La Zona 2012 Season

A few prime dates remain open for La Zona in January, March, and April of 2012. These dates should provide excellent fishing for trophy golden dorado. Normally the topwater action is good during these time periods with low water.

La Zona is located on the Uruguay River on the border of Argentina/Uruguay. During your trip you will stay 5 nights at La Zona Lodge and fish for 4 days (Friday to Monday) . The meals at La Zona Lodge are probably the best world wide for fishing lodges.

La Zona Lodge boasts of having the best head guides, Enzo and Elvio, on the Uruguay River. These guys know where the monster dorado swim and the best techniques to land them.

These prime dates will for sure fill quickly. Book now to get into the biggest dorado in the world!For more information contact Steve Yatomi at http://www.adventuretravelalliance.com/ plus you can follow http://www.untamedangling.blogspot.com/ for weekly golden dorado reports.

Making Wire Leaders

Wire leaders are necessary when battling fish with razor sharp teeth which can cut through the best of lines. Making your own wire leaders is simple and can save you lots of bucks $$$.

When fishing for species such as dorado, I use 135lbs coated wire from the American Fishing Wire Company. I crimp on a size #6 Berkley Cross-Lok Snap on one end of the wire and crimp on a size #4 SPRO Power Swivel on the other end. I normally make the leaders about 9 to 12 inches long.

For tigerfish and other species which don't grow as large, I might use 70 to 90lbs wire the the same above components.

Recently some companies have come out with knotable leader material such as TYGER. This wire is very flexible whereas you can tie all your basic knots and eliminate the crimps which are often the weakest portion of the leader.

So, try making your own leaders before your next fishing adventure and save some $$$$

CHEOW LAN RESERVOIR, THAILAND

Cheow Lan Reservoir is known for its jungle setting full of species such as giant snakehead, emperor snakehead, splendid snakehead, and striped snakehead, as well as jungle perch. Thai Mahseer and Stracheyi Mahseer are found in the rivers which feed the reservoir.

Capt. Jean-Francois Helias http://www.anglingthailand.com/ is putting together trips in July and August which are the best times to fish these species as the water levels are ideal during these months
.

Capt Francois will be hosting these trips which will be limited to 4 anglers per trip.

For more information contact Capt. Francois at fishasia@ksc.th.com

Opportunity to fish inside La Zona for 6 days

Untamed Angling which controls the exclusive Argentina permits (2) to fish inside La Zona for monster golden dorado has announced an opportunity to fish inside the zone 6 days. Normally the trips allow anglers to fish inside the zone for 4 days. However, Untamed Angling has negotiated with the Argentina government to fish Jan 3 to Jan 10th. The agreement will allow the anglers to fish inside for zone for 5 hours per day and fish outside the zone for 4 hours per day for a total of 6 days.
La Zona is known as the HOME OF THE MONSTER DORADO. This is an opportunity for dorado veterans and newcomers to take advantage of the extra time increasing your odds for the dorado of a lifetime.
For more information contact STeve Yatomi at www.adventuretravelalliance.com

Bull Redfish in Venice, LA

Friend Gary Clark had a fantastic day of fishing for giant bull redfish with Capt. Keith Kennedy of Born To Fish Charters phone (504) 908-3106 Gary along with 2 other friends landed over 25 bull reds on Monday with Capt Keith and most of them weighed in between 25 to 30lbs. Dr. Clark once again landed the monster at 40lbs.

Capt Keith knows where and when to land these monster bulls. He can provide everything from meals, housing, plus all fishing equipment. Make sure to give him a call as his bookings are filling fast!

CABELAS BARGIN CAVE

Each week, I check the bargin cave at http://www.cabelas.com/ for fantatic sales on fishing items and fishing clothes. Each week numerous rods, reels, and tackle are on sale at unheard of prices. I have a Cabelas store nearby and have all the items shipped to the store for pick-up which is a great option other fishing stores do not offer.

This week, I loaded up on Blue Fox Vibrax Spinners for my trip to Alaska for Arctic Char at Lava Creek out of Gary LaRose's Pumice Creek Lodge, http://www.garylarose.com/ Here, arctic char catches of over 100 at not unusual.

So, constantly check the Cabelas bargin bin and save lots of money which can go toward you next fishing trip!!

TERMINAL TACKLE FOR GOLDEN DORADO

An angler visiting top golden dorado destinations such as La Zona needs to pack a few terminal tackle items that will enhance your percentage of landing trophy dorado.

It is essential to change all split rings on all lures. I have had numerous split rings pull apart by giant dorado to learn this valuble lesson. I highly recommend all split rings be replaced by the triple coiled rings made by the Wolverine Tackle Company. I can testify that these are the strongest split rings on the market. Each ring has a superior 3-coil design and a special heat treatment process. The rings come in either black, stainless steel, or zinc nickel. I prefer the stainless steel rings in size #6 which has a 200 tes/lb rating and size #7 which has a 270 test/lb rating.

