KO25

Spooning success

2011-02-15T23:10:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! TK, FKFH (Duo Fishing) and I went out casting for Snakeheads at "Lubok Seluarku Basah & Pipe Tagar". We went at around 1100hrs and the weather at that time was HOT and the sun was shinning brightly, perfect for spooning. Recently I bought this really cheap spoon which only cost me $1.80. Along with it, I also bought Owner single hooks for my spoon. The original hook on the spoon is not strong enough so it is advisable to have it changed. Spooning on a bright sunny day is so effective (depending on the area). I have caught myself 5 Snakeheads on a spoon but when the sky started to get cloudy, it is useless. I was forced to substitute my spoon to a mini Superior Frog and was delighted to have caught my 6th Snakehead (the most I have caught in a day). In total, 9 Snakeheads were caught, 2 by FKFH and 1 by TK. It was getting late, and we were hungry so we had to call it a day. Off we went to grab ourselves nasi penyet for dinner courtesy of TK. If any of you would like to try to use a spoon, I truly recommend it. Enjoy spooning (not that kind of spooning. HAHA!). (^^,)

1st strike on a cheap spoon

2nd strike on a cheap spoon

3rd strike on a cheap spoon

4th strike on a cheap spoon

500g Snakehead

5th strike on a cheap spoon

6th strike on a Superior Frog lure

Say aahhh ...

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release". (^_^)

Spooning Away ...

2011-02-14T15:35:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Got up early yesterday morning with TK to T-Junction breakwaters. Lost a lot of cods on my SP and only managed to catch just one. Not many fish biting at the area as we noticed there were many mullets swimming about. As the sun was blazing right above our heads, it was time for us to take a break for lunch. After filling our bellies with "nasi penyet", we wasted no time resuming the 2nd half of casting. The location was at "Lubok seluarku basah & pipe tagar". I was curious with the splashing around the small lagoon and thought it might be Tarpon bushing around. Since it was hot and the sun was shinning brightly, a spoon was perfect for this type of situation. Threw a few cast, and bam! a first strike. My first thought was a Tarpon but when it got closer, it was a Snakehead. I was quite delighted and threw more cast at the same spot and strike another one, slightly bigger than the first. I have an Abu Island spoon hiding somewhere in my tackle box and thought it was the right time to use it. First cast with Abu Island spoon, a decent size Snakehead willing to take the bait, followed by another one a few cast later. The sun was about to set, and the spoon weren't as affective as before, so it was time to call it a day. Lastly I'd like to say, "Selamat Menyambut Maulud Nabi, Selawat dan Salam keatas Nabi junjungan kita Nabi Muhammad SAW".

Snakehead on Abu Island spoon

Snakehead on a cheap spoon

2nd Snakehead on a cheap spoon

Small Estuary Cod on Storm SP

NOTE: Total Snakeheads caught was 4. Released 2 Snakeheads and also release the cod as they were too small for dinner. Hehe

My version of Mangrove BARRAdise

2011-02-12T16:15:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! The sea has started to calm and it's an opportunity for anglers to test it out at the local breakwaters. Zool and I went to the T-Junction breakwaters and as we got there, there were so many anglers (including Pakcik & Makcik) fishing in the area. The lure I started to use was a Storm swim bait sp. I did not want to use any of my hard bodied lures, fearing it might snagged or never return, so a plastic lure was suitable. A small size Estuary Cod was my first catch that morning followed by another one by Zool. After taking a few snapshot, we had to released it immediately as it was too small. It was an hour to noon and just when we were about to give up, I decided to change my lure to Rapala Flat-Rap #6. Threw a few casts and a nice Barramundi was successfully landed using my favorite lure. And also yesterday, I went to MPR to kill some itch and caught 2 decent size baby Trevally. I must say, the fight was AWESOME!! Enjoy looking at the pics below and happy fishing! (^^,)

A good size Barra

Rapala Flat-Rap #6

Estuary Cod on Storm SP

First Trevally (600g) @ MPR, Rapala Flat-Rap #6

2nd Trevally using Baby Cima 60MR-F

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release". Trevally at MPR was super fun and definitely go there again. It's actually my first Fish at T-Junction. (^_^)

CNY Fishing

2011-02-03T22:09:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Today is Chinese New Year so it's an opportunity for TK and I to go out fishing. Like usual we woke up early and got to our destination at around 0700hrs. In total, 4 fish were caught that morning, an Estuary Cod and 2.3kg Cat fish by TK and 2 mini Jacks by me and lost a lure (Rapala Flat-Rap FLR-6) and a big fish. Don't know what kind of fish it was and our guessing is that it might be a huge cat fish. When the fish weren't biting, we took a good break and went for teh tarik and onion dosai with yummy chutney. The next half of the hunting, we were targeting Snakeheads at an undisclosed location. Lure I used was a cheap spoon, with a weedless hook and a Hinomiya double tail grub. For me, this is the first time using this method of catching a Snakehead and it was truly affective. At the end of the day, each of us managed to land 2 Snakeheads and unfortunately we failed to get a hat-trick. By the way, I wanna take this opportunity to say "恭禧發財, 新年快樂" to all my Chinese friends and family. (^^,)

Small Jack @ Lubok Kaki Basah

Rapala Flat-Rap FLR-6

Baby Jack with my lost lure (-_-)

First Snakehead of the day

My cheap lure

2nd catch

NOTE: All saltwater fish were "Catch & Release" and the Snakeheads weren't so lucky as we gave all four to a Bangladesh worker. (^_^)

Lively Lures from Oz

2011-01-26T21:40:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Just wanna share you with my new lures. I just bought 'em yesterday of my mate who ordered it from down under. The lure is called Lively Lures and it is proudly an Australian made. Do check out their website if you're interested in Aussie lures. The model I have are Mad Mullets (Micro and Mini) and it's a deep runner type, perfect for Mangrove Jack fishing. They claimed that the bibs of these lures are tough and almost impossible to break. I'm a bit skeptical with the split ring that connects to the bib. Don't know if it is strong enough to withstand any big fish. And by the way, I took out the original treble hooks and changed it to VANFOOK double hook. Will definitely test these lure this Sunday (Insya'allah) and hopefully it's worth the money. I can't wait! (^^,)

Lively Lures from Oz

Mini Micro

Micro Mullet

Which one do you prefer?

2011's First, MJ, Snakehead & Estuary Cod

2011-01-24T22:42:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! It has been rainy this past few weeks and anglers like us find it difficult to fish at this time. Temperature and the salinity of the water has definitely change the estuary system and the fish would probably go to a deeper area. But since Sunday is the only fishing day available, I just have to go with luck. Like usual, my cousin Tyco and I went to our usual spot at 0630hrs. This time, I have installed VANFOOK double hook (which I bought recently) on my favorite lures so I came prepared. Lures I started to use was a Baby Cima 60MR-F minnow and it wasn't long that I got an early strike. It was just a small Estuary Cod and after releasing it back, I cast away and a strong thug took my Baby Cima. Reeled it nice and easy and voilà! a good size 500g MJ. Tyco however caught a good size Tarpon using a Rapala Shad Rap. The tide was about to rise and we decided to move to freshwater fishing as we were targeting Snakeheads. There, Tyco caught a small Snakehead and an hour later, I caught one weighing around 400g. Since Snakeheads have some healing and medicinal properties, we had to take it home for my brother in law who recently had an operation. As the sun were shining above our heads, the temperature were getting hotter, we had to called it a day. Sunday fishing was fun and now, I'm counting days for my next Sunday fishing (^^,)

Nice colored Jack with my Baby Cima 60MR-F

Tyco call this area, "Lubok Kaki Basah". Haha!

1st fish of the day, an Estuary Cod

2nd Estuary Cod using YO-ZURI HARDCORE and VANFOOK double hook

400g Snakehead on a hot afternoon @ Lubok Jalan Kaki. Haha!

It swallowed my Superior Frog lure

VANFOOK double hook #6 & #8

A real good look at it

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release" except for the Snakehead. Had to take home and cook it for its medicinal purpose. Until next time, see you again on Sunday. (^_^)

2011's First Barra

2011-01-11T22:39:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Last Sunday I went out casting early morning with Zool. TK was absent at that time as he went to Empangan Pancur Murai, hoping to get his first Giant Snakehead but unfortunately it was not successful. Zool got there half an hour earlier than me and when I got there Zool had already started. Like usual, the area is known for its Tarpons and very challenging to catch. The best lure to use is a popper as they hit it pretty hard compare to a minnow. My lure that morning was a Baby Cima 45NLS and it wasn't long until I threw my first cast that a Barramundi took the lure. Officially this is my first Barra for the year 2011 and the two Barras I caught at MPR doesn't count. Haha! In total, I caught 3 fish (one Barra and two Tarpons) and lost a lot, and Zool landed a Tarpon. As the temperature was starting to heat up, we stopped and went for teh tarik and dosai for brunch.

First Barra for 2011

700-800g Barra using Baby Cima

"Ninja" Zool's Tarpon

Tarpon on a YO-ZURI EBA minnow red head

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release"

Boys Night Out

2011-01-09T16:02:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Last Tuesday (4/01/2011) my cuzz TK and I went to BSB to collect my daughter's emergency passport and also to buy my wife a Nokia N8 at QQeStation. But before that we were so hungry that we went to Jerudong for lunch at Seaworld Neptune. We ordered fresh Coral Rockcod, giant clams and some veggies. The fish was steamed in Nyonya style but the sauce was too sour for my liking. I must say the fish tasted delicious that we almost finished the whole fish. Giant clams was cooked in black pepper sauce and it finished before the steamed fish got onto the table. After our bellies were filled up with clams and cod, we did some errands before going to Mangrove Paradise Resort. Although it was raining at that time, it didn't stop us from going to MPR. When we got there, the rain kinda ease a little bit and it stopped later on. Zool joined us an hour later and we didn't stop casting until 2130hrs. TK caught a Barra but somehow it managed to escape from the hooks. I caught 2 Barras, with one nearly 2kg and the other about 1.5kg. All I can say is it was fun catching with a 6lb test line, a 6-12lb rod and a Shimano Stradic 2500. Will definitely go there again for another boys night out casting. Before we head back to KB, we dropped by at McDonalds for some cheese burgers and ate it all on our way back home. (^_^)

Almost 2kg Barra using IMA lure

1st Strike at MPR

TK right behind me

2nd strike at MPR

Around 1.5kg Barra using Rapala Tail Dancer TD-5

TK and Zool posing with a Barra

TK "Catch and Release" (pay $1 to release)

Steady ...

