Changi catch report 4

The fish that is most well known in changi would be the croaker variations.literally a spam there.They are simply small fishes that produce a croaking-like noise when caught. after a few trips,many have told us to sample this fish so we did and got a few to try!we caught what we needed and nothing more.

a few suggestions was to deep fry them due to their size it only makes sense but that would be too plain!check out what we did at the bottom of the page!

the catches are quite self explanatory so enjoy the pictures! we caught grunts,croakers and pony fishes.

you dont have to cast far to get these fishes they are usually lurking just infront of you or below. 

 our "bigger"(still small) catches included a javalin grunt and tiger tooth croaker.

In all the taste was pretty decent and strangely sweet as well but it'll be one of the last times we will eat this since the taste wasnt as satisfactory to us!but dont let us influence your decision!do try them and let us know how it tastes to you!

recipe?yes of course!if you look under our list of recipes located at the side bar of  the page,you'll find a list of recipes you can try out!

thanks for viewing this!Dont forget to view our recipes as well!they're all based on restaurant standards due to a few culinary students in our group!

cheers and peace out!

-Abel

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The catch of my life time (so far)

Hello all! This is my first and hopefully not last post. Ghetto fisher man ong and abel master of comebacks can stop pestering me about posting. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW.

Also warm welcome to all of you who are visiting our blog for the first time! Hope you all find some thing useful that will help you in your angling journey.

Ok so here it is, the the catch of my life time (so far!)

KIMMM BAAAAAKK LOOOOORRRR

It was the most intense fight I ever had, even more exhilarating then fighting the giant cat fishes at farmway 3. Wild fish always fight harder, especially if it is their first time being hooked, and the stakes are so much higher because in the big blue ocean, once you lose that fish you will probably never see it ever again. I will post the video on our fishing kims facebook page! Allow me to show off my catch for awhile haha. Early estimates placed the fish at around 5kg, but a more accurate weighing at home turned out a whopping 8Kilos! Woohooo.

Master of comebacks! Check out the Kim's is longer then his body

I also wanna give a shout out to the two malay abangs who climbed down to help me bring up the fish because it was too big to lift out with my fishing rod. Really would not have known what to do if not for those two (maybe jump into the water). In return for their help I shared with them the spot which I casted and they where promptly rewarded with a 1kg KBL. Good things happen too good people? Haha. But really appreciate them for all their help! 

Spiderkims

Okok enough showing off, the reel (see what I did there) question everyone wants to know is HOW YOU CATCH ONE?!?!?! I can only share from my own limited personal experiences so please don't flame me "you stupid or what", "who does that?!?!". I do this for fun and if any of the more experienced fisher people out there have more tips and tricks to share please let me know in the comments! All tips are greatly appreciated.

Ok so here is what I did! I had specially rigged to target KBL because I knew from past experiences that there where actually quite big KBL (2kg ++) in that area and it was just a matter of going at the right time and tide to target them. And of course the hardest part is placing your bait at the place you would most likely think the KBL's would be hanging out without snagging your line. 

Ghetto fisherman ong in happier times

2kg KBL at the same area!

Why is placing the bait the hardest part? Thought just throw into the ocean and wait right? While that is partially true, some knowledge about the behaviour between different fishes can help increase your chances of landing your target fish species be it KBL or others. 

Contrary to popular belief, KBL's tend to hang around structures quite near to the shore line waiting to ambush unsuspecting prawns or fish, so to increase your chances to land one, it is advisable to cast your line near some structure, be it under a jetty or some kelongs (wooden poles). But this posses a danger of accidentally snagging your line on the structure if you allow your line to drift too much, or a misplaced cast (speaking from experience lol). I had previously lost 2 KBL's due to snags and inexperience fighting around structures, but hey learning the hard way makes you improve. 

Illustration of a Kims hiding among roots.

To counter this problems, I used a single snood appollo rig to reduce the chances of a hook snagging onto a rock or pole, and a heavier size 5 sinker to prevent the current from pushing my line out of place and into structure. Also KBL tend to be a mid water feeder as opposed to catfish which are bottom feeders, so try to position your snood slightly higher. 

             

All numbers are estimates. Feel free to modify as you see fit.

Strong knots are highly recommended. You don't want to lose the big fish due to weak knots!

T knots and snell's are the best. For more info check out our post on knots! 

T knot - http://fishingkims.blogspot.sg/2014/06/t-knot-and-illustrationspictures.html?m=1

Snell knot - http://fishingkims.blogspot.sg/2014/06/snell-knot-for-hooks-and_15.html?m=1

Try and aim your cast directly outside the structure to try and tempt the KBL to come out of its home and chomp down on your bait! For this reason live baits are usually prefered as the vibrations of the bait will attract the attention of the fish even if they are not actively feeding although dead baits can work as well. 

As for tide and time, the best tide to fish for pelagic fish like KBL is when the tide and current is coming into shore. The current will bring the KBL in from other areas and take up residence around the structures. Typical feeding times are dawn and dusk. However if you are fishing in a mangrove area, KBL's can be found around the clock and and might even be easier to catch during low tide! 

But since this is called fishing and not catching, even if you set up everything in the most perfect conditions you could find, if the fish aren't biting/not there, then there is nothing left to do but enjoy the scenery haha. 

