Palms ELUA Rod and Barramundi on Ultralight Gear

When the year is about to end, work and pre-holiday errands get really hectic. This means time for fishing is almost impossible to get.

This past Sunday, I managed to take half a day to the nearest spot -- Aling Nene's pond. My primary goal was to try out my new Palms/Angler's Republic ELUA Molla Jig and Worm rod -- try casting the rod with a few jerkbaits and topwater lures and if I get lucky, maybe land a barramundi with it.

Unfortunately, no barras were interested on hard jerk and topwater baits. Nonetheless, the rod blew me away with its castability and sensitivity. It has the backbone for frog fishing and the fast tip for the best action on jerkbaits and topwater.

Giving up on casting hard baits, I switched to my trusted ultralight rod and reel combo -- a Certate Custom Red 2506 and a Skyroad Aji rod. I rigged a 1.5g aji jighead and tipped it with a 2inch soft Java Stick in purple. I was aiming for the Jaguar cichlids and Ox-eye tarpon but instead of a Jaquar or a tarpon, a barra took a liking of the bait. It was an absolute blast fighting a huge fish using a very light tackle. The rod and reel did not break a sweat. The drag was stellar and the rod gave the fish a hard time. In the end, i was able to land the 2.9kg beast using this PE0.6 combo.

The catch also gave me a hint that the barramundis on the pond are no longer interested in the traditional jerkbaits that most anglers use. I guess they are very familiar with these baits and have associated them with bad experiences. This is why they are going for very small baits like the one I used.

Impromptu fishing for Barramundi

It's one of those nice after-a-storm-Sundays. I have nothing important to do, the sun was starting to shine, and it was perfect for fishing.  The first place that came to mind was Irving's pond in Bulacan. It was a nice place, lots of fish and it's virtually devoid of other anglers.

When I got to Bulacan, I realized that the rain really poured hard the previous night. Most of the fields are still flooded with water. The barangay road going to the pond was under construction and the traffic people manning the road routed all 4-wheeled vehicles to farm road that was flooded. In fact, the road was barely visible with all the water. Even though my vehicle's ground clearance was a bit high, the water was almost reaching my floorboards. I actually passed by a few sedans and a couple of owner-type jeeps that got stuck at the side of the road.

While driving through the flooded road, I realized that the place looked really promising. It was a perfect snakehead habitat -- water on both sides with lots of vegetation. I will definitely come back to that place when the water subsided.

Anyway, after arriving at Irving's pond, the weather turned and it started to rain. It was a type of rain that promised that it won't stop anytime soon. It was a good thing that the barras loved the rain and they started to get active.

I managed to land a few using hard baits --- a Rapala Husky Jerk and a Duel Hardcore Fin Tail Vibe. The bites were also special because I was able to try a couple of new rods in my arsenal. First was an Skyoard 862E Eging rod (squid fishing) from Majorcraft which didn't felt like a eging rod. It felt more like a seabass or a light shore jigging rod -- which was exactly what I was looking for. With this, I can cast jigs, plugs, and poppers up to 20 grams. My old Daiwa E-gee (which is a real eging rod -- soft and the action was slow) and I had a hard time casting bigger lures with it.

The other rod was a Shimano Scorpion EV. A 6'6" 2-piece rod. EV was supposed to mean Economy Version. The cheaper version of Scorpion XT -- which stands for Extra Tune (or something like that). The EV has cork instead of EVA and the reel seat looked cheap and awful. It also can't stay locked when a reel is mounted on it. The guides are also cheesy. They look like they have SIC inserts but the frames look cheap and they are heavy.  If you whip the rod, the rod felt like Regular Fast instead of FAST and I suspect that it was because of the heavy guides. But in fairness, the rod felt really nice, powerful, and accurate to cast. The blank felt it can subdue a monster snakehead, barra, or mangrove jack. It reminded me of my old Shimano Clarus.

The reason why I got the EV is because I got it really cheap and it is made in Japan. I heard that the XT is not. I heard it was made in Indonesia.  The Scorpion EV will be my other project rod. (I have yet to mount the guides on my Edge rod). I am going to replace the reel seat with a Fuji ECS that I have been keeping for so many years and I will get rid of the huge fore-grip and replace it with an aluminum winding check or maybe a small EVA fore. I will also change all guides to Fuji Titanium SIC. It think it's going to be an awesome rod after that. I am so excited with this build.

This barra fell for a Duel Hardcore Fin Tail Vibe. The rod handled it really well.

The Scorpion didn't even break a sweat when fighting this fish. It took a Rapala Husky Jerk in gold.

My last fish before giving up fishing in the rain. A bigger barra that also fell for the Duel Fintail Vibe

Downsizing the bait

Recently, fishing time was limited to half a day at most. With that, the most logical fishing destinations are nearby spots that are easy to get to and are sure to deliver that scratch. Among the usual spots are ANP, Kap Larry's, and Horseshoe. But nothing beats SOF when it comes to the fishing 'ambience' and the fishes that you might catch if you can find that very specific lure that they want.

