Author Topic: How To Catch Tigers? (Read 25179 times)

WalkersKiller · « **on:** January 16, 2014, 08:43:42 AM »

Guys I know there are a lot of posts about this, but the info is all spread out and I am lucky enough to be visiting Jozini soon, so I just want to ask a few (Actually a lot) of questions and if anyone could assist I would be really grateful.

Here are my questions:

Mono or braid? Because Tigers jump so much would it be better to have more stretch in the line or as little stretch as possible?

Mainline? What poundage mainline would be ideal?

Leader? How would you approach this? Would you just have a straight steal trace or a steel jacket and fluoro behind it? Is it worth using those ready made metal clip traces? Can you use heavy fluoro instead of steel? What poundage steel would be good?

Hooks? Which would produce more hook ups, circles or J's and what size should be used when using livies or strip baits?

Setting the hook? How long should you let the tiger run before setting the hook?

Drag? How loose/tight should your drag be when fighting a Tiger?

Bait Sizes? How big would the ideal live bait and strip bait be?

Traces? Whats the best way to rig a live bait? Under a float? With a rolling sinker?

Activity? Do Tigers feed well during darker hours?

Thanks guys, looking forward to the responses

Lichia amia · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2014, 09:02:08 AM »

this might help Walks

lebaka · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2014, 09:05:40 AM »

kallie sharp as a tack this morning walkers i think dodger is the go to man for jozini

Spickerish · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2014, 09:17:53 AM »

I'm no expert but I've caught a couple of them in Jozini. Recon Dodger is the guy that's been fishing Jozini the most this past couple of years so maybe he can help you out more then what I can but here is my personal answers to your questions.

1. Braid, you get a more direct feel to the fish and you can bully him a bit more. If he jump dip the rod as deep as possible into the water as fast as possible to keep him down. I feel there is less chance to lose the fish with braid because there is no stretch in the line.

2. I've got 20lb on my one reel and 30lb on my other one so I just use that but I won't go lighter then 20lb.

3. I've used 0,40 floro cause thats what I use in the sea for the rigs

4. I've only used J hooks from 4/0-6/0

5. I really try to give the fish at least a count to 4 krokedille but that seldom happens.

6. I always use 1/3 of line strength or what feels right at the time but a tighter drag is better

7. Depends on what bait you get, sard fillets we've used up to half a sard fillet if you are lucky enough to get kurpers I use palm size or a little big even.

8. Depends on the day some times they take right at the bottom and other times on a float. Normally just hook a kurper and through it in without a sinker

9. I've caught the most late afternoon and early morning. I've even caught one 22h00 at night using a surf rod multiplier and sard as bait from the side but to land it at night with the croc is a bit dodgy.

Never use those ready made steel traces, those clips are useless and will open for nothing rather take 20-30lb steal trace and make your own traces with a decent clip if thats the root you choose. I only use about a 100mm steel trace and have never been bitten off. In fact my biggest tiger of 5kg's was caught on only a floro leader without trace but that is not recommended.

Hope it helps a bit.

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2014, 09:23:13 AM »

Thanks so much thats awesome info

DROM MP · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2014, 02:28:15 PM »

Just a couple of nice tigers caught in the Komatipoort area recently on live bait - unfortunately not weighed but between 8-10kg ito length and girth calculations.

dugong · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2014, 02:33:57 PM »

Very nice fish - I would say 6-7kgs.........what area did you get them at??

gavin erwin · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2014, 02:37:32 PM »

Shot for the info chaps!!!

DROM MP · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2014, 02:41:44 PM »

The first one was taken in a dam approximately 100m x 100m and the second one was caught in the Komati river close to town. I must also concur that it might be in the 6-7 kg mark as mentioned but it is very difficult with tigers as they might be heavier if caught in the dam.
Both fish was released to fight another day!!

dugong · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2014, 02:46:26 PM »

Oh, just read now Komatipoort not Josini

Mr AceCraft · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2014, 03:11:06 PM »

Quote from: WalkersKiller on January 16, 2014, 08:43:42 AM

Guys I know there are a lot of posts about this, but the info is all spread out and I am lucky enough to be visiting Jozini soon, so I just want to ask a few (Actually a lot) of questions and if anyone could assist I would be really grateful.

Here are my questions:

Mono or braid? Because Tigers jump so much would it be better to have more stretch in the line or as little stretch as possible?

Mainline? What poundage mainline would be ideal?

