Game fish
Dorado
Green-gold and goofy. Jumps a lot, weighs a little.
15–60 lbweight in the game
50+ lbtrophy size
7/10jumps
8/10speed
How it fights
The dorado jumps often and high, runs hard. Heavier line lands it more often, but fish see thick line and bite less.
Best lures
Feather Jig, Plug Head, Small Live Bait.
Counts at the weigh-in
Never — it’s a fish for the photo, not the scale.
Tackle
Line: 30 lb test handles a top-end dorado of 60 lb. Go lighter for more bites when the fish run small.
Depth: match your depth to the light: shallow when it’s dim, deep at bright midday.
Trophies: fish over 50 lb are rare. They turn up more for anglers with stronger stats and on the bigger lures.
Every lure, ranked
- Feather Jig — loves it
- Plug Head — loves it
- Small Live Bait — likes it
- Eyeball Head — will take it
- Fluorescent Head — will take it
- Small Skirt — will take it
- Large Skirt — ignores it
- Large Live Bait — ignores it
Fight tips
- Jumps: the moment it clears the water, drop the rod tip. Keep it tight and it throws the hook.
- Runs: let the early runs go on a light drag; pumping against a fresh, running fish snaps line.
- Face it: keep the fighting chair pointed at the fish. Its stamina is solid.
