into a tiger that broke his rod twice and then broke his line 8O
mean mean mean fish. they make a very good braai.

[funkyfish]

Hi Vlam ,

One of my good friends has a lodge on the Zambezi (called Sekoma Lodge). His name is Gareth Coombes +27837083787. The fishing is excellent on the Kasai Channel .... And i think he is well priced!! You stay on a little island in the middle of the river !! Beautiful! Check Sekoma.co.za

Regards

Trev

[Fab]

I've not tried it myself and would loooove to try it.... But I have watched a number of programs on DSTV and heavy duty bass tackle seems to be adequate!!!!

And as Robfisher said... They were baiting like we do for shad!!!!! 8O

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[Vlam]

Thanks funkyfish,

I have dropped them a mail. I have also had contact with an old buddy that is a manger of a lodge in the upper zambezi, so I will just compare the prices before I make a decision.

Thanks again for the all info.

[lazy-ike]

Rods: Any firm 6 foot stick (10 to 20 lb) will do for the tiger, finding most bass sticks appropriate. A lighter flick stick for spinning smaller rapalas and spinners is also a must.

Reels: Here a good reel is important to handle short fast hard runs; a good drag system. Good coffee grinders or bait casters that can hold +/- 120m of line is imperative.
Line: High abrasive line is a must as most of the fishing or fish land up dashing for structure where they are able to hang you up. A good 12 - 15 lb breaking strain is sufficient. 'Fireline', a
very strong light line allows for good accuracy and strength.


Hooks: Chemically sharpened hooks allow for better penetration, and I believe good line and hooks is the key to successful tiger fishing. Any size from a 1/0 to 6/0 are most commonly used e.g. Mustad, Daichi, Gamakatsu.

Steel Trace: Nylon or normal steel trace of about 30cm in length is the ideal although the latter is preferred as a lot of rigs are snapped up and would take time to dislodge or rust away. 25 lb steel trace is thin and flexible and the most practical to use.

Artificials: A variety of spinners, spoons, rapalas and spinner baits should make up your tackle box. Red, silver and bronze spinners and spoons work best, ranging from 4g - 12g. The rapala range is up to your own disgression due to their price, but a couple of deep runners for trawling can be brought along. Red and white and natural colors tend to be the best. A suggestion would be changing most of the above to single hooks as it allows better penetration and does not damage the fish as much as treble hooks. 3 Tips: The brighter the sun the brighter the lure; use shallow to medium depth lures for early morning or late aternoon fishing; let your lure out as far as you can when trawling on a still day and closer to the boat on windy days. When spinning, start off with a fast retrieve. If this doesn't work, all the lure to drop a bit deeper and try the same retrieve, then slow the retrieve down. If they still don't take, upsize or downsize the lure, and last of all change the lure. But don't over-fish an area, rather come back later as tiger fish are easily spooked off by too much presence.

Live Bait: Small Tilapia, 5-12cm in size, fished with a float or free swimming. Corks are set at 2m seem to work throughout the day. Leave it on a loose drag and when the tiger bites, allow it to run at least 3-5 seconds before striking. The free swimming live bait have always been effective. Run the hook through the skin close to the dorsal fin, cast gently, don't retrieve too often, set a loose drag, and allow the tiger fish to hit it and swallow it before striking.

Other Bait: Sardines are very effective and rigged up the same way as you would use them for the saltwater fishing. The more blood the better, so use half a sardine, and we fish them inside out. Fished with a sinker, on or without a drift. Ensure the hook is concealed yet the point is out. The same tactic is used as in live bait fishing, although a direct strike approach also works when fishing around a structure. When using tiger fillets, a cast and retrieve approach is used or drifting. Tie fillet onto the back of a spinner to increase the strike rate.


Two important tips when tiger fishing: When to strike - free spooling is the most common tactic, but there are takes when you have to strike right away, set the hook once and allow the fish to have some drag. If the fish is swimming away and peeling off your line, put some pressure on to keep the hook set and only re-strike when the fish has turned. Keep the rod tips down - The whole fight, the rod tip should be down. The tiger gives you about 3 seconds before his first jump when he will take advantage of the slack in your line, so automatically drop the tip.

Fly Tackle
Most anglers wanting to tackle the tiger on fly would have at some time or another tried saltwater fly-fishing. The rod, reel, line leaders and flies are ideally suited for the tiger fish.

Rods: A 9ft AFTM 7-9 weight rod with good butt power is a norm when fishing for tigers. These rods allow for turning tigers when necessary, setting hooks into the bony jaws and allowing easier casting when conditions are unfavorable.

