- KY Jigging Space -

Xtra Xtra!!!

2011-11-19T12:52:00.001+08:00

http://runifyoucan.blogspot.com/

New toys!! New locations!! New targets!!

And yes I still fish!

Angel on Canon 500D

2009-09-17T15:48:00.001+08:00

Couple months back, was down in Singapore and the urge to get a DSLR came. Sigh… Can never fight these urges… So I ended up buying a Canon 500D for myself and helped AH Leong 仔 with his 50D. And these pictures were taken when I just got back to the hotel so can send pictures to him.

Anyway, went to the nearby park few days back after work and snap some pics of Angel. Still no skills with DSLR so pretty much just pointing and shooting :D

Angel Reborn

2009-09-11T20:53:00.001+08:00

After 1 week of waiting, Angel is finally ready for collection…

Here I am… inching towards him…

Almost ready… just some last minute add ons. Bidding farewell to my sports car that has served me 7 long rough years… and never once fail me… 八仔… THANK YOU!!! And hope you find a nice owner, who’d clean you more often. And OFF we go :) For some PIMPING!!! :DThe last thing that Edmund told me before I leave the showroom was… ‘Remember… DIESEL…’. Here we are, ORE @ Batu Caves. The owner Kelvin is good. Highly recommended; contact him @ 0123300333. Pedal Lock for added security!! (Lock-tech I think…) Rims… WHITE??? OR BLACK??? After much much much consideration… JENG JENG JENG!!!!!

ALL DONE UP!!! (for now) :D More detail pictures OTW.

I think this is 1st 2009 Facelift Mitsubishi Triton on the road. All thanks to Edmund at Mitsubishi. Contact him @ 0193386116 if you are looking for Mitsubishi cars. He’s based in Shah Alam.

Angel the TRITON

2009-09-04T19:18:00.001+08:00

This morning I received a sms from Edmund, Mitsubishi Sales Consultant, saying ‘I just took your car from the yard, driving back to the showroom now'.’

2 months… 2 FREAKING LONG months I’ve been waiting for this day!!! So during lunch, I jumped into my 1.3 two-door local sports car, Proton Satria, and sped towards the showroom.

Drizzling? NO!!! I purposely went home to pick up my camera!!! Pouring?? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red light?? Seriously!?!? WHY SUDDENLY EVERYWHERE ALSO GOT RED LIGHTs!?!?!? The rain stopped!!! There it is, the showroom!!!

It’s pouring AGAIN!! :| There he is… Angel… :D MACHO Angel… not the cuddly Angel!! HAhahahaha…

JENG JENG JENG!!! Introducing 2009 Facelift Mitsubishi Triton, 2.5 litre, Manual.

Angel, get your HOT ASS ready for some PIMPING!!!!!!! Anyway, still need to wait another week for AP and other administrative works. 1 more week!!!!!!

Pekan - June 09

2009-06-16T22:17:00.002+08:00

The trip that I'm suppose to go but didn't...

http://spiritofthesea.blogspot.com/2009/06/pekan-fishcapade-story.html

Pekan – May 09

2009-06-03T19:29:00.001+08:00

The never ending love and hate relationship with Pekan is back, once again! Why love and hate… Hahahaha… Sometimes Can lo… Last trip was a good one with the big ass Cobia on PE1 setup. This trip was quite ‘ice kosong’ for me. But fortunately, it was just me… :D

First morning, we spotted this… POLIS!!! Cute… :-p

And nearby, is our boat. :) Thank god its not cute…

It was a cloudy day throughout which started off with a downpour. While having breakfast, it rained heavily for 20minutes. Good thing it stopped. But the wind was blowing so we had to chill at the jetty for a good 20 minutes to wait for the wind to subside.

Our Captain, Ah Boy, took us to the nearby spot to jig and live baiting with prawns. And within an hour, Suynia landed the jackpot of DAY 1!! Check out the way she stare at her catch!

And here is Ah Tong, whom we called Elvis Presley, 猫王, King of Cats, before boarding the boat. But shortly after Suynia, he dethroned himself with a jackpot Ang Kor/Parrot Fish.

And here is Loui with 1 of his many Ang Kor/Parrot Fish.

And here are some of my catches…

Slightly bigger than the previous one… I landed a few of such sizes… :-D Couldn’t bother to take pictures after that. Luckily, Green Eyes were quite cooperative so I kept myself entertained. Since I didn’t catch much, tumpang glamour a bit… :D

And as usual… FRESH SEA FOOD!!! :D :D :D Steam Ang Kor/Parrot Fish!

Fried Calamari. Nyonya Steam Diamond Trevally.

And Steam Green Eyes!

And here is our ex 猫王 with his Parrot Teeth… he’s super happy has he’s been a 猫王 for quite long… And here is DAY 2! I spotted a stick floating beside the boat and smtg soft stuck to it. Was staring at it for 5 seconds before realising its an octopus. So I picked it up and put it in the live well. Later in the day we drop it down live baiting hoping to land some giant, only to be whacked by an eel!!

And here is MY Diamond Trevally!!! Hahaha… Boy’s brother, Ah Loong tagged along on the 2nd day. And in the afternoon, he hooked a live prawn to his jig and dropped it down. And it got whacked! Knowing I haven’t landed anything decent, Ah Boy took it from him and gave it to me. :D:D:D:D Takkan la I’m gonna say ‘No thank you…’. :D:D:D:D

Later in the day, the champion from Day 1 was crowned Champion once again. And a well deserved one!! At around 3 smtg, we were all taking a break from the burning sun and windless sea, sipping Milo and 100+ and puffing away, while Suynia was jigging her ass off alone under the sun!! And she was nicely rewarded… :)

9kg Diamond Trevally!

Other than the hijacked Diamond Trevally, the only close call I had was twice with Jackson’s Pintail. Once while retrieving, I had a hard take but no hook up register. I think maybe because I only had 1 treble. But still… that’s like THREE hooks! The lure came back with a few stripes of deep teeth marks. Another close call, was a lost lure when the Pintail was sinking.

And that concludes our trip :D

Shimano 250 “Damn Chun”

2009-05-24T15:55:00.001+08:00

Introducing… the Shimano Calcutta Conquest 250DC. Shimano calls it Digital Control. I call it DAMN CHUN!!!! Bday gift from NN couple months back.

JENG JENG JENG!!! Shimano DAMN CHUN!!!

And here’s the dial to THE Digital Control.

And the heart of the control. Didn’t dare to open any further…

Drillings on the top side… not as much as the non-DC Conquest.

The stock handle and knobs waiting to be PIMPED!!!

Loaded with 20lbs power pro.

Shimano Japan… I wonder if they have any job vacancy… and staff discount…

And here’s the partner in crime… Tailwalk Trinis, model TWC 661MH.

Black & White clouds… perfect match with the DAMN CHUN!!

HOT HOT HOT!!!

KY’s Mini Studio

2009-05-08T22:46:00.001+08:00

How do you find these pictures of the Stella 10k? Nice? Sharp? :)

And here is one with a Rapala lure.

And the Pluton.

And here’s some comparison with the BEFORE pictures. Same camera and setting.

NEW

OLD

NEW

OLD

Anyway, the NEW pictures are taken in my new mini DIY studio. I think they are sharper because of the softer more evenly distributed lighting. The OLD ones are also more grainy. And the NEW ones has sharper distribution on the object. I think it will be even better with a tripod and on timer. And much better with a DSLR. :-p

Here are the materials. White hollow boards. Tapes, single and double sided. Stapler. Blade. White smooth surface A3 paper.

Trim to desired sizes and join them using the tapes. Few layer would be good.

Cut holes on the top and side for lightings. These holes need to be covered with white cloth to soften the lights.