While there is still a huge amount of luck involved and nothing is ever certain in fishing, that's what makes it so fun! No two fishing trips are ever the same and the ocean can constantly surprise you, so just keep throwing your baits into the sea and don't give up!

OK I AM DONE! Hope you all found this useful! Happy fishing everyone. Remember if you do responsible sustainable fishing, the fishing will sustain you as well! Think about it haha. THROW BACK THE BABY FISH LA.

Lastly, I personally recommend eating some sort of fish dish before going fishing to build up some "fish hate" against you so they would attack your bait with a vengeance when they smell fishy murder from you. 

I thank my friends for sharing the experiences with me, and God for blessing me the way he has.

-Bryan Chan 

                          

                                                                     

PS : Just to add some points on sustainable fishing, on hindsight I should have thrown back the KBL I caught as it was probably a big spawner due to its age and size. But after seeing the two abangs go through all the effort to help me land my fish it would have been quite rude to have thrown it back. If I ever have the privilege of landing one of a similar size I will release it. SUSTAINABLE FISHING EVERYONE. Have a good day.

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Changi beach Catch report

One of the well known hot spots in Singapore for fishing would be Changi beach. Catches there are always plentiful and sometimes,there are unexpected surprises. It is essential to practice good catch and release to ensure that the population of fish are healthy and will be there for future anglers in the long run.

good day at changi when the tide in high and the clouds are clear.These factors are important in fishing because the rain alters the temperature which affects fish activity.Also the tide contributes a significant role in bringing the fish in with the tide.

bait: Sarong worms (always the best)

        Prawns

hook size: size 4 or 5 would be good(relatively small mouthed fishes there)

rig: apollo rig (3-4 hooks)

many people tend not to identify their fishes and its a bad habit. 

I find http://www.handlinefishing.com/ relatively useful in the case of identifying each species.

First fishes of the day were Sickle fish:

Common Name(s): Spotted Sicklefish
Scientific Name: Drepane Punctata
Local Name(s): [Hk]Cao Xi, [My]Tudung Periuk 
Precaution: Harmless
Edible: Yes 

We came across a school when casting our rods and landed 2 in the process.these fish are bottom feeders and will go for sarong worms as well as prawns.

Small Cute fellas were definitely released because they have the potential to grow up to 500g-1kg in weight and these were probably 200g-300g each only.

We were fortunate enough to land a bigger sickle fish! on a separate day which was of decent size and was about 1kg in weight!

Not bad eh?no trick shots here just a side by side pose with this fish

Second catch of the day were grunts:

Common Name(s): Javelin Grunter
Scientific Name: Pomadasys kaakan
Local Name(s): [Hk]Jio Lor, [My]Gerut Gerut
Precaution: Harmless
Edible: Yes 

Grunts are always a good catch not so much for their eating quality but for the struggle they put up when being reeled in. Sizes vary but they usually grow up to this size which is about 400g in weight but they can certainly grow much much bigger if given the chance. They have a sweet flavour and slightly muddy taste as they are bottom feeders. This guy was released back.

Over the course of a few days,we reeled in some of them and all were released to ensure sustainable fishing.

Next on the list would be the Common brown stingray.

This stingray often sucks itself to the ground when hooked and tend to give the snagged impression.

relatively no fight but a heavy feeling on the line due to the big surface area. I've personally encountered plenty of these and all are released. these stingrays are often small in size and should NOT BE KILLED WHEN THEY ARE JUST JUVENILES!So all those irresponsible greedy anglers out there don't be a retard and cut off their tails for no reason.

Next up would be Croakers
 -----------LEFT-------------
Common Name(s): Goatee Croaker
Scientific Name: Dendrophysa Russelii
Local Name(s): [Md]牛那妈(Niu2 Na4 Ma1), [Hk]Gu La Ma, [My]Gelama
Precaution: Harmless
Edible: Yes 
CNR Time: 1 min

--------------RIGHT---------------

Common Name(s): Tiger-toothed Croaker
Scientific Name: Otolithes Ruber
Local Name(s): [My]Gelama Gigi Jarang, [Md]双牙, [Hk]Sum Geh 
Precaution: Harmless
Edible: Yes 

These fish are most common in changi and are plentiful. Anglers tend to use them as crab bait for their pots or bring them home to deep fry and consume. they make a croaking noise when brought up on land thus the term "croaker fish".

Barramundi can be caught almost anywhere in Singapore and tend to lurk near shorelines to feed and to breed.they tend to always be around structures where smaller fish are present.Afternoons are best for fishing for the barramundi because they are usually day feeders. Great day of fishing and a good size to bring home for the family.

Common Name(s): Barramundi

Scientific Name: Lates Calcarifer
Local Name(s): Sea Bass, [Hk]Kim Bak Lor, [My]Siakap 
Precaution: Sharp gill plates 
Edible: Yes

Lastly, the veined catfish can be caught usually after 7pm. rods start to bend and bells start to bring vigorously when the sun sets because of these guys.

Common Name(s): Veined Catfish

Scientific Name: Arius Venosus
Local Name(s): [Hk]Seng Heurr, [My]Duri
Precaution: Venomous spines at dorsal and pectoral fins 
Edible: Yes 

this was our last catch of the day and after 7pm there wasnt as much activity anymore so we headed back home and called it a day.

Cheers and Peace out!

-Abel

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