A Place To Share Your Fishing Experience

Yesterday's Deepsea Fishing Trip

2008-05-26T21:27:00.010+08:00

Yesterday we went for another deepsea fishing trip at our favourite secret locations. Below are some of the pictures taken during our fishing trip yesterday. We caught several species of snappers, garoupers, one large barracuda and so on. In total our catch for yesterday was over 70kg.

Some new pics

2008-05-18T22:11:00.006+08:00

We braved the rain and cold this past Friday to do some fishing and were rewarded with some of our best fish this year!

Above is a 4.2lb. largemouth taken on a black spinnerbait from a brush pile close to shore.

Bob bagged a 3.5+ pickerel on a bluegill pattern crankbait that fought on even inside the boat!

Removal of the hooks requires pliers as these fish have many sharp teeth, and being built like barracuda squirm and fight until released. All in all a good day, we got 3 bass and more than 7 pickerel for the few hours we were able to stand the cold and wet. Next weekend we have two days of fishing and what looks to be good weather, if the fish cooperate the post should be big with pictures!

God bless, Mike.

Mackerel Buster!

2008-05-15T17:38:00.003+08:00

Pictures below contributed by our fellow angler, Nur Iman. He used trolling technique and Wolf Herring or "ikan parang" as baits. In total Nur Iman and Co. caught around six mackerels on that day off the coast of Belait.

East Brimfield Reservoir

2008-04-21T23:18:00.006+08:00

Finally, we are out on the boat!!! This past Friday Bob and I took the boat out to fish and we had a great day for early spring. The air temp. was in the mid 70'sF. and the water was about 60F. and the bass are moving up in preparation to spawn making them very aggressive. We started the day around 1:30 pm, after I got out of work and only got one bass on a deep diving crank until about 4:30 pm.
We were on the NW shore of the lake working into some shallow coves, the shoreline was steep and the bottom dropped off fast. We were throwing medium diving crank baits and started to get hit just into early evening. The first fish were smaller males, but they hit the lures as soon as they landed, and we went from one fish to 3 or 4 in about 30 minutes.
The fish began hitting fast and hard when the sun began to lower. Bob with a good spring male bass.
As the afternoon went on we started to see a mix of females, some we were able to land, some we lost. We think this was due to the fact that the fish may not have been hungry, but made aggressive and prone to snap due to the warm weather and impending spawn, so they did not hook up on the lures as well as if they meant to eat them.
In the mix Bob caught a good size Yellow Perch, a very tasty species, though they only get up to about 2lbs. They are a tenacious fish for their size and will hit lures even larger than themselves.
One of the lures Bob used, a medium diver Xcaliber fat free guppy. This was the star lure of the day as it caught the most fish. they are, like most crank baits easy to use. They are cast to the desired location, then retrieved steadily fast or slow sometimes stopping to let the lure float up momentarily, and when possible running the plastic lip into rocks and wood to make noise. Bob added a twist by letting the bait sit on the surface after it landed and twitching it, with the bass in their mood they would strike the bait without needing to reel it in.
I caught most of my fish on this bait, a Mann's -4 crank bait with a steady slow retrieve. The lure swims at about 4 ft. below the surface and has a great wobbling action that made the fish hit.
Bob with another nice fish. We definitely had the best day of fishing so far out of the four we have spent on the water, we lost count after a dozen fish and were it not for failing daylight and falling temps (it's not summer yet) we could have kept catching for longer. This will be the first in what I hope to be many positive accounts of fishing both local and out of state waters, and the lures we used to bag them. Until next time, God bless and keep fishing! Mike Z.

14th April Catch Report

2008-04-19T17:29:00.003+08:00

Out total catch for that day was 70 over kg. We tried three different types of fishing techniques, ie. bottom fishing, using "tabur" (not sure what's the name in English...hehehe) & trolling. We caught alot of "kerisi bali" and red snappers using both the bottom and "tabur" techniques but unfortunately we didn't catch any using the trolling technique which was intended mainly for mackerel.

...:: Nice big red fish..called the "Pantaran" ::...

...:: A 3.5kg "kerisi bali" ::...

...:: A 2.5kg red snapper ::...

Attack Of The Mackerels..!

