Jozini Tiger fishing

Jozini Tiger fishing Techniques

There are many different ways to catch Tiger fish in Jozini Dam, and some techniques are much more productive than others. Jozini Dam has a huge variety of tiger fishing areas ranging from very deep water in the gorge (70m in places), to the shallow flats in the north, on the Swaziland side of Jozini Dam. The tiger fishing technique you use will differ from spot to spot.

Below I will discuss different methods and techniques used to catch Tiger fish in Jozini.

Livebait

No fish can be brought into Jozini dam from any other river, dam, aquarium or fish farm. Fish brought in can introduce diseases into Jozini and threaten fish populations. Irresponsible fishermen who have no clue about this, bring in goldfish, koi and other livebait to Jozini Dam to catch Tiger fish. This is illegal.

Tiger fish are voracious, aggressive predators and fish form the largest part of the diet of the Tiger fish. Jozini Dam has 28 different fish species in Jozini, including the Tiger fish, which means that there is a huge variety for the Tiger fish to choose from.

There are a few problems with using livebait in Jozini Dam. Firstly, it is often difficult to catch livebait, and once you have bait, you still have to find the Tiger fish. You can swim a perfect little bait for days without a strike if you are not where the fish are.

Good places to fish for tiger fish with livebait are in the Pongola river section between the Golela camping site and the railway bridge and the eastern bank along the old Pongola river course. You can also try the inlets in the gorge and the outside edge of the weed beds.

Livebaits can also be trolled slowly. This tiger fishing technique is often more effective in Jozini because you can cover a lot of ground in a short time. Keep your rod tips low if it is windy, this will help prevent crossed lines.

You can also use the wind and drift along good lines with livebait with or without a float. Floats can be wine bottle corks, fancy plastic floats or balloons, the Tiger fish aren't fussy. I have a problem with the use of balloons when fishing for Tiger fish in Jozini, because when they pop, pieces of plastic end up in the water.

How to catch livebait in Jozini Dam

The most effective way to catch livebait in Jozini Dam is with light tackle, a float, very small hook and earthworms. Don't forget to use a short piece of steel trace because little tiger fish also eat worms and they will take all your little hooks. Fish for Tilapia and other small fish in the shallow water where the water is dirty. In deeper water, use a small sinker and a running trace. Tilapia stay alive for a long time if you look after them. Keep the water in your livebait well oxygenated and do regular water changes.

Dead Baits

Tiger fishing in Jozini Dam with bait is the most popular (but not the most productive) way of catching Tiger fish. Tiger fish will take a range of meaty and fishy baits including Tilapia and Barbel fillet, chicken and ox liver, and sardines. While fishing for tiger fish in Jozini dam with bait, you will also catch some big Barbel. You can prevent Barbel hookups by keeping your bait off the bottom with a float. Keeping your bait off the bottom will also save you tackle because of all the bottom structure in the Jozini Dam. The problem with bait fishing is that if you have chosen a fishing spot without fish, it is very slow fishing.

One can also drift in open water with baits, hoping that an open water monster Tiger fish will find your bait. As a general rule, small baits will catch alot of small fish, use bigger juicy baits for the bigger tiger fish. Chumming the water for Tiger fish as you drift can also bring fish onto your drifting line, or chum while you are at anchor.

Small tiger fish tear bait off the hook quickly. Use cotton to tie your baits on. This is also the best use for braided line when it comes to tiger fishing! I discuss the advantages and disadvantages of braid in the 'Tiger fishing Tackle' section.

Soft Plastics and Drop shot fishing for Tiger fish

Dropshot fishing for Tiger fish in Jozini can also be a very effective technique to catch Tiger fish in Jozini. 1/4 to 1/2 ounce jig heads with 4" soft plastics work best for bigger Tiger fish, but the little ones still try, and rip your dropshots to pieces in the process. Green, red and yellow and combinations of those colors work well.

Remember that when fishing for any gamefish, including when tiger fishing Jozini Dam, speed gets their hunting instinct going. You will never out-reel a tiger fish! Dropshots retrieved slowly often attract the attention of tiger fish, but they only follow. Retrieve the dropshot faster and the Tiger fish doesn't have the time to have a good look at the lure and eats it more often than not. When fishing in dirty water, retrieval speed must be slower, unless you are keeping the dropshot on the surface to create splashes to attract Tiger fish.

An advantage of dropshot fishing for tiger fish in Jozini Dam is that you can fish deep water effectively with dropshot. When the Tiger fish are in deeper water you can get the dropshot down quickly and work it near the bottom, keeping the bait deep.

There are several disadvantages to dropshot fishing for Tiger fish in Jozini. When fishing close to or over weed beds, the dropshot's jig head snags on weed and all you catch is salad! You also have to take a good stock of dropshots with you to Jozini because the sharp teeth of the Tiger fish shred the soft plastics.

The most important factor with dropshot fishing for Tiger fish in Jozini is to fish in the right places where there are concentrations of big Tiger fish.

Fly fishing in Jozini

Fly fishing for tiger fish at Jozini Dam is increasing in popularity as the Tiger fishing improves year on year. Leave your light tackle at home, because the Tiger fish will destroy it. You need a rod which is at least an 8 or 9 weight with a reel which holds a lot of backing. Have 2 rods rigged, one with floating and the other sinking fly sinking line, both with heavy shooting leaders. Casting distance and accuracy is important so that you can put your fly onto ant surface Tiger fish activity you see.

Large flies, as large as you can cast effectively, which resemble fish work well. Adjust retrieval speed according to water clarity. In clearer water, tigerfish will not see the fly as easily, so retrieve slower. In dirty water, flies which create surface disturbance work well. Often, the tiger fishing at Jozini is better when the water is not crystal clean.

Good fly fishing areas at Jozini include the vast weed beds south of the Golela camping site. The western shore of Jozini Dam is also has miles of weed beds to fish, and make for good tiger fishing on fly.

Spinning and Spooning for Tiger fish

This is my favorite way of spending my days at Jozini Dam. If you spend time spinning and spooning into good water, go can catch tiger fish all day long and have a huge amount of fun. There is nothing better than seeing a monster Tiger fish breaking the surface below your lure, grabbing it and running so fast that your line tears through the water as if a Wahoo is at the end of your line. Usually this is followed by the Tiger fish launching itself out of the water and shaking so hard that your lure goes flying through the air. I find this technique to be the most exciting and productive tiger fishing technique at Jozini Dam.

The secret behind spinning and spooning is perseverance and confidence in the technique, as well as putting as many casts into good spots as possible. Work the spoon or spinner erratically if you are not getting strikes with a smooth retrieve of the lure. In dirty water, allow the lure to splash and plop along the surface to get the attention of nearby Tiger fish. When fishing in the deeper areas of Jozini, allow your spoon or spinner to sink to the bottom and work it in the depths for a while before retrieving it to the surface.

Good fishing spots to catch Tiger fish on spoon include the outer edge of weed beds and drop offs. Once you learn the technique, you will find that it is easy to fish over the weed beds if you don't allow the lure to sink. Retrieve the lure keeping your rod tip high so that the lure runs just below or on the surface. Where there are holes in the weed, slow down or stop retrieving to allow the spoon to sink into sight of Tiger fish swimming along the bottom.