# Tiger Fish report 6/20-/6/22



## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

Made another trip to the Zambezi but this time we went off the beaten path. Woke up at 5 a.m. friday morning and were on the road by 6 a.m. after making some breakfest burritos and loading up the car. About 2 hours after our departure we turn onto a dirt road which we followed for about 30 minutes until we made it to a river where we had to wait for the ferry to cross the river so we could get our car accross. 30 minutes later we were on the "road" again. For the next 3 hours it was dirt paths in the middle of the african bush, saw lots of wildlife but no signs of civilization, and our gps wasn't picking up any roads (I know, big surprise) but we finally made it to Kasaka River lodge. 

We were greeted by large smiles and very low whispering  It wasn't until they gestured us to follow them into reception that we figured out why everyone was whispering, there was a large bull elephant dozing in the shade right behind reception! He wasn't a paid employee but he should have been! What a way to start the trip! 

After unloading the car it was time for lunch where we would plan out the rest of our day, surprise surprise I wanted to go fishing for some tigers with my Dad while my brother and mother went on an afternoon safari. We met at 3:00p.m. for tea and were in the boat with our guide by 3:30 p.m. He asked us what we wanted to do, spinning (fishing with lures), or catching bait and then drifting filet's. We decided to do both, we spent the first hour drifting down river next to the bank throwing spoons with nothing to show for it so we moved onto catching bait.


Pulled up next to the shore and used worms to catch chessa. seems easy right? Wrong! You think sheeps head are hard to hook? No way, easy compared to these bait stealing bastards :furious: BUt eventually we prevailed and boated one. 



We anchored up on an "island" in the middle of the river, was really just a sandbar covered in reeds and we put out chessa filet's and drifted them way back with the current and cracked open some brewskis :drink::drink::drink: After 10 minutes or so I dropped my rod tip down low and was about to let some more line out when my trio started screaming!!! Ran for a solid two seconds before dropping it so I flipped open the bail and held the line with my finger while I set my drag to where I wanted it (this is where my dad's okuma avenger baitrunners were making me jealous) and waited for him to return, and sure enough, not two minutes later line starts peeling out, I let him eat for 30 seconds because I did not want to miss this fish!!! Once I let him run long enough I flipped the drag and jacked him up!!! Fish on!! :starwars: After fighting against him and the current for 2 minutes or so I finally got him boat side where he peeled off line a couple more times and did some awesome jumps before we netted him. Got some quick photos and released him to get bigger! My dad missed a tiger shortly after that just about made his reel smoke it was peeling off line so fast, and I had one bite my bait in half, soon after we left because the sun was setting. Great end to day 1. 

Day 2: I spent going on a safari in the A.M. with the family and a canoe safari in the afternoon. Saw plenty of wildlife but my mind was on fishing! Highlight of the day was seeing a 15 ft+ nile croc swim accross the channel and beach himself on the island in the center, that thing was huuuuuuge. 

Day 3: Got to spend the whole day fishing today! We spent the majority of our A.M. trip spinning (throwing lures) with pretty good success! First 30 minutes were uneventful but once we hit this one stretch of river it was game on! I got the first strike on my krocodile spoon and it was a nice one! Bigger than my first fish of the trip for sure, he hit it once, didn't get hooked, and came back and inhaled my lure right next to the boat and peeled off some line before jumping and spitting the hook  No worries though the bites were plentiful! Probably jumped off another 3 and my dad the same before he finally gets a nice hookset and lands his first tiger of the trip. Literally the next cast he comes tight again and gets another one boat side, which results in him "trash talking" me which backfires on him once I point out my fish from our previous trip was larger than his too, and that I fish for quality not quantity! :thumbup: Soon after I come tight and get another tiger in the boat and our guide Louis poses with me in the picture. Continue spinning for another 30 mins with no more hits until I finally get another one which we managed to land after a short acrobatics show! 

Moved onto bait fishing, same deal as the day before, lost 10~ worms before landing 1 fish, managed 5 golden bellies (great whole baits) and 1 chessa. Spent the next hour drifting down the river with cut chessa and whole golden bellies, no hits and it was lunch time so we headed back to the lodge to get some grub and take a nap. Woke up at 2 p.m. and had was back in the boat getting rigged by 2:30, spent the first hour of fishing spinning with 0 hits so we moved on to drifting, had plenty of bait from early. About 15 minutes into our first drift my rod tip starts to bounce so I pick it up and it feels like something is there, then my line goes slack, shoots under the boat, starts to scream, and I hear a BIG splash on behind me on the other side of the boat! BIG TIGER guide estimated a 12lb tiger, fought him for a good 30 seconds (by fight I mean held on while he peeled off line) before he leaped out and shook my hook!!! I was pissed!!!:furious: Drifted that section of river again a couple of times with no luck so we anchored up at an island and drifted out some baits. Right as the sun was setting I got a very slow and steady run, Louis immediately exclaims "Vundu! Vundu!" (a Vundu is a massive catfish that fights like no other) I contain my excitement, let him eat, and then set the hook! Nothing..... After reeling in and looking at my empty hook knowing that was my last chance at a fish this trip I realise that my hook is bent, the point of the hook is just about touching the shaft! Louis tells me that it was a vundu 100% That was the end of my fishing adventure, all in all it was a success, got some tigers and two new species!


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

Some pictures


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

more pics


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Holy elephant! What a time you are having over there.....traveling like a dreamer! AWESOME!


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

Jason said:


> Holy elephant! What a time you are having over there.....traveling like a dreamer! AWESOME!


I certainly can't complain! One more elephant picture for good measure!


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

awesome! How COOL!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Great report. Thanks for sharing.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Geeez-a-lou! what an adventure - I can say without hesitation that Elephant might have ground me to dust but I would have tried to ride that big joker!!


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Trip of a lifetime, awesome!


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

Extremely cool:notworthy:


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

Thanks for all of the kind words everyone, I feel blessed to have such opportunities like this! And Try'n Hard, I would not recommenced it! He could pick you up with his trunk and throw you like you were nothing! Powerful, beautiful creatures.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Way to go on those tigers man, & sorry for the late response. My mind has been elsewhere lately I guess. What a sweet read! Awesome report & great stories. Glad you're finally getting some fishing in. I've been fishing every day up here in WI but have gotten lazy & haven't been posting any reports. Shoot me a PM & let's figure out a time we can Skype, cause I miss you bro!


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

ThaFish said:


> Way to go on those tigers man, & sorry for the late response. My mind has been elsewhere lately I guess. What a sweet read! Awesome report & great stories. Glad you're finally getting some fishing in. I've been fishing every day up here in WI but have gotten lazy & haven't been posting any reports. Shoot me a PM & let's figure out a time we can Skype, cause I miss you bro!


Eyyyyy, just saw this, p.m. sent homie.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

MoganMan said:


> Thanks for all of the kind words everyone, I feel blessed to have such opportunities like this! And Try'n Hard, I would not recommenced it! He could pick you up with his trunk and throw you like you were nothing! Powerful, beautiful creatures.


 I know....but from behind this keyboard, im pretty sure I could take him... maybe whisper to him to let me have a ride, haha! Elephants are cool creatures and I would love to see a wild one, bet they can make your heart speed up! 
Thank You God for all your wondrous creations!!


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