Tape the whole box up, double tape the white paper inside for the background and base, cover up the top and sides with the cloth... And JOB DONE!! :D Project budget, less than RM30 :D Number of lights pretty much depends on preference. I use 2, 1 from the top and 1 from the side.

Battle of the Tubes

2009-05-04T23:33:00.001+08:00

Well not exactly a battle. Just thought I’d do a simple write-up of the rod cases/tubes that I have.

Here are the contenders…

From left to right-

1) Plano Airliner Telescoping Rod Case,

2) Nature Boys Rod Case,

3) Pioneer, &

4) Plano

Lets start off with #4 Plano. Latest acquisition to replace #3 Pioneer. I use the Pioneer tube everytime I fly back to Brunei. I’d pack 2/3 light rods to go. But because it’s one of those cheap and happy for a while case, the zipper didn’t last after a few trips. The zippers are still there; it just doesn’t zip. So the last trip back to Brunei, I had to wrap the opening with duct tapes with a pad lock just so people think that it’s securely locked. So once I got back, I went to Sabre to pick #4 up.

At RM195 (prior discount) it definitely gives me much better piece of mind knowing my rods are safe. I think rod cases/tubes are something you don’t wanna stinge on. It’s a necessity. Anyway, here are some pictures…

This is the part that holds the extension of the case; which extends up to 9ft. Which I don’t think it’s advisable as it becomes flimsy like can break anytime like that.

And this is the cap/cover.

Twist and lock mechanism.

And of course slot for your padlock.

Comes with a leather strap to hold the cap/cover to the case.

Here’s the base. Stands upright nicely but definitely not firmly.

And here’s my gigantic rod case from Nature Boys.

This is the heart of the case; sturdy and solid support throughout.

And it opens and closes like a suitcase. Very functional compared to the normal ones where you insert from top. With this, you can line them up on the suitcase part first. Once done, just slide the top cover and close.

Extends up to 8ft+. Weighing in at 5.7kg, (3kg more than Plano Airliner) it’s definitely a heavy weight. But heck… 3kg for additional piece of mind… ok wat…

When I received this case, the first thing I did was stand on it. Something you won’t wanna try on the Planos Airliner.

And this is #1, my Plano Airliner. Been my faithful companion for many trips. Never had a problem with it. Good investment too. But of course, retirement is inevitable, to make room for Nature Boys!!

Crocs

2009-05-02T23:55:00.002+08:00

New Crocs!! Dunno what's the model. Can't find it in their website. Wore it to Cyberjaya for fishing few days back. Suprisingly comfy and good grip on wet grass and climbing up and down loose pebbles.

Lace to tighten the grip on your feet.

Non-marking rubber.

Crocs exo-frame.

Spratly 2009 - Jig Fest

2009-04-29T23:26:00.011+08:00

While we spend most of our time popping the reefs with the small boats, we jig most of the time while on board Sea Maiden I, and of course bottom fishing. Again, jigging were more productive at Dallas compared to Mariveles. We had several unstoppable trains with Stella 20k and also Dogfight; of which we lost the battle to corals and Barracoutas.

Damn the Barracoutas... they were EVERYWHERE!!! Alan was totally the champion of Barracoutas. The annoying part is, they tend to whack your main lines and leaders. What's even more annoying is, once hooked they fight like dead weight!! It's like reeling in a bag of rubbish!

The Barracoutas were so abundant that, Bruce and I decided to play with FIRE and try our new jig... Sevenseas Hooker, Anatahan... The SUPER ATOMIC DARTING REACTION!! Anyway we didn't use it long. After landing 2 Barracoutas, I retired the jig back to the bag :-p Hehehehe...

Anyway, speaking of unstoppable trains, we had a few from jigging and also live baiting with flying fish. But they were not meant to be... All in all, we jigged the usual Big Eye Trevallies, Barracudas, baby Dogtooth Tunas, etc. Most of the jigging action were at night as we spent most of the days popping the reefs.

There were some decent size fishes landed from jigging and 1 decent size Dogtooth from bottom with a tiny piece of bait meant for Kelisi.

And the same angler, landed a decent size shark on jig.

Andrew once again was the champion of jigging with a 22kg Dogtooth. When he hooked on to the Dogtooth, I heard him shout 'HELP HELP!!'. Straight away, I rushed over with the fighting belt and put it on and start snapping away with my camera.

And then there is DD with his 22kg Yellow Fin Tuna and also a decent size Dogtooth. Overall, DD landed the most fish, and rightfully so!! He's our one and only JIGGING MACHINE that runs on solar during the day, and moonlight after the sun sets.

And later, the crown was taken by Alan with his giant Barracuda!!

And now for the bomb of the trip... 45kg Yellow Fin Tuna!! Please go to Spirit of the Sea for more details!!

To sum it all up, we had an excellent trip with all round thrills. Company was excellent and the arrangements by Michael, top notch. The only down side is the wheather which turn nasty on the 2nd last night onwards. Wind was blowing one side, waves going another side, and current going a totally different side. It was so bad that during the last night, the captain couldn't anchor the boat AT ALL!! So we ended up DRIFTING and REPARKING the whole night through!!

Beside that, we also had a few freak high speed short storm. Freaky because everything was flying around and everyone was running for cover. High speed because it came within seconds and the wind was super high speed. It came so fast that one minute you are jigging with warm mild wind blowing, and next minute the wind turn bone chilling and it just started pouring within seconds. Short because it only lasted for 10 minutes.

SO all in all... SHIOK :)

Now that the trip report is wrapped...

Introducing...

GILBERT!!!!!!! Named by Brewst.This dude flew in the last night out of nowhere and decided to just chill with us all the way to Labuan.

Spratly 2009 - Pop Fest

2009-04-27T18:15:00.011+08:00

Alltogether, we fished the Spratlys water for around 5 days 5 nights where we spent 2D2N at Dallas and the rest of the time at Mariveles.

Right after 'checking in' at Layang Layang, we head straight to Dallas.

Overall, Dallas was much much more productive compared to Mariveles, with very obliging GTs and Blue Fin Trevallies, who are not shy at all with whatever poppers thrown at them.

They are so ganas that lines were peeling out the moment my popper hit the water!! YES... before I even start popping!!!

What's even MORE amazing is according to Michael and the deckhands, they even have some where the GTs leap out of the water before the poppers even touch the water. Can't quite comment on that... :-p

ANyway, few jackpots were hit right here at Dallas!

After the 1st hour of popping, after landing several decent size GT and Blue Fins, we saw the other boat chasing after some boiling action on the surface. I think the boatman (red boat) was quite inexperience as he was charging right smack into the boiling. From what I know, that would usually drive the boiling further or disperse them. Fortunately for US!

Several minutes later, the boiling was a mere 20 metres away from OUR boat!!! And lucky me, I was holding on to my rod in a standby position that time and without hesitation, I cast past the boil and started popping smack through the boiling!

BIG SPLASH!! MISSED!! ANOTHER SPLASH!! MISSED!!!!!!!!!! THIRD SPLASH!!! With flipping fins!!! And my popper went DIVING!! Very quickly, I retrieved all the slack line and realised that the fish is heading right under the boat. Once the lines tighten, lines were peeling out at SUPER HIGH speed from the almost LOCKED Stella 10k, heading underneath the boat!!! And very quickly, I had to lean forward with rod under my armpit, half of my Shimano Kaibutsu LP is under water, both my hands on the rod hanging on to the raging speeding bull!!!

Everything happened so fast and Johnson and DD, who were on board, must have freaked out thinking my rod is gonna fly off my hand as right after I leaned forward in a very composed and commanding manner, (or was I slipping and falling) they were both behind me trying to give me a hand to hold me up and lift my rod up. No way am I gonna let anything slip from my hands!!!

