Hibiki Fishing: Fishing Before the Storm

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Fishing Before the Storm

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.

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My Version of *Inland Fishing

My fishing outings are relatively limited. Due to resource and time constraints, I mostly fish the inland waters of Luzon, Philippines. Lately, I spend a lot of time fishing places near or around Metro Manila --- the smog-covered capital of the Philippines.

Among the freshwater species that I normally seek are Apahap (Barramundi), Haruan (Snakehead), Toman (Giant Snakehead), Bangus (Milkfish), Tilapia, and Catfish. In the near future, I would like to target Largemouth Bass, Carp, Pacu, and Mekong Catfish.

I also go for saltwater species whenever there's an opportunity. There are a wide variety of salt-water fishes that can be caught around the area but I mostly target Jacks, Snappers, Groupers, and Barracudas from shore, pier, and lately from a Kayak.

Selective Catching and Releasing

What is Catch and Release and why catch and release?

Selective CnR (Catch and Release) is the logical thing to do as recreational anglers. I like to believe that I am an angler and not a fisherman. Fishing for me is catching and enjoying the fight. Whenever possible, I try to release juvenile and breeding adults. I only keep my catch only when it is seriously injured or when it is an introduced or farmed specie. In some cases, I do take home a few for personal consumption.

Because by doing so, I may be able to help preserve our native freshwater fish species and give small fishes a chance to grow and reproduce. Hopefully, by practicing selective C&R, even if the impact is so small, I may be able to fish and catch something for a little while longer.