If you are pressed for time and the fishes are finicky, getting something to bite quickly with the least amount of effort is very important. During my visits to SOF, that's what I discovered. You have to really downsize the bait to get the fishes' attention.

Every time I arrive in the area, the fish were almost always not in the mood. Maybe because the water was muddy or maybe they are so familiar with our baits that they have learned to avoid them. I tried all the hard baits that I had but, except for an occasional dim-witted Janitor fish, no takers.

I also tried my tried and tested soft plastics in different shapes and sizes but still no takers. I even tried my brightly colored plastics with glow in the dark jig heads but I still wasn't able to get any attention.

That's when I discovered to try to and really downsize my baits.  I tied on a 2-inch Berkley Power Minnow and a 2-inch Java stick on an Owner 2x 4-gram jig head. As soon as I dropped these baits, they got hit by Pacus and Barras instantly. It felt that the water lit up with excitement every time I use these baits. When fishing for these fishes, I use a PE 1.5 main line and a 15lb flouro leader. With a slightly heavier line and leader, landing them was not a problem. Just make sure that you are using quality jigheads because cheap ones will only get mangled.

When Pacus take the bait, the plastic is almost always torn apart. I had to replace it after each and every fish. The barras were not that huge but they are acrobatic fighters and they can't seem to get enough of the bait. After a couple of hours or so, the action would stop and just like that, no more bites as if the fishes are telling me to go home because your visa had expired. Not a problem because 2 hours of non stop action was more than enough for me.

If you will try this method, make sure your main line is at least PE 1.5 and your leader is a fluoro carbon leader with a minimum breaking strength of 15lbs. This will allow you to land the fish quickly without tiring the fish. Always make sure you have a landing net, a long nosed plier or better yet a surgical forcep (you can get one really cheap from popular drug stores). This will allow you to remove the hooks without damaging the fish.

Irving did a great job in imposing Catch and Release for Barramundis and Pacus. Catching and releasing ensures that anglers will expect a fish and bigger fish when they come back. Barras and Pacus take years to grow to adult size. By releasing them rather than killing them will ensure their continued growth for years to come.

If you plan to go to SOF, check your gear and make sure that you have the correct baits and appropriate line, leader, jigheads. Making sure you are using the correct tackle will help Irving's very wothy cause.

Studying finesse jigheads and softplastics at the School of Fish

Finesse style soft plastics has always intrigued me. Whenever there's a chance, I always check out Youtube videos from Australia about tiny soft plastics on jigheads. They use  tiny jigheads with 1-2-inch soft plastics to catch bream and flatheads. After getting myself a light tackle combo, I promised myself that I will try this on local bakoko and flatties. 

A  months ago, I collected a few jigheads. Some are pasalubong from friends and a few from local stores. They were Java sticks, Charley Brewer's slider, 1.5inch Powerbaits and other soft tails that I think were suited for the application. I didn't want to go overboard and start spending a lot on these plastics unless I have tested them. Anyhow, I got the gear and collected a few baits and the only thing remaining is to try them in our local waters. I know that juvenile groupers love them but I was hoping to try them on bakoko, flatties, buwan-buwan, and other fresh and brackish fishes.

I initially wanted to try this in Pampanga Delta but the area was ruined after the recent typhoons. The river delta has been heavily silted and the area is now so shallow and layered with thick mud. And if that wasn't bad enough, I broke one of my light rods before I could use it,

I got a replacement rod recently and to resume my plans, I headed to Irving's school of fish to learn to work these finesse jigheads and tiny plastics. On the first drop using a 3-gram jig and a 1.5 powerbait, one of the red tilapias gave first blood. Not bad. A tilapia was fooled by hopping the jig at the bottom.

I threw a Java stick and had a solid hookup. It ran for a few meters but the hook came off. My guess it that a dalag fancied the bait. I casted again on the same spot and got another hookup. I was right, it as a dalag.

I had a few more strikes but none connected. i figured they were small barras or tilapias that kept pulling the plastic from the hook. I switched to a green swimbait and used a heavier jig, casted in the middle and felt like my lure snagged after a few retrieves. I was trying to free the snag when something suddenly pulled drag. I thought it was a bigger barra. It turned out that it was a big mama tilapia. Almost a kilo.  I thought to myself that this finesse jig/plastic is turning out effective in SOF.

Just before 1pm, I got another solid hookup. It was a barra. I think it was more or less a kilo in weight. Just before I can land it, the hook unbuttoned. Casted again on the same spot got another barra. It's a bit smaller but fun on light tackle nonetheless.

After this  fun outing, I decided to look for more plastics to add in my arsenal. 

Half Day Fishing Lesson at Irving's School of Fish

I begged my wife for a quick fishing trip today to ease the stress that I experienced this week. Damn that Shellshock GNU BASH vulnerability. What a pain.

