St John Island

I had been running out of places to fish, but St John was one place that I had yet to do. The last time I was there, I wasn't into fishing yet and didn't explore the potential for such activity. Patrick was keen for a trip to St John, so the plan was set to explore this island of ours.

We had to wakeup early to catch the ferry at 9am at Marina South. On a normal day, the ferry only operates 3 times a day. The last ferry from there was 4.15pm. Miss this, and you would be spending the nite there for sure. Reaching the ferry terminal at about 8.30am, we bought some food and had some sort of breakfast there. Luckily we did buy some nasi lemak for lunch, as we were to find out later that, there wasn't any food stalls in St John at all. You couldn't even go for a cup of coffee. The last known coffee shop to me during the last St John trip, had closed down for good.

Quick come in, the boat is leaving


Kusu Island


Things not to do on Kusu Island


The way to St John had to bypass Kusu island. We were wondering if fishing was allowed in Kusu Island, but didn't want to waste time trying here. St John was a big enough place to spend the entire afternoon. We had high hopes of getting some biggies there as St John wasn't your usual "take a bus to fish" sort of place. The price of the ferry at $15 per pax wasn't exactly cheap, coupled with the expensive $1 per hour parking, the cost of this trip was rather high.

We are reaching


Checked, correct island


Oh...we have a Lazarus Island?


Don't get lost


From Kusu Island, the ferry continued to St John, which was like 15 minutes away. Reaching there, we were surprised that actually St John was rather near to Singapore. From the Jetty, we could see the prominent Singapore business district skyline. St John was situated just after Sentosa.

Left or right?


From the Jetty, the road split into a left turning or a right turning. Right turning goes to the lagoon. Following a group of some apparently old hands at st john fishing carrying lots of fishing barangs, we followed the group to the left.

The "come prepared with a 10 man tent" group


The water looks good


Ok, this spot would do


After some walking we arrived at a some kind of dam between two sides of the side. The "expert" group parked themselves under the hot sun, while we decided to walk a little further to take refuge under the shade.

My Aile MG diet, doing some workout


PT and I setup our rods. Since we didn't bring any bait, luring we would have to do. PT tried out squidding for a start while I sent out my newly bought Duel Aile MG diet. The casting for this lure was good, and I could achieve a good distance with this.

The water at St John was quite clear of the bluish sort, and we could see 3 ft into the water rather well. But from where we were standing, the water was quite deep. Quite a delight for luring. But casual look didn't spot me any surface fishes at all. Thinking to send the lure deeper, I next change to my Crystal minnow Deep diver.

Around 15 minutes into the fish, I suddenly got a strike the moment my lure touch the water. I was just doing my usual thumbing of the spool and turning my head to talk to PT when I saw a slight splash. I quickly reeled in the line, but there was totally no resistance at all. Cranking my reel faster, I realized that my line was cut cleanly, with the lure missing. Argh, something had snapped at the lure and cut off my lines. PT thought it might be a todak, but I was thinking maybe a barra. The cut off was just too clean.

This auntie looking uncle patrick recovered my lure


Clean cut from a cutter fish


PT then went to try his lure around the general spot, when he saw my deep diver lure floating on the water. With his lure, he hooked up my lucky lure and it was once again returned to me. I had thought I had lost it for good. Checking the line, it was confirmed that the line near the swivel was cut off with a clean stroke.

Thereafter, the sun came out rather hot, and fishing was quite a burning affair. I had another heart beating encounter when I was just retrieving my lure and it was reaching the end of the line when suddenly I saw a biggish fish in excess of 5kg with a grey top lurching forward to attack my lure. But when I slowed down (due to me running out of line), big fish make a sudden U-turn and turned away. Darn! But this deep diver had proven itself to be quite effective.

PT didn't have any luck at all, despite having a basketful of lures to try out.

St John gangster


Later, it will rain cats and cats


Around 12.30pm, we decided to break for lunch and walked to a shelter near the jetty for a shady place to eat lunch. Cats here were plentiful and quite a few gathered at our shelter to ask for food.

