What the Fish!

This was the second trip for me on this boat. If you had been fishing around, you would find that Ah Eng boat is kinda special. It is a very spacious boat and fishing here is very comfortable with plenty of space for everyone. 8 persons on a boat would be just nice. For this trip, it would be Patrick, Chew, ZW and I and then we met up with Bernard and friend Jon, and fishing veterans, Ah Hwee and Ah Fat. (who for some reasons, is not fat at all)

We boarded the boat under the Penjuru flyover

Unfortunately the coffee shop with the favorite scallop noodle shop had closed down. I was so looking forward to it. After a quick breakfast at Ayer Rajah market, we top up on some fishing stuff from the tackle-shop; like $2 per piece weights; and proceeded along to the boating pickup point.

Once out at sea, we started fishing at the first spot. The sea was rather deep but the current was manageable. I had setup 2 tackles, my Jigwrex PE2-4 and my lighter tackle, blackrose. ZW did likewise and we alternate between the 2 rods depending on the current. ZW was using his recently purchased set and during the trip; TLD15 and a rather pricey Expert Graphite Ares which he found it very much to his liking.

While I was taking his photo and holding my rod under my arm, I also got a take. Another T-Boon

First fishes were by us. ZW and I scored a double hookup of T-Boons (Spanish Flag Snapper). After that, the rest started getting fishes like Kaci, more T-Boons and the regular groupers. However, after the first T-Boon, ZW was quite fishless for the rest of the day. Despite the advise by others, I stuck mainly to my light blackrose. Due to that, I scored mainly small fishes. I think I might have caught the most fishes, but all smallies. My score was:

2 T-Boon, 2 aramugum (small grouper), 1 KBL (small), 1 wrasse (small mouth and yet attack my prawn!), I had also plenty of sangkot, some of which started out promising.

Patrick with his first, a nice Kaci(Sweetlips)

For this trip, I thought it very strange that I kept feeling small bites and sudden takes, but when I struck, it was usually empty. We rationalised this to the bottom being full of corals or weeds that gave us plenty of "false" alarms as if the fishes were biting. Therefore, the fishing was very confusing. We didn't know if it was fishes or just coral bottom. After a while, I didn't quite enjoy the fishing as it was mainly a hit and run affair whether to get the fishes or not.

The morning started rather hot, but it kind of cooled down in the afternoon. Luckily we were quite well covered up and didn't suffer too much from the burning sun. I was trying out my seahawk hat, which worked rather well.

But the star of the trip was from a simple man, John who was Bernard's friend. John wasn't a very technical fishingman, and we could tell from his gear. While the rest were all using expensive stuff like Saltiga, Accurate, Jigging Master, Expert Graphite, Calstar etc...he was just using a Surecatch rod and a cheap combo of an overhead. His first catch was good, a nice Kaci to my envy. Around 3pm in the afternoon, he hooked on something very big. We could all see him struggling to lift the fellow up. When it surfaced, we all gasped at the fish. It was a prize catch of a 2kg Coral Trout. It was not every Sunday that one could see such a nice fish. From the market, this fish could be sold for around $32 per kg. It was indeed his lucky day, and we could see him smiling away and feeling satisfied. Bernard was feeling rather unhappy as his seemingly less experienced friend was getting all the good catches. He turned out to have a duck egg this trip.

After that, the fishing all quieten down. Chew was the last to score a nice leatherjacket which he mistook for a puffer. Everyone told him that it was a chicken fish and good to eat. After that, he probably felt happier. Around 4.30pm the boat headed back and stop at one or two more places for us to try our luck a few more times. We reached back to the land at around 5+pm.

This trip, a mixed bag of catches. Good trip for some, and not so good for the others. But seeing the coral trout, one can only hope that it would soon be their turn to get something that good. It literally took John 40 years to get that. Fishing is certainly a life-long adventure.

If you see people wearing this, you are in the midst of experts.

ZW using his virgin rod set

Petrol station in the sea

ZW got his first fish, a T-Boon

Decent table size

This special T-joint knot. Very useful to spread the line out from the sinker

The deckhand Tonni teaching us how to do it

Nice grouper (not sure from who)

Another grouper from "Ah Fat"

Woot. My KBL. It had taken me 4 years to land a true blue wild KBL

Pose pose with it

Chew got a surprise visit from a Sotong who was trying to attack a "aramugum" that he caught on the way up. It squirt at him on the surface to all of our surprise. Tonni got it up using net

Another small catch by me

A nice T-Boon by "Ah Fat"

Chew's grouper

Something BIG

Wah. Man of the trip showing a V sign

Beautiful closeup pose of the Man and the Beast

This is the way to gang-hook the prawn with 2 hooks

Chew rare catch of a leatherjacket

Believe me, these people all got "Performance" gears

People fishing under the bridge

On the way out, a drowned mouse sighted in a pail

Quite a big group this round with a total of 5 cars, and 17 pax, including a spunky hair chatterbox of a little girl. Tan family came in full force and from the looks, really out to fish like hell.

Fix motor not enough business? Sell prawns instead!

The KT boss sitting in the little red car

Along the way, tan had this contact to pick up live prawns which cost RM60 per kg. Not a bad idea and it was rather convenient being along the way to the kelong. Incidentally, the shop name is KT, which is our nick for our "lucky spoon" guy here.