Anyway, I had a blast last week at Irving Sih's School of Fish Pond so I decided to give it another shot. My plan was to be at the pond at around 7am so I left the house at 6am. Sadly, the Mindanao exit of NLEX was clogged so it took me an almost half an hour just to enter the expressway.

When I reached McArthur highway, I realized that I have not eaten breakfast. I went to McDo's drive through hoping to get a packed breakfast. Somehow, there were a lot of drivers with the same idea and the line was up to the parking lot. I backed out and went to another fast food restaurant for a quick breakfast. Long story short, the breakfast wasn't quick as it took me a good half hour to get my food.

I arrived at the pond at past 8:30am. An absolute bummer. I thought to myself that I have completely missed the morning bite. Tried all my favorite baits and had no luck. I switched to an old soft plastic and was able to land a couple.

After two fishes, the lure was mangled beyond repair. I checked my box and I only had one left and that one lure already had it share of battles. The lip is slipping out of the hook every time I cast. I quickly tied the lip using a strand of a spro frog's rubber legs. It held well and got three more barramundis. The last fish was over a kilo and it splits the lure's body wide open.

I casted the lure and checked the swimming action. It was still ok. I casted in between the holding nets and I had a solid take. It made a couple of jumps and the hook held. I tried to lift fish but the leader broke. I did not change my 17lb flouro leader even after it already landed 5 barras so it was probably nicked really bad. Oh well, 5 was more than ok for half a day's fishing.

Quick fish in the School of Fish

I went to Irving Sih's School of Fish today. It has been months since I last fished there. And as always, the pond did not disappoint.

I got there at around 11am and fished until 4pm. I lost a few barras and a really big bidbid, my guestimate around 3kg. It was almost an arm's length. It was really close when it broke surface after it was hooked. Unfortunately, the fish threw my lure after another jump. Anyway, I got a couple of barras on a rapala husky jerk.

I heard that a few pond visitors were frustrated because of not catching any barras using lures. I think the most common mistake is not using the right lures, not practicing how to use them, and using too heavy line/leader. My personal recommendation is to use natural colors when the water is clear and using bright colors when it is stained. If the fish ate shy, downsize the lures.

Testing K'S Labo and Daiwa Sol on Barramundi

This afternoon, I went to the School of Fish  fishing pond North of Manila to test a bass rodthat I recently acquired. The rod is KS Labo Lakeforce Stage 604MH. My intention was to know how sensitive the rod was -- in preparation for a future Bass  trip. The rod was perfect for my Daiwa Sol.

I arrived at the pond at around 2:30pm. I actually wished that I could fish for the whole day but that was my only available free time.

Anyway, my luck picked up on that day. The pond residents were very eager to play that day. After a few hours, I was able to land 3 barras.

Barra 1. Around 2kgs




Barra 2. Around 3.5 my guestimate


Barra 3. Should reach around 3kg 


All Barramundis were released with no more than minor scars and bruised egos. 

The rod and reel were perfect and I was more than happy with their performance. The rod was very sensitive. I was able to feel every bump  and taps from the pesky tilapias on my jerkbait. To be honest, I never had a more sensitive rod than this. I believe the rod will be a winner in bottom contact fishing (t-rigs) for Bass. I can't wait for my next bass trip -- on a kayak.

Revisiting Irving's Bulacan Barra Pond

Since Irving seeded his pond with Barramundi 2 years ago, I haven't tried fishing there. I tried fishing for the haruans there a long time ago, but at that time, there were no barras. I saw them when they were a few weeks old and they were just around 2 inches, and were living in a netted section of the pond, but that was it. That was 2 years ago.

Last year, when the Barras were a year old, I saw Irving, Mikko, Pao, Chris, and Richard's report. The Barras were averaging 2kg each. Absolutely fascinating. 

Unfortunately, a few months ago, extreme flooding affected the pond. The barras were assumed to have escaped. Lately Irving was able to catch some and they have grown quite significantly.

Yesterday, when Irving asked me to test it before the December 2 event, I didn't think twice. I had to try it. I wasn't expecting so much, probably a lucky shot at 3kg 3.5kg and a few dalag at 1.5 to 2kg would make my day.

To my surprise. I got something absolutely fascinating. I caught a 4.2 kg, a 4.5kg Barra, and 1.5kg dalag, and this one.

Early in the morning, I was able to hook into around 7 bidbids. I was using 50lb braid, 40lb leader, an a 76lb snap. All of them were able to throw the hook. If I had a small jerkbait, I might have caught a few of them.

All of the Barramundis were caught, photographed, and released.

4.2kg

A snakehead

4.5kg

7kg

I know there are big ones in there. Probably more than 8kg. Can't wait for December 2.

Family Fishing in Valenzuela

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.

Coloong (August 16, 2009)

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)

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.