Shimano Tcurve Game Series

Bought this rod more than a year ago. I think it was one of those impulse buy... :-s Have only used it once in Maldives for like an hour, pairing it with Duel. Wanted to buy an Avet Pro 30 long long time ago. But the ever emerging new models just kept on screwing my fickle fickle mind. And also bottom fishing is not really my main interest. But if I am to complete this bottom setup, I will most likely get an electric reel, Command X4. Hehehehe...

Aftco Guides.

More Aftco...
Tiagra - 24kg Game Series - Designed by Ian Miller.
Tiagra 5'6' 24kg Stand Up. Shimano T Curve.
Tcurve Hi Power Carbon by Shimano.

Halco Roosta Popper

Roosta Popper 105/135™

Here's an extract from the official website.

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The Roosta Popper is at the cutting edge of Modern Popper design. Fully computer designed and prototyped, this rattling lure is both a sensational straight retrieve and blooping popper. Rear weighting gives exceptional casting ability and the unique head and body shape reduces cart wheeling and produces exceptional noise and splash.

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Roosta Popper 135™ Specifications
Length: 135 mm
Weight: 48 grams
Swim Depth: Surface
Hooks: No.2/0 Mustad 3X Trebles
Speed: Slow to fast retrieve
Applications: Straight retrieve popping, blooping

Buoyancy: Floating

- How to Fish -

The Roosta is designed to be used as a straight retrieve popper and a blooper.When retrieved, the action can be changed by the level of the rod tip. Keeping the tip close to the water creates a massive bubble stream as the lure tracks through the water with a slight wiggling action. This can be particularly useful in rough surface conditions where the lure needs to be kept in the water to minimize cart wheeling. The low splash, high bubble retrieve can also be useful for fish that are shy of large splashes. By keeping the rod tip at mid height (2 metres from water level) the lure creates a classic forward splashing action with the cup face creating maximum splash. The flat back end of the lure becomes a planning surface and the lure remains upright and steady.

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A high rod tip retrieve creates a skittering action along the surface. The lure does not create big forward splashes, but rather a side and rear splash similar to a fleeing garfish (bally hoo).To bloop the popper allow the lure to stop, the back end will sink and the lure is ready to be ripped. A rip of the rod tip creates a huge forward splash as the rear planning area rises to the surface and the cup faces digs in hard. When successfully blooped, a large "gurgling" noise can be heard. After ripping the lure, allow it to stop and for the back end to sink. The lure is then ready to be ripped again. Blooping is best performed with the rod tip held low.

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The Roosta will also troll very well. It is stable enough to be trolled in a pattern of lures for ballistic surface strikes. Try different rod tip heights for desired action and to account for the sea conditions.

- Tip -

When casting poppers always allow a few seconds after the lures has hit the water before you commence your retrieve. This allows the lure to find its correct buoyancy and resting position in the water prior to retrieving. Commencing the retrieve the moment the lure hits the water often finds the lure not behaving correctly for the first couple of metres. Often this is the critical strike zone.

Halco Roosta Popper 135Big huge eye...which doesn't really serve a purpose...

Here's a shot of the belly. Was so bored over one of the weekends, did some DIY decoration with the popper... :-p
GT only...Tenggiri also can...

Pls Bite Accurately... :-ppp
Halco Roosta in action.

Briefly, I find the Halco Roosta Popper totally a gem to cast. And because of its weight distribution, it ensures optimum splashing position when not in motion, and the big gives it good splases, when in motion of course.

Ever Green Life Belt

PFD (personal flotation device) / lifejacket / life preserver / life vest / life saver / life belt

Wiki - Personal flotation device

Bought this Ever Green life belt a while back. Not cheap, but it's for protecting my life so it's worth every penny. I have 2 other normal Type III lifejackets but I rarely put them on when out at sea as it's hot and bulky. They always end up as cushion for the ass. And the fact is that when there's an emergency, you won't really have the time to put anything on so it's quite redundant. Hence I decided to get this life belt mainly because it's less bulky, and you won't feel much of it as it's around your waist. And it also comes with straps which I can use for fighting belts so it's like hitting 2 birds with 1 stone. And it expands either automatically upon water pressure or manually jerking the release cord.

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I know of a lot of fishing friends who don have a life jacket of any sort. Is it necessary to get one? Don't they always have them on board? If you look at a lot of fishing boats in Malaysia, most of them don't have any or enough life jackets around. And even if they do, they are usually kept and/or hidden 'safely' somewhere so that in an emergency, you can take your own sweet time and search for them. And we are not just talking about emergencies like boat sinking or something. If you look at some fishing boats around Malaysia, you get a lot which don't have any railings around the sides. What if you accidentally fell overboard? What if...nobody heard or knew you fell? What if...the boat was moving? What if...the water was very choppy? What if...it was middle of the night? Are you a good swimmer? Yes? Better than the sea? You sure you won't panic? Hehehehe..... :-p

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Finally...if you are an owner of a Stella and/or Saltiga or any other high end reels and you have yet to invest in anything for that priceless life of yours...shame shame!! :-p

Comes with a simple see through bag.

