Tender loving care for your spinning reels

These days, many reels are made to last, even when they are bombarded with salt water and harsh solar heat. But they still require your tender loving care. As the saying goes, you take care of them, they will also take care of you, giving you the ultimate comfort and smoothness when you are handling your trophy catch.

The TLC to your favorite reel boils down to the maintenance for your reel. Yes, it is not a simple thing to do and can consume a bit of time but it is worth every bit of effort. Nothing can beat the satisfaction of landing a trophy fish with a self maintained reel. Agree?

There are a lot of videos and guides on the website. However, they can be pretty confusing sometimes. To  simplify the matter, below are some pointers as well as 3 websites with clear explanations on basic maintenance.  

Essential steps to take note:

1. Prepare all the tools required and place them neatly on the table. 

2. Study the catalog to know where the springs are located to prevent "surprise box" attack. Usually at the bail area. 

3. Place removed parts in orderly and systematic sequence so as to make the assembly easier. 

3. Know the purpose of lube, oil and solvent. Each of them have specify purpose. See video for more information.

4. Do not use WD 40!!! This is not a lube and will damage your reel. 

5. Not all parts of the reel require grease or lubricant. Especially the clutch area.

6. Certain parts are easy to remove but difficult to place back. Make sure you remember how they are installed. 

7. Not all reels are similar, especially when they are of the different brand. 

8. If unsure, you can first try to tear apart unwanted reels before operating on your favorite one. If you are still unsure, you can simply bring it to an authorized dealer for servicing. 

For more information, please visit the site below. They have very clear explanation on how its done. 


This is a good guide to where and what to lubricant
http://www.alanhawk.com/blog/care.html

Daiwa
http://www.scsurffishing.com/articles/reelmaintenance.htm

Shimano reel
http://anglingauthority.com/shimano-spinning-reel-maintenance-tutorial/

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Celebrity look alike: Blobfish

Blobfish is famously known for being the ugliest animal. Adding to its despair, someone has actually compared its look to a celebrity. Who exactly has the ability to top the appearance of a Blobfish? Watch on to find out

Fun Facts

Salty Shark 咸鲨鱼

Most of the fish have little salt or do not taste salty at all. Sharks are unique. Accordingly to deepseawaters.com, they have meat as salty as the ocean they live in. So now you know how much salt to include in your shark meat or rather just release them : ) 
大多数的鱼肉本身都不含有盐分可是鲨鱼就不一样。根据deepseawaters.com， 鲨鱼的肉里的盐分能与他们所居住的海相比。 下次在吃鲨鱼肉时就知道因该要下多少盐了。 

Photo credit: www.amazon.com

Age of Fish 鱼的年龄

Do you know that you can tell the age of the fish by looking at the scale. Look carefully at the scale if they are big enough or use a magnifier if you have one.  On the scale, there are growth rings that reveal the age of a fish. 
你可知道鱼鲮能透露它们的年龄？只要仔细的观察或利用放大镜就能从中看到鱼鲮上的年龄环了。

Photo credit: http://www.chesapeakelighttackle.com/

Flying Fish 小飞鱼

On average, flying fish can glide 160 feet and they can reach heights up to 19 feet, 5 meters.

According to National Geographic, flying fish have been recorded stretching out their flights with consecutive glides spanning distances up to 1,312 feet (400 meters).

一般的飞鱼都能在水面上滑翔大约50米的距离与5米的高度。 根据National Geographic飞鱼的滑翔距离曾经记录在400米。太厉害了！ 

Photo credit: http://www.chesapeakelighttackle.com/

Fish can drown 鱼也会淹死

Fish live in the sea but that does not mean that they don't drown. Just like us humans, fish need oxygen, so if there isn’t enough oxygen in the water, they will suffocate and drown. 

虽然鱼成长在水里不代表它们不会淹死。与人类相同， 鱼也需要氧气一旦水里的氧气不足它们就会被水淹死。

Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/keithdiplock/green-wall/

Most Poisonous Fish 

The most poisonous fish in the world is none other than the stone fish. The venom can cause unbearable pain, swelling, tissue death, shock paralysis and even death if not treated immediately. The next time if you hook a stone accidentally, it is wise to give it a second look before holding it in your hand.  

世上最毒的鱼是石。 它的毒液能引发无法忍受的痛感，红肿， 导致组织死亡，暂时瘫痪甚至死亡。 如果下次无意把一颗石头钓上来记得要再看一次， 而不要直接用双手去抓。 

Photo credit: http://thefisheriesblog.com/

Faster Fish in the World

Capable of travelling up to a top speed of 110km/h it is the fastest fish on Earth. The Indo-Pacific Sailfish have the power that can stress out your fishing gears. if you are chasing after one, it is advisable to have a bottle of fresh water next to you as they can help in cooling down your reel. 