After it's first run, the boatman repositioned the boat to let me start gaining lines on the fish.
At the same time, NN who was jigging behind me with Sabre Dance II and Stella 5000, hooked on to a TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which got cut off after some non stop lines peeling!!!

I couldn't do much about it as I was very very engaged!

The fight lasted about 15 minutes, of which by the 5th, I was already dying... but NO WAY am I gonna let go of my first monster of the trip!!! So as tired as I was, I went on fighting the fish til my leader finally appeared on the surface of the water... And shouted the boatman 'SHARK, SHARK!!'.

Armed with a 3 feet gaff... and a tiny boat with 4 anglers on boat... bringing that beast on board would be freaking dangerous. Well... sometimes can put on your lap, sometimes cannot... This time, we shall let the fish swim away with the popper. This is when I quickly turned to the boatman and asked for a weight estimate.

'Boss, brapa kg ah??',
'30 kilo lebih oh...'
'Ya kah? Ok Ok...' :D :D :D

After that, I was too tired to carry on anymore so I went back onboard mother Sea Maiden I so another few could take over my place. This is when history was made once again on DAY 1 by Andrew, newbie to jigging and popping, who landed a 20+kg GT!!

Dallas totally KICK ASS!!!!! And most importantly the boatman for Sea Baby. Please pay attention to the guy in BLUE in the picture below. If you see him, make sure you are with HIS BOAT!!

Seriously no joke. If you look at the pictures here, these are only a fraction of the fishes we caught while popping at the reefs.

But if you gothrough them, the boat is always WHITE colour. The other boat, the red one, taken by another fellow always makan telur. Serious shit man...

Spratly 2009 - Part II

2009-04-27T11:59:00.011+08:00

Here are some pictures taken before and after boarding Sea Maiden, before all the jigging and popping starts.

Michael, the organiser for the trip. If you would like to join him on his trips, log on to http://www.fisherzone.com/forum/ Do note that it's in chinese. Or you can always call him - 0126418880. Oh... better speak Cantonese or Mandarin...

KY and his Nature Boys rod tube.

Alan and KY

Michael sorting out the food and sleeping arrangements. We bought so much snacks and tidbits that even Michael was a bit shocked. But by the 2nd last night, we've finished EVERYTHING!!!

Johnson and Alan checking out the sleeping area. This room here hold 3 double deckers, and on the left and right are 2 more rooms which hold 1 double decker each.

This is the other sleeping area and toilet at the front of the boat.

Here are some pictures around Sea Maiden 1.

This is where we spend most of our time jigging... Picking up Sea Baby and GT1; our popping buddies for shallow reefs.

Time to get ready... :D:D:D

If you know how to tie FG knot, tie lo... if you don't, watch lo...Or you can ask ppl to help...Or DIY with SIFU's guidance...

The number of Stellas on board was really shocking... we had 15 anglers on board and I'd say average of 2 Stellas per angler. It was Stella everywhere la...

Expedition Spratly - Intro

2009-04-25T01:35:00.012+08:00

A week ago, a group of Sometimes Can Anglers set sail on board Sea Maiden 1 and headed up north from Labuan, to the infamous islands & reefs of Spralys in search of their Sometimes Can Dreams...

As usual, the packing began early...

Light Jigging

Golden Mean Sabel Dance II PE1 matched with Shimano Stella 5000 loaded with 20lbs Xzoga. Bought this rod a week before the trip. Very similar action and weight to Evergreen's Spin Jerker, at half the price.

Medium Jigging
Evergreen's Spin Jerker PE 2.5 matched with Shimano Stella 8000 loaded with 30lbs PowerPro.

Heavy Jigging
Hot's Wei World matched with Daiwa Z6500H Dogfight loaded with 80lbs braid.

Popping
Shimano Kaibutsu Light Pleasure PE2-4 matched with Shimano Stella 10000 loaded with 40lbs Xzoga.

My solid rod case - Nature Boys. Sometimes Can Anglers scattered all over...

Sea Maiden 1

After passing numerous oil rigs...
We finally reached Layang Layang... couple of hours later, the popping and jigging begins...

Toshiba Satellite M300

2009-04-14T21:37:00.006+08:00

Toshiba Satellite M300

For the past few years that I've been blogging, I've always been using company's laptop, and it has always been IBM's Thinkpad. Recently, because of security and cost cutting reasons, we had to switch all our laptops to desktops. And that is why the past couple of weeks I was not able to blog. No laptop and worst of all, all my pictures were stuck in my company's laptop as they disabled all the USB ports, again for security reasons. Am kinda upset as I still have lots of pictures that I wanted to post but didn't have the time... so kinda need to retake all the pictures..

Anyway, knowing PC Fair was around the corner, I decided to buy a laptop of my own. Hahahaha... after so many years.

As usual, I was doing some extensive reseach on CNET and multiple forums and the finalist were down to HP's DV4 and Toshiba's M300, with similar specs and pricing. And since Toshiba seems to be slightly more reliable with better built quality, I got myself the Satellite M300 :)

Here are some pictures...

Proud member of...

2009-04-02T21:18:00.006+08:00

For more info, please refer to Spirit of the Sea.

Fisherman - Big Game Power Handle

2009-03-20T23:08:00.005+08:00

Minor pimping for the Stella 10k :) Fisherman Big Game Power handle from Plat.

I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of weighing with my mom's digital scale... I actually weighed all my rods and reels over the weekend... :-p

Pekan - March 2009

2009-03-16T21:34:00.008+08:00

It's that time of the year again and monsoon at the east coast is coming to an end. Was trying to book a trip with Azhar but repeated calls were answered with 'Fully booked'. Coincidently, while shopping at Sykt Kepong few weeks back, I bumped into Loui and Suynia (ex colleague). And they told me they are going to Pekan in 2 weeks time and if I'm keen, I can join them. And out came the usual respond 'ON LA!!'.

Shall let the pictures do the story telling...

Arsenal for the trip -
Ever Green Poseidon Spin Jerker Light with Stella C3000,
Sabel Dance PE1 with Caldia Kix,
Sabel Dance PE1 with Daiwa Pluton,
Jekyll Short Rodders with Avet SX,
and Shimano Kaibutsu with Stella 5000.

Brought some Wasabi for some Green Eyes sashimi... but our boatman Ah Boy said that getting a green eye at this time is like hitting jackpot. So we didn't bother trying our luck...

NN's first fish on jig!!!

The Hercules of the sea... Ang Kor / Parrot Fish.

NN waiting for her Ang

Here's Loui with his big ass Ang Kor. We named him 'The Diving Jigger'. While taking a pee at the front of the boat, a sudden wave hit the boat and he took a dive into the sea. Gave us a shock... Luckily the boat was anchored so he resurfaced the same spot he went in... Jackpot Cobia of the trip!!!

Seriously... check out the rod... Sabel Dance PE 1!!!!

It went from left...

To right...

Down under...

And left again...

Big ass COBIA!!!

And as usual, upon sighting the 'predators', the prey took off...

"This is gonna take a while..."

Pump and Pump!!

Here's our boatman, Ah Boy, giving us a lecture on the sprinting pattern of Cobia...

And we got spectators too... :-D

Ah Boy - "Shall I knock the Cobia?"

KY - "&$@#! You knock it's gonna go flying la!! I very tired liow!!"
Ah Boy - "I know!!! Hahahaha... shiok ma!!!"
"Hmmm... I think I need to sit down... tired a bit...""AAaaahhhhh...."

"Oh shit... it's going the other way again... need to get off my a$$..."

KY - "Boy! It's coming your way!!!"

KY - "Wait wait... it's going under... AGAIN!!"

KY - "COMING COMING!!"

KY - "UP UP UP!!!"

KY - "BOY!!! Very heavy la!!! No strength liow... HELP!!"KY - "Thank you ah!! Take off my cap also pls..."Jeng Jeng Jeng!!! 20 over pounds Cobia on Sabel Dance PE1!!!! The rod KICK ASS!!!!!!!!