E.G. Life Belt.

118? What 118?
Poseidon.

Direction indication. :-p
Rubbery surface for additional grip.

Cordura - for maximum durability.
Shockonloc -
3M Scothlite Reflective Material.
Ever Green International.

Some specs of the belt. On the left is a whistle.

For additional air :-)

You get dotted lines across the float as guide for folding it.
System Designed by Bluestorm - The Challenge of Water.
The gas cyclinder. Am very tempted to try out the belt at the swimming pool or something but then I'll have to replace this. Hmm....am praying that I NEVER have to replace this...never...

Tried strapping on my Braid fighting belt on with a clip and it fits nicely and rest comfortably on my lap.

JERK!
Resting position when in water. Cross the arms and legs to keep warm.

Sunvista Wreck & Pulau Sembilan

This is my third visit to the Sunvista Wreck. Unfortunately, the results had gone from mythbustingly good to busted. :-) The continous actions and multiple bust offs on the first visit that left us all jaw-dropped were just not meant to be re-experienced. Anyhow, we made the best of the worst by amusing ourselves with mindless jokes and one of the highlight being turning Choong's (boatman) signature line into everyone's signature line. Choong has a habit of saying 'Ok Come' or 'Ok 来' after parking the boat to drift jig. And it didn't take Bruce long to pick it up and began using and abusing the phrase. In the end, everyone picked up the contagious phrase and it was used throughout the trip, even til the last evening when we were having dinner when the dishes came, Choong said 'Ok 来!'.

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The journey to Sitiawan began at 4am in the morning as we didn't want to get ourselves caught in the Hari Raya traffic. Travelling in the wee hours is definitely more relaxing with the minimal traffic on the road. We reached Sitiawan around 7am and grabbed breakfast and bought chicken rice for our lunch later in the day. We departed the jetty around 9am and began the 2 hours torture of bumpy ride.

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We only jigged at the Sunvista Wreck for around 2 hours plus until we were caught in the middle of a storm. We weren't exactly caught by suprise... Approximately on the 2nd hour, we could clearly see in a distant dark clouds, heavy rain, white waves and strong wind blowing towards us. We waited and jigged, and jigged and waited til the very last minute before putting down our gears and on goes the windbreakers/raincoat while Choong sped out of the storm. We left the wreck with only 1 GT caught by me. Disappointed but can't complain. :-) The rest of the spots we went to for the rest of the day was not productive. Choong wanted to bring us to the Grouper and Tenggiri spot but it was already covered by the incoming storm. Around 6pm, we were back on land. Packed our stuffs and headed to Sitiawan Hotel to check in for the night.

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Actions at Pulau Sembilan on the 2nd day didn't pick up much until later in the afternoon/evening. We were running away from storms after storms in the earlier part of the day as well. Not a single GT was landed throughout the day and the only obliging ones are the Queenies / Talangs. Fortunately and finally, I get to jigged a decent size fish with the Ever Green Poseidon Spin Jerker and Stella C3000. Absolutely no regrets with the setup. Totally love the lightness of the rod and reel. Once you've jigged with that, you just don't look back!

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Anyway, the 2nd day ended with a slow note as Choong was having engine problems. And we had to cruise back to the jetty at trolling speed which took us around 1.5-2 hours compared to the normal 30 minutes to reach the jetty. So the time was spent on the usual mindless jokes again. Choong even took his Sabel Dance & Branzino setup and snap on a trolling lure and started trolling. That's how slow we were going...

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Wanted to go to mamak to grab some roti canai but they were all closed and cleaning up as it was Raya morning. So ended up in McD at 4am before leaving town. Damien, Sharma & Kuan Wai.

Gearing up.
Sharma & Damien took front roll seats and am pretty sure they were thinking 'WTF was i thinking' when I snapped this picture... :-pDaiwa, Committed to Total Quality - Damien & Bruce.
Addidas...something impossible? Ken & Sharma.
Alan & Kuan Wai.
Is that a tiny tail that's coming out from the cloud...?
The only GT landed at the wreck...
Sharma with his Talang / Queen Fish.
Alan with another Queen...
Damien with his...
And me with mine! :-D
On Shimano Butterfly 55g jig.
Sabel Dance & Branzino used for trolling...hehehehe...
Bruce and Alan taking turn to pump the petrol as the petrol pump wasn't working properly. Check out how dark it was...and we were still not back on land...