Tiger Fishing
Tiger fish, like eel, are only to be found in rivers running eastwards. This fish, size for size, is the finest freshwater sporting fish in the world. You will be lucky to land three of ten tiger fish that will take your spoon bait - the others will break the line or a swivel or twist the line around an obstruction.
Feeding habits
The tiger fish is a ferocious predator and when on the bite will attack anything moving that resembles its prey. Tiger fish eat fish of up to 1 kg or 1,5 kg in weight, a wide variety of insects, frogs, mice, - in fact, virtually anything that moves in the water and can be swallowed.
Breeding habit
Tiger fish spawn during spring and will spawn twice during a season of the water temperature rises sufficiently early in spring. The fish migrate up river and spawn in the shallows amongst aquatic growth.
Size hooks
Tiger fish have large mouths and a large hook should be used with bait. If spoon with only a single hook is used, the hook should extend the length of the spoon. Many lures designed for other species of fish are also suitable for tiger fish. The hooks must be changed, however. A tiger fish will easily crush a small treble hook in its bony mouth. Therefore, a single hook is recommended. Invariable, the clips connecting the hook to the lure are also unstable for tiger fishing and will be torn apart by the great pressure applied when the tiger fish strikes. Heavy-duty clips should be used.
Rod
Use a slightly heavier rod, sound enough to withstand the first terrific rush of tiger fish. I prefer using a flexible rod when spinning from the side or drifting in a boat. If you are trolling, a slightly less flexible rod is more suitable. The rod must be capable of setting the hook in the fish's bony jaws when you strike.
Line
Many anglers use a line with breaking strain of 14kg or more. As the average tiger fish caught weighs from 3 to 4,5 kg, I feel such a line is a little heavy and prefer to use one of 3 to 6 kg breaking strain, although it is no disgrace to use heavier line.
Trace
As tiger fish have large razor-sharp teeth which will cut through nylon line instantly, it is essential to use steel wire trace. Ready-made traces can be bought but these are usually not designed for tiger fishing; the clips are too weak and the line too short. A trace of 60 to 90cm should be made from steel wire of about 11 kg breaking strain. If the trace is too heavy you will not get many strikes. Tiger fish have no trouble smashing the line with their tails if a shorter trace is used. Heavy clips and swivels should be used to connect the lure and the line. Avoid using bright brass swivels and clips as these attract smaller fish which grab at tem and cut the line. Cut the required length of the trace through the eye of the hook (or swivel on the lure) around the shank and back through the eye. Slide one sleeve in two or three places with a pair of side-cutters and cut off the end of the trace protruding from the sleeve. Thread the other end of the trace through a swivel and repeat the process.
Bait
Strip Bait
The large specimens are usually taken on strip bait. Fillets of barbell, yellow-fish and even tiger fish are the best baits, but any fresh fish may be used. The fillets should be about 12cm long and 2,4cm wide and should be threaded on the hook in such a way that a small tail is left. The top end of the fillet should be used. A float (not coloured red) may also be used to support the bait. Strip bait may also be trolled like a spinner.
Spinners
Tiger fish are usually caught with a spoon from a bank or trolled behind a boat, which must travel at the same pace at which an angler would retrieve the spoon when spinning. If the boat travels to fast the angler will have far fewer strikes. If no results are obtained, try spinning a little deeper by placing some shot on the trace near the spinner. The best spoons are plain, coppery, or silver or combined with red. The red coloring resembles blood which excites the tiger fish. A piece of red cloth or wool attached to a plain spoon often improves result. The spoon should be between 5 and 12cm long. When tiger fish are on the bite, they will strike any metal-coloured object that moves. In fact, the curled top of a sardine tin with a hook attached to it has been used successfully when the angler ran out of lures and had nothing else available.
Choosing a suitable spot
When using fish bait, cast bait into rough water and allow the current to carry it into deep calm water, or selected site where the rivers flow over a sand-bank into deep pool. The mouth of a backwater is also a good spot, as is the base of rapids. Anglers trolling from a boat have advantage of trying the whole river, but they should remember to keep to the deeper water. The angler should always remember that wherever tiger fish are, their inseparable chums, the hippo and crocodile, are bound to be. The angler fishing from bank should always have along-handled gaff handy to avoid having to walk close to or into the water.
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