Coral Rockcod for lunch

Ta-da! it was delicious

Giant Clam with black pepper sauce

NOTE: Barra was "Catch & Release" (cost me $2 to release) except for the Coral Rockcod as it went straight into our tummy. Haha! Next time, we'll definitely go for another night casting session with the boys at MPR. (^^,)

Storm plastic lures and my "small" catches (^^,)

2010-12-28T22:42:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Just wanna update you with my latest catch which took place yesterday, Monday morning. Like usual, TK and I were casting at the mangroves hoping to catch some Jacks. But unfortunately, only small fish were caught but hey, better than nothing right? Recently I ordered new sets of Storm plastic lures which I bought online. They were 3½" Wildeye Pro Paddle Tail & 2" Wildeye Swim Shad. The 3½" is for me to test it at the breakwaters but since the weather and the waves didn't look too safe to cast, we decided not to risk our own safety. So the 2" Wildeye were the only choice to use for the mangroves and I caught an estuary Cod with it. Check out the pics below of my "small" catch and my Storm plastic lures. (^^,)

Estuary Cod ate my Storm Wildeye

Baby Jack can't resist my Baby Cima

Terapon Jarbua took my Ecogear pencil

Storm swim shad & paddle tail

Nice

Close up

NOTE: Fish was "Catch & Release" and looking forward to order more plastic lures in the future. Hehehe ...

FISH COMEBACK!

2010-12-26T21:35:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! It's been a long time since I updated my blog and I guessed some of you may have wondered why. I was busy taking care of my wife who was heavily pregnant. And now proud to say, I'm a father of a newly born healthy and beautiful baby girl, safely delivered on the 10th December, 2.03 am. My fishing days and time will have its own limit now and that means, no fishing until dusk. Well at least there'll be more fish feedings in the morning which is a good thing. Haha! I've kept some photos of my previous catch and since today I felt like updating, I might as well post all of my fishing pics.

My casting session began yesterday (Christmas day) with none other than my cousin TK. I was using my new 6'6", 6-12lb graphite Shimano Compre rod pairing it with my Stradic 2500, complete with a 6lb test Berkley Fireline. After setting up my fishing gear, it was happy fishing time for me. The result was positive as TK caught 2 Jacks, 2 snakeheads and a big fish busted his lure. I caught 3 Tarpons and a juvenile Barra using Baby Cima (barbless hook) lure. And today, we went at it again but I was the one who is lucky enough to have caught 2 baby Trevally, a juvenile Barracuda, a Mangrove Jack and a Barramundi.

Yesterday's catch

Self pict

Juvenile Barra using Baby Cima lure (barbless hook)

TK's busted Abu Gacia lure

Baby Trevally using Baby Cima

Second baby Trevally

Juvenile Barracuda with the same lure

Small but fun

Jackaroonie and me

Jack using the same lure

Barramundi again

Baby Cima lure ... again

(Old pics I kept) Baby Jack using Ecogear pencil

Barracuda

Ecogear pencil lure.

NOTE: All fish are "Catch & Release" and if you would like this fishing practice, use barbless hook so you won't hurt the fish as much. (^^,)

New Shimano Accessories (^^,)

2010-11-24T20:55:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Recently I deservedly bought myself some new fishing gear which I ordered online from the States (thanks to my wife's credit card. Hehe). It was a perfect timing as it arrived on my birthday which was on the 22^nd November ‘10 and they even sent it at my work place. Anyways, the stuff I bought was a Shimano Blackmoon backpack, a Shimano reel cover, and 2 sets of Basstrix plastic lures. I'm quite happy to have received my orders and I didn't expect the backpack to look that big. It looked smaller when I saw the pictures on the web. Haha! Well, it doesn't matter, at least I can shove in loads of my fishing stuff in it. As for the lures, I haven't test it out yet, as of right now, work has made me tired and fatigue got the best out of me (I seriously need to get back in shape). If I do get good response from these lures, I will update you with it. I forgot to mention that I also treat myself with 5 sets of Storm plastic lure that same day. Haha! So below are some photos of my recent purchases and hope ya'll will get inspired to order it yourself. Hehehe ...

My new backpack

Shimano Blackmoon

The backside of it

A compartment to place your favourite plastic lures

It also comes with 2 tackle boxes

Shimano Neoprene reel cover for my Cardiff 100A

Basstrix 4" fat minnow (Silver)

Basstrix 4" fat minnow (Purple)

I forgot to post this pic. Just a small baby Trevally

2nd baby Trevally

NOTE: Baby Trevally was a "Catch & Release" and if you ever see a bloke with a blue Shimano backpack, you'll know that it's me. Haha!!

Pending catches released!!!

2010-11-22T15:00:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Hi y'all! Sorry for the m.i.a (^^,). I've been busy with work lately and fishing have been very limited for me. To make fishing matters worst for caster is that more and more people swarmed the area we usually fish and it is sad to see that "Catch & Release" is not practice. It's no wonder that we don't see big fish around Brunei. Some people are just being ignorant and always making "walaupun damit, rezeki jua ... " as an excuse. If this habit keeps on going, I don't think we will see bigger fish around our estuaries and this could also effect the ecosystem. We better act now before the Jacks, Barramundi and other top game fish starting to decrease. So please y'all, practice catch, take a photo and release. Let our next generation have the chance to catch these fantastic fish. Only YOU can make the difference. (^^,) (I'm voicing out on behalf of one of my friend who is quite concerned and annoyed with the current situation. Haha!)

My first Chana Lucius (Snakehead)

Chana Lucius using Ecogear pencil lure with a 6lb test Berkley

Juvenile Barracuda, ... a baby really

Juvenile Jack, ... cute

Baby Tarpon, ... also cute. Haha!

I'm still having a hard time trying to find the English term for this fish (Kirong) so if anyone have any idea, gimme a shout at my chat box.

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release" for other anglers to catch em next time when they grow bigger. (^^,)

Gulp Alive Mangrove Jack

2010-09-26T23:03:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Today's casting session started at noon, not the normal early morning. The lure I decided to use was a Berkley Gulp Alive which I haven't use for a very long time. Fish weren't biting that afternoon but around 1500hrs, Tyco landed a 400g Mangrove Jack using a YO-ZURI Hardcore lure (aka Jamie). Half an hour later, I caught a Jack around 300g. It was my first Jack using Gulp Alive and hopefully in the future, I will catch more using this fantastic SP. Encik Rahman who arrived around 1700hrs caught a Juvenile Barramundi using a SP. No picture on the Barra tho' and I don't know why he didn't take a photo before releasing it. Haha! As for Mr Marshmallow man, he didn't catch anything but yesterday, he did caught a Juvenile Barra. Those two boys were on fire!! Anyways, here are some pics, enjoy. (^^,)

My first Jack on a Berkley Gulp Alive

Jack around 300g

Last week's catch, a Tarpon using IMA lure

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" so we'll see 'em bigger next time.

Zool's big catch

2010-09-18T19:40:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! It's fishing weekend ... so Zool, Tyco and I decided to meet up at Sangkar Pak Rois. It was raining early in the morning but that didn't stop us from casting. We got there at around 0545hrs and met Zool half hour later. As we were casting, there weren't many signs of the predatory fish but loud chomping noises could be heard from afar. The only person who got a strike at that area was Zool, with a 1.2kg Jack. As he pulled the fish out of the water, we enviously watched him smiled and sang, "...dimulakan dengan Bismillah, disudahi dengan Alhamdulillah ...". Haha! Tyco and I didn't have much success so all of us moved to another area. There, Tyco caught one Jack, whereas I caught two Jacks and a juvenile Estuary Cod. That afternoon became very hot and our tummies were playing drums. Zool invited us to his home and his mom was nice enough to prepare lunch. The menu was steamed Mangove Jack (caught that morning) with chilies, salted vegetables and some sour stuff. It was delicious and Tyco enjoyed it the most. Our bellies were stuffed, and we thanked Zool for a great meal. So below are some pics and hope you'll enjoy. (^^,)

Zool's 1.2kg Jack using a soft plastic lure

1st strike of the day

300g Jack using YO-ZURI lure

2nd strike of the day

Juvenile Estuary Cod using an Ecogear lure

3rd strike of the day

Jack around 200g using YO-ZURI lure

NOTE: All of my catch and Tyco's were "Catch and Release" except for Zool. Thanks again to Zool for a great meal. (^^,)

Quick Cast after work

2010-09-16T21:35:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Tyco and I went for a quick cast right after I got off from work. As usual, we went to the same spot and each of us caught a Jack and I also caught a juvenile Tarpon. I must say, using a baitcast really get you addicted. Although getting backlashed is quite common, I think I've improved slightly in that area. I understand that in order for me to avoid a bird's nest, I must educate my thumb or cast it gently by using my wrist (a bit like basketball when you shoot a 3-pointer). I guess I have to keep practicing until I get the hang of it or keep watching videos on YouTube. Haha! I still need to figure out how to cast accurately and that will be a different story. Well y'all enjoy the pictures. (^^,)

Juvenile Jack with YO-ZURI aka Jamie lure

Juvenile Tarpon also using Jamie lure

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release" cause there is NO POINT of bringing home an under size fish where they can grow bigger for you to catch next time.

Beraya @ LRG7 with Tyco

2010-09-13T22:49:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Today is the last day of my 4 days of Raya break so I made sure I make good use of it before I get stressed out at work tomorrow. Haha! It was low tide this morning so we decided to go at around 1500hrs just when the tide starts to come in. It was worth the outing as Tyco and I caught 4 Jacks in total. All jacks were below 300g but it was enjoyable since we were using light tackle. Tyco was using Berkley braid, 6lb test and I was using Spiderwire INVISI-BRAID, 8lb test. I remember when I started fishing, all of us were using Power Pro 30lb test and it kinda make me laugh a bit when I think about it now. So for those who wanted to try light tackle, I would truly recommend it and from there you will experience the true fight of the fish. Anyways, below are some pictures from today's catch, so enjoy. (^^,)

Mangrove Jack using my favorite ANRE'S FLIT lure

Jack around 200g

My second catch

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release". Like I said previously, the fish wanted to celebrate Hari Raya. Haha!

3rd Raya Casting

2010-09-13T11:45:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! On behalf of my family, I would like to say "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin" (Eid Mubarak) to all muslims around the world especially, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. (^^,) After missing from action for 20 days, Tyco and I returned yesterday morning at the usual place. With the new gear I bought recently, I caught 3 Tarpons and a juvenile Barra. Tyco also used a new fishing reel, a Shimano Nasci 3000 and only a juvenile Jackaroonie were successfully caught by 'em. I must say, it was kinda difficult using Cardiff as I always get myself backlashed most of the time. I guess practice makes perfect and gonna have to watch YouTube to find some hints and tricks. Haha! So if anyone out there is a pro at using a baitcast, please share some pointers with me. Cheers y'all!