Due to the razor sharp teeth a dorado possesses, a wire leader is necessary to prevent your line from being cut. I use a wire leader which is 12 to 16 inches long. I make my own leaders using 135lbs coated leader wire from American Fishing Wire. I crimp on a size #6 Berkley Cross-Lok Snap on one end of the wire and crimp on a size #4 SPRO Power Swivel on the other end.

Most store bought lures come equipped with ineffcient hooks for dorado. A dorado can bend cheaply made hooks inot a pretzel! Therefore, I replace the hooks with Owner 2/0, 3/0, and 4/0 ST-41 or ST-66 trebles. These hooks are super strong and laser sharp. A strong sharp hook is necessary to penetrate the powerful jaws of a dorado.

In conclusion before heading on your next trip to dorado or other exotic species, take the time to make sure all your terminal tackle is top of the line so that a once in a lifetime trophy is not lost due to cheap tackle!!

WJOB REGION BASS BUZZ

Listen to WJOB 1230AM radio at 6am to 7am Saturday April 30th. I will be a guest on Pat Renwick and Conservation Mike's REgion Bass Buzz. Got any questions on exotic species such as tigerfish, peacock bass, dorado, Mekong catfish, halibut, big silver salmon, payara, redtail catfish, arctic char, arctic grayling, monster lakers, or anything else that swims in freshwater give us a call at (219) 8451100.
I have been very fortunate to had visited places like Argentina, the Brazilian Amazon, Venezuela, Alaska, Tanzania, High Canadian Arctic Circle, Thailand, and many local fisheries. Pat is an expert on the bass scene while Conservation Mike knows what is fishing in the region. Make sure to tune us in!!

THE BIGGEST DORADO IN THE WORLD- LA ZONA

From the moment Untamed Angling began fishing in a section of the Uruguay River they found out that it is a place where conventional rules do not apply. The size and toughness the dorado exhibits in La Zona is not like anywhere else on this planet.

Until Untamed Angling obtained special permits as a result of many years of hard work, this area of the Uruguay River was banned for fishing by the Argentina and Uruguay governments.

For the past few 6 or 7 years, only 2 boats were allowed to fish the zone under strict conservative rules such as restricting the hours, number of fishermen, and days of fishing under close watch by the ARgentina government.

This season the Uruguay government issued 2 special permits which practically eliminates the netting by locals which has been taking place the past few years resulting in more monster dorado over 40lbs this season according to the fantastic guides who work for Untamed Angling.

Head guides, Enzo Rico and Elbio Bordon (Elvis) know where the monster seek their prey and which lures to lure them to. Co-Founder Hector Bradanini knows these waters like the back of his hand, and often fills in guiding anglers to dorado of their dreams. Assistant guides, Ramiro Piro and Jorgito Buffa will make sure to use massive fish cradles to land your trophy.

Lodging is a former Polo Pony Ranch where each guest gets their own room complete with bath and toilet. Chef, Nelson Cutro is one of the best chefs I have seen at a fishing lodge let alone any top of the line restaurant! Hostess Maria makes sure your room is spic and span each morning while you are catching moster dorado.

I highly recommend you take time to fish for these dorado at least once in your life. Check out http://www.lazonaadventure.com.br/ and http://www.untamedangling.com/

For booking information give friend STeve Yatomi a look at http://www.adventuretravelalliance.com/

Alaska Fishing-The Alaska Peninsula

Fishing in Alaska is just around the corner. Shortly big king salmon will be entering the rivers where they were born for spawning. Later sockeyes, chums, silvers, and silvers will also enter their birthplaces. Giant char, dolly varden, and rainbow trout follow these spawners gorging themselves on their eggs.

Perhaps the best fishing in the entire state of Alaska takes place on the remote Alaska Peninsula. Here Gary LaRose operates one of the best lodges on the Alaska Peninsula for fishing and hunting.

LaRose offers king salmon and sockeye salmon beginning in June. Later in August, the best silver salmon fishing on this planet takes place on the Cinder River which is about a 15 minute flight from the lodge. Here you will see no other fishermen other than those in your group and those on 4 legs (brown bears),

Gary operates Pumice Creek Lodge which is approx 376 air miles east of Anchorage and 86 air miles south of King Salmon. He caters to small groups of 6 and offers daily flyouts to the hotspots. The LaRose Guide Service started in 1967 with Gary's dad guiding clients, so Gary has been involved with fishing and hunting his entire life.

Gary also offers world class moose , brown bear, and Canadian goose hunting.

Clients are housed in a spacious building and ample meals such as prime rib, steaks, moose steaks, fresh salmon are provided in abundance by LaRose.

I have fished the Alaska Peninsula for the past 22 years for silver salmon and can highly boost of the fishing at the Cinder River and of Pumice Creek Lodge.

Book now for the 2011 and 2012 season. Check out Gary's new website at http://www.garylarose.com/

CUCU lures for Giant La Zona Dorado

When you arrive at La Zona and the water levels are higher than ideal, fear not. Attach a local CUCU lure and either cast or troll over the submerged rocks and hold tight to your rod. My group has had much success with the "Shorty" model in black. This lure puts out a very tight vibration so hold onto the rod very tight as a monster dorado is a matter of seconds away from exploding on your lure.