Leader? How would you approach this? Would you just have a straight steal trace or a steel jacket and fluoro behind it? Is it worth using those ready made metal clip traces? Can you use heavy fluoro instead of steel? What poundage steel would be good?

Hooks? Which would produce more hook ups, circles or J's and what size should be used when using livies or strip baits?

Setting the hook? How long should you let the tiger run before setting the hook?

Drag? How loose/tight should your drag be when fighting a Tiger?

Bait Sizes? How big would the ideal live bait and strip bait be?

Traces? Whats the best way to rig a live bait? Under a float? With a rolling sinker?

Activity? Do Tigers feed well during darker hours?

Thanks guys, looking forward to the responses

Walkers Killer

Tigers are very good freshwater fighting fish and the magic is in using light tackle. They are not Cuda, Dorado's or Wahoo.

Any 7ft Medium Heavy rod will do. and a 4000 size Shimano reel is perfect or if you want a round baitcaster like a Abu 6500/ Daiwa millionaire type also works well.

My Style of catching them is usually with Effzet spoons , lures or spinners and Livebait .

1) Mono line all the way , If you get stuck on submerged growth easier to break off than 30lb+ Braid and the stretch helps
to cut of expensive braid and loosing a lure is like a double whammy.

2) I use 14lb line with a 3-4m 20lb leader thick line on a 4000 reel does not cast well.

3) I use 20lb nylon coated steeltrace that I make up with a Swivel on one end and a splitring on the other to change lures.

4)Fillets / Livebait Circle hooks , Lures , long shank singles facing backward.

5) Setting Hook , Lures it catches itself and bliksem it 3 times hard on the first jump bow the rod down , on livebait and fillet on the run moer it hard 2 times. tigers sometimes dont jump immediately on fillet/livebait.

6) Set the drag so it can run - medium 5/7 lb drag and play the fish.

7) Strip bait - 10cm L 2cm W live - up to 12cm bream

8) float - no sinker

9) Early Mornings up to 10am and afternoons from 3pm are the best. june - Oct .

Hope that helps

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2014, 03:19:10 PM »

Thanks everyone, and thanks Mr. Acecraft

REEFMAN · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2014, 04:24:06 PM »

Wow! Some quality replies here!

Nikao · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2014, 04:27:08 PM »

Hey WK

I use light tackle when i go to Jozini.

Line I would use 20lb Braid with a 30/40lb Mono leader.
Have found that the braid does give you a better feel for the fight and helps when the tigers jump.. one tip i could offer is to keep your rod tip down when fighting the Fish I even put the tip into the water to avoid the tigers throwing the hooks.

As for hooks I use 6/0 bass hooks rigged to No7 Wire about 30cm long for dead baits. normally use Sardines.. would cut the heads off slice down the side, let the hook face out wards and bind with ghost cotton.

For live baits i would use Circle hooks with 30cm no 7 wire trace, No sinker needed.

For your lures/Plastics and soft plastics you can use a short wire trace to the lure. about 150mm long Swivel one side and split ring the other to make swopping of lures quick.

I would suggest the use of Bait runner for your dead and or live baits.. they work really well.. set the bait runner drag light to allow the tiger to take the bait and run freely with out any over runs on the spool .once the tiger takes the bait and runs count to 3 with a dead bait and bass hook and 5 with a live bait and circle hook then just wind into the fish. to set the hooks. No need to strike.. when figting the fish i work on feel but the drags should be set at about 30% of your line class. so on 20lb braid would set it to about 6lb but this is all feel. i would say as long as the fight can take line when needed then that is perfect.

Best times are mornings and late afternoon..

where are you going to be staying while up at Jozini? we could perhaps give you some good points to go try!

Hope this helps..

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2014, 04:40:34 PM »

Thanks for the help bru

Will be staying at Fish Eagle camp, will have access to a boat, but I will mostly be fishing from the side, any info you could offer would be amazing though!

dodger · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2014, 06:15:37 PM »

Hi Gareth

My favourite fish

from a boat I use several methods, they will also work from the shore. In fact I have see some good fish caught off the shore at Golela

For a rod I use a Daiwa megaforce, 6'6'' and 7'-0'' with Daiwa Regal z3000bri bait runner spooled with a 10lb braid and a 12lb fluoro leader. It's very important to keep the rod tip down and the line tight as she will throw the hook when jumping if you give any slack.

An old mate of mine who has passed on used to run a

charter, on a pontoon boat where it was relaxing to fish and a few beers were had. he reckoned that when he changed from a normal coffee grinder to a bait runner, the hook up rate went up by a big margin, so if your fishing with bait, let her run.