We thot we heard the "Tuk" at the back....but it turned up to be the main windscreen

The tan fishing family

Crystal clear water...can see a dory on the right side of the photo (thomas photo)

Barracuda no eyes see our fishing skills

We reached the kelong jetty in good time. Any later, we will need to row our boats out as the tide would get too low for the bumboats to come into the Jetty. From the people loading up, we discovered that there wouldn't be many people there this weekend. Indeed there wasn't during the week, which made for a pleasant fishing experience. The trip was very relaxing and had plenty of space for casting and eating wind.

Meng Zai with a half eaten lengchiam (Emperor) on the way up

On the boat, I chatted up Meng Zai (aka Ah Meng) the Kelong Mgr. I have known Meng Zai for a pretty long time, since my very first Sibu Kelong trip which was to Hotboys. I asked if it was possible to go for a short boating trip and he agreed to make the arrangements for us. Later, he told me that all the fishing boats were taken up, but if I would like to go on a spacious speed boat? The downside of speed boat was that it would be more shakey. But we later found out that the boat was very comfortable and big. Pretty suited to boat fishing I would say.

Nice spread of food

Reaching the kelong, we unpacked and settled down. The helpers were kind enough to acede to my request for all the beds to be on the lower deck. In fact this trip, I would give them a 5 star for good service. Food was excellent too, except for the morning breakfast of some oily dark brownish noodle with some bits of sausages. But the other food for our main meals were excellent and got approval from everyone on board.

By some sheer conincidence, Thomas met some church friends here. I wondered, what were the odds of that. he better go buy some 4D. For himself, this trip really got him super chao tar since he liked sitting under the hot kelong sun. I wasn't quite around Frankie and Thomas and hence didn't have much pics of them. Those would be coming from Thomas super professional camera in due time.

Twin powered speed boat

After lunch, 6 of us pop out for the boat trip for the afternoon. I was pretty excited as this was something new for me. I had done this once at Ah Ngan before on the regular bumboat but not on a speed boat. The boat was commandered by 2 youngish chap.

Behind Pulau Tinggi. Very nice scenery

Overall, the boat trip was a tad disappointing. But nevertheless, it was a good experience. As the live prawns didn't quite make it (most of it died or was rather half dead), our chances of biggies were quite slim. And it seems tthat the places that the boatmen brought us too wasn't quite promising. Luckily I brought along my tamban rod meant for getting baits and did some small catches. Most of us were getting some assortment of fishes like breams and MJ (Michael jackson, aka small groupers).

She finally got some bites that she can feel

Zul wasn't getting anything until I passed her my blessed tabam rod and she managed to have an exciting time fighting with a decent size lengchiam. It was impressive how the rod was bending...until we found out that she was fighting a rock. haha. But the fish was indeed there. I think it pulled the drag until it reach a rocky structure. But after some coaxing, fish came out again and it was a nice lengchiam. No wonder the fight was good.

YB got 2 parrots, very good catch

A real barracuda for ZW in the evening

Around 6pm, we returned back to the kelong. I got some accounts that people from the other group have been catching "barracudas" until I realized that they were actually todaks.

Time for nite luring

After dinner, ZW, Andrew and I started to explore luring to see if Parangs are around. ZW was first to get a confirmation when one was hooked and started leaping out of the water. But alas, it got away. That encouraged us and we continued trying. But for some reasons, lots of strikes but misses. Throughout the night, we couldn't land any.

YB first Parang! (Photo from Thomas)

I taught YB how to do the luring and passed him one of my lures. And to our surprises, he started landing them. Not just one but in total four!! Argh. Put us all "parangs" experts to shame. haha. But YB was a very hardworking lurer and just seeing him keep going at it was an inspiration.

Sea was very clear...sotong swimming around! (thomas photo)

One more for the icebox (thomas icebox)

Audrey's catch of Sotong (thomas photo)

During the night, we also spied plenty of sotongs swimming around in the clear water. Of the many trips I have been to Sibu, this was by far the best. We started squidding and did manage to land quite a number of them.

Nice breezy morning

Ya Li fishing at the well

The next morning, I was thinking of taking it easy when we were all pleasantly surprised to see a number of big fishes circling around the kelongs. That naturally got us very excited and we all try hard to target them. But to our disappointment, they were not biting our lively kicking offerings at all. It was quite a sight to see all the bait fishes scooting away when the big fishes would occasionally swim into the school to take a nip at them. That really was a nice experience with mother nature.

The man of the trip

YB was at another corner, when we heard a shout and saw his rod bending. We were shocked to learn that he had got a take on a lure! and when I peeped into the water, it was a Mackeral! hoho, that was indeed the catch of the year. I run into the kelong and started shouting for people to come look see. Andrew went off to get the net and very soon, it was netted up on the kelong floor. Rounds of applause and congratulations. It was really was a neat hat trick and a great finale to our visit here.

In a jiffy, all of us started to take out our lure set and starting luring. However, even when my lure passed mr biggie, he didn't even give it a sniff. But ZW's crystal minnow did get a look in the direction. But the luring was qutie difficult due to the low water. Try and try, we didn't get a bite. According to YB, the trick was to do it fast.

Time to balake kampung

Unfortunately, our attempts needed to be cut short as we had to leave the kelong early due to the low tide issue at the Jetty. Reluctantly, we all had to pack and leave the place.

Thereafter we reached the Jetty, Andrew headed straight back home, while the rest followed me to the Permas tackle shop for a look see. The last time, it was too rushed as we were rather late and it was about to close. However, this time, we had all the time in the afternoon and it was a good visit. Then it was back to home sweet home for me to catch my forty winks.

More Pictures...

We stopped here to pick up "KT"'s prawns