2008-04-01T21:15:00.005+08:00

Photos below showing Osman with his awesome catch..! Those mackerels weighs around 5-6kg each and was a great game fish according to Osman. In total Osman & Co. caught around 40+ kg of mackerels on that day..

Another Deep Sea Fishing Success!

2008-03-23T21:03:00.005+08:00

Check out the pictures below contributed by Osman during his fishing trip yesterday...they were having a field day out there! Just look at the size of those fishes..! By the way we will be having another similar trip again at the end of this month and hopefully we will land those GTs again..!

Deepsea Fishing Trip Video

2008-03-13T05:48:00.003+08:00

Just for your viewing pleasure...a video clip of our recent trip to deepsea fishing around the Ampa/Failey area...This video clip just showed some of the action-pact during our trip. Sorry for the poor video quality!

p/s: Please click the "Pause" button for complete buffering first if you have a poor internet connection!

Old lure, New life..

2008-03-12T21:20:00.017+08:00

This post will have two parts, the second will will be several weeks from now when the finished lures and maybe some in process photos come back.

Photo 1) This is a wonderful lure from Rebel, made in the late 1970's called an Amazing Minnow 65. This version is 3.5" long and weighs 0.5oz. as you can see it has a unique shape, that and it's small lip give this lure an action that is seldom seen by fish today, and so attracts attention to itself easily. The motion is a true 'swimming' action and the bait must be retrieved slow to work properly. In this picture is shown one of three I recently found, it is in pristine condition and will not be repainted, but is shown as a 'before' shot to..

Photo 2) This is one of the two Rebel Amazing Minnow bodies that I am preparing for painting. These two were less than good in condition, the finish was chipped and dull and had hardware marks from the hooks, and rubs from use and storage. I first removed the hooks and split rings, for this a pair of split-ring pliers, not a knife as many people (including myself, until I find a pair I like at a reasonable price) use is advised. The next step is both tedious and crucial. The surface finish on the body needs to be carefully and evenly abraded so the primer base will adhere. Removing all the old finish is not necessary! In fact if you sand the body down that much you will ruin the action of a lure. To sand I use a 300 grit automotive sandpaper to start, then a 400 grit to finish. The key to removing the old finish and not damaging the lure body is never to sand in one place too long or too hard, work the whole body gently and delicately. This can take a few hours for each lure, but resist the urge too sand fast, as this can take off too much weight in one area and ruin the balance and so the action of the bait irreparably.

Photo 3) This is one of two finished lures I had done last year in a gold bluegill pattern, prepared the same way. It proved to be a devastating pattern and action combination, I caught a 3lb. 12oz. bass within the first few casts. The artist I work with is Marlin McComas owner of Fishman's Baits at http://www.fishmansbaits.com/. He does excellent work and prices custom work according to lure size and pattern. As his work is in demand it takes a while for the pieces to be painted but are always worth the wait. He also has a website store that features dozens of his own patterns that are proven fish catchers. For this pattern I sent Marlin in a picture of a pattern I liked and said do something like it, he came up with this original, that he did not repeat for another customer for one year. The man's business ethic is impeccable.

Photo 4) The lure body in photo No.2 will be sent off with it's mate to be painted in a week or so, I am getting another, different make and style of lure done now and am waiting to get it back, and will send this drawing as a pattern for it. This is based on the North American crappie, a panfish and prey of bass and pike here in New England.

Photo 5) This is a one of two baby bass patterns I will be sending for Marlin to work with for the second lure body. As bass are cannibalistic, and as most young predators are, can be prey for other species like pike these patterns will draw strikes as sure as their normal adult forage.

Photo 6) Not being able to decide what pattern I liked best I drew up more than one, this gives the artist some room to experiment when the lure is painted. It is always a good Idea to allow the artist some creative freedom as it creates less pressure, and will result in a better looking outcome that one could imaging. I found this out when I got the bluegill lures from Marlin last year, they were much better than the picture I sent! Lure revival is an art, and adds a new life to your tackle box, and will definitely put more fish in the boat. So when your favorite lure is beaten up, or you rescue a classic from a rusty old tackle box, spend some time to clean it up and have it refinished for years of continued use.

By mkz

Another Clean Sweep!

