Long Lost Photos

I registered into facebook and my old friend AKH show me photos that he has kept from me few years back.

It was a trip summary photo to grouper spots located at Northeast of Pangkor island for 3d2n fishing.






Could not helped from recalling the scene how these groupers took our bait in the 2nd night. Hope the day will happen once more, I really hope so.

New Member in My Arsenal

I ordered a St. Croix 20lb casting rod some months back and got it picked up from Derrick's place last week.

TIS66HF
6'6" heavy action
fast action
SC" graphite
12-25lb

I bent the rod to feel its restitution and thought it's a very stiff rod. With 12-25lb rating I would need a bigger lure to press the flex out.
The problem is I can only get to test the rod on September, that is 6 more months to wait.
Starting the getting-less day count now ...

Pekan Fishing March 5th - 6th 2010

Just got back from 2 days fishing in Pekan with a somewhat above average catch rate.

On our 1st day out jigging, we got continuous takes on our jigs by ebek (diamond trevally) and decided to stop after couple of our attempts to release the beautiful specie lively ended up unsuccessful.

A yellow tail barracuda on jig by my collegue HP

A trip summary photo with my colleague and fishing buddy at boatman house

The skipper, Ah Boy, with a good size golden trevally

This cobia, estimated at 15kg, took a scratched pintail and got itself freed with a broken treble hook in its mouth

The negotiation with cobia took some 30mins. By the time the cobia was released, we were more than 500m from where we started

Ryan's custom rod was put under good test with the cobia

A double hookups ended with 2 happy anglers. We tried to release these 2 ebek but both turned up side down when it was soaked.

A perhaps 4kg ebek

Ryan with a 6kg golden trevally, or gerong belang as local name it

Hmmmm ... happy Ryan

Custom rod with United blank rating 8-17lb in test

Pump pump pump ... zeeeeeeeeeee ...

Skipper with his ebek

HP with a juvenile GT

Another ebek on elcheapo jig

On the second day we went jigging at FAD (unjam) and was rewarded with baby GT and couple of mackerels. I got a >15kg cobia on jig and freed itself with a broken kevlar. We tried jigging at few coral trout spots but register no bite at all. Juvenile barracuda were just too many at FAD waters; sabiki was seize and went disappeared before it reach the bottom consecutively 3 times!

Overall the trip was a good trip. I read from somewhere about excellent catch of Pekan ebek fishing and that was why the trip was arranged. Later I was made to understand there were trips where anglers got hit by ebek non-stop biting and some brought back 80 over ebeks. Puzzled I am, on what do they expect on ebek jigging in future if they continue taking everything home.

If you are interested in Pekan fishing, call skipper Ah Boy at +6 013 933 7455. If you speak no other language but english, leave your contact here and I shall get it arranged for you, freeeee service.

An isolated reservoir at Southern Thailand

While searching and learning about Thailand, I noticed this reservoir located at Southern Thailand and could not help thinking; how is fishing at this mysterious reservoir, where not much information is available about it?


I guess I can reach this reservoir from Betong, one of the townships located at Northern Malaysia, or Southern Thailand.

Hmmm ... wondering, wondering, wondering ...

Updated on February 25th 2010 - Just checked and got the name of the reservoir, namely Banglang Dam.

My Mum Passed Away

My mum who was attacked by stroke since September 8th 2009 passed away on Saturday, January 16th 2010.

She was 82 years old.

I do not believe in second world or life after death, but for the last few days I felt deep grieve when I am sitting in family hall and watching things that are related to her; the sofa cover, the leather incline chair that she has been using, the blanket she did for us ... many things.

Many say live goes on, sure that is, just that the feeling someone I have been staying with for last 16 years is now gone and the sadness facing this fact is unbearable.

One of my friends told me it took him 2 years to accept the fact that his dad is gone and for him to be normalized, well 2 years is a bit long for me.

I hope I can walk out from this grieve soon.

I talked to my sister who took care of my mum most of the time, about my thoughts to write down the experience and findings we have learned through the 4 months plus and put it on a log as sharings to others in the world who might need it. She thought it is a good idea and I shall take it up soon.

2010 Northen Thailand Hampala Barb (Sebarau) Trip - The Outfit

Since the fishing is gonna be a lure casting trip, most likely I will prepare 3 outfits; 2 outfits with 20lb class (or thereabout) and 1 no. 25lb outfit.

Twinpower C3000

I have make not more than 100 times casting with bait caster in my life so far but got uncountable castings on spinning outfit. At the moment I have Shimano Stradic 3000 and a 16lb Procyon in my arsenal, meaning I need to get another outfit within the 20lb class. For that 20lb spinning reel I need to stock, the targeted reel is Shimano TwinPower C3000 loaded with YGK PE2 line, with 30lb good abrasive resistance mono as topshot. As for the rod, I am looking at a fast action G Loomis spinning rod. One of my fishing buddies proposed IMX SJR 722 to match with Shimano TP C3000 but I am yet to find time to have a visual check on it. However, I am skeptical about the rated poundage of SJR722 if it can withstand the brutal sprint of hampala.

The rod for hampala barb has to be fast action, so as to react faster with fish strike. For better castability, the rod has to be reasonably long with strong tip but compromise to the need of carry them to Thailand on airplane. For longer spinning endurance, you will need a lighter rod, obviously a graphite rod with little fibre mixture. My personal liking would need the rod to come in 1-piece, sensitive, with minimum number of guides and printed with "lok-chiak" if it is a custom rod.

Dec 4th, 2009
Ordered a St. Croix fishing rod just yesterday, type number: TIS66HF, you can have a look at the rod at http://www.stcroixrods.com/product/tidemaster-inshore. Yes, it is a saltwater fishing rod, I think american made freshwater fishing rod is cater more for sensitiveness and for saltwater fishing rod, the rod poundage is under-rated.

Collection shall be March, 2010.

As for the 25lb class outfit, it is meant for snakehead if we see them rising. I have no clear idea as yet on what outfit to prepare but would just grab me PE2.5 jigging rod with caldia kix 4000 if I am still running poor of idea till then.

2010 Northen Thailand Hampala Barb (Sebarau) Trip - The Lure Preparation