Discovering the Pucara: A First Step Toward Golden Dorado in Argentina
We may be about a year away from our inaugural visit to Argentina’s Don Joaquin River Lodge to chase golden dorado, but I’m going to use every moment between now and then to make sure our entire traveling party has the tackle necessary to maximize success.
Accordingly, I’ve been combing websites and YouTube, and asking anyone I know who’s ever chased these amazing river fish about their most successful lures and tackle. As you may have seen, I already did a deep dive into the “banana” style crankbaits [LINK] that are popular in both Brazil and Argentina. They were excellent on my wolf fish trip a few years back and seem to be equally productive (and durable) on the best golden dorado waters.
However, there was one additional crankbait that I kept seeing on the lodge’s own social media feed – a shad-shaped model of five inches or so, with single hooks rear and aft and a small rounded diving lip.
They showed up in the mouths of fish:
And check out these well-chewed specimens:
I went full Zapruder film on it -- zoomed in, paused, replayed --and finally found the name: Pucara. From there, hours of internet digging began.
Señuelos Pucara on Film
It wasn’t hard to find the company’s social media, both Instagram and Facebook, but still pictures couldn’t tell the full story – I needed to see mean-spirited fish crushing these lures without remorse, and then jumping high into the air without shaking them, so I turned to YouTube. There’s much more out there demonstrating Pucara’s other lures – like the Curve or the Glide – but I did manage to get a taste of this brand’s passion for the sport:
Where to Get the Pucara Shallow
I scoured every American online tackle store I could think of, plus eBay, hoping to find at least a few Pucara lures—so I wouldn’t arrive in South America empty-handed—but came up snake eyes.
The good news? There are plenty of options in Argentina, the lure’s country of origin. That includes Buenos Aires, where we’ll have a stopover. If we don’t have time to go on a shopping spree in the city, I may order some ahead and have them delivered to our hotel.
Here are a few native shops—both online and brick-and-mortar—that carry the Pucara shallow diver and its brandmates:
I’m hoping we’ll have some time to go explore the city and take advantage of a favorable exchange rate to buy some native lures. I’ve loved tackle shopping in Japan and Brazil and I expect Argentina to push the enthusiasm needle to 100 as well.
What If You Can’t Wait Until You Get to Argentina?
While I hope to shop for Pucara lures in Argentina—and I fully expect Don Joaquin River Lodge to have a selection of the best golden dorado baits—I can’t help but explore substitutes ahead of time. It’s not just about “what if”; I’m also hoping to bring something fresh that even the lodge guides haven’t seen before.
Here are some big, durable, US and JDM billed lures that have at least a passing resemblance to the Pucara:
If you have other proven options that we can obtain stateside, or South American baits we should look for once we’re below the equator, please let us know.
Join Us for the Ultimate Golden Dorado Adventure
We’re hosting a small group at Don Joaquin River Lodge in December and we’d love for you to join us. Whether you’re a first-time dorado angler like me or a seasoned fanatic with boxes full of the best domestic and international lure options, we’ll help you make the most of every cast. Email us today to get on the list or to learn more.