Overall, it was a very good trip. We had multiple takes on jigs and baits! Unfortunately, we were so jinxed throughout the trip. Multiple bust offs, cut offs, sangkuts, etc etc from jigging and bottom. NN got her first fish on jig, so that was totally cool. She had a major take on jig on the first day where lines were peeling from her Caldia Kix, but being inexperience, she didn't set the hook. And she had a even bigger take when bottoming with crab for Ang Kor. The Jekyll Short Rodders took a massive bend and instinctively, she lifted the rod sky high to set hook. And the leader gave way and the rod hit the roof of the boat big time. I had several takes, lines peeling and stopped halfway, reeling in steadily and line went loose, all sort of nonsense la!! But all and all, it was good. Fishes were co-operative, our luck and skills weren't...

And thumbs up for Ah Boy, our boatman. Definitely one of the most hardworking boatman I've ever came across. Everytime we sangkut, he'll rush over to help us. When we tangle up, he'll come. When we need prawns or crabs, he'll chop for us. Everytime we change spot, it was initiated by him. Here's his number if you are interested - 0139337455.

And MAJOR thumbs up for Golden Mean's Sabel Dance!! The rod totally kick ass!!! When I first bought it, I was a bit skeptical as it was really soft. But surprisingly, it had the backbone to do the job. And I finally found their official website... GOLDEN MEAN.

Shimano Stella 10000SW

2009-03-14T11:05:00.005+08:00

The birthday present continues...

Shimano Stella 10000SW :D

10000SW - loaded with 400m of 40lbs braid.

Gold spool...Gold drag knob...Gold handle...

Gold all around...

Next post - Shimano Conquest DC (Damn Chun!!) :D

The HOT got HOTTER

2009-02-28T18:50:00.008+08:00

Daiwa - I'ZE Factory - RCS - Jigging Handle

Ordered this from Plat before buying the reel itself :-p Unfortunately didn't have it in time for the Tukun trip to test it out. But in a way good also la. Now that I've fished with the original handle, will be able to see if this one would feel better jigging.

I'ZE Factory Optional Parts - 60-70mm Jigging Handle

The package - Handle+Knob, and a funky looking multipurpose tool.

Blue - Perfect match with the Sabel Dance.

And I snatched this digital scale from my mom when I went back to Brunei during CNY. Hahaha... Anyway, the original handle is lighter by 9gms. Out goes the original...
In comes the RCS...

Hot hot hot...

HOT HOT HOT!!!

Daiwa Pluton & Golden Mean

2009-02-26T23:05:00.009+08:00

First saw this reel at Tackletour, when it was just a preview. Then few weeks later, there was a review. Then it arrived at Sykt Kepong a while after. This reel is like the Shimano Conquest, see liow die die also wanna get. But there weren't any pushing factor as it felt a bit redundant with the Cardiff, Conquest and Revo all of which serve similar functions. (CLEAR indicator that although I have a lots of rods and reels, they were all NECESSARY and purchased under perfect sanity.)

Thankfully, couple weeks back I went to Darren's shop to get some jigs for the Tukun trip and also to pick up something I bought a while back. Suddenly a strikingly blue rod caught my eyes... Golden Mean's Sabel Dance, PE1, baitcast, limited edition. And the price was slightly over RM300. Jeng Jeng Jeng!! Do I have something like that? No... Do I like the colour? Yes... Is my birthday coming? OH YA!!! So I started singing in my head 'Happy bday to ME! Happy bday to ME! Happy bday to KY!!! Happy bday to ME!!!!!!'. And off I left with the rod in hand!

So now the question is... what reel shall I pair with the rod? Cardiff, Revo and Conquest are all out of the question as they are for freshwater casting. And yes, it's all about SPECIALISATION!! It's also about having the perfect excuse to get a partner in crime for the Golden Mean. JENG JENG JENG!!! I started singing in my head again. After surveying around for the best price, as usual, I ended up at Sykt Kepong again, still singing.

There you have it, perfect pushing factor.

Anyway, here are some pictures and some review quotes from Tackletour -

'The Pluton feels extremely solid in hand, not only when examining the reel in hand but also when crankin'

'The Pluton was designed by Daiwa to be a multipurpose reel, one that can be used for tossing big freshwater swimbaits, targeting inshore species, or loading up serious big game with light line.'

' The Pluton isn't flashy and features a clean utilitarian design that is simple yet elegant'

'The Pluton is all about power during retrieve is among the very best round reels we have tested to date.'

'Though solid as a tank the Pluton doesn’t handle like a big bulky machine, it does however react like a sophisticated sports car and each crank of the 90mm (center to center) handle is self-assured and the reel responds with profuse amounts of torque.'

'The Pluton it is also among the easiest round reels we have ever taken apart '

'The Team Daiwa Pluton is the best round reel we have seen from the company since the esteemed Saltiga hit our shores.'

'Daiwa took the high road with the Pluton and over-engineered the reel with extra robust gearing, a souped all machined frame, and a quality externally adjustable cast control system. '

Oh ya... still singing...Opted for the highspeed model . Less tiring.Pluton on black background.200m of 15lbs braid. Wanted to load it with 10lbs... but chicken a bit...Elegant plain silver all over.

Pluton on white background.Here's a quote from Tackletour -

'There is a black ring that encircles the non handle sideplate which rotates back and forth with an indicator that lines up with laser engraved marks engraved on the sideplate. The ring rotates easily by applying pressure with one finger and there is an audible click making it easy to make slight adjustments in the field.'

Golden Mean - Cheap cheap good good.Sabel Dance - Golden Mean Custom Saltwater RodLTD = Limited. Limited how? No idea...

Happy bday to me!!Why only once a year...? :-(

I brought the setup for my Tukun Perak trip last week and landed a Big Eye Trevally with it. Shiok shiok shiok. It looks good, feels good, jig good and fish good. The only thing left to do now is, if a reel is HOT, you've gotta make it HOTTER!!! So stay tune for some Pluton Pimping!!!

Tukun Perak - Dec 08 & Feb 09

2009-02-24T23:03:00.006+08:00

Tukun Perak - The island of GTs... NOT!! :-p Just came back from my 2nd trip, 1st last year December, and now this one just last weekend. There were no GTs on our first trip. On the 2nd trip, there was one BGT (Baby Giant Trevally) landed by Bruce within the first 15 minutes of the trip. Other than that, the rest were just Ts...

For our first trip, we only fished for 1D1N. The weather was so choppy and wind so strong that by the next morning, half the people on the boat were already sea sicked; puking around. And before we knew it, we were already on our way back around 9am the 2nd day. And to make matter worst, instead of 8 hours to reach land, the rough seas and opposing wind resulted in a 12 whopping hours trip. Fish count for me - 2 Kelisi from bottom fishing. More details HERE.

For last week's trip, the weather was much kinder. Minimal rain and sea was calm 90% of the time. We had thin spreadout action throughout the trip. No giants; just baby Barracudas, Big Eye Trevallies, Albacore Tunas, a good size Wahoo, and few other fishes.

All in all, I didn't enjoy the trip. Main reason being the traveling time. While we spent 3D2N on the boat, we only fish 1D2N. Whole of day 1 and 3 were spent on traveling; 8 hours journey. If the catch rate is like fantastic, I won't mind another 8 more hours. Unfortunately...

Anyway, I'm sure the GTs are around... But being a proud member of SOMETIMES CAN Anglers... Biasa la... Next time see how la!

Me and my Trevally :) On IMA 120g.

Me with my Big Eye, on 80g jig. Can't remember what brand it was...

Here's a closeup :) Got whacked on the 1st retrieve after it touched the bottom.Alan enjoying a Big Eye Trevally with my new setup :-) Details to be covered soon.

