Pulau Jarak, 24-26 Nov 2007

2 Jarak trips in a month...hehehe
Anglers include Wak, Mokhtar, Guba, Ayah Wan, Yu, Nizam & Nazir + Me. 8 of us depart from Bagan Datuk's jetty approx 10.30am. Me & Mokhtar arrived slightly late to our task to get the mantis prawn & kembung for bottom bashing.
According to plan, we're going to jigging at Hutan Melintang Sea Mount which according to Ah Ho located about 40km Southwest of Pulau Sembilan. It took us ~3 1/2 hrs from the jetty to reach the seamount. This is my first time at the seamount. ~ 2pm we reached the location. Based on the wave riple, I estimated the size of the seamount ca 0.4kmsq. From Ah Ho's info, the water depth at the based at the mount ca 80-85m and at the top, the depth ca~30-35m.
I immediately setup my Jigzam PE3-5 with PE4 Jigman 4X with Stella 8000FA. The jig i used is 280g blue Jigging Master Horseback. We caought several GTs after spendind ~ 4hrs at seamount. The biggest is caught by me - weighted 14kg and 5kg. Nizam caught 4 Gts ranging from 3-5kg. During the tide's turn, Ah Ho said to us to be careful due to the abundance of black tip shark in this area. I said to Ah Ho probably this time the shark won't come coz we already got Yu (shark in Malay) in our boat.


We moved to Jarak ca 6.30pm and arrive there at 8pm. I quickly setup for bottom fishing hoping the snappers agreed to my mantis prawn offer. Till morning i found my mantis prawn is still alive and kicking. Wee tried some popping near Batu Mandi but no takers. Seems like the fish around the island is not active at all. During tide turn at 10am we moved to 2 jigging spots South of Jarak. The 1st one is ~60m deep but no takers. We moved to 2nd spot ~80m depth. During the 2nd drift Mokthar caught a nice 2kg grouper that went straight to our chef. The fish are quite active during our jigging session with plenty of 1-2kg angchohs and groupers. The climax is when Nazir caught a 15kg GT. Being his 2nd jigging trip, he is quite new to big fish. He faught the fish very fast with high rod pump action. His rod broke when the GT make its 4th run......At the end with Mokhtar's help we manage to haul the GT onto the deck. After photograph session (including ME)...we released the fish harmlessly.

That afternoon we parked at Batu Mandi. I started popping. For 2 hrs all of us alternately pop for GT but to my surprise there was no taker at all. Frustrated, we suggest to Ah Ho to move to ship wreck to try our luck there. Only 1 snapper was landed by Wak at the wreck. I noticed that the wind and the tide direction are not favourable for our boat to park near the wreck. The NW wind started to pickup after we finished our dinner and Ah Ho quickly get the boat to safety at Pulau Sembilan. We rested from the 30-40km/h NW wind behind Pulau Rumbia till morning. I woke up in the morning after Nazir scream sailfish! sailfish!...Sailfish at Pulau Rumbia? I must see. True the sailfish happily jumping and teasing us. After breakfast we went to Pulau Batu Hitam to try our luck there. A boat from Lumut is beside us and one of them is livebaiting with selar and caught a ~15-20kg sailfish. After 3 third jump the line broke. Ah Ho was reliefed saying that is the fish is boarded, surely it when into the Igloo.

Without any takers at Batu Hitam, Ah Ho suggested we goto a place called Batu Jepun, near Pulau Payong to try our luck with Talang/Queenfish. The water depth at Batu Jepun ca~5m. You can even see the underneath rock during the low tide. Only Guba got at tug while others not even a lick from the fish. We reached the jetty ~ca 2pm.



14kg Caranx ignobilis


280 Jigging Master Horseback works!!!


5kg GT



Nazir's fish

Nazir's fighting 15kg Gt with a broken rod

Pulau Jarak: November 10-12, 2007

Ah Ho's new boat. Max 17knots with 12 anglers.

This was an unplanned, luxurious trip. Only 5 of us on Ah Ho's GT Chaser. Me, Iskandar, Zul, Hamdan and Adlizam. We arrive at Bagan Datuk 7am, Saturday. By 10am, we already light jigging at Black Rock Island, Pulau Sembilan. Not takers on jig. Ah Ho Suggested that we use appolo to catch selars since we did not bring any mantis prawn for our night time bottom fishing. 

Weather was OK until 11am, and then the rain came with light wind. After the rain passed, we proceed to Pulau Jarak and reach there ca. 3.30pm. Since the current is too strong to do jigging, Ah Ho parked the boat at the East side of the island, near the exposed "Table Rock" or Batu Mandi. 

As soon as, he turns off the engine, I start casting with Saltiga 4500H and Caranx Kaibutsu. Iskandar also popped with Halco Rossta 105 Flouro Green. Since this is his first popping trip, I willingly popped with a River2Seas chugger to wake-up the fish and told him to cast just behind my popper. After 2 casts, he got hit by ~ medium size (5-6kg) GT. After 1 minute of tussle and fumble on his Penn 5500 drag setting, the hook gave away i.e. straighten. Immediately Ah Ho asked him, did Iskandar upgrade the original hook with Owner 3X? He said No. Quickly Ah Ho replied "we cannot use "cap ayam" brand at Pulau Jarak"....we laugh, but I know Iskandar learn few popping lessons i.e. never estimate the power of Pulau Jarak GTs and always check the drag setting.

After 45 minutes of tea break, I start to cast alone in front of the boat. After the 3rd cast, a small ~4kg GT hooked up with Duel Surface Bull 60g. Later, when Ah Ho anchored-up and we start popping around the island, 2 more GT ~ 4kg were landed using Adhek's short Goby.

