01 — The Expedition

The Yellowcheek was a bucket-list fish I didn’t even know I wanted to catch. Little known outside a dedicated community of anglers, this elusive predator has earned the nickname “Tiger of the River.” The opportunity to chase a fish that so few people have even heard of was impossible to pass up.

Our adventure began in Hanoi, where Erin and I explored the city, sampled incredible Vietnamese food, and took classes in coffee making, cooking, and silversmithing. We learned to make Vietnamese coffee, pho, and lemongrass chicken, and even made silver necklaces and fishing rigs. For us, experiencing the culture is just as important as fishing.

From Hanoi, we drove about five hours into the countryside, crossed by ferry, and boarded a smaller boat to reach our floating accommodation: a working fish farm and houseboat surrounded by jungle-covered mountains. With air conditioning in our room and a huge turquoise reservoir outside the door, it was our kind of camping. We had three days to find our fish.

02 — The Fishing

TECHNIQUE / RUN-AND-GUN LURE FISHING

The reservoir was unlike anywhere we had fished before. Clear turquoise water stretched between rocky cliffs, with depths reaching 300–600 feet in the areas we fished. Yellowcheek could boil at the surface for a moment and vanish just as quickly.

We watched for sudden feeding activity and cast directly into the commotion. Between opportunities, we blind-cast toward the banks and reservoir edges while our guide located fish on forward-facing sonar. We used poppers, Whopper Ploppers, and jerkbaits worked with fast retrieves. These fish were like silver bullets.

The first day was especially difficult because of strong winds. Once the wind settled, I finally caught my first Yellowcheek by blind-casting toward the bank. Over three days, we saw hundreds of follows and missed dozens of opportunities, but landed 10 fish.

THE TROPHY FISH

The highlight came when we decided to leave biting fish in search of a bigger one. With only an hour of daylight left, our guide suggested one final spot and marked a massive fish on sonar.

We tied on a Whopper Plopper. On the first cast, the fish turned its head toward the lure. On the second, it followed. On the third, it committed with an enormous surface explosion. My rod loaded up and drag peeled from the reel as the fish thrashed and dove beneath the boat.

I stayed patient and steered it alongside us to keep the line from touching the hull. Before the final landing attempt, our guide deliberately encouraged it to make its last runs away from the net. At last, we landed a trophy-sized Yellowcheek — the fish we had traveled so far to find.

03 — Equipment Used

OUR FIELD SETUP

WHY THIS SETUP WORKED

Yellowcheek are exceptionally fast when chasing prey near the surface. Our 7’6″ Hey Skipper Predator Rod paired with a Shimano Twin Power 5000 and 40 lb braided line gave us control for quick casts and fast lure presentations. The responsive tip helped work jerkbaits, while the backbone gave us confidence during strong runs. The trophy came on a Whopper Plopper after repeated presentations.

05 — Plan Your Trip

Vietnam offers an unforgettable adventure for anglers interested in this elusive fish. We combined time exploring Hanoi with three days fishing a remote mountain reservoir, staying aboard a floating houseboat.

We recommend going with an experienced local guide familiar with Yellowcheek behavior and the reservoir. We can share information about our guide and approximate costs. Contact: info@heyskipperfishing.com