Monday, July 30, 2007

addicted to GP (giant prawn)

29 july 07

Location : Remand River, Kuantan

Line Up: Ostat, BabyFace


ADDICTED!! thats all i can say about them. How addicted are they? More than anything you could compare with. Ostat just bought a boat for that purposes. twice a week they go out to hunt the tasty litle creatures. They spent hours of fishing , sometimes just ostat alone. sometimes it rains and the water get really murky. But, to catch GP is beyond words....

Here are some pix of their trip last Sunday.












Brand sparking new boat....






















































a handsome GP with not so handsome babYFace
























the catch

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Penor Bridge (estuary)


29 July 2007

Location: Penor Bridge, Kuantan Pahang.
Line Up: Jojie, Seli , Amriez









Last week (Sunday,22nd Jul) was my “no fishing” Sunday. I had to take my son to his kindergarten because they were having a Family Day . Eventhough, the event took place at Balok beach, I didn’t bring any fishing set.

Well, Today was a payback time. This time, we were hoping to catch some fish instead of GPs. Ostat and BabyFace had different agenda, so we had to split again.

This trip, actually happened in mistake. We were supposed to fish at Belat River using a 10 footer fibre with no engine rented from a friend’s friend. But after 2 hours waiting, the man hadn’t show up. We tried to reach him by phone, but there was no answer. So we changed strategy. We just fished on the river bank. We spent an hour and decided to head to Penor to fish at my cousin’s fish pond. Bad luck stormed upon us again. The pond was empty, there was no water in it. My cousin just emptied the pond due to parasites attack.

So, jojie suggested, we should go to Cherok Paloh, and we all agreed. On the way to cherok Paloh, we had to cross the Penor Bridge. From the distance, we saw an old man was casting his bait from the bridge. So we decided to stop and have a look on it. To our surprise, the man managed to land 5 Cermins, and dozen of cencarus.

After chit chatted with the old man, we decided to try our luck here and the trip to cherok paloh was cancelled. The kind old man was happy to share some of his baits with us. The baits, fish fillet (soak in anchovy sauce) were used and surprisingly the fish like it.

Kitang were plenty. After 4 hours of fishing, we took home 3 kg of kitang and other species like red snapper, bolos , and cermin . I believed, there are white barras terrorizing the place as I witnessed them on their hunting mission ( jojie called it killing-spree) . And, there were also needle fish (todak, crocodilus) , and they were the bad one. When you reel in ( to hook new baits etc), they will chase your line and cut away your hooks… it happen to me at least a dozen time.

Here is some info on Kitang
Family: Scatophagidae (Scats)

Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Spotted scat
Max. size: 38.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 6028)

Environment: reef-associated; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 1 – 4 m

Morphology: Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 18; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 13 – 15. Ground colour greenish. Juveniles with a few large roundish blotches, about size of eye, or with about 5 or 6 broad, dark, vertical bars. In large adults, spots may be faint and restricted to dorsal part of flanks. Body quadrangular, strongly compressed. Dorsal head profile steep. Eye moderately large, its diameter somewhat smaller than snout length. Snout rounded. Mouth small, horizontal, not protractile. Teeth villiform, in several rows on jaws (ref 43044).

Biology: Inhabit harbors, natural embayments, brackish estuaries and the lower reaches of freshwater streams, frequently occurring among mangroves. Feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter (Ref. 7020, 44894, 48637). The dorsal, anal and pelvic spines are believed by Philippine fishers to be venomous and capable of inflicting wounds (Ref. 6565). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). In Hong Kong live fish markets (Ref. 27253). Marketed as fresh (Ref. 12693).
















It is an alternative route to Pekan. Not so many
cars pass by.


















Light set is enuff







the 1st catch of the day


















after 2 hours of fishing


















beware of the sharp dorsal fin. It hurts like hell.

Monday, July 23, 2007

CROC attack in Kota Bahru Kelantan


KOTA BHARU: Hanya tiga minit memisahkan Ibrahim Yaakob, 60, dengan maut apabila diserang buaya ketika mandi di tepi rumah rakitnya di Sungai Kelantan, dekat Lorong Minyak Gas, di sini, kira-kira 6.40 pagi semalam.

Ibrahim yang ditemui di rumahnya berkata, kejadian berlaku ketika dia hendak mandi di sungai itu.

“Ketika berada di dalam sungai untuk mandi, tiba-tiba tangan kiri pak cik terasa seperti digigit sesuatu dan kemudian berasa macam diseret ke bahagian sungai yang agak dalam.

“Masa itu barulah nampak buaya berkenaan,” katanya.

Dalam keadaan terkejut, kata Ibrahim, dia segera menyentap tangan kirinya yang sedang digigit, namun buaya itu semakin ganas dan menggigit kaki kirinya pula.

Ini menyebabkan dia bertindak nekad menendang kepala buaya itu sehingga haiwan berkenaan melepaskan gigitannya dan menghilangkan diri.