Alan and his Big Eye.Johnson - Wahoo King

Stella Gallery!!

And here is Bruce and Alan, Founder and Co-Founder of SOMETIMES CAN Anglers, and their 'pangkat'; 20kg Class. More details HERE.SOMETIMES CAN Anglers shopping for veggie.

There's Alan (furthest right) acting 'CASUAL', after I said 'Be Natural pls!!'.

SOMETIMES CAN Anglers hard at work!

PR-LABS

2009-02-12T22:38:00.005+08:00

PRedator Research LABoratories

Got these funky poppers from Anglers Pro many many months back. And no, I don't intend to pop with them. Just gonna be for display only in my Fishing Room project :)

Here's their official website - they don't seem active cos their 'New Stuff' was dated 2006. But anyway, check them out... cool funky poppers :)

Abu Revo SX - PIMPED

2009-02-03T20:44:00.004+08:00

Bought these knobs for the Revo from Sykt Kepong more than 3 months ago. Sigh... the updates have been so irregular lately. Workload for the new year is getting busier by the day and working hours are getting longer. And the past few fishless trips didn't exactly provide much extra motivation to blog about them. Have not even been to Sykt Kepong for almost a month plus... which is considerably long for my standard... :-(

Anyway, saw this knob back in Sykt Kepong few months back. Bought it without much thoughts... 1stly, it's red... 2ndly, it's only around RM50. Cheapest mod EVER!!!!! Cheap Cheap Good Good!! :-)

Shimano Sahara 1000 & St Croix

2009-01-17T13:20:00.008+08:00

What do you do when the big ones stay elusive all the time? Hahahaha... get a baby reel and baby rod, and pretend the baby fishes are GTs!! :-p

Jokes aside, I've always wanted to get one of those ultra light outfits with light lines. So here it is.

Shimano Sahara 1000 loaded with 6lbs line, and St Croix Premier Spinning.

Some specs for the St Croix -

Model - PS56ULF2
Length - 5'6''
Power - Ultra Light
Action - Fast
Pcs - 2
Line wt - 2-6
Lure weight - 1/32 - 3/16
Rod weight - 2.3oz

Here are some pictures to share :D

Plano Flipsider Base Station

2009-01-05T22:47:00.010+08:00

An extract from Plano website -

This totally unique hybrid system has a molded storage area with three rows of FlipSider® compartments. Also includes three 3700 ProLatch™ utility boxes. Three exterior pockets let you store necessary items without getting in the way of your tackle.

And a quote from Tackletour -

The hybrid Plano FlipSider effectively blends both soft and hard tackle storage systems together

A gift from NN couple months back, from Fishingline Tackle. Been wanting to get this ever since I saw the review in Tackletour. But after getting the Shout! Jigger Bag which kinda took care of all my travelling needs, the Plano took a number that never got called. But anyway, totally functional and cool storage bag to owe, value for money. Can't remember exactly the price, I think it was between RM300-RM350. Push the guy in Fishingline a bit and he will give a good price. ;-)

Here are some (jumble up) pictures and some of my comments.

JENG JENG JENG!!!

Heavy duty stitching all around for extra durability.

Multiple latch, again for durability.

Fits most lures and jigs.

Non slip padding to prevent slipping.

Buckles that didn't sit well with saltwater. Totally corroded after my trip to Tukun Perak. Not so much built for saltwater.

This is comfortable!!!

It's call Base Station for a reason...

Front pouch for extra storage. Good for leaders, pliers, gloves, etc.

With water proof zipper.

Jigging Master Squid Hacker

2009-01-03T12:58:00.007+08:00

More stuffs from Fishing Line JB :-D Jigging Master Squid Hacker.

My main squid jig is usually the ones from Yamashita. Mainly because there was this one trip in Merchung when we threw in every squid jigs we had and the only one that brought up the most squids was the Yamashita. Ever since then, we were pretty much sworn to the brand. Anyway, when I saw this Jigging Master ones, totally got hooked.

Sinking weight which is interchangeable; comes with a spare.

Jigging Master Squid Hacker in action!

Hot's Otoko Jig

2009-01-01T19:08:00.006+08:00

Hot's Otoko Long Silhouette Jig - Seiichi Nagai Model

One of the many things I bought when I went down to Fishing Line in JB. Hot's long and slim jig, and check out the 'eye' and the coating. Yes...this jig caught a jigger :D

Anyway, I've been stocking up on a lot of new jigs and lures, all of which didn't really have the chance to be tested properly. The last trip to Tukun Perak couple weeks back was hit by stormy weather. And work is piling and it's gonna get worst in 2009 as my team size is increasing by 5 times; which means longer working hours, less free time to blog and fish. Sigh... Damn it...

Oh yes... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fisherman Kyoro Jig

2008-12-21T16:58:00.004+08:00

Fisherman Kyoro Jig

Bought this couple months back from Fishingline Tackle in Permas Jaya, JB. I'm slowly believing that jigs & lures are designed to catch Anglers. When I saw this jig, I was like 'Hey! That's something different. Shape and colour.' Used it once in Jarak but didn't yield any results yet. Very minimal resistance when jigging. Hope to land something with it soon.

KYORO JIG - 135gKYORO JIG - TWIST BUSTERS

Shimano Ocea Waterproof Binder Case

2008-12-06T12:44:00.003+08:00

Shimano Ocea Waterproof Binder Case - from Plat. Wanted to get the Shout! Assist Case but there were no stock around, and didn't feel like waiting. And it goes nicely with the Shimano Ocea Jig Bag. Anyway, I've always used a photo album to keep all my pre-tied hooks, leaders & assist hooks. Cheap cheap good good, most of time. The only problem is they are not exactly waterproof. And of course, not as durable.

Shimano Ocea

PVC waterproof cloth

OCEA - Specially designed for saltwater fishing to deliver outstanding quality and features. SHIMANO.Sticky to hold the case together.Holds 10 waterproof plastic bags. Don't seem to be replaceable...

And mesh pockets on both sides.

Waterproof zipper.

Shimano Ocea Jig Bag

2008-11-28T20:57:00.007+08:00

Got this jig bag from Plat. Actually, part of it is from Angler's Pro Shop. This will replace the one I bought from Plat a while back. It comes with a detachable jig bag that holds different sizes. The default one it comes with holds Small and Medium jigs. I also purchased a separate one which holds Medium and Long jigs, from APS. One of the best part of the Ocea jig bag is they all fit nicely into the Shout! Jigger Bag and also Plano's Flipsider Base Station.

Shimano OceaAs usual, they always have a front pouch. Good for chucking the kevlars, hooks, swivels or pliers, etc.OCEAThe clip that hold it together.

You can adjust the strap to give you more room for the jigs and also the other 1 or 2 Ocea jig bags. Cross stitching and button to give the handle strap durability.

The wrap that wraps the handle straps.Close up shot of the front pouch.

Here are the jigs compartments. Care to count how many it holds? :-p

Some pros and cons on the jig compartments. The elastic that holds the jig is a bit tight. Good that it holds them tightly so they won't drop out. Bad that it'll be harder for fatter jigs like Ever Green's Caprices to be slotted in; not mission impossible... just mission difficult.
The 'holder' that holds the separate jig bag.

Will definitely need some dosage of WD40 or smtg to prevent rust.

Here are some close up shots of the separate jig bag. This is the one from APS.

OCEA - Specially designed for saltwater fishing to deliver outstanding quality and featuers. SHIMANO.

If you fancy the bag and don't wanna get them online, it's also available at FishingLine Tackle and Fisherman in JB, Permas Jaya. Went down there a couple times in the past few months and got bunch of stuffs too. So stay tune for some mini reviews on those stuffs :D

In Celebration of 730!!!