First Barra using Shimano Cardiff 100A and Compre with ANRE'S FLIT lure

Juvenile Barra around 200g. Small but fun

Another angle

Hungry Tarpon

1st of Syawal with my wife and boys

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release" cause they want to celebrate Hari Raya. Haha!

Shimano Cardiff, Stradic CI4 & Compre

2010-09-13T00:53:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Just wanted to share you with what I've bought lately. I have always wanted to have a go on a baitcasting reel and when I heard Zool had planned to go to Singapore, it was an opportunity for me to ask him kindly to get me some IMA lures and Shimano Cardiff 100A. Then I asked myself what rod should I pair it with my Cardiff. I immediately thought that I should ask a friend of mine who is the master of ordering fishing gears and parts. Muncip recommended me to pair it with Shimano Compre rod and since he knows a lot, I didn't hesitate to place an order. And also, I bought myself a spinning reel, a Shimano Stradic CI4. So below are some pics of my new gears and I hope you'll get inspired so you too can have a go at a baitcasting reel

Jack during Ramadhan

2010-08-23T15:20:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Time has been limited for me to go out casting for a good fish. I've been busy with work and attending courses and the fasting month adds the limitation to it. But last week, after my Banksman course at ATDC Seria, I decided to go for a quick cast. Went to the usual spot but that time the tide was really low. Anyways, I decided to give it a go and after the 2nd cast, something gave a good thug on my Flit lure. It was a missed strike and I think due to the fast current flowing out, whatever it was...failed to hit a 100% hook up. I kept trying and trying, I caught something and instantly I thought it might be a Barra but as it got closer, it became clear that it was a Mangrove Jack. It was good enough as it was my first strike for the month of Ramadan. After that, I headed home looking forward to sungkai (break fast).

Still wearing my coverall (My version of PPE. Haha!)

500g Jack using ANRE's FLIT lure

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" and to all my Muslim friends, enjoy your fasting month of Ramadhan. PUASA JANGAN NDA PUASA!! HAHA!

Frenzy on a rainy Sunday morning

2010-08-01T22:01:00.003+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! "What a day!" TK saying it with disbelief and has to be his best personal record. A Tarpon and 4 Barramundi were successfully caught by him using only one lure which was a Rapala Shad Rap Fire-Tiger. Feeling a little envious with his catch, I managed to catch 2 Mangrove Jacks and a Tarpon, Syukur-lah. One Barra got away and only the Barra's scale were left intact to my treble hook. Today we seemed to be in favor on using a Rapala Shad Rap lure and TK's lure proved to be popular amongst the Barras. Congrats to TK with his catch and record and I hope the next trip will be the same as today. Oh, I forgot! I also have a picture of a Barra, ... hehe. Enjoy the pics! (^^,)

First catch of the day

300g Jack using Rapala Shad Rap Goldfish, still wonders why is has that whitish belly

Second strike at a different location

Jack with the same lure

Tarpon using ANRE'S FLIT lure

A Barra that got away left me with this

800g Barra. Ehem! ... Haha!

ANRE'S FLIT lure

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release" and to TK, you may got the most Barra strikes but I caught the BIGGEST! wuahahahaha!! (kes nda mau kalah. Haha!)

15th July Jack

2010-07-16T00:01:00.006+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Today marked the 64th Birthday celebration of His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei. Since today is a public holiday, my cousin TK and I took the opportunity to go and hunt for Jacks and Barras at "Sangkar Pak Rois". Casting session started early at around 0620hrs and we were determined to catch something. TK striked first with a Tarpon followed by 300g MJ and 2 Tarpons by me. I'd like to mention that Zool caught a 950g Barra (he's on fire). I used 2 lures today, Anre's Flit and Rapala Shad Rap SSR-5 and I must say, the lure really does it for me. I'm kinda lazy to talk more on what happened this morning and I'll let the pictures do the talking. Cheers! (^^,)

My first catch of the day!

300g MJ using ANRE'S Flit lure

Rapala Shad Rap SSR-5 (Goldfish)

Small hungry Tarpon

NOTE: All fish were "Catch & Release" and congratulations to Zool for the Barra catch.

ANRE'S FLIT Japanese lure

2010-07-04T20:20:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! I've got this tempting lure to share which is a Japanese made. It's called FLIT and I bought it from Sabri yesterday. This lure is not sold here in Brunei but you can find it in Singapore (if you have the chance to fly there) and the price for one FLIT lure is $25. I know!! Expensive right?! But I think it's worth the money. The length of this lure is 6cm, weighed at 3.8g and the color varies. I don't know much about this brand but you could check it out here. I did try it this morning and I caught a Tarpon, so hopefully in the future I will catch Jacks or Barras with it. And by the way, just one fish photo I caught yesterday, a small MJ using Bakau sp. Today, had no luck but TK (Duo Fishing) did catch a 800g Barra and 300g MJ using an Ecogear redhead lure. You could either check the photos on Duo Fishing (photo upload might still be pending) or simply watch it on my FB wall. Hehe ... Until next time, Happy fishing! (^^,)

ANRE'S Flit lure

Rectangular shaped lip

Fish simply cannot resist this

Yesterday's catch

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" and for those who are interested in Lively Lures and Prawnstar, try and reach Walid on their KB-ians blog. Cheers!

Only one Jack. Syukurlah ...

2010-06-26T16:40:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! This morning, I went to the so-called London Bridge hoping to catch the highly priced Barra but it was nowhere to be found. Today, I started with using Storm sp but unfortunately I had no luck with it so I changed it to Halco Laser Pro. Since I ran out of snaps, I had to rig a Rapala knot and as soon as I had my Halco on, it wasn't long until I got my first and only strike of the day. It was nice to see a 400g Mangrove Jack and I was hoping to catch more of 'em but one fish is all I got (syukurlah ... ). The heat of the sun was unbearable and I ran out of drinking water, so I was forced to head home happy with only one catch. (^_^)

400g MJ using Halco Laser Pro 45

Look at those sharp nasty teeth!

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" and tonight, I'll be cheering for S.Korea in the World Cup. Haha!

Mangrove Jack @ so-called London Bridge

2010-06-25T15:16:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안 녕! Woke up really early this morning to watch Japan vs Denmark and what a match! Keisuke Honda's free kick have got to be the best in the tournament so far. I imagined Beckham and Christiano Ronaldo would wish they could score a free kick like Honda. Haha! Match ended at 4.30am and I was "FBing" until 6. It has been a long time since I updated my blog so I figured I should at least and try to catch something for my blog. FYI, I caught many fish every Sunday but decided not to post it since it was caught using bait. I only post my catch when using casting method. Hehe. I caught a juvenile Mangrove Jack using Bakau soft plastic and I had a few misses as well. I met Sabri (very experienced angler who caught countless of Barra, MJs). It was nice talking to him as he was giving me a few pointers on how to target specific types of fish. I left the area around 11-ish and as soon as I got home, I checked my FB and saw Sabri's picture with a 1.1kg MJ. Haha! He's truly on fire! Anyways, if you do have the chance to meet him, ask for fishing tips and he'll be gladly to teach you how.

Jack @ so-called London Bridge

Juvenile Jack using Bakau sp

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" and why they call it London Bridge I have no idea and it's not even an inch close to the real London Bridge. Haha! By the way, check out my new pets!

Meet Barra and Mundi. Haha!

Crevalle Jack on Storm SP

2010-06-11T11:30:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안녕! Yesterday, TK and I were searching for big Barra where friends from KB-ians Anglers claimed to have lost and snapped many lures. The area is known as Monster spot by Kolonel of KB-ians where big Barras were spotted, and lost many times. Only 2 juvenile Barras were caught by them but the big momma has yet to be found. So yesterday we tested whether the big Barra was around. But unfortunately, it was a bad day for TK as his Abu Garcia Conolon rod broke just at the tip of it while he attempted to retrieve a snagged lure up on a tree. Whereas myself, I caught a juvenile Crevalle Jack using a Storm SP. A juvenile Barra did try to smack my SP and it flew up the air at around 5 feet. Too bad it didn't get the Barra but I'm determined to try again the next day.

Small Crevalle Jack but it was fun!

100g Crevalle Jack using Storm SP

NOTE: Fish caught were not catch & release. It was given to our paddle boy for dinner. Haha!

When I'm not fishing, I BAKE! Haha!!

2010-06-11T00:29:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and 안녕! Just wanna show you what I do when not out hunting for Barra, Jacks and what not. Whenever I'm bored or in the mood, I'd probably bake something as it's one of my favorite things to do. So I'm posting some pics of my caramel custard I baked a week ago. I meant to post this earlier but I kinda got lazy visiting my own blog. Haha!!

Ready to bake Flan

The end result, a shiny Caramel Custard

Black crumbs are actually fresh vanilla beans

Ready to serve

Ready to eat! Haha!!

NOTE: I also make chocolate fudge cake, apple pie and apple crumble pie, white or wholemeal bread, original or chocolate cheesecake, scones, pizza dough and so on. If I start baking again, I'll try and post it for y'all to see. (^^,)

Friday morning Mangrove Jack with Storm SP

2010-05-14T20:19:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! After 9 hours of sleep, I woke up early this morning at 6am. My plan this morning was to hunt for Jacks, Tarpons and Barramundi. After a quick breakfast (Honey Stars and milk. LOL) I left home at 6.20am. My preferred spot was at a new bridge in Seria where last two days ago, a Barra got loose from my Prawnstar lure. Unfortunately, no Barra was sighted, only a 500g Tarpon was caught with my Prawnstar. While I was casting, I felt uneasy and needed to drop a bomb. So I stopped and zoomed my way to OGDC (the only "clean" toilet in Seria I must add). After polluting the OGDC toilet where it was just cleaned by the cleaners, I resumed casting but this time at a constructed area next to a bridge. There, not a single fish wanted to nudge my Storm soft plastic lure. I had to move again as my head was throbbing due to the lack of fluids. The final spot I went was where I first started fishing and there I caught 2 decent size Mangrove Jacks. There was so many bait fish swimming around and predatory fish could also be seen chomping on it. I took this advantage to cast at the area and was quickly yanked by a 500g Jackaroonie. After taking a few pics and releasing the Jack, I threw another cast and BAM! another strike. It was another Jack but this time it weighed in at 400g. It was nearly noon and my pregnant wife was expecting for me to bring home fried mee and kuay tiaw from Ah Tong. Until next time, enjoy the pics. (^^,)

Nice Jackaroonie!!

500g MJ using a Storm soft plastic lure

2nd Jackaroonaayyy!!

400g MJ also using Storm soft plastic lure

NOTE: Jacks were "Catch & Release" and the fried mee and kuay tiaw was deliciouso!! Haha!

