Transitions of an Angler


By Thurai Singgam


First Steps


“Boss, can get a fishing set?”
“…Can, what kind of set you want?”
“I want a set to catch giant snakeheads”
“What you want to use? Live bait or lures? You have just started to fish; just aim for an easy prey first. Try common snake heads with frogs.”
“…??...”

I clearly remember the day I walked into that tackle shop with just a little information that I got from some friends. I still remember the way that tackle shop owner looked at me from head to toe. Not sure of what I was doing, not sure of what to use, I went on to randomly select a heavy combo set, bought some frogs and immediately went to Banting. This would be my first fishing trip with my very own setup.

Fishing in the estates as a kid was always fun. Initially, I picked up fishing just as a way to kill time and maybe just to add a little more adventure to life. But little did I know, that little spark in me, would soon grow into something bigger, something that would define me, a resilient passion.

I managed to get two of my closest friends to join me. With a couple of rods and live baits, together we fished palm oil estates, ponds, lakes or any bodies of water we could find.

We worked hard, we gave it our best, but I was not satisfied with my catches. I knew I could do better. I knew I had to work harder. I need to know how. I had to gain more knowledge.

I will admit, fishing your heart out but with very slow progress and very less catches can be very disheartening, at times even demotivating. Even my friends noticed it. They bought me a birthday cake with wishes of good luck to catch more fish on it. But the passion never died. It grew.

                                   My catches, friends and the cake during my early days in fishing


Point of Transition

I knew something was wrong with my methods. I wasn’t doing something right. So I decided to call an old friend, who happened to be in ICasters’ Malaysia. I asked if I could join him. This is was the start of a whole new adventure - Lure Fishing.

I believe, the right attitude and approach is very important in order to progress. I thank God every day that I was able to see my lack of knowledge and had a teachable mind. I was able to learn and pick up things so fast. But it came with really hard work.

Practicing to cast, every day, day in day out. Reading, studying, researching. Lures. Rods. Reels. Tackle. Hours on the water and on the field. Through many failures and mistakes. Through many days without catching a fish.

But I fed my passion continuously. I didn’t give up even though it was frustrating at times. I knew I had to push on.
Then I began to see the difference. Things began to change. I understood what I was doing. I could cast better. I could present lures better. I could catch more fish!


Was it all Worth It?      
     
Looking back then, and where I am now, yes, it definitely was all worth it.

I can proudly say, I’m capable of casting all kinds of lures of various sizes and weights. I have improved my casting skills and accuracy so much. I am capable of handling fishes, big or small, in different environments and conditions.
Is it enough? Here’s where we don’t stop learning. There’s a whole ocean of knowledge out there. There is always room for improvement. Always room for progress. So many places to go. So many fishes to catch. It’s a new experience every time. We never stop learning. We never stop pushing our limits. We never stop exploring. We never give up. We go the distance.
So, what’s next? Where do I go from here? How do I do it? I’ve got a few ideas. It’s a huge world out there. To me, this is just the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.


Tight lines! Cast the Passion!


Sharing some of My Humble catches upon proper guidance and knowledge gained.

My close friends who started with me and who were there motivating and being the reasons for me not quitting fishing during the hard times....Thank you

A SAILOR’s STORY IN SW

Being a merchant navy aka seaman aka sailor, doesn’t mean one have abundant time for fishing. Such activities are rarely seen onboard as modern world commercial pressure put up a round the clock work routine for us. Yes, it was hard for me being a sailor and also an angler under ICASTERS banner.

I got off the ship on 15th May and reached MALAYSIA by 16th May. For 2 days (till 18th May),which seems like forever, I was always looking for opportunity to fish. One fine day, just after a night futsal on 18th May, I told my intention to Naresh Bro (1 of my mentor in icasters and a excellent coarse angler).He immediately agree to bring me to Jurassic SW pond in Sepang(without even thinking twice).