2008-11-22T13:12:00.007+08:00

This blog is officially 1051200 seconds / 17520 hours / 730 days / 2 years old!! And this is post number 141!! :D Yoohoo!!!! Blink of an eye… :D

Hmmm… I have 1 question… actually I have a few questions.

Who are you? Yes… you! The YOU who is reading this now.

Where are you from?
How did you get here?
Why are you here?
Are you a regular or are you new?
How often are you here?

I know from Google Analytics that I have, in the past 2 years, 54,000 visitors. And of which, 44% are RETURNING and 56% are NEW. I also know 46% are from Google direct search and 16% are direct traffic. My top referrer is Krazie Fishie who's accountable for 4.25% of total traffic (Terima Kasih Banyak Banyak KF). Surprisingly, the keyword that resulted in the most visit, is ‘Xzoga’ :-o 2^nd being ‘KY Jigging’ and 3^rd ‘Shimano Nasci’.

Anyway… I just want to know more… I’m just so curious as to who are YOU really.

And more importantly, I ALSO want to know your opinions of this blog. How would you rate it in the areas of contents/pictures/layout/etc.?

So… On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being Outstandingly Bestest, and 1 being Cacated/Crappy, how would you rate the following?

Quality of Contents/Write up -
Usefulness of contents -
Quality of pictures -
Angles & Framing of pictures -
Layout / Colours of blog -
Frequency of updates -

Please provide feedback/comments on each of the above.

What else do you think should be rated? Please list and rate.
What else do you think I should blog about?
How do you think I can make the blog better?

There you go…the few questions I have in mind. So if you are reading this, please take the time to cut and paste the above and answer them in the comments.

I’ve been wanting to make changes to the blog, make it better, more appealing. 2 years ago, it all started off as just a past time to post some pictures and write some thoughts. Gradually, I realise there are people out there who finds the blog informative; and of course there are some who finds it nothing but showing off. But hey, like I said, it’s a past time that I enjoy. And if you find the blog to your liking, why not help me make it better… so there you have it… HELP!!! :D

Hot's Wei World 48 XXH

2008-11-18T20:57:00.004+08:00

New toy from Angler's Pro Shop. Bought this few months back - Hot's Wei World - 48XXH. PE 8 and max jig weight of 500g.

2 words - POWERFUL & SUPER LIGHT :-p ok...3... And it has one of my favorite features in a rod - short; 4'8''.

HOT'S - Ultimate Pro's Gear

48XXH

Wei World 48XXH - For the Ranyu Special

Stiletto - 2nd Generation

Canon IXUS 870IS

2008-11-15T23:28:00.005+08:00

After 6 years of hard labour, countless holiday and fishing trips and countless macro shots for the blog, my Pentax Optio S finally took his last breath couple months back. Back then, it was the tiniest and slimmest, going head on with the Casio Exilim. And the resolution, a humble 3.2 mega pixels with 3 times optical zoom and 5 digital. And with a price tag of RM1800... it's totally throat cutting compared to the prices of digital cameras nowadays.

The lens just didn't wanna retract... and it won't power on...Digital Camera - Optio SSome cosmetic deterioration here and there. Other than that, its SHARP SHARP.View finder and a tiny tiny screen...

The rubber that attaches the battery cover finally gave way too...

And my new baby...Champaign Gold... Canon IXUS 870IS.
DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor - Advanced Face Detection Technology - Quick Mode - Hi-ISO Auto with Motion Detection Technology - 28mm Wide Angle - 10.0 Megapixel CCD - 4X Optical Zoom - Optical Image Stabiliser - Captivating Moving Visuals - 3" PureColor II LCD - 19 Creative Shooting Modes

Big ass screen...of course not as big as Sony's touchscreen which covers the entire back panel...

Few quick notes on this camera. The macro shots are definitely sharper compared to its competitors, and it also comes with Digital Macro. And the overall picture quality is sharper without being too over the top vivid, ie real. And a function worth bringing up is the Self Timer Face Detection. It's a timer that will only snap when a new SMILING face enters the frame. So you can take your time and walk in frame, pose...chill...light a ciggie...sip a beer and... SMILE and *SNAP* *SNAP* *SNAP*, 3 continuous pictures will be taken. Funky :-D

Here's a review on CNET.

Pekan - Oct 2008

2008-11-06T23:26:00.011+08:00

Pekan once again!! :-D Last trip to Pekan for 2008. The monsoon will start soon so pretty much gotta wait til next year March or April to go again.

Ikan tak de tak apa... Gaya kena ada... :-p Our ride for the trip, traveling in style...

Once again... GOOD MORNING PEKAN!!NN gearing up...

"Hi Ebek... pls make yourself available later in the day ok. ETA 10:30am. Thanks. Ciow!"Some of the arsenal... Jigging, eging & drifting...NN enjoying the morning breeze...

KY enjoying the sun along side Dharma... who's on his 2nd fishing trip. Went to Rompin with him a year ago...

DD TRYING to take a nap...

Not for long...

Lets start off with some mild action... Green eye sotong on Jigging Master squid jig.
Some fresh energy boosting snacks before we get busy...

Live bait for the day... Selars and Tambans...

NN and... er... not sure what's the name...

Coral trout from live baiting.

Dharma with his big ass Jemuduk, from live baiting...

Tumpang glamour la abit... :)

Todak Queen.

My turn to take a peaceful nap...More coral trouts from live baiting...

Dharma with his jackpot Barracuda...yes, live baiting...

Jigging hookup!! About damn time... :-sKY and Rainbow Runner, on IMA RO 60g.Dinner... Seafood of course... as fresh as it gets :-)

Dress - Develop Rig for Extra Stage Supply

2008-11-06T00:29:00.006+08:00

Final upgrades for the Stella C3000!! Finally it feels complete... And how can I not pimp the Biomaster!?!?

DRESS - Develop Rig for Extra Stage Supply :-D Got them from PLAT.

DRESS - RHOMBUS

A closer look... fit the thumb and index finger comfortably...

DRESS - ROAD ROLLER

Perfect size for jigging...

Shimano Biomaster 2000

2008-10-30T20:24:00.006+08:00

Bought this quite some time back. Fresh water outfit for NN - Shimano Biomaster 2000 & Daiwa Ardito.

Took around 4 visits to Sykt Kepong to finally settle with this combo. Was contemplating between the Abu range of rods and also Shimano, and Shimano Symetre & Twinpower for the reel. After considering the designs, budget and functionality, finally settled with these.

The Ardito is definitely the lightest among the lot and the lack of colours (black & silver) gives it a classy look that will not go out of style. Blanks wise no idea, am no doctor in this area. I just decide by flipping it and feel its stiffness. As for the Biomaster, its the latest of the Shimano spinners at that point of time, and it has all the latest specs without going above 4 digits for the price tag.

Bought the Bassart handle for the Conquest a while ago but never put it on. Fit perfectly on to the Biomaster. :-) But it won't stay on for long. ;-)

Native Arms - Black and silver all over. Nice... :-)

Loaded with 10lbs Fireline. Don't really like the line... high memory...

Shimano Biomaster

Ardito Native Arms

Pulau Jarak - Sept 08

2008-10-29T00:40:00.007+08:00

This trip happened more than a month ago. Been a bit busy with work and worst of all, internet connection at home was giving problems and was finally sorted out last night!. So I have like 20 over posts pending :-p Was also in Pekan couple weeks back, so will blog about that soon.

Anyway i was the organiser for this 1-day trip. I needed a 1 day weekend getaway and Sitiawan seems to be the nearest option. So off we went to Pulau Jarak with Chung's new boat. It was a very unfruitful trip. Throughout the trip, only 2 fishes were landed on jig, 1 GT and 1 Black Tip. So in the late afternoon, we ended up trolling around Pulau Sembilan for Cencarus. Here are some pictures, and there's also a good write up from Bruce.

