Truth be told, I wasn't really planning to go for this trip, mainly due to the fact that I didn't know anyone. But the organizer, Ben, told me that he lived very near to me and would pick me up in the morning and send me back! Wooohoo, good offer! So off I went.
Monsoon, everyday rain rain rain. All I could do was keep my fingers crossed for some decent weather.
Ah... Yes... I was very excited about one thing this trip. I had bought myself a new set-up! It would be my first overhead set-up too. For my reel, I bought a Shimano Charter Special which apparently is an awesome newbie reel. I paid $110 for this reel. It was only used once, warranty just barely expired and the condition was flawless, not to mention the previous owner was a very nice dude, plus he gave me a free power handle. For my rod, I bought a Penn Power Stick 15-30LBs for $30. Little bit of rust here and there but for $30 I wasn't really expecting anything better lol. Here's a quick look at my new set-up!
Shimano Charter Special
Penn Power Stick
Before heading down, we had to make our way to Toa Payoh's tackle shop (Fishing Buddy) to pick up some live prawns, as this boatman doesn't go to the kelong to buy them like Ah Fong. More importantly, I had to buy some line for my new reel. After finishing up here, we made our way down. But Ben made a wrong turn from PIE to ECP and we ended up at Changi Airport. Then he missed another U-Turn and we ended up at the arrival hall lol.
Our boat was leaving at 8. And by the time we got out of Changi Airport, is was 0810 lol.
Roy, a nice gent that I met on my last trip would be joining me today. Just the night before, Ben called me and told me someone pulled out and if I could find a replacement. Called Roy and he was on!
By the time we bought ice, food and drinks from Changi and proceeded to board Ah Chai's boat, it was like 0840.
As the boat moved off, I looked up into the sky and saw this...
Ahhh hopefully a sign of good weather!
As usual, after setting up gear and rigs, everyone took a break to relax or power up on some food as the boat cruised gently to our first location. Here are some pics of the dudes relaxing.
Roy enjoying a well deserved curry puff lol. (He almost looks oblivious to my furious clicking)
After we reached our first spot, lines down quicker than you can say "lines down". And within 3 mins, I heard a HUGE splash in the waters. I looked up and Zac had a fish on! We were all amused and shocked to see this. Just then, no one knew what fish it was as it kept doing acrobatic jumps. It leaped out of the water countless times, swam around the boat 50 times, and was ridiculously strong. Best of all, it was seemingly not ever going to give up! As it swam the near boat, I managed to snap a shot of it.
Boatman Ah Chai was standing by with his net. This fish was huge! And after a huge struggle and tug of war, Zac finally managed to land the fish.
Zac and his prize.
The minute I saw it, I knew what it was! Just the other day in the forums, someone posted a CR (Catch Report) regarding this fish. It was a Giant Herring. I have never seen this fish before and so did some others. It was obviously the season for them now.
The day was very uneventful after that. We changed locations several times with no fish. Ah Chai sat and chatted with me. He told me that due to the rain, the water condition was "yellow", I think he meant murky. He said that when the water is murky, fishes can't see the bait and therefore, no fishes. I don't know if what he says is accurate cos I was under the impression fishes use more of smell rather than sight to look for food. Ah Chai also said we won't be going out far as the waters outside were extremely murky and only the area near the Naval Base was clear as it's blocked.
Short drizzle and lack of bite left everyone in snooze mode. Then Ah Chai decided to take us back nearer to Changi side to try again. I don't know if it's just today, but Ah Chai's spots seem to all be ridiculously shallow. Some areas he brought us were only like 2 meters deep. Oh and his boat, while I must admit is very spacious, comfortable and very steady, is FRIGGIN' SLOW. The ride back to Changi area felt more like a friggin' boat cruise and took FOREVER. So bored I decided to take some photos.
After we arrived back at Changi side, everyone was getting hook up's on the Giant Herring once again. While they say it doesn't taste good, the fight is priceless for Singapore waters. I kept moving around the boat as I didn't get to choose a good spot that I would have liked due to our lateness. Also, I didn't get a single bite. While everyone onboard was having the time of their lives, I was kinda bored.
Edmund with his catch.
So I put my rod on the stand to have a quick bite. Suddenly..... PIAK! I saw my rod bend and snap! I was shocked so I reeled up to take a look. W o W, my whole hook was gone. I reckoned it was that herring.
Ah Chai extended our time by an hour or so. During this time, I actually had 2 hook-ups but I lost both. This was due to my inexperience and unfamiliarity with the reel i was using. Only have myself to blame.
However, I must say, the fight was incredible. I have never ever fought a fish with this power. When they bite, you'd have no clue at all, no feeling. But suddenly, you'd see the fish shoot straight up in the air twisting and turning trying to get the hook out of it's mouth. During the whole fight, your drag must be set less than 1/2 so the fish can pull, otherwise, your line will snap. Both times, I lost the fish when it darted under the boat and I couldn't pull it back out.
On Tuesday, I have a trip with Uncle Soh (first time trying). This trip will be with 2 of my personal friends who are new to boat fishing, Roy, and Bruce. So 5 of us in all. I will take Uncle Soh to this location (saved on my GPS, new phone hehe) to try for my herrings. And this time, I'll work harder and do better! Looking forward to it very much.
In conclusion, I didn't land a single fish this round and missed 3. It was still a very enjoyable trip and the weather was fair. Some of our other catches include, Ang Kuey, Groupers and even a Flounder. Here's a pic of our total catch.
These herrings are really huge. I took two home but I'm not sure how we're gonna cook them as they have loads of bones. My fillipino maid was very happy though, according to her, fillipino's love these fish so I guess we'll just leave it to her :)
That's all for today folks, tomorrow is Tuesday already so look our for my report in the next few days!
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