Fred Roumbanis Bassmaster Elite Professional

By Deb Johnson - Dec 13, 2011 - Make no mistake: The bass is, as always, No. 1. But an African native commonly called the tiger fish now ranks as the No. 2 gamefish for both Fred Roumbanis and Derek Remitz.

Their taste for tiger fishing stems from an early December tour of South Africa. The two Bassmaster Elite Series pros were guests of their mutual sponsor, soft plastics maker El Grande Lures, which has offices in South Africa as well as in the United States.

During a span of eight days, the two pros traveled 1,500 miles across South Africa. On their trek, they encountered various big game, slept in luxury bush camps and resorts, were treated to several braai (barbecues) and met people they now consider good friends. But their sharpest shared memory was the time spent fishing at the Nkonkoni Tiger Fishing Camp on the Jozini Dam’s Lake Pongola.

The tiger fish’s reputation had both bass pros eager to lay eyes — and hooks — on one.

“A tiger fish has a body that looks like a striper’s, and a mouth like something you’ve never seen in your life,” Remitz described.

Roumbanis’ definition of tiger fish: “Piranha meets largemouth.”

The tiger fish is named, of course, for its ultra-sharp teeth. Picture the pointed fangs you’d see when a tiger yawns. Now imagine a full mouth, top and bottom, of those enameled knife points (albeit shorter teeth than a tiger’s long incisors). That’s a tiger fish. But formidable teeth are not the reason Remitz and Roumbanis wanted to face this tiger.  Read More