By 7.30pm, we finished popping with not a very good results, besides 2 from me only 2 GTs landed. All <4kg>I missed 2 hookups, probably due to slightly higher drag setting coz I don't to lose my Adhek pooper to the reefs.

8pm, after dinner we parked besides the island for golden snapper bottom bashing using live selars as bait.  I managed to catch only 2 snappers, biggest is only ~4.5kg.  My fishing stopped at 12am.

I woke up at 6.30am and starts doing some jigging and later popping at Batu Mandi.  On the 2nd cast, after I drifted the popper pasted the exposed rock, a dark shadow appeared from behind and engulfed the Duel popper with a big splashes.  Fish ON! I scream.  Lucky for me the fish swam away from the submerged rock and I got my chance to "play" with it.  ~3minutes later a healthy 6.5kg GT was tail-gaffed by Ah Ho.  With a happy face, I went back to sleep.

Later in the morning, Ah Ho woke me up, saying that we are going for jigging.  The whole morning, until lunch time we jigged at least in 4 locations but no takers.  Hamdan jokes that all the fish were gone to the Bersih demonstration in KL.

During lunch, 2 Malaysian Navy boat were seen parked near the Jarak Island.  One is identified as a supply boat and the other one is a patrol boat.  I asked Ah Ho whether we can go back near the island for some popping.  Ah Ho said to me, better not to confront the navy within this few months. They are now quite sensitive since the "diving boat" incident few months back.  I asked him the news in "diving forum" saying that the navy declared Jarak Island is now off limit to surface and subsurface activities.  Ah Ho said he does not aware any announcement and said that he'll get to me later after conforming it with Marine Department and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.   

After a short discussion with team members, we agreed to proceed to jig at "Kaplan Karam" spot which is on the way to Pulau Sembilan.  Most of my friend said that if you were on the right timing and blessed/lucky, this spot is famous for big golden snappers, groupers and GTs.  We reach the spot ~ 4pm with high hopes and spirit but the current is too fast for us to jig.  We waited until the current slowed down at 6pm and started jigging.  We jigged for 1 1/2 hours with no takers.  It is really frustrating to hear people's stories about this spot but when we were there, not even a SamyVellu grouper took our jigs.  At 7.30pm, I noticed the wing starts to blow from S-SW and told Ah Ho about it.  He said storm will hit us within 2 hours and suggested that we seek refuge near Pulau Rumbia, Sembilan Island.   I agreed.  I told him that I want to test the spot for the last time with my Seven Seas 220g Hooker jig.  Quickly, I changed the jig. Upon reaching the bottom and 1 jig, I felt a small tug and I struck hard.  Fish ON.  With Stella 8000FA and Tenryu Jigzam 3-5, the beast was tamed within 2 minutes.  It was a GT, scaling at 6kg.  I was happy coz managed to pop the Tenryu "cherry" on its maiden trip.

The strom hit us as predicted but we manage to get to safety near Rumbia Island just in time.  Tiredness engulfed me, forcing me to hit the snag until 8am the next morning. After breakfast we did some light tackle fishing near Black Rock with no takers. So i said to Ah Ho, since we're in "injury-time", might as weel we try at the White Rock.  Zul & Hamdan quickly drift 2 selars after we parked near the White Rock and i grabbed my PE2 Xzoga + FreamJ loaded with 20lb TuffLine XP and pulled out a Riverside 4" pink grub and sticked it with #3/0 Gamakatsu jighead.  

After a  few cast to the outcrop, i felt a light tug and gave only a very light strike.  I thought i was a small GT judging by the head shaking.  After ~30 seconds, i started to realise that it is not a small GT but an unknown beast at the end of my 40lb Xzoga leader.  When the fish swimmed near the boat Hamdan screamed "Spanish Mackerel!!!!!".  Suddenky i felt adrenaline rush since i've no wire leader to cater for this toothy creature.  The fish gave my a tail flipped when diving underneath the boat and i saw a yellowish colour at the tail-end. Aaaa... Yellowtail barracuda!!!!!! What a relief.....i just played the fish since i've no sorry if i lost it.  A minute later Zul gaffed the fish and photography session begun.  The cuda scaled at 10.5kg!!!!  Ah Ho said that it was a record since i'm using only a 4" grub.

Next trip:  24th Nov.hehehehehe

Note the Duel popper with 3X hook.  Batu Mandi is on my left.

 

6kg GT popped my Jigzam's cherry.

The cuda on grub

Bottom bashing results.

Closeup.

New Adhek Bali Popper

A friend of mine, Mokhtar, just came back from Bali/Lombok for jigging-popping expedition with Pak Adhek of Bali. Therefore, whilst he in Bali, i manage to call him to order few of Pak Adhek's popper with my name written on the poppers. He came back with my poppers and few of newly design poppers.  Mokthar with ~>20kg GT.

Note the new colours i.e holograms & shining stickers

My new Adhek Bali's Poppers

Note the new design, slightly shorter ocean lady, named "Young Lady".

Customly named each poppers

New red head hologram colour

Newly design popper called "Venus".

Newly design popper called "Mars"

Mars

New popper called "Pluto".

Note nice hologram colour of Pluto.

Those who stay in Malaysia, they can order these popper thru Mokhtar @ 019 3170658

SevenSeas Website is BACK

&uotJust found it...at last....

Check out the new web site:

http://www.sevenseas-inc.jp/

(translated english version http://www.sevenseas-inc.jp/ )

Old address : http://www2.osk.3web.ne.jp/%7Esevense/

(translated english version http://www2.osk.3web.ne.jp/%7Esevense/

I'm glad SevenSeas is still alive even though without Hidekatsu Matsutani san.

Enjoy.

p/s anybody know the whereabout of Matsutani san?????

Is he now with Patriot Design ??