One of the most unique and stunning freshwater species to go fishing for is the Golden Dorado. These fish strike with the aggression of a Pike, make high flying jumps like a Tarpon, and pull hard until landed. Oh, and you’ll find them in some of the most stunning landscapes known to humanity.
Many anglers equate the Golden Dorado to a saltwater fish that lives in freshwater – and they certainly have many of the qualities found in hard fighting pelagic species! The good news is that you don’t have to head offshore. These fish have an impressive range, being accessible in many regions but also occupying some remote habitats. For more on the best places to find Golden Dorado and much more, read on…
How to Identify Golden Dorado
Golden Dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) are pretty unique fish, so you won’t find many lookalikes to confuse you. They live in South America with populations ranging from the Amazon’s tributaries in Ecuador to lowland river systems in the Parana River drainage of Argentina. You can actually find fish all the way up to Buenos Aires!
Some Golden Dorado occupy mountain rivers and streams with clear water, while others live in more turbid river systems in lowland valleys. They can also migrate large distances, especially in mountainous regions with extensive tributaries and free-flowing river systems. Reliable and abundant food sources like sabolo species make for robust Golden Dorado populations in the regions they occupy.
You’ll know when you’ve hooked a Golden Dorado because they often make athletic jumps, revealing their golden coloration from head to tail. They have razor sharp teeth, a large head with brilliant golden cheeks, and a golden body that tapers to an also golden – and somewhat transparent – tail.
Best Golden Dorado Fishing Spots
The most difficult thing about fishing for Golden Dorado is deciding where to chase them! There’s a common misconception that these fish only live in very remote regions that are accessible only through lodges and high-end fishing outfits. In reality, though, they’re distributed across a wide range with plenty of opportunity for every budget.
The primary range for these fish is in Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. But I’ve also seen them in small numbers in Ecuador and know they have range in Colombia as well. The primary populations and destinations are centralized around the jungle mountainous regions of Bolivia and the extensive waters draining into the Parana River system.
Golden Dorado Fishing in Argentina
Argentina is loaded with Golden Dorado in a number of different locations. Starting in the north, you’ll find great fishing in the Salta Region. From the private access waters of the Rio Dorado to the more public Rio Juramento, there are some large fish to chase. Moving south in the central region, the waters around San Miguel de Tucuman have stable populations as do the waters in the Santiago del Estero area.
The largest populations and most abundant opportunities in Argentina are centered around the Parana River. The Corrientes region is excellent with many tributaries to the big river system. The Ibera Marsh is a favorite for sight fishing and exploring endless backwaters, but many anglers also focus on the Parana River itself.
The Parana River is the second largest river in all of South America. While the river is dotted with small communities, much of the water is only accessible by boat. Anglers catch fish in the main channel but there are marshes, creeks, and rivers feeding into the main river as well. The amount of Golden Dorado habitat is extensive here.
Bolivia Jungle Fishing
When you see pictures of big Golden Dorado in crystal clear mountain streams, there’s a good chance they’re living in Bolivia. This is really the bucket list experience for many anglers and it’s a difficult trip to put together. Local tribes control access and there are only one or two operations that offer opportunities at any given time. Plan on using one of these exclusive outfits to reach the far-off jungle waters in this beautiful country.
Uruguay
Uruguay is often overlooked in favor of Argentina, but this country might have the largest Golden Dorado in the world. On the Uruguay River, there’s a population of absolute monsters living below the Salto Grande Dam. The dam creates ideal conditions for fishing and Golden Dorado here reach enormous sizes while feeding throughout the year. The river straddles the Argentinian border and is accessible from both countries.
If you want to chase giants, consider booking a trip to this river. They manage the waters for size and quality, only allowing four boats per day, four days per week. Half of the launches come from Argentina and the other half from Uruguay, and you’ll be guaranteed low pressure fishing for world-record-class fish!
While the tailwater fishery is the biggest attraction in Uruguay, there are many smaller rivers and streams to explore, too. Combining a fishing trip with an upland bird hunting trip is a great move for a visit to this country.
Ecuador and Colombia
These aren’t major destinations for Golden Dorado but the fish do swim in some wonderful jungle river systems. They’re more of a chance encounter that happens while fishing streamers in a more general fashion. If you happen to hook one, keep fishing that area as there may be more in the same zone. These fish have a habit of holding near each other.
How to Fish for Golden Dorado
One of my favorite things about Golden Dorado is their aggressive nature. Tackle and flies should present plenty of motion in the water while also being durable. The amount of damage inflicted by a single fish on your gear is impressive, and flies especially will only last for a few fish.
In terms of finding fish, the habitat varies by location. In areas with downed logs and structure in the water, fish tend to take advantage of these locations as ambush points. They hold tight to logs and sit beneath overhanging vegetation. In this case, work against structure whenever possible.
In many rivers where Golden Dorado live, the bait fish occupy shallow sandbars. Watch the sandbars and you’ll notice nervous water. Sometimes, a passing bird can send the bait fish into an eruption of scared fish. When the Dorado are feeding, they’ll be visible on and around the sandbars as they chase down schools of sabolo. This presents an excellent opportunity for topwater or shallow lures and flies.
