WA Calamari Tournament 2009

Boohoo…

It was a week filled with mind blowing, never ending assignments. When was the last time I hide in my little study corner, over firing the neurons in my brains trying to tackle one assignment after another? Seems like a long time ago…



Alright on the 17th of May 7.30am, the day I’ve been looking forward to, the first WA Calamari Tournamentc 2009 held by Cockburn Powerboat Association kicked off. There were 3 categories; landbased, kayak and boat. Of course without a doubt, I was in the kayak category as I can't afford a boat and landbased sucks... LOL.

The day started really well for me, with me bagging out within an hour into the tournament. With an hour and a half more to go, I had the choice of letting the smaller squids go to upgrade the size of my catch. I would have gotten around 30+ squids easily within the 3 hours time frame.

Final result during the weigh-in for the heaviest weight of 5 squids…

I was 100 grams short of a top 3 placing. Can anyone imagine losing out by a mere 100 grams, the weight of probably a third of a small apple? Ouch, that was very painful for me. Arrggghhh!!!! I wouldn’t be complaining if I miss out say >500 grams.

There goes the Singapore flag on a foreign land. Haizzz…. Too bad they didn’t have a prize for bagging the most squids; otherwise I swear I would have gotten the first place.



Lesson learnt; always” discreetly” fill your catch container with some of water before weigh-in. That extra weight is bonus… LOL just joking.

A Day in the Workshop

So autumn has finally set in and along with it, a week of horrendous weather. It’s time to dig deep into my books.

Indeed I have but as always, I like to spice things up during my studies. A few days ago, my research on the internet had drifted off to an article on kayak modification – How to make your own livewell.



A drive down to Bunning to get the necessary parts, and I’m off to my workshop (backyard) to get things started. Have to admit my surpass attention in D&T during high school paid off. Everything was put together perfectly.



It wasn’t a direct copy as I’ve added my own signature touches, substituted some add-on with cheapies and removing unnecessary parts, all catering to my specific needs. One thing I’ve learnt while staying oversea is that DIY is part and parcel of life.

Now just grant me a fine weather to test it out.

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Alrite latest update on the livewell I’ve build. It performed beyond my expectation.



Went out squiding on the 16th May, Sat. Kept the pump on for 4 hours straight, it worked like a dream with all 14 squids and 1 cuttlefish (at the top right of the picture) pretty much alive at the end of the trip. Without a doubt, it’s worth every bit of effort doing it up, not to mention it’s a whole lot cheaper compared to the commercial ones.

Anyone reckon I can make money from mass producing a livewell like that?

Surprise Surprise..

Start off this post by mentioning that my blog has inspired another reader into a world of outdoor adventures. He has taken the plunge to get his first kayak sometime this month and has plan to fish off the kayak. Isn’t friends supposed to influence one another?!

Guess what, he’s non other than my superlative mate, James Accelus.

He’s looking at an inflatable expedition kayak, which is suitable for lugging around Singapore. It has the mobility and it’s collapsible as compared to a typical sit-on-top hard-body kayak that I’m using. So sharks and crocodiles, please keep away from the inflatables. I see great potential there, James.

Oh, he also manages to psycho Robert, his cousin, to take the plunge with him. With Robert around, kayaking will be doubly the fun (he cracks good but often nonsensical jokes). From James latest update, Marcus and Denzil (very ON person) are still considering but are very likely to join the kayaking clan. I’ll have to wait and see. Common Marcus, MAY THE ORIGINAL KAKIS REUNITE!!!



That’s one more reason I’m looking forward to get back HOME.

It's a Beauty

Got my mate, Matt, out doing some kayak fishing. It’s his first time fishing from a kayak and I believe more will come in the future.



Took him out to one of my squiding spot, chucked him my favourite jig, point him in the right direction and he got one instantly on his first cast. Mission accomplished.



Before we came out, I promised him he will get a squid which he promptly replied me never to promise anyone of a catch on a fishing trip.

“Nan… you will definitely get something, not to mention I’m bring you to my most covert spot”, I said and I took it as an undeclared challenge to put him onto something.



His first squid was a beginning of plenty more to come. Having caught roughly a dozen within half an hour, with a few getting an unintentionally released, we headed out wide to get something different.



Matt bought along his secret burley premixed at home with a toss of Ultrabite (containing fish feeding pheromone). It worked extra time, attracting a school of KAMAKAZI undersize snappers which were dying to hammer at our rigs. They provided great fun and were released upon capture.



All in all we got what we came for, lots of bread and butter fishes not worth mentioning and a dozen lovely squid. What's most important is I get another dude interested in fishing from a kayak.=P

Cheers,
Josh Tan

Fishfull Weekend

Hey matez,

May 10th. I rocked up at the Sound on a Sunday morning full of hope only to be greeted by a threatening weather. Having fished this particular stretch of water just a days earlier with my mate, Matt, and caught some lovely squids and roughly a dozen undersized snappers, skippys and herrings, I was hopping to land a legal snapper today.



After peddling a fair distance and almost making it half way down the last waypoint, 3rd time of the day, I figured the fish weren’t going to play. Still a great day, though. All the while keeping in mind of a Great White Shark attack at Rockingham (it attacked a dingy and throw a man overboard), didn’t want to stay out here alone for too long, decided to call it a day (wasn’t surprise to see no one was out).

Spirits peaked I headed back all the while trolling the drop-off toward the launching site. And then it happened…

Just as I was trolling around a bend where I had previously seen big arches on my sounder, my lightest setup got absolutely smashed. There’s no other way to describe it. The rod was bent to breaking point, even with the drag screaming out in agony. I quickly grabbed the rod and started to get a real feeling for the weight and power of this fish. Two things were immediately apparent to me: it was not a very big fish which I thought it was, and whatever it was, it wasn’t happy. It might pay to mention at this point in time the line I was using was only 10lb braid.

Every time I managed to get some line wound in this fish just took it back with consummate ease; I blaming myself for my liking toward light setup. After a couple of minutes I got it up to the surface and close enough to the kayak to have a look at it. A Pink Snapper... I don’t know how long I played the fish near the yak but eventually he tired himself out and sat on the surface of the water beside me. Nervously, tentatively, I comfort lifted the fella out of the water and placed him gently on the floor of the kayak. What a nice fish to end a day. Another 60+cm snapper added to my growing list. Cheers.



Ps. do check the trebles after every fish, mine was bend and could be the reason for a failed hook-up today.

Hey guys,

I'm back. This trip south, to Hamelin was pretty much a last minute decision. Herbs came about with the planning and booking, while Chris settled the logistic, basically Jeff and I just tagged along with the trip. So a big