2008-03-11T23:05:00.014+08:00

We made another clean sweep again today and like our previous trip the total weight of our catch was almost 100 kg! Each of us caught around 30 fishes...But it's not as easy as it sound...Our trip was not as smooth as the previous one. This time around the water was a bit choppy and the swell was almost 2.5 meters in height and we have to endure a bumpy boat ride to our fishing spot. Our boat kept flying and crashing everytime we hit the swell...(tambah gi sakit jubooo huhuhu...!) and made some of us sea-sick! But all that didn't hampered our spirit...Pictures below tells all the stories of our trip this morning..

...:: Hj.Ashar with a "kerisi bali" ::...

...:: Syazni and his "anduping" ::...

...:: Double strike by Hj.Ashar ::...

...:: Another double strike ::...

...:: Notice the swell at the background...! ::...

...:: Twin Strike! ::...

...:: Syazni's catch of the day...a 3 kg red snapper! ::...

...:: A double miss-matched strike by Osman...! ::...

...:: Two-Of-A-Kind red snapper...! ::...

...:: Another miss-matched - a "ikan putih" & "lingkuh" by Osman ::...

...:: The jackpot of the day! - a 5 kg red snapper defeated by Hj.Ashar ::...

...:: Triple treat match! Again Hj.Ashar with his 5 kg "kerisi bali" ! ::...

...:: Another big "kerisi bali" ::...

...:: Osman showing his 2 kg garouper ::...

...:: Blue coolbox belonged to Hj.Ashar...Red coolbox belonged to Syazni...full eh! Alhamdulillah...! And look at the size of that fish..::...

...:: Hj.Ashar total haul..::...

...:: Syazni's total catch...not bad eh? ::...

...:: Osman's coolbox...top ice bottom fish..I mean more fish! ::...

To Osman and brother, Jeng thanks once again for the trip...we hope to make another similar trip again in the future but not in this near future offcourse! (jara kali ah mabuk free...wakakaka! )

Deep Sea Fishing Trip To Gannet/Fairley-4 Area

2008-03-05T23:21:00.009+08:00

Red snappers, garoupers & tunas...to name a few are some of the fishes that we managed to catch during our trip yesterday to Gannet/Fairley-4 area. It was such an interesting and memorable fishing trip. In total we caught a massive of 100 over kilos of fish for the whole day trip!

We setoff our trip from the ex-KB/Teraban ferry point at around half past nine in the morning. Before the trip Hj.Ashar called our friend at BLNG for confirmation of the wind speed and wave height and thanks to "our friend!" the wave was not 1-1.5 meters in height...it was more than that! The boat journey took us about 2 hours to reach the fishing spot...(sore ass man..!) Our trip was made easy by using a preset GPS system and fish finder owned by Osman's brother who is also our boat driver. It was with his experience and expertise that we managed to land our massive haul...but it was not for free since we have to pay him $50 per person for the trip but heyy it was worth it!

Most of the time in the morning we only did bottom fishing and later in the evening we used throlling technique to catch tunas...It was all tunas jumping here and there and this was the first time (for me and Hj.Ashar...huhuhu) to see this things!

We took off from offshore at around 6 pm and reached onshore around 8.15 pm feeling tired and exhausted but satisfied with the outcome of the trip and thanks to Allah for blessing our trip! (nda pakai life jacket kali ahh...hehehe) and also to Osman's brother for his help! We hope to make a similar trip again in the future and this time we will make sure to bring some cushion for us to sit...sakit jubo kuuuu!

...:: Syazni's First Catch ::...

...:: Hj.Ashar and his red snapper ::...

...:: Another red snapper ::..

...:: A 2 kilo garouper ::..

...:: Double bonanza for Osman & Hj.Ashar ::..

...:: Another garouper landed by Syazni ::...

...:: Osman preparing our baits...we used fresh tuna flesh for baits ::...

...:: The catch of the day by Hj.Ashar...a almost 4 kilo "kerisi bali"! ::..

...:: Syazni with his "kerisi bali"...::...

...:: red snapper...red snapper...more red snapper! ::...

...:: A double strike red snapper ::..

...:: And another double strike too from Osman ::...

...:: Hj.Ashar though feeling sea-sick but still managed to pose with his catch...hehehe mabuk kawan? ::...