The next day, (on the 19th ), armed with my Majorcraft Basspara 5-10 lbs rod , Shimano Sahara 1000FE reel, 8 lbs Fireline and various soft plactic lures and also together with my friends ,I set the journey toward Jurassic SW pond. We reached Kuchai Lama (Naresh Bro house) by noon and after a quick lunch there,set path to Sepang

The journey itself took around an hour or more. Upon reaching there,we waste no time. Its casting time baby…. Right after setting up our equipment,we straight went casting. My friend had his strike on the 1st cast itself,but missed. Naresh bro was the 1st to land a fish, which is a Siakap (Barramundi) after 40 min of casting. 1 of my friend landed another Barra shortly after Naresh bro a land a GT. My friend, Thiban landed a Cobia.

As for me..i also had a strike on my 1st cast itself,but it missed even before I could set hook. My 1st fish, a Barramundi .strike was near the water pump. Bt the strike I value the most was the GTs. Damn..their lighting speed strike, their ability to swim fast and change direction rapidly made me struggle to control them at first.Bt later on,with some guidance from ,(I would call ‘sifu’) Naresh bro,I managed well..The next hook up came a little later..another GT..which took me roughly 3 mins to land it.

In the total 4 hours of casting,self landed 5 trevally and a barramundi.Both my friends had their fill with 2 GT (Thiban Raaj) & a siakap (Puvendran). N the best is Naresh Bro….A freaking record of 20 hook ups..Barra,Gt and groupers..

It’s a great experience being at Jurasic SW pond...They provide an exclusive service for visitors there. Their fast reaction ensure timely release of the fishes back into da pond thus making fishes there remain healthy. As for me,a repeat to this pond is a MUST…

An experience by : Tashman Sundra Raja

CATCH & RELEASE & CONSERVATION: Are we doing it right?

A critical approach.

Definitions

Catch & Release by definition is an ethical act of conservation practiced within recreational fishing whereby captured fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing any serious exhaustion or injury than could cause deformities or fatality.

Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation and protection. Its primary focus is upon rectifying, restoring and maintaining the health of the natural world, its fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Those who follow the conservation ethic and, especially, those who advocate or work toward conservation goals are termed conservationists.

Conservation Biology is the scientific study of the nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on natural and social sciences, and the practice of natural resource management.

The Conservation Ethic is based on the findings of Conservation Biology.

The Natural World in its broadest sense, is the natural physical, biological, ecological and geological state of the world or universe.

Nature refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large part of science. Nature is the intrinsic characteristics that plants, animals, and other features of the world develop of their own accord, often referred to as the course of nature.Nature can refer to the general realm of living plants and animals, and in some cases to the processes associated with inanimate objects – the way that particular types of things exist and change of their own accord, such as the weather and geology of the Earth. It is often taken to mean the "natural environment" or wilderness–wild animals, rocks, forest, and in general those things that have not been substantially altered by human intervention, or which persist despite human intervention. Although humans are part of nature, human activity is a separate category from other natural phenomena. Manufactured objects, manmade alterations and human interaction generally are not considered part of nature. This more traditional concept of natural things which can still be found today implies a distinction between the natural and the artificial.

Artificial is understood as that which has been brought into being by human consciousness or a human mind.

Introduction

To plainly put it, Catch & Release is not just about catching a fish and then throwing it back into the water. It’s a whole lot more than just that. C&R is restoration. C&R is preservation. C&R is a principle. C&R is a state of mind.

By truly understanding the definitions given, you would probably have an idea of the actual depth of that simple act of releasing a fish. C&R is the right understanding towards the preservation and restoration of a natural ecosystem. 

To fully understand the meaning and value of C&R, the angler must first learn to love and understand nature itself, in all its beauty, diversity and splendour, not just the fish. Once this is achieved, only then is it possible to exercise C&R to its fullest potential. 

The Jigsaw Puzzle

The angler must be able to understand the fish’s contribution to a fully functioning natural ecosystem. The part the fish plays in it. What other organisms or species rely on the fish's survival? What does the fish rely on for its survival? How is it part of the life cycles in the habitat? The plants that depend on it. Habitat population control. Down to the little microorganisms that are connected to it. All this plays an important part in conservation and preservation of that particular ecosystem.

