LAU LAU RIGS

Heavy duty rigs are required to land the monster Lau Lau.  For my recent trip to Suriname, I made numerous rigs before settling on using the Gamakatsu Octopus Single Eye 4X STRONG 10/0 hook tied to an Owner ST66 4/0 treble with 300lbs Kevlar Cord.  The Gamakatsu Octopus 4X is an extremely sharp and strong hook capable to penetrating the hard mouth of the Lau Lau.  Owner ST-66 or Owner ST-76 are in my opinion the best treble hooks on the market and are extremely strong and razor sharp.  The Kevlar cord was very easy to work with in tying knots.  I first tied the single hook to the Kevlar cord then ran about 5 inches before tying on the treble.  I superglued each knot and placed some shrink wrap over the knots for added protection.  A 6ft- 300lbs Kevlar Cord was then used as a leader

and tied to a 325lbs SPRO swivel.  First, a sinker slide was placed on the leader so heavy sinkers up to 16oz could be taken off without tying up a new rig.  Part of the fun of these trips is experimenting with new rigs before the trip actually takes place.  I found that when using the heavy egg sinkers, I placed a screw eye into one of the holes which could hold the sinker in place but let lose in case of snags so I would not lose the entire rig.  Also, give Kevlar Cord a look for your next leaders for monster fish!

TOP RODS FOR LAU LAU

During the trip to Suriname's rain forest, I had a long search for quality 2 piece fishing rods capable of handling monster Lau Lau.  With strict restrictions on the size of checked baggage, my normal 1 piece rods could not make the trip.  The best rods I found to team up with the previously mentioned Daiwa Opus spinning reel and Fin-Nor Marquesta 30T conventional reel

where the Okuma AC 602MH which is a 2 piece casting rod at 6ft length.  The rod is more of a jigging rod, capable on landing any fish species on this planet.  The rod is very comfortable, lightweight, and has quality guides and reel seat.  The choice of spinning rod was the 2 piece Magna MX-3 Gorilla Big Fish spinning rod.  This rod is made in Europe mostly for carp fishing.  It comes from www.psfishing.com which can ship to the USA with no problem.  The rod was extremely strong and handled the Lau Lau without a problem.  One of the guys in the group also bought a travel rod made by this company and it looked fantastic.  Check out their site as most have never heard of it.
With the size problem imposed by airlines, I have contacted various fishing tackle companies such as Daiwa to take the lead of making quality strong 2 piece rods for the International River monster seekers.  Will hopefully see some new products to my liking very soon!

TOP REELS FOR LAU LAU

One of the decisions I had before heading to Suriname was finding adequate reels to handle monster Lau Lau.  For the adventure, I settled on using both Daiwa's Opus 5500 spinning reel and a Fin-Nor Marquesa 30T conventional reel.
The Daiwa Opus is an amazing reel for a very low price.  It features a bite and run ability in which turning the handle takes it out of the baitrunner mode and into main gear.  The 5500 model holds lots of heavy braid and has a powerful drag.  I found this reel to be very great value capable of handling a Lau Lau.  I ordered about 5 of these reels and plan on using them on my next visit to Thailand for huge Mekong Cats at Bung Sam Ran!
The Fin-Nor Marquesa 30T is amazing.  It has an adjustable lever drag which lets you crank up the pressure for maximum stopping power when the Lau Lau takes off.  It has a 6:1:1 gear ratio and picks up 51 inches of line with a single handle turn.  The "T" model comes with a top bar and adjustable clicker which is perfect for live bait fishing.  It has a max drag of 40lbs of which all was needed to stop the Lau Lau runs.
S0 if these reels can handle monster Lau Lau, I would try them on any species which swim!

SURINAME FOR MONSTER LAU LAU

Had the opportunity to fish in Suriname with 4 good friends under the guidance of Paul De Boer.  Paul picked us up in Paramaribo, Suriname for a drive to his favorite monster Lau Lau river.  Lau Lau or better known as the piraiba which has been reported to grow over 10ft long and weigh in access of 350 pounds.  Paul has guided numerous anglers to monster Lau Lau and knows the best rivers and times to increase your odds.