After 3 hours UV treatment, any shade was welcome


My luring corner


Convenient breakwater


I caught a big...plank


After lunch, we decided to just fish around the shady corner. The area looked quite promising, with a sort of water breaker extending from the shore like a small jetty. My next near miss was when I saw a small fish (can't ID) coming at my Fat Rap, but again turning away at the last few inches. Darn again. For some whole 2 hours or so, I cast and cast different lures and patterns, but nothing was caught. Another event of me seeing a small grouper going for my Deep diver again, and that was it.

Sweeping road is so fun!


My fishing friend


Darkening skies in Singapore


They just arrived on the last ferry


At 3.40pm, we called it a day and went for wash up and then to the Jetty to wait for the ferry to arrive.

It was a good attempt, but despite being such a promising spot, we didn't get anything. The rest of the fishing folks also didn't seem to get any catches too. On our return on the last boat, it seemed that quite a lot of people just arrived to fish on the island. Must be some sort of overniter trip. Seeing all their equipment and iceboxes, one would think that this was fishing paradise. Perhaps the night fishing was different? But arriving at Singapore, it was raining cats and dogs. Not likely a good fishing night at St John.

Singapore Discovery Centre

Nope. This was not a fishing trip. But I spied an inviting pond here. However, it was out of bounds. :(

Read about it here.

Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal

My Duel Livebait - good casting distance


Friendly man in white lost the fish


Getting Hot!!


I had wanted to try out this place for the longest time. But given the rough terrain and shelterless place, I didn't come here until today. The morning weather was nice and cooling, due to rain at some parts of Singapore. TC and I met at TMFT for a nice Killiney breakfast, and then after proceed to try out the water.

The sea here looked the clean, bluish water type. Tide was incoming and should be at around 11-12pm. There were some people there, but nothing crowded. We setup and I did some luring to see if it was productive.

However, I didn't see any fishes at all. But the neighbour angler got a good rod bending bite. But his reaction was too slow, and I supposed the fish had gone into the rocks. He managed to set the hook and was fighting the fish for a while when it got stuck. Most likely a grouper as he was using prawn meat.

I did have a good time doing a few hundred cast with my livebait and a blue crystal minnow, despite the non-catch.

Around 11am, the sun came out and it was sizzling hot. We decided we had enough and packed and left the place. Personally, I think this was a promising spot. Would give it another go some other time.

Boardwalk Luring

Met Patrick for a short luring session at CBW. It was kind of crowded due to the school holidays, and our favourite spot was taken. I tossed out my flouro yellow minnow and then my Fat Rap, but no action at all. PT tried his pro hunter, the cheapo Maria copycat. Also nothing. Nevertheless, a good practise.

Lab Park - Search for Mas Selamat

Psst...seen him anywhere?


Bite me, todaks!


TC wanted to try Lab Park so there we went. I wasn't too hopeful as the past few trips had been quite a bummer. However, today was a tad different. There were army personnels everywhere, searching for the elusive Mas Selamat Kestari, the JI terror fugitive. Even at the Jetty. No wonder no one was "testing" water to fish at the aisle for the fear of the $5000 fine.

As expected nothing productive, except for the resident todaks chasing my lures. Darn, how to catch a todak on lure, I wonder?

Rakit Reiza - Woah!

Original plan was to head for Rakit today with Jess as hubby wanted to get a rod and reel combo. RT said to come along with family. Coincidentally, TC also called me to do a return to Rakit. So, all the stars were aligned with the plan.

But came Sat, and I was the blur head that didn't set my alarm properly. I woke up at 6.50am, and saw a missed message from RT. Looking at my phone clock, I realized that I had overslept. There was no way that I could make it over before 7, so no choice and had to put a OPC coupon. Luckily for me, I had 1 left. Crossing the singapore custom at 7.20am, the police asked to look at my displayed coupon and made a thorough check. He was all eager to fine me $10k for not displaying OPC coupon. So this OPC coupon matter, don't play play.

I regrouped with the rest at Danga coffeeshop, just slightly further up from the usual meeting place at the food court. Not a bad place to gather, and it shall be our meeting point in future. There we met Elyn's mother and P2. This trip shall be the first to the Rakit for them.

The fishing kakis


Promising spot beside the jetty


Where are we going again?