Creation came about like a huge, absolutely beautiful jigsaw puzzle. Each living creature positioned and fit perfectly into its ecological and geological systems. Now imagine one piece goes missing. Or one piece is intentionally repositioned. That puzzle picture will never be complete and can serve no useful purpose anymore. It has lost its beauty. Until and unless that piece of the puzzle is rectified and restored.

Mankind were ordained to be the guardians of nature but instead we are destroying it faster than it can restore itself. And all for mostly selfish and inconsiderate reasons. 

They say to create awareness and educate fellow anglers on the value of C&R is the best way. Well yes. I do agree. But is the education and information that we give them correct? Are we conveying the true meaning and value of C&R? The right decision is always an educated decision.

Techniques of Catch and Release

The use of correct techniques is crucial in the survival of the fish you are about to release. By the proper hook-up, battle, landing and handling of the fish, you’ll be doing your part to ensure that there will be more and bigger fish for the next generation of anglers.

Sport-caught fish typically die for one of two reasons during catch-and-release: wounding and/or stress. Although some wounding may be unavoidable, the use of proper equipment and careful handling can keep this to a minimum. The following tips showcase what the angler can do to be successful at C&R with success equating to survival.

Handling of Fish

For effective catch and release fishing techniques, avoid excessive fish fighting and handling times, avoid damage to fish skin, scale and slime layers by nets, dry hands and dry surfaces (that leave fish vulnerable to fungal skin infections), and avoid damage to throat ligaments and gills by poor handling techniques.

Do not handle fish by placing your fingers in the gill slits. Fish gill filaments are very sensitive and can easily be injured. Fish should be handled by cradling the fish near the head and tail if possible, or by gently holding the fish near the mid-section. Fish can be safely handled by holding the lower jaw, thumb in the mouth and forefinger under the chin or with a lip grip in the case of toothy fish.

Landing Nets & Slings

It is also important to use a type of net that is not abrasive to the fish (such as a rubber coated net or lightweight mesh), because fish can easily damage themselves in a hard plastic-style net while thrashing. A horizontal sling is most recommend when handling fish out of the water

Gaffs
Avoid the use of gaffs at all costs.

Lip Grips

Lip gripping devices may be used to help subdue fish. However, they should not be used to hoist fish vertically out of the water, as this can cause damage to jaw muscle and bone as well as to internal organs. The best method for removing fish from the water is to grip the fish or the lower jaw and support the fish’s underside. Again, the point is always to hold fish horizontally and not vertically

Hooks

The use of barbless hooks is an important aspect of catch and release; barbless hooks reduce injury and handling time, increasing survival. Frequently, fish caught on barbless hooks can be released without being removed from the water, and the hook(s) effortlessly slipped out with a single flick of the pliers or leader. Barbless hooks can be purchased from several major manufacturers or can be created from a standard hook by crushing the barb(s) flat with needle-nosed pliers

Single hooks are more easily removed than multi-point hooks, such as trebles. It is not advisable to use treble hooks as injuries by treble hooks are more severe as the chances for a fouled hook up is very high. But in the case whereby the angler still insists on using it, lures that have treble hooks should have the barbs bent down or removed to facilitate easier hook removal.

Modifying the types of hooks you use can significantly affect a fish’s chances for survival after it is released. When fishing with natural bait (dead or alive), it is strongly encouraged to use non-offset circle hooks. Extensive research on various species has demonstrated that circle hooks gut hook significantly fewer fish without sacrificing catch rates.

Fishing Line

Stress is caused by a variety of factors, including taking too long to land a fish or catching a fish by exerting extreme amounts pressure on it. Fishing line of sufficient test-strength is to be used to not unnecessarily prolong the fight. Bring the fish in to shore or to your boat directly and release it quickly. Please note, fish caught from deep water will often die unless they are brought to the surface slowly.

