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.