Finesse To Da Max

In the beginning of the week, I had a rude shock from my supervisor regarding about one reviewer's comment on my thesis contribution. My CB sup said many things which wasn't pleasing to my ears. Feeling damn dulan, it made my entire week like shit. I had to be busy preparing the arguments and stuffs to sent to him and see if there's any chance to save my puny ass. JM had jio'ed me for fishing but I wasn't having much mood to do so. Come Friday, I got an sms from Chen telling me to look outside, as Brooker is calling me, lol.. It was indeed clear skies and little winds. But winter is still winter, the air outside is still damn cold. Did some work in office before the lure urge came and torment me. I sms'ed JM but he had to accompany his CO to duty-free shopping. So, off I went alone to another spot in Rocky's playground.

Good thing about that spot is the carpark is just next to the area. Put on my obligatory gulp grub and try suss out the terrain. Pretty shallow but not that snaggy. The start was a bit slow but then when I've moved down approx. 5 meters, the 1st fish came. Not a bad fight but still, a 30cm bream could've done better!

After releasing her, a thought came into my mind. From one of the aussie fishing forum, someone mentioned about gliding soft plastics. Then I thought, yeah, if fish have lateral lines along their body to pick up vibrations, surely a flippy soft plastic could achieve that, right? Well, no harm trying. Used one of my neglected Berkley 1/32oz jighead and rigged up a used watermelon bm. To achieve the flippy action, I trimmed it down so that any twitching I've imparted, it will flip the tail section more. Tied it on and drop it into the water and test it. Yep, it sure is sexy, almost can compare with bibbed minnows! On the first cast, caught a bream while it was 'gliding' halfway through! The fight was almost similar to the previous. Sianz.. but.. but.. on closer inspection, this bream was damn huge!

A lady walker came and check out what I've caught and she was impressed there's such big fish in the water. She helped me took a photo and asked if it was my dinner. I said nah, the water is polluted and I wanted to released this 39cm bream which against all odds, has survived for so long (also to score points for asians mah!). Had a hard time taking the hook out and it was bent pretty bad. Was impressed with this tip I've got about finesse and so, carry on! Cast back around the same spot but was pretty quiet. Saw a drain nearby and decided to check it out. The bm was already quite destroyed but thought, what the heck, just try lah. Put on some megastrike scent and hope the fishes liked pizzas. Result.. this 26cm liked pizzas, or the 'gliding' technique?

Then, another small flattie also like, maybe it like to see me leh? Suddenly there was a huge take and I striked. The kix went zzz for a split sec but no hookup! Wah lao eh.. spewing man! Wind back to only see my jighead was around, but plastic not there. Aiyah, blame me for continuing using the already destroyed bm. The drain was quite happening man. So, continued with soft plastic and since there was a used squidgy flickbait, I gave it a go. Trimmed the slightly damaged tail and trial run the action, quite hot leh! Cast back into the drain and work it across the drain opening. Just before my line reached the edge of the fast flowing drain, it got hammered! Another 30cm bream for me.

By then, my bladder was weak. The bites were still ongoing but I thought, enough is enough. Plus, this trip was not drama free also. Knn.. while fishing, 2 lima echo bravos come up to me and asked the usual loh: "Got fish?". I said yeah, just then got a 39cm bream. One skinny guy keep on 'eyeball' my bag and said is it inside my bag? I said released into the water. He was devastated why I did that. Keep on say "oh my god.. oh my god.." Then, I felt uneasy liao but I didn't show on my face. I remembered Rocky telling me that place notorious got these people, just play nice. So I joked around with them, say got jewfish this and that, to take their concentration off from robbing me, perhaps? That cb skinny guy keep on 'eyeball' my bag and also asked how much was my rod and reel stuffs.. I really almost shit in my pants but played along, confusing them more with my questions about how great this spot was, blah blah blah.. Then, they walked to and fro from where I was fishing, basically in the process I couldn't fish in peace. Finally they left and soon after, I also couldn't take it anymore cause urine is more important than fishing liao!

Took back the bent hook as souvenir. These Berkley old jigheads uses light gauge wire hooks, no wonder. But the new ones which they merged with Nitro, that one uses Gamakatsu hooks, much better but $1 one jighead!

Ronald