Landing and Hook Removal

If the angler is not going to photograph the fish or document it for record purposes, the best method is to not remove the fish from the water. In-water releases can be aided by the use of de-hooking devices that eliminate the need to boat the fish and keep hands safe distances away from the fish. If the fish has swallowed the hook, it is much better for the angler to cut the leader as close to the fish as possible, rather than trying to forcibly remove the hook.

If a fish needs to be removed from the water to remove the hook and/or document it for record purposes, anglers should use either their hands or knotless, rubberized landing net. Most small to moderately large sized fish can be landed by hand. Ideally, this should be done with wet hands or soft, wet gloves to minimize slime and scale loss

Documentation

Pictures, measurements and/or weighing of the catches takes time, so you should have the necessary equipment ready before landing the fish. If a fish is to be weighed, horizontal slings are preferred. However, scales that weigh fish vertically still provide a chance for survival if done quickly. 

Fish should be measured on a smooth, wet surface. Never place fish on a hot, rough surface as it can result in slime and scale loss, which can make the fish prone to infection and death. If the documentation process takes longer than several minutes, periodically place the fish back in the water or in a live well to allow it to breath.

Never remove large fish from the water. Large fish can injure themselves and the crew and should, therefore, be treated with respect. Take a photograph of the fish in the water and release it.

Releasing a Fish

Considerable time and care should be exercised when releasing fish. First, when possible, release fish in areas away from predators. During the fight and landing, there is a short term accumulation of lactic acid and stress hormones in fish muscle that makes it more difficult for them to evade predators after release. Fish should be placed in the water and held by the base of the tail. 

If the fish does not swim away from your grasp on its own, gently move it forward in the water to get water flowing over the gills. For best results, move the fish in the forward direction only instead of back in forth. A fish’s gills somewhat resemble the pages of a book and are designed for water flow in only one direction. Moving the fish in a slow circle or gently towing it behind the boat will accomplish this.

Fish that are bleeding from the mouth or gills due to hook removal and handling indicate your catch and release techniques need to improve .Survival is reduced significantly when damage resulting in bleeding occurs; if regulations allow, fish that are bleeding are the ones that you should consider keeping.

Question: Should we release all fish caught, irrespective of species? 

Firstly, here are two examples of very common fish: The Peacock Bass and The Tilapia. 

Tilapias were introduced into the Malaysian freshwater bodies as an aquatic food source. Being ardent breeders, they have multiplied and infested almost all accessible bodies of freshwater. Since introduction, tilapias have been ultimately successful in destroying whole river and pond ecosystems in a few short years. Plants and animals that depend on these now infested/disrupted ecosystems have not been able to restore themselves at all. 

The Peacock Bass was brought in by irresponsible anglers. They were introduced into bodies of water along the northern states of Malaysia for the sole reason of sport fishing. Peacock bass are most ferocious eaters and fast breeders. They eat almost anything in their path. Snakehead, Perch, Barb, Carp and so many other local and endemic fish populations have just vanished from the ecosystems due to this fish. 

Research papers and studies done of the impact these species have on Malaysian Ecosystems can be widely obtained online. There are many more alien species such as these. 

So, do we release them back into ecosystem? 

C&R is about making very conscious and educated decisions. It is the ability to correctly identify and evaluate the relating factors pertaining to the fish and the ecosystem without any emotional deterrence. It’s about doing the right thing. 

Having said that, I shall leave the question to be answered by the angler himself. 

Doing the Right Thing 

Maybe our approach to C&R, could be just a little bit better. Maybe we really should take a better informed, educated and researched approached towards C&R. 

Only well informed and educated anglers are truly able appreciate and understand the natural habitats we fish in. We study so much about a fish just to catch it. We study its surroundings, its natural habitats, its behaviour and biology just so we could catch that fish. Indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, we are actually studying and understanding a whole ecosystem just to catch a fish. This is already the perfect kick start to an educated approach to Catch & Release. 

Who else then, would be better to educate another fellow angler about the value of educated C&R efforts? 

In the most humble of opinions, C&R is not just merely saving a fish so we can fish another day. Fishing and C&R is about a God given opportunity to restore, preserve and care for the ecosystem. It’s about an opportunity to restore a damaged natural world. 

