The Dorado are renowned for their acrobatic leaps out of the water
The Golden Dorado (Salminus brasiliensis), named for where it was first documented in the Paraná basin and its salmon like body (though it is not actually of the salmon family), is a river fish that lives around the middle of South America including much of the north of Argentina. Though they have a beautiful golden body and a habit of elegantly leaping out of the water they are not the friendliest of fish. Their large head is filled with razor-sharp teeth, they are exceptionally aggressive and will eat any smaller fish – even smaller Dorados. They are particularly fond of Sabalos and will hunt them in packs or lie in wait for them behind boulders or other underwater obstructions like a trout.
Unlike the Salmon, they never venture beyond the river mouth nor do they die after spawning and often grow to massive sizes (over 50 lbs / 22.6 kg).
Their size and nature has meant they have recently become one of the most sought after freshwater game fish. And their voracious appetite means the Dorado is not difficult to hook though, if they don’t chomp straight through the lures, they are fantastically difficult to land. They tend to strike the lure or fly with tremendous force and are great battlers once hooked.
The Ibera wetlands in the northeast, where you generally fish from a flat-bottomed boat, is the best known region to fish for the Dorado.
Fishing for the Dorado in the Ibera wetlands
However in the Sub-Andean hills of Salta there is some excellent fishing from the banks of mountain rivers.
Fishing for the Dorado on the Juramento river, in the Sub-Andean hills of Salta