The southern part of the dam is quite shallow, not that that stops the -

's.

A useful part of the fishing are the hippos and hefalumps, where they stir up the mud it releases the bugs, which draw in the smaller fish which draw in the big ones.

there are a few options on traces that all work.

Trace 1 - This I use when we anchor in a bay for example and relaxing having a sarmie and a drink. The trace is made up from a chemically sharpened 4/0 bass hook, attached to a No 6 wire with a haywire twist and a generous loop. The other end has just a small swivel. trace is around 400mm long.

I use a 400mm length of white pvc tube with one end drilled and slotted and the other end just slotted, it's a great simple device to keep your traces out of the way.

you bail up with a whole sardine, cut the head and tail off and cut along the side to the backbone to take the hook and wire and attaché with bait cotton. Cast out put the bait runner on and wait. If nothing happens for a while start a motor for a couple of minutes. When you get a hit don't pick up the rod but wind quickly. The

attacks the bait and runs with it, we have caught them with the hook on the outside of the mouth. The trace will probably need replacing, as the pressure of the

's jaws and the winding will cause the wire to look like a spring. Hence the plastic pipe and plenty of traces. The tigger is a shoal fish and when they see food they nip off away from the shoal to stop their buddies snaffling it

Trace 2 - Using a 2/0 - 4/0 circle hook and a short 100mm No 4 wire trace and swivel, on the hook use a live bait, a chicken heart, a chicken heart with a bit of chokka, a small piece of sardine, or a sardines head gills and stomach that is lip hooked. Again using the bait runner set up let him run a bit and then just tighten the drag. The live bait should be hooked just behind the dorsal fin. You can also send the live bait out under a balloon, with the livie set at about a metre below the surface

Trace 3. - using wide gape bass hooks and plastic flukes with a short 100mm wire trace and swivel. put the fluke onto the hook much as you do for bass with the point of the hook just buried in the back of the plastic, depending on the size of the plastic gives you the hook size. You can add a worm weight to your trace or do what I do and use the wide gape bass hooks that also have a weight on the back of the hook. You can also use a jig head, but it needs to be sized to match the plastic.

trace 4 - use the 4/0 bass worm hook on a wire trace with a swivel, everyone has an idea on length of the wire trace but I like a short trace 100-200mm. Instead of the 4/0 bass hook a chemically sharpened, the Mustad red beak hooks in 2/0 - 5/0 also work well. Take a fillet off the sardine and gently make a shallow cut down the skin side. Place the hook in the cut and wrap the fillet around the hook and bind with bait cotton. you can add chicken liver or hearts as a cocktail. But it's down to the bait runner set up and let her run a little. I have tried this with circle hooks as well but not so successful as trace 2 which leaves the hook mostly bare.

trace 5 - traditional copper spoons on a short wire trace with a swivel, replace the hooks that they come with for a chemically sharpened hook to match the size of the spoon.

Fly fishing - a great way to go, but I wouldn't suggest anything less than a 7wt with an intermediate line, or a sinking tip and a decent amount of backing. attach a 100mm length of wire with an Albright knot to your leader, the other end make a loop with a haywire twist. You can get some nice small clips that you can use to clip the fly on as the flies don't last very long.

Live bait - your micro fishing kit will be fine just fish in the margins through the weed, I have used a San Juan worm as bait before, but Kariba worms work fine.

I won some flies in the last UA raffle and will gladly give you a few, and a will make a selection of the and traces that I use. When are you going?

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2014, 07:58:53 AM »

Wow Roger, thats is amazing information, thank you so much!

we will be going over a weekend in March, anything that could help will be greatly appreciated

dodger · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:04:23 AM »

Quote from: WalkersKiller on January 17, 2014, 07:58:53 AM

Wow Roger, thats is amazing information, thank you so much! we will be going over a weekend in March, anything that could help will be greatly appreciated

No problem, I now work in Bedfordview which is close to you, I will make up some traces and sort some flies out for you maybe have a cup of coffee next week?
I also have a spare wide arbour 7/9 wt reels with good drag systems which will be perfect for

which you can borrow if you want

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:05:57 AM »

Wow Roger, thats very generous of you, thank you! Ive got a decent 9wt reel which should be perfect for the job but thank you! Let me know when you have a gap next week and we can meet for a coffee!

Ziggy · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:29:24 AM »

WK check your gmail for two docs on Tigers