Reels: A good disc drag system with a fair amount of 12-15kg Dacron backing should be used. Tiger generally fight hard and fast, so the drag is often tested to the maximum, especially when trying to stop them going into structure.

Lines: Intermediate and fast sinking line is the best especially when trying to get the fly down to the bigger hens. Catching them on popper is great fun, but limited fishing occurs when fishing on floating line.
Leaders: Due to heavy design of most tiger and saltwater flies, no tapered leaders are required, just a short leader, shock tippet and steel trace. Use a 30cm piece of 20lb line as a butt section to turn over the flies, tied to a 1,5m length of 0,4mm Maxima line joined to 50cm of 0,32mm line. This leader is then connected to a swivel on a short steel trace.

Flies: Most saltwater flies are adequate to entice the tiger fish to take. Flies are tied with weighted eyes onto chemically sharpened hooks, and its necessary to bring a couple of your favorite patters as these teethy critters destroy ones flies quite easily. A few different flies are successful are:

Clouser minnows - Red & White; Pink & White; Chartreuse & White; Yellow & Black
Leftys deceivers - Same colors as above
Streamers - Same colors as above
Zonkers - Black, Natural colors
Mrs. Simpson's - Tied in 3/0 - 5/0

Some smaller flies are also necessary especially when fishing for the more active smaller tigers that will quite readily take a bigger fly but trying to set the hook is a bit more difficult.


Other Equipment
Polaroid sunglasses, light weight shirts and long trousers, a wide brim hat and sun block Factor 30+


When to Catch Tiger Fish
Tigers are predatory fish preferring warm clear waters, aiding their hunting and feeding instincts. The ideal times to pursue them would be most of our summer months.

Firstly September through to November is their spawning months, and like many other fish species, they tend to spawn in fast flowing waters up stream. They are stimulated to breed when temperatures go over 20 degrees and this coincides with our rains. This is an ideal time to try and tackle the bigger spawning females on their way up to their breeding sanctuaries. December to February is when the weather is at its hottest in the area, and although fishing is still excellent, fishing days consists of short sessions being early morning and late afternoon. From March to May tigers are generally fattening up for the winter months and also a good time of the year to seek them out. June to August also produces fish although it all depends on the climate, as a drop in temperature can put them off the bite for a couple of days.


General principles of locating and catching Tigers
The Pongolapoort Lake is comparable to Kariba where most of the fishing is done in still water, a depth or fish finder is an important part of ones equipment when trying to locate possible tiger hangouts.

Important points to look out for:
Underwater features:
(i) Drop offs
(ii) Old river courses
(iii) Underwater islands/holes

Drop offs: - generally where there is a constant depth for a while e.g. 4m and then suddenly drops off to say 9/10 m. Often the smaller tigers or bait fish are hanging around these drops, where weeds or old tree stands occur. The larger tigers patrol these areas and come up from the depths to feed. These are good areas to fish, positioning the boat on either side of the drop. It is important to make sure your bait is not lying on the bottom. It is a good idea to work the bait, be it fillet or tilapia, by tossing and retrieving the bait around the drop. Using a float set at the right depth is another possibility. The same applies to working a lure; work it so that you are either bringing the lure up the drop or across the drop. It is important to know the depth of your different lures when working them as a lot of casts are wasted by not retrieving them in the proper zone i.e. catching lots of smaller tigers and nothing big. By knowing the depth you can use the correct rigs.

Old river courses: - These can be seen above water by following the rocky cliffs found on Pongolapoort. Once part of the course is identified, the fish finder comes in handy. By trawling up and down these areas in a zigzag pattern one tends to find where the course continues. Tigers tend to follow these courses and are often included in their patrolled areas. Here again look for good drops, old islands or holes. By trawling, one tends to cover more area, get used to the underwater courses and have a good chance of catching one as well. It is necessary to trawl in both directions, as a lot of the time tigers will only take in the one direction and not in the other. Bubbles  rising up also normally indicates a slow movement of water found on old river courses. Normally early morning and late afternoon they tend to be feeding in the top four meters of the water. "Patience wins the day" is the motto when fishing these deeper waters, especially during the heat of the day.

Underwater islands and holes: - Very similar to drops, yet found in deeper waters. After a tigers first year in life, they tend to move away from protective shelters and form schools protecting themselves in numbers from larger tigers. So these islands allow for good weed growth where baitfish tend to occur. Tigers are cannibalistic (diet been made up of tigers 40% of their size and up to 60% of their diet) and these areas are frequented by the larger ones. These areas should be fished the same as the drop offs casting at the top of the island and working the bait or artificial down the side, allowing the bait/artificial to sink every now and then before continuing to retrieve. Alternatively casting on either side of the island, letting the bait/artificial to sink deep initially and picking up to retrieve the closer one gets to the island. This gives it a bit of a chase effect, which entices the tiger to take. Work on 8 casts to a specific area, irritating the tiger if it is there.