In general, fishing for Golden Dorado requires aggressive topwater or sinking lures and flies, and the ability to search for fish. Cover water, keep on casting, and, eventually, you’ll find fish. They have a habit of grouping, so finding one fish means you’re close to others.
Golden Dorado Gear and Bait
There’s a ton of flexibility in the choices for lures and flies. The most important factor is the leader composition to prevent fraying and cutting off on the sharp teeth of these aggressive fish. Without proper rigging and constant checking of your leader’s status, you risk losing a trophy fish.
Rigging for Lures and Baits
It’s much easier to rig conventional tackle for Golden Dorado because pre-constructed steel leaders are abundant. Take the terminal end of your braid, mono, or fluorocarbon line, and tie it directly to a 40 lb bite leader with a swivel end. You can clip directly to the lure or bait hook at this point.
For bait anglers wanting a more supple leader, fly fishing-specific wire leaders are an excellent option. They offer more flexibility in the ways you can knot and rig. That said, running a bait hook directly to a conventional wire leader is simple and effective.
Favorite Lures
You can do really well with your favorite crankbaits, while pencil poppers and other stickbaits are also a ton of fun to fish. Choose topwater and shallow diving lures for marsh areas and slow moving rivers. Running a topwater lure over submerged logs can also draw explosive strikes.
If you choose to fish a tailwater system with deeper, fast moving currents below a dam, opting for deeper diving crankbaits helps. Getting down quickly can really help in these situations. Dorado are not often picky and the main objective is to put a lure in the strike zone. If it gets close, you have a good chance at success!
Rigging for Flies
There are a few ways to rig for flies and all require a stout steel leader when Golden Dorado fishing. Modern steel leader materials are excellent and they can knot directly to your leader. It’s a super convenient way to rig, requiring little time to connect steel to the monofilament.
I like to add around 2–3 feet of 40 lb monofilament to the fly line as a shock leader. I then connect another 3 feet of 30 lb monofilament. This knot serves as the break knot if you snag in heavy currents. Lastly, ass another 1–2 feet of steel leader with a basic surgeon’s knot. Just remember wire cutters to clip the steel leader!
With the steel leader in place, you can easily tie flies to the end with a loop knot. I use this knot when snag potential is high as I expect to break off leaders on occasion. For areas where snag potential is low, a fly clip is a welcome addition to the leader system. Clips make it easy to swap flies without tying new knots and also preserve the leader.
Golden Dorado will shred flies, so a clip system is ideal when frequent fly changes are necessary.
Favorite Fly Patterns
Golden Dorado aren’t picky at all. On my last trip, the largest fish I caught was on a classic deceiver pattern in red and black. It wasn’t a particularly large fly but the fish was actively chasing bait in the shallows!
The most important aspect of fly selection is the actual hook. Look for short shank hooks that are ultra sharp in 2/0 and 3/0 sizes. Dorado have very hard mouths and a sharp hook is necessary to penetrate.
Andino deceivers are a favorite fly pattern in every Golden Dorado angler’s fly box. They typically have hackle feather tails and bucktail collars with dumbbell eyes and a spun bucktail head. These flies are fantastic and absolutely deadly. I like this pattern when I need to achieve more depth. Just beware that the weight can make them tiresome to cast all day.
Other patterns that work really well include mice, mullet-style saltwater flies, bass flies, and pretty much anything you would use to catch a Pike. Big streamers, small streamers, poppers and aggressive patterns are excellent.
When to Fish for Golden Dorado
Timing is somewhat flexible for Golden Dorado, as these warmwater fish are available year-round throughout their range. That being said, they can change behavior and location depending on the season…
Dry Season
In jungle areas – particularly in Bolivia – peak Golden Dorado fishing season occurs during the dry season. If you attempt a wet season trip, it can be very difficult to find the fish. They migrate at this time of year, as they have more water in which to hide and explore. The dry season concentrates the fish in dedicated river systems where they’re more visible and accessible.
The general dry season coincides with the North American summer. Look to June–September for the most reliable weather patterns and fishing in jungle climates.
Uruguay and Argentina Climate
You have more flexibility in terms of dates when traveling to Uruguay and Argentina. Many North American anglers choose to fish this region from November–March when temperatures are cold in the north and warm in the south. Keep in mind, though, the weather can become very hot during this period in South America and you should be prepared for extreme sun and heat.
November and March, in particular, are excellent months as they coincide with the warm season but also miss the most extreme heat waves. Of course, staying in a place with air conditioning means you can fish the morning and evening hours with a mid-day break to cool down, as well.
Overall, there isn’t really a bad time to explore this area and you can make a trip happen just about any month of the year!
Where will you chase Golden Dorado?
Now that you know where and when to find opportunities for these dazzling fish, it’s time to plan your trip! For convenience, Buenos Aires is the perfect airport with direct flights from many North American and European cities. And you can find fishing opportunities within a couple of hours of the city as well. There are so many interesting and beautiful places to find these fish in South America… Get booking and tick this fish off your bucket list!
Have you pursued and caught Golden Dorado? We’d love to hear your stories, favorite techniques, and advice. Share away in the comments below!
The post How to Go Golden Dorado Fishing: An Angler’s Fishing appeared first on FishingBooker Blog.
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