Pulau Jarak: July 14-16 2007

Planning to go to Pulau Jarak with Ah Ho's new boat.  One of the highlight of this trip is to visit/jig the highly talked Hutan Melintang's GT hole. Since its fall on "new-moon" date, the current is very fast and heavy jigs are needed.  Planning to bring along:
1. Stella 20000+Calstar 760M
2. Exp 6500+Calstar 760L
3. Stella 8000FA + Shimano Jigwrex S605 
4. TLD30II + Shikari 40-60
5. TiCA Taurus 6000 + Shimano Caranx Kaibutsu LC
6. Daiwa Fream 4500J + Xzoga PE2

Too many sets...hehehehe...better censor...

Jigs 40-300grams....frankly, i don't know what to expect and to bring, coz we are going 2 places i.e. Pulau Jarak & Hutan Melintang Sea Mount, plus the current gonna be damned fast.

Report

Very frustrating trip.  Rough weather with strong SW wind hit us on Saturday after passing Pulau Sembilan, so cannot go to Lubuk Hutan Melintang.  Instead Ah Ho went straight to Pulau Jarak.  Arrived at Jarak ~ 3pm & immediately we parked at Whip Garden area.  Some of us did light popping using Surecatch Tiger popper and caught several Gts ranging from 2-4kg. 

When the current slow down, Ah Ho straight away went to the pinncle near the flat Batu Mandi.  I caught 2 4kg Gts using JM 150 jig with Jigwrex & Stela 8000.

During sunset we tried to pop aroung the island and at the pinnacle i.e. River Rock and North Point but no GT interested to our offering.

Night time we parked at Snappers Den and this is where all the huge snappers where caught using live Mantis Prawn.  Strong wind kept blowing thru-out the night and the next morning (sunday).  It dies-off on Sunday afternoon and we had the chance to go to the Pinnacle in front of the Army Jetty.  Caught few 2-3kg GTs using 150g blue Herring jig.  

During sunset, again Ah Ho ask us to pop at the flat rock area.  This time the GT were active and i caught the 6.5kg using the Kaibutsu with Tica Taurus 6000H and Yozuri GT Bull.

SUnday night we parked at 40m "Snapper Hole" in front of "The Stairs".  By 8pm everybody had their mantis prawn soaked into the sea (11 rods were used)...but till 7am Monday morning,  everybody hauled out back their mantis prawn...not even a single bite.  After breakfast we asked AhHo todo a last minute popping near the Flat rock.  Out of 9 poppers thrown only one sucessful hook-up.  Most of us registered atttack from the GT but no hook-up...Must be <1kg>

By 9am we left Pulau Jarak to do some bottom fishing at the shipwreck near the unjam.  I try to jig but the bloody current is too strong for 300g Jigging Master jig.  Some of us had to use 2 size#18 sinkker to get the mantis prawn touched the bottom.  After an hour with no bite, we decide to move to White Rock of Pulau Sembilan for light tackle jig.  During puling up the bait, one of us felt that his sinker is slightly heavy.  We said probably due to the strong current.  he said no.  I said to him change to low gear of your TLD30 and just pump.  Its end up with a 5kg "already-dead-golden-snapper" at the end of his line.  My friend laugh with sweat all over his face, hauling neary 6kg dead weight from 95m water depth.  Lucky we want to move after 1 hour of bottom fishing, if we want to stay for another hour, his snapper probably become the bait for the shark.

We reached White Rock by 1130am and straight away Mokhtar caught 2kg size GT with his spoon lure.  For 1 hour, we kept casting around White Rock and at the south tip of Pulau Buluh but no takers.  So we decide to go back to the jetty.  We reached Bagan Datuk jetty approx 2pm and had lunch at Kedai Arwah Abg Ali.  Very nice nasi lemak daun pisang and laska penang.

2 b continue after download pictures from guba's camera.