Why Everything Japan Is Good

Since I can't fish, only thing to do is surf for fishy-related stuffs off the net (since I can't surf for porn in uni).... (I occasionally still need it though.. keke..) Was browsing through some Lure Magazine's (Japan's premier fishing mag both in prints and dvd production) stuffs and came across their "Eging" (japanese for catching squid) promo clips and surprisingly the clip contained some good footages and tips as well. Cool stuffs!

A few notes I would like to make are:
1) They bloody rip their eging rods hardout when retrieving! Unreal!
2) They can even do 'walk the dog' retrieve for a jig!
3) The sinking rate of the jigs are really good.
4) And... why the bloody hell the jap squids always attack the jig from behind?! (Stupid Oz squids always go for the jig body and missing the barbs, DIU NA SENG!!!)

Ronald

Feeling Very Unnatural

Yes, as can be ascertained from the fact that why I haven't put up any fishy post for quite some time. Words can't describe what I'm going through right now. Hahahaha... Wah lao eh! I've got a life ok! Yeah, oh well, ever since started the Myer job (which is pretty shitty), I have not wet a line since last Wednesday night. Well, kinda forgotten how that session went but it was not too bad to cure a little itch. Chen (feeling more unnatural than me), suggested a session and since with the high tide almost peaking, we went nearby instead. Reached Glebe with a fair amount of breeze blowing and so I thought I'll give my new (2nd hand actually) No.2 Tango lure a go.

Yup, been monitoring eBay for a chance to bid a cheap one and there it was. Bloody Jepun seller said is mint BS me in the end got mismatched split rings and weak trebles. Not a problem, cleaned the bugger up and gave new overhaul to the rings and hooks. Probably due to it's colour it wasn't suitable for night. Chen had scored a bream on his faithful worm and so I knew I had to use it too as it appears that the camo worm works well there. Indeed it never fails, as I managed to land a just legal. The bites were consistent and on a particular cast, I felt the unusual bite that doesn't felt like bream but an easy hookup. Whacked it nonetheless and this thing fought so-so. The constant thrashing had me thinking whiting and sure it was.

Went 35.5cm and had battle scars on its body, wonder who was trying to bite this poor bugger, jewie?! Hmm... Chen had also caught another bream and I was wondering why there aren't flatties around that night only to get another bream.

Seemed like I can never score a big bream at that spot. Must find out a new technique just as I realised about spot SF. Chen accidentally broke his new Yamatoyo braid which in the end we concluded that it was a weak but good casting line. I snagged my grub too and called it quits.

How to cure the infatuation with breams? Buy DVD and watch it on TV instead! Ha, pathetic! Bought the Breamin' DVD which was a bloody old production from the 2001 ABT tournaments which highlights the pioneering of bream luring tournaments.

Although it boasts 4 hours of footages, it doesn't seemed to educate well on their techniques, and besides, those lures they used seemed pretty antique! Oh well, at least it's not too entirely cheap production. Bloody hell, not cheap though! In the end I spewed when I found out it's cheaper getting it at FishOuttaWater near Myer! Bring back to Singapore as memory lah, sigh...

Ronald

Squandering Fishing Time

Finally can take some time to blog about a session which I did on Sunday. My fishing time would be slowly squandered away as I took up a casual job in Myer and has definitely take away precious fishing time but I know it won't be long before I start bludging again and resume. The reason I said that I'm squandering away is because my time here is limited and knowing that I still had to get some money hoping to score a year-end trip or something. No choice, but then this is casual. The only time I can find is in between days when I can go wet a line, just have to hope the tide and winds and pressure co-operates. Anyway, did managed to sneak out for an hour session at Glebe before meeting Dylan. Reached there almost last light condition and did managed to get bites on the wriggler. Few casts later and the line came on tight which this fish fought pretty well. Knew it was a flattie but felt kinda weighty. Indeed it was as the fish was brought up close to surface. As soon as it turned away from the bank, the lure flew out and almost hooked me! Haha.. Bugger, lost quite a good size one but nonetheless had its fun.

Soon it was totally dark and I thought I'll give Tango the swim as the wind was quite irritating to feel at night. Same thing happened again when I had to cast to the sweet spot I encountered from previous trips ago. Did the same ol' by spinning in that particular direction to get hits. Managed 3 breams in total with only a legal 27cm that's noteworthy.

Time was soon running out and the hits were getting few and far between. When Tango was pretty near to the bank, a flathead shot out and grabbed the lure. The fight was the usual wetsocking.

It roughly went 36cm and was the last fish for the night. No biggies still but itch cured for time being, let's hope more chance to get out in between Myer off-days, sigh...

Ronald

Big Weather Change

As I had 2 days of training at Myer, I had to get my fix before the weather changes as well. On Monday, I went to poor-mans stretch down at HC. Since the high was around lunchtime, might as well go for a short flick. Arrived to a relatively blowy bay even though the wind was meant to be suitable over there. But it wasn't that bad after all, to say the least! The fishing however was totally shithouse. Almost threw every possible hardbody lure for zero touches. Went through almost the entire stretch even to the jewfish spot for zip. The only consolation was when I decided to walk back to the starting point, managed to score one just legal bream on the watermelon bm, rigged on a modded size 1 berkley.

Saw another fisho who was probably there for less than 15 minutes and left without anything. Just shows how tough it was on a good high tide monday. That was it, had to be contented before the training and a no-fish APEC week due to the seasonal bad weather change, bugger!