它可以在短时间内达到110公里的速度。印度 - 太平洋的旗鱼是地球上最快的鱼。它的速度肯定能把一般的钓鱼用具试到极限。 如果有机会挑战它们记得要带上一瓶淡水在必要时把水l淋到鱼铰上能避免过热。

Photo credit: http://scubadiverlife.com/

Most expensive lures

Ever wonder how much is the world's most expensive fish lures and how they look like? Check out these amazing masterpieces.

Comstock Flying Hellgrammite

This imtation of a dobsonfly is considered as the first wooden lure by collectors. It is worth at around $12,000. 

Source: Wide Open Spaces

Photo credit: http://www.wideopenspaces.com/

Heddon Night Radiant

A top water plug produced in 1912. It was advertised as a moonlight bait. The estimated worth for this lure is around $10,000. 

Source: Wide Open Spaces

• Photo credit: http://www.wideopenspaces.com/
• 
  

Krantz & Smith Chautauqua Minnow

A very rare antique fishing lure because only a very limited amount was ever made. The highest bid for a single lure was recorded at $35,000. 

Source: Wide Open Spaces

Photo credit: http://www.wideopenspaces.com/

Heddon Frog

The frog lure was made in 1897 by a honey maker, It was intended to be a gift with purchase of his honey. Today, there are 8 of these hand crafted wooden frogs around and it can be sold at $30,000 each.

Source: Wide Open Spaces

Photo credit: www.pinterest.com

1853 Giant Copper Haskell Giant Minnow

The first American fish lure made with copper and has a rotating fin. In 2003, the lure was sold at Lang’s Discovery Auction in Waterville, N.Y. for an astonishing $101,200

Source: Wide Open Spaces

Photo credit: http://www.wsj.com/

Million Dollar Lure

Photo credit: http://www.ealuxe.com/

This amazing lure or should I say jewelry was released in 2006. It is made from 31bs of gold and platinum and around 100 carats of set diamonds and rubies. You might think that this piece of luxurious art work has never been put into action but you are wrong. According to source,  it was actually used at the 26th Annual Brisbee’s Black and Blue” tournament in Baja California. 

Now do you have one of these? 

The Desaru Ah Long Xperience

First time on board Ah Long's boat and was quite an experience. Boat is clean, new and spacious, ample space to maneuver.  

We arrived at the first spot and could see lots of surface action. 30 minutes past but managed to land only a small Bonito.

Sensing that the fish are not active, he bought us to the next spot. Somewhere to target some lazy fishes like the Groupers. And this were the results.....

Current movement was slow so we employed slow jigging technique with Madai and slow fall. Plenty of Groupers but most were not a keeper, so they were released later...

Captain Long is enthusiastic and passionate about fishing. 

To ensure that we get as much fun as possible, he kept the boat drifting and re-positioned it as soon as it misses the reef , 2 thumbs up! 

 All fishes caught on jig, a great practice session

A big bonus after hours of jigging. Hook up on a 8kg Tenggiri on Storm Koika jig 30g. 
You can find Ah long on Facebook.

Toxin in fish!!

http://www.mar1sportfishing.com/Barracuda.html

Right now I guess most people are well aware of the mercury in top predatory fish but not many are aware of high toxic level in these fishes. If consumed, one can experience pain in the muscles.

The threat is wide as the toxin can be found in Barracudas, Snappers, Dorados, Groupers and the list go on. You might be wondering, these fishes are by nature not poisonous nor venomous, so why are they toxic?

To elaborate further, we have to trace back all the way down the food chain. It begins with a type of algae, which exists on coral reefs in warm tropical and subtropical ocean water. This green organism is actually a carrier of a type of toxin called ciguatera and can be easily transmitted to small fishes when consumed. This will pass on predatory fish that has eaten one of these fishes and eventually to any human whom had ate the predator. 

It is advisable to avoid top notch predatory fish that are extremely ferocious and aggressive like the Barracuda, especially when they are caught off the shallow water. A study has suggested that they encompass the greatest risk of ciguatera poisoning. 

Common symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, pain and in the hands and muscle.

 It is  advisable to quickly consult a doctor, if any of this symptom occurs after you have consumed a predatory fish,

http://news.ufl.edu/archive/2015/06/number-of-people-sickened-by-toxin-in-barracuda-and-other-tropical-reef-fish-higher-than-previously-reported.html

7 fun steps with a Sailfish

Had some fun with a sailfish during a recent trip to Rompin. It was an excellent and fruitful trip. With the professional assistance from the captain and crew, everyone on board had a fair share of the sail experience. With 6 people on board, we landed 5 and 1 got away before we could witness its beauty. 

Below is a short clip of the fight with a decent size sailfish in which, I have summarized it into 7 fun steps, hope you Kakis enjoy the clip!