Aunty Fishing Pond with Kraken Gear Ah Du

It's not everyday that you visit a fishing pond in Singapore since there are so many fishing options available. However, that is before the pandemic struck and fishing in Singapore has somewhat been affected by it since local fishing charters seem to be overbooked. Some boats are fully booked for a year.

So enter paypond fishing!

Made a trip to the trusty "Aunty Pond" in Neo Tiew. It's a rather quaint and private fishing pond tucked in the country side which made it more rustic and relaxing compared to openly public ones like Pasir Ris Pro Pond or even Gills Fishing.

I think everyone is quite familiar with the pond in the local Singapore Fishing scene so I'll just post what I learned below. 

1. Hit the fishes when they are feeding!

Fish in the pond are not as "artificial" as you think they are. There are certain times where they have adjusted to the water condition and are in "feeding mode". It's very important to make use of this time to bag a few fishes. There are lull periods in between where fish are wary or not feeding. Sometimes, the pond stock might also be low but this is rarely the case these days as angler/fish turnaround is fairly consistent because of the full bookings. Try casting and combing at the same spot. Pond fish do school together. Another theory which I have is pond fish may actually be affected by high and low tides, not in the water itself but maybe the moon phase.

2. Release of fish do trigger other dormant fish to feed

This is something I confirmed quite awhile back but saw this so regularly in my last few trips. Release of fish from nets trigger other fish into feeding so don't just be casting to the net area. Try casting at the different spots and holes at the pond. 

3. Rubbers work and there are new ways of doing so

Rubbers continue to work wonders at ponds but these days anglers are trying lots of different sizes, colours and methods. In certain ponds where there is depth and less terrain obstruction (Aunty Pond and Ed's Pond do have a fair bit of seaweed and coral), constant retrieve and bouncing is possible. What if the pond is shallow and/or full of weeds and coral? During this trip, Ah Du tried his OSP Back Slide rubber rig and it worked wonders. The key is in the rigging method which allows the rubber to flutter on the drop. I would love to try it with prawns one day though.

4. Release what net? What fish release timing?

Take note that Aunty Pond usually releases groupers in the middle "jetty platform" and other fishes are release in the other keep net at the end of the pond. Different fishes have different behaviour. Groupers tend to stick around where they were released while the others do roam around a fair bit. Aunty Pond also doesn't release fishes according to timing but to demand and supply. More anglers equals more release.

5. Try a variety of baits

While this is true for luring, it's also true for baiting. Aunty Pond allows Tiao Keng, Tamban, Kembong and all that and they even double "apollo" rigs so go ahead and experiment. Try and see what the fish eats. These fishes are from the fish farms so they generally respond well to fish meat and freshness not essential. They're also very used to bait falling from the surface to them so try imitating these (hint: like back sliding rig).

Some photos of our catch (mostly Ah Du's catch)

Barramundi taken on the back slide rig

Taiwan ngor that was schooling took the rubber close to the edge of the water!

Mangrove Jacks are very aggressive and will chase your rubber down

Decent day

Want to read more about Aunty Pond? Visit 8 reasons why Aunty Pond at Neo Tiew Crescent is one of the best fishing ponds in Singapore.

Want a quick and tasty recipe for your pond fish? Visit Garlic and Herb Baked Mangrove Jack Recipe.