Tiger surubí

The tiger sorubim is a big, strong fish that fights in current and against structure, so you need robust, reliable gear. The rule is not to underestimate it: a medium fish in current already demands a lot from your tackle.

For bottom fishing / drifting with bait:

• Rod: medium-heavy to heavy action, 1.80 to 2.40 m, with good reserve power to lift a fish out of the hole. One-piece or two-piece, with reinforced guides.
• Reel: a rotating reel (a good-sized baitcaster) or a robust spinning reel, with a good drag and line capacity. The drag has to be smooth but powerful to withstand the runs.
• Line: braid of 0.30 to 0.40 mm (approx. 40 to 65 lb), which gives you sensitivity to detect the bite on the bottom and power to fight. Alternatively, monofilament nylon of 0.50 to 0.60 mm if you prefer the cushioning of nylon.
• Leader: essential. Use a section of fluorocarbon or heavy nylon of 0.60 to 0.90 mm, or even fine wire/steel, at least 40 to 60 cm long, to resist the chafing against the hard mouth, the structures, and the fish's skin. The sorubim doesn't cut with teeth like a tararira, but its mouth sands down the line.
• Hooks: strong, eagle-claw / O'Shaughnessy type 6/0 to 9/0, always well sharpened. If you fish catch and release, consider circle and barbless hooks (or with the barb pinched down) for a safer unhooking.
• Sinker: matched to the current, of a type that rests on the bottom without dragging too much.

For spinning with lures:

• Medium-heavy spinning rod of 1.80 to 2.10 m, with the power to cast large lures and fight in current.
• Spinning reel 4000 to 6000 with a good drag, loaded with 30 to 50 lb braid.
• Fluorocarbon leader 0.60 to 0.80 mm ahead of the lure.

Always add long pliers for unhooking, gloves to handle the fish safely, and a net or lip grip to hold it without hurting it if you're going to release it.

The tiger sorubim is caught mainly in three ways: bottom fishing with bait, drifting over the holes, and lure fishing with spinning or trolling. The key is always to present the bait or lure near the bottom, in the current, or tight to structure, and to respect its activity windows.

Bottom fishing / drifting (the most classic):

1. Use the sounder to locate a deep hole, a junction of waters, or the foot of a bank with current.
2. Rig a bottom line with a sinker matched to the current (one that touches bottom without dragging too much) and a strong hook, eagle-claw type 6/0 to 9/0 depending on bait size.
3. Bait with live morena or eel, or with a good sábalo strip, and let the line work in the hole.
4. You can anchor the boat or let yourself drift over the hole, covering different depths until you find where the fish is holding.
5. When it bites, wait for it to "load up" the jolt and set firmly: the sorubim's mouth is hard and you need to secure the hook.

Spinning (with lures):

• Comb the stream mouths, currents, and current heads at dawn and dusk with poppers or topwater; the strike is brutal.
• During the day, cast heavy jigs or large soft plastics to the bottom of the hole, with a slow retrieve and taps on the bottom.

Trolling:

• Drag deep-diving minnows or heavy spoons along the banks and depth breaks, at slow speed, to locate active fish over long stretches of river.

Guide tips:

• The best times are dusk, the first part of the night, and dawn. At night is when it feeds most.
• Work the river level changes: after rain or with the water moving, the bite turns on.
• Ease off the pressure over structure: the sorubim "buries in" against a log or rock, so the moment it hooks up you have to pull it out of its refuge firmly so it doesn't break you off.
• Patience: it's not a fish that bites all the time; it's about waiting for the activity "window" in the right spot.