I CHEATED!! ... Haha!!

2010-05-12T15:41:00.002+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Since we found out that I'm going to be a daddy again, I decided to cut down my fishing activity so that I could comfort and pamper my wife. Hehe ... Anyways, last weekend on the 8th of May happens to be Tyco's (Duo Fishing) bday and fishing the whole day was what he wanted on his big day. We caught 3 Estuary Cods, a juvenile Barracuda, a 400g Mangrove Jack, a 600g John's Snapper and a 1kg Stingray. Even though TK didn't get what he wanted (Barramundi) he was happy enough to have caught 2 fish. As for me, it was like when I first started fishing again using live prawns as bait (Cheat mode). I must admit, it was fun but that won't stop me from casting. And to TK or Dnok, Happy Birthday cuzz.

600g John's Snapper using live bait

Estuary Cod also using live bait

My first 1kg Stingray

Estuary Cod using Halco Poltergeist 50

All fish ended up on a barbie ... YUMMO!!

NOTE: All fish were caught and brought home for TK's birthday. To TK, Happy belated 32nd Birthday, semoga Allah SWT panjangkan umur, murah rezeki & dapat banyak ikan BESAR! Haha!

Me and TK

My boy Kayl turned 5 on the 3rd of May

Bolt is one of his favorite cartoon character

2nd NOTE: It was fun on my son's 5th b'day and it's amazing how they grow up so fast. On that day, our bellies were packed with BBQ chicken wings and lamb chops and some suffered the consequences the next day. Haha!!

Barra & The Tail Dancer

2010-04-18T22:27:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! After an unlucky morning at spot-W with only one missed by Tyco (Duo Fishing) we moved to 2Gs where I was very fortunate to have caught a 2.5kg Barramundi. This is a big surprise for me as I have never caught a Barra this big. I used a Rapala Tail Dancer TD-5 (which I bought recently) and now it's wrecked by the Barra. Every time the fish got nearer, it kept on pulling away and man that was FUN!! It took me around 5 mins to land the fish in with the help of TK. If he wasn't there, I'd probably panicked and the line would have also snapped. When TK pulled the Barra out of the water, we were happy and hi-fived each other. What a day!!!

Very Very Happy

2.5kg and 64cm Barra

Love it so much so I'm flaunting it

Rapala Tail Dancer TD-5

Wrecked only after one-big-Barra-strike

NOTE: Barra was catch and brought home for tomorrow's lunch. Haha! Btw ... we did saw a baby croc but safely removed ourselves from the area.

2Gs Fishing

2010-04-12T00:02:00.003+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Tyco (Duo Fishing), Rois (our paddle boy) and I went to 2Gs and caught 8 fish in total. We bought live prawns yesterday but some of it were dead by the time we got to the spot. I tried to use live bait and did it twice but was not successful. So I went casting instead and got myself a Barracuda, and 2 juvenile Jacks, using the same lure I used yesterday. When I got the first strike, I thought it was a Barramundi but as I reeled it in, it was a 400g Barracuda. Although it wasn't that big, it was strong enough to give a nasty fight. And the rest, I caught juvenile Jacks and missed around 4 times. Tyco however, caught 4 fish (2 MJs and 2 John's Snappers), two of 'em using live prawns and the other two by casting. Rois managed to catch a Jack using dead prawns and it was the 2nd biggest Jack compared to Tyco's 300g. After fishing, we went to my mom's and had soto for dinner. Alhamdulillah ...

First catch of the day

Barracuda using Halco Laser Pro 45

2nd catch, a juvenile jack using the same lure

Hat-trick!! Another Jack

Total catch, Barracuda, MJ, and John's Snapper

Halco Laser Pro swimming

NOTE: All fish except the biggest Jack and Barracuda was "Catch & Release" and thanks to Rois for the muscle power. Haha!

Jack @ 2Gs

2010-04-10T22:20:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Usually Saturday would be Snakehead hunting day but instead we went salt water fishing at 2Gs not far from Area-51. Bought new lure yesterday, a Halco Laser Pro 45 kindly sponsored by Tyco (Duo Fishing). Time was kinda limited cause we left a little late at around 5.30pm and started fishing at 6pm. And fortunately for me, I caught a juvenile Jack probably less than 300g using the new Halco. Not so lucky for TK as he didn't get a single nudge. If only we got there early, each of us would get more than one strike. Will try again and hopefully we'll get better luck tomorrow, insya'allah.

MJ using Halco Laser Pro 45

Zoom in on my new Halco lure and Jack

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" (^^,)

Bent Snap@ Area-51

2010-04-08T01:35:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Walid (KB-ians Anglers) texted and invited me to go to Area-51. It was an opportunity that I couldn't refuse. So from 2-6pm, I was only able to land a juvenile Mangrove Jack after a lot of miss strikes from Jacks, Barra, Tarpon and baby GT. There was one time that I used a Berkley soft plastic and I hooked on a really big fish. Unfortunately the fish got away and I thought it managed to set itself free from my jig head but when I looked at my Berkley snap, it was bent STRAIGHT!! I was shocked and shaken. All I could do was swear a lot (which I don't normally do, hehe.) The culprit must be a HUGE Jack and probably weighed a lot too. All I can do now is to stay confident and never give up. One day, that fish will be defeated. Haha!!

The only catch of the day

Juvenile Jack using Halco Sorcerer 52

Bent Berkley snap. I'll let you imagine how big it was

NOTE: Jack was "Catch & Release" and to the huge jack, ... I WILL GET YOU!! Haha!!

Catcha-Barra

2010-04-06T16:58:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! After a week of not getting a SINGLE strike, finally I caught one today and what a catch!! I successfully caught a Barramundi weighing at 1kg (My biggest by far) I went from one location to another until at the last spot, just as I was about to leave, a Barra was tricked by my Rapala Skitter Pop. It was a surprise for me 'cause in a blink of an eye, a big whopping splash hit my lure. At first I thought it might be a Ladyfish but then the fish went straight towards me like how Tarpons usually do. In my mind, I was thinking ... this must be a big Tarpon. When it got a little closer, it started to swim away and my drag was screaming out my 15lbs braided line. Instantly I smiled and felt excited, and said to myself "this is not a big Tarpon, ... it's the elusive Barramundi. Haha!!". This is kinda unexpected for me, as early this morning I didn't feel like fishing but instead I forced myself to go and I have to say, it was worth it. (^_^)

This is my 3rd Barra

Barra using Rapala Skitter Pop

1kg Barra and 58cm long

NOTE: Barra was proudly "Catch & Release" and hopefully I will be seeing this beauty again in the near future.

Snakehead Weekend

2010-03-28T22:19:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Fish target for the weekend was Snakeheads; Caught one yesterday and two this morning. As usual, the hunt was accompanied by my cousin Tyco (Duo Fishing). We went to the spot-W looking for Snakeheads and there weren't many of 'em around. Maybe it was because of the scorching hot weather or the level of the water was quite low. I was able to catch 3 Snakeheads though at spot-W using my Halco Sorcerer and this time my hook was replaced by a single hook instead of the treble. In this way, the fish wouldn't get hurt as much. TK was using a spinner-bait and only managed to lose a few. I told him that there is another location that not many people knows about and so we went there instead. I called this area "Spot-Unknown" and as soon as we got there, TK caught 2 Snakeheads in one minute. (Spinner-bait really did the job!) As the sun was blazing unbearably and directly above our heads, we decided to call it a day. We went home and had mantis prawns and cockles for lunch sponsored by Mr. Dimebagz. It was DELICIOUSO ... Haha!!

Yesterday's catch, a Snakehead less than 300g

Love using Halco on Snakeheads

Approximately around 300g Snakehead

Second Snakehead of the day

Owner single hooks on Halco

NOTE: Fish caught was "Catch & Release" and thanks to Alai for the 'Owner' brand hooks. (^_^)

Man Utd vs Liverpool "Snakehead Battle"

2010-03-22T00:13:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Today's Sunday fishing was accompanied by my cousin, Tyco (Duo Fishing) and the target fish was Snakehead. Tonight, there will be a big match between Liverpool and Man Utd so we decided to go head to head against each other since Tyco is a Man Utd fan and I'm a Liverpool fan. We went to spot-W to search for Snakeheads and as we got there I threw the first cast to mark the kick off for the battle between me and Tyco. Tyco used a frog buzz bait lure and the Snakeheads went nuts on this lure. At first I was using my Rapala Skitter Pop but since there were no response to the lure, I didn't hesitate to change it so I went for a mini Halco. While I was rigging, Tyco already scored the first Snakehead. When I finished rigging my Halco, I cast it and it wasn't long that I received a thug but the fish suddenly managed to escape. Tyco then struck the second Snakehead weighing in 500g. So I was 2-0 down and that didn't stop me to go on. Half and hour later, Tyco struck the third Snakehead and he was really on fire!! At one point, I managed to hooked a mysterious fish but it somehow got away. The fish was in white color same as the ones Walid (KB-ians Anglers) encountered. 20mins later, I finally scored my first Snakehead followed by a second, 8 mins later. The score was 3-2 and I was about to catch up until he scores another one to wrap up the first half with 4-2. During half time, we went home for lunch and the second half resumed at 5pm. Unfortunately for me, I didn't score and Tyco added two more Snakeheads to finish the full time. Man Utd 6, Liverpool 2. Hopefully the score between Man Utd vs Liverpool tonight won't replicate our results 'cause I would hate to see that happen. Haha!

Juvenile Snakehead swallowed my Halco lure

Second Snakehead weighed around 300g

Snakehead using Halco Sorcerer

A huge Snakehead managed to bent my hook

NOTE: I hooked up so many and lost at the same time. Still not sure what the white colored fish was. It couldn't be a Tarpon cause I would know how a Tarpon would react to a hook up and the fish remains unknown ...

What are you doing here Barra?

2010-03-18T19:11:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Early this morning, I went to the spot where I caught a Jack yesterday. At first, I was using my trusted Halco Sorcerer but unfortunately the fish wasn't interested. So I took out my Rapala Skitter Pop from my bag and rigged a Rapala knot to my 30lbs fluorocarbon leader. I was still looking for that Ladyfish, wanting to feel its powerful fight against my 15lbs Berkley Fireline braided line. Instead of Ladyfish, the Tarpons were curious and nudging my Skitter Pop. As I was popping gently, a fish took my lure viciously. Instantly I knew it was not a Tarpon 'cause it felt different. So I reeled it in and I was shocked to see a 500g Barra. Took my grip and clipped it to its mouth and asked the Barra, "What are you doing here? ... Happy to see you tho' ... haha!!" After taking some pictures, I released it and hopefully will catch it again someday.