Hotel Sitiawan - NN under the sheets.

NN posing infront of Tuna II

My setups, Stellas and Poseidons. All of which didn't see any actions. Just salt.

NNDD with his ... can't remember what fish also... :-p

Taking shelter from the sudden shower - INDOOR style

Taking shelter - OUTDOOR style

The only Black Tip landed by Johnson.Tumpang glamor a bit :-D

NN having fun with the Cencarus

When there are no biggies.. have to make do a bit la...

Ever Green Poseidon Spin Jerker

2008-10-14T20:57:00.005+08:00

It all started with my first Poseidon Spin Jerker Light which I matched with Shimano Stella C3000; my light jigging setup. And I totally love the combo. So I went on and expanded the combo...And here's the completion of the family... The Poseidon Stella Family!!!

Light Combo

Poseidon Spin Jerker Light & Shimano Stella C3000 '07

PSPJ 603L - Length - 6'3'', PE 2

Medium Light Combo

Poseidon Spin Jerker & Shimano Stella 5000 SW '08

PSPJ 502 - Length - 5'2'', PE 2.5

Medium Combo

Poseidon Spin Jerker & Shimano Stella 8000 FA

PSPJ 410 - Length - 4'10'', PE 4

Ever Green International - Poseidon - Saltwater Jigging Rod Series

- The BEGINNING -

- The JOURNEY -

- The COMPLETION -
- The FAMILY -

Shimano Stella 5000 SW

2008-10-10T21:11:00.008+08:00

"New for 2009, the Stella Saltwater range has been awarded ICAST and AFTA's best saltwater reel category. The culmination of years of research and Shimano’s latest in advanced reel technology - the Stella Saltwater (SW) series raises and once again sets the benchmark for quality in the high end spinning reel market." - extract from Shimano Fishing.

Finally a new addition to the Stella Family!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!! One of the definite improvements of the 2008 lineups is definitely the reduction in weight, and another being the Propulsion Spool Lip; which is a common feature in all new Shimano lineups. Another obvious change is the carbon grip, which is supposedly ultra light.

Here's a list of the features that most of which, I don't really understand... :-p

Paladin Gear Durability Enhancement with Low Wear Rate Pinion Gear
Propulsion Line Management System: Propulsion Spool Lip, SR One-Piece Bail Wire, Power Roller IV Oversized Roller with Overflange for the Ultimate in Line Protection, Redesigned Bail Trip, S-Arm Cam
Aero Wrap II Oscillation
Cold Forged Aluminum Spool: Proprietary Coating on Spool Lip is harder than a Ti coated Stainless Steel Spool Lip, Ceramic Coating on entire spool for extreme corrosion resistance
Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) Coating on Line Roller
SW Concept: Sw-Water Resistant Body, SW-Hyper Disk Drag, SW-Water Proof Drag, SW-Lightweight Ergonomic Handle Grips prevent premature bail trip
SR Concept: SR-Balanced Body, SR-Slider, SR-3BB Oscillation, SR-Handle, SR-3-D Gear Design, SR-Floating Shaft, SR-Rigid Support System
S Concept: S-Rotor, S-Guard, S-Shield Roller Clutch, S-Arm Cam
S A-RB Bearings (Shielded A-RB)
Twin Bearing Drag
Super Stopper II
Stopperless Design (No Anti-Reverse Switch)
Ultra light carbon grip
Direct Drive Mechanism (Thread-In Handle Attachment)
Fluidrive II
Maintenance Port
Aluminum Frame, Sideplate & Rotor
Dyna-Balance

There's a nice pictorial description for these features at Anglers Pro. And here's the official page from Shimano.

Improved pouch with multiple openings.

Propulsion Spool Lip
Ultra Light Carbon Grip

Yumeya Reel Stand & Cork Handle Knob

2008-10-01T20:14:00.006+08:00

With not much trips planned around the corner, I think I'm just gonna post my new toys. I think one of my favourite and most used reel now is the Stella C3000; being my primary light jigging setup, and occasional heavy fresh water casting. So here's some additional accessories since the Yumeya Drag Knob - Yumeya Reel Stand & Cork Handle Knob - from Plat. Seriously...once you go Plat...you don't go back... :-p

Yumeya Reel Stand - Medium

Yumeya Cork Handle Knob
Tools that came with the cork handle knob.
Jeng Jeng Jeng!! :-D

Seriously, this is one of the most practical reel accessories that I have. It comes in really handy when you need to put your rod & reel on the ground for some reason. It keeps the reel high up away from scratches and dirt.

Rompin - July 2008

2008-09-25T20:52:00.009+08:00

A couple months back, Bruce GT King called and asked if I'm interested in an 'awek trip' to Rompin, where he'll be bringing his wife and there'll be few other female participants. My usual response...'ON KAO NEI!!!'.It's almost exactly one year ago since my last trip to Rompin with my then colleagues. So here we are again hoping to land some Sails, KY & NN.

In preparation for her first jigging trip, I got her a Golden Mean Sabel Dance, similar to the one I posted earlier, just different poundage; PE 1. It'll be paired with my Daiwa Caldia Kix 4000. Other setups include Shimano Stella C3000 with Evergreen Poseidon Spin Jerker Light for jigging, and Avet SX with Jekyll Super Short Rodders for the sails.

Overall the trip was fun although we didn't land any Sails. :-) We had 2 hookups with our drifting Selars; 1 Todak landed, and 1 Sail threw the hook. And NN get to land the Todak all by herself; albeit a bit big bully style as she was using Alan's setup - PE6 rod with Daiwa Saltiga DOGFIGHT. The Todak didn't stand a chance. Nonetheless...she was crowned the TODAK QUEEN!!! :-p Sotongs were quite cooperative throughout and the Selars provide fun throughout the day on Apollos. Anyway, here are some pictures to share. :-)

The old and run down jetty of Rompin. How nice if the sea is this calm...
I like this picture...sharp...

PEACE!!!
Alan and GT King aka BruceMy lunch. Roti Canai Shake! :-)
NN the Todak Queen!!

Nic, Bruce's brother... . The Cobia King!!
NN tumpang glamour :-)

Mrs GT King.Prized catch of the day!!
KYNN
And that's a WRAP!!!
-

Anyway...next year, we will plan another trip to Rompin. Only this time we'll go end of August or beginning of September. A group of anglers were down in Rompin just last week (mid Sep) and they landed 20 over Sails in 3 days. Crazy shit... Same boat...same boatman...and most likely same techniques as it's done by the boatman.

Pflueger - The Choice of Champions

2008-09-22T22:24:00.004+08:00

- Pflueger Medalist - Quality since 1881 - Champions Welcome -

Birthday gift from NN when she was in the States :-D Something you don't see much of in Malaysia. Quality and built wise, it may not match a Stella or Saltiga. But it's worth more than ALL my reels put together :-) It's my first ever fishing gift :-)

Here are the specs -

9 stainless steel ball bearings, with pinion and main gear bearings fully sealed
One-way cluth instant anti-reverse bearing
Smooth sealed front drag system
Rugged aluminium body and anodized aluminium spool
Anti-twist titanium line roller :-o
Sure-Click bail
Machined aluminium handle with soft touch knob
Spare aluminium spool
On/Off anti-reverse
Power knob

And here's their official website - Pfluger Fishing.

Here's an extract of their history - "Since 1881 the Pflueger name has been part of the fishing industry when Ernest F. Pflueger founded a fish hook company called the Enterprise Manufacturing Company. When his son Earnest A. Pflueger took over the family business and founded the E.A. Pflueger Company, he expanded the company from a hook manufacturer to all aspects of fishing tackle & gear. In 1916 the first Pflueger Baitcast reel was manufactured in Akron, Ohio, and became a benchmark of the fishing reel industry. The Pflueger spinning reel was introduced in 1954. Over the years Pflueger continues to be one of the world's leading rod and reel manufacturers."