Just found out that my grand master Dylan (the guy who taught me fishing and cleaning fish) will be here in Sydney with his girlfriend for 4 days arriving on Saturday. As such, I probably knew there won't be fishing time unless he wants to, lol! So, even with a loomy sky and slight southerly winds, I still went ahead. Was contemplating to go spot SF and just as I was out of college and just exited from the uni, the drizzles came. Made a sudden u-turn and head back to college. Spent an hour disgusted at myself when the rain was gone. Just as I leave at around 5pm, I made the desperate urge to drive up to Glebe to see if anything is around. Put on the camo worm due to previous success here and 1st cast already met with ferocious bites but no hookups. Came one time when I thought I had something only to see the worm bitten off by 3/4. An aussie couple came up to me and said he saw that I got something. Told him almost and rigged up a used gulp jigging grub. No hits on 2 casts. Knew they only wanted the worm. Put on the worm again and snagged it, KNNBCCB!!! Then, tie the leader and the rain was pelting on me, FARK!!! Since I'm wet already and it was just drizzles, I carried on. With a size 1 berkley head and another worm, I finally scored the 1st bream, was just legal but didn't bother to take pic. Next cast and I was straight away on from the drop. Damn it! Hook up on the eye again! What's wrong with me nowadays keep on hooking onto bream's eye! A bit smaller fish and I'd quickly removed the hook gently and release the poor bugger. What do you know, snagged! KNNBCCB x2!!! Bloody Glebe when it became so snaggy?!!

It was already dark and I persist a little while as the wind was virtually non-existence. Changed to the Tango for absolutely no hits! Changed back to worm while using the size 4 instead. Bang, hook up solid on a flathead and it was a legal but skinny one. Scored another baby flat and knew that they are dominating the territory now. Then on a drop, a fish picked up the lure and went off. It was a funny fight but not too bad at all. Turned out to be a good size tailor which I haven't gotten for donkey ages!

Went 29.5cm short of half a centimeter to hit legal, bugga! Released it and then the rain came on again. Didn't want to get more wet and so quickly rush back to car. No big fish, no singing drags for quite sometime... sianz...

Ronald

Nothing Spectacular

To say the least, well, really nothing spectacular on our night escapades but at least every trip we didn't turn out donut. After that night out at Glebe, me and Chen went for another 3 more nights, making it a 5 consecutive night ops for both of us, that is HARD OUT!!! With the predicted winds we opted to go back to the new spot at IC with the high tide getting lower. To cut long story short, it was really dead. The worst thing was my Yamatoyo braid line broke while I tried to free a snag! I was so so disappointed with the line and had lost total confidence but still managed to continue fish with a slightly low spool. However, to my total surprise, Chen don't know some how managed to retrieve my line and also the lure! But it was heaps of line and we were both shocked that I've actually lost so much braid not to mention the dollars involved with buying it! Diu na seng! Ok lah, retrieve back the line and continue fishing but it was too dead! I changed to Tango and had a brief hookup only to lose it. Then changed to gulp grub and managed to score a pretty good size bream while Chen managed a flattie nearby.

Not a good fight but still stoked to see a 31.5 cm bream to wrap up the session. No trevs this time. Next night saw me heading to spot SF by myself as I was really bored. The wind was blowing quite hard out but kinda from behind. Suddenly Chen called me to say he was coming over to join me. Whilst waiting for him, I could only manage a baby on the Tango.

Actually there were heaps of bites just as I arrived using the gulp grub but failed to hookup. Soon after releasing the baby, Chen reached the spot and we began pounding the spot for dismal results. I could only manage a 25cm short but broad size bream.

Since I had just got a new pack of Gulp called 2inch 'Jigging Grub' in watermelon colour, I was bloody keen to try. Put it on a mod head and tried near the snag structure. Had one solid take and tried to set the hook. I could feel a good weight and instantly knew it was a big bream bite (with the *clunk* feeling). But KNNBCCB!!! It did not want to stay connected and I knew I have yet again scored "The one that got away" accolade! Sigh... Later snagged the new grub and decided enough was enough.

Saturday night had me bored again, and just nice Chen sms'ed me for another op to make "all good things ends in 5" theory. Went to Le Montage thinking the wind was more suitable over there. At first we drove up to the end of the car park to give it a try there but seemed the water was quite deep over there. Decided to axe the idea and proceeded back to our usual canal. I was using HB while Chen on his ever faithful camo worm. Chen's first casts had a dropped flattie just under his feet! I almost scored one when it pulled the hooks. Seemed like a donut trip now. It went really quiet from our starting point to the mouth of the canal. I decided to switch to sp and went with the jigging grub again. First few casts later I had some funny bites and paused the lure quite long before giving mini drags. As soon as I felt a weight, I knew the fish was trying to eat it and wait for it to swim away before I had a decisive strike. Ok, it was on but a super lousy fight. It came in easy but was damn difficult to lift it out of the water! Good size flathead!

Went 48.5cm so thought maybe pose with it lah.. hehe.. Thanks Chen bro for the pic. Then we bagan chatting hard out under the footbridge and I convinced Chen to practice some precision casting in between the pylons and also foot of it. Chen was pretty good with it and whilst chatting away and jigging at same time, suddenly there was a fish near my feet. Another flathead that just thrash on the surface. A small but legal 39cm flattie.

Seemed like dark watermelon gulps could also work at night. But alas, snag another of it and that's 2 nights in a row each, DIU! It was almost 12am and told Chen we'll give it another go before it hits 12. I went with Tango and Chen on sp. Good move, as Chen managed to score a good size 44cm flathead before we called it a night. Seemed like the flatheads are making a healthy return. Time for GTK to book a ticket back and challenge me to a landbased comp. Ooh-rah!!!

Ronald