500g Barramundi using Rapala Skitter Pop

What a beautiful Barra!

A Tarpon was also caught

NOTE: Both Barra and Tarpon was "Catch & Release" and Walid, ... jangan marah, haha!!

Nu Rod's 1st Strike

2010-03-17T22:07:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! My Berkley rod got busted in half last two days ago when Tyco and I were hunting for Snakeheads. I'm still trying to figure out how a Berkley rod can easily breaks when I gently threw a modified frog lure (made by Kwang of Deep Blue fishing). Maybe the lure was a little heavy but c'mon!! a Berkley rod?!! On that day itself, Tyco and I went to Tutong to get myself a new rod and I bought a 6 feet long Fenwick rod. So this morning, I had a go on the new rod and I must say, it felt kinda different maybe because I'm used to a 6'6'' rod. As I was casting using a Bakau soft plastic lure, I received a strong thug but unfortunately my 30lbs leader snapped suddenly. My suspicion was a Barracuda that cut my leader clean. So no luck this morning and feeling unsatisfied I decided to have another go at a different location later in the afternoon. This time my target was Tarpons and Ladyfish but to my surprise, I caught a 500g Mangrove Jack using a Halco Sorcerer. So the new rod is not that bad after all and hopefully I will get good results in the near future.

MJ using a Halco Sorcerer and my new Fenwick rod

Zoom in on the Jack

Another pic of the same Jack

My "Busted" Berkley rod

NOTE: Jack was a "Catch and Release" and hopefully my broken Berkley rod can be fixed by Kwang of Deep Blue fishing.

Happy to see a Jack

2010-03-11T13:45:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! Ever since the spot that I usually cast for Mangrove Jacks have been netted by some irresponsible and uneducated people, I seldom go there and the water condition hasn't been too promising lately. So I went there anyway to give it a shot. Today, I decided to go for a soft plastic lure and I successfully caught a Jack of less than 300g. It was nice to see an MJ again and since it was still a juvie, I released it to where it should be until it's big enough to catch. I managed take a few pics ... enjoy viewing it! (^_^)

Happy to see a Jack again

Jack using a small pink soft plastic lure

NOTE: Nasi katok Seria was "delicioso" .

Estuary Cod next to Area 51

2010-03-10T20:34:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and hi again! As planned, we went to area 51 and this time Walid (KB-ians Anglers) is on "cheat" mode. He was using live prawn as bait and I still staying faithful with casting method. No catch on using my Rapala Skitter Pop with only one miss. So I used a Berkley Gulp minnow and caught an estuary Cod. Walid caught a juvenile GT, a Crevalle Jack, a Mangrove Jack and an estuary Cod. Rois (our paddle boy. Haha!) caught one estuary Cod so total catch for the day was 5. Still looking for that Barra in that area and it seems that they were not around when we're there. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention, Walid lost a "BIG TARPON" maybe weighing around the range of 2kg. Haha!! So here are some pics ... enjoy. (^_^)

My first and only catch of the day

A close up of my Berkley Gulp Minnow with a texas rig.

NOTE: Rahman just informed me that around 20 bamboo sticks are still assembled at W-spot. So bloody typical!

Tarpon yet again

2010-03-10T14:01:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! This morning, Walid (KB-ians Anglers) and I went to the W-spot and what makes it disappointing was that yesterday, there were people fishing using bamboo sticks in the area. The bamboos were lined up from end to end (maybe 10 or more bamboo sticks were used). And what made it funny was that Walid asked those people how many have they caught and they said around "one hundred" Snakeheads. Haha! I said you're a load of BULLSHIT!! (please excuse my language, hehe). So Walid introduced me to another spot where not many people know and the whereabouts. There I caught a decent size freshwater Tarpon and missed a few. Walid didn't catch anything but at least he caught 5 Snakeheads yesterday. I'm sure there are Snakeheads in the area but it seems a little shy. Next, Area 51 ...

Freshwater Tarpon using Rapala Skitter Pop lure

Freshwater Tarpon darker in color whereas its saltwater cousin is silver

NOTE: Tarpon was "Catch & Release" and again, chicken rice was yummy. Haha!!

Skitter Popped Tarpon

2010-03-09T14:03:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! I went casting this morning, searching for Jacks. That was unsuccessful 'cause the water was crystal clear. I went to another spot to look for either Tarpon or Barra. But then again, no sign of 'em hitting my Rapala Skitter Pop. I had to moved again to my final pit stop targeting freshwater Tarpon or Snakehead and only a Tarpon was caught. After catching the first Tarpon, I decided to call it a day as it was almost noon and I had to buy chicken rice for lunch. Will try again later this afternoon, hehe ...

My favorite lure at the moment, Rapala Skitter Pop

A freshwater Tarpon

NOTE: Tarpon was "Catch & Release" and chicken rice was delicious. Haha!

Yuri's 6th Birthday

2010-03-08T01:23:00.005+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! I couldn't go fishing as my son, Yuri, turned 6 today. He was so excited about it ... mostly on the presents, balloons and of course, the cake. Every year me and my wife would think of what flavor for the cake ... what picture on the cake ... and what present to give for the kids. It changes every year and for the last couple of the year, they're able to tell us what they wanted already. Even though it was only Yuri's birthday but we have to get two presents to satisfy both kids. The things you do to keep those smiles on their faces. Anyway, menu was simple: fried noodles, fried rice with grilled bbq chicken and prawns. No games but a simple family gathering with plenty of food to go around.

Yuri's 6th Birthday

Of course, the cake ... that somehow looks like a bear vampire

Me and the barbie

Rahman, busy on the job

This is what Dimebagz, Tyco, Rahman and I do when not fishing. Haha!

My brother 'Dimebagz', my sister 'Lydia' and my nieces

busy eating away in the kitchen

Chicken and shrimps on a barbie

The birthday boy in red and the jealous little brother in blue ...

and my gorgeous wife in the middle

The presents opening moment ...

But they all play together in the end

NB: Casting sessions will resume sometime soon ... hehe

Rapala Skitter Pop test on Snakehead

2010-03-07T10:32:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! We were hunting Snakeheads yesterday afternoon at Spot-W, testing the Rapala Skitter Pop lure. Tyco (Duo-Fishing), Rahman and Walid (KB-ians Anglers) accompanied me in the hunt and Rahman was the first one to reach there followed by Walid. Finally we got there around 5pm, Rahman told us that he had 5 misses and not long after that Tyco cast his frog buzz bait lure and caught the first Snakehead. Around half and hour later, I caught the second Snakehead of the day using only my Rapala Skitter Pop lure. (This lure is just fantastic when hunting for Barras, Tarpons or juvenile GTs and what I like about it ... is the "bloink" sound it makes when popping). Rahman was a little unfortunate that day and Walid also missed a few and I know he couldn't care less because he is thinking of going to Danau searching for the elusive Barra one of these days. So I hope he catches one and comes home with good news.

Snakehead less than 300g using Rapala Skitter Pop

Tyco sneaked from behind wanting his appearance noticed in my blog. Haha!

This is an earlier catch and picture was taken on the 21st of Feb.

Snakehead using frog buzz bait lure

NOTE: All fish were "Catch and Release" and to Rahman, keep trying and never give up

Hungry Juvenile Marble Goby

2010-03-06T22:06:00.003+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day. I meant to post this last Tuesday but somehow I forgot. Haha! I caught this small juvenile Marble Goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) last Tuesday morning using my Eupro lure. Locally known as Tutu, Betutu or Ketutu. It is also highly regarded as a good eating fish and very pricy in restaurants. Soon Hock (another of its common name) is a slow moving fish that likes to sit at the bottom of quiet streams, canals and lakes. When looking for food, it would normally rest at a spot waiting for any fish or prawn to swim pass by. Here in Brunei, it's not easy to find an adult size Marble Goby. And if you do, I suggest you sell it to the Chinese as they are crazy about this fish. If you're lucky, some would buy off you at a very high price but if you were to sell it to restaurants, they would only take it $15 per kilo. To strike a large Marble Goby, I consider it as lucky 'cause fish like this are hard to find in our fresh water system.

Marble Goby using Eupro lure

Alien looking yet majestic

This one looks a little like a Snakehead

NOTE: Fish caught was "Catch and Release". I'm hoping to catch a bigger size in the future. hehe ...

Juvenile GT @ Area 51

2010-03-02T09:19:00.003+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! I tried to upload my updated pictures last night but was unable to do so. Yesterday Walid (KB-ians Anglers) and I went casting at "Area 51" (It's a restricted area). We had to go deep in search for big Barras and Jacks but unfortunately we were unable to locate them. (How Walid wished that he had a fish finder. Haha!) All we caught was a juvenile GT, a Crevalle Jack, an estuary Cod and a spotted Grouper. My actual target was estuary Cod or Grouper but instead I caught both young GT and Crevalle Jack (almost in the same species with GT but it has a slight yellow color) whereas Walid using his famous "Berkley Gulp Alive" prawn, caught both estuary Cod and spotted Grouper. I must say the Berkley prawn works much better compare to the Prawnstar due to the scent the Berkley prawn releases. Unlike Prawnstar, it does not have any scent and it only rely on the flicking tail action. Walid was a little disappointed 'cause Area 51 is known for feisty Tarpon and to him, 4 catch in the area was considered "poor". I'm not complaining, as I felt blessed that we were able to catch something rather than nothing. Hopefully, in the near future we can have another go at Area 51.

Juvenile GT using Rapala Skitter Pop

I couldn't decide which picture to post 'cause I like 'em both. Hehe ...

Crevalle Jack using Prawnstar Shrimp lure

NOTE: Go to KB-ians Anglers website to read and see Walid's side of story and pictures. And whatever pulled my Prawnstar, I refused to believe that it was a Barra. Haha!!

Brunei 26 N-Day

2010-02-23T08:25:00.002+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! In honour of our 26th National Day, I wanted to share my heartiest congratulations to all Bruneians. I may not be 100% Bruneian, I wish I am but yet I still feel this enthusiasm to post something in its honour. Kudos to those involved in the march for the 26th ND celebration at Taman Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien this morning. My wife's colleagues and students who were involved with the marching were all set out to travel to BSB for the celebration as early as 5am! Anyway, that's how they commit themselves to our National Day, as for me...maybe I will try my luck and perhaps I will have a ND great catch of the day later this afternoon! Selamat Hari Kebangsaan ke-26 "Negaraku Brunei Darussalam" ...