The hole  is normally only where one big tiger resides, and she normally waits in ambush for a decent meal. They are very territorial and if one persists, a good-sized tiger can be pulled out from these holes. Live bait dropped to the right depth normally works the best. The local fishermen sit in these positions for 2 days before they pull out the big one, and it is worth it when she peels that line off and heads for the horizon. Alternatively trawling up and down over the same spot with different artificial's also works. It is normally a case of finding out when they actually feed. This obviously takes time, but due to the history of tiger fishing, 80% of anglers will return to try their luck again.


Above water identification:
(i) Tree stands/ weed beds
(ii) Points
(iii) Rising fish

For those first time visitors, top water features will be the areas to target, especially if no fish finder is available. The above three points will give one a general idea where to target tigers.

Tree stands / weed beds: - To the beginner or lure collector, it is a bit of a nightmare due to the amount of underwater structure that is not visible when fishing around these tree stands. Unfortunately to them, these are prime areas to target the smaller tigers and every now and then a big tiger will pick you up as well. These areas are abundant throughout the lake and it is a case of finding the correct tree stand. The best way is to work on eight casts around these structures and if there is no action, move onto the next clump of trees. There are plenty of small tigers in the dam, and one should find a school of tigers almost every 10 minutes or 200 m around these tree stands.

For those who have a fish finder, locating them will be a lot easier and the ideal depth around these stands should be about 3-5m. It is always important to have casts into the deeper water while fishing around these tree stands as a lot of bigger tigers are patrolling these areas. Try leave live bait out there while working artificial's in the trees. Once you have located these schools, it is important to work the exact area as quickly as possible before they move off/go off the bite. Get everyone on the boat to cast into the school and its quite possible to take 5 fish, losing just as many. Don't over fishing the area. Rather come back later for more action. Move into deeper water and give the bigger tigers a go, as they will also be patrolling these waters for food. Also keep an eye out for kingfishers and cormorants as they will be feeding on baitfish so the tigers will also be close by.

Points: - The points are easy to identify by looking at the terrain, especially where there is a sudden drop. Trawling in a tight loop past these points often results in a strike and if so target the area around the point, by either trawling over it again or by stopping and casting. These areas can also be very quiet but if there is a lot of activity on the fish finder it is worth sitting it out a bit especially if fishing is quiet in other areas. The ideal points to look for is when there is either a weed bed or a couple of trees around the point. Other points are visible from the terrain but often are very shallow, it is then necessary to move back until the water depth increases. Still leave a line in the shallows, but it is definitely more productive in the deeper water especially when water visibility is good, as the tigers need cover from fish eagles and to be able to dart into the shallows when a school of baitfish comes around.

Rising fish: - Always a pleasure to see fish rising, yet sometimes very frustrating when nothing wants to take what ever you are throwing at them. Generally fish are rising or jumping for a couple of reasons and not necessarily feeding. They could be trying to get rid of parasites, spawning or even jumping for joy, or they are feeding. Easy ways of identifying tigers are normally their red fins that break the surface, secondly they tend to clear the water more than other fish species and no gulping sound, which your catfish often does. Their active times are early morning and late afternoon in the summer months and in winter, generally during the warmer parts of the day. Always scan the water while fishing and try an area that is producing this type of activity. Prevent getting too close to rising fish and be as quiet as possible when coming into the area. Initially work the top couple of meters as this is where they are feeding, and if they are, it will be one of the most exciting times of your trip. You will find as quick as they take your lure and spit you out, another will pick you up and it is quit possible to get strikes right up to your boat. Get everyone to work the area as quickly as possible, and you will also find you will get cut off by other tigers trying to compete with the one that has your lure already. Also try and let your lure/bait get into the deeper water by casting way over the area and retrieving so that the smaller tigers do not get the chance of taking it. There are always bigger tigers deeper down in situations like this and the smaller ones prevent you getting into the bigger ones. When activity slows down, try changing your artificial's or putting on bigger ones as the bigger tigers have chased the school away and will still be lurking in the area.


hope that helps :actionpeace:

[lazy-ike]

or you can use dynamite :twisted:

[Vlam]

lmao at lazy ike, but I've paid my deposit at island view lodge, so I am going to try a couple of lures first but if all else fails I'll switch over to the dynamite

[PDV]

I wanna go Tiger Fishing some time - any updates on the best places with good value for money - I believe Zim is much cheaper than Zambia??

:roll: