Hibiki's Inland* Fishing

Daiwa Sol Baitcasting Reel

2012-01-08T19:26:00.004+08:00

My current favorite baitcasting reel for freshwater and light inshore application is the Daiwa Sol. It's tiny but it's solid. Aluminum frame and handle side plate. Fits my small hands perfectly. It feels really tough unlike the plastic reels out there from other brands.

After replacing the spool bearings with Ceramic bearings, none of my other reels can match it in terms of casting distance. It can cast tiny 4gm lures against the wind with ease.

Another standard upgrade that I did was a new Smoothdrag carbontex drag washer. Right now, I installed them dry. It felt smooth as it is without using Cal's drag grease or similar grease. At first I thought that the carbontex drag washer was enough but I read somewhere from Tackletour that smoothdrag has stainless steel washers for Daiwa millionaire so I ordered a couple of sets. Originally they were for my Daiwa Luna and millionaire but after trying the top most washer into the Sol, I noticed a significant increase in drag pressure and smoothness. I think the increase can be attributed to the size of the new washers. They are bigger - fits almost flush into the washer bay of the main gear.

Because of the increase in drag, I am confident in using the reel in Inshore fishing. The only drawback is the increase in likelihood of corrosion in the bearings. Daiwa Sol was originally intended for freshwater fishing so they were released without CRBB (Corrosion Resistant Ball Bearings). That's no a problem since you can easily buy high quality bearings online. I already replaced the bearing in the cast control and it seemed to be holding up ok after a few sessions in saltwater.

I think this reel is an indispensable reel in my arsenal. It's not only for finesse fishing (light lures and light lines) such as for dropshotting, weightless plastics, and really light jerkbaits and cranks but it can also be used for heavier line and lures such as spinners. Since the gear is only 5.8 (somewhere around 26" per crank). It's slow but it's powerful.

Too bad Daiwa has discontinued this reel. I personally think there's none out there that has the same value in terms of price and quality as this reel.

Next upgrade is the CRBB bearing on the worm gear and a new handle and drag star from the Alphas Type-R.

Year End Catch: Mangrove Jacks on a Kayak

2011-12-31T20:46:00.005+08:00

It's the day before New Year. I decided go out one last time before 2011 ends. I wanted to fish really early to catch the outgoing tide but too much beer and the cold made me want to stay in bed a little longer. My original plan of 4am fishing became 6am. Still, it was a bit dark and I was hoping the jacks would still be out playing.

Lucky me, after paddling for 15 minutes, I got a fish on my second cast and then another 5 minutes later. They were not too big but perfect for steaming. But then the locals noticed the commotion and decided to park their boats near me and started chatting. As soon as they started asking questions, the bite died down. I am not sure but the jacks seem to notice if there are people around. They are also shy when the sun started to shine.

Thinking that the fishing was over, I paddled back upstream to my launch point. On the way back, I stopped near a fallen log and casted one more time before calling it a day. It's a good thing I did, As soon as the lure touched the water, a fish slammed it. Two hours of fishing and I managed to catch 3 jacks. My last three fishes for the year.

Snakehead Fishing from Shore and from a Kayak

2011-12-29T23:46:00.001+08:00

A few days before Christmas, fishing in my favorite hole was terrible. During that time, it was unusually cold and windy. The drop in temperature may have pushed the snakeheads (haruans) into hiding. I have been fishing since the 23rd up to the late afternoon of the 25th and had no luck. Not a single strike or even a trailing fish. It was frustrating.

Then on the 26th of December, the sun shone bright and the wind has died. I decided not to fish in the morning and waited for the water to heat up for a bit.

After lunch, I loaded my kayak on the bed of my pickup truck. I figured that with the kayak, I can fish the entire marsh area. If there still no snakeheads, I can transfer to the estuary in the late afternoon when the tide comes in.

When I got to the launch point, I unloaded the kayak and rigged to start fishing. A lot of passers by gave me a puzzled look. The locals probably took me for a fool --- a strange man with a strange outfit and gear, riding a strange boat, and fishing on the heat of the midday sun.

For the first two hours, still no fish. I can see some fishes timidly trailing the lure but none are actually committing to strike. I switched to different sizes and colors of lures but to no avail. I checked the water and it seemed still too cold that I remember it.

I decided to paddle to the shallow areas thinking the water over there may have heated earlier than where I was located. The problem is, the shallows have thick vegetation so paddling may be a problem. I struggled to paddle the kayak over lilies, kangkongs, and lotus leaves. When I arrived in a spot where the water seemed to be warmer, I started casting away. For the first few casts, I got some strikes but they easily threw my hooks. An hour later, I caught and released a couple of fishes. Not too big but fun nonetheless.

When the heat was too much to bear, I decided to go to shore and rest under a shade for a while. After a quick re-hydration and rest, I left my kayak and waded near the bank and fished some more. I was lucky enough to catch and release a couple more.

Here is a short video of the trip. The video cam in my kayak is too close to my back so I will be making a few modifications on the camera mount. Next video is on my favorite estuary. Hopefully a Mangrove Jack will show some interest. Enjoy.

My Small Piece of Heaven

2011-12-13T01:03:00.004+08:00

Last weekend, me and my family went to my wife's hometown to visit her ailing grandmother. We hurriedly left very early Saturday and arrived at around 10am. My wife's grandma is 97 and everyone adores her. A few days ago she suffered a stroke. Two to be exact. Her previously lively demeanor was gone after those episodes. Seeing her bedridden and unable to walk nor talk really made everyone sad.

One thing I really love about her is that she absolutely enjoys it every time I come home with a fresh fish for her. As soon as I arrive home, I go straight to her room to show my prized catch for the day. Mostly, pargo (Mangrove Jacks), a few kitoks (Jack Crevalle), and an occasional dalag (haruan) for her pesa.

This weekend, she barely recognizes everyone and hoping to show her some of my catch wasn't really possible anymore.

A couple of weeks back, I had to rush to my home province because my father was taken to the hospital because of an almost stroke-like episode. I stayed in the provincial hospital for a week. Once he was strong enough to travel, I took him to Manila for further tests, he again stayed for a few days in the hospital. It was a stressful event. After he got out of the hospital, it was my wife's grandma who was rushed to the hospital. It was indeed a stressful time.

I could not bear see her at that state. It just sucks the life out of me. I had to detox and flush out the stress that was building inside me. I went out that same afternoon and tried to fish for haruan. My goal was "detox" and at the same time catch a couple for her possible last pesa on earth before moving on.

Aside from myself, there was a really thin lady who was also fishing the marsh. I saw her struggling to catch something. Her long thin bamboo pole snagged on a kangkong root and snapped in two. I can see from afar that she was, like me, was stressed out and almost losing hope.

I was lucky enough to catch 9 good sized haruans. I took home three and gave two large ones to the lady. The rest I released. I just felt she needs help. She was surprised and asked why I won't keep all of the fish. I said I need only a few. She said she will sell the fish so she could buy milk for her baby. What she said made my heart sink. Things that we take for granted was a big deal for other people. I think my wife's grandma would have been proud of the gesture.

That day the weather was gloomy and rain clouds threatened with rain. Still, even with the nastiest weather or during a difficult time, this small piece of heaven that I treasure so much always calms me, either through a fish or something else -- gives me strength to move on with life.

------
Gear used: Majorcraft Slicer 682H, Daiwa Millionaire Bay Casting Special 103L, Powerpro 20lb Braid, Sufix Superior 30lb Mono Leader

All Souls' Haruans and Mangrove Jacks

2011-11-04T07:41:00.001+08:00

Last Summer of 2010 was probably the hottest dry season that Zambales has encountered. It was so dry that my favorite Haruan spot had dried up and the Haruan population was literally decimated. The once wide expanse of marsh land was reduced to an arid grassland. When the rains came last June and the months after that, the marsh slowly began to fill with water.

The long weekend of All Soul's Holiday last weekend was a perfect time to test the marsh once more. We left Friday night and arrived there at around 2AM Saturday. The original plan was to fish the estuaries using my kayak during early mornings and late afternoons and in-between, fish for Haruans and on my last day, go trolling. Unfortunately, high tide occurs late at night and I am not so keen spending the night on an isolated estuary all by my self at night, on All Soul's day :-). I don't want to meet a real Mamaw at a time like that.

I did try kayak fishing for Jacks on the first day during daytime but after catching only a couple of MJs, I abandoned kayak fishing. Paddling during outgoing tide is too much work for just a few takers. Instead, I decided to concentrate on Haruans. I am actually glad I did. From an arid grassland, the rains helped transform the area into a recovering marshland. Water triggered the recovery of small baitfishes --- tilapias, walo-walo, gurame, etc. With the spread of baitfishes, Haruans seemed to have bloomed out of nowhere. After days of fishing (2 hours in the morning and 2.5 hours in the afternoon), I managed to catch, photograph, and release 21 Haruans. In addition, I was also fortunate enough to land 3 table-sized mangrove jacks (1pc 500grams and 2 pcs 750grams).

Undas 2011 from Hibiki on Vimeo.

The arid grassland slowly turned into an aquatic heaven. It still has a long way to go before returning to its former state but it's getting there. I sure hope it would. The only hurdle that it needs to go through is the coming dry season. I hope it wouldn't dry up again like what happened last year.

One thing I also realized during the Undas (All Soul's Day) fishing is the use of a Heavy topwater rod or frog rod. I always notice that American anglers have these stout, stiff, and long frog rods when they are fishing for bass using frog lures. I always thought that they are overdoing it. Before, my rod of choice for haruan fishing was just an 8-17 or max of 10-20lb 6ft to 6'6" Medium rod. I always thought that it was the perfect frog rod. I was completely wrong. For the first time, I tried my Majorcraft Slicer 12-25lb Heavy rod (almost 7ft) in Haruan fishing using frog lures. Boy, it was revelation. That was the perfect Heavy-cover frog rod that I should use. The American anglers were right on the money when frog fishing. The powerful, long, and light rod was perfect for the needed hook sets and the power to pull the fish out of heavy weeds. Before, when I was using lighter rods, I always lose fish due to poor hooksets and if I did manage to hook one, I almost always wade to where the fish is for fear of breaking the rod if I muscle it away from the weeds.

When I started using the Slicer 12-25lbs, I was always 100% on hooksets and I can easily pull fish and weeds out to shore no matter how far they are. No more wading.

To top it off, the Heavy but light rod was also a perfect rod for topwater saltwater fishing. So, the next time you buy a frog rod or a top water salt rod, get a 7ft or longer rod and leave those light rods for jerkbaits and spinners. You will feel the difference.

Team Daiwa Advantage 4000A Upgrades

2011-10-25T13:14:00.004+08:00

It took me a while to get the needed upgrades for my recently acquired Team Daiwa Advantage 4000A. It's not yet completely upgraded but it's almost done. 3 upgrades out of possible 5 is good enough for now.

I upgraded the Drag Washer to Smoothdrag's Carbontex. The set I ordered is Carbontex F62-7101 which cost me $9 per set excluding the shipping -- which is very minimal (around $2-3). The stock washer is some sort of oil impregnated felt fabric which is good, relatively smooth and strong. Because of the oil, it resists water from reaching the bottom of the spool. But after upgrading to Carbontex, you can feel the improvement in smoothness. Right now, I installed the washers dry and later on, I will put some Cal's drag grease to improve smoothness and water resistance.

After the drag washer, I replaced the plastic bushing in the spool shaft. High end Daiwa reels have ball bearings as stock component. TDA, Caldia, Freams, and other Real Four entry level reels all have plastic or aluminum washers instead of bearings. I got a bearing from a fellow angler. It's an SARB bearing from Shimano and fits the TDA spool bushing perfectly. The bearing in the spool really improved the smoothness of the drag. The Carbontex washer increased the drag range and the spool bearing will help in this increase in drag. The bearing is 12x8x2.5.

After the spool bearing upgrade, I also upgraded the lame knob to an all aluminum round power knob (Size M). I initially wanted the Tuna Max knob (Size S) but when we tried installing it, it would not fit. The screw was not able to reach the tip of the shaft. I visited Alex's Tackle and saw a couple of Sea Hawk knobs Size M. Matt, the owner of the store, convinced me to take the Sea Hawk knob to test fit it. It's a good thing I did. The knob has a replacement shaft and two stainless steel bearings and the price is less than half of the Tuna Max knob (no shaft or bearings included). The Sea Hawk knob was a perfect fit although I was only able to use 1 ball bearing because the TDA stock handle is designed for single bearing knobs only.

And here is what the reel looks like after the upgrade. The only noticeable difference is the cool round power knob.

In terms of appearance, it looks like a true light jigging and light popping reel because of the knob. The internals (drag washer and spool bearing) supports that look. I matched this reel with my DIY Okuma Sentara popping rod.

Next step is to upgrade the handle. I wanted a Caldia KIX custom handle so I can use an additional bearing on the knob (2 bearing knob). After that, I want to replace the bushing in the end of the main shaft. This will make the reel a double-bearing supported shaft. This will increase the smoothness even further.

The total cost of the three upgrades, around P1,800. The cost of absolutely manhandling a 2kg Mangrove Jack, priceless.

I can't wait to try it again this coming weekend. Hopefully, there are some GTs playing somewhere in Zambales. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky.

Fishing Before the Storm

2011-09-28T07:28:00.004+08:00

Typhoon Pedring (Nesat) entered the Philippines last Sunday afternoon and made landfall the following day Monday. It was really annoying when you have a fishing trip planned and then a storm will appear all of a sudden. It was also odd that in the past weeks, a storm always appear every weekend. We could not fish on weekdays because of work and for the past weeks, we couldn't even fish on weekends because of these typhoons. That Sunday, myself, my cousin JB, and Miko just can't accept that and we decided to push through even when there's a storm coming.

We decided to leave early to make the most of the clear weather. The plan was to bolt when the storm arrives -- and we expected that to happen in the afternoon. We got to the spot 6am and immediately rigged as soon as we parked the car. We were so pumped because we really need to maximize the short time to fish. But even though we got there early, the swell started to appear and the dirty water has mixed with the clean water on our fishing spot. From those signs, we feared that fishing would be tough.

And tough it was. We casted almost all imaginable lures we had and caught nothing. I lost 2 brand new madai jigs, one brand new squid jig, and another casting jig from rocky snags. Not a single bite for the most part of the morning until around 2pm.

Then past 2pm, the tide came in, and it cleared the water for a short while. The clear water triggered feeding, and we decided to use baits instead of lures. The change in tactics proved successful and we were rewarded with an almost-1kg grouper and two of these 2kg+ Mangrove Jacks.

Even when the typhoon appeared over the horizon, we continued to fish with baits but unfortunately, no bites after that. At around 5pm, heavy rains and strong wind battered the spot we were on and after a few minutes, we were soaking wet. We decided to call it quits while the roads going back to Manila are still passable.

Because of the rain and traffic, we arrived in Manila past 9pm. The trip was worth it and we will be coming back. The next time, I will be bringing my kayak with me.

Downsizing Leaders at Aling Nene's Pond

2011-09-10T23:00:00.008+08:00

Last weekend, I took my wife and kids to ANP for a half day of fun fishing. Because crispy fried tilapia are my kids' favorite (next to KFC's Snack box), my diabolic plan was to coax my kids to join me fishing so I can also fish myself. I told them that they can catch all the tilapia they want. They fell for it and nagged my wife until she wasn't able to refuse. Little that they know that the real plan was for me to try my three-hundred-peso Eagle Claw fly rod (from HMR) on a few famous ANP bangus.

My wife and kids had a blast. They caught more than three kilos of tilapia. They also consumed a ton of chichiria and week's worth of food from the ANP canteen. Unfortunately for me, the plan backfired. Not only did I pay for all they caught and ate, I also got zero bangus, zero dalag, and not even a nibble from a hungry apahap.

My only catch that day was a scrawny tilapia on an DIY bread fly.

Like all self-respecting anglers out there, I scheduled another trip --- this time I came prepared. I got a few batches of bread fly using the cosmetic foam as the imitation bread. I was convinced that the bangus would fall for it instead of the hard foam that I used the last time. Not only that, I also came alone. This is to maximize my fishing time and minimize my expense. :-)

Like almost all evil plans, things do not turn out as you would expect. The bangus fly was a bust. Not a single bangus paid attention to it. It was complete waste of time. Although I threw more than 10 kg of stale bread as chum, not a single bangus came even close to taking a look at my immitation bread fly. Even tilapias did not pay attention to my new fly.

So, instead of wasting my time on fly fishing for bangus, I took out my trusted BC rod and reel and casted lures after lures after lures and like the weekend before NADA! Not even a fish following my lure.

So I became bold and downsized my leader from a 30lb mono to an 8lb flouro. On almost all my trips at ANP, I was always using heavier leaders -- from 15-30lbs. But this time, and probably out of desperation, I was convinced that the fishes in ANP have become smarter and can see better. They are also better fed nowadays as almost all the ponds in ANP were recently seeded by tilapia fries. And under those situations, I was convinced that going light would be the best option.

So, I took out my Momoi flouro which was originally for eging and tied on a meter or a meter and a half of it into my 15lb main line. I tied on my favorite lure and casted parallel to the banks of the ponds. Not long after that I got a massive strike. I was instantly worried that my leader would not hold. It was a good thing that I was using a light reel with a light drag to play the fish better. After around 10 minutes, I was able to land this fat 2.3kg Snakehead.

My spirit got a jump start after the catch and went back to try for some more. Unfortunately, the weather turned and rain poured non stop. I tried to wait it out but the rain wouldn't stop. When lightning came with the rain, I decided to called it a day.

Team Daiwa Advantage and Light Jigging from a Pier

2011-08-15T14:49:00.004+08:00

The Team Daiwa Advantage (TDA) reel is not very popular among anglers here in Asia. But not known to many, it is one of the better quality Real Four reels released by Daiwa in the US. This is especially true for the Size 3500A and 4500A. What's so special about these two reels? If you are familiar with the very popular Caldia KIX JDM reels, you will immediately see the resemblance. That's because they are almost exactly the same reels. Almost, because the TDA has one more bearing compared to the Caldia KIX. The TDA has a ball bearing on the roller instead of a bushing (in Caldia KIX). The first batches of TDA are all made in Japan, similar to Caldia KIX 3500 and 4000.

When I was looking around eBay, I found a Made in Japan TDA. It's almost new but with a small nick in the paint job. Understandable for a display reel. The good thing is that it is Japan made, very smooth, and never been used. Plus, it's 1/3 of the cost of a Caldia KIX.

As soon as I received the reel, I upgraded the spool bushing into a Shimano SARB ball bearing. Giving the reel additional smoothness in its drag. I plan to use it for light popping and jigging, I already rebuilt a popping rod from an 8ft Okuma Sentara Surf Casting blank and it looks ok with the reel. I sure hope it will also perform well. All I need to do is finish the wraps with flex coat. Hopefully, it would be ready by this coming weekend.

Going back to the reel, I tested it for light jigging on a pier in Puerto Azul one weekend. A few weeks back I got myself an Expert Graphite 8ft rod from Kenny's Tackle Shop from the South. It's a bit light for the reel but it did ok for testing that weekend. We were supposed to leave 3am but the rain was terrible, we ended up leaving 4am. Our estimate was that the trip which was just 56 kilometers from Manila, will only last 45minutes to 1 hour. But because of traffic, it took us almost 3 hours.

When we got to the spot, it was raining heavily and the water was stained from river runoffs. It was practically raining every half an hour. I tried topwaters and spoons but no takers. I guess the water is too dirty for the fishes to see the lures. I then switched to a skip bunny and got a small Bagaong (Terapon). Then the rain intensified and no more bites on the bunny.

I tried a few japanese jigs and no luck on most of them. Then I tried a 60gm blue jig and not long afterwards, I got a huge bite. It was an awesome strike. The fish pulled line like it was a bruiser. I really enjoyed the smoothness of the TDA's drag and how it's clicker sounded when the fish pulled line. The only problem was the net. Nobody remembered to bring a landing net. I was positioned way up in the abandoned pier and there was no way I can use my lip grip without going down the rocks near the breakers. After I was able to tire the fish after about 5 minutes, I went down near the water to reach it. I was able to see the fish after it surfaced. It was a Mangrove Jack and I estimated it to be above 2kg based on its length and girth. As I was reaching for the fish using my lip grip, the fish surged downwards and managed to pull the hook. It was absolutely disappointing. To make things worst, we heard a series of loud thud from the horizon and saw a few small bancas congregating from where the sound came. No doubt, they were dynamite fishers who were taking advantage of the cover of the rain. As soon as the dynamite fishers started with their massacre, the fishes all over the surrounding seemed to have disappeared. No bites and not a single sign of feeding fish.

At around lunch time, we noticed that the rain clouds were approaching from the horizon and we hurriedly put on our rain gear. We were barely able to put on our rain gear when it rained like hell. Our rain coats were barely preventing us from getting wet because the rain was falling on a 45 degree angle. We really thought that the rain would never stop. We almost gave up and were preparing to pack up and go home. After almost an eternity, the rain stopped. And, to our surprise, no more dynamite fishermen. At the back of my mind, I really hoped that the storm got them and sank their boats.

I went back to the same spot where I had a hookup and tried the same jig and slowly bounced it near the breakwater. At first, I thought I got snagged but then there was a strong pull. I knew immediately that it was a sizable fish but not as big as the first one. After a few runs, I managed to land it but not after getting wet while lipping the fish. It was not a Mangrove Jack. It looks like a red snapper but it was short and thick. 1.5kg.

After that, my cousin JB managed to catch a half-kilo grouper on jerk bait and I got another small Terapon on jig. After that, no more fish.

At exactly 4pm, we left Puerto Azul and drove back to Manila. The traffic had gone worst. Our 56km drive lasted for almost 4.5 hours. That's similar to driving Manila to Subic back and forth. We should have gone to Subic instead. We don't think we will go back to Puerto Azul for a while. The traffic is not worth the trip. And there appears to be a really high pressure from illegal fishers on the area. Maybe sometime in the future, things will improve -- I hope.

I really like the TDA 4000. I will replace its bushing near the pinion with Ball bearing to make it a double-bearing supported pinion. This will improve the already smooth cranking power. After that, I will replace the cheesy knob with an aluminum power knob to make it more suitable for light jigging and popping. I will post all the upgrades on a separate thread.

Upgrading a Daiwa Saltist

2011-06-26T22:52:00.004+08:00

I have been wanting to post this since I bought my Daiwa Saltist 20H but somehow I always get sidelined with other things. Anyway, here it is and I hope it will help other anglers who are using the same reel.

When Daiwa said it's Saltist is a full metal reel, it's not entirely true. There is one plastic part -- a spool shaft bearing. But that's not a problem. Mine had one which I upgraded to a Corrosion Resistant Ball Bearing (CRBB). In addition to that plastic part, I also upgraded the crappy drag washer to Smoothdrag Carbontex and some Cal's Drag grease.

The process is pretty simple, first remove the non-handle side plate where the centrifugal brakes are located. Then remove the spool. Then, remove the power handle and then then the drag star. Once the drag star is removed, remove the screws on the handle-side side plate. If you look inside this side plate, you will see a white plastic bushing that supports the spool shaft. I removed the retainer spring and removed the spool tension knob from the other side and pushed the bushing out from that side using a q-tip or small screw driver. Once removed, I replaced the bushing with a 3mm x 8mm x 4mm CRBB that I got from the spool of another Daiwa Reel that I upgraded to Abec 7 Ceramic. I oiled the bearing and then pushed the bearing in, and then place the retainer spring back to the original position.

Once done with the bearing upgrade, I then removed the drag washers. The first generation Daiwa Saltist reels have felt washers and they are rough and dry and can damage the metal washers. Aside from that, these washers are jerky under load. The best upgrade is to replace those washers with Carbontex washers. I ordered mine online from Smoothdrag.com. The second generation Saltist reels have carbontex washers on the main gear but the washer under the main gear is still the old felt material so you need to upgrade that to Carbontex.

Before installing, I put a thin coat of Cal's drag grease (also available at Smoothdrag.com) on all the drag washers. I cleaned the rest of the internals and then sprayed a thin coat of Silicone oil for salt protection. I just made sure that none of the oil got into the drag stack. Silicone oil is very smooth and slippery and can reduce the drag rating if it gets into the washers.

After oiling the bearings, I then re-assembled the reel.

In about 15minutes, I'm done.

What can I say about the reel? It's now all metal! Except of course for the paddle on the power handle which can be upgraded to an all aluminum round version. The reel is very smooth, solid and versatile. The centrifugal brakes allow you to use this reel as a Surf casting reel for throwing baits long distances. The only complaint I have about the Saltist is that it doesn't come in Left hand versions. It feels tougher than Shimano's Torium or other similar Shimano offering. Toriums are full of plastics and despite that fact, they are still so overpriced. After heavy use, you can feel that the reel with plastic parts will lose smoothness. For me, you can't beat the Saltist at that price.

Eging (Squid Fishing) in Subic Bay

2011-06-19T10:53:00.005+08:00

This coming Monday is a Public Holiday in PH and that means it's a long weekend and lots of time to fish. We were planning to go to Calatagan Batangas to try Anglers' Hideaway fishing pond and also to fish the nearby reef. Fellow anglers would like to test popping the reef while I would like to try eging or squid fishing as I recently acquired a size 1500 Team Daiwa Advantage reel and got a couple of Japanese egi jigs from overseas courtesy of Shakespear (Chris). Unfortunately, a typhoon also got interested with the long weekend and made it's way from Mindanao up to North. By estimate, it would arrive in Batangas Saturday and fishing will be impossible. So we cancelled the Batangas trip and hurriedly decided to to further north to Subic to avoid the storm. My estimate is that the storm would not arrive until the afternoon of Saturday.

To get more fishing time, we left Manila 2am and arrived Subic 4:30. When we got there, the signs of the impending storm is all over. The moon is barely visible due to the rain clouds. Bong, Miko, and RC quickly got to work and chucked their DIY poppers using 8ft popping rods and size 8000 Shimano reels. Me, I started with micro spoons, jigs, and poppers. No takers on any of the poppers and my micro lures. To make matters worse, I kept on getting tangles on my braid because I again overfilled the spool. After removing excess line, I got to tune the reel. By 8am, still no signs of fish. No feeding activities whatsoever.

By 10 am, we only got a small bagaong and a couple of small trevallies. I decided to abandon other lures and concentrated with Eging. At first no takers on the squid jigs in natural, blue, and purple. I remembered the tip from the Yozuri youtube channel to use pink when the day is cloudy and the water is turbulent. I got my small pink jig and after 5 casts, a solid pull and squid on.

On the same spot squids kept on attacking the jig but most of them are small and all I landed were pieces of tentacles that got pulled out from the squids. By lunchtime, it started pouring and the water turned cloudy. By then, the squids stopped biting. If there was no rain, there could have been more squids landed. At around 1pm the rain poured without letup. We were so drenched and decided to call it a day.
After the trip, I got one trevally (released) and four squids for my wife.

The squidding combo I used was a Daiwa E-GEE 80ML and a Team Daiwa Advandtage 1500 loaded with 15lb powerpro and 12lb Yozuri Flouro. I realized that the eging-specific gear really improves the chances of catching squid as it imparts the correct action to the squid jigs. The really light flourocarbon leader is also an advantage. I was using 12lb but the recommended is around 6-8lbs. Other anglers who were with me tried casting squid jigs on the same spot but got no takers. They were using heavy leaders and slightly stiffer rods. Another thing, the size and color of squid jigs are important depending on the condition of the area. It is possible to catch them without eging-specific gears but there are higher chances with the correct gear. I will again try eging hopefully in Batangas. I just hope the weather will cooperate.

When Will It Stop?

2011-06-07T23:06:00.003+08:00

Buying rod and reels, that is.

A newbie will ask what gear would be a good starter kit and people would instantly advise that a 2000-2500 spinning reel matched to a 6'6" rod should be the best starter kit. After the first kilo of fish caught with the new gear, the newbie will go berserk and go on a shopping spree for rods and reels, which most often than not, will rarely be used. Spinning reel, then baitcasting reel, trolling reel, then jigging reel and so on and so forth. After a hard look of the accumulated rod, reels, accessories, and tons of lures, the guy/gal will realize that he/she doesn't have a single clue how the stuff performed because, after a few use, he/she has not caught a single shit of a fish --- and that is a fact. Which is a good thing for prospective buyers lurking on fishing forums.

The reason I rant about this is because that is what exactly is happening to me. It seemed that after a few weeks or months of purchase, I wanted more. When I was just starting, I got this el-cheapo spinning reel from local shop. After a while, I got hooked to fishing and bought a couple of JDM spinning reels. Then, I got exposed to BC and sold my spinning reels and got myself an Abu Revo SX. Then I realized that I need a salt-worthy casting reel, and bought a Revo Inshore. Then, after a few weeks, I convinced myself that I need a heavier gear and got a total of 3 Avet reels in less than six months. Got myself a couple of SX reels and one MXJ. Then without even using them, I sold them all. I got a Daiwa Saltist 20H and a matching rod. After buying the combo, it sat there rarely getting time on the water. Then I got a few Curados and some Daiwas. Then, just a few weeks ago, I got back to spinning combos. Kinda odd since I vowed not use a spinning reel a year back.

But wait, after I was using the el-cheapo Daiwa Apollo 4000 reels and matching Apollo rod, I was happy catching fish once a week with that gear. But then I got exposed to a few fishing forums. That's when things got really out of hand. True, I learned a lot from forums but I also started the never ending obsession with new gears. Maybe forums on fishing are driving this sickness? If I stop visiting forums, will the obsession die down? I wonder.

I remember a story from another angler way back. He heard a theory from a Malaysian angler explaining the behavior. It goes something like this.

Anglers will obsess on buying gears when they get limited time on the water.

That makes perfect sense! Combine that with too much time on forums and you will get an armchair angler with almost no time on the water, buying gears left and right!

So, if you feel that you are starting to become obsessed on gears, stay away from the computer, go out the door and fish!

Bigger, Better, Faster, Whatever!

2011-06-03T11:11:00.008+08:00

When I was very young, I was already addicted to fishing - but not with rod a rod and reel. Almost every day of the week, I usually sneak off with my cousins to the nearby creek catching small shrimps, small fishes, and crabs using a small "pana" (spear gun) made from the metal umbrella frame, a pen casing, and small strip of rubber. It was a joy catching small shrimps and fishes on very shallow water and we can't seem to get tired of it. We were so addicted to it that we spend most of the day in the creek spear fishing. We were so engrossed with fishing that people were calling us "mga boy sapa" or the boys from the creek. When we got a bit bigger, we started bait-fishing using bamboo poles and a short piece of nylon and worms for tilapia and haruan. After a days fishing, we compile all our catches and cook them on site and share lunch, stories, and plans for the next trip.

Back then, there was no sense of competition -- everything was communal so to speak. We share the spoils of the trip and arguments and intrigues were rarely heard of. There was no inggitan (jealousy). It was all about "us" the group, the team, my buddies, and how we can have more fun out of fishing.

Then when I became an adult, things got different. Fishing got competitive and, most of the time, stressful. Fun was almost always the least of the concerns. A lot of people fish for the size, the quantity of the meat, the weight of the catch, and the speed of the fish. Almost everyone was trying to outdo everyone else. The most common statements, although not bluntly stated, is all about "I'm an authority on fishing, I got a bigger fish, I caught a ton of fish, I used an expensive rod, an expensive reel, a stronger braid, I used a lot of fishing blings, I have a bigger boat, I went to the best fishing spot, my spinning reel is better than your baitcasting reel (and vice versa), my retrieve is faster than yours" and other statements to that effect. Calling the behavior as childish is unfair to most children because I know for a fact, that most children who fish are out to have fun not to outdo everyone. A lot of fishing forums thrive on those kinds of threads and, to be honest, it's getting really old. I, for one, am guilty in that kind of "fishing" and I came to realize that it's nothing to be proud of and it is something that I personally need to correct about my self.

Sure, I would like to catch bigger and stronger fish like the wild double-digit barra or mangrove jack, but I am starting to realize that is should not be my goal. I have decided that when I go out to fish, my goal is to have fun and to get rid of stress, not to create one. That's probably why, recently, I am more inclined to trying out eging and fishing for bream and whiting. For me, the highlight of the trip should be the story, the fun/joy of catching or trying to catch them, and not the gear, the size of the catch, and the rest of the stuff that were used during the trip.

Enough of the rant, I'm going fishing.

Eging and Ultralight Jigging in Subic Bay

2011-05-30T10:12:00.002+08:00

We went to Subic over the weekend. Even though the weather is less than desirable, I gave eging and fishing using light lures a go.

First try was eging. I had so many problems with the spinning reel. I think I overfilled the reel with braid or the reel is not made for braid so it does not cast properly. Everytime I cast, the line gets terrible backlash. Imagine that, backlash on a spinning reel. I used up most of my fishing time fixing the tangles.

Anyway, I was able to get a squid using a Blue 2.5 Yozuri Egi. I actually got three hookups but the other two got away.

Then it rained for the most part of the morning. Somehow squids stopped biting when the rain started. So, I shifted to a 20gram jig and caught three kitoks. I need to get real spinning reel in the 1500 size and some 6 or 8lb braid. This eging and ultralight jigging/popping thing is getting addicting. :devil:

Trying Out Other Tactics (Ultralight Jigs and Poppers)

2011-05-22T22:34:00.006+08:00

I'm an avid fan of baitcasters, that's for sure. But like most anglers, I started out with a spinning combo. After a few years of using nothing but overhead outfits (BC), I am beginning to realize that I am missing out some of the fun enjoyed by spinning reel fans. Among them are the use of really light lures (sub-5gm lures), weightless plastics, and eging (squid game).

When I heard of the sale at Fish and Dive, a JDM rod and reel shop here in Manila, I grabbed the opportunity and got myself an 8ft PE .6-1.2 rod purposely built for eging or squid fishing. At 50% off, the Daiwa E-GEE rod was a steal and I just can't pass up on the chance. Eging rods are really rare here in PH and the only other way to get them is from this shop, which I can't afford if on a regular price, or by ordering online. I still don't have a matching reel but getting the rod is the hard part. There are plenty of reels locally available. The only problem is the cash. It's a good thing my daughter has a decent ultralight spinning reel that I can borrow.

A week after getting the eging rod, Bong, our fishing mentor, got himself an eging rod with a matching reel -- A Daiwa Neoversal and a Team Daiwa Z 1500 reel -- all JDM. He got it really cheap from a Japanese surplus shop. After hearing about his recent purchase, I convinced him to go out and try our gears. Unfortunately, eging spots are quite far so we decided to try a relatively near river just up north of Manila. But instead of eging, we tested these rods with other applications such as ultra-light poppers, spoons, jigs and finesse plastics.

We left just before 5am and arrived at the spot almost 7am. We immediately tried the small spoons and poppers. And, it was an instant blast. Small predators just can't get enough of the very small lures. Bong got some bagaong (Terapon) and a mangilo bidbid (Ladyfish) using 2inch poppers while I got a nice sized Kandule and a bagaong on a 1.5 inch spoon. Aside from being able to throw light lures, the beauty of the very light and long rod is that you can feel every small nibble and bounces on your lure. I know some BC fans may frown on the small fishes on very light gear, specially spinning gears, but I began to appreciate the absolute fun we got from using them.

In between using the light spinning gears, we still got to cast bigger lures using our trusted casting outfit. At the end of the day, I ended up with 2 threadfin salmons (pics to follow).

Next stop --- squid fishing (eging) and asohos or bakoko fishing (whiting and bream) , either south or north (Subic perhaps). We can probably cast some small spoons and poppers in between. It's really good to have light spinning rod and reels in your arsenal especially when fishing salt. It's an absolute fun to use.

Recon Trip Up North

2011-05-10T18:04:00.010+08:00

Together with Bong, Mikko, and Rich, we did a recon trip to Bulacan River up North a few months back. The trip was organized with the invitation from Irving.

There are very little paved road going to the area -- some areas have worn down asphalt a quarter of the way to the spot. The rest is a dusty dirt road, and when it rains, it's practically impossible to get to. Anyway, we got to the place by boat. Probably an hour's boat ride from the main town. We were very lucky when we arrived, threadies were active. You can hear exploding water when they feed on mullet. Some are almost feeding on the banks. It's basically sight fishing if you want to target the threadfins.

When there's feeding on an area, I had to rush to the scene and throw my favorite topwater. I was running all over the place when there's feeding but in most cases, I always arrive too late. Fortunately, on the late afternoon, the threadies got bolder and they don't leave the area after feeding. Then one explosion on the water occurred near my spot. I immediately casted my lure to the spot. After a few twitch, the fish took the lure. The problem is, the strike occurred too near the banks where there are a lot of bamboo snags. I fought the fish for a good two minutes but it dove under the bamboo poles and wrapped the line. I had to call the boatman to check if he can retrieve my lure and the fish. When he got to the snagged lure, the boatman dove under the poles and got only the lure. No more fish. I swear it was a big one because my Revo Inshore was not able to stop it from diving down the snag.

I then changed posts and move downriver a bit. I saw a threadie gave out its location. I casted and in one swoop, it swallowed the lure. This time, the spot I was in is on a very steep bank. The fish was able to angle me and swam so close to the bamboo poles sticking out from the bank. I had to reach out with my rod using one hand to get a good angle on the fish and prevent the line from fraying from the bamboo poles. And then the unthinkable happened --- fish made a very strong dive. The Majorcraft reel seat was slick when wet and in one dive, the fish was able to yank the rod from my hand. I froze for an instant, fearing that I lost a brand new rod with a Revo Inshore. Luckily, when the rod and reel fell into the water, it snagged from another set of bamboo poles preventing the fish from pulling it into the deep.

Without thinking, I jumped down the water's edge even it was about 5 feet from where I was standing. I grabbed back my rod and fought the fish. I still had to climb the last set of poles at the edge of the fast running water --- the fish keeps on diving near the bank. The spot where Rich was taking the video is where I first fought the fish --- where it took the rod from my hands. Anyway, here's what happened after that.

Threadfin Salmon from Hibiki on Vimeo.

Shy of 2kg. This is the fish that almost took away my Rod and Reel.

Photo and video courtesy of Richard

At the end of the trip, Miko got Mangrove Jack and Richard got a Threadfin. It was a very nice trip considering we hardly know what to expect from the place. It was a very challenging river and finding the perfect time is not easy. This was actually my 2nd trip there. My first was with my cousin JB last year. We were invited by fellow anglers from the North who frequent the spot. At that time, despite a lot of strikes, I basically got skunked. My cousin JB was a little luckier. He got a Bikaw (a juvenile Threadfin Salmon) using live bait. Lucky for me that I was able to hook up twice on the 2nd trip. I hope to revisit the place with a perfect timing --- perfect enough for us to hook a wild Barramundi. I hope sometime soon.

A Few Upgrades on an Abu Garcia Revo Inshore

2011-04-17T19:27:00.008+08:00

This reel is a must have for all lovers of low-profile reels for Saltwater fishing. Absolutely fantastic in terms of corrosion resistance. This is the type of reel that you can use in Salt repeatedly and would not worry about rinsing it. Casting distance is not as good as a Curado but it's trouble-free. Backlash is minimal. The drag, when new, is fantastic.

But, it is not bulletproof and needs to be upgraded in time. For my reel, I made some modifications that I would like to share. First is the replacement of Drag Star and clicker. The second is the replacement of the Drag washers. Third, is the addition of 4 ball bearings in the paddles. The last one, which I failed to do, is the replacement of the stock spool bearings with Ceramic ABEC5 or ABEC7 bearings.

Here are the internals:

Drag washers were upgraded to Brand New Smoothdrag Carbontex.

Stock drag washers of all Revo reels are also made of Carbon fiber but the material that the manufacturer used is inferior compared to Smoothdrag. They do not last long. After a year or so, they will flatten and lose drag strength. In addition, only the three main washers are carbon the washer under the main gear is made of felt paper.

Stock Drag Washers:

Photo from Alan Tani

Smoothdrag Carbontex

Carbontex can be ordered from smoothdrag.com. Here you can see the fiber mesh of Carbontex. The fibers are obviously thicker, stronger, and smoother.

In addition to the three main washers, you will get a thick Carbontex washer that will replace the felt washer under the main gear.

Drag star and clicker were replaced.

Because the stock washers of the Revo series will wear down fast, you will lose drag as you use the reel especially if the reel is used on larger fish. The tendency is to tighten the star further. Unfortunately, the stock drag star is made of aluminum. In the end the threads will strip.

Fortunately, I found a better replacement. The star drag from Abu Garcia Silvermax. You can see the insert is sturdier. The clicker was from Silvermax as well. Because the Drag Star of Silvermax is a bit taller, you will need the clicker assembly from Silvermax to get a perfect fit. You can also use the stock Inshore clicker but your Drag Star will sit a bit higher.

Stock Drag Star:

Bushing on the Handle Paddles Replaced with Ball Bearings

There are four bushings on the paddles of the handle. You can replace them with stainless steel ball bearings. The size is OD=8mm, ID=4mm, and 3mm thick. After replacing, the handle will be as smooth as a Revo STX or SX. But, you need to make sure that they are Stainless steel. Otherwise, they will rust when exposed to Saltwater. I did replace my paddle bushings with ball bearings and it was soooo smooth. Unfortunately, the ones I got were not Stainless Steel bearings but rather the Chrome Steel type. After a few outings in Saltwater, they corroded so I needed to take them out and return the bushings.

Ceramic Bearings on the Spool

Now, if you want to improve the casting distance, you might want to try upgrading them to Ceramic ABEC5 or ABEC7 bearings. Here are the dimensions:

ID 3mm x OD 10mm x Width 4mm
ID 5mm x OD 11mm x Width 4mm

You can order them from Bocabearings.com or Smoothdrag.com or ebay. After the upgrade, it can outcast a stock Curado, that's for sure.

Rod Review: St. Croix Premier PC60MHF

2011-04-12T04:09:00.005+08:00

I forgot to add this when I did a review of the rods that I used last February.

I had this rod for less than a year before I sold it. This was my first relatively expensive rod (more than $100). The rod was very light and very strong. The odd thing about this rod is that somehow it has fewer guides compared to other similar length rods like Shimano Clarus. I am not sure if this is negative or not. It didn't appear to have a consequence in performance whatsoever. It just looked awkward when it bends --- the line gets too close to the blank.

The other not so desirable part of the rod is the length of the butt. I personally think that it is a bit too short. A rating of 10-20lb should have a longer butt section than what it has. When fighting a big hard running fish, you'll struggle to get a grip from the butt. When casting double handed, you'll struggle to grip the end section of the butt. If you are used to single-hand casting, it wouldn't be a problem.

Still, it is strong and light. I can recommend the St. Croix Premier Casting rod especially if short butt sections is not an issue. Personally, I would prefer the PC66MHF -- the 6'6" casting rod. Same specs but with a longer butt section.

The biggest I caught using this rod is a 3.5kg Lady Fish. Lady fishes can run really long and fast especially on the first few minutes of the fight. After a long run, it also has a tendency to jump more than once. The rod handled the fish extremely well. It absorbed the runs and multiple jumps without pulling the hooks or breaking. The only problem is that I was struggling to get a good grip on the short butt when fighting the fish. Other than that, it performed great and I am sure that the rod can handle bigger fishes with ease if given a chance.

Family Fishing in Valenzuela

2011-04-03T21:20:00.004+08:00

School's out and before heading out to the province for the Holy Week, we still have a few week-ends to kill. So, I came up with a plan (translate=scheme) to get the family to join me fishing. My youngest was eager to join me but the wife and the eldest are wary of a scheme being brewed by yours truly. Actually, in all honesty, I really wanted to teach my kids how to fish and hopefully they will learn patience and appreciate nature.

To seal the deal, we went to Alex Tackle and got 2 Okuma Sefina + Shakespear Ultra Light Combo last Saturday. (The Okuma Sefina review will follow :-)). After purchasing, I rigged the reels with 9lb Sufix mono and prepped some Bangus rigs. As for me, I brought a few lures to test. (I realized that the regular lures we use in ANP are no longer productive).

Our plan to leave 6am turned an hour and a half later. When we got to the pond, there were just a few anglers. I saw some familiar faces like Roselon and Emil. We planned to take the farthest floating hut but it was already occupied when we got there so we settled with the bamboo kubo near the house. So, I baited the spinning reels and then gave the girls a quick lesson in casting. Not so long after, my youngest had been hauling juvie tilapia one after the other. She got bored with the small catches so we shifted to bangus fishing. My eldest joined in and after a few casts, she got our one and only Bangus (milkfish) for the day.

Trying to give pointers on casting and waiting for the bite.

The fish kept wriggling while my daughter squirmed in fear.

At around mid day, bangus fishing slowed down and my kids were back trying to catch tilapia. Since the kids got the hang of baiting and casting, I decided to rig my small Daiwa Baitcaster so I could test a few lures from Mikee and a couple that I got from eBay. While I was tying the leader, my youngest gave out a loud shout and said "I'ts a lobster! I got a lobster". True enough it was an Ulang the size of a small lobster. Amazing, it tried to eat an earthworm intended for tilapia.

After the big "lobster", the bites slowed down so we decided to take our lunch. As usual, the food in ANP is amazingly cheap and good. My wife was amazed and even agreed that fishing there was cheap and relaxing. After lunch, the girls decided to rest and I got out to test my lures under the blazing mid day sun. I started on the farthest section of the pond and made my way back to the huts. No takers over the far end of the pond. I guessed the stories that the Barras are extra wary of lures and can only be caught on live carp feeders are true. Just before giving up, I switched to a chrome colored floating jerkbait from Rapala. I remembered the Youtube videos on working floating jerkies on the banks to avoid snags. I casted repeatedly near the bank and then made some quick jerks. Then, unexpectedly, wham! A barra took the lure almost near the surface. You can see the wake it made when it hit the lure. I never had the chance to set the hooks. The fish set the hook by itself. After around 5minutes, I landed the 2.25kg barra.

I am now a believer of the floating lure technique on banks used by Aussies. I guess they really work.

At around 2pm, we packed up and took home a few tilapias, a small bangus, and the Barra. I cleaned the small fishes and had the barra filleted from my suking fish monger.

As for the "lobster", it is now my girls' pet named Larry.

Curado 201E7 Love and Hate

2011-03-14T22:41:00.010+08:00

Last July 2010, I bought myself a Curado 201E7. This is especially noteworthy for me because I haven't felt real love for Shimano reels, not yet at least. The first reel I had from them was a Technium 2500 spinning reel and the quality is not really that great. It was so smooth when I first got it from the store. It looked great and felt great. But somehow, after a month or so, it started to get rough. The materials can easily be noticed as cheap. You will notice this especially if you service your own reel. I just thought that maybe because it was subcontracted by Shimano. (No disrespect to all things that were subcontracted. I understand that its about economics and nothing else.) I decided that the next Shimano reel I should get should be a Japan made reel or none at all. So after that reel, I became a Daiwa fan for a long time. After a few years, I got introduced to baitcasting and the reel that taught me to baitcast was an antique Shimano Bantam reel. It was made in Japan. It was old but it was hot. So hot that it convinced me to get rid of spinning reels and convert to baitcasting. I transitioned to Baitcasting outfits and I bought a few Abus and a bit of Daiwas. Then Curado came to my mind. It's made in Japan, very popular among anglers in the US, and it's relatively inexpensive (especially in eBay). So, July 2010, I got myself a Curado 201E7 from eBay. I said to myself, It's Japan made, it's popular. I think I am going to love it. Then the reel arrived. I picked it up, opened the box and played with it. After about an hour of trying to get a feel for the reel and matching it with my rods, it somehow felt off. I don't know why. It just didn't felt right. So, a few hours after getting the reel from the courier, I sold it. The next morning it was out of my hands.

After a few months, I was able to purchase a Citica. Unfortunately, it was also not a very hot product in my opinion, even when it is made in Japan. It is understandable because it's relatively cheap.It still a best value reel. Unfortunately, it was not the Shimano for me. So, after less than a month, I sold it as well. Even after tuning it with Scorpion bearings and all.

Then, my trusted Abu Revo Inshore failed. The drag star stripped. I fixed the problem with a Silvermax drag star and clicker assembly. With this, I lost confidence again on a subcontracted reel (Abu Garcia Revo series reels are made in Korea. Abu Garcia Salty Stage Orra (the Asian equivalent of Revo Inshore) is made in China.) That's it, I said to myself. It's made in Japan for reels or none at all. It doesn't matter if I have to wait long to save some cash. It should be worth it --- like my Daiwa Sol and Millionaire.

I needed a backup reel for my Revo so I again looked to Curado as the relatively cheapest Japanese reel that I can afford which has a lot of following from hardcore American anglers. I again looked to eBay and got myself a new Curado 201E7. To be honest, it still don't know what to make of it. I tested it yesterday with my Clarus rod and tried frogs and WTD. It still doesn't feel right. I don't know. I cannot make the frog and the stick baits move the way they should using this reel. Maybe the retrieve speed, the width of the reel, the plastic side plates, or the width of the spool which makes me touch the spool all the time when retrieving. I just can't figure out what the issue is. At least it can cast great. No doubt about that.

Anyway, I will try again. Maybe after a couple more use, I can get a feel for it. If not, it's going back to the trading post.

Here's the dilemma. What other low profile reels are out there that are Made in Japan, good for Inshore duty (including Saltwater), has a good reputation, and comparable price with Revo Series, aside from Curado, and Citica? I don't think there is anything else.

Choosing a Rod and Reel according to Alan Tani

2011-03-10T08:32:00.001+08:00

This is by far the best advise that I have read so far. The most common mistake that I usually do is that I almost always buy the reel first before I buy the rod. I usually end up selling the reel because I cannot find the correct rod for it. I now believe that it should be the other way around.

This article from Alan Tani explains why.

==================

Selecting a rod - "The Wand Picks the Wizard, Mr. Potter."

by Alan Tani from http://alantani.com

To establish the proper rating for a rod, here is the procedure....

1. Place any reel on the rod with any heavy line (it does not matter). run the line through the guides and tie the water jug at the end. place the rod in a holder of some sort so that the rod butt rests at a 45 degree angle. now add water or weight (cut a hole in the jug) until the rod bends to the desired flex that you want.

I usually look for the rod tip to bend until the tip is midway between the top of the arc and the butt cap of the rod. you may desire more or less. it depends upon the type of rod and your personal preferences.

2. Now measure or total up the weight. let's say that you have a medium weight rod that flexes to a desired amount with only 10 pounds. you have now determined the proper drag setting for your rod.

3. Now choose a line weight. different people have different preferences. you might typically fish as heavy a drag setting as 33% or as light as 25%. anything more risks line breakage. anything less is wasted unless line abrasion resistance is a concern. admittedly, i fish some rigs as heavy as 50% and others as light as 12%. let's just say that we will stay within average parameters. with a desired 10 pound drag setting at a 33%, you need a 30 pound mono.

4. Now chose a line capacity. typically people look for 300 of line capacity. what fish can take a 100 yard run on you if the drags are properly set? that is the length of a football field. why in the world would anyone want 500 yards of line for fish under 60 pounds? in the vast majority of situations, it is lack of confidence and low drag settings. very few fishermen actually check the drag settings with a scale. i'm sorry that this is so harsh, but unless the fish is larger than 5 times the line weight, i see no reason for getting "spooled." in open water, you typically fight a 40 pound fish with only the first 100 yards of 40 pound mono. in moving water or fish up to twice the line rating, that fight might occur in the first 150 yards. i use 300 yards for smaller tuna, 500 yards for the big ones.

5. Now pick the size of the reel. are you fishing with straight mono or spectra with a mono topshot. what ever the situation, you pick the size of the spool to fit the required amount of line. and make sure it can deliver the required amount of drag and still maintain good free spool.
===========

I think you can use a digital scale instead of a water jug.
This is especially applicable for Lure anglers or light tackle anglers like us. The rod will determine how many casts you can make for the duration of your fishing trip. Too heavy a rod or an unbalanced combo will tire you quickly and will not cast properly.

Gear Talk: Abu Garcia Revo Inshore

2011-03-03T18:34:00.012+08:00

This is a tough reel --- at least in terms of corrosion resistance. I bought it 2 years ago and still hasn't shown any hint of corrosion. It's safe to say that it is reliable in the salt but it has some problems. On its first few months, the titanium coated line guide pops out while casting. I had to put super glue to fix it. It has happened twice already. The first glue I used was a Super Glue from Mighty Bond. A month later, it popped out again while casting. I then used 2 part 5minute clear epoxy. So far so good. It's holding quite well. Another issue with the reel is the finish. It gets scratched easily compared with a Revo SX. Another issue is the Drag star, it's crappy. At first, the reel was steadily losing drag pressure. I noticed that the threads on the drag star was showing rounding. Then eventually, it gave out. Almost all the threads stripped. I noticed that the material was not suited for threads --- it's susceptible to stripping. The hard part is getting parts for it. I had to email Purefishing to get the part. After a month, the reseller here contacted me to give me the prices of the parts. During that time, I already found a solution. I bought the star, spring washers, the base of the washers, and clicker from a thrashed Abu Garcia Silvermax. You will notice that the thread in Silvermax drag star is made from hardened stainless steel insert. It sure looks stronger than the stock drag star of the Revo Inshore. Currently, it's holding well and the drag pressure seems to be holding quite well. Just a note, it is not 24lbs as what the manufacturer claims. More like 15lbs at the most. If you have a Revo reel that is losing drag, check the drag star thread. I am sure that its slowly stripping away.

What do I like about the reel? It can withstand the salt even when I'm too lazy to wash it. The Revo SX doesn't have that resistance to Salt. Another thing, it has the line capacity needed for inshore fishing. The downside of that capacity is that it is not a great caster because of the deeper spool. But this can be fixed by replacing the spool bearings with Ceramic ABEC7 bearings. Another plus for the reel is the long handles for extra cranking speed and the power handle for extra torque in cranking.

A 7.7kg Barramundi caught on Revo Inshore. The lure I used was a Duel 3D 3inch Suspending Jerkbait.

Would I recommend this reel to anyone? Yes, but be prepared to replace the drag star. It will eventually strip. I hope that Abu Garcia will upgrade the reel and replace the crappy drag star with a stronger metal insert to prevent stripping. They can also replace the main shaft with a shaft that has bigger threads for more power. They can also upgrade their drag star design to what Shimano has. And lastly, they can replace the housing of the line guide with aluminum. That plastic base is too crappy for a reel with this price.

Would I buy another reel from Abu Garcia? Yes, but only those reels that are made in Sweden. The same applies to Shimano and Daiwa reels. I will not buy a Shimano or Daiwa reel if it is not made in Japan.

Abu Garcia reels (Revo) or even Daiwa (Saltist, Apollo, Regal, etc) and Shimano (Technium, Alivio, etc) that are made in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, or China, appears to have been made with poor materials. I agree that Quality control may not be a factor anymore because these Japanese or American companies probably have strict quality control for their products that are being made overseas. But the problem is the poor quality of materials that were used --- the metals, graphite, and plastics used to be specific. The aluminum frames, drag star, and side plates seem to be prone to stripping, cracking or warping. The "stainless" bearings, springs, and washers are prone to rusting. The plastic/graphite parts chip, crack, or suddenly compress. From experience, these things rarely happen on Japanese reels such as Daiwa Millionaire and Daiwa Sol or Swedish reels such as Abu Garcia Classic Inshore, 4601/5601C3.

Addition: Abu Garcia and Daiwa should talk to their outsourced manufacturers. They should insist that if the material is aluminum, as those in Drag Stars, they should use coarse threads instead of fine threads. Aluminum is an exception to rule that fine threads are stronger than coarse threads in nuts and bolts. A better solution is to use stronger metals instead of aluminum, such as brass or stainless shafts and thread inserts. They can use fine threads for strength without fear of stripping if the material used is not aluminum or similar soft materials.

Gear Talk: Abu Garcia Revo SX 2008 Model

2011-03-03T15:46:00.006+08:00

The Abu Garcia Revo SX 2008 is the first Baitcaster that I ever bought. Way back then, I was an avid spinner fan having grown old without knowing anything else other than spinning reels. Then came Bong, my Haruan Hunter master. He introduced me to Haruan fishing, the use of lures, and the beauty of baitcasters. He started me into BC fishing using a really old but well preserved Shimano Bantam reel -- which was a righty, by the way. After a week of use, I saw the merits of using BCs against spinning reels and decided to buy myself a decent combo --- a lefty. It was a really perfect timing since Gordon of Fishing Buddy, a popular tackle shop here, offered his very first Abu Garcia Revo SX for sale. I believe I was the first who bought this only lefty reel on stock. This reel is awesome. Casting was not perfect due to the defect on the brake magnets (weak magnets). Backlash is a regular occurrence because the brake was not really functioning. That defect taught me how to thumb the reel properly. After I got the hang of thumbing, I was able to cast accurately and with good distance. I caught a lot of freshwater and saltwater fish with this reel. The drag was awesome and the build and materials were comparable to a really expensive reel. And, it was absolutely smooth. It's paddles in the handle has 4 ball bearings (2 per paddle) giving it it's noticeable smoothness. So smooth that Bong got so convinced he got his own Revo SX.

This is 5kg Barra I caught with the reel. Only one of the many Barras caught with it.

The reel does not have a drag pressure of 24lbs as stated by the manufacturer. It's more like 10lbs at the most. But the drag was really smooth due to the carbontex washer that was used. It was so smooth that an 8kg barra was no match to it. It's finish is so tough (aside from looking hot), I barely noticed any scratch on my reel after 3 years of use.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you are patient enough to learn how to thumb the reel. The 2008 models are selling cheap in eBay. If money is not an issue, get the Revo SX 2010 model with Swept handle and an improved magnetic drag. You can't beat this reel.

Gear Talk: Baitcasting Rods that I have tried

2011-02-28T17:22:00.021+08:00

There are very few selections of quality rods here in the Philippines. If you want something of quality, you have to order online and spend extra for the shipping and customs tax. Here are some of the rods that I have tried.

Majorcraft Basspara 662MH

Medium Heavy, 6’6” 10-20lbs Fast Action 2pc

I’m not sure what to call it--- Majorcraft is a JDM company but this rod is Made in China. Fortunately, like a true JDM Majorcraft rod, the craftsmanship is superb even for their cheapest line (this rod). Once you hold it, you might feel that the rod was over-rated especially when you wiggle test it and check the bend of the tip. It felt more like an 8-15lb medium rod rather than a Medium Heavy. In the field, casting was outstanding. It was rated to cast up to 1oz lures and when I tested it, it actually did so with ease. Maybe I really got used to American rods that felt stiffer. Maybe, this is what a MH rod should really feel like. Anyway, I matched the rod with a Shimano Citica 201, an Abu Garcia Revo Inshore, a Daiwa Millionaire 103L, and a Daiwa Sol. So far, it’s perfect pair is the Sol (freshwater) and the Millionaire (Salt). I was able to land a 1.7kg Threadfin Salmon from a boat on a relatively deep water. And, to be honest, I really felt that the Salmon was like a weak fighter. I finally realized that the rod was actually absorbing the fish’s powerful surges. It’s not that the fish was weak but the rod played it with so much ease. My only complaint with the rod is it’s tip. Somehow the tip sits too low and the line actually touches the blank when the rod flexes. Oh, well, I just have to replace it with another taller Fuji tip when it gets busted. I hope I can land something on the upper limit of the rod like a Barra in the 8 to 10kg weight or a 5kg Threadfin. If the rod survives them, then the rod is a really good buy.

Majorcraft Slicer 682H

6’8” Heavy 12-25lbs Regular Fast 2pc

It’s my first Japanese rod and the way it was constructed is truly different from American rods. I bought this for heavy topwater lures and deep diving plugs. It’s a perfect match to a Citica, Curado, and a Revo Inshore with 30lb braid. It’s a magnificent caster. Even with a so so caster like the Revo Inshore, you can still throw those medium lures at an amazing distance. The setting power is absolutely fantastic. I was originally fanatic of 1pc rods but then I started trying the multi-piece JDM rods. There is no discernible difference in performance compared to a 1pc rod. Maybe 5 years ago, 2pc rods are really crap. I have been using 1pc rods since the start a few years back and after using these Japanese 2pc rods, I can honestly say that they are at par or even better than their 1pc counterpart. And, they are easy to transport. I think the new friction joints have really addressed the issues with 2pc rod sensitivity.

Like the Basspara, I was able to land a 1.6kg Threadfin Salmon but this time it was from the Shore. Being a heavy rod, you can feel every surge of the fish. But in the end, a fish that size is just no match with the rod. One drawback on the Slicer’s design is its Reel Seat. It’s too slick when wet and when you don’t hold on to the rod tight enough, a fish can pull your gear away from you in a snap. Probably because the reel seat is not an exposed blank design and the finish is glossy instead of matte which made it slicker when wet and gives it a higher profile when the reel is seated. The solution is to get a low profile reel like a Citica or a Curado or an Inshore. Round reels may not really feel good on this rod. I sure wish I can tussle with a mamaw (monster) with this rod. Together with the Basspara, this rod is now my primary kayak rod and I am hoping I can test its power soon. My take? It’s relatively expensive but the craftsmanship is superb. If it survives a monster, then it is a really good buy.

Shimano Clarus 6’ Medium

CSC60MA 6’ Medium Power, 8-17lbs ¼-5/8 lures, 1pc. Fast Taper

I lost count of how many fishes I have caught with this rod and it hasn’t failed me since the day I bought it 3 years ago. I have used it for Snakehead fishing in heavy vegetation, Toman fishing for brutes (5.7kg), and for saltwater fishing for jacks and groupers. It’s latest victim, a 3.5kg Mangrove Jack on close quarter battle, using a Citica with 30lb braid, 35 mono leader, and locked drag. I absolutely pumped the rod with no fear of breaking it. This is my go to rod and my absolute favorite. The biggest fish that I have caught with this rod is an 8kg+ Barramundi. Lately, I am not using it very often because I'm afraid that if I break it, I don’t know where I can get the same rod as a replacement. It’s really hard to get this rod here in Asia. I highly recommend this rod – for its price and for its unparalleled performance. I sure wish the Shimano distributors here in PH will get us a couple of these. The same 1pc 6' 8-17lb and a 6'6" 1pc 10-20 MH. I will be the first one to line up for these rods.

Fenwick HMG

6’6” Medium 10-20lbs 1pc

When I first held the rod, I felt that it was a really nice rod. The finish, the guides, the seat, and the grip are all nice and evenly matched. It even balances with my round and low profile reels without problems. It even held up great on a 2kg Grouper on its first outing. Unfortunately, it’s blank is not really hot. The blank split open parallel to the grain of the graphite while on its 2^nd week kayak fishing. I was glad that Purefishing Malaysia replaced the rod without extra cost. But then after using the replacement rod (same exact model) while snakehead fishing, it again broke, on the same spot. A clean break. So I tried again to haggle for a replacement but nothing happened. So instead of wasting my P4,200 that I spent for the rod, I just repaired the rod using a 1 inch solid fiberglass tip as an insert and a 3inch piece of graphite as a sleeve then put epoxy over the repaired area. So far so good and I was able to catch a few Barras in the 1-1.8kg range. If you want to repair a broken rod, try visiting this link http://flyanglersonline.com/features/rodrepair/. The author really knows how to repair a rod. Would I buy another Fenwick HMG? No, not really.

All Star Select
1 pc, 10-20 lbs, 7'

This is a very nice rod in my opinion. The blank looks and feels sturdy and guides are made from quality components. The blank appears to be almost similar to the Lemax Platinum or Tica TC4 blanks. My only complaint with the rod is the length of the rear grip. It could use a couple of inches addition in length. I use two hands when casting - both for short or long rods. I need to have an extra length in the butt section for leverage. If you rarely cast with two hands, this rod is a winner.I haven't caught anything big with the rod --- only a couple of Barramundis in the 1.5kg range so I can't really tell if this can handle a run from a powerful fish.

Lemax Platinum PL80 MHC2

8' 2pcs, Medium Power Fast Taper 10-25lbs, 50grams max lure

This rod's blank is really nice. Very sensitive and can cast really far. It's good for poppers, skip bunnies, and large spoons. I caught a couple of 2kg Jacks using this rod. The only regret that I have for this rod is its weight --- it's butt is so heavy. It's really hard to balance it with a decent reel. We thought that the grip were causing the excessive weight because it's made of a rubber compound with some cork bits. But when Bong opened the grip to replace it with a nice cork grip, he found out that the butt section was not made of graphite. It was made from metal. It was joined together with the blank making up for the length. Too bad, you cannot fix that kind of problem with a nice cork grip and reel seat. So, I sold it. It's just too darn heavy. If your game is baiting and waiting, this rod should do fine. For casting, that's a different story.

Tica TC4 6’ Medium

8-17lb

The blank felt really nice but the grip and reel seat was crappy. The reel seat was literally falling apart. So I sold it after a few months of use. It’s a good thing I did because I heard from others that theirs broke for no apparent reason.

Abu Garcia Conolon 6’6”

10-20lb 2pc

It’s top-heavy and has crappy reel seat and a very short grip. You will have a hard time balancing this rod with a decent reel. And, its reputation of breaking hounds it wherever you go.

Berkley Lightning Rod 7’ H

7’ 2pc 12-25lbs rod

I really liked this rod. It casted good and felt good and it was really sensitive for a heavy casting rod. I liked it until the upper section broke in half while I was retrieving a 3/4 oz spoon. Purefishing Malaysia sent me a replacement rod --- an Abu Conolon with no extra cost. At least I got a replacement, even though the replacement rod was not really what I want.

Gear Talk: Shimano Citica 201E

2011-02-24T18:44:00.004+08:00

I have been planning to write something about the tackles that I use but when I was about to, I somehow fail to do so for some unknown reason. I guess a lot of people might be interested in these stuff so I will give it a shot.

First up, which is my latest purchase, is a Shimano Citica 201E. It's a cheap incarnation of Shimano Curado 200 series. What's the difference between the Curado 201E other than the color? First, the gear ratio. Citica is 6.3:1 while Curado has 7:1 and a 5:1. Second, the spool on a Citica is relatively heavier than that of a Curado. This gives the Curado an edge over the Citica when it comes to casting distance and casting lighter lures. Well, out of the box that is. A little tweak on the Citica can even things up (I will discuss this in a bit). The other difference is the paddles (handles) the handle in Citica is shorter with smaller grips and the paddles do not have the 2 ball bearings (1 for each paddle) that the Curado have -- and these paddles can't be upgraded with some ball bearings. Sucks, doesn't it?

Another difference is the Star wheel. It's plastic in the Citica and Aluminum in the Curados. The other difference is under the the main shaft of the Citica. It's a plastic bushing while it's a Ball bearing in Curado. One other difference is that the Citica has this really cheap looking brake blocks mounted on squarish brake pins made of plastic. Curado has round stainless metal pins with clear plastic round blocks. To top everything off, Citica also has inferior bearings compared to Curado's (SS and ARB).

All of these differences is because Citica is cheaper than a Curado by around $60 to $80.

When I first tried the reel, the first thing I noticed is that it was not smooth. It doesn't feel good on my hands especially when I crank it. Maybe I am just used to an Abu Revo Inshore or SX. When I checked the schematics, I noticed a plastic bushing under the shaft. I got myself a SARB ball bearing meant for a Shimano Scorpion XT from plat.co.jp and replaced that bushing. That ball bearing bearing made a lot of difference in improving the smoothness of the reel. If you plan on getting a Citica, it's a must have for this reel.

Photo courtesy of Bong. The blue plastic here is the bushing which can be replaced with a stainless steel ball bearing. In my case, I replaced it with a Shimano Scorpion XT 1501 ball bearing.

To compensate for the inferior Citica spool, I upgraded the spool bearings with ABEC 7 Ceramic bearings. Let me tell you, if you have the cash buy a pair of these. My bearings came from a friend in Canada. Those bearings really burn. The casting distance outmatched the Curado.

I field tested the reel when I went north for a whole week of kayak fishing in estuarine rivers. After around 7 nice-sized Mangrove Jacks (1.5kg to 3.5kg), the brake ring inside the side plate fell off. It's like a China made reel really. Aside from the components, Shimano may have scrimped on glue on this reel. It was disappointing. Anyway, after a few drops of Super glue, it was back as new. The drag, after just a week of use began to stick, I was really expecting it to be so. Maybe American anglers don't notice this in colder weather but after fishing under the tropical sun, the drag washer will soften and stick into the metal washers. Startup will be compromised which can snap lines when big fish strikes. The remedy is to replace the drag washer with Carbontex from Smoothdrag.

My final say on the reel? It's cheap and relatively upgradeable, which is a good thing. If you have the cash, go with the easier path and buy a Curado 200 E or 201E. If you love to tinker around and don't have dough to spare, go for Citica and keep upgrading it one part at a time with Scorpion XT parts. Note, Scorpion parts are cheaper than Curado parts for some unknown reason. By the time you are done, you will have an awesome fishing machine.

Monday Recon Trip

2011-01-18T09:13:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday, we were supposed to fish for Mamali (Threadfin) but when we reached the launch area, it started raining and the wind picked up. The boatman politely said that it will be impossible to fish due to the waves plus we will be miserably wet for the entire night. So, we ended up in QC drinking beer all night. I was planning to go to ANP to scratch the itch the following day but because of the hangover, I still was not able to.

Come Monday, the itch was unbearable. I got an SMS from Bong and he also felt the same. So, in an instant, we cooked up a recon up North. I called in sick (Sick from uncontrollable urge to fish). When we were about to leave, we SMS'd Miko about our plan. The guy hurriedly went back home from his office and sneaked a pack of lures, a couple of reels, and a Rod. While waiting for Miko, we studied a map that I put together from Google maps and identified spots that we can recon.

We left Manila at around 11am. Our plan was to go to Candaba swamp area. But upon passing Pulilan, we decided to stop and check the Pulilan river. We rigged and fished for around half an hour. No fish but the place was a super nice and has lots of potential. Unfortunately, the bank was too steep for casting and we needed to find some other spot in the river that is fit for lure anglers. When we were about to leave for Candaba, we realized that it was too late and decided to just scout for snakehead spots nearby. After an hour or so, we ended up in Calumpit.

When we passed by the Calumpit river, we spotted some fishes feeding on the surface and we immediately drove near the river bank to check it out. We tried different lures and casted near the bridge. Unfortunately, no takers.

At around 3pm, we hooked up with Gil and his son Isaac. We scouted a potential spot that Gil saw way back. We were not expecting too much action because it was getting cold and the wind had picked up. We threw frogs and there were no takers. Around 3:30, Gil got first blood from a spinner. Almost a kilo Snakehead. When Gil showed us the fish, everyone got excited and rigged our gear with spinner baits.

To make a long story short, we landed 22 Snakeheads in three hours. Hooked twice that number and had countless strikes. And we only fished a small section of the marsh land! It's not even a quarter of the entire area.

These fishes got badly injured so we decided that these should be taken home. The rest were released to fight another day.

My First Threadfin Salmon

2011-01-08T18:48:00.005+08:00

While I was in Zambales during the holidays, a fishing frenzy was happening in Manila Bay. Anglers were catching Threadfin Salmon, and they were big --- from a kilo up to 3kg fishes. They were being caught using top water lures and spoons.

To be honest, I have been trying to catch a Threadfin since November. I've been to three threadfin trips already and not a single bite. When I heard they started to appear in big groups during the end of December, I got really excited. I had to catch one and find out if it's reputation of a great fighter is true. So, last week we planned today's trip and asked Bong to reserve a big boat --- I was hoping some will join me in the hunt. I was also planning to field test a couple of new rods that I got as year-end gift to myself. Unfortunately, everyone's not available. My cousin said he can't come because he can't fish the whole day. But because the boat was already reserved, I convinced my cousin to fish for just half a day --- 6am to 12nn. Half a day of fishing is better than no fishing at all. I just hoped the fishes were biting in the morning.

So we arrived at Gloria Maris just before 6. The boatman was not yet ready. They forgot to buy gasoline so we had to wait near the breakwater together with morning joggers. After half an hour or so, we finally left to the spot. It was a good half an hour to get there. The waves were a bit high and that concerned me. My game plan was all out topwater. Them fishes might not notice my lures with all these waves crashing in the surface. And that's what happened. Not a nibble when the waves were strong. Around 10am, the waves lessened but unfortunately, threadfin was sparse. We saw individual fishes busting bait on the surface but it they were just so few. So, out of desperation, I just fan casted all around the boat. For the entire morning, there was not even a single strike. I was ready to call it a day when the waves flattened and we started seeing panicking baitfishes.

Around 12 noon, the fan casting paid off. I got my first threadfin. It crashed my lure thrice before I got hookup. The fish jumped three times as well and dove under the boat. It was 1.7kg. After some photos, I resumed fan casting. I managed to get 3 more strikes but they failed to connect to the lure. Just before 1pm, we went back to the docks. There, Erwin and Manny were waiting for their turn with the boat.

My impression --- I was expecting something stronger --- something stronger than a ladyfish. Maybe this one is not big enough. Anyway, my first threadfin was a good size and I hope the next one would be bigger.

As for the two rods, they were awesome. The first got christened while the other one got multiple strikes.

I'm sure there are bigger threadies there. I just have to find the right time of day. I will be back for sure with a new game plan.

Mangrove Jack Part 2

2010-12-26T12:01:00.001+08:00

After the successful trip just before Christmas, I just can't control the itch. I really need to go back and see if the bully jacks are back. So,even though I still have a hangover due to previous night's drinking, I still went out to fish at around 5:30am. I paddled lazily to the spot and just before daybreak, I anchored securely near the opposite side of the bank.

I casted towards the rocky wall and then twitched the big six- incher WTD lure a couple of times. On the pause, a swirl appeared and then the lure sank. I barely had the time to set the hook. I fought the fish for a good 3 minutes or so. I saw that it was smaller 1kg Jack. When I was about to lip grip the fish, the hook came off. It was disappointing. Not a good way to start the morning. Or so I thought.

I checked my 37lb leader to see if there were any marks. No marks so I casted again on the far side of the rocks. Played the lure but no takers. I boatman on outrigger passed by and we exchanged pleasantries. He politely asked what bait I was using. When I said it was a big artificial, he said, ahhh ... with a sign of disbelief. When he went on his way, I casted again to the same spot and just as the lure hits the water, a big strike. I instinctively set the hook and played the fish. It was a 1.5kg Jack. Not the bully that I was hoping for. still, it was a great fight. The boatman saw me land the fish went back and anchored to watch me fish. I can see his eyes glare in disbelief.

So, with an audience next to me, I casted again to see if a bully jack is out to play. Twitched the lure twice and then something inhaled the big piece of plastic! I knew immediately it was one of the Bullies. I set the hook twice and it angered the fish. My reel was set to maximum drag and it still was able to get some line. I pumped sideways to make the fish turn. It did but tried to run again towards the snag. It gained some more line. I kept on pumping sideways to steer it away from the rocks. It worked and steadily I was able to gain some line. We kept on with the tug of war for a good ten minutes. When it was near the boat, it dove underneath the hull and it almost broke my 6ft Clarus. I hade to reach out to prevent the rod from breaking.

THe fish kept runnning around my kayak. I was literally helpless. When I was about to grip its lip, the fish would dive underneath. While everything was going on, the boatman kept cheering like he was watching a boxing match. He kept on saying, baka mabali! (It might break)! baka mabali! (It might break)! He was obviously referring to my tiny dalag rod mounted on a dalag reel.

When I was finally able to lip grip it, the boatman shouted, P*%*@ &@& AHNNNG LAKHEEE! (F*@*$ it's so big!) It was indeed a big one (at least from the perspective of a dalag angler). One of the bullies i think. It was the best fight I had so far. Very powerful bully indeed. The fish knows how to ride the current of the outgoing tide.

A 3.5. My biggest Jack to date.

After exchanging stories with the boatman, I paddled back to the launch site and drove back home. It was 8am.

Oh, did I mention that I dropped my phone again?? It was my niece's phone that I borrowed last night. So, I have to buy 2 phones to replace the ones I broke. Good thing I was able to save my SIM. Anyway, it was worth it.

(Finally, I was able to get a decent copy from the Digicam.)

Here is a photo of the 1.5kg Jack.

Happy New Year everyone!

Mangrove Jack Just before Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T23:05:00.002+08:00

Yesterday morning, I went to my favorite fishing hole using my Kayak. The weather was really nice. No rain, not too cold and not too warm. But the fishes seemed timid. My only catch was a small Jack and nothing more. My guess was because the tide was not right. So instead of exerting more effort I went back home and decided to practice fly casting instead.

In the late afternoon, I went back to the spot to check if the Big Bully jacks are back. Took out my favorite topwater lure and casted towards the river's bank while drifting with the incoming tide. I was probably casting for a good half an hour when I came across a deep pool near the bend in the river. I casted parallel to the bank and as soon as lure hits the water, a massive explosion swallowed my 4inch lure. On instinct, I set the hook hard. I was confident that my 30lb braid on the Citica should be able to take the fish. Oh sheet, my leader was only 20. I have set the drag at around 1kg. The fish took some line so I locked the drag immediately.

The fish might have felt the tension so it dove really hard and it managed to pull me with my kayak a good 15 yards towards the other side of the river. I wanted to drop my anchor to get a leverage but my anchor was still velcroed to the rope. I wasn't using it the entire day. When the fish was about to reach the snag, I decided to pump the rod to make the fish turn. On the first pump, It turned but it went back to the direction of the snag. I pumped one more time and then tack! my leader snapped. The fish ran off with my favorite lure. My guestimate, a good 5-6kg Bully Jack.

Today, I prepped myself for a quick round 2 just before Christmas eve. I replaced my leaders with a 37lb mono. Tied on a 40lb snap and brought out my last spare fave lure. I was really pumped, I barely got any sleep last night. At around 3pm today, I drove to my launch. When I was prepping my kayak, I realized that I forgot my paddle! F$##@! I had to load the kayak again and drove back home to get the damn paddle. At around 3:30, I was on the water again and paddling like mad to my new spot.

Before casting, I anchored my kayak really good and casted and casted like there's no tomorrow. No takers. I was really getting frustrated. I thought to my self, maybe the fishes knew about this lure since one of them has one like it as a lip ring. I switched lure to a bigger and louder 6-incher. After 15 minutes, bam! the dam fish missed. I went on with the WTD, the fish doubled-back and hit the lure again. WTF, it missed again and my lure went flying a couple of feet away. I gave the lure a couple of jerks and the fish went for the lure again. On the third attempt, it was fish on! I really thought that it was a big one but it turned out to be a smaller fish. A locked drag and an anchored kayak proved to be a no contest. A 2.5kg Mangrove Jack!

Half an hour later, I managed to get another Mangrove Jack! A bit smaller at 1kg but fiesty. I was trying to take a photo and it thrashed around and knocked the phone off my hands. The phone got wet. There goes my Phone+Camera and all the photos in it.

I wasn't able to get even with last night's fish but I got two of its cousins. Just in time for Christmas eve noche-buena.

Kayak Bass Fishing

2010-12-19T13:08:00.003+08:00

After last week's trip. We decided to go back to Lumot Lake in Laguna. This time, we brought our kayaks with us. I was with Bien, Carlo, Obet, and my cousin JB. We left 2:30am and met with Bien on the way to Laguna. During daytime, it will take you probably 4 hours. AS usual, we passed by to Josie's Goto and had an early breakfast. We lost time on our way to the lake when we got lost somewhere in Famy. All of us were first timers driving to the lake. From Manila, it's supposed to be 2.5 hours for an early morning drive. But it took us 3 hours to get there.

When we arrived at Laguna, it started to rain. We were hoping that it was going to be a short rain but we were wrong.

On the dock, we met Manny, Erwin, and Rene. The wind howled and the clouds turned dark. When we reached the spot, it rained. Not just a drizzle but real heavy rain. The worst part was, it rained without let up. I was drenched from the waist down. I did have a rain coat but the Kayak was swamped with the rain and I was sitting the whole day on a watery seat.

Anyway, we were miserable because it was wet, it was really windy, and the bites were off. I got a small bass on drop shot and after that, no more bites. The guys didn't catch much in the morning but we still fished despite when we were cold and miserable.

In the afternoon, I was out of hope in catching anything. I toyed around with a saltwater WTD lure to pass the time. When I casted near the bank over the weeds, a huge swirl appeared and then my lure disappeared. I was slow to the take and failed to set the hook properly. The fish ran and pulled drag. I know it was a big one because I was using a heavy setup --- 30lb braid with 30lb leader and the drag was set to 1/3. After the initial run, I cranked hard but the fish was able to pull free. It was a huge disappointment but I had an idea what they were looking for.

I changed spot and went to a weedy area. I casted again using the saltwater lure. 2nd cast and it was fish on! Nice sized bass on WTD. I was able to get 2 more using the same lure. I guess the fish were not into worms at that time.

At around 4pm, we called it quits. It was still raining and we were really wet and miserable. We drove back to Manila at 6pm. We kept turning the A/C on and off because the car kept fogging but if we turn on the A/C, our wet clothes got unbearably cold. On our way back, we got lost a couple of times in Rizal. We reached Josie's by 9pm. We had some hot soup and tokwa't baboy and then drove back home.

The trip was not what we expected but it was an awesome experience. A big boat with 2 anglers, a dinghy with 1, and 3 anglers on Kayaks. Definitely, this will not be the last. I just hope that the weather will cooperate the next time around.

Lake Lumot Laguna

2010-12-13T10:20:00.003+08:00

December is a very busy day in the Philippines. A lot of work needs to be completed before the end of the year. So many Christmas parties to get to and so many stuff to buy and prepare for the holiday season. This means fishing time gets really affected --- less and less fishing. The irony is, December is the start of the best fishing months either in fresh or in Salt but you just can't go out fishing whenever you want to. It sucks!

I heard from my angler buddies, Noel and Obet, that there was a bass fishing trip this Sunday and the bite has started. Unfortunately, I have a company party that I need to go to. But when I heard that the traffic to the party venue was a nightmare, I decided to skip the party and join the bass fishing trip instead.

I was really excited because this is practically my 2nd Bass fishing trip ever. The biggest fish that I caught was about 300 grams and that was a long time ago. My goal for this trip was to learn worm fishing and most specially practice drop shot fishing.

We left Manila 2:30am and passed by a Goto and Arozcaldo (soup) house in Teresa Rizal. They serve the best Goto and Arozcaldo ever, specially when it's very early and very cold. After the brief early breakfast, we drove to the Lumot Lake dock. There we met Rene, Erwin, and Manny (who was going to try his brand new Yak). The problem is, it was raining--- a continuous drizzle. The sort of rain that will go on and on for the entire day. And that's what happened. It rained the entire trip. The good thing though was it wasn't scorching while fishing.

When our boat arrived, we quickly loaded our gears tied in the dinghy and Manny's kayak and went to the first spot. I joined Rene on his dinghy and tried the weedy banks of the lake. I got the first fish -- a small one using an X-rap. No takers on top water. IT was still too early so I haven't tried worming yet.

After a while, I changed to a texas-rigged 6in worm and caught my 2nd bass which was also a small one. Pretty nice for a newbie bass angler. But after that, no catches for any of us. When we joined the other guys in the big boat, Obet caught a couple of nize sized bass on worms. Manny caught his first bass on Yak.

In the afternoon, I changed rigs and I tried drop shot fishing. I rigged my Daiwa Sol with 15lb braid and 12lb flouro leader and tied on a curly tail worm. I thought there wasn't any activity in the shallow areas so I targeted the deep portions of the lake. Tap and another tap then I set the hook. It was amazing, truly an exciting fishing using light line with small hook on deep water and a relatively big fish pulling. I landed my first real bass. A 1kg bass. I wanted to release it but our boatman quickly tied the fish through the gills which made the chances of survival small.

When we moved to our last fishing spot before going home, I caught another small bass. Rene, who was frogging the entire day finally caught his target Haruan. He almost broke his rod while setting.

I wished I could have taken more pics but it was always raining and its hard to do so without getting my phone cam wet. Even though the weather was miserable, the company was excellent. The food courtesy of Obet was perfect. We were laughing the entire trip.

Right now, after waking up, I just can't get the drop shot method out of my head. I got to get some Shaky worms and Realistix minnows for saltwater. I need to go back with my Kayak. That's going to be awesome.

Super Quick Fishing

2010-12-05T18:59:00.000+08:00

Went to Subic yesterday to celebrate my wife's birthday and our wedding anniversary. In laws and their family were there and drank since the afternoon until late at night. This morning, I had this uncontrollable itch to wet my line. So, 4am, I drove from Camayan resort to Malawaan Fishing Area. I wish I could fish Camayan but it's really not allowed.

After rigging, I started casting around 4:30am. After half an hour, I got a hookup on a WTD lure but the fish jumped and threw my hook. Must be bidbid (Lady Fish) but I can't confirm because it was still dark. Around 5:30, I got another hookup on the same lure. I set the hook twice to make sure the hook will penetrate the jaw. It jumped four times before it tired.

Here is my Tarpon that I caught this morning. Almost 2kg. By 7am, I drove back to the resort for breakfast. Fishing trip is over.

All Soul's Fishing

2010-11-02T17:23:00.002+08:00

It has been a while since our last visit to Zambales. I was longing to use my kayak and visit my old Dalag spot. Once my kids had their school break, I also filed for vacation so I can take some time off from work. It was a perfect opportunity because there was no work on election day and also on the following Monday because it was All Soul's day.

On our way, we spent the night in Olongapo to meet up with the in-laws. It was still dark when I sneaked out for some quick fish just before we start our drive to Zamba. Somewhere in the shallows in Malawaan, I noticed a big shool of fish. It appeared like a school of travallies chasing baitfish. I casted a shallow diver onto the shool and cranked. After a few casts, It was fish on. It really felt like a trevally when it pulled line. When I landed it, it wasn't a trevally but a milkfish which was fould hooked on its back. It wasn't really sporting, but heck, it's still a fish and they were nice sized too. I repeated casting into the school and managed to catch 2 more until the school swam to deeper water.

When we got to Zamba, It was already late in the afternoon. No fishing yet but I managed to scout my old Haruan spot. I was hoping that after the rains, the marsh would have recovered from the drought last summer. Unfortunately, it was still dry in most places. The marsh that was previously waist deep in water, still is practically dry with some areas where water has accumulated. I went around the spot to check if Haruans started populating the place. They have but, unfortunately, they were just still too small for my lures. I was able to hook up one about five inches. I guess that I still need another year before they mature. I hope more rains would come and submerge the marsh some more.

The next day, I went out with my kayak and did some top water fishing. It was a really relaxing trip just before daylight. Nobody around but you, your kayak, and birds of different colors and sizes. I wasn't really expecting anything to catch something because the it wasn't the right tide. Still a mangrove jack managed to snatch my lure.

Last Sunday, I went to Masinloc and kayaked near the powerplant. It has a really nice potential but it appears to be heavily fished. When I got there, there were many motorized bancas fishing the area. The bay was also littered with floating fish cages. Not wanting to spoil the trip, I decided to hug the breakwaters and try my luck on squids using squid jigs from master bong. No luck on the squids so I decided to try my trusted top water lures. Fortunately, I managed to catch a familiar quary -- another mangrove jack.

The (Lady) Fish Got Even

2010-09-05T17:32:00.005+08:00

I wasn't able to shake off the memory of a Lady Fish's blistering run a couple of weeks back so I went for another shot at it this weekend. I was hoping to get one to bite on topwater ... hopefully something bigger.

I woke up early hoping I could get to the spot really early. Had coffee and then turned on the computer to check my mails. It was a really bad move. Instead of just checking my emails, I strayed to Filang's forum, checked what's hot in Tacklewarehouse, checked some stuff in eBay. Before I knew it, it was already past seven. Took a quick shower and left. I just grabbed the first rod that I saw from my rack. I then drove TO McDonalds and grabbed something to eat. Had my breakfast while on my way to the spot.

It was already past 8 when I started fishing. Tried my Rapala Countdown for a while but no takers. I switched to my Lucky Japeks Craft Sammy and casted as far as can. I twitched the lure thrice and then BAM! The strike was massive followed by a lightning run. It was Huge! Without blinking, I set the hook. CRACK!!! WTF, the rod broke on the 3rd guide from the top. The fish felt the hook and dashed away from me. It was really fast! Before it gets near the snags, I used my thumb on the spool to slow the fish. It got really mad and jumped really high. It was huge! bigger than my last catch. When the fish hit the water, CRACK!!!. The rod broke again from the middle part. DANG!

I was shocked and completely held on the spool. The fish jumped once more and because there is no more rod to break its tension, the hook pulled out. I was shaking. The fish owned me! DANG! Lesson learned, don't bring a knife to a gunfight! It was home made rod. I got the blank really cheap from one of the tackle shops near my place. It was no match to that fish.

I saw Millard from the other side. We both laughed at what happened. I said to myself. No way, it's still early. I need a rematch. So drove back to my house to get another rod. By 9:30, I got back and re-rigged my reel and the St. Croix rod. First cast, big strike! Unfortunately, the fish didn't hit the lure. After that, no more strikes. It was as if they disappeared all of a sudden. I stayed until 5pm. Since the last strike, we didn't get a single bite.

I just have to accept it, the fish got even.

=============================

Update: 9/11/2010

I went to the place once more hoping to get the Lady fish to bite. But instead of a Lady Fish, I caught a Haruan on WTD lure. This explains the short strikes. They were haruans, not Lady Fishes. I will go back one of these days and see if the resident Ladies would bite.

An Unusual Catch

2010-08-21T18:58:00.012+08:00

It was one of those days when I really wanted to go fishing. But on the last minute, I was having second thoughts. Upon waking up, I was not really excited. I was supposed to leave early but ended up leaving almost 9am and the sun was really up. So much for the early bird. The chances of getting a bite was not really high at that time of day.

Anyway, I still left and drove to the fishing spot. To make matters worse, it started to rain. Oh well, I said to myself, this trip might end early. But then, just as quickly as it started, the rain stopped and the fishes started biting. Not just ordinary fishes ... judging from the splashes, they are really big ones. A fellow angler lost one while trying to land it. Lady Fish! Big ones! Since then, everything got really interesting.

Unfortunately, the bites were short. Just a few minutes and they stopped all of a sudden. You can see some of their fins breaking the surface. I decided to wait for one to swim within casting distance. After a while, one broke surface around 30 yards from me, I made a cast about a yard ahead of it and then cranked my Shad Rap. Hook up! The fish went berserk! It sprinted like there's not tomorrow. My reel had a hard time stopping it as it dashed straight to the piles of bamboos. When almost 60 yards of line was taken, I tightened the drag to prevent it from spooling me. Because of the tightened drag, the fish took to the air. Unfortunately, the line got caught on a floating bamboo and the fish was able to break free. It's a good thing I didn't lose the lure. Oh man! the run was so exciting. It was like a milk fish on steroids!

After lunch, one of the guys who was with us caught one. His line wrapped around the fish's head. After a long time trying to land it, the fish was netted. A 2.5kg. Awesome!

I waited once more for something to break surface. Then I saw one surfaced on the other side. I hurriedly ran to that direction and readied my Shad Rap. When I got to the spot, it was gone. I just stood there and waited. Then just around 10 yards from me, it again broke surface. I hurriedly casted just a few feet from its head. Pow! Fish on! It was the most exciting run that I have ever endured. An 8kg Barra is no match to this freight train. Good thing I set my drag a little higher. The fish jumped a couple of times and then it lost steam. Thank god for Carbontex!

I called for one of the guys for a net. But just before the net arrived, I got so worried that I will lose the fish because I saw that my Shad Rap wasn't hooked to the fish at all! My lure snagged the double-lined heavy mono which was hooked into the fish! It was incredible! The hook held even when the fish jumped twice and sprinted for around 50 yards.

I grabbed my leader and heaved the fish into land. But before it touched land, the hook came off. I was lucky the fish was so tired. I grabbed its gills and heaved it into the bank.

A 3.8kg Lady Fish caught on lure even when it wasn't biting.

Revisiting Irving's Pond

2010-08-17T17:32:00.003+08:00

We revisited Irving's pond this weekend. We had a small bet on who can catch the biggest Haruan from 7am-11am. Winner take's all. The initial pot was 200 per person. Unfortunately, only 5 of us was able to join.

Anyway, even though there were only 5 of us, we went on and fished for half a day. The bite was really slow that day. Obet, Alan, and Irving decided to go for Tilapia's instead. Me and Gil went on fishing. Just a couple of minutes before 11am, Gil landed the winning Haruan -- actually the only fish caught during the contest period. It was a 2.15kg beauty. It could be one of the fishes caught during the previous tournament.

After some photos and a few minutes of fishing, we had lunch and tried out some fly fishing.

I really had a hard time with the fly. The line keeps getting tangled on some brush on the ground. I should have gotten myself a stripping basket or a pail. After countless snags on the ground, I decided to quit and go back to BC fishing for Haruan. But despite the snags, I really enjoyed casting the fly rod. It must be the sound of the fly line zipping back and forth that's really captivating.

At around 3pm, I finally was able to catch a Haruan. It was a 1.8kg.

All fishes were released.

As always, Irving was a generous host. He had his staff prepare our lunch and drinks. He even gave me a lip grip as a gift. That's the floating lip grip that we are using in the photos. Those things are really awesome. Very light and doesn't have parts that will rust. Plus, it floats. The grip is 10x better than those metal grips that I have tried. The "teeth" doesn't injure the fish. I highly recommend it. Thanks again, Irving.

Another Quickie in Coloong

2010-08-01T19:22:00.002+08:00

At around 8am, I went to Aling Nene's Pond to try my luck on their Haruans and Barras. No luck on either one. I wanted to stay but there were not enough casting areas because there were a lot of anglers fishing for bangus.

It was still early (10am) and I still wanted to fish so I decided to transfer to Kapitan Larry's to try the lawak once more.

After getting off the ferry, I immediately casted and got a nice reward on my first spot. It's a fat 1.3kg Haruan. It made a hard strike on my Ayu swimbait with blade.

I went on and casted around the banks using the same lure. I got another one. This time it was a smaller specimen. Less than a kilo, give or take. I really wanted a Barra but I was distracted by the Haruans. Maybe on my next trip, I will focus on the Barra. Now I know for sure that there are still barras there because one of the anglers that morning got a hookup on an estimated 5kg barra. Before they were able to net it, it snapped their line. Sayang!

Just before 1pm, I decided to call it a day.

Quick Fix in Coloong

2010-07-26T07:33:00.004+08:00

Our trip to Lakeshore did not push through. Even the planned recon trip somewhere in Pampanga, around 50 kms from Manila did not push through. It's a Sunday and I had nowhere to go. I just couldn't let the day pass without wetting my line.

So I decided to go to Valenzuela. At first, the plan was to check out Tagalag. I have been hearing a lot about Barramundis on one of the ponds and a rumored catch of Toman's on one of the rivers there. IT was almost 9am when I hurriedly drove to the said location. Alas, when I got there, all the waters around Tagalag are "owned", meaning every inch of water is now staked and bounded by nets. There not a single free area where I can cast without paying. When I got to Llenado's Pond. I was politely turned away. I was told that their stocks are quite small and it's a waste of time fishing there. So, the rumor about Barramundis and Tomans, are really rumors.

So, no choice but to go to Kapitan Larry's to pass the time. I can't let a good fishing visa go to waste.

I was not expecting to catch anything there. I was told the week before that they electro-fished the area to rid them of Haruans. Barras are also gone due to the Ondoy flooding. Still, I thought the river on the edge of the ponds may hold something promising.

When I got there, there was not much anglers around. The worst part is there was not a single bite for the next two hours or so. Instead of fishing the pond, I targeted the river on the edge of the pond. Nada! Then I saw a couple of boats rigged for electro fishing. They were electrocuting the damn stretch of the river. It's bad enough that the river is polluted, they even made it worse by doing illegal fishing. @%#$@%#^!

Anyway, when the ferryboat passed by my spot, I signaled the pilot to fetch me on his next trip. While waiting, I went back to casting. This time, I casted on the pond's edge. After around 30 or 40 casts, I got one. It was a mad Haruan and it made several jumps before I got to land it. It swallowed my pogy with spinner. A very lucky fish, considering the electrocutioners combed the pond the week before. This 1.1kg fish deserved to be free.

Another "Recon" Trip

2010-07-19T11:24:00.003+08:00

We went to another favorite Haruan spot this Sunday. We were supposed to go to Lakeshore but got an invitation the night before we leave.

The bites were slow. Only Bong seemed to haul them in. He got 7 in the morning using cranks. Our froggies were not getting much action. I was only able to get one using the my fave froggy and got 3 on spinners.

Even late afternoon after the rains, there were no takers. I think these critters have started breeding and does not want to feed that agressively as before.

My only consolation was that I was able to catch one using a Walk-the-Dog stickbait. They say that it was very uncommon to catch one using that lure.

Jessica is Free Again [7-10-2010]

2010-07-13T17:21:00.004+08:00

This was a late post. I said goodbye to Jessica. Jessica is what my fellow angler named the 3.11kg Haruan that I caught last June 27, 2010. She was taken to an aquarium on one of the Tackle Shops here in Manila for display.

We picked her up at Alex Tackle the afternoon of July 10th. With the help of Obet, my angler buddy, we placed her on a 48qt cooler. She was massive. She can barely fit inside the cooler.

Me, my wife, and my youngest daughter drove to the Wildlife Center and showed her to the Center officers before the release. We carried her near the spot where I caught her.

At first, she wouldn't move and just stayed where I released her. Maybe she couldn't believe her fate. I had to nudge her a bit and that's when she swam to deeper water.

I hope she breeds more baby haruans for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you so much to the officers and staff of Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center. You guys and girls are awesome!

Recon Haruan Trip (7-11-2010)

2010-07-12T10:46:00.001+08:00

We received and invitation from Matt to fish with a VIP and also conduct a recon for a potential Haruan Hunter Challenge leg.

Bites were slow very early in the morning. The first blood was from RC. It was a nice sized Haruan. 17inches and could reach more than a kilo.

When the sun started to heat the place, the bites picked up a bit. Miko and Obet are getting strikes all over.Bong and Richard got some as well. But me, nada.

At first, I used my Revo Inshore mounted on 7ft rod. I was planning to chuck those lures really far. Well, the cast did went far but I can't seem to get anything to bite. I decided to change gear and used my home made 6'4" rod with my Daiwa round reel. True enough, I finally was able to get them, 7 of them to be exact.

Then in the afternoon, the winds picked up and then bites just stopped. I never got anything since then. Even so, RC seemed to get all the luck. He was able to haul more in the afternoon. I think his total was 5. Bong, Mikko, and Richard also hauled in a lot of fish.

Haruans we caught were released immediately.

I think everyone will get a real thrill when the HHC challenge is held here. Lots of fish that are eager to bite. All we need is a little bit more rain.

Kayak Fishing Zambales (7-3-2010)

2010-07-05T11:23:00.003+08:00

We went to Zambales for the 96th birthday of my wife's grandma. We left for Manila at around 10:30PM. But coming from work, I was too tired to drive further and we decided to spend the night in Olongapo and continue driving the following day.

7am Saturday, we went ahead and drove almost 3 hours to our destination. 10am, I hurriedly unloaded all our stuff and rigged my reels and the kayak. The birthday party will start in late afternoon so I still have a few hours to fish. I rested for a bit then drove to my favorite spot and launched the Kayak. It was almost 12nn and it was scorching. The tide was good so I fished even when the sun was unbearable.

To get away from the sun, I paddled into the narrower tributaries to get under the shade of trees. Rested a bit and then paddled back again into the deeper part of the river. Here's what the tributary looks like. When the tide is right, there are big mangrove jacks cruising in here.

When the water reached the peak tide, I went back to the deeper parts of the river. Luckily, the clouds covered the scorching sun and it started to drizzle. I threw a huge popper/walker and got a decent sized Mangrove Jack. Around 1.5kg.

The strike was awesome. It was like someone threw a big rock into the water. Like all jacks, it swam full speed to the direction of snags. It was a good thing my reel's drag was recently replaced with Carbontex from Smoothdrag. It was really smooth and subdued the fish with ease.

I still wanted to fish but it was almost 4pm and I had to go back for the party.

Too bad the vacation was very short. We had to drive back to Manila Sunday. We were supposed to leave very early sunday but my hangover was unbearable. I had to sleep it off until lunch. Because of that, I also missed the Haruan tournament in Bulacan. Anyway, there's next time.

A Taste of Haruan Paradise

2010-06-27T21:22:00.006+08:00

Me and my cousin JB were originally planning to hit Coloong to scratch our weekly fishing itch. But instead of going to coloong, we received an invitation from Bong. Mr. Alex Ngo and his son Matt, proprietors of Alex Tackle, informed us that there is very interesting place that we really need to visit, and we need to visit it this Sunday. It's one of the most coveted haruan holes Manila --- The source of haruan hunter's wet dreams --- It's none other than the 2.4-hectare pond of QC Wildlife Parks Services.

We got to the Wildlife park around 7:30am. When we arrived, we didn't start fishing right away, we proceeded to the Wildlife office next to the pond. Waiting for us there was Mr. Alex Ngo and his son Matt. The pond was huge. It was awesome and the best of all, it's full of Haruans.

We waited for the officer in charge to give us the official instructions during the trip. At around 9am, the officer in charge arrived we got the go signal to start fishing. I haven't started rigging yet when Mikko drew the first blood, just in front of the Wildlife office. It was a 1.1kg muscular brute. After a few minutes, he got another. Mikko was burning hot --- maybe because he's using his awesome hot reel. Me, nada! It wasn't until around 10:30am when I caught one using my spinner swimbait combo. We spread out all over the pond, then everyone got lucky until 1pm. Miko got 4, Obet 1, Bong 4, Richard 2. Me, I got 4.

We grabbed a quick bite and then went back to the pond. And then it rained really hard. We thought the fishing was over as the rain appeared that it wouldn't stop. By 3pm, it was still raining and we decided that there's no use waiting for rain to stop and we went back fishing. The disturbance on the water made our topwater lures unproductive and we didn't catch anything.

By 4, the rain stopped and somehow the Haruans started biting again -- like a switch bulb. Bong hauled a 1.35kg monster and another 1kg while I got 2pcs 1kg fishes. Obet, who was having problems in the morning started hauling Haruans every 5 minutes.It seems as though Mikko's heat transferred to him. From one fish to 5 in around half an hour. It was really awesome. By 5:00pm, my count was seven.

Then by 5:30, I got even luckier. We were all concentrated on the north bank of the pond as the bites seemed to occur there. When the bite was appearing to slow down, I went the the corner of the pond and started casting over Lotus leaves, I casted and casted and felt something inhaled my frog -- there was a big swirl and my frog disappeared. By instinct, I set the hook. Luckily, it was a solid grip. Amazingly, the fish swam and pulled line even when my drag was locked.

The reel's drag washer started to shudder and I got worried. I thought that either my line will snap or my rod will break. Then the fish swam around the lotus roots. I had no choice but to ran to my right to prevent the fish from getting an angle on my line. While I was running on the bank, I sank chest deep in the lily pads. There I was immobilized and holding the rod high. My sandals was stuck under the mud and I cannot get free. Obet noticed that I disappeared all of a sudden, and ran to my direction. When he saw me on chest deep water, he held the rod while I crawled over vegation to free myself. Once free, I got back the rod and pumped it to gain line. When the fish reached the edge of the lily pad. It again dove under the muck. I had no choice but wade again on chest deep water and then crawled over the lily pads. Finally after freeing the fish, I was able to drag it to shore. When I saw it in full, I was in shock. It was a monster haruan.

I held the fish and went back to the rest of the group. Everyone was shocked and we cannot tell for certain how much it weighed. The weighing scale was left inside the pickup truck. When we got back to the office and weighed the fish, it was a 3.11kg monster.

The pond is truly a haruan paradise. All in all we landed 25pcs Haruans ranging from 500grams to 1.35kgs. Over 70 strikes.

I was skeptical at first because I refused to believe that we can really fish the place. The Wildlife Parks and Services Pond is off limits to fishing and has been since the very start which was over two decades (if I am not mistaken). When we met the officer in charge, I was proven wrong and we were allowed to fish the entire day. The reason why they allowed us to fish at that time is because they are interested in Sport Fishing and they want to observe anglers and to get some inputs on how they can offer the pond as a recreational pond for the public. They have little idea on what's sport fishing and how it can relate to their conservation efforts and at the same time add additional income for their cause. We explained that we're fishing for the thrill and rarely take home our catch.We also explained that, as much as we can, we try to help other anglers to practice lure fishing to minimize damage to fishes and, most especially, we promote catch and release. We also explained that other Asian countries now have lots of CnR ponds that cater to a lot of local and international anglers. It wouldn't be that hard to start one in the Philippines.

After the day's end, after speaking with the OIC and one of the managers of the park,h we got very good reception with what we did --- catching, photographing, and releasing the Haruans. They stated that they will work with angler groups to formulate guidelines on how to operate a CnR pond for the public. I sure hope that this will become a reality in the near future.

We are so grateful to Matt and sir Alex for arranging the trip and to the management of Wildlife center for letting us fish the pond. Again, thank you so much.

It was an awesome trip with Lagiffe (Rich), Mikko, Obet, Bong, JB, Frank, Sir Alex, and Matt. It was a sweet sweet taste of the possible final leg of the Haruan Hunter's Challenge.

Testing a Soft Plastic Lure

2010-06-15T18:58:00.006+08:00

It was a long weekend because of the Independence Day celebrations and I planned to try the monster haruans from a new pond in Bulacan. But last minute changes in plan led to my begging out of the trip. Saturday, at around almost noon, I had nothing else to do and decided to try my favorite pond -- Kapitan Larry's Lawak in Coloong, Valenzuela. It's practically a wild brackish lake containing lots of possible catches -- Barramundi, Haruans, Jaguar Cichlids, etc. But after the disastrous flood brought about by the storm named Ondoy, much of Coloong is now trying to recover from terrible loss of fish stocks. After some months, nice sized tilapia, milkfish, and jaguars are being caught by die hard anglers.

With the news of catches from other anglers, I went to Coloong and I was hoping for a barra or two. Unfortunately, no barras caught but I managed to land one haruan. After around 3pm, I called it quits.

Getting a good quality Soft Plastic Swimbait here has been hard lately. The stores that sell them are selling the kinds that, in my opinion, doesn't catch the fishes that I want to catch. If not too big, the soft plastics that they sell have really poor action, ugly colors, lacks durability, and/or just plain unattractive to fishes.

Anyway, I settled with ordering from online stores from abroad--as usual.

Last Sunday, I received the soft plastics and secretly tried them first before giving my personal review to others. I gave some to Bong for testing. Luckily, we were planning to to go to the private pond in Bulacan the following day.

We got to the pond a bit late but still I was excited to try out the plastics. I hurriedly tied one and went to the pond's edge and started casting. On the third cast, I got a 1.75kg Haruan. That catch made me a believer of the plastic.

When Bong saw my catch and the lure, he tied one as well and after half an hour or so, he also got one.

The lure was hot! I managed to hook 2 more big haruans but lost them when the hook straightened.

The first fish I caught and the one caught by Bong was the only Haruan catches for the day. Both caught using the same plastic.

I even managed to catch a Tilapia using the same lure.

Irving's Secret Pond, Bulacan (6-5-2010)

2010-06-05T20:43:00.002+08:00

We received an invitation to try out a private pond in Bulacan owned by Irving, through Matt of Alex Tackle. It was an untouched (never been fished by Haruan anglers) and we were so excited to try it out. Past 7am we picked up Matt and he showed us a couple of Haruans given by our host. The two were huge. Both of them can easily go beyond 1.5kg. The sight of these haruans added to the excitement. We met up with Richard, Obet, Bong, and Matt and met up with Irving at NLEX.

When we exited NLEX, it started drizzling then just before arriving to the pond, it became a real rain. We hoped that the Haruans would cooperate and take a bite from our lures.

I started with my favorite lures, pogy on Haruan Hunter spinners. No takers. I switched to frogs, nada. IT's was probably too cold. I decided to use the original Haruan Hunter spinner. IT was one of the original spinners given by bong himself. I made one pass on one side of the really big pond. No takers. I then decided to backtrack. After a hundred meters or so of backtracking, I started chatting with one of Irving's crew. He was saying that the spot I am on has large tilapia. I politely said, I am aiming for dalag. Puzzled, he stared at the little "earing-like" contraption dangling on the end of the line and asked, "Haruan's would eat that?"

Just after saying yes, I made a side-arm cast and let the lure sink. Then a big strike --- a really fast strike. The fish ran to the middle of the pond and I held on tightly on my rod and let the Abu SX's drag do its thing. The fish ran a couple more and peeled some more drag. I just let it. Then, it showed its big head! Oh men, its big! And I don't have my lip grip! And, I don't have a net!

I called out to Bong and shouted that I cannot land this one. I think it's over 2kg. Bong was on the other side of the pond and it took some more minutes before he got to my spot. By that time, the other guys are with me. After some more minutes, Bong grabbed the leader and dragged the fish to land.

Although we were only able to get one because of the weather, there is no doubt that there are bigger haruans on that pond. The pond crew stated that this fish was about normal size and there are bigger. About 20% bigger! Can't wait till the next trip.

Irving was a great host, free drinks while fishing and even treated us to an awesome lunch! Thanks so much, Irving.

Kapitan Larry's Pond Coloong (5-29-2010)

2010-05-30T08:04:00.001+08:00

Lately, I have been dreaming of the Barramundis in Coloong. I am quite certain that there are a few of them left in Kapitan Larry's pond in Lawak Coloong. I just need to be a bit more persistent.

During my last visit, I had my kayak with me, and I was hoping to catch one, and if the barras are not biting, haruans should do. Unfortunately, the pond was in bad shape. The extreme heat is killing the fishes. Lots of dead tilapia, bangus, and even dalag. I managed to get one but it left me wanting for more.

Last Friday, it rained really hard. I thought that the fishes might have felt the change in temperature and it might coax them to feed. By Friday night, I was quickly prepping one BC combo and some lures. The problem is, i ran out of pogy's. I only have 2 battle scarred pogys left. The plastic lures were full of cuts and one haruan strike could destroy them, and, to make matters worse, their hooks are soooo dull. I tried sharpening them with sandpaper but I am quite sure that one bump on a hard surface and they are useless.

I left really early -- 5:30am and arrived there at around 6:30. You can really see that the surface of the water was full of life. Lots of feeding going on. I thought, oh boy this is going to be fun.

So I got to the big pond and started on dikes on the south side. It was almost seven and I immediately casting on the banks as soon as the banka left. After a few minutes, fish on! It was a big dalag. It tried to swim for deep water and when I applied pressure, it jumped and sadly, it managed to throw the hook. Dang! It was big --- probably in the 1.5kg range. Oh well, I was expecting it. The dull hook cannot penetrate the bony mouth.

I moved to another spot and casted the same rig. Another strike and the fish ran a few meters and then I set the hook. It also jumped but my hook held on. Its mouth won't open and I cannot lipgrip it. I decided to lift it using the leader. The hook, again pulled out but the fish was landed. When I was trying to find my phone to take a picture, the fish wriggled away and managed to escape back into the pond.

An hour later another haruan. Another hookset, or so I thought. It swam over the dead lilies and managed to free itself from the pogy.

I decided to tighten the drag and try a really solid hookset. I just hope my rod won't break. I then casted some more and then another haruan! I set the hook like there's no tomorrow! And it held and my rod didn't break. I was able to land it and got a picture. It's was 1.1kg. Not bad.

By that time, the pogy was all mangled and the body pulled out of the hook. I guess I overdid the hookset. The lure was pretty much useless.

I then decided to use my last remaing battle scarred pogy. The same one I used to catch the 8kg Barra. I was keeping it as a souvenir. The hook was sharper than the first one but it had hint of corrosion.

Heck, maybe another barra would take a liking on it. On the midway northwards of the pond dike, I casted to the edge of the clumps of dead lilies. Then a lightning strike. The line sped from the edge of the lilies going to deeper water with lightning speed. I thought it was it! The barramundi that I was dreaming of. I applied pressure and then it jumped! Not a barra but a mama haruan. It was fat and long and possibly over 2kg. On the first jump, the hook held. Then it jumped once more and then threw the hook! Dang dang@! When I checked the hook, it straightened.

I went again and amazingly another strike. I tried the locked drag strike and it appeared to have worked. But when I was about to land it, I lifted it using the leader and the hook pulled. After two strikes, the pogy was mangled as well. The hook pulled out of its body.

I tried other lures but no takers.

Anyway, by 11am, the dead lilies and more dead fish were all over the edge of the pond. There is not way to cast over them so I decide to call it a day.

5 "hooksets" and 2 landed. 1 picture. Not bad.

Zambales Kayak Fishing [5-2-2010]

2010-05-03T18:57:00.000+08:00

Went Kayak fishing in Zambales. I followed the estuarine river inland and was not disappointed.

On the first outing (6am-8:30am), I got a 1.3kg Mangrove Jack (Pargo) on topwater. I had to call it quits because it was scorching hot.

I went out again before daybreak this morning -- before going back to Manila -- and got another one further upriver. This one is somewhere between 1.5 to 1.7kg. It fell for a topwater lure as well. Stopped fishing by 8am.

Kapitan Larry's Pond, Coloong [4-18-2010]

2010-04-18T18:41:00.003+08:00

Because of a limited visa (7am-3pm, within Metro), I decided to re-visit Kapitan Larry's pond. It's near and it's can cure the itch. I know that the Barras became a rarity after the flood but I was hoping there are still a few left and I was hoping I can coax them to bite. Anyway, if the Barras are nowhere to be found, I was certain the Haruans are still there.

True enough, while waiting for the banca to ferry us to Lawak, I got a big fat Haruan while casting at the back of the kubo-store. It was a 1.34kg and catching one was a good start.

After an hour, I got another. This time, it was a 1.4kg fat mama.

Just past noon, while waiting for the banca that will ferry us back to Kapitan's main pond, I was able to hook another. A 1.5kg.

Just before going home, we saw a couple of 8kg Barramundis in Kap's net where they store live fish. They were caught by net by one of their helpers. My fishing buddy-cousin JB caught a small Barra juvenile (around 4 inches). Maybe some of the barras survived the flood and are now breeding?? Wow! this is definitely good news for us anglers.

Lakeshore Field EB [3-28-2010]

2010-03-29T08:43:00.003+08:00

As a continuation of the last Field EB at Coloong and to welcome our friends from overseas, we went to Lakeshore for some Toman action. We started really early at around 5am and caught some nice sized fishes. All in all, the trip was excellent.

Gil caught a nice sized Haruan. Kenny, who is a first timer in Toman fishing and snakehead fishing, got a 2.5 kg Toman after his third cast!JB caught another nice sized Toman so as Erwin.

I got around six strikes from biggies and one from a possible Momma toman. The wake it left was huge. The fish did not connect when it chomped the lure. Instead, its head bumped the lure which it sent flying to a good distance from the strike zone.

Anyway, I managed to catch one (28 inches 3.81kg) but at the cost of a brand new lure. The Toman's tooth punched a hole into the lure and flooded the lure body. It also broke one of the hook points and straightened the other point on one of the trebles. It's a good thing the last remaining hook point held.

Aling Nene's Pond [3-13-2010]

2010-03-15T10:51:00.008+08:00

Forumers from FilipinoAnglers.org had a get-together at Aling Nene's pond last Saturday. WE called it a "Field EB". We were not expecting that many people will arrive like the previous meet-ups that we had. Surprisingly, sixteen (16) attended. I guess, meet ups without too much planning really works.

Noel, Irvine, Carlo, RC, Miko, and Obet during lunch. Our lunch was our catch in the morning --- 2.7kg of Tilapia and Bangus. Grilled and served with Pinakurat on Banana Leaves. Excellent field lunch.

Irvine, Erwin, Cary, Carlo, Jun, Bien, Obet, me, and Noel. Not in the picture is Joseph, Jojo, Dowie, and Rechelle.

Special thanks to Aling Nene's hospitality. Obet, your breakfast was excellent!

The Catch? Bangus and tilapia. Total of 2.7 kg (by lunch time). That was our lunch --- Grilled and served with Pinakurat. At around 5pm, we hauled almost 10kg of fish if my estimate is correct.

Oh yeah, I caught my first Jaguar Cichlid using the same swimbait that I used to catch the dalag last weekend. I released it after a few photos.

We tried our luck on the famed Barras of Aling Nene's pond but we got none. I guess that most of them escaped into the rivers and the rest died during the Ondoy flood. The polluted waters from Manila made its way into the Coloong ponds during the height of the floods.

We will need to wait for the 3,000 fingerlings to grow before we can target them again. Maybe next year.

Lakeshore and Coloong [3-7-2010]

2010-03-07T17:44:00.002+08:00

Went to Lakeshore with my cousin this morning. I was hoping to test my new 2nd hand toys :D.

After 15 minutes of casting, I got one. It was a pretty strong fish and it's fast runs tested the rod and reel.

An hour passed and I caught another but never had the chance to take a picture. It's the same size as the first one. When I was trying to lip grip it, the damn fish won't open its mouth. I had to hold the leader to lift its head. I was hoping that when I give it a short pull, the fish will open its mouth so I can lip grip it. Unfortunately, when I lifted its head, the fish rolled and the hooked pulled out. Oh well, it's meant to be released anyway.

Lesson learned! I have lost a lot of fish because of the lip grip. I think it's about time I get a decent net.

By 8:30am, there's no more fish activity. It was probably too hot for the fish.

After a quick rest, we drove to Coloong to get some bangus and tilapia. We went straight to Aling Nene's. IT was full of people. Apparently, this morning was also the re-opening of the pond. Aling Nene gave everyone a complimentary fishing shirt. :clap:

My original target was bangus but the water looks really full of dalag. So, rigged a soft plastic and casted on the pond's edges. I got rewarded with nice fat dalag which can easily reach 2kg.

So I took a couple of pics and was not satisfied with the shots. I tried to fix the "arrangement" of the fish, lure, and rod/reel to get a better picture. I grabbed the lure to to adjust the fish --- and then the fish jumped! And jumped once more until it reached the water. Dang! it got away and I wasn't able to get the exact weight. Anyway, at least I got a couple of pics.

Half Day Fishing (2-21-2010)

2010-02-22T18:02:00.003+08:00

Went out for a half day kayak fishing. I was hoping to chance upon a mangrove jack or a grouper. Sadly, no biggies. Still, I managed to hook a few small ones. All fishes were released. Anyway, the exercise was worth it. :D

A small talakitok who fell for a topwater lure.

A torsillo (Baby Barracuda) also from a topwater.

An palm-sized archer fish also took a liking on a topwater.

Also it's cousin archer fish got hooked on the topwater.

And lastly, another small talakitok foul hooked on a jerkbait.

Impromptu Haruan Hunt at Mikko's Play-pond [2-17-2010]

2010-02-17T21:03:00.004+08:00

I left the office early after lunch. I was planning to work from home but I remembered Mikko and the other guys are planning to visit the Mikko's play pond. I got an SMS from Mikko who was on his way to the pond. The itch was unbearable so as soon as got back home, I changed and picked up a BC combo with some lures and other small accessories.

I arrived at the pond at around 3:30pm and Mikko has started casting. I geared up and casted as well. Mikko got the first blood and landed a nice sized Haruan. After a few minutes, Bong arrived.

It was my first time at the pond and also the first time I used my custom made rod --- my very first DIY rod. I can't deny it. IT was a welcome impromptu fishing trip. Short but sweet. Lots of strikes and landed fish.

Mikko's pond is a tribute to the principle of Catch and release. There were lots of Haruans and lots of missed strikes as well.

At the first photo ops, we were able to land 6 nice sized Haruans. By 5:30pm, we landed 8 total.

The rod did not disappoint as well. It landed 4 on its first day on the water. :D

Bong in action. Showing us mortals how it is done :clap:

The first batch of catch. 6 nice sized haruans.

After the pic, I caught another one.

And another :D

After all of us marvelled at the catch and the fight, we did what had to be done and released every fish we caught. Mikko releasing the catch.

Until the next trip, they should be smarter and BIGGER! :mrgreen:

My Year-end Fishing Trip [12-31-09]

2010-01-03T08:12:00.003+08:00

On the afternoon of December 31, I decided to sneak off to my new favorite hole. I wanted to try my newly installed Scotty Rod Holder on the Kayak. I wanted to make sure that the screws on the kayak wouldn't leak and it would be easy to access the rod while paddling. And, most importantly, catch a Mangrove Jack or better yet, a wild apahap on topwater.

After launching the kayak, I didn't fish immediately. I just paused and drifted with the current and enjoyed the view and tranquility of being on a kayak on an estuarine river. It was awesome. I thought to my self, this is the way to end the year. Here is what it looks like while drift fishing on a kayak. It was totally awesome.

It was an excellent way to end the fishing year indeed. I got 5 strikes from biggies. 3 hookups and I lost my favorite lure from a big fish.

The first hookup was from a 2kg Mangrove Jack. I was able to land this one. One thing is odd, though, the color is not the usual maroon-brown. This one is golden brown. This one was not released. It went to the new year dinner table.

The last hookup ended my fishing trip. I was casting on the edge of a fallen mangrove tree when it struck. Even when my drag was locked down, it still managed to pull some line and dove under the trunk of the tree. I was planning to dive under to retrieve the lure and the fish but the current was too strong. I tried to pull the line and when I thought I was about to gain the line, the leader snapped. Dang!

Anyway, at least I know I have one fish to look forward to next summer.

Zambales Holiday Fishing

2009-12-28T12:15:00.003+08:00

I went kayak fishing during the Christmas holiday in Zambales. I was able to land 2 Mangrove Jacks and 1 Barracuda using my favorite lure, Heddon Zara Spook.

When the salties were not biting, I drove to my freshwater honey hole for some snakehead fishing. Total hookups, 10. 6 landed.

Can't wait for the New Year holiday. I might sneak some kayak fishing to my newly discovered estuarine river.

Lakeshore 12-27-09

2009-12-27T22:23:00.001+08:00

I passed by Lakeshore on my way to Manila from Zambales this morning. I met up with fellow anglers Alan, Obet, Bien, Carlo at around 6:30am. It was a fun and relaxed fishing day. First to catch was Obet who caught a nice sized Toman at around 1.5kg. After that, Alan hooked up to a dalag. After half an hour, Carlo came back to our original spot near the fountain. He was working on the opposite side of the lake. He hooked a biggie but lost it when the leader snapped.

Anyway, we transferred to the other side to check if there were other hungry tomans there. I managed to hook and land one using my fave lure. It's a 3.35kg. Not the lola or lolo toman (above 6kg) I was hoping to catch but the fight was fun.

Lakeshore Quickie [12-20-09]

2009-12-20T15:03:00.004+08:00

Originally, me and my cousin were supposed to go there but we called it off because we got drunk last night, or so I thought. I woke up 4am and I wasn't able to go back to sleep. I decided to push with the original plan. So I packed my stuff and a couple of baitcasters and went. Anyway, I deserved a fishing break after the long stressful week. I didn't call my cousin or other anglers who might be interested. It was too early and I will be there for only about a couple of hours.

The first catch is about 1 to 1.5kg.

The second one is very good sized Kuya Toman :D . 3.38kg. It was a fast swimmer and keeps peeling line from my Revo SX. I think it is a male because of the coloration --- bluish purple. When I was trying to remove the hook. The critter bit my thumb :D.

The third is a 1.6kg and was also a great fighter.

All in all, i had 6 hookups. 3 break-offs and 3 landed. There was a big one--- it could be bigger than a mama toman as it destroyed my lure. It literally shattered the tail hook. It now has a treble hook nose ring. It could be a lolo or lola toman.

It was a nice trip all in all. To top the catches, Lakeshore staff did not charge me. IT was their Openhouse today. Free fishing and I was even treated to barbeque and grilled hotdog. Nice!

Finally, A Mama Toman!

2009-12-06T16:28:00.006+08:00

We heard that the tomans are getting active so we (Me, my cousin JB, Mikko and RC) decided to head off to Lakeshore early this morning. I wasn't able to sleep really. I kept imagining hooking up a mama toman for sooo long. I was able to catch a number of juvie tomans but I didn't seem to feel satisfied. I really wanted to hook, photograph, and release a mama toman.

Mikko, JB, and RC starting casting as soon as they got off the pickup. Me, I was left behind. I was struggling to rig my two Revo casting combo. On the first attempt, the line didn't pass through the reel's line guide. I had to redo both reels. I was soo annoyed. While my companions were busy casting and changing lures, I was still rigging.

But, luck is on my side. On my second cast --- seriously --- the second cast --- while I was still getting the feel of the reel and the lure, there was a huge explosive strike! On instinct, I set the hook. I knew it was big. When it peeled line from my Revo Inshore, I knew I hooked the mama toman! But oh men! we forgot the landing net. I had to wade into the water so I can reach the fish with my lip grip. I wasn't going to lose it. It was amazing. I made short strong runs and when you gain line and when the fish is almost within reach, it will give a quick burst of speed. Too bad, it was no match to my GoodCatchFishing combo (Fenwick HMG- Revo Inshore - Sufix Superior Leader - Sufix Matrix pro braid) combo. :D

It was a 5.7kg mama with muscle and it is still out there for other anglers to try and capture.

We took a few photos, quickly weighed, and then released it.

I went around the lake and fished some more. It was amazing. Luck was really on my side. I landed three more. A couple of 1kg+ and one that might hit 2kg.

When I thought the lucky streak was over, I went over to the dock near the Lakeshore office. I casted and casted around the dock. After half an hour of casting and retrieving, something struck from almost under the wooden piling. Another big mama. I knew it was big from the very first run it made. I fought it for around ten minutes. I wanted to get down the water so I can land it but I chickened out because the spot is near the dock, the water might be deeper. I didn't have a landing net. All I have is a short lip grip. The Lakeshore crew saw the commotion and one of them ran to the back of the office to get their landing net. Unfortunately, they cannot find their net.

Oh men! the fish was huge. It is not as fat as the first mama but it was longer. It can easily reach 5kg. With no other choice, i grabbed the leader hoping to lift the head near enough so i can grip the mouth. But dang! the lure came of when the fish made a quick roll! Anyway, at least I got to take a look at its size. :rofl:

Mikko also got a couple of nice sized Tomans using a Buzzbait.

JB got another but was not able to take a picture as his phone's battery got drained.

All in all it was an awesome trip. Short but sweet! :D

Zambales [November 2009]

2009-11-03T08:39:00.005+08:00

I have been planning for this trip for months. I have prepped all my gears and my kayak for the trip. Then Santi came along. A long weekend was about to be ruined by yet again a nasty typhoon. We were about to cancel the trip as the typhoon was expected to hit Zambales on October 31 and Nov 1. We were worried that if we push through with the trip, Carael in Botolan, Zambales might get flooded again and will be impossible for light vehicles to pass through. We don't want to get stranded in Zambales. Kids need to go back to school and me and my wife need to report for work.

Anyway, on October 30, I took a gamble as the storm didn't appear to be that strong and may change course over the weekend. Luck turned out ok. When we arrived in Zamba, it was sunny and there wasn't a trace of an impending typhoon. When we arrived 3pm, we unpacked, I unloaded the kayak and all other gears. I grabbed a baitcast combo and hurriedly went to my favorite fishing hole nearby. I started fishing 4pm and by 5:30, I was able to hook 6 Haruans and landed 5 nice sized dalags. 1 big mama got away when it did an areal and threw the hook. I only was able to take pictures of 3 because locals started getting interested in my catch. I had a feeling that they would ask for them so as soon as I unhook the fishes, I threw them back into the water.

The following day, the weather turned sour. Wind started to blow and the sky got really dark. Still, I decided to give the kayak a shot early morning and went to a Saltwater lake near our place. It's a good thing I had a drift sock. Even with strong winds, I was able to drift slowly and cast along the edge of mangrove areas. I had a hookup near a bunch of bamboo branch but the fish threw the hook after a few runs. My guess was a pargo (Mangrove Jack) probably a kilo or so. By 11 am, I had to give up as the wind was getting stronger and casting was really difficult. No catch for that day for the yak.

The next day November 1, I went again to the saltwater lake with the yak. I was only given a 3 hour visa to fish as we had so many errands that day. Heck, 3 hours of fishing is better than nothing. I decided to troll a husky jerk to cover larger area. After around half an hour, I was rewarded with my first fish on a kayak. A 1 kg Mangrove Jack (Pargo).

Before going back to Manila, I managed to sneak off into an estuarine river that one of the locals told me about. According to them, they regularly catch Mangrove Jacks and Barramundi up to 4 kilograms. I surveyed the area for an hour using the kayak. It was an awesome river. I only managed to check a small portion before my wife called. We had to go back to Manila as we are expecting traffic. True enough it was a 7 hour drive going back. I am so tired and my body is still aching. Next time, I am definitely exploring the entire river.

I can say that the trip was "bitin" --- bad weather, too many errands, and other things. But still, I managed to accomplish what I had planned. Maybe next trip during the Christmas break, I would be able to fish for longer periods and hopefully catch bigger fishes.

Lake Lumot [10-25-09]

2009-10-27T08:11:00.003+08:00

Since almost all of the fishing holes near Metro Manila are no longer productive after the massive flooding a couple of weeks ago, Miko, JB, and I decided to try Lake Lumot in Laguna. It's around 2.5 hours drive from Manila if you leave very early on a Sunday. On regular days, it should take 3.5 hours.

We were really excited because we heard that October to December is a very productive month in the lake and last week, a fellow angler caught a 3.5kg (7.7lbs) Largemouth Bass. We also heard that there are huge dalags (Haruans) that are being regularly caught there.

We left at around 5:30am and reached our destination at around 8am. We had breakfast at the home of our wonderful host Manong Edgar. After breakfast, we prepped our gears and then went to the pantalan (Launch area) where our boat was docked.

Miko and JB waiting for our ride

Mikko trolled cranks on the way to our base, a small island where Manong Edgar's kubo is located. Except for Miko, this was the first time we fished Lumot. The place was amazing. The place was tranquil and at the same time exciting. The lake is about half the size of Lake Caliraya but according to locals there are more deep areas here compared to Lake Caliraya. Deeper water means colder water. This is the reason why there are bigger largemouths.

Miko trolling cranks

Manong Edgar our excellent host and captain

I brought my kayak with me. I was hoping to catch a bass or a haruan from kayak. After three trips with it, I still haven't caught anything using a kayak. Aside from catching fish from a kayak, I was also trying to familiarize myself with some basic kayak fishing skills such as anchoring, drift fishing, casting while sitting, and kayak trolling. It was really difficult at first because my movements were limited. I had a couple of rods at the back of the seat and changing rods while on the water requires a lot of practice. I also had most of my gears stowed on a milk crate at the back. I was afraid that if I turn around to get my gears, I might tip the kayak and capsize. After half day of fishing on it, I got confident and was able to change gears, locate and replace gears at the back. I still need to practice facing and sitting sideways on the kayak so i can reach the milk create.

Drift fishing/casting was fun except that I don't have a drift sock (sea anchor). When the wind blows, the kayak drifts really fast and it will turn by itself. With a drift sock, I should be able to maintain a spot where I am facing.

Trolling was extremely hard without the rod holders in the bow (front). I have a couple of Scotty rod holders but I was not able to mount them on the yak because I cannot find well nuts or nylon rivets to mount them with. Aside from the gears, trolling using a kayak was a real tiring method. Still, it was a good exercise. I had a couple of hookups but both of them got away. I realized that the cranks I was using have really small treble hooks which might not be suitable for bass.

My Yak

When we reached the island, we had lunch and enjoyed the view. The hut was on a island hill which gives you a view of the lake. Perfect spot for relaxing and camping. Manong Edgar's father did a wonderful job of cleaning/maintaining the island's landscape.

A view from the hut.

At around 3pm, we resumed fishing. Miko and JB fished from the boat while I fished using the kayak. We docked at around 6:30pm. We didn't catch anything unfortunately. We didn't have suitable worms for bass, and even if we did, none of us really knows how to use them. Still, the trip was excellent. Hopefully, the next time we fish there we will be prepared and catch a bass or haruan. At the dock we met Noel (tailwalk) and company. They caught around 7 largemouths with one at around 1.5kg (?). All were caught using worms.

Next trip, Zambales!

An Update on the Popular Ponds near Manila

2009-10-18T14:07:00.001+08:00

Here's some update on our popular freshwater ponds near Manila after the flooding last week.

Apalit ponds were not affected. Business as usual for those who would like to fish there. The only problem was the road from the green gate to the ponds are muddy and may be a challenge for the smaller vehicles. I am sure the management would be able to fix that road in no time.

Lakeshore is open but it appears that the Toman's are no longer worth targeting. I have been there a few times. Even the small ones are no where to be found. I scoured the lake for the entire day with my kayak and i did not even get a single strike even from the small ones. Come to think of it, I never did see any rising or feeding tomans. I am not sure but it appears that the lake overflowed and perhaps the big ones got out. Those toman's on the aquarium tank have been there for a long time so I am not sure when was the last time someone caught a big one from there.

Aling Nene's ponds are closed. They just seeded their ponds after losing most of their stocks during the floods. They don't allow anglers yet as the stocks are still being restored (The ponds literally contains small fishes for the meantime).

Kapitan Larry's pond is accessible but they don't allow fishing yet. Like Aling Nene, they are currently restocking their ponds. They lost most of their stocks as the floods reached up to the neck when you are standing in front of the kubos. The nets were not high enough to contain their stocks. Lawak's dike also collapsed and most of their stocks escaped into the river. When the tides rose, dirty water got in the ponds killing the fishes after a few days.

Most of the ponds in Coloong lost their stocks from flooding. Locals were catching them in the streets and sometimes inside the flooded houses.

According to Coloong locals, a lot of people caught Apahaps in the 20kg range. According to them, the fishes appeared weak as the water got contaminated with oil and gas. Those that did not escape the ponds eventually died due to the contamination of gasoline and oil. After a few days of flooding, the ponds were full of dead rotting fishes. It appears that Coloong will need at least 3 to six months for tilapia and bangus fishing and over a year for Apahap fishing to become productive again.

Subic on Kayak [9-20-09]

2009-09-22T06:57:00.008+08:00

Every time I go out fishing, the most common problem I encounter is getting to the best spots. I always had to settle fishing on the shore together with the rest of the anglers. When fishing salt water or estuaries, getting a boat is almost always a must. But in most cases, there are no available boat or renting a boat will cost you an arm and a leg.

I first got the idea of kayak fishing when browsing Youtube's Chew-on-this episode featuring fishing on a kayak on one of Florida's estuaries. It was amazing! The angler can crawl very near the tarpons and snooks without spooking them. It was an spectacular concept --- paddling on your own, fishing wherever and whenever -- salty rivers, marshes, lakes, surf. No limitations except the capacity of the kayak and the skill of the kayaker.

There was a hitch, however. Kayak's are relatively expensive in the Philippines. Aside from being expensive, there are very few dealers of such watercraft. This means, there are very limited choices.

Last weekend, I finally got my wish. It is an 11' 2" Ocean Kayak Scrambler. I got it second hand through the help of my brother in law. Yesterday, I got to test it in Subic's Malawaan Fishing area. It was pretty stable and fast enough for my needs. It is not yet rigged for fishing so I need to fabricate the accessories such as paddle leash, anchor trolley, drift sock, dry boxes/bags, and rod holders. Still, even though it is not yet fully rigged, I had tons of fun.

I was able to explore the estuarine rivers. It was an amazing experience. So serene and at the same time exciting --- and then my brand new Fenwick HMG with Carbon Veil technology broke for no apparent reason! But that's another story.

Pictures courtesy of Dowie and Anthony. Thanks.

Malawaan, Subic 9-13-09

2009-09-13T22:26:00.003+08:00

We were originally planning to go back to Lakeshore to target the Tomans. But because of the weather --- nothing but rains, floods, and wind due to the storm --- we had to cancel. This morning, I had to hastily go to Subic to pick up a recently acquired fishing toy. So I told Bong that I was going but it was virtually impossible to fish because of the storm. Bong decided to tag along to help me load this new toy.

Because we are fanatic boy scouts and anglers, we brought along light tackle for both fresh and salt, just in case. It's also a good time to test my Fenwick HMG from FB :D

We arrived at Subic past 10am. Since it was still early, we decided to try Malawaan, despite the fact it was really pouring, the waves are impossible, and the water was muddy. So we casted, and casted, and then bam! An unexpected strike from a very tasty fish!

2.2 kg. I cannot wipe the grin off my face. :D

I tried again and I got another strike but it was too much for my lure.

I think it was the same fish who broke my leader a couple of weeks back. I just said to myself, I am getting even :devil:

Lakeshore Pampanga [8-30-09]

2009-08-31T06:29:00.006+08:00

I think this was my fifth attempt at catching Lakeshore's Giant Snakehead (Toman). On previous attempts, I never even got a solid strike. Today, I got lucky (in a way). Twelve-times lucky :-). I managed to hook 11 baby Tomans and 1 mama Toman. But, I only landed seven (7). The mama Toman got away after a couple of short hard runs. The hook of the swimbait failed to set properly. Well, at least I was able to get a glimps of its back and it was huge maybe 6 to 7 kilos.

Three (3) tomans caught using topwater frog. After so many strikes from baby tomans, my frog is now full of cuts and holes from the baby toman's sharp teeth leaving it unusable because it started to sink.

These four were caught using Berkley swimming pogy with Bong's spinner arm.

And the biggest is probaby 3/4 kilo. It's already showing the Toman stripes.

The pogies were also not spared. After the outing, the tomans destroyed four pogies.

All Tomans were released.

I am definitely going back there for the mama toman --- soon.

Coloong (August 16, 2009)

2009-08-16T21:24:00.005+08:00

After 2 weeks without fishing due to bad weather, I finally was able to wet my line this morning. I went to Kap's Lawak with my cousin and Mikko Boy. 2 hours passed and no takers. I decided to rig a Pogy with a spinner blade from Bong.

After fan-casting for about ten minutes, I got a strong strike and set the hook a couple of times.

The fight lasted about 7-10 minutes and got an 8.06Kg Barramundi.

Rod: Shimano Clarus 6' BC Rod
Reel: Abu Garcia Revo SX
Line: Powerpro 15lb braid
Leader: 20lb Flouro
Lure: 3" Berkley Powerbait Swimming Pogy rigged with Spinner Blades courtesy of Bong the Haruan Hunter.

Fish: Barramundi
Weight: 8.06 kilos
Fight time: 7-10 minutes
Date Caught: August 16, 2009 ~11:30am

Kapitan Larry's Pond Part 2 (July 19, 2009)

2009-07-19T21:54:00.007+08:00

Remembering the disappointing trip last week, I decided to go to Coloong for a quick fish and hopefully to settle a score with the Apahap that got away. Left the house at 3:30pm and reached Kapitan Larry's pond at around 4:15. The flood was still high and the dikes were very soft. No choice, I cannot go to Lawak so I settled with the main pond near the videoke. It's a good thing nobody's singing.

At first, i tried a heavy vibrating lure and a couple of swim baits. No takers. I switched to a spinner bait by Bong. After the second cast on the corner of the pond, a solid strike. I thought it was a dalag because it does not jump and it runs really fast and really long. It swam from the corner of the pond near the kubo of Kap's crew up to the opposite corner near the entrance to the fishing huts. When it reached the huts, it surged up to the water's surface. It was a barramundi and a nice size too.

I remembered the mishap last weekend so I loosened the drag a bit to something like a kilo or less. It was a good thing I did because the hook was lodged outside of the mouth and could have torn the flesh.

It was an awesome fight and after 10 minutes or so, I landed the fish with my trusted lip grip.

It was not the 10+ kilos that got away last week but it was good enough (specially with the lure used).

5 kilos and it fell for Bong's amazing spinner bait.

Kapitan Larry's Pond (July 12, 2009)

2009-07-13T12:16:00.005+08:00

We went to Kap's Lawak yesterday. My cousin JB was there to settle a score with a 3+kg Apahap that broke his leader and ran off with his swimbait. I was there to try out my new Abu BC rod that Purefishing sent me. A few months ago I got a lemon Berkley lightning rod that broke from an unlikely spot. Since I was not able to claim warranty from the local shop where I got it, I wrote to Purefishing Malaysia. Purefishing immediately agreed to replace the broken section. But upon checking their inventory, they no longer have the Berkley rod on stock. Instead, they decided to send me a new rod -- An Abu Garcia MH rod free of charge. Many thanks to Ho and his team from Purefishing Malaysia.

Anyway, the bangus and tilapia were not biting so I shifted to dalag using one of Bong's spinner bait. I was casting parallel to the banks and after half an hour of casting. I got a really hard strike. I thought it was a record-breaker dalag as it ran really hard and pulled my line even when my reel has a drag of 5lbs. The fish ran towards the middle of the pond and when i tried to re-gain line, the fish jumped ---- IT was not a dalag but a huge Apahap! It struck the tiny spinner bait. My estimate would be 8 to 9 kilos as it was definitely bigger than the one I caught from Aling Nene's pond.

I tried to gain line by pumping the rod. All my braid was out on its first run and my 12lb Mono backing is already showing. (I'm only using 125 yards of braid on my BC reel for dalag. The rest is mono backing). On my second attempt to gain line, the fish ran another 30 yards or so and then jumped again. After two runs and a couple of jumps, the fish may have tired (or so I thought) as I was able to gain a lot of line. When it was just about 3 yards away, and my cousin was about to net it, the fish again ran and made a third jump. On the last jump, the spinner's tiny hook did not hold. :envy: Sayang! It could have been another record for Bong's spinner bait.

I called up Mikko and he went to Bong's place before heading to the pond. Bong sent some heavy duty spinners and a gaff! When Mikko and RC arrived at Kap's past 2pm, the wind started to pick up and casting against the wind was extremely difficult so we decided to transfer to the main pond near Kap's entrance.

We casted for the rest of the day using swimbaits, spinners and soft plastics. JB got a strike later in the afternoon. The fish broke his large swimbait in two just missing the hook section. Now its 2 for the apahap and 0 for JB :) .

I shifted to 5-inch Kalin's Swimbait using the Abu rod. After an hour casting, something struck and I quickly set the hook. Somehow something is hooked but it is not fighting. To my surprice, it was a crate (water snake). It tried to taste the 5-inch Kalin:

RC unhooked and released the crate.

Just after 6pm, we went home with egos busted. Next time, we will get even ]:)

Zambales (July 5, 2009)

2009-07-06T10:57:00.004+08:00

Last saturday, I tried casting for jacks using poppers, spoons, and skip bunny in the mouth of a river in the northern part of Zambales. There were small jacks and torsilyo (Cudas) that struck my trailer but no hookups. The fishes were just too small for my lure.

I also tried casting along the banks of a salt water lagoon in Masinloc town using the skip bunny and squid jigs. No takers on the bunnies and jigs. But I got confirmation that the area was full of really big squids. One of the fisherfolks showed me their catch in the morning. It was a big more-than-a-kilo squid. According to him, the big ones are in deeper water during daytime. At night, they come to the banks to feed. "If you want to catch them big ones, cast the jigs during a full moon on the banks."

Not wanting to waste the weekend without a catch, I went back yesterday to my favorite freshwater spot. Unfortunately, the dalags were ultra cautious. A lot of local fishermen are wading the area and laying down nets intended for tilapia and gurame. After they lay the net on an area, they start hitting the water with paddles to scare the fishes into their nets. Because of the commotion, dalags do not dare feed on the surface. Unfortunately for me, no strikes in the morning.

I went back at around lunch, when the fishermen are out on their break. Luckily, the dalags are hungry and I was rewarded with three nice fishes.

According to locals, you can easily determine the sex of dalags when they mature --- a long and slender dalag with big head is a male while the stout and fat dalag is a female.

This one is a she.

The one on the bottom is a more-than-a-kilo male and it gave me a really hard time. I was casting on top of a reed island when it struck on the opposite end of the bank. It peeled my line and dove under the lotus roots. No matter how I pulled, it just didn't move. I was forced to go down into the water to retrieve it. When I went down from the reed island, i sank into the water up to my neck. I didn't realize that the water was that deep. I had to crawl back into the island and wade around the deeper area to get to it.

Subic (June 14, 2009)

2009-06-15T09:10:00.009+08:00

We went to Subic for a full day of fishing. Unlike other times when I fish Subic, I joined four fellow angler on a fully equipped fishing boat. We shared the boat rent, gas, and oil, the toll fees and other land trip costs. It was kind of pricey all in all but I really wanted to try fishing from really nice boat.

I had second thoughts in joining the trip. The charter was being criticized because there were claims that it was fishing inside a marine sanctuary and not practicing C & R. I made a few calls and checked if the area was indeed a sanctuary. Luckily, I got confirmation that the marine sanctuary was not the area that the charter fished. With that out of the way, I decided to go.

When we arrived in the wharf, we were disappointed because the rain that we were really hoping for did not materialize. Instead, it was really hot and sunny. Not very ideal for our target fish --Jacks, GTs, and Queenfish. Aside from a less than ideal weather, we were having engine problems for the first half of the day as well. The main engine was choking and was impossible to start. We were crippled and was not able to chase after the fish. We had only a 15hp tiller for power.

Fortunately, after lunch, the engine all of a sudden decided to cooperate. Just in time when the Queenfish and Jacks started on their feeding frenzy. The water boiling because of the frenzy was an amazing sight. As soon as you approach it and cast once or twice, they quickly disappear and move on to another spot. It was a high speed game of watch and chase. On the boat, it was pure chaos. AS soon as the boat stops into the boils, lures were flying all over the place and tangles were unavoidable.

I think I lost all my jigs and a couple of bunnies. Most are taken by large toothy fishes. That's what I got for using using 24lb mono and not buying fluoro leaders in the 30 to 40lbs test.

The trip was relatively expensive but it was worth it. I caught and brought home two Jacks. C & R purists may throw a tantrum when they read about this but I am not apologetic.

1.88kgs each. These were caught using Abu Garcia 5601SSC3 mounted on a Lemax Platinum 8ft rod. I was using 10lb Fireline. The drag was flawless and the rod curve and casting ability was superb. IT was the first time that this combo caught something and I was very satisfied with its performance.

Our total haul. We agreed on 3 fish per specie bag limit. Me, Mikko, Dowie, and Rechelle. Captain Catch (Cholo) was the skipper, photographer, gaffer, and fishing guide.

Zambales [May 24, 2009]

2009-05-25T15:41:00.008+08:00

Went back to Zambales to pick up my kids from their vacation. I arrived 11:30am or so and lunch was not yet ready. Nothing else to do after a 5 hour drive and not very hungry either so I rigged my rod and sneaked out for a quickie. When I got to my favorite spot, I casted furiously before my wife notices that I went missing. After 5 minutes or so, I got a strike and a solid hookup. Almost a kilo, i think.

