Freshwater

Dourada (gilded catfish)

Dorado de río (dourada, plateado)

Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii

FreshwaterBrackish

At a glance

Typical size

10–40 lb.

Depth

15–80 ft in the channels.

Best time

Late afternoon and night.

Found in

4 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: Big, sleek catfish with a golden-silver body, a darker gray back and a deeply forked tail; whiskers are long in young fish and shorter in adults.
Typical size: 10–40 lb.
Maximum size: Over 6 ft and about 100 lb.
Diet: Fish.
Behavior: Makes one of the longest migrations of any freshwater fish: the young grow up in the Amazon estuary and the adults swim thousands of miles up to the Andean foothills to spawn.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Amazon & Pantanal, Amazon Mouth (Belém, Marajó & Amapá), Bolivia & Peru Lakes & Rivers and Venezuela & Colombia Rivers. Main channels of big white-water rivers, from the estuary near Belém to the upper rivers of Peru, Bolivia and Colombia.
Habitat: Main channels of big white-water rivers, from the estuary near Belém to the upper rivers of Peru, Bolivia and Colombia.
Depth: 15–80 ft in the channels.
Fishing depth: On the bottom in 15–50 ft.
Best season: When the schools migrate upriver at low and rising water.
Best time: Late afternoon and night.
Best tides: No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.
Best weather / conditions: Stable weather.

What to tie on and what to throw.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Hooks Sinkers Gloves

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Main channels of big white-water rivers, from the estuary near Belém to the upper rivers of Peru, Bolivia and Colombia.
Rig up: Heavy rod and reel (50–80 lb class). 100–150 lb mono.
Pick your bait: Whole or cut fish. Lures: Rarely; heavy jigs and spoons sometimes.
Fish it: Anchor at the edge of a deep channel or river meeting and fish cut bait on the bottom.
Time it: Late afternoon and night. No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.

Fishing techniques: Anchor at the edge of a deep channel or river meeting and fish cut bait on the bottom.
BigJoe's tip: The meeting of two big rivers, like the Negro and Solimões near Manaus, is a classic spot.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Good eating when fresh.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: An important market fish in the Amazon; firm meat, good grilled or in stews.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Strong fish with sharp pectoral fin spines — handle with gloves.
Regulations: Brazil and other countries set minimum sizes and closed seasons; check local rules. Every country requires a fishing license (in Brazil, the Licença de Pesca Amadora), each Argentine province and Brazilian state adds its own rules, and most rivers close during the spawning season. Indigenous lands and strict reserves are closed to outside anglers without permits.
Conservation: Dams on the Madeira and other rivers block its migration route.

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Sources & photo credits