Sibu Hotboys Kelong Trip Big Squid Eging Catch

November 30, 2009

The monsoon season has officially started... At least for us in Singapore, we are starting to feel the effects. From the usual Changi Offshore Fishing to just fishing at Bedok Jetty.

Thus, our yearly pilgrimage to the Sibu Kelongs has kicked off! With most of the region under attack from the monsoon, it is near impossible to go on offshore trips. It's a time to save up so that we can buy new babies but at the same time, cure the eging or seklar jigging itch... All this while relaxing on a Kelong!

After a check with the usual kakis, we found out that most of us could only make it on the long weekend. It happened to be decent slow current which was good for eging. We knew it would be extremely packed but the temptation was too great. In the days of planning, we found our numbers soaring with each new day and finally we had a grand total of 20 heads for the trip.

We had already heard about Team 7's Jimmy bringing up a big group so we had pretty much the impression that it was going to be a war for Seklar jigging space and rod holders! When we arrived at the Jetty, we were right! The jetty was FILLED! Groups were going up in bulk and we had to go off in batches!

Fengshan with that SIAN12 face

The water was fairly choppy although the condition was still pretty much TOO CLEAR for my liking. I prefer muddy water when going for the fishes. Looks like we came too early.

When we arrived at the Kelong, we actually had to wait for a group to clear their beds first because it was so full that there were no beds left!

Getting a place finally...

The thing about a crowded place was not that the fishing will be bad... Rather that when you get a big seklar or squid, many will flock to your area... Some say its standard SOP.

We set up our stuff and i went to fish immediately after skipping lunch as i had a filling breakfast. They had some simple food for lunch.

We managed to stay humane until the beautiful sunset... The team 7 guys were bringing up many squids with their yamashitas and yozuris but I wasn't going to fight with them for squidding space so i filled up my box with big seklars instead. It wasn't easy to get them as they were not in feeding mode but i did ok.

I casted out live baits for biggies the whole day but no fish was willing to take the bait. The surprise of the day was when i got a big halfbeak on live tamban... Can you believe it? I can't... LOL.

We were pretty amazed by the dinner that day. We had fish head steamboat, delicious sweet and sour thai style tofu, salty calamari and steamed white chicken! It was considered one of the best menus i've ever had at Sibu. There was even free flow bandung!

After dinner and supper, my predictions came through and as the night ebbed away, many turns to their beds or mahjong. The big groups that came were mostly family and kids and so not much impact on hardcore fishing in the night. I grabbed my rod and egi jigs to look for squid. I tried all over the usual spots but did not get anything. The wind was howling from the other side of the kelong...

I finally settled on an extremely windy spot under a spotlight. There was nothing special at that spot but i guessed i went over to it since there was a chair there. I planted myself there and dropped my jig to the bottom... Just bringing it up once in awhile while taking in the night breeze.

Little did i know... i got a pull! And a pretty big pull! Initially, i thought i had snagged on some debris but the bugger took out line and was fighting aggressively to pull my line under the kelong stilts. It was trying hard and was not the usual squid... I called out for the net but there was noone near me. I fought back and did not give any inch. Was it a grouper which attacked my squid jig?

The answer was found later... When i found myself staring at a huge baktao. It even tried to squirt ink on me from the water. I rated it a 1kg plus piece of alien thingy. I called for the net again but an aunty near gave me that blur look and told me to just lift the baktao up.

Having no choice, i used my hands to pull the line in but halfway through, the baktao fell back into the water... One of the tentacles having been ripped off. During that moment, my emotions were 'WHAT?!', 'OMG', 'KARMA?', 'AHHHHHHHH' and so on...

I went back to my bed and lay on the head for a moment before deciding to go out and brave the wind again...

5 minutes into my jigging, i got a take again... the same old heavy pull which dived down. This time, the thing got some line out and i struggled to recover line. I tried to guide it out of the kelong stilts but it kept going. But luckily enough, it swam out of the stilts and out into the open. I pumped slowly as i did not want to bring it up so fast... There was another problem though...

I had not learned my lesson... there was still not net near me. But thankfully, there was Fengshan near me and i called for the net. By now, the thing had surfaced and it was baktao at least 3 times the size of the previous one that got away. There was definitely NO WAY i can lift this thing up using just my line. That irritating aunty beside me kept asking me to just pull it up... LOL...

Fengshan went around the Kelong to find it for me... after 10 minutes. Thanks Fengshan! After the commotion and shouting, the whole kelong woke up to watch me nervously divert the baktao into the net after a tense period of concentration. The baktao was lifted up and the kelong crowd cheered. I became a kelong super star overnight. What an ego booster... lol

Everyone was swarming around me and getting my photos. I even posed for Jimmy and the hotboys staff... Now i know how it feels to be the famous Alan Chan...

The baktao... a whooping 3kg...

After the whole episode, i somehow indirectly managed to convince almost all of the fisherman in the kelong to take out a squid jig and crowd the spot... Seeing this, i gave up instantly and my decision was vindicated by a slight shower later on while i slept!

The next day was pretty stagnant and i woke up a little late... I lost interest in Seklar and aiming any big fish.

Stagnant day... Hot and sunny... WHAT MONSOON? A little windy that's all...

The Team 7 guys and another group had left after lunch... Which made it SWEET since there were around only another 40 pax left and most of them don't fish. I proceeded to a "Viet Con" Tunnel after lunch for eging and i was extremely pleased that i managed to get many small green eyes after awhile. The squids were in school below but they didn't last long! That was when i had ANOTHER SHOCK!

Halfway through eging for small squids, i got another big take but it seemed like a piece of plastic or coral since it was just heavy so i reeled in... It was until i saw what it was that i realized it was actually another giant baktao below 2kg... I reeled it up to the surface but it gave one big tug with a few squirts of ink. It was over in a flash as the bugger was only hooked on the tip of the tentacles... Is it just me? Or are the baktaos approving of my blog...

Itz eging time!

Got myself a few more squids just before dinner... Lost 1 or 2 because of reeling them in too fast. Resulted in torn tentacles...

After dinner, my expectations came through and the news of last night's monster baktao spread through the kelong like wild fire. There were lots of squid hunters but where were the squids? I spent like 3 hours squidding but only managed 2 or 3 medium squids. A lucky boy who got his big green eye was very happy... He was using a Yamashita squid jig he just bought. The squid came all the way to the top to grab his squid jig.

The boy's squid...

The other surprise i got during the night was that instead of squid's, i got some octopussy... not 1... but 2 octopus! It was quite a good tug of war with it!

Octo 1 and octo 2

After midnight, i was too tired to continue and turned in early... Yawn! What a boring night...

Woke up to excellent shredded chicken and peanut porridge in the morning!

After breakfast, me and Weiyee went to get water for cleaning the squids i caught which were to be our special "Jia Liao" of the day... oatmeal calamari! After all our hardwork it was extremely worth it! I cleaned my baktao in the process as well...