Uruguay River for Monster Golden Dorado

Looking to catch a monster golden dorado. Well look no further than Untamed Angling which operates a lodge fishing the Uruguay River in a section known as "La Zona" near the El Salto Grade Dam. Here the largest dorado in the world swim. Untamed Angling is operated by CEO Marcelo Perez and sales manger Rodrigo Salles. They also run numerous exotic fishing lodges around the world, http://www.untamedangling.com/.

At La Zona, Untamed Angling control 2 permits issued by the Argentina government which allows 4 anglers to fish Friday to Monday for the largest dorado in the world.

Here you will be guided by head guides Enzo Rico and Elvis with assistant guides Ramiro Piro and Jorgito Buffa. These are top of the line English speaking guides who know where the monster dorado roam.

Having fished with Untamed Angling in La Zona for 5 years, I highly recommend this fishing trip to all.

For booking info contact Steve Yatomi at www. adventuretravelalliance.com

La Zona update for April 15 to 18

Had the opportunity to fish my favorite destination in the world, La Zona, "Home of the Monster Dorado". La Zona is located on a section of the Uruguay River boarding Argentina and Uruguay. Here the largest dorado in the world swim.

I fished with friends Cole Lundquist, Chuck Boylan, and Kevin Cleary.

Kevin led the way with a monster 50lbs dorado which is the largest caught by a member of my group for 5 years of fishing here.

I landed my largest ever in a giant 48lbs beast!

Cole landed a nice 40lbs.

IN all we landed 16 trophies over 30lbs in difficult water conditions as the clarity was very poor but improving each day. Also 3 out 4 days we had rain and wind.

Best lures were cd18 rapalas and mag 30 rapalas in firetiger.

La Zona has the best guides in the world with head guide Enzo leading the way with helper Jorgito Buffa. In the other boat, head guide is Elvis with Ramiro helping out.

Book this trip now for 2012. Contact Steve Yatomi at http://www.adventuretravelalliance.com/

GIANT SIAMESE CARP

The Giant Siamese Carp is "the mother of all carp"! It grows to an enormous size. The Siamese Carps appearance changes during the course of it's lifetime. As a young fish its body looks immature but mscular, and colors are often pale with vivid red flashes throughout its fins. With age, the fins begin to darken and it starts to take on a mature maternal shape with a full body and weights start to increase very rapidly. I can testify the strength and fighting abilities of these Carp having caught a few with Capt. Francois Helias at fishasia@ksc.th.com during my recent trip to Thailand.

ARAPAIMA

The Arapaima is the largest freshwater scaled fish. It grows to enormous sizes sometimes reaching the middle hundred pound mark. It is also well known for its fighting ability. The Arapaima boasts scales up to a couple of inches across, tinted in anything from iridescent olive greens to charcoal blacks and bright silver and with increasing amounts of scarlet red tipping each scale.Many locals often use the scales as files or to sharpen knives, etc.. It has a body similar to a pike.

In the Amazon they are called Piraracu with the current record being 286lbs 9oz landed on the Rio Negro in Brazil. While targeting species such as peacock bass, Piraracu are often seen gulping air! They are very difficult to hook especially on artifical lures.

The Arapaima is an Introduced Species into many of the ponds of Thailand. Here your odds greatly increase of landing this species then fishing in the Amazon.

Capt. Francois Helias based out of Bangkok, Thailand knows when and where to land this monster. Get in touch with him at fishasia@ksc.th.com plus check out his site at

http://www.anglingthailand.com/

PENDING IGFA RECORDS FROM THAILAND

Capt. Jean-Francois Helias of http://www.anglingthailand.com/ has recently caught or guided 3 potential IGFA records which have been submitted for approval.

First Capt Francois landed a potential record Tinfoil Barb which weighed in at 0.49kg.

Secondly Francois guided UK angler Natalie Carter to a 7.43kg Sorubim which will qualify as a Junior Angler Female Category record.

Thirdly and not to be outdone by her sister, Courtnery Carter landed a 8.73kg Alligator Gar which will also qualify in the Junior Angler Female Category.

Capt. Francois has guided hundreds to record fish. Give him a call at (668) 1 846 98 94 or write him at fishasia@ksc.th.com and you might get your name in the Record Book!

SPIDERWIRE ULTRACAST FLUORO-BRAID

FluoroBraid sinks like a fluorocarbon line. It combines the sinking properties of a fluorocarbon with the strength and catability of SpiderWire braided fishing lines.

The braid provides a more direct line from rod tip to lure resulting in less slack and ultimate sensitivy for ultimate hook sets. It is great for casting crankbaits, trolling for extra lure depth, pitching softbaits in heavy cover, and on windy conditions to get your line down fast.

I recently bought some braid in 50lbs and plan on testing it on the La Zona dorado in a few weeks.