If done right, even though a very small part, the difference and change we make would be remarkably huge…and all this while doing what we love most… Fishing!

An Article By

Justin Thomas

26th April 2015, Port Dickson Jigging

Waking up early for fishing was never a burden for I Casters members; moreover this trip was for a new method of fishing for us called ‘Jigging’. We gathered at Klang, Bekerly Corner at around 6.30a.m, took light breakfast and decided to start our journey to Port Dickson. On the way, we had to stop in a Rest house near Port Dickson to meet another member who guided us to the boat dock at Teluk Kemang. We also had to buy some food and drinks like bun and cold drinks to eat and refresh on the boat later.

We reached the dock at 8.30a.m and met the boatman “Apek Kecik”, a very well-known and friendly name among jiggers. The boatman asked us to arrange all our fishing materials in the boat while waiting for the boat to be towed to the beach. After arranging, we also started to tie leaders and jigs to the fishing gears. They used a mini tractor type of vehicle to tow the boat to the beach. Together with us, there were also other boats getting ready to go to the sea to fish. 

Approximately around 9.10a.m we got into the boat and begin our journey to the sea. We were advised that the Port Dickson Sea is not very deep compared to other common jigging areas and the water tide on the day was slightly low. This makes the underwater current to go low as well which may result on reduced bite rate. However the boatman promised to bring us to the best spots in Port Dickson which boosted our confidence level.

Arranging fishing materials in the boat

One of the member “I-Casters’ president” was playing light jigging and the rest was playing slow pitch. First fish strike on slow pitch resulted on a broken rod. Luckily spare gears were brought together. The silence and frustration on the boat was broken upon the first fish strike. We got a Queen fish which jumped out of the sea fighting with an 180grams silver jig in its mouth. We managed to land it successfully in less than 10 minutes of fight. The boatman constantly changed location, drifted the boat to align with the water current, helped us to save the jigs which caught under the corals and did all he can to ensure good fish strike with minimum lost. The boatman also caught a Queen fish in one of the spot we stopped. Reward for a hardworking man.

First strike on the boat

Second queen fish landed

Many beautiful living natures discovered on the day such as, flying fish, a small coral fish that looks like a dorado fish (we got no idea what is that for real), a fast hunting Cobia fish which misses a jig and very hardworking birds which kept on hunting from morning for anchovies. Looking for spots has leaded us to a fish frenzy spot. How we found it? The birds guided us to the spot and there were multiple explosions on top waters due to fish attacks. Spontaneously we all tried to cast to the frenzy area in the hope to get a strike. The boatman asked us to relax and advised us to just wait as the frenzy fish will travel around the boat later. Using light jigging set added advantage in the situation as it allows casting the jigs further into the fish frenzy area. The Boatman also advised us to use popper and pencil lures for top water strike.

We managed to land a good sized queen fish, also a member managed to hook up a striped mackerel without wire leader (gosh!! it was breath taking) and we missed few strikes as well. Finally, after trying to chase the frenzy fishes and covering few more spots, the boatman brought us to the most favorite spot which is Tanjung Tuan. That was the place where our I Casters President managed to get a heavy strike. Boatman and the rest of the members could not guess the fish which got hooked as the pull and the shape was something new to all of us. Upon fighting for almost 20 minutes a 7Kg spotted mackerel was landed on a 40grams jig. According to the boatman, spotted mackerel was last seen a year ago in Port Dickson Sea and it is very rare to catch the species on this size. That was the last catch on the boat and it turned out to be the best catch of the day.

Spotted mackerel caught with 40grams Jig

Striped Mackerel caught with 60 grams jig

Around 4.30p.m we had to stop jigging activity after Tanjung Tuan, as the day was about to rain heavily. We had to pack our things and rushed to the land. We waited for the boatman to park the boat at the dock and brought out the fish to be shared among us. The boatman requested to keep the tail of the spotted mackerel as a new record in Port Dickson jigging trips. We managed to move back home at about 6.00p.m in the evening.

