Shoreangler

Date: 23-04-2012     Time: 8.45pm      Rod: Shoreangler Big Game 10.2ft      Reel: Shimano Torium 20      Line: 30lbs braided join with 50lbs mono leader      Rig: Long snood bottom feeder      Bait: Small Frozen cuttle fish

It already 6pm. From my house, I look at the sky on the northen side…It was full of black rain cloud….On the southern side at the jetty, the sky is clear…I was thinking…To go or not to go ? It also already too late to jig for fresh tamban.

Finnally I decided to go….I grab two small frozen cuttle fish from my freezer which I had caught few weeks ago and headed down. Reach there the tide was coming up. Current was smooth but water just alittle choppy as there is a surface wind blowing from the east. Looking from the jetty…I can see Changi, Pasir ris and Tampinese all the sky was very dark n had lightning striking. But lucky is the wind is coming from the east so it quite safe for now. I set up one set of tackle and cast out a cuttle fish as bait.

Few minute later, suddenly the wind change direction….A cold strong wind coming from the north….Ho..ho…I quickly wind back my rod, grab hold of everything and cycle out to the shade outside the jetty. Sited there a few minute and looking at the sky….Haha…the wind stop and those rain cloud starting to flying off…hehe….good…I cycle back and casted out the last cuttle fish. I then setup my squid net and lamp.

Around 8.45pm…I just manage to caught two pieces of squid and a small mantis prawn as I prepare to use it for my next bait change. Suddenly….I heard my reel alarm went off. It was just a short scream and stop. I rush over to my rod n the line already abit loose. I strike by running backward….YES…it is ON….The fish make a run…It pull out quite a distance of line and the rod is bend…Then it suddenly turn around….At one point I thought I had lost the fish…I quickly wind back the line then I notice it was swimming inward. By now…I know the fish is not so big but it is definitely not a stingray as by the way it behave. I ask another angler there Desmond to pull up my squid lamp. I told him it is either a kemajan or a cobia.

Few minute later after some struggle….I manage to bring the fish to the surface….Hoho….it is a kemajan….I ask another angler WEI MIN to prepare the gaff. By now…the fish is already along side the jetty. I steady the fish and ask WEI MIN to gaff. His first gaff just hook slightly on the side of the fish…It drop down while bringing it up….Hoho…once the fish hit the water…It make a deep dash…Luckily I was holding the rod well….I resurface it again and reposition it for him to try the second gaff…..Again it didn’t gaff well and it drop down again….this time it was near a jetty pillar….The fish almost got away by cutting my line on the pillar. No choice….I had to resurface it again one more time…This time I ask WEI MIN to see properly before he gaff it. He manage to do it well and pull up the fish. I weigh it and it was 5kg. YES….I had added a Shovelnose on my this year list of catches. I had expected it to come on the second half of the year but seem it had arrived early.

Date; 10-03-2012    Time: 11.15am     Rod: Penn Slammer 10ft.     Reel: Shimano Torium 20      Line: 30lbs braided join with 50lbs mono      Rig: Cable Car 30lbs dupont mono      Bait: Live Herring (Tamban)

Went there around 9am. Tide was already mid way up…Current was strong…Setup two sets of tackle on bottom feeder with frozen tamban as bait. Then go jig for live bait….Only manage to caught few pieces….Quickly added two cable car rig on both rods. Continue to jig…but hardly have as the water get higher.

Around 11.15am….Dark cloud started to gather in the sky….I was washing up some item when I just happen to look into the water….Suddenly I saw a fish come up to the surface somewhere near my rod…It then make a U turn and headed for my live bait…Grab hold of it and run…..ZZZZZZZZ my reel alarm sounded….Everything just happen so fast…..I grab hold of my rod and strike….YES….It make a acrobatic jump on the water surface….WOW…WOLF Herring…

It headed out to deeper water….But I started to wind back….Haha…easily I got it to surface….I use my rod to lift it up….1.8kg is the weight…A personnal best for me on this fish species.

Date: 24-02-2012     Time: 6.30pm      Rod: Penn Slammer 10ft      Reel; Shimano Torium 20      Line: 30lbs braided join with 50lbs mono leader      Rig: Cable car       Bait: Live tamban

Reach there around 6pm. Tide was still going down. Casted out two set of rods with frozen tamban as bait. One added with a cable car rig with live bait after I manage to jig one.

While I continue to jig for tamban….I saw my cable car rig was straighten out just below the water surface….this show that something had grab hold of my live bait as my rod tip rattle also. I keep watch but didn’t make my move….After about 30 sec later..haha…it pull hard and the reel alarm scream…pause…then scream again as the fish move…

I grab hold of the rod and strike…Yes…fish on….The fish jump out of the water surface and those who was there watching…WOW!!!!!!!!….hahha….

After some struggle….it gave up and I wind it in….It was too heavy to lift up by the rod so I ask another angler to hold my rod so that I can haul it up with my hand…

Once on the floor…those peoples there watching already clicking away with their phone camera… It hit the scale at 2.5kg….YES…It is another record for myself on Garfish( Todak) caught by a cable car rig.

My personal record for shore fishing on Garfish is 3kg but it was caught on a long snood bottom feeder rig.

Date: 11-02-2012      Time: 12.05pm      Rod: Shoreangler Big Game 10.2ft      Reel: Shimano Torium 20      Line: 30lbs braided joint with 50lbs mono      Rig: Long snood bottom feeder      Bait: Dead Tamban(herring)

Since 2007 when I caught one……every year I had been waiting to caught one again….Year 2008 saw two was lost within two weeks by two different angler…2009 n 2010 none this fish turn up. Even last year never heard of anyone caught it.

This morning I reach jetty around 8am plus….I used two set of rods….one is multiplyer and the other a spinning. After casting out with frozen tamban which I brought along….I went to jig for fresh tamban….It was very rare….but still manage to get two for my cable car rig. After this none at all….Luckily…two anglers who was there earlier wanted to go back and pass me some of their balance.

But today the bottom bait was very lasting. I hardly need to change bait. Water was very nice and the current was smooth but only no action. When near to 12pm….My stomach already start calling…..I decided to packup….I first wind back the spinning set….My live bait on the cable car rig was still very alive…..As usual…wash the rig, sinker and the rod…and leave it to dry…

Then I went to my multiplyer set…I was about to pickup when suddenly….the alarm screammmmm…….natually I pickup and strike….YES it ON…..The fellow strip my line and go…..I take alook at my line on the sea surface ……It slowly floating up…..Eh….could it be a bird ray ???? I was wondering…Bird ray will surface when it was hookup….But it never surface up….It turn to the right n move along the current flow……After some distance…it turn inward to the jetty…..Then It surface….COBIA….I shouted…I quickly wind my line faster, tighten my drag alittle and move toward nearer to the fish….I am preparing to fight hard with this fish if it wanted to go under… Yes…this fellow once near to the jetty….It DIVE down and move under…..But I gave no chance……I use my rod to steer it out….not one….but three time to prevent it from go under the jetty….Finnally it tired out…..I shouted for gaff…I got a young angler there to help me get my gaff from my bike….but before he does….another angler come along with his fixed gaff…First try was missed…..I had to steer the fish to reposition again…before he do a second try and it was successful. He haul it up alone…..Thank YOU gentleman for your help.

Once on the floor…..I get someone to weigh it….It tip the scale at 12kg…..YES….I had waited four year for this fish….and I got it again today…THANK U SEA DRAGON KING for releasing this fish for me.