Late MJ strike

2010-02-20T14:28:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! I meant to post this last night but I was knackered to even upload my photos to the laptop. I caught an MJ of approximately around 250-300g just when I was about to call it a day. My brother, Dimebagz was unable to get a single hook up where Mr. Marshmallow man had lost a few. It was windy yesterday and my catch wasn't as big as my last MJ 1.5 kg but in the least, I caught something. Haha! I didn't catch anything this morning but later, we'll be out again for a Barra hunt. Wish me luck! \ (^_^) /

Pic was taken by Mr. Marshmallow man

It was dark so I had to use flash

Gold Halco Sorcerer with a MJ

NOTE: Fish caught was "Catch and Release" and to Dimebagz and Marshmallow man, don't give up and keep trying. Hehe ...

1.5KG BIG JACK!!

2010-02-19T12:03:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! I woke up at 4am this morning to watch Liverpool play against Unirea for the Europa Cup (Liverpool won 1-0). After the game, I planned to go for a quick cast for Barras. When I got to the Barra spot, my Ecogear top water pencil was not on the breakfast menu for Barras or Tarpons. I didn't get a single hit or misses. So I changed my lure to Eupro and moved to another location. This morning, the water level was at 0.9m perfect for Jack fishing. As soon as I reached there, I quickly casted my lure as my time limit was until 9am. Around 5mins later, I got the first strike but this one was powerful. The tip of my rod bent and vibrated viciously and my 15lbs braided line kept on coming out from my drag. I reeled it in as quickly and steadily as I could but the fish just won't give up. Every time I had it close, it kept on going away refusing to give up. When I finally had it really close, I took my grip and clip it to the big Jack. Lift it up from the water and was shocked to see the MJ weighed at 1.5kg (My best personal record for MJs so far. YAY!!). Next I changed my lure and rigged a YO-ZURI Hardcore (aka Jamie). Casted it immediately and got a second, juvenile MJ. Just before my time was nearly over, I caught the third Jack but unfortunately, it somehow was able to let loose from the hooks. My guess is, the third must have been in the range of around 1kg. So I stopped casting and before I went home, I bought fried kuay tiaw for my wife and the boys. Alhamdulillah, rezeki seems to come in my way (^_^)

Rezeki di pagi Jumaat

Pic was taken by my sis Lydia at my mother's

1.5kg Jack and 46cm in length

Closeup of the 1.5kg Jack and Eupro lure

Juvenile Jack using YO-ZURI Hardcore aka Jamie

NOTE: Juvenile Jack was "Catch and Release". The bigger Jack was a good size enough to "tapau" so I took it home and gave it to my mother for today's lunch. By the time you finished reading this post, the Jack was already ravished and left in bones. Haha!

Alhamdulillah, My first Barramundi

2010-02-16T22:05:00.001+08:00

Asslamualaikum and G'day! After the hard work and dedication I put in, casting from dusk till dawn, willingness to sacrifice to stand in the scorching hot sun and my wife having to tolerate my obsession, I finally and successfully caught a Barramundi. I went to the spot where Zool caught a 3.1kg Barra hoping that I would have the same luck. The lure I decided to go for was a YO-ZURI red-head crystal minnow. Somehow, there were no sign of the fish, instead I was bored out of my mind and sang Britney Spears' "Baby Hit Me One More Time" while reeling my lure in and kinda hoping that the song would lure the fish in. Lol! Half an hour later, I moved to another location. As I arrived to the spot, I noticed the water looked decent as it was black and kinda opaque in color. So I cast my YO-ZURI and again, there were no response. I saw bait fish being chased by and I assumed it was the Tarpons feeding. Since the YO-ZURI were not effective, I took it off and rigged a Rapala knot on a Cultiva top-water pencil lure. Just right after my first cast, I received a splash hitting my lure (My guess at that time was a Tarpon). Kept casting again but this time, I twitched it slowly and BAM!! a STRIKE! Thought it was a Tarpon but when I reeled it in, it felt kinda different. Then I saw the body of the fish and from there I was excited and knew it's the elusive fish. Got it out of the water, weighed it immediately and took some 600g Barramundi photos. And then off he goes to the estuaries. Hopefully he'll grow bigger and I will have the chance to catch him again. Haha! Syukur alhamdulillah, now the Barra is no longer elusive to me!

600g Barra using Cultiva top-water pencil lure with a 15lbs braided line

and a 30lbs flurocarbon leader.

Proudly caught Barra

Another angle of the shot

A close up with the Barra

NOTE: Barramundi caught was "Catch and Release" and "Barra Hit Me One More Time!!" Haha!!

Zool's 3.1kg Barramundi!!

2010-02-15T21:57:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and G'day! After two days of Snakehead hunting, it was time for me to try my luck on salt water fishing. A friend of mine, Zool previously had been disappointed with his lack of catch recently and were talking about it with me on FB. I told him to stay patient and said that one day ... he will catch a big one. That wish was granted today!! I had just arrive in time at the spot to see Zool reeling hard and steady. With a 15lbs braided line (no leader) and using a Rapala lure, he successfully reeled a 3.1kg Barramundi! Now, there is nothing for him to complain about 'cause he is one satisfied and happy geezer. Haha! As for me, yet again I failed to land one of my own elusive fish. You better watch out Mr.Barra 'cause soon, I will GET YA!! lol ...

Zool's 3.1kg Barramundi

He's a happy man. Haha!

Harry taking a pose with Zool's Barra

NOTE: Thanks Zool for allowing me to post your Barramundi pics on my blog. Again, I'd like to say congratulations on your 3.1kg Barramundi.

Snakehead frenzy at W-spot

2010-02-15T00:36:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hola! This morning we went Snakehead hunting at the W-spot. I left home at 7am and picked up Tyco Kembura (Duo Fishing) along the way. We left KB at 7.15am and reached to our destination at 7.30am. When we arrived at the W-spot, Walid and Eejat (KB-ians Anglers) were already there and were taking photos on Eejat's first catch that morning. Everyone was using a frog topwater buzz bait lure ... but I opted to try my $1 grub again. Not only TK, Walid and Eejat got good responses from the buzz bait, they also had successfully reeled in 8 Snakeheads. TK and Eejat both got a hat-trick but TK caught the biggest weighed in at approximately 900g. Walid did pretty well landing 2 Snakeheads, while myself felt a little disappointed. Seeing the success of the buzz bait, I took my $1 grub off and rigged in my buzz bait lure. Somehow, the frenzy had stopped and I was already feeling the pressure but it didn't stop me from casting until I get at least one Snakehead. I decided to leave the group and made my way to another untouchable spot. There, I received a few serious misses and not long after, that 'pressure' was lifted off my shoulders. The buzz bait effectively caught the attention of a juvenile Snakehead. In result, 9 Snakeheads were caught for the day and maybe more to come in the near future. Hehe ...

One is better than nothing

Small but fun

Buzz bait success on a Snakehead

NOTE: TK and I would like to thank Walid for taking us to the W-spot and also ... thanks for the refreshment and lunch at your place. Next time I'll bring extra clothing and a quick dry pants to jump into your pool. Haha!

$1 Grub Snakehead

2010-02-13T14:35:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and g'day! This morning, I decided to go for freshwater fishing with my cousin Tyco Kembura (Duo-Fishing) and were invited by Walid (KB-ians Anglers) to an undisclosed spot (I called it lubok W or W-spot). Walid got impatient that he started without us and got himself 3 snakeheads. When we arrived and met Walid, we rushed to the frenzied spot. As soon as we reached to the W-spot, Walid threw his first cast and it didn't took him long for his 4th snakehead strike. At that time, my lure was simple. Just a $1 grub that I bought from a local tackle store. After approx. 20mins, without realizing ... my cheap grub were suddenly tugged by a snakehead, I gave a serious pump to make sure that I got a solid hook-up. Reeled it in steadily ... nicely and got myself a 700g snakehead (my biggest so far). Walid congratulated me on my game fish catch but just 15 minutes after, he caught a bigger snakehead than mine ranging from 1+ kg. It was a shocker! Haha! TK thought he had a strike himself ... it was an exciting moment but sadly only reeled in ... dead weeds. Better luck next time TK. We had to stop because of the scorching hot sun. So by the end of the day, Walid got 5 snakeheads and I caught 1. Insya'llah, tommorow the snakehead adventure continues.

700g Snakehead on a hot day

Closer look on a $1 grub

NOTE: Due to the Snakehead's healing qualities, it was not released because my brother, Sofian requested for it to be taken home to help a small child recover from his accident injuries. Btw, W-spot is named after Walid. Haha!!

Halco and Eupro success!

2010-02-12T20:38:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hi ya'll! I'm avoiding my Prawnstar lure since it got snagged 2 days ago that I had to work real hard to retrieve it back. Yesterday, I bought two lures, Halco Sorcerer (2.5m) and a Eupro. So today, I went casting to the usual spot and when I got there, it didn't take long until I got the first strike. A 600g Mangrove Jack took my Halco Sorcerer viciously but I managed to reel it in safely. Took a few snapshots and off he goes to the estuaries. After that I had to change my leader and decided to try a Eupro lure. I'm not a big fan of using a snap swivel 'cause I believe it ruins the performance of the lure. Instead, I use a rapala knot which allows your lure to wobble freely and naturally. I rigged it and cast it away and around half hour later, I received a second strike. It was fun reeling the second Jack as it was going all over the place fighting for its life. Like usual, take a few pictures and released it. The second Jack weighed around 350g and 29cm long (1cm away from the legal length) I was looking for a Hat-trick but 2 was all I got, more than enough for the day (syukur alhamdulillah). By the way, you don't need a Prawnstar if you wanna be a good angler. Haha!

600g Jack and around 35cm long

Halco Sorcerer did it again!

Me sooo happy! haha!

350g and 29cm long MJ using Eupro

NOTE: I didn't get the chance to use my new Halco but hopefully will try it tomorrow. As usual, fish caught was "Catch and Release". (^_^)

Halco Sorcerer is BACK with a JACK

2010-02-11T22:38:00.003+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hola again. On my last post, I mentioned I will avoid using a Prawnstar lure. It was difficult at first to which lure I should use between Halco and YO-ZURI but in the end, I went for the Halco Sorcerer. The reason being is because it was a high tide (around 1.5m) so Halco is a suitable lure to cast at the time. I was accompanied by my cousin, Tyco Kembura (Duo Fishing) and my brother Sofian who came a little late. At first we were hunting for Barramundi and again, to my disappointment it was no where to be found. Then we changed to the usual spot but this time, T.K jokingly said that he was targeting for Catfish or Ikan Utik. Haha! Around 10mins later, I received a serious hit. Reeled it in and was happy to see a Mangrove Jack hooked on a Halco Sorcerer. It was a good size around 350g and I released it safely to the estuaries. I'm still thinking about the Barramundi but it's not a big deal. The most important thing about fishing is to have fun. So hopefully tomorrow will show the same result. All I can say about today is "Syukur Alhamdulillah ...".