The tail of the spotted mackerel

Again, I Casters had cast the passion, but now in Port Dickson Sea.

An Article By
Vimalan Krishnansamy

ICasters were at Megabass Japan Cup 2014-2015

Venue: SW Jurassic Fishing Pond, Bagan Lalang, 43950 Tanjong Sepat, Selangor
Date: 29th March 2015

After a ‘not so sleepless’ night thinking about the Megabass 2014-2015 Japan Cup competition, we, 6 representatives from Malaysia ICasters fishing club got ourselves up early in the morning and started our journey to the Sepang Jurassic SW fishing pond where the competition will be held. We managed to meet up in a ‘Mamak’ shop to grab something to eat for breakfast on the way.

ICasters Team

We reached the pond approximately 7.30 a.m and found out that we were one of the earliest members to reach the place. We all had the look ‘Damn…where are the others?’ Mr. Jeffry, the pond owner welcomed us with his usual happy smile. We didn't know, waiting and feeling nervous will make us hungry and the “FEELING” brought us to the food stall again to have something hot to drink. Many live emoticons can be seen on each members face already, some stays cool, some looks nervous and some were collecting information about the competition from other participants. 

Once the drinking session is done, we collected the participants goodie bag and gathered at the waiting area together with other participants. Everyone was busy setting up their fishing gears, busy snapping photographs and chatting with friends. Sharp at 8.20 p.m, the competition chief Marshal called all the participants to explain the rules and regulations of the competition. Together with him was the very well-known Megabass Elite team member year 2010 Lake Kawaguchi Champion Madam Seina who gave us some presentation on year 2015 Megabass featuring lures and wished us all good luck in Japan language. She had a translator that speaks Japanese English as well but, who cares, she was beautiful.

The rules were simple for ICasters members, catch a fish with HARD body Lure, you get 2 points and if you catch a fish with SOFT plastic lures, you will get 1 point and about the rest of the list, to be frank and truth full we were not concentrating at all. There was also another game arranged in the competition called the ’BINGO’ game and it’s opened for all participants too. The game can be won by simply catching 3 species of fish from the pond.

ICasters members with Madam Siena

Sharp at 9.10 a.m the competition Chief Marshal asked us to take our own places around the pond and wait. After 5 to 10 minutes waiting, the competition bell rang and we could see almost 50 lures flying from different angles into the pond.

Some got very lucky to get fish on their first cast and some was casting calmly on continuous mode presenting the lures on best possible way to catch a fish. We all could see a group of GT fish frenzies but none of the fish decided to even smell a lure. ICaster members took places on all corners of the 2 ponds which was opened for competition. After some time, we all could see ICasters president fighting with a fish. We got ‘Surprised’ or ‘Happy’? Nah, it was a very normal scene for the rest of the members, even we expected him to be one of the favorites to win the competition. Approximately after 1 hour the competition started the BINGO game bell rang indicating that there is a winner already. Damn,that really increased the tense of the competition.

ICasters member

ICasters members noticed to be doing very well in the competition. The Marshals was running around helping to bring the fish up, unhook the de-barbed hooks and release the fish back. They wrote the points and catch time on the tag given to us before leaving to their spot again. Many photographers were around the pond to take pictures of the participants and the catches. Sun was over bright on the day making us to dehydrate fast and try to find some shades. All participants were warned over elapsing time of last 1 hour, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 5 minutes and last minute of the competition. Last 15 minutes was the epic moments when all the participants pushed to the max and cast out the lures as strong and as fast as possible.

ICasters member

Sharp at 12.30 p.m, the stop bell were rung by the chief Marshal. All casters had to stop casting and make their way to the ‘point registration table’ at the waiting area. While waiting for the result to be announced, we took the opportunity to take pictures and autographs from Madam Seina the featuring guest. The competition was exhausting and we all took our sit and drank as much of water available. After ½ an hour waiting, the results were announced from standing of no. 10. Surprisingly, out of 6 ICasters members joined 2 of them found to be on the 2nd and 4th standing. The rest did their best as well and was lacking of very small point margins only.

