Kuantan Fishing

This is my second fishing trip to Kuantan within a month (as well as my second trip for this year). After the hoo-haa the previous trip, my colleague had boasted the catch the last trip to other anglers in Penang. What's more, we booked for 2 days trip as the Penang entourage travelling all the way here to Kuantan. Everything perfectly, boatman helped to book a homestay and making sure all of us comfortably settling in.

The night before the fishing trip started, we went to buy some live prawn. Everything turn from good to bad. We were told that the wind quite strong for the past few days (though we did call before the trip). Live prawn only has limited stock. We went for a nice dinner and went back to the homestay waiting for next day, hoping wind will slow down.

First day, went out to sea and it is really choppy. Luckily I didn't ask the boatman to get some sea-sick pills for me. The rest of them didn't take at all. Not long after the trip, first one get down. Not able to fishing anymore. By late noon, another down. Left with 2 of us fishing. We caught few barracudas almost 10kg each. It only takes the live bait, "tamban". The sea was too choppy which we couldn't stay too long. We went to other places but not many that we caught, too choppy and limited places to go. Few others fishes caught up like parrot fish.

Anchorman helped us to book a massage, and they help us to put the fish in their fridge. At night, another nice feast we had, follow by reflexology. It suck big time for the reflexology.... Lol..... The boatman helped us as well to get live prawn, and told us it was more than the previous day. We were delighted, winds going down a little bit. This put a smile to all of us.

The next day, we went out as usual. Boatman told us that today we could go out further. The first stop would be to get some live bait, tamban again. Then we proceed to a hot spot, catching coral trout especially. Not long after laying our bait, parrot fish came up. We were told that the spot has many types of fishes. Soon it was my turn with coral trout. Everyone excited, hoping more to come. Fished quite long over this spot, we caught few 3 coral trouts and few parrot fishes in total before changing to next spot.

After the spot, it was not a very fruitful spot. We only able to get some little fishes or no fishes at all. Though the waves not as strong as the previous day, the fish wasn't anywhere to spot. We decided to go for some little fished like "cencaru" to make it for the day. When we were busy looking for the small little fish, suddenly one of us shouted as the rod bending. Immediately he pulled it up, fighting with the fish and eventually a grouper emerge from the sea, about 8kg of it. Everyone clapping hand. After a while, we were heading back to the shore.

Before heading back to KL, we had our dinner with coral trout as the main course. Damn nice. During the chat, suddenly the team discussing about the next trip.... March maybe???

Kuantan Fishing ..... First trip for 2014

Everyone is very excited for the trip. Countless call made to the boatman checking whether we could go out to the sea. It is the ebek season opening. We decided to make a day trip to Kuantan, departing early in the morning and back late at night. This is the second time I made the day trip to Kuantan for fishing. Furthermore, still in the mood of CNY but we don't want to miss the chance to have a good catch.

By the time we reached the meeting point, we were late already and hence we departed late by almost an hour. Without further wasting time, boatman brought us to get some bait and heading towards the ebek spot. Not long after we lay our bait, there was sound where my reel being pulled. Immediately I strike it out, and hence the fighting game begun.

Fight and fight, 10 minutes... 20 minutes and some more... from far away, we saw silver size moving on the surface from far away... we shouted it was ebek.... but still it's far away. We reel again and again, reel in 3 times but the fish pull out further out. That's the activities we do fighting with the fish, moving around the boat and keep going on for 2 hours before we able to land it up. It was mantra ray. Aiksss..... had we known earlier on, we would cut the line and continue to search for other fishes as that was the prime time for fishing. It was the first mantra ray and such the big size catch, and consumed up all my energies. All of us on the boat helped to pull up the ray during the period, all relief when it was up.

Right after that, I tried jigging. Immediately it struck. Well, the anchorman saw I don't have any energy to pull up the fish and came to help me out. It was cobia. At the same time, my brother in law hit with yellow lip ebek. Fighting and fighting, both fish landed. Both was more than 10kg.

I was knocked down already by then. Boatman continue to bring us to few spots. Others landed few more, notably shark, cobia again and parrot fish. Came back ashore about 6pm.

At night, we went to the same restaurant that we always had, plus took some our catch to try it out before heading back to KL. Anchorman helped us to get some ice to fill up our ice box, a very helpful and friendly guy. By the time I reached home, it was about 2am already. Still need to clean some of the fishing gear, and worst of all tomorrow need to work.