350g MJ on a Halco Sorcerer

A second take on the MJ. Nice ah!

You beautay!!

NOTE: Went to the local tackle store to get a new Halco Sorcerer (52 DD) lure, Eupro (Lure Family) lure and a jig head. TK also bought Halco lures. Hehe ...

Low tide casting for MJ

2010-02-11T15:49:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and hi y'all! Searching for the elusive Barramundi is not looking too promising and I figure luck plays a part in this hunt. It's so unpredictable to find this popular game fish. If you're at the right time and at the right spot, you'll find 'em but most of the time, it seems that I never come across with the fish. At least catching Jacks is as good as looking for a Barra or two. Anyhow, I caught a MJ this morning and updated few pictures of it. And again, Prawnstar did the job. One of the angler, Barra-Red told me that you could get Prawnstar in Miri but I have no idea to the whereabouts. If you're planning to go to Miri this weekend, I suggest you go find it. I'm going hunting for Jacks again later this afternoon so wish me luck. Cheers! (^_^)

Prawnstar got me addicted. haha!

I just love that blue lining below the eye.

Nice huh?! hehe ...

NOTE: I will try to avoid using Prawnstar later and will be using Halco Sorcerer and YO-ZURI Hardcore. Jackaroonie was "Catch and Release" btw.

Little Jack ...

2010-02-09T21:16:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum. Ever since the day Rahman caught a Barramundi, I was determined with a never-give-up-attitude to try and catch one myself. Unfortunately, no Barramundi was sighted. Instead, only baby Mangrove Jacks were caught (with Prawnstar of course). However, this won't stop me from searching for the elusive Barramundi as my desperation grew more and more to strike one of the under populated Barra. Anyway, here are some pictures of the day's catch and of yesterday's ...

My wife loves this MJ pic.

MJ from this morning hungry for Prawnstar and

my wife likes this pic too ... haha!

Regular angler, Alai with his MJ (using Eupro lure).

Salt water Tarpon on a very hot sunny day and nice blue skies.

NOTE: I will get you, Barramundi! Haha!

Not mine but Rahman's

2010-02-07T23:04:00.000+08:00

Went to a new spot to fish today with my brother, Sofian. I managed to reel in a big Tarpon but it got away 3 feet before I had the chance to land it. There were no signs of fish where we casted so we moved to my usual spot. Even then, we didn't catch anything. I texted Rahman on his fishing whereabouts and met him soon afterward. When we got there, I asked him whether he caught anything for the day and he told me to peek into his bag. I couldn't help feeling that he'd gotten something that I've been wanting to catch in my ONE YEAR fishing experience. Carefully I opened the bag and to my horror it was a 900g BARRAMUNDI!!!! Caught using a 15lbs braided line and a 14lbs leader on a Rapala Skitter Pop. Gobsmacked and green with envy, I placed the Barramundi back into his bag which he had intended to give it away to my sister...a token of his love. So sad to say, the fish was not 'catch and release' but someone else is happier today in the end =)

900g Barramundi by Rahman (Mua puas hati...haha!)

Barramundi on a grill with Lydia & Rahman.

Barramundi not catch and release but catch and grill...lol!

Barramundi and friends, the Tarpons on a barbie.

NOTE: Congratulations to Rahman on his 2nd Barramundi catch and next time do catch and release...haha!

Prawnstar proved its worth.

2010-02-02T14:18:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hola! I was texted by Walid (KB-ians Anglers) saying "Prawnstar proven" and it was a coincidence that I was at a local tackle store and not far from where I used to fish. My business at the tackle store was to get some beads for my Prawnstar, spinning reel cover for my Shimano Biomaster and a 30lb flurocarbon leader (Invisible Water). After getting these, I didn't hesitate to go to the usual spot. Once I got there, I rigged my Prawnstar with beads added in its belly and using the new leader I just bought. Not long after my second cast, I received a nudge but no hook-up. After the sixth cast, I finally caught a Mangrove Jack, probably around 300-400g. I set it free after taking a few snapshot of the beauty. I moved to a different spot and kept casting. Fifteen mins later, I got another hook-up. It might just be a baby but it shows how brutal a small Jack can be. My time limit was until 12 noon cause I have to pick the kids from school at 12.20. As the clock strikes 12, I was reluctant to leave but I gave it another shot. Kept on casting until the 5th cast, and surprisingly I got the 3rd strike. But this time it was different. I knew it was a Jack but this one is just playing nasty. It was fighting for its life refusing to give up. It's a good thing that I bought that 30lbs leader cause the one I had which is a 20lbs Toman brand would definitely snap. The Jack has got to be in a range of 700-800g b'cause it was heavy. I was ecstatic and I wouldn't lie to you that I actually "WOOOOOed!!" Haha! In 35mins I caught 3 Mangrove Jacks and I am one happy geezer (^_^) .

1st strike with a Prawnstar.

Another view of the Jack.

2nd strike!! Just a cute baby MJ.

3rd strike!!! gotta love this Prawnstar!

Another snapshot of the Jack.

MJ totally swallowed the middle hook but was safely removed.

NOTE: Even though the last MJ caught was a table size good enough to bring it home for dinner, it was safely release to its habitat. (Gotta control its population. One person makes a huge difference.) And to Walid, dude!! you have to order more Prawnstars. Haha!

Prawnstar

2010-02-01T22:26:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hi y'all! Let's talk about Prawnstar. Every fish favorite and staple diet are prawns. So the Aussies came up with this brilliant idea of turning prawn into plastic lures. These lures are very tough plastic and won't get damage if you get hit by nasty Jacks. What I like about these lures is that the tail of the prawn flicks when you twitch your rod making it look like a real prawn. The size ranges from small, medium and large and comes in different colors. The one I have with me is a small size or Prawnstar Junior and its in green. I've been wanting to get my hands on this lure for a very long time and at last I got it. Credit goes to Walid (KB-ians Anglers) who just returned from Perth, Australia. I personally asked him to buy Prawnstar Junior for me and it is rewarding. So for those who are interested in these fantastic lure, you can order it online or even better, fly to Australia if you have all the money to spend. If you wanna know more about Prawnstar, you can click the link here. I took some photos of my Prawnstar for you to see and be warned, soon you would want one yourself. Haha!

Behold the Prawnstar!

Top view of the Prawnstar.

Side view of the Prawnstar.

Prawnstar in its packet.

NOTE: Thank you to Walid for getting me Prawnstar and Berkley Gulp. Will look forward of getting more Aussie lure from you. Hehe ...

Sunday Jack Fishing.

2010-01-31T21:39:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hola again. Me and my cousin (T.K. Duo Fishing) went Mangrove Jack and Snakehead fishing from morning till evening but only Jacks, Tarpons and Catfish were caught. It was unfortunate for T.K. that a Snakehead got away from his SPRO frog. There were no sign of them Snakehead after T.K had missed his chance of landing one. So we had to move to our usual spot of salt water fishing hunting for Jackaroonie and I'm proud to say that I caught two MJs (they weren't big but at least its something) and a salt water Tarpon. T.K. only manage to catch a Catfish which we haven't seen for a very long time in the area. Here in Brunei, Catfish are not popular amongst anglers and it is regarded as a minus if you were to catch one. Many believe that the Catfish eat human waste and to be honest I don't buy any of that nonsense. Haha! So here are some pics of the catch and hope you'll enjoy it. Cheers!

M.J. on a small plastic lure.

Here's another view of the Jack.

I used a Bakau soft plastic lure on this beauty.

Nice salt water Tarpon. Color is lighter compare to the fresh water Tarpon.

NOTE: All fish were "Catch and Release" and Catfish photo were not taken. Maybe next time I will. (^_^)

Just another Mangrove Jack.

2010-01-29T20:10:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and hallo again. Today I went to the local tackle store and got myself 2 boxes of Bakau soft plastic lure, each in different colours of red and orange. Since it was a success yesterday, I casted again around 4pm at the usual spot and got myself a Kirong and a Mangrove Jack. Both were still juveniles so I had to let 'em go. I'm starting to like this Bakau soft plastic and it really shows effectiveness. By the way, I've been wondering and searching what Kirong is in English. If anyone knows, just shout on the chat box or my FB. And if you're thinking of joking around saying that Kirong in English is call a tattoo fish, ... DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! haha!! Hope you like the pictures. Cheers!

Small but satisfying. (Pic was taken by Rahman)

I used a red Bakau s.p. and it still works on Jacks.

Ikan Kirong *English terminology unknown*

Note: Fish caught was "Catch and Release" and thanks to Rahman for the extra prawns for my Benji Jack. Hehe ...

Mangrove Jack with Bakau soft plastic success

2010-01-29T00:02:00.002+08:00

Who needs Berkley Gulp when you can buy Bakau soft plastic! haha! only kidding. I still love using Berkley Gulp but since its not available, I was forced to try other soft plastic lures. Anyways, assalamualaikum and Hola! I was knocked out for three days with a fever, sore throat and asthma, and today I'm as strong as a bull, thanks to my wife who took care of me and nagged me to go to the hospital. LOL! I went casting at my usual spot (cause there's no other place to cast) and after ten minutes using this Bakau s.p. lure, I caught a Jack probably around 400g. It was satisfying to see a Jack that size ... wish it could have been another 600g bigger but at least it shows that the lure works. The second MJ caught with a Bakau s.p. was smaller than the first one. Although it was small, it manage to nearly swallow the whole lure. I only caught two Jacks today and I'm happy. I guess I'll just have to go and sweep the Bakau soft plastic lure out from shelves of the store soon. Hehehe ...

Chubby-faced-me with Jackaroonie!!

Bakau s.p. just caught an MJ

This small Jack wants to have it whole.

Another view of the second MJ with Bakau s.p. lure in its mouth.

NOTE: Both MJs were "Catch and Release" and to Walid of KB-ians Anglers, when are you coming back to Brunei? I'm still waiting for my prawnstar and Berkley Gulp Alive. haha!!

Bakau Soft Plastic Lure

2010-01-28T19:42:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Hola! Since Berkley Gulp ran out of stock and still awaiting for the shipment of the product to arrive, I bought this Bakau brand soft plastic lure at our local tackle store. I was curious and confident that I will catch something with this lure, cause it looks like the small bait fish (locally known as Banting-banting) we sometimes see. So I'll try it later and see whether I'll get a bite. Wish me Luck! (n_n)

Bakau Soft Plastic lure and it comes with a jig head and cost at $4 for two.

"Small" Jacks on a Saturday morning.