Menurutnya, dia memang cemas apabila terasa sesuatu menggigit tangan kirinya.

“Tapi, saya nekad melawan bagi menyelamatkan diri,” katanya.

Katanya, buaya sepanjang kira-kira 2.4 meter itu turut melibas ekornya, mujur dia dapat bertindak cepat.

“Seorang jiran, Azman Jaafar, 48, menghantar saya ke di Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II) untuk rawatan lanjut,” katanya.

Ibrahim berkata, dia sudah biasa mandi di tepi rumah rakitnya sejak menetap di situ kira-kira 38 tahun lalu.

Bagaimanapun, kejadian serangan buaya itu pertama kali berlaku terhadapnya.

“Sejak mendiami rumah rakit ini dari mula berkahwin hingga sekarang dan mempunyai lapan anak, belum pernah berlaku kejadian diserang buaya walaupun kelibat haiwan itu berjemur sering dilihat,” katanya.

Berikutan itu, katanya, pihak berkuasa perlu mengambil tindakan sewajarnya bagi memastikan kejadian sama tidak berlaku kepada orang lain.

“Saya juga menasihatkan kanak-kanak supaya tidak bermain di tepi sungai itu kerana bimbang buaya itu akan mengganas,” katanya.

Isterinya, Kamariah Mahmud, 53, berkata ketika kejadian, dia menjerang air di dapur sebelum terdengar bunyi kocakan air kuat disusuli jeritan suaminya.

“Mendengarkan jeritan itu, saya bergegas ke pintu belakang dan mendapati suami dalam keadaan sangat lemah dan berlumuran darah di belakang rumah,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Pengarah Jabatan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (Perhilitan) negeri, Pazil Abdul Patah, ketika dihubungi mengesahkan kejadian itu dan mengarahkan anggotanya memantau di sepanjang sungai itu.

Beliau tidak menolak kemungkinan, haiwan yang menyerang Ibrahim daripada spesies buaya tembaga yang pernah beberapa kali dilihat berjemur di pinggir sungai sekitar kawasan berkenaan.

“Saya menasihatkan orang ramai berhati-hati dan tidak melakukan sebarang aktiviti di sungai itu bagi mengelak berlaku kejadian tidak diingini,” katanya.



_______________________________________________________________________________________

The story above is about a crocodile attack on a 60 year old Ibrahim Yakob in Kota bahru kelantan. What caught my attention is, that was a same spot where i used to fish with Fahmi in his 12 footer boat. actually, this freaking croc has been spotted there since march. And the goverment could do nothing about it. They should catch the croc and release it to some remote area in ulu kelantan.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Port Dickson: bussiness or pleasure? ...or fishing?

Date : 16-18 July 2007

place: Glory beach resort Port dickson Negri sembilan, Malaysia





it was a bussiness trip. Another boring trip to a perfect fishing ground. Unfortunately, the seminar ended at 10p.m. So i had no chance to have a good fishing moment there. I brought along my fishing set, so everynite , i slept as early as i could then, woke up at 2 a.m to fish. But by the time i reach the good spot, the water had subside, and casting was not an option. There was no bait as well. I didnt find time to buy any. All i could do was , chasing small crabs for bait. But that damn creatures are fast. I managed to catch one, and i used it as a bait. But, nothing happen. I went back to sleep at 4 a.m. and no picture taken as it was too dark.





here are some of the pictures taken either by me or my roomate KillaCode. Put port dickson on your list. It is a nice town, with plenty of spots to fish such as Tanjung Tuan lighthouse, Lukut beach, and Kelong Lukut.




a view from my room













i dont even have time to enjoy the pool.













a power plant...













another power plant belong to TNB





























Arapaima Gigas a k a dragon fish. These couple are kept in a 10x8 pool.












is this a joke?













this is the place where i fished... and got nothing





























a small tackle shop i came across in PD...













this picture was taken at India Mosque in Bahau Town. It is a borneo kaloi weighs around 2 kg... what a monster.

REMAND RIVER : THE VENGEANCE

Location: Sungai Remand, Bukit Sagu, Kuantan.
Date : 15th July 2007
Anglers :
Ostat Fadhlin
Sharul
Babyface
Jojie
Seli
Amriez
Objective: Giant Prawn

It was raining and the spot was wet and muddy. This time we narrowed the objective to land as many giant prawn as we can.

I just bought a new rod to replace the broken cherrywood. It is a Daiwa Apollo Classic PE2. A six footer rod with light tip. eventhough it is not made from graphite, but amazingly, it is light easy to use.

Almost everybody landed some GP that day except Jojie. another bad day for him.
But he swear he will return to terrorize the place again.

















Daiwa Apollo classic













GPs are waiting on the other side..