...:: Some of the tunas caught using trolling technique and in total we caught aroun 50 plus tunas! ::...

Three More Kings Surrendered..!

2008-02-19T21:43:00.005+08:00

Another outing this morning and the three of us were each rewarded with three large size king prawns..

Osman as usual with his king prawn...never misssed a single prawn on every outing this boy...ada ilmu kali!

Hj.Ashar with his wide smile after he finally landed this king prawn..

Syazni with yet another XL size king prawn...

Another King Prawns Defeated..!

2008-02-18T20:55:00.009+08:00

This afternoon we went for another king prawn fishing also at the Belait river...though our catch is far less than before but this time we managed to catch the largest king prawn that we ever catch before...!

Osman opening his account with this large king prawn...

This is our record catch...a 300g king prawn!

The king prawn stretches almost 2ft in length....!

Look at those long claws...are they called claws or pincers?? ok whatever...this large king prawn gave a tremendous fight and we were surprised when it finally landed inside the boat that it was actually only get hooked on one of those small legs...what a luck!

Which one is bigger the one on the left or the one on the right..?

Syazni's king prawn on the right...Osman's king prawn on the left...or the other way round???

Osman & Family King Prawn Fishing Trip

2008-02-18T20:38:00.003+08:00

Osman and his family went for a king prawn fishing yesterday morning at the Belait river...they managed to capture three king prawns and several small ones! In total they caught around 90+ prawns for the whole day trip...

Osman showing his king prawn...

Caught in the net...

Their total harvest for yesterday...

Rod and Reel preview

2008-02-16T19:52:00.001+08:00

Preview for Grandt Industries All American Pro Series 58million modulus graphite 6ft. medium heavy rod mounted with the Abu Garcia Revo SX-l 6.4:1 low profile baitcasting reel. This rod and reel combination is the latest addition to my fishing arsenal, the rod itself was an unintended purchase that has turned out to change the way I look at rods and will most likely lead to me replacing all my rods with Grandt industries' products.

The Abu Garcia reel I had been looking at since they came out last year, knowing how good their round body reels are I knew they would be awesome machines.

Photo 1) The modulus count of a rod describes the density of the graphite strains running through the blank. Most commercial companies end the range of their rod blanks with a 58 million modulus count, Grandt begins theirs here and goes up to 70. For custom blanks, they will produce a count up to the customers specifications, even into the hundreds! With the rise in modulus count there is a rise in price. The rod I purchased has a regular retail price of $147.00 US, the 70 series starts at $267.00 US. Helping the impulse to buy this rod was the special show
price of $99.00 US.

Photo 2) The primary reason I purchased the piece was the sensitivity. As with all quality rods, the blank must run through the handle, and be exposed in the cradle of the trigger so when a fish strikes the bait, the vibration is transmitted up the line, through the guides and down the blank to the index finger that touches the blank where it holds the trigger. The more care and quality that goes into the making of a high modulus blank the more sensitive the rod. When I was looking at the rod I noticed there was a 14" to 16" piece of monofilament line tied to the tip eye of the rod. I asked the sales person the reason for this and he showed me a sweet test for the sensitivity of a rod. Holding the piece like I was fishing, my finger on the trigger and touching the exposed blank, he gently flicked the line tied to the end of the pole and to my surprise, I felt the tick!

My buddy Tim who owns seven of these rods just smiled. Suddenly I knew how it was that he had such better success fishing light plastic baits than I, he felt bites I was missing with the rods I was using.

Photo 3) The other quality I considered was strength and flexibility, while the tip is soft to the touch, which helps with casting, the tension loads up fast as the salesman bent the piece while I held it. This loading, or rigid quality is necessary to set the hook well, and to pull larger fish out of weeds, and these rods have it all, a supple top 25%, and a no- nonsense backbone for the rest. The final determining factor that won me to these beauties is the warranty. If you break the rod, either fishing or otherwise (barring blatant abuse), Grandt Industries will replace or repair it free for life. The only charge is shipping and processing. This is the kind of confidence true craftsmen have in their products, a reassurance we rarely see in commercially available fishing poles. An added bonus is your own name laser etched into the rod to identify you as owner, and when you purchase a Grandt rod, you go into their database and receive e-mails about specials and show dates.