2010-01-23T19:51:00.002+08:00

Assalammualaikum. Hi y'all! It has been 3 weeks since my last update so I decided to post my "small" catch for the start of the year 2010. Due to the bad weather, I stayed in and was unable to fish but thank god I have a PS3. From playing Street Fighter IV to Winning Eleven '09 (still can't afford to get 2010 version. haha!) I was glued to both TV and my wife's laptop, stalking on my friend's Facebook walls. LOL! After the bad weather subsides, I decided to catch Tarpons and that was fun. I caught ... hmmm ... I can't remember ... TOO MANY!! I caught so many of 'em that I couldn't be bothered to take a picture. The water tide didn't look too promising this morning as it was a low tide, nevertheless i gave it a shot. I used a very small plastic lure on a small hook and originally I was targeting for saltwater tarpon, but I was rewarded with 5 small Mangrove Jacks. Although they were small, they were aggressive. They really put up a fight even though it was just a baby. I'm posting the best 3 pics of the baby Jackaroonie I caught on a soft plastic lure.

First baby Jack.

Baby Jack. So cute!

Hungry Jack! mmm, ... would love to have a whopper right now. haha!

NOTE: No Jacks were harmed in the making of this post, they were safely released. To all anglers, please practise "Catch, take a pic and Release" our local Mangrove Jack to maintain its' population. I know they are tasty but they are much tastier when over 30cm long. So for the small ones, give 'em another chance of life in the estuaries. Release the small ones so we can enjoy catching the big Jacks in the future.

Tarpon Boxing Day bout!

2009-12-26T15:27:00.002+08:00

"In the blue corner, Berkley fireline braided line weighing in 15lbs, Biomaster spinning reel and a Berkley rod, HALCO SORCERER!! In the red corner, Power Pro braided line weighing in 20lbs, Daiwa spinning reel and a modified Lemax rod, VERRRYYY CHEAP SOFT PLASTIC LUURREEE!!" Haha!

I was hoping to get a strike on christmas day but had no luck. So today's Boxing day, I decided to try out two different methods. Today's catch was a Tarpon and caught 4 in total and lost a countless amount. It was 2 in 2, "And the winner under unanimous decision! VERRRYYY CHEAP SOFT PLASTIC LUURREEE!!" The soft plastic lure won it, not only it got the biggest catch, it also receive many thugs and misses than the Halco.

Got two strikes on a Halco Sorcerer.

Two strikes from a very cheap plastic mini shrimp lure.

"WOOOOOOOO!!!" FINALLY A SEBARAU STRIKE!!

2009-12-21T01:21:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah. After a 4th trip to Labi, I finally caught a Sebarau (Hampala Barb). Today's trip accompanied by Walid and Eejat (KB-ians anglers) and my cousin Tyco Kembura (Duo Fishing) was actually a last minute plan. I gave Walid a late text message the night before, informing him that Tyco and I decided to go to Labi to test our luck. The weather in KB was part cloudy and sunny but when we got to Labi, it was dull. It rained a bit but it was good enough for us to cast for Sebarau. Judging at the water, it looked promising as we saw and heard loud "chomping" noises. We knew it was the Sebarau chasing bait fish and we never stop casting. Walid had his popper splashed by Sebarau, not close enough to get it hooked. Eejat's lure always hit the snags and was lucky to retrieve it back safely (with the help of Fuad aka. Kenapol) and Tyco had no luck (no more sunday streak). At around 5-ish pm, my Berkley Gulp got a slight hit but the fish managed to get away. I kept on casting at the same spot and it took 20+ cast until I finally striked my first Sebarau. The fish was incredibly strong that the hook from my jig bent a little. Although it wasn't that big, it was powerful enough to give me a fight and damn it was fun reeling that fish in. At first I thought it was another Knifefish but to my delight, it was a Sebarau. When I held it in my hand, I was ecstatic that I suddenly "Woooooed" (Ric Flair style). Of all the fish I caught, Sebarau has to be the most powerful fish ever. Like B.P (Duo Fishing) always say, "Jangan jara-jara ..." Haha!!

My first Sebarau and it probably weigh around 700g.

(Pic was taken by Eejat. Thanks bro!)

My Berkley Gulp done it again! Sebarau was a proudly catch and release. =)

Knifefish@Belida Surprise

2009-12-16T01:07:00.004+08:00

After a disappointing Sunday trip from Tutong, Walid (of KB-ians anglers) and I planned a Labi trip today hoping to catch Sebarau (Hampala Barb). We left KB around 1.30pm and reached our destination at 3pm. As usual, I'm still into my Berkley Gulp plastic lure and Walid used all sorts of lure from popper to a torpedo lure and so on... P.S: Recently I bought a "brand new" fishing rod (Berkley), reel (Shimano Biomaster C3000) and braid (Berkley fireline 15lbs) from Deep Blue Fishing Tutong and what a bargain!! I was using two rods, one for hardbody and one for my Berkley Gulp. As we started to cast, we could see water splashing just about everywhere. Then at around 4pm, something gave my Gulp a nudge and I was immediately thrilled. I then threw a second cast, reeling and twitching it and POW!! A STRIKE!! An adrenalin rush swept through me as my mind was thinking, "Finally I caught a Sebarau!" The fish had no chance against my Biomaster. As I reeled it out off the murky water and took it to land, to my surprise it wasn't the Sebarau I was hoping for, instead it was a Knifefish @ Belida (commonly known as featherbacks, or scientific name Chitala Chitala). Sebarau or not, I was equally ecstatic. It was one of my fishing accomplishment and I know someday I will catch the illusive Sebarau, and Barramundi. Haha! It was a tough day for Walid as he missed two strikes from the Sebarau. Don't worry buddy! We'll get 'em on our next trip.

Knifefish@Belida estimation around 1+kg.

Another Berkley Gulp strike.

Bonus pic from Tyco Kembura (Duo Fishing) using "MY" Berkley Gulp. This pic was taken last Saturday for our Tarpon hunting/ Berkley Gulp experiment (on its effectiveness) and I actually wanted to turn Tyco into a Berkley Gulp believer! In the end, he caught two and I caught five. Haha!

Only one picture of Tarpon strike would suffice (thanks to BG) because I couldn't be bothered to take five pics of Tarpon strikes of mine. Haha!

Tarpon gulped a Berkley Gulp. Haha!

2009-12-07T22:10:00.004+08:00

Hola! Just another update here. I caught two Tarpon at around 5-ish pm today using a Berkley Gulp and what a BAIT!! My Berkley kept on getting nudges, getting hits, getting pulled and Tarpon just can't resist Berkley Gulp. After my second strike, I decided to use different soft bait but it wasn't as effective as compared to Berkley. So for those who are curious to try a soft bait lure, I truly recommend Berkley Gulp (I won't guarantee it, you have to try to believe it for yourself. Haha!). Happy casting!

Tarpon totally gulped my Berkley Gulp. haha!

Better view of the Tarpon.

My second strike. Slightly bigger than the first one.

My first Barracuda @Alu-alu

2009-12-03T01:30:00.004+08:00

When was my last post?! maybe it was a week and a half ago. haha! FYI, I did try to catch some fish especially Sebarau. We went last Sunday but what we got was heavy rain pouring all over us and a Toyota Vios got stuck in a mud. HAHA! (baik ko tukar kereta baruuuu yg bisai nya 4wd. lol) I've been using Berkley Gulp since I bought 'em and never lose faith in these fantastic lure. I had some couple or more strikes on a Berkley Gulp but always got away until last two days ago I caught a decent size Tarpon. I didn't take a picture of it, ... didn't know why but I should have. Yesterday at around 3.30pm I caught my very first Barracuda. It was still a juvenile but still, my FIRST!! I'm still targeting Jacks with Berkley Gulp and hopefully it'll come soon. hehe ...

Juvenile Barracuda with a Berkley Gulp

Better view of the Berkley Gulp and Barracuda

Halco Sorcerer strikes a Mangrove Jack!

2009-11-12T11:12:00.004+08:00

Yesterday morning, I decided to go to Teraban "T-Junction" to test my luck in the area. The sea was calm, just a tiny wave hitting softly to the rocks. So, I decided to use a soft plastic lure hoping to catch something, but to my disappointment, there was NOTHING!! I could see hundreds of bait fish especially mullets, swimming closely to the rocks. There I knew, once there are hundreds of bait fish, it's difficult to catch some fish. Well maybe because they already had their breakfast with mullet on the menu. Sometimes when there are mullets, you could see queen fish having a feeding frenzy, with loud splashing sound. I had to go home 'cause I was desperate to use the toilet. (I blame the roti canai and teh tarik kau. haha!)

Feeling frustrated that morning, I decided to give it another go but this time at the 7th alley and the target fish was a tarpon. At first, I was using the same soft plastic lure I used that morning but it seems like the fish weren't interested so changed it to my favourite lure, the Halco Sorcerer. So I kept on casting at the brackish waters, moving from spot to spot and finally I hit a strike just near a fallen tree. From afar, I though it was a Barramundi but I guess, starring at the laptop all the time had cause some minor damage to my eyes. haha! As I gently guided it to land, surprisingly not that excited like I used to. Maybe the thought of not catching a Sebarau from our trip to Labi haunts me, making me say, "oh, okay, ... it's just a Jack ..." But syukur alhamdulillah, at least I caught something.

Me, Jack and Halco.

Hmmm, ... I think I should get a bigger Halco.

Seberau. Hampala Macrolepidota.

2009-11-09T09:11:00.007+08:00

Yesterday my mates and I went hunting in the jungles of Labi, Kuala Belait searching for the fresh water species, known for its powerful and sudden strike, the Seberau or Hampala Macrolepidota. FKFH DuoFishing got the first strike but unfortunately the fish snagged it under a log resulting the swivel to snap in half. My guess was that fish was HUGE 'cause the fight it gave to FKFH was mind blowing. The tip of his rod bent as he tried to reel it to land but luck once again was not on his side. He was shaken up and surprisingly happily satisfied that his Yo-Zuri Hardcore got taken away by seberau. haha! Tyco Kembura DuoFishing known for his Sunday streak continues as he deservedly landed a seberau weighing at 800g. We were envious with joy when we saw the fish successfully in the hands of Tyco and let me tell you this, what a beautiful fish!! Only ONE seberau caught and we went home tired with a little bit of disappointment (especially me) and i really do feel for FKFH. (better luck next time) But at least we enjoyed the trip especially the Durian Monthong that our buddy Fami fed us. (looking forward to another Durian season. hehe!) Hopefully our next trip to Labi, we will catch more of this ever so popular seberau and come home with a pretty big smile, insya'allah ... (more pics at DuoFishing)

Our guide Cowboy Fami (left) Tyco with his Seberau and me.

Nice fishy

FKFH still feeling disappointed about the Seberau that ripped his swivel into half.

There should be a Seberau but we didn't get a single bite.