NN

2008-09-18T21:45:00.008+08:00

Introducing NN, aka Mrs KY!!! Here are some pictures from our inland trips in the past few months. :-) We also went Rompin last month so I will post some pictures later on. And there'll be a trip to Jarak next week, so stay tune for more adventures of KYNN!!

Haruan from Sepang

Keli from Sepang
Pacu from Sepang again :-p
Bigger Keli...yes Sepang again :-)
Toman from Cyberjaya :)
Toman again :-)
And again...
And unknown fish from Brunei :-)
Here's my share of the Toman action, hehehe...rod and reel setup to be cover in another post :-)
SUPER baby Toman!
And baby Toman.

Burma Banks - Part V - Cam Whores

2008-09-12T00:38:00.006+08:00

In any fishing trip, the fun parts include the pre and post processes & also the journey. 'Processes' includes preparations like packing the jigs, clothes, rods, reels, etc., getting all excited, anticipating and planning what to do during the trip, targets, etc. And the journey includes the new places that you get to go, different people you get to meet with different toys and skills for you to pick up, different food that you get to taste, etc etc. Burma Banks is no exception with bunch of cam whores as follow. Enjoy...

-Prior departure, at LCCT-
-On the way to Ranong, from Phuket. Late lunch place-
-On board PG prior departing-
-Leaving Ranong-

-Union of Myanmar, KawThaung. Got all passports stamped, and off we went-
-Catchers & Catchees, Anglers & Anglees, Jiggers & Jiggees, Fishers & Fishees-

Burma Banks - Part IV - Ruby Ruby Ruby

2008-09-07T22:15:00.010+08:00

Finally the catch report. As the title goes...Ruby Ruby Ruby...!!!

Overall, fishing was good. No monster, not excellent, just good. If you look at the pictures, you'll notice that most of the fishes are Ruby Snappers. And most, if not all are caught during 3 frenzy moments. These moments are so frenzy that as long as you jigs were bouncing the bottom, you will get a share of the action. There was also a brief frenzy with baby 'Long Tan', or groupers. Unfortunately, we didn't get any monster groupers. Bottom fishing was also very productive throughout the trip.

I think the main reason I rate the catch as good and not excellent is because other than the few frenzy moments, the other time were very unproductive. Bites were between 1-2 hours apart, sometimes further. I know this is acceptable due to current and tide change but imagining jigging through the day and only catch 1 fish. If not for the frenzies, we would have thrown all the crew into the ocean and start casting our poppers... :-p Speaking of popping, only 2 GTs were caught; 1 by Michael and 1 by me, at the same time; double hookup. Not big, hence neither of us bother with our cameras...Hahahaha...

Anyway, I came up with a silly conclusion...sometimes beside being hardworking and jig non stop throughout the trip, need to be smart also. Assign a few 'wakers' throughout the trip. All these 'wakers' need to do is wake you during frenzies when you take your extensive naps. And definition of frenzies can vary according to taste or standard or duration. :-p Once awaken, go to the deck and observe and confirm frenzy status. If status matches 'taste/standard/duration', jig. If not, zzz...zzz... Unfortunately, I'm usually the waker in this scenario. Very often, I can't bring myself to fall asleep. I'll be like 'what if I miss the frenzy??', 'what if my waker got suck into the frenzy and abandon his duty??', 'if I discover the frenzy, I get to jig more!!' etc etc. Sigh... Sucker... :-s

Anyway, enjoy the pictures!!

Long Nose Emperor - bottom fishing.

Ruby Ruby

RUBY!!
.....no idea what fish is this...
Ruby!
Ruby!
RUBY!!!
Baby tuna :-D
RUBY!
Wahoo! This was funny. We have all reeled up our jig as the captain wanted to change spot and the boat was already moving. Boon's jig was still in the water and he was reeling up top speed and suddenly he shouted 'STOP!!! GOT FISH!!!'.
Grouper!!

GT
ruby..
Grouper..
Ruby Grouper!
Blue Fin!

Baby Dog tooth!
Ruby!!! Ruby!!

Burma Banks - Part III - Chillis

2008-09-02T22:44:00.009+08:00

Here comes the most important part of ANY fishing trips...FOOD. There are some ppl who are not very particular. Thankfully, my usual kakis are very. Not that we want 3 course meals to be served when we are fishing. It's just that we wanna make sure we are well fed even when we are in the middle of nowhere. So whenever we go fishing, we always make sure we have enough food...tidbits...snacks...fruits...drinks...etc etc. If the fish don't eat, WE EAT!! I think the must have for any trip is watermelon. Which must be stored in the coolbox with ice!! And to be eaten around 3/4pm when everyone is all drained from the sun. Ahhhhh... Heaven........

Ok Ok...back to food onboard PG. Lets keep it simple. If you like spicy food, you'll love PG. If you don't or can't take it, big ass problem. The amount of chillis they used in all the dishes is as though they are floating all over the ocean and they just scoop it up and chuck it in the dishes! I'm no fan of chillis, but I don't mind spicy food. So overall food experience was good and very tasty. Oh... their dishes are also very 'porky'. Almost everything has pork. So another thing to take note of.

The only down side of food is the earlier mentioned lack of chairs and table to eat. Other than that, overall food experince is good :)

Our chef :)

This was a shot taken when we were having breakfast in town. Nothing fancy.
Fried lala and tomyam soup. The lala were superb. Big and juicy. And the tomyam is damn power!
Pork with chillis. Vege with chillis. Thank god their soup no chillis...
Paste and chillis and stuffs for rice noodle. DIY.
The rice noodle.
And the soup for the rice noodle.
More chillis and meat, and vege.

Burma Banks - Part II - Polaris Gold vs Crystal Coral

2008-08-27T20:00:00.007+08:00

Finally, Part II!!!!

Lets talk about the boat, Polaris Gold (PG). Since the only other bigger boat that I've been on is Crystal Coral, that's the only comparison I can do. And also it's more relevant, I think in Malaysia these are the more popular ones beside Sea Maiden 1 and...nah don't know any others. :-p So refer to CRYSTAL CORAL for some references.

Exterior wise, the PG looks newer and more aero-dynamic. And the short stairs in front to go the the top deck is a very 'friendly' alternate entrance/exit. Captain's cabin - The PG definitely looks cleaner.

Captain's bed.
The front deck with additional rod holders. This is where we keep all our popping rods as we used the front decks for popping.
Side - sufficiently spaced.
The back area. The 2 doors would be the toilets and the left would be the kitchen. The floor on the lower left of the picture would be their freezer.

Entrance to the living area.

The crampy living area with the tv and stuffs. CC definitely win handsdown here with proper sitting place and speakers although we didn't really turn the speakers on. But who cares!?!? It's there!! :-p
Sleeping area. Comparatively, I prefer the sleeping area of CC. It's slightly more spacious.

More sleeping areas 'downstairs'.

The shower. Unfortunately, unlike CC, no hot shower. And size wise, CC wins hands down. And it tends to flood.

That's about all. Didn't take pictures of the deck but it were't very spacious. One of the MAIN downfall of PG is the lack of tables and chairs; there's no proper sitting place. And that applies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The next posting will be on food, and you'll see that our food are either placed on the floor or on top of the red ice box and we either eat sitting on the floor, or standing or just sit on the side of the boat. Overall, the PG is and looks newer. But in terms of 'built for anglers', CC is top notch. The dining cum battle station table is a total winner. We have a mini abeit cacat but full functioning juke box. Simple things like permanent marker hanging beside the fridge for you to write your name on your mineral water bottle. A big as storeroom for all food and snacks.

So all in all, if I'm given a free trip to choose between CC and PG, Crystal Coral all the way!!!