First trip out in the new kayak.
Got up around 6.30 and got everything ready – double checked all the gear before setting off to Punggol. Arrived about 8am and set everything up in less than 10 minutes...
Everything fits inside the kayak once your ready to go - even the pump!
Heading to Coney Island
Next stop was the kelong
Pulau Ubin doesn’t look too far away now…
So I decided to go there..
Heading back to Coney..
Kayak handled like a dream! Tracks well, great speed, comfortable, spacious, easy to paddle – no regrets!!
Didn't catch any fish - not even any takes! Using Stump Jumpers, Aussie Jumpers and Crystal Minnows.
Second trip out.
I went out with a new kayak buddy - set out at 7:30am and returned at 4pm!- paddled out from Changi Ferry Terminal all the way to the southern tip of Singapore - about 4.5km one way. Coming back was tough though - against the current so effectively doubled the paddling distance. I guess with the current flow as it was, we must have paddled at least 15km!
We did catch a few fish though, so it was a successful mission. All the fish were released to grow bigger as all were under 1kg. First up were Tamban (small bait-fish) - the fish finder showed groups of fish so I tried to jig for tamban - each time I dropped, bang - up came a full line of Tamban! Next up were small Grouper. I was trolling a red/white Eupro lure on the way back and had a take. I thought I was stuck on a rock at first, but when I grabbed the rod, could feel a fish on the end. A beautifully marked Grouper about 800g came up, released a little prematurely as I didn't get a good photo of him!
Once again, paddling was great though tiring with a head-current!
Sea anchor in action - thanks IKEA!
3rd trip out in the yak was on the East Coast of Singapore early on Sunday morning.
I trolled a couple of lures along for about 1km, but with no takes. The fish-finder was quiet, with a level bottom of around 20ft. As I passed one place, the bottom looked different. Beep, beep..beep..beeep.. FISH! I'd been seeing fish last week, but they weren't taking anything, so I thought I'd bling things up and try some flashy apollo rigs I'd had kicking around for years. On the very first drop, FISH ON!!! Ooooooooh BIG FISH, BIG FISH!! My rod is a PE2-4 and bent over nicely feeling violent shakes, but very rapid. The water was quite clear and spinning round in the water I could see fish - 3 fish!! One on each hook!!!! This has been my dream for so long - first drop and fish on!! I've had those rigs sitting around since mackerel fishing off Balscadden! I bought a few packs off ebay 5 years, but never got round to using them!! Lucky they were stored in dark places and the mono is still as good as the day they were tied!
Thrilled to bits with these three, I tried again, over the same spot where the fish-finder showed the fish.......
BANG - FISH ON AGAIN!!!!
WOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!
This time with a grouper!!!
Bye Master Grouper, see you again when you grow up - if I'm lucky!
After this, I tried a different rig - a normal apollo with 20lb flourocarbon hooklengths, one with squid and one with dead prawn, but no takers. Had a bite on the prawn meat, but only small.
Put on my super flasher and another take - straight away!
These fish are soooooo beautiful! I caught 9 of these, before deciding to leave them in peace and try another spot.
Paddled over to the Marina Barrage, but no takers there. If you look behind the barrage, you can see 3 hotel towers being constructed - that's where I'm working now!
The yellow bouys have a sign on them restricting boaters from going any further in. The bottom here is flat, with no fish showing, so I decided enough was enough and enjoyed the paddle back to base.
Don't need to stop at the filling station today!
This boat is a petrol station, there is another next to it for diesel!
Hope you enjoyed that.
All the best,
Ian
- ever thought of producing a DVD about your fishing adventures?