This is fun! Wooo...


We reached the Rakit around 9+am and waited a while for the boat to settle the logistic of getting us over. P2 was all eager and excited to be taking his first boat ride. We headed for Reiza since the facilities were better, and more child safe, in our opinion.

First "big" fish of the day


Die todak die!


Wah, so heavy


Soon to be hero of the day


Since I no more rods, resort to handlining for bait fish




Wah, this fish bigger than my hand! Yay!


Father and son and fish


First hour of fishing, we quickly realized that this was yet another tambanless trip. Nothing we were catching with our feathered jigs. We sent out bottom rigs and from that, some action. I was first to break the egg with a surprise catch of a puffer. There were some small fishes on baited hooks. P2 got his first feel of a rod and line with a fish. However he didn't seemed to understand much about the thrill of fishing yet.

I tried out luring for a while, but nothing was biting. There were some todaks doing the usual follow closely but don't bite routine. Behind the Rakit, the water was full of bait fishes (glass fish mainly) and surface action. But nothing. I gave up and went back to park the rods. I finally caught a small todak. Lately, I had been finding them trickly to get at the Rakit. They would bite, and throw the hook most times.

Papa, your grouper very big hor!


P2 feet


RT broke my "biggest" fish catch of the day, when he hauled out a good size grouper from the inner well. That showed some promise for quite a not so good fishing day. And then it was my turn. I saw my bottom rod twitching and held it for a while. I felt some bites and decided to open the bail for whatever to take my prawn and run. And ran it did. Good thing that I had tighten the drag and when I closed the bail, fish was struck and hooked for good.

Got my "difficult" to catch todak


Alamak, stuck!


Can see the fish stucked on the rope 5 ft away


Operation "recover Kurau"


My biggest kurau (actually, only one)


This is my day!


What Mr Kurau did to my lines (apollo rig)


The fish fought quite well, although it wasn't big enough to spool my lines. But it ran under a rope on my left and I realized that I was running the risk of being snagged. In the commotion, I took a risk and tried to guide the fish under the rope. But instead it went too close the rope and made a few turns, snagging it for good. By then, it was already near the surface and we could see that it was a Kurau! I finally got my Kurau but I couldn't bring it up.

Curly hair Rakit indian man came to the rescue and offered to dive into the water to recover my prize catch. And luckily for him, Kurau landed on my feet, to a delighted me. I was a happy man and tipped him handsomely for taking the initiative to get my Kurau.

Thereafter, Andrew landed another grouper. An equally good sized one. He was getting to be the grouper man for the trip. TC was quite fishless until he managed a todak finally on his famous giant bomb weight. Wife Jessie was quite unable to get any fish since tambans and all their friends not around that day.

Beauty and the beast


What sharp teeth you have


Thank you heaven for this fish!


The tide came up around 12pm, and I saw quite a few big splashes in the water. Switching back to luring again, I took out my unused redhead crystal minnow and toss a few times. To my utter delight, I got a very fierce strike and fish was a good fighter. I spent a minute of two trying to guide the fish away from the ropes. At first I thot it a todak, but from the way it fought, not quite. It didn't do the signature acrobatic jump and mostly went deep. When it got near to the surface, it was a beautiful bullet shape fish. I then thot queenie, but when I lifted it out of the water, what landed on my deck was a thing of beauty, a Tengerri! WAhoo! I finally broke my tengerri-less fishing history. For that matter, as well as my Kurau-less fishing history. :))

One of TC few todaks


So finally, TC was now convinced that "fish do eat plastics". Thereafter, he took out his lure and started luring too. But less than five cast later, he gave up. Luring was hard work and he went back to his todak fishing. After my tengerri, I didn't get any more hits despite trying out most of the lures in my lure box.

The afternoon came and the current got quite strong. Fishing wasn't that good and all were mostly restless by then. We decided to pack around 4pm, and then made our way back to the city for some air conditioning cum shopping.

RT catches. It's grouper for dinner


When I grow up, I want to drive a boat!


This is long lining, said RT


Lots of things to think about after a hard day of fishing


When we returned, the custom was usually smooth at around 8.30pm. Might be due to the assessment period for schooling students.