You need to be an acrobat to fish at this spot.












seli with his first GP













I love GP. Tasty little creature.













another "tasty" one













Ostat.... he just bought a 12 footer boat just to terrorize this place.












the only way to land GPs is 'bottom'. They wont take any artificial lure.












the 'loot' after 2 hours of fishing













Loggers... bye bye green

Sunday, July 8, 2007

The Monster of Remand River - bye bye cherrywood

Location: Sungai Remand, Bukit Sagu, Kuantan.
Date : 8th April 2007
Anglers :
Ostat Fadhlin
Sharul
Madie
Jojie
Amriez
Objective: Giant Prawn and Ketutu


It’s Sunday again. Fishing is the best thing to do. We were planning to charter a boat in Merchong (Rompin), but due to unexpected reasons, we cancelled the trip ( it was cancelled because epul and babyFace couldn’t join us… they were the culprit behind the cancellation) And we don’t want to proceed without them even though replacements are easy to get .



i wish i have a 4wd ....











Ostat was our organizer for this trip. Sungai Remand is his playground. He been fishing there since 2003 . Most of us never fish here before except Sharul. Sungai Remand is a small river that flows into Kuantan river. It is situated in Bukit Sagu near the Pusat Bina Negara. It was rich with giant prawn and predators such as Toman and Haruan. Sadly, due to the logging activity, the river is now badly polluted. The water quality dropped and there are debris left by the @ucking loggers on the river bed.






Murky river ...








Malaysia has so many great rivers. They are once a healthy river. But ruined by the loggers. The government should do something to stop the pollution. Upstream, there is a Dam under construction, and it worsen the situation. We cannot expect the contractors (both for logging and Dam) to obey all the rules stated, but the ministry should take the matters seriously. They should station an officer in every site, and that officer is an anti-bribe. 10 years from now, there will be no clean river left in Malaysia . No perfect place for anglers except paypond. And our juniors will only see the Giant Prawn in zoo. And, too, the firm like Abu Garcia, Shimano, Penn, berkely, will force to shut down their operation as nobody will buy rods and reels anymore. With that, it also make me wonder, those firm should play their parts in river conservation. But from what I know, there is almost none.



Bottom up, top down....













an evidence, the loggers never care about environment










When you read my statement above, you already know the result of my trip. Yes, we landed some giant prawn and baby baung, but according to ostat, this was not OK. He used to take home kilos of giant prawn. But he also stressed that due to last nite rain, we shouldn’t expect anything big.



a common species here













Ostat... The GP hunter













Cocky Sharul













Happy madie. He used to be a surfcaster, now, addicted to GP












The monster...













A homemade live bait container with portable pump.










It was not a perfect and successful trip for me. My Berkley broke into half. I was using a small goldfish as bait when its happen. I was stunned when the monster bit, and my reflect was not fast enough. The freaking monster took the bait and sped to nearby snag for protection. My Abu 300 couldn’t stop the monster on time, and that freaking monster was safely hiding under the snags. As I’m trying to get my line free ( I was using 20pound steel leader) , the rod exploded. I was really really sad that I called the day off. The rod was so special to me. It was a gift from my wife. And nothing could replace it , unless she buy me a new one…. Hi hi hi…



poor Berkley cherrywood













The graphite is no match to the monster lurking for prey.










So , who were the successors? Madie and Sharul…. Madie just bought his first rod for giant prawn this morning, and he landed the biggest GP of the trip. Sharul was really cocky today, he talked shitty things to me… but I understand him, he was so happy to land so many GPs in his whole life. Poor Jojie.. he landed nothing..nada….zero.. and this was his second trip with me with him taken nothing home. Ostat? He took home at least a couple GPs and few baungs… well, poor me, no GP. Only broken Berkley to make this trip memorable to me. But I believe in God, and He must have reasons behind all this (like, the cherrywood is not good enough, he wanted me to buy Shimano Bassterra …ha ha ha) .

Fly for Kelah- fishing ground review

Location: Charas Cave, Pekan Panching off Jln sg Lembing, kuantan.


This is a great fishing spot for flyfishing. You actually can stand on the middle of the river as it is just a knee deep. The deeper part of the river is just next to the river bank.
You can cast your fly comfortably . The current is at a moderate speed.

If study the poor picture below carefully, you will notice there is a structure just below the water. It is actually a small but strong wooden bridge linking Pekan Pancing to some estate on the other side. You can also stand on that bridge if you are willing to jump into the river if any estate’s vehicle wanted to use it.

Bottom Fishing is not suitable as the current will make your No 8 sinker floats. Plus, there is almost no place for you to cast as the river bank is full of vegetation. But if you have a boat, and errrrr… crazy enuff, anything is possible.

There are Kelah and sebarau spotted and caught by the local. Personally, this spot is not my type, and the story of kelah maybe a bit of fairy tale, but any angler who want to prove me wrong, you are welcome to try.



the famous Charas Cave - There is a sleeping Buddha inside the cave.













Peaceful and calm
















a wooden bridge ....













a perfect place to fly for kelah