FISHING METHODS AND TACKLE

In the Reserve of Salto Grande Dam, only sport fishing with the release of all specimens is allowed, using methods in which the angler must have an active behavior: Fly casting, Bait casting and Spinning.

FLY CASTING

Rods: 9-foot fast action rods for #9 or #10 lines.

Lines: A WF floating line for warm climates, a 225-grain shooting taper, and another one of around 400 grains, to cover the river level variations that may occur on the day of fishing or from one day to the other.

Leaders: 5- to 7-foot leaders with a 0.60 butt and a tippet of no less than 20 lb, finished off with a shock wire or a 12’’ long 30 lb steel leader.

Reel: It should have good brake and around 219 yards of 30-lb backing.

Recommendations:

Have a significant amount of flies available (no less than 40) because they are easily destroyed by the dorados in a short time period. It is recommended that they are big flies, Streamers, of more than 6’’ in length, with a Muddler head and eyes with ballast, of dark colors (black, purple, olive green) alone or combined with other colors such as red, orange, yellow and green, in conditions of greater water transparency, mounted on 3/0 hooks of the best quality (Gamakatsu, Tiemco, Daiichi, Owner).
The use of lighter tackle #7 or #8 with WF floating lines and big poppers for top water fishing of specimens between 4.5 lb and 13 lb is recommended.
Use some protection in the fingers of the hand holding the rod in order to avoid burns and/or cuts caused by the line when the dorados struggle to escape from the hook.

BAIT CASTING

Rods: 7- to 8-foot, graphite, stiff, fast action rods of 25 to 30 lb of power, suitable for long casts, with lures weighing between 1 and 3 ounces and capable of dragging more than 16 ft deep.

Reels: Bait casting reels holding a minimum of 218 yards of 0.35 monofilament line, or a multifilament line of 12 Lb in thickness and 50 Lb test strength.

In low river level conditions and in presence of rocky outcrops, the monofilament line is more resistant to the contact with rocks. Under these conditions, the multifilament line is easily cut with the resulting loss of the line, the lure and, eventually, the catch.

It is recommended to use 40 to 60 lb steel wire (leader) of 12 to 16 inches in length.

Lures: They cannot have more than one barbless hook, whether treble or single (circular). Big size crankbaits and minnows (5 to 8 inches) for deep-water or mid-water fishing provide excellent results, even when they are indicated for trolling and/or saltwater fishing.

Recommended Colors: Lures of green, yellow, red, light blue, white, and black colors, in their various combinations.

Top water lures, similar to those used for peacock bass fishing (walking baits, sticks, choppers, poppers, propellers, etc.), can also be successfully used when the river level is low, which frequently occurs on Saturdays and Sundays, due to the lower electric power generation of Salto Grande Dam.

SPINNING

8-foot 25 lb graphite, stiff, fast action rods, and medium size reels of good quality loaded with a 0.35 monofilament line or a multifilament line of 10 lb in thickness and 40 lb test strength.

As far as lures, leaders and other accessories, the indications are the same than those of the Bait Casting method.