Photo 4) Here is the Abu Garcia Revo SX-L 6.4:1 mounted on the Grandt rod. Low profile quality of the reel is made apparent here, this image clearly shows how the oversized high speed driving gear is offset to bring the center of the reel closer to the rod blank, making it a very comfortable reel to fish. The other benefit of an oversized gear is the high gear ratio, but no loss of torque. This allows one to fish a lure fast (this model recovers 27" of line per turn of the handle), retrieve a fish fast, and not lose any power. The castability of this reel is amazing, the Everslik coated spool pinion allows one to cast 1/4 oz. baits against the wind successfully (with good thumb control) and heavy baits great distances. This is not a reel for beginners because of this, backlashes and resulting bird's nests can happen easily if you are not familiar with bait casting reels.

Photo 5) Another great feature of this reel is the bearing and drag system. with 10 ball bearings, and one roller bearing the operation of the reel is surgically smooth, a dream to use. The six plate Carbon Matrix Drag System is one of the best available, generating a massive 24lbs. of resistive force, 2 to 3 times that of other reels in the Revo's class. As with all three Revo models, S, SX, STX, the drag is adjusted by the star wheel shown here. The spool break adjustment, like all controls is precise and demands practice to master. As with most Abu Garcia reels, round as well as low profile this control seems most effective when applied a little on the
heavy side.

Photo 6) Perhaps the only shortcoming of this reel is the smaller line capacity due to its lower body height, where a similar reel by another company may hold 150 to 160 yds. of 12 lb. monofilament line, the Revo series holds only 120 yds.

I do not feel this is a big concern, but there are some who will want the extra yardage. The break control is Linear Magnetic, controlled by the dial seen in the picture. This fine adjustment control eliminates backlash at the beginning of the cast and is easily operated. I usually set it at 75%, and adjust for the lure weight on the cast with the spool break.

Photo 7) In this picture you can really see well the main gear housing, and how low the reel actually sits, The gear system is all solid brass, and the frame is aluminum as opposed to graphite so there is no flex in the parts. This type of construction makes the reel strong, and very light weighing only 8.7 oz. when the spool is empty.

Photo 8) This makes the whole setup of rod and reel weigh a little more than 16 oz., but it's quality of strength makes it able to battle the largest of New England freshwater fish, and I feel that it would handle many moderately large

fish in other environments with proper line, and of course cleaning and application of oil and maintenance regularly for light saltwater use.
I hope this is a helpful review, and will update it later in the spring after the first day out on the water and let you know if the setup lives up to my expectations.

God bless, Mike.

Wocester Sportsman Show 2008, Pt. 2

2008-02-15T10:00:00.013+08:00

To complete the coverage of this show, I will pick up with boats.

Photo 1) A nice aluminum 16.5 ft. bass boat from G3, completely loaded starting at about $18,000 US. This is a good beginning package for starters, although one can find Trackers for about $12,000 US, they will be a slightly lower quality, and not as nicely equipped. There is something to be said for buying an equipped boat. It will cost more for a down payment, and higher monthly installments, but out the door, you are ready to fish. Buying a base model will be easier on the wallet initially and monthly, but unless you search for the lowest prices on each option and install them yourself, ( no guarantees with this option either with some items if not professionally installed) in the long run you are likely to pay more, and of course do without the assurance of some manufacturer coverage.

One needs to think long and hard on how you will buy as well as what you will buy, and how much capitol you can afford to spend.

Photo 2) Ranger boat line up. These are 16 to 18 ft. fiberglass boats that are at the top of the price chain, exceeding $40,000 US and some of the better made on the market, though not as well made as some like BassCat costing the same or less.

Photo 3) The new lineup of Penn reels. Here I have to admit some ignorance. I know little of Penn reels other than they are almost exclusively salt water orientated, however if you look to the center of this picture you can see a baitcaster reel that is an inshore model, with anti-corrosion bearings that double as a bass reel. I do know that Penn is one of, if not the most famous names in reels worldwide and if the quality, fit, action and feel of these reels is any indicator than I understand why.

Photo 4) More Penn reels, again mostly all are designed for saltwater, but I saw no reason why some of the medium reels could not be used for drop-shotting and light plastics in freshwater venues. Penn reels range in price from $50.00 US to $600.00 US, depending on whether they are for Giant Tuna, or lite action flats fishing.

Photo 5) This would be my buddy Tim, dreaming of the size and weight of the lunker bass that would give this $700.000 US Diawa Tuna reel stripped drag plates and burnt bearings. By the look on his face I would guess he imagines it would be bigger than him!

That is all for this show. I did not cover rods as I did not really look at many, and there was a request to cover reels. The next post however will be a rod and reel review, a Grandt Industries All-American Pro-Series Rod I bought at this show, and a new Abu Garcia Revo SX baitcaster 6.4:1 that I matched it to. The pair promises to be a lethal combination for bass!

2008 Worcester Sportsman's Boating & Fishing Show.

2008-02-11T06:28:00.000+08:00

This past Saturday My friend Tim and I went to the annual fishing show in our area. I went two years ago, missed last year, but when Tim invited me to go I did not need my arm twisted. Unfortunately Bob was unable to go with us.

There are a lot of things to see, I took photos of mostly boats and reels, as some folks wanted to see more fishing equipment, and while the boats are outrageously priced, they are beautiful to see. This review will be two part as I have more reel pictures to show than I can reasonably fit into one post.

The first three photos are the Shimano table.

Photo1) Saltwater reels for medium shark and Tuna fishing. These run $200 to $400 US. Shimano makes a good, durable reel. While I do not have any reels of this caliber, the Shimano Curado Bantam 201 baitcaster for Bass was my first baitcasting reel and I still use it regularly.

Photo 2) The long spread of handle mounted reels was massive! One could explore every make of reel Shimano makes form freshwater baitcasters, to saltwater spinning reels. The sales reps were helpful, though there was no negotiation on price unless you were to buy more than one reel.

Photo3) These are varieties of the Calcutta series, ranging from $200 to $220 US. They are a crossover size, suitable for medium salt to heavy freshwater fishing. I have seen them used on television for big Pike and Muskie in North America, to Peacock Bass in the Amazon. I have even seen them used in Egypt to fish for 100+ lb. Nile Perch!

The show was four days long, running from February 7th to 10th, admission was $11 US and was fairly crowded, but not to the point of uncomfortability. There were also many booths devoted to hunting and taxidermy, charter and guided tours, and new fishing related products like collapsible boats and specially outfitted kayaks for fishing in remote backwater.

There were even showmen handling Monocled Cobras, and a reptile zoo with American Alligators (juviniles), turtles and lizards for the many children that came with their parents. Also for the kids there was a trout pond set up and hourly fishing contests with junior rods and reels as prizes.

The biggest spectacle, and I do mean big, was a live 1,400 lb. Brown bear that was tame, and had been in movies and on the cover of National Geographic Magazine last year. I did
take pictures, but unless anyone wants to see them I will stick to the fishing aspects of the show for the visual reference.

Photo 4) These are some of the new freshwater spinning reels from Quantum, the Energy series. these are awesome reels, though I do not own one, they are smooth and strong with 10 bearings, machined aluminum frames and titanium bails. Each one comes with a spare aluminum spool and a supply of Hot Sauce, a specially formulated lubricant exclusive to Quantum products. They sell for $150 US.

Photo 5) These are some of the new Catalyst reels from Quantum, similar to the Energy series, they also boast many of the features listed above, including a hybrid polymer stainless steel bearing system that is distinctive to Quantum. This reel contains 8 bearings, magnetic anti-reverse, and sells for about $100 US.

These reels are some of the most popular among pros in the US. I see many using them on footage from B.A.S.S. tournaments around America, and while I only own two spinning reels, both Shimano's and less expensive,I could tell from handling these that they are performance oriented and worth every penny.

Photo 6) These are some of the new the new Diawa reels, Viento, (blue body) Zillions, (silver bodies) Millionair-S, ( Top, left row) and Lunas, (right row, all). These are middle level reels from Diawa, (the Steez is the highest at $450 US) and are very good quality. All are milled aluminum frames, and free-floating spools with a wide range of bearing numbers. The prices range from $200 to $300 US, and their quality reflects the price. These are incredibly tight reels, the drags are smooth and all operational parts are made to a high tolerance, these are reels you buy once, keep for life and then hand down to your children!

I do not own a Diawa as I have a love for Abu Garcias, but I can appreciate their quality. There are more photos and more reels to come, I will post more in the next installment of this post, The Worcester DCU Center is a medium sized sports venue located in Worcester Masachusetts, and during this show the arena center was filled with over a million dollars US in boats, motors and trailers. From my last post you may know that I just bought a new-to-me boat that I am overly joyful to have, and thank God for, but that does not stop me from appreciating the works of engineering art for fishing I saw Saturday!

Photo 7) While my jaw is still dragging on the ground from this boat, an 18ft. Skeeter with a 225 hp 4stroke Yamaha with an incredible paint job that looks like it belongs on a race car rather than a bass boat, the price of $32,999 US kept me from any dreams. As beautiful as it is, I told Tim I feared the bright color would scare the fish, even if the 4 stroke was super quiet!

Photo 8) this nice Champion bass boat is very understated with its simple paint scheme. I like it the instant I saw it, it is 18ft. X 6ft. with a 150 hp. Evinrude 2 stroke e-tec motor. Evinrude e-tec motors are to date the most fuel efficient, powerful, and quiet 2 stroke motors made. They have the added advantage of needing no dealer maintenance for 3 years, and no break in period!!!

Photo 9) After a few hours Tim and I got some sandwiches and sat up in the upper level of the arena to eat and watch all the people walk about and look over all the awesome toys. This is the right side view of the arena and as you can see the spread of boats is extensive, something for every taste, and as far as new boats go, most price ranges. A basic package aluminum hull Bass Tracker starts at about $10,999 US, and the most expensive boat we saw was a 21ft ranger at over $54,000 US! No, I did not take a picture of it, my camera is not that good!

Photo 10) The picture below is the left side of the arena and the rest of the array of fishing machines that we perused.

I hope I am able to bring the enjoyment of the show to you in this post. It was a good show shared with a good friend. The next post will be the second half of this show, focusing on more reels, and a nice custom rod I bought, not that I was looking for a new rod, but it impressed me so I took the leap. Enjoy the post, and for those still locked in winter, be patient spring is only four to six weeks away!

God bless, Mike.

King Prawn Fishing Trip At Kuala Belait River

2008-02-09T20:02:00.000+08:00

We went for another king prawn fishing this morning at the Belait river...although it was raining heavily in the morning it never dampen our spirit. We arrived at our usual boat landing spot around 10.30 am where our friend, Osman was already there waiting...Once onboard we straight away went to our hotspot...

...:: Heading towards our favourite hotspot... ::...

...:: Syazni's first catch ::...

...:: Osman hit the jackpot with this large king prawn...! Abis record kawan ku hahaha...::...

...:: Another catch by Syazni which was no match to Osman's king prawn...citttttt!! ::...

...:: "Queen prawn" by Syazni...still no match! ::...

...:: Another "queen prawn" by Osman... ::...

...:: More prawns caught by Osman & Syazni...I wondered where's Ibnu's pictures...??? ::...

...:: Check out the size of that king prawn compared to the soft drink can...! ::...

Altogether our total catch for the day was only 26 prawns...about half of what we caught last week...but unfortunately our friend Ibnu didn't get a sinlge prawn...atu panasss hehehehe! Nevermind there will always be a next time Ibnu! Cuba lagi kawan...

1990 Lowe 1600 V

2008-02-06T07:52:00.001+08:00

After three years of waiting, scraping and saving, I am finally a boat owner! And thank God, we got exactly what we wanted and at a better than good price. After a long while of renting boats when we could find then, and fishing from shore and small canoes my fishing partner and I will now be able to go after the fish where they live, rather than being at the mercy of the shoreline, trees, and private property ownership. This past Friday Bob and I went to New Hampshire, about an hour away from our area to the Monadnock Boat Store where we had seen the ad, and made arrangements to inspect and purchase what looked like a good deal for the price. We got there and met Scott, the salesman and he led us to the boat.

