Pasir Ris Sungei Api Api CR 9/7/14 - 10 mins Kims

we're back once again with our latest weekly catch report!
So I realise that we havent been revealing the rigs and bait we use here but that's about to change as we embark on a more informative CR on the blog.
we'll also try to add in the dates when we can remember!

Rig: 3 hook Apollo, size 2/0 hooks
Seahawk Hooks with 50lb Surecatch Line Leader.

Bait: loaded with 300g of cheap and fresh market prawns (roughly $3-$4)

So the night was young we set out to the bridge at 8:30pm and as usual the bridge is filled with tons of people who seem to not have work the next day.
no rain was reported and it was quiet with no breeze.Lots of mosquitoes as you can imagine so do remember to bring insect repellent.

3 people were already there and I was late to arrive!
they had already started without me and as I arrived we talked for awhile. within 20 minutes of our conversation, we heard a loud ring coming from one of the rods!guess who?our famous casual Kims friend, Nic!

this was a short but bulky Barramundi I have to say!it weight a total of 1.1kg! afterwards it remained quiet with an occasional catfish hook ups.But we got hungry and with about 100g of bait left,we decided to chum the water with it and take our leave for supper at the nearest macdonalds(so convenient right?)

So this post is not so much focused on the catch report but more of bring some insights into how we fish and the methods that we have learnt from various experienced fishermen.

what's a good catch report without some advise eh?

Hooking up the bait:
to shell or not to shell the prawns that is the question.

why shell?
the most convenient way to hook on a piece of prawn and get a sure bite is to shell.when you shell the prawn,more "smell" is released into the water attracting all types of fish,big or small.Your bait will probably be gone within minutes or even seconds of casting and it's a sure way of getting a bite.

why not to shell?
when you realise that your prawn is consistently being attacked by small fish(glass fish especially) the bait would be quickly shredded and taken away by these pesky little bait stealers.if you leave the shell on however,it is less easier to penetrate into the bait and the fish is only able to bite the ends of the prawn.this also leaves enough flesh exposed for "smell" to come out of the bait and potentially attract bigger fish.

where to hook your bait:
maybe have the misconception that fish are stupid and they will eat anything blindly.this is not the case for barramundi which are known to be net turners(when they suspect a net in front of them,they will turn away) so certainly they will be more suspicious of a random string of free prawns in the water.
the most common method of hooking bait is putting the whole piece through and leaving the hook tip sticking out of the other end to ensure a secure bite.

But Barramundi are smart fish and when they detect the hook at the start of the bait,they tend to spit it out if they can.so for the matter of prawns, we have been hooking the prawn meat without exposing  the tip too much just to add that extra hint of camouflage.

what equipment to use:
always have tough reel line and leader line.
have a good sturdy rod any action will do(light,med,heavy) just not those cheapo $3 kids rod.
it is important to have reel line at least 20LB strong and leader line of the equivalent.Barramundi are strong fish and can easily snap 10LB lines if you're unaware of the take and your drag is tight.
Once we had a cheap rod snap into 2 and the reel line(10LB) broke off as well when a barramundi took the bait at the bridge.
so it's always better to be well prepared for any situation!

so that's all for this week's catch report because it's been quite a quiet week in Pasir Ris(most probably over fishing) and what's there to do but chill and have supper!

with that we will see you again for the next catch report?
who knows?Changi, Pasir Ris Kayaking, reservoirs next?stay tuned!

Cheers and peace out suckers!