After quick photo op, went back home as if nothing happened (20 minute fishing-driving). I am quite sure my wife knows. She just doesn't want to comment. :D

The following day Sunday, I got a really quick visa. 2 hours of fishing only as we had to go back to Manila after lunch. I went to the spot around 10am and fish until lunch. (Note: I noticed that dalags are not very active when it is still early). 2 hours and got this two. Not very big, around a quarter kilo each.

Fishes were released.

I was amazed about the stories going around the place. In one instance, I was asked by an elderly local whether it was true that in one day I caught 8 kilos of dalag total. A different style of fishing sure does generate a lot of rumors. :D They also think that I never go home empty handed. Well, the truth is, I almost always go home empty-handed because I release majority of my catch. :rofl:. The good news is, most of the people I talked to lately, stopped asking why I release my catch. I guess they understand or they got tired of asking. :D

I just got back and I already miss fishing there. Hopefully, I get to fish there again this coming July. :)

Zambales [May 17, 2009]

2009-05-18T10:51:00.003+08:00

I went to Zambales this weekend supposedly to join JL for some salt fishing. Because we are unable to find a bankero, our plan did not materialize.

Since I still have the whole Sunday before returning Manila, I decided to try dalag fishing. I started early at around 6am and then went back home at 8am. It was so hot and the water level is really high. According to locals, the water level rised due to the recent storm Emong. Because of this, Haruans are difficult to find as they are "kalat" (roaming the flooded fields). At the same time, they are well fed as they have access to various preys. In the morning, I only caught 3 small ones at around 200 grams each. Didn't take pictures as they a bit small.

At around 2pm, I went back to try again. This time, I got lucky. I caught three. I finally caught my 2kg Haruan. This could be the cousin of the one that got away last Holy week. Payback was so sweet! :D

This one is about a quarter kilo.

After a half an hour, I got a biggie. It struck at the edge of the water. Literally jumping at the lure. The hookup occurred over land. Around 1.1 to 1.5 kg:

And finally, my biggest haruan. I believe this is more than 2kilograms. I didn't have my scale as I loaned it for the Coloong tourney. I didn't want to bring it home to weigh it because it could stress the fish and it could die. A local saw me landing it and insisted that I bring it home. I complied by bringing it inside the car. When he left, I brought it out of the car and released it. I feel much better knowing that it is back in the water. When I get back, I can try and catch it again. Hopefully, it will grow even bigger.

Hibiki Frog v4 in Kangkungan [May 2, 2009]

2009-05-13T09:26:00.004+08:00

I have been quietly doing field testing in Kangkungan a couple of times. The kangkungan that we used to admire is losing its fishes. The water is nearly gone and taken over by lilies and kangkong. The dalags are also nearly gone. A lot of people are sneaking at night and doing bait fishing and taking home the fishes. It was really a nice spot but now, it's almost gone.

Aside from the the fact that the water is almost gone, a fence is also being constructed around the area which will prevent anyone from getting near the spot. In a few days, i believe another nice spot will be lost.

Anyway, i made another DIY frog which I call Hibiki Frog v4. I think this one is better than the previous ones. Sorry, no pic of the frog for now as it is still under development.

In one instance, I casted to a spot and as soon it hits the water, a dalag struck the lure. I was not able to set the hook as the line has plently of slack. On the first day, I got 9 strikes 3 hookups and 2 landed (in 1.5 hours). The next day, on my first cast, I got a strike and landed it. All the fishes are very small compared to the catches before.

All the fishes were released.

South Metro Manila [May 2, 2009]

2009-05-03T09:56:00.004+08:00

After Bong's news of a really hot dalag spot south of Metro, we hurriedly organized a dalag "safari". According to Bong, he was only able to try a fifth of the entire spot and was able to get 17 strikes and landed 6 --- that's how productive the spot was.

We left QC 6:30 and met up with Mikko and his brother RC in Manggahan. We arrived at the spot an hour later and hurriedly rigged our gears for some serious frog fishing.

The area is amazing, there are so many spots that seem to be infested by dalags. It's really sad that this area, now owned by a big mall chain, is about to be bulldozed flat to give way to a huge parking lot, a new mall, and/or amusement center. Almost half of the area is now covered with bulldozed earth. This is a sample of what's being destroyed:

Anyway, we visited the spots checked by Bong and the first one to get a taste of the bite is Mikko with a fat one weighing about 800 grams.

I tried my favorite lures and they don't seem to like the color. I have been casting for a good hour or so and not even a false strike. I decided to borrow Bong's and true enough, after casting to the same spot, a hookup and a good sized too, maybe a kilo, but I was'nt able to land it because it dove into to weedbed. After tugging furiously, the hook pulled and all I got was clump of weeds. After cleaning the lure, I decided to cast to the same spot, hookup but this time a couple of smallies.

Bong also got one, but this time, using the trusted spinner bait. You can see from the background the size of one "puddle" lined with duckweed. There are other puddles completely covered with duckweed. When you throw the lure, you can see a snake-like lump under the duckweed stalking your lure and in a wink, the water will explode. I was pure excitement.

Before leaving, RC also got a really good sized dalag, probably 700-800grams. It was one of those one-last-cast catches. Just before leaving, RC decided to cast one more time. True enough, an exploding water and solid hookup. It was amazing because RC was using a 10 mono :clap: . Pretty unusual for dalag fishing over weedbeds.

It was an awesome safari. Half day of very productive fishing. Although we landed around 5, there were countless strikes that did not connect. As Bong said, a good strike is almost the same as a good landing.

In a few weeks, the spot will be gone and in its place would be a parking lot or an amusement center.

Zambales [April 24, 2009]

2009-04-30T06:04:00.003+08:00

My original plan was to hit the inland saltwater lakes and brackish rivers in Zambales. Unfortunately, finding a boat suitable for casting was a problem. Most boats that were available were quite small and you can only cast sitting down. Since I'm using baitcasters, casting while sitting down was a real chore. The wider boats were most of the time being used by their owners and were only available during non-peak fishing hours. There were a lot of bancas with inboard engines but I prefer non-motorized boats so I can sneak into hotspots quietly. To make the long story short, I abandoned the goal and shifted to freshwater fishing --- dalag fishing to be exact.

I fished early in the morning around 5:30am until 7am and then went back to the fishing area at around 4pm until 6:30. I was able to land 5, released 3 and took home a couple for my father in law. I got a hookup on what I suspect to be a 2kilogram fish or maybe even bigger based on the head. It jumped thrice and pulled line even when my drag was almost locked down. When I was about to land it, I cannot grip it with my lip grip because it refused to open its mouth. I tried to grip its neck but I was not able to grip it due to its size. I didn't have a landing net at that time so decided to keep on nudging its mouth with the lip grip hoping that it would open. After a few minutes, it gave a furious roll and opened its mouth really wide and gave a good head shake. To my dismay, it threw the hook and it slid back into the water. Because of pure disappointment, I threw the damn lip grip into the mud. That could have been the 2kg snakehead that I have been looking for.

Anyway, here are the pictures of the bigger fishes I caught.

Almost a kilo.

1 kilo each.

Zambales [April 10, 2009]

2009-04-13T06:50:00.003+08:00

I was able to cast some lures for a few hours during holy week. It was soooo hot. I can only fish very early in the morning (up to 7:30am) and very late in the afternoon (4pm). The water level was very low and the dalags are very wary. I lost one lure --- the fish broke my 20lb leader. I was able to land 5. Below are some of the larger fishes:

1 kilo and 3/4 kilo

1 kilo

Lake Caliraya and CPR [March 29, 2009]

2009-03-30T11:32:00.005+08:00

Me, Mikko, Kyle, and my cousin JB went to Caliraya yesterday to try Bass fishing and to sample the famed CPR (Caliraya Paradise Resort).

We arrived at around 6am and immediately geared up. The first to catch was JB. His first visit in Caliraya and his first Bass as well.

We went to some of the remote coves and while checking for a spot to anchor, I trolled for a while and caught this nice fish. This is my first Bass ever.

When the sun started to get hot, bass fishing became really slow. These fishes probably hate the heat more than us.

We decided to go to CPR after eating lunch. Mikko, tied on one of Bong's spinnerbaits. After a couple of cast, Mikko caught this really big fish.

As the hour went by, Mikko keeps on catching dalags one after the other --- using the same spinner bait:

The total, six hookups and 5 landed.

That particular spinner bait was so hot. Even though I have casted almost all of my other spinners on CPR, all I got was a very small dalag. Other than that, no strikes. Paging Bong, we need more of your magic spinners. :D

Kyle, who was on the other end of the pond, was hauling Carps. (Photos will follow). He was hollering for Landing Net when he is hooked to a carp but we are unable to help because we had to go around the pond to get to him. I think he lost a couple or so. Fortunately, he was able to land 5 of them, i think --- using the pond owner's landing net,

At the end of the day, we caught 2 bass, 5 dalags, and 5 carps.

Dalag Fishing Coloong [March 22, 2009]

2009-03-23T10:45:00.008+08:00

The original plan was to hit CPR (Caliraya Paradise Resort) in Caliraya, Laguna --- around 2 hours from Manila. But because of domestic commitments, none of the guys who are part of the plan were able to commit. I think most of my fellow anglers were not able to push through with any of their fishing plans that weekend.

Not wanting to waste a good day for fishing, I decided to hit Coloong (Kap's pond) for a short dalag fishing trip -- 10am to 2pm. I got an SMS from Obet and he decided to go to Aling Nene's pond. Bong, who was supposed to go to Subic, SMS'ed and checked if anyone would go to CPR but in the end, decided to tag along with me. Mikko, also a fellow angler, who was supposed to hit Lakeshore, turned up at Aling Nene's as well.

Picked up Bong at around 9am, and drove to Coloong. Because we were so busy talking about fishing stuffs while driving, I missed the Meycauayan exit on the expressway. We left the expressway via Marilao. On our way back to Coloong, we stopped by a surplus shop (Ukay-ukay) to check if there are some fishing stuffs that can be had.

Anyway, we arrived at Colooong past 10 and took the banca to Lawak and started fishing at around 10:30. It was a welcome break --- there were so few anglers at lawak that we were able to fish quietly for a few hours. Unfortunately, the dalags are not in the mood. All I got is a single fish using one of Bong's spinners.

Even though it was just almost a kilo in weight, it gave a really nice fight.

After a few pictures, the fish was placed back where it came from.

At around 1pm, we took the banca and went back to the main pond. We met Paul on the way. Paul is also a fellow angler who was with his family at that time. Before going home, we passed by Aling Nene's pond to meet up with Obet and Mikko. We were planning to cast for around 15minutes or so and then go back to Manila. But, when Mikko got a hookup with a large apahap (which escaped after a jump), the 15 minutes lasted for more than an hour. Before we knew it, it was already 4pm.

I really hope that next week, CPR would push through. I have this feeling that we are running out of places to fish. :-)

Half-hearted Dalag Hunt [March 15, 2009]

2009-03-16T15:20:00.016+08:00

I told myself that I will focus on dalags instead of Apahaps. That's after 3 sundays of zero Apahap landings. I almost got one a couple of weeks back. On March 8, I hooked a really big Apahap in Aling Nene's pond. I was using the Revo Inshore with 10lb Fireline mounted on a Shimano Clarus rod. The lure I was using was a 4' firetiger plastic swimbait from Storm. I got over-confident and only used 2 feet of 19lb Sufix Synergy Mono as a leader. After a few casts on the hot spot, I got a heavy strike and three fast runs . . . and then a snap. I lost the fish and the lure. It easily cut through my 19lb mono leader. My estimate is that the fish that struck my large lure could reach a double-digit.

Oh well, yesterday, I was trying to convince myself not to cast for apahaps anymore and tried dalag fishing instead. I was using Bong's b-new spinners, which were awesome, by the way.

Anyway, on the fourth cast, I got a nice dalag. It struck the spinner and dove into the side of the dike. The fish seems to be burrowing on the muddy bank.

Ok fine, I failed to resist the urge. I had my 7ft Berkley rod with a 5601SSC3 loaded with 15lb Powerpro. It had a large plastic swimbait ready for you know what. After a couple of hours or half-hearted dalag hunting, I gave in and casted around with the large gear. Unfortunately, I was not able to get any strikes. :-)

On my next trip, I would probably try dory (Pangasius), carp, and/or pacu fishing in Caliraya, Laguna. I may be able to fish for dalags as well. I heard dalags there are enormous. I just have to find a free weekend.

Aling Nene's Pond [Feb 22, 09]

2009-02-22T19:05:00.042+08:00

I got a couple of toys yesterday. I finally got my Abu Garcia Revo Inshore that I have been waiting for since November last year. My first impression of the Revo Inshore is that it is really smooth and light. I can flick a 6gm lure really far and without backlash. The wider handle also gives a higher cranking power. I also got a Berkley 7' MH rod for my Abu Garcia 5601SSC3. The 5601 and the Berkley rod is also nicely matched. Throwing large lures up to 3 ounces is no problem. Excellent for saltwater popping, spooning, and throwing large swimbaits.

Anyway, I was so excited with the 2 setup and decided to go to Aling Nene's pond in Coloong for some field testing. The timing was also great, Dowie, a fellow angler, texted me and told me that there was a 16.5kg Barramundi caught that morning at that pond. Obet, a fellow angler also texted me and said he'll meet me there.

I got to the pond at around 2pm. Shortly after, Obet arrived. I casted for a while in the open pond using heavy gear (Berkley and 5601SSC3) and a 4 inch Storm soft plastic. Casting was a breeze I can easily throw the lure beyond the middle of the pond. Unfortunately, after half an hour, no takers. I think the noisy splash of the big plastic lure spooked the fishes.

I joined Obet in front of Aling Nene's house. After chatting, I switched to lighter gear and casted near the shed. After 3 casts, I got a strike. Solid hookup. In the middle of the fight, remembered that I forgot to replace the lure's hooks with stronger hooks. I was using a brand new lure and it came with treble hooks that are crap. The fish bolted towards the bamboo poles across the pond. I was forced to increase the drag to stop the fish from getting there. If it reaches the bamboo poles at the other end of the pond, bye bye fish and lure. After 5 grueling minutes, I managed to muscle the fish into the open water.

I then loosened the drag so the hooks would not pull out or get straightened. The fish peeled line so many times. Its a good thing the Revo Inshore's drag is so smooth and consistent. After around 10 minutes, I started gaining line. When the fish was landed, only two points of the middle treble hook are hanging under the fish's chin. The tail hook straightened was completely loose. The split ring on the middle hook was also ready to give in. I was so lucky the fish didn't jump that much. Otherwise, I would have lost it.

The fish weighed 7.73 kilos. My biggest so far. Rod: 1pc Shimano Scimitar 6.6' 8-15lbs Medium Fast. Very nice rod and very cheap:-). Line used was around 180 yds of Sufix Synergy 12lb mono. Leader is 2 feet of Sufix Synergy 19lbs. Not bad for the Inshore's first time in the water. Hmmm, I think I said the same thing to my 4601C3. :-)

The nice lady in the picture is Aling Nene.

After some pictures, I convinced Obet to cast some more on the same spot. He did and after a few minutes, fish on. It was no match with Obet's awesome Calcutta. It struck a silver green Rattle-trap. Fish was landed and weighed. 3kilos. It was the first fish on lure for Obet. Not bad at all. :-)

Kapitan's Pond [January 31, 2009]

2009-02-06T06:14:00.006+08:00

Finally, I got to try my Abu toys (4601C3 and 5601SSC3) this morning. I went to Coloong for a field test. After just the second cast, I got one. A 1.81-kilo Mama dalag (Haruan). Just 190 grams short of my 2 kilo goal.

I still had an hour to kill before heading home so I decided to try my luck on Apahap (Barramundi). After 10 minutes, my 4601C3 went zzzzzt zzzztt. The C3's drag, although not a screaming drag like the one from a spinning reel, was uniquely thrilling! After a few runs, I landed this nice 2.7-kilo Apahap (Barramundi).

Not bad for the reels' first day in the water. :D

Note: The Haruan was released while the Barra, which was considered by the pond owner as a pest, was kept for the dinner table.

Past Catches [2008]

2009-02-01T06:10:00.004+08:00

Marinduque [Can't remember the date]
I first used local taw-taw (sabiki) to catch galunggung (Cigar minnow). I used the live cigar minnow as bait. Actually, the hardest part it catching the bait. There were days that we cannot catch any and if there are no baits, there would not be a good sized fish. I was able to catch one and I got rewarded with this talakitok (Jack Trevally). The fish weighed almost 2kilos.

Subic [January 2008]
Pargo or Maya-maya (Mangrove Snapper) This one wasn't caught using a lure. :-) I caught it using a 4 inch aligasin (mullet) for bait. A little above 1 kilo.

First fish on Lure [June 9, 2008]
This was my first fish caught on lure. I think this is the fish that hooked me into lure fishing.

Apahap (Barramundi)
2 kilograms
Kapitan Larry's Pond
Technium 2500FA with 9.75lbs line and 20lbs leader.
Rapala Super Shad Rap Shallow Diver 3.5 inches (Blue Shiner)

Coloong Biya [September 21, 2008]
I was trying to target Apahap. After almost an entire day of casting, still no takers. The only thing I caught is this feisty Biya (Goby). It struck a Daiwa DC shad even when the lure was almost half its size. The goby was released to grow some more.

Kangkungan Dalag [October 1, 2008]
I went to the kangkungan for an attempt to catch dalag (haruan in Malay and Snakehead in English). I was joined by a fellow angler Bong who have been given me excellent tips on how to coax these critters into hitting lures. All I have achieved were a few strikes but no hook-ups during the past days. Luckily that morning, in the middle of Tropical Storm Pablo's Signal Number 1, I got lucky:

It hit the lure after about ten casts at the edge of the weeds. Not bad for my first dalag/haruan. Almost a kilo.

After a few pictures, we released the fish. Thanks again to Bong for the excellent tips and for taking the pics

Kangkungan Dalag Part 2 [October 7, 2008]
After the excitement last Oct1 -- the first time I caught a dalag, I went back for another shot. I got 8 strikes. and landed 5 of them. The biggest is around 700 gms and the smallest is about half kilo.

All fishes were released.

Coloong Dalag [October 27, 2008]
Went to Coloong with Bong. It was a slow day. Only few strikes. It seems that frogs are not part of the Coloong dalags' diet so we switched to spinners designed and made by Bong. I was not familiar with using spinners on Baitcasting outfit at first. After some tips by Bong (the master), I got the hang of it. Bong caught 2 and I caught this one:

Zambales Dalag [November 4, 2008]
All the "training" in Kangkungan and Coloong paid off. I caught three Haruans during All Soul's break in Zambales. One of them is is jut 300 grams but 2 of them made the 1 kilo mark. All fishes were released to fight another day.

Aling Nene's Coloong [November 16, 2008]
I was trying to target dalags in Aling Nene's pond in Coloong but the dikes were full of anglers and I can't cast at the water's edge without snagging someone's line. Not wanting to waste a good day of fishing, I decided to try their famed Apahaps. I got on a small canoe with Balong the boy boatperson and went to the our ponds where the Apahaps are lurking.

It was so hard to cast because the bamboo platforms that I was on was so narrow and shaky. There was also the electric cables, which was running parallel to the platform, that are obstructing my casts. After around 15 miserable minutes, I got a strike and landed this nice sized Apahap (Barramundi). I only took a couple of photos because I didn't want to keep the fish out of the water for long. The other shot was blurred. Made sure that the fish was fully revived before letting it go. My guesstimate is between 3 to 3.5 kilos.

Kapitan's Dalag [November 30, 2008]
Nothing else to do at home and the fishing itch was unbearable. I decided to try Kapitan's Lawak. It's a wide lake-like pond where the fishes are semi-wild. There was talk that really huge Apahaps in the 10kg weight are lurking. After an entire day of casting, i ended up catching another dalag. Almost a kilo. Fish was released so it can grow bigger.

Hibiki Frog Prototype [December 10, 2008]
After some encouragement from fellow anglers, I got inspired to test my prototype frog, which we called Hibiki Frog. All materials used in the prototype are easily obtainable. I made the frog from scratch, the clay model, the mold, the rubber body, and paint.

The best place to test the frog, I thought, was the famed kangkungan where the dalags are no longer easy to fool. They have tried a LOT of lures already -- frogs, crankbaits, worms, etc. etc.

Anyway, after around 2 hours in the kangkungan, it has proven its worth. It caught 4. Here is a photo of the biggest that it caught:

All fishes were released after they gave their sign of approval to the Hibiki Frog prototype

Year-end Dalag Catch Report [December 31, 2008]
Around 5 half-day fishing during the Christmas/New Year vacation in Zambales. Total catch 16. 4 are around 200 to 250gms, majority are 650gms to 900gms. Only 1 reached 1kilo. Here are some of the bigger ones.

Still unable to land that wild above-kilo dalag. Maybe next time.

All fishes were released. I really had a difficult time explaining to locals why I released them. Anyway, maybe in due time they would understand.