Our "home" for the week was a small houseboat complete with 2 bunk beds, a freezer, and small stove.  I found this to be very comfortable and sure beats sleeping on a hammock in the jungle. The meals were delicious consisting of a variety of rice dishes created by Chef Paul.
There is not much wildlife observed during our stay.  A few parrots and macaws are seen and heard each day.  We fall asleep and are awaken each day by the noise of howler monkeys.
The temperatures in the rain forest are extremely hot and humid so a mid day rain shower feels very refreshing.  Paul provided numerous bottles of water and soda for us to prevent dehydration.
Live bait is the best for tempting Lau Lau and nets are placed out each evening.
On the second day of the trip I land a bonus 6ft tarpon, but this is not what I came all the way to Suriname for.  Before the weeks end, all of us land monster Lau Lau so our dreams of monster fish once again come true with the largest Lau Lau going 7ft 2 inch, 6ft 7in and 6ft 6in.
Lau Lau are extremely powerful as evident by screaming drag runs.  I had to put my reel  in "full drag" which is about 45lbs pull and it still screamed!  The guides quickly maneuver the boats toward the midd

le of the river once a big Lau Lau is hooked to keep it from running into the shoreline snags.  Photos are quickly taken, all Lau Lau are revived then released to catch another day.
Paul De Boer is definately the go to guy for monster Lau Lau.  You can check him out on Facebook

International Tackle

Each time I head out on International Fishing Trips, one of my goals is to try and visit a local tackle store. Often, these stores have some great lures which we do not have access to here in the USA.  For example, I recently visited Fish Finder in Suriname.  The store was loaded with fantastic fish mounts such as giant wolf fish and golden dorado.  Also there were numerous aquariums stocked with monster peacock bass and others.  On the shelves were the Marine Sports TNT chopper which is my favorite to fool giant golden dorado over rocks.  Peacock bass anglers would definately find this lure interesting.  Also I found the Rapala Giant Shad Rap in Peacock Bass colorationZuri hydro magnums were available as I cannot find them anymore in the United States.  I have landed my 3 largest golden dorado on these lures so far.  So, when you have a layover overseas, try and visit a local tackle store and you might be surprised on the quality of tackle available.

. I use the Giant Shad Rap for numerous species, but have never seen it in this coloration.  In addition, the Yo-

ARMED AND READY TO GET FISHING

Lots and lots of preparation takes place when travelling to exotic destinations.  For my upcoming trip to Suriname I probably have repacked at least 10 times.  The first item was to find an adequate means of transporting about 8 rods.  Many airlines have limitations on weights and total size of checked baggage.  Suriname Air allows 1 piece weighing 50 lbs max with a total length x width x height at a max of 62 inches.  Normal rod tubes could not meet these restrictions so I was able to use a Plano rifle case.  I was able to stow all rods and most of the groups sinkers in the case.  2 piece rods are now necessary on these trips along with travel rods which are normally 3 to 5 pieces and can get packed in your carry on bag.  Trips to the jungle do not require much packing in means of clothes.  Remember you will normally be without modern appliances such as washing machines, etc so clothes and yourself are washed in the river.  For this particular trip only a few lures were necessary to catch bait for the cats.  Normally I carry on all lures after I remove the hooks.  Sometimes reels with line are not allowed so always check before your taking line off in front of the customs representative.  Sunscreen is a must along with a good pair of sunglasses.  Always make sure to charge a few camera batteries as electricity is not a given in some of the remotest camps.  Last of all, make sure your passport is current and make sure you know whether a entry Visa is required months in advance.  I have seen numerous times throughout the years, guys not being allowed entry due to not having a Visa or their passport had less than a year left on it (normally most countries require at least a year left on passports.  Cannot wait to get into the jungle and hopefully catch the largest catfish of my life!  Cheers!
Bob Daly

SHIMANO ALDEBARAN 2015

New for 2015, Shimano has come out with the ALDEBARAN casting reel. This reel weighs a mere 4.7 ounces which makes it the lightest in its class. The small palming body makes it perfect for bass guys to pitch and flip. It comes with a gear ratio of 6:5:1 and has 9 + 1 bearings. The max drag comes in at 10lbs. It has a light weight magnesium frame which makes it perfect for both saltwater and freshwater anglers. The retrieve is 25.5-29.1 in. It hold 100 yards of 10lbs mono. Tom Ashby of www.americanlegacyfishing.com has a few of these reels in stock. Give him a call toll free at 1-877-402-6350 for more info.