ICasters rep on 2nd standing

ICasters rep on 4th standing

The noise made and the clap gained when ICasters members receiving their prices was a breakthrough and a recognition for the ICasters club. We all were happy for each other’s as brothers as always. We took enough pictures with the group, the participants and the organizers and decided to make a move back to home at 3.30p.m.

An article by : Vimalan Krishanasamy aka Vipaima

A brief introduction to the Malaysian Peacock Bass

Kampar was the district in which once upon a time produced the highest Tin in the whole world. Since the collapse of the tin industry in the 1980's many of those tin mines had been abandoned. In the case of Kampar there are a huge quantity of abandoned tins mines and it is also the area with the most abandoned tin mines in Malaysia. This makes it an anglers heaven.

These ex mining ponds have become home to a huge diversity of freshwater fish especially mayan cichlid (Ikan belang) which occur in plague numbers. The prime target for casters who come from around the country and sometimes even from overseas is the Peacock Bass. A fish which fighting abilities are legendary and sought after. Peacock Bass can dominate a pond easily due to its exponential reproductive ability which starts at an early age and vicarious appetite.

This fish was first introduced as an aquarium fish in the early 1990's before anglers found its potential as a game fish and released it into lakes and ponds. One of first places peacock bass was introduced are the lakes near Holiday Villa, Subang. There was a study in 1997 in a local university regarding this fish species.

This picture shows a sizeable peacock bass
The setup which I normally use to fish for peacock bass is 
Rod = Berkley Cherrywood 1-6lbs
Reel= Tokushima 500
Line = Nanofil 8lbs
Leader= Cap Ayam 20lbs

The reason for using an overpowered leader is because some of the places are steep so there will be a need to pull the fish up. As for lure selection the most frequently used are 2 inch Berkley grub and Bakau Ironman brand spoon 12 gram. Being a student one has to use the resources he has and not go for expensive lures since I am new in lure fishing and cant loose lures frequently. Hahaha.

Peacock bass will attack anything that moves most of the time. But there are certain unexplainable cases in which the fish refuse to bite even if the lure is in front of it. One of these cases are during spawning time when the peacock bass is in parental mode. They might either attack your lure as soon as it hits the water or completely ignore your lure. The cause of this phenomena is unknown. In the picture below we can see a huge peacock bass which attacked a 15 gram spoon. The size of the peacock bass below is smaller than my handphone.  

If there is a group of peacock bass in a specific area when the weather is hot that means that group will be in that area as that is its territory. This is how we know the "lubuk" of the peacock bass. Once the are detected then we can start to fish them. The best time in my opinion is after rain or late evening. Avoid fishing when there are sightings of monitor lizards or otters. Fish do not bite in a 15 minutes interval when there pass through.

Once a Peacock Bass is hooked others will follow behind it in the sense of food. If you can cast your lure in front of the peacock bass right behind that follows you will have 90% chances of a bite. In every group of peacock bass there will be many small sized ones and big ones beneath. Sinking lures are preferred for the big sized peacock bass.

Once a peacock bass is caught and released it may emit panic hormones back to the school of fish and make them move from the strike zone. For catch and release anglers a method to avoid this problems are

• To keep every fish caught tied to a stringer and then release all back after the fishing session.
•  Release the fish in a different angle where it may not return to the school. But the method above is more efficient. 

Picture shows a 47cm Peacock Bass caught on a spoon. It attacked the spoon when it was sinking. This shows that the big specimens are always below the school

Peacock bass is relatively easy fish to catch but hard to locate. It is advisable to spend more time finding for the fish rather than fishing the fish. Peacock bass are predator fish which means they consume at least 25% of their body weight on a daily basis. In the second part I will cover on techniques in lure and live bait fishing to hook up peacock bass as well as the tips and tricks from many sources.

Practice bag and size limits whenever possible to avoid depletion of fish.

An article by Sathaprakash

ICasters' @ Natural Exotic Fish Fishing Pond - Nov 15th 2014

A detailed report by Ian Peters. 

