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!  

Simple braided line to mono knots

www. awesomefishing knots.com

You are on a offshore trip. During a fish frenzy, your line snapped. To make the situation worst, you are only confident  in your FG or PR knot ( a knot you have practiced and tested umpteen times) which supposedly is the best  leader to braided line.

However, to tie them well it will require a fair amount of time unless you are in the Pro-category. And by the time you are ready to soak the line in again, you noticed that the school is now gone and you have missed the day's only exciting period. Sounds familiar?

As a passerby in this situation, I now armed myself with an easier and faster knot as an alternative. Despite their simplicity, most of the knots are designed to withstand very strong resistant. Personally, I use an Albright knot as a backup to the FG and it has never failed me.

Below are some compilations of fast knots video with clear step by step instructions for you to find your second best. Enjoy!

1. Albright Knot

2. Yucatan Knot

3. J Knot

Do fish feel the pain??

http://www.islamoradatarpon.com/

This debate has been going around for as long as we can remember. Many anglers including myself are hoping that fish do not feel the torture when we engage them in a Tug of War. 

I recall a fishing encounter from one of my buddy anglers. He was fishing along a river in Germany when a Trout took his bait. The Trout was landed after a few minutes and was released as it is not a keeper. He tracked the movement of the fish and saw it returning to the same location. In curiosity, he cast the fly right back at the same spot. Amazingly, the fish took it again. Again, he landed and set it free and the fish swam  back to the similar hideout. Not convinced, he cast to the spot once more and the once again the same fish took it. Since then, he has been fishing guilt free. 

http://troutderby.com/

Is it really the same fish? I can only take his assurance that it was. 

Recently, there is an article that attempts to cast the myth away. Done by international researcher they have concluded that fish do not feel pain.

Personally, I feel that the article is not convincing enough as it is highly possible that fish can react to pain in a totally different way than what we expect. 

See what you think about the it, here is the link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261424/Anglers-finally-hook-scientists-settle-age-old-debate-fish-feel-pain.html

Do drop a comment, if you have any related story or opinion. Cheers and keep fishing! 

3 keywords for selecting a wire leader

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/

Using wire leader is not always the best choice in fishing as they are more visible in the water and not easy to rig up hooks. Often, they are utilize only to target toothy game fish like the Tenggiri ( Narrowed barred Spanish mackerel), Barracuda, Sailfish, Marlin and Wahoo.

Today, technology has caught up with anglers' demands as there are many types of wire leaders available in the market. However, it can also get a bit confusing when choosing the right wire for your trip. Standard products are titanium, multi strand, nylon coated multi
strand and single strand stainless steel wire. 

Here are few things that you might want to look out for in a wire leader.

1.  Flexibility. A flexible wire enables easier rigging and less prone to kinking

2. Thickness. A thinner wire with stronger poundage equals to lower visibility 

3. Durability. A durable wire that can withstand the torment of predators can save precious time in changing  rig as they can be reused. This is especially crucial if the fish are in frenzy mood.  

Most hardcore anglers these days prefer titanium wire as they entail most of the above qualities. However, they come with a premium price tag compared to their counterparts. 

Sailfish caught on 20lbs multi strands stainless steel wire leader (Elephant brand) 

http://barjackfishing.com/

The trick is to know what you are ready to compromise. 

Wires like nylon coated and single strand normally kink after one fish and need to be replaced. This will not be an issue if you are willing to prepare a bunch of rig prior to the trip.

Nylon coated wire also have the tendency to trap salt particles in between the coating and the wire which will lead to corrosion. It is thus advisable to discard after used. 

If the water you are fishing is tannic then thinner low visibility wire might be redundant. Then maybe opting for a thicker bite proof wire is more practical.

Knowing the right type of connection is also crucial as wire tend to work better with certain securing method.  If you are not confident in tying an albright knot then you can skip the premium selection of titanium wire and opt for the nylon coated multi strand wire that works well with crimp. 

Hope that this article is able to solves your doubts on the basic of choosing wire leader. For more detail information, below are more websites that you can visit. Cheers! 

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/techniques/rigs-and-tips/metal-logic

http://www.go-saltwater-fishing.com/leader-wire.html

The Damai fishing experience

Having a GT (Giant Trevally) on the end of a line is the to do list for many anglers. However, many do not have the chance to do so as they often require a lots of travelling especially when you are living in Singapore. 

Knowing that, many fishing pond operators in the region are now filling their enclosures with these swimming Lamborghini. One of the best place to get the kick is Damai fishing village, Johor, Malaysia. 

Mine first encounter with the GT was in fact in one of their ponds. It was filled with excitements. Rods broken, line snapped and unexpected big groupers. 

To date, I have been there several times and it  has since become a reliable testing ground for my setups. So I thought will be good to share some of the things I have noticed in their ponds. 

The Location

Google map 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damai.fishingvillage

Address: Damai Fishing Village 大马钓鱼中心, Jalan Kassim Nur, 81200 Pulai, Malaysia



Here are few tips that might be useful the next time you visit Damai GT pond. 

1. Each pond have their own criteria on setup. Make sure your setup complied with their rules. They are strict with the rod and reel size but not so much on the line poundage. 

Pond C+: Fish normally below 3kg. 
Rod: PE 1 and above 
Reel: Size 3000 and above
Line: 40lbs and above 

Pond C: Fish normally above 3kg. 
Rod: PE 2 and above 
Reel: Size 4000 and above
Line: 60lbs and above 

Grouper pond 
Rod: PE 3 and above 
Reel: Size 5000 and above
Line: 80lbs and above

 

Pond rules

2. Doing the Burley is the most effective way of luring and triggering a feeding frenzy. However, try not to do it at the beginning as they will not last the entire 3 hours session. Usually bite rates are high during the beginning and tends to quiet down, this is when the Burley should comes in.

3. If the Burley fails. Get the fish feed and change to smaller hooks size 1/0 and 20 lbs below Fluorocarbon leader. Fish feed are dry food that they used to feed the fish there. They are almost similar to dog food, dry pellets. Slowly penetrate the pellets with the hook, ensure that they are not broken. Small hooks and light leader will ensure the pellets stay afloat for a while. Get someone to do the Burley with these pellets and cast your bait into the water at the same time. 

Fish pellets http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1191

4. From experience, raining is the best time to fish at these ponds. Lots of takes including surface poppers. The rain seems to trigger their frenzy instinct but please beware of lighting. 

5. If you have booked a session in Pond C and had enough fun with the GTs, try casting near to the extended platform. This is the area where most Groupers are hiding. Beware of the structures as they can cut your line pretty fast. 

6. Remember to de-barb your hooks as operators tend to overlooked this when fishes are crazily feeding and you certainly do not want to hurt the fish. 

Below are some pictures and videos, a compilation of the fishing experience from recent trips. 

Have fun and enjoy yourself the next time you are there, lots of tight lines and reel screaming actions!



Pond C

Pond C+