We were very surprised! They had brought the boat in from the storage warehouse and unwrapped it, and put it into a large heated work bay with tools and a bench. " Heres all the tools you'll need, go through the boat and make sure it meets your needs, let me know when your done, I'm not going to hang over your shoulder and pressure you." Scott said, and left us to check out the boat for an hour. We were stunned, the last place we had looked would not let us look at the boat like that unless we bought it, which I did not like at all.
We were immediately impressed. The boat, even though 18 years old was in great shape. I checked the hull first and saw it to be in very good shape, having only scrapes in the aluminum on the riveted keel rib, regular wear from rocks in New England, and a 1 1/4" slit that did not penetrate the hull, an easy fix with a TIG weld, or aluminum weld epoxy and a file. Bob is a master mechanic and electrician, he checked the motor, a 1989 Evinrude 50hp in very clean and well maintained shape. (the boat originally came with a 40hp, and is rated for a max. of 70hp.) The spark plugs were seasoned but almost new, and the wiring was solid. The prop is new and the lower unit was rebuilt this spring, a pricey job if you pay someone.

I looked over the interior. I was happy to find all aluminum decks and transom, so replacing rotting wood will not be an issue in the future. The carpet was in good shape, but I will replace it in the fall as there are some worn areas, small holes, and a few stains. As you can see by the pictures there is plenty of storage compartments, a large bait well up front, a large livewell between the seats, and two smaller wells behind each seat. There is a battery charger, and three new batteries, one Garmin color fish/depth finder on the console, and one graytone Humminbird fishfinder on the bow. It even comes with a stereo am/fm cassette player, which I will replace with an all weather radio, as I can't think music will help our fishing!

The trolling motor is a neat feature. It is a Minn Kota AP55, with Auto Pilot. The motor is connected to the fish finder, and one plots a course by the electronic compass, and the motor follows the path automatically, we have never even seen one before. I also have a 30lb Minn Kota stern mount 30lb. trolling motor and another new battery from my canoe that will now go on the boat so we have enough power to fish our local watershed lakes that do not allow gas motors. There is a rod locker that will fit most of my fishing poles and wonderful pedestal seats for comfortable casting all day long.

The boat even comes with a pair of Cannon downriggers to run lures deep and at a steady depth, a type of fishing I know nothing about but may have to learn. The trailer is galvanized aluminum and in very good shape, tires are new, bearings are good and the winch and hitch are well cared for and the crank jack works well.
All in all one could not ask for a better deal. The boat was taken meticulously good care for throughout it's life so far, and I will continue to do so. Being a boat owner will be a big step, I am looking forward to working on the motor, boat and trailer as it needs maintenance, and modifying it to suit Bob and my style of fishing. The weather helped us greatly, if it were spring here in Massachusetts, I would have paid far more for all the boat and options I have described.

By summer Bob and I hope to fish tournaments, and I hope to spend many days fishing with the fishermen in my church, and vacationing at my aunts in Maine, camping out and fishing with Bob and his son. I will keep posting on the boat from time to time, repairs, modifications and tournament news as it happens and of course photos of the big fish we hope to catch now that we can get to them!

God bless, Mike.

Fresh Water Prawn Fishing Trip

2008-02-03T19:21:00.001+08:00

This morning we went for a fresh water prawn fishing at the Belait river by boat...there were five of us. On arrival at the boat pick-up point near the Rasau bridge, we were greeted by an unexpected & uninvited creature...it was a 1 meter long crocodile! On seeing our presence it quickly make way and vanished under water...

...:: A gruesome sighting...! ::...

...:: Osman waiting for us under the Rasau bridge with his 18 foot long fibreglass boat ::...

....:: All eagerly looking for the best place to get started ::...

...:: Faizal 1st catch of the day.. ::...

...:: Followed by Mizan ::...

...:: And soon..everyone was posing with their catch.. ::...

...:: Pian with his fresh water prawn ::...

...:: The biggest catch of the day! King prawn caught by Mizan ::...

...:: More catch from Osman ::...

...:: Syazni manouvered the boat looking for another strategic location...::...

...:: Osman and his biggest prawn ::...

...:: Another catch from Pian ::...

...:: Syazni showing his catch ::...

...:: And another one...::...

...:: By mid-day one after another the prawn became our victims ::...

...:: At the end of the day we managed to catch a total of around 50 fresh water prawns or king prawns ::...

By 5 pm we decided to call it a day...packed our things and headed home feeling satisfied and hoping to make another trip again in the near future with more catches and hopefully to catch that elusive big blue king prawns..!