It was a cold  day at Natural Exotic Fish Pond (Rawang).

Lightning flashes in the distance worried Aston, and the cold wind bearing on my bald head was adding to the worry.... would it rain? Ran collectively in our minds...

Justin was first at the pond at 6.15...to book his favorite place next to the bridge to the restaurant. He was already well equipped with 2 Nasi Lemak bungkus (Favorite Local Breakfast) and a flask of hot coffee.

We arrived at 6.45am and rigged up..talking cock and greeting each other with laughter..curses and something about live keli (Live Catfish).

Then came the birthday boy Mathew. ..he gave us invaluable insights of the exo pond.
His views cemented my own views and that of Logesh, that most of the fish were at about 4 feet from the side of the pond where the drop off were.

We went in, the sun rose cool at first... but hot as it climbed to it's zenith...fish where initially active, became quiet and the majority of the casters were located  in the hut behind the canteen.

Vimalan - Asian Redtail

Vimalan was injured and could not cast far and was hobbling around casting quite accurately around the canteen with Mathew showing us his casting skills around the canteen roof. (An interesting technique, of casting the lure to the roof, and slide it down to drop in the water)
Even with his injury and hobbling around, he (Vimalan) registered the highest hit's and was rewarded with a couple of Asian Redtails.

Navin and Aston were all over the place when i foul hooked a 7 kg plus Amazon Redtail on its tail..on a size 4 fly. Despite the massive adrenaline rush, it is not something I'm proud off, quickly concluded the fight and released the fish back to the waters. It is almost impossible not to foul hook on a fast strip, as the high density of fish in exo pond.

The fly boys used WT6 and 7 rods with sinking line. We registered  most strikes on black that day.

Bottom supremo Justin  was successful on his special  sardine dedak (Pilchards with Bran mixture) and sliced fish thrown to the  shadows of the  canteen.

Navin was working the  water well...and he was rewarded  with a beautiful red tail.

Navin - Asian Redtail

Aston CKC'ed (Group's Term of Foul Hooked) a huge Tilapia (Tilapiine Cichlid) and managed  to proper hook up an Amazon Redtail, but overall it was a quiet day for him...from his usual 5 fish on average in exo pond.

Aston - Amazon Redtail

Sivanes was casting well, but apart from strikes and misses..he came out empty handed, on the first half. And on the second half, his dedication rewarded him a nice Asian Redtail.

Sivanes - Asian Redtail

Loges was beating the water to a froth casting and casting and despite, many hits and runs he lost many flies  to some huge marauding demons.

I myself lost one huge fish that took me to backing in an instant but when i tot it stopped and i had got him. The line went slack..
The fish..suspected a big Pacu (Pa'Ku / Characidae)  had left me with a clean  cut line.

Fight ensued but no other takes, except at the pump where Logesh  lost 4 flies and I 2...
Huge amazons were in the wash but we managed to put up about 7 or so Jelawat / Sultan Fish (Leptobarbus Hoevenii). Also known as the mad barb...

It is the humble  suggestion of this observer that exo needs to be fished on a week day preferably on Wednesday.

Lure should be broad fish patterns cast to the canteen and brought  back.

Grubs should be white or light color cast to behind the canteen and slowly left there, and brought back slowly...strong scented grubs would be preferred.

With fly casters..the back cast is a problem but not  impossible.
We should  cast more and practice our roll casts especially and use colors such as black deceivers and woolly buggers.

Casting near or at the pump brings results and it is not for the faint hearted. Not fast enough could lead to lost lure's or to lost lines.
With fly caster's, it is advisable that a tippet of below 20lbs breaking strength is used. If, your lines are tangled on the pump's, at-least you could break off the tippet and not loose the whole fly line. That could be expensive.

Casters should  be able to pin point casting as Mathew suggests..by hitting the back wall of the canteen and dropping the grub.. Fat suspending lure should be used as well..

So be aware whats happening and light tippets are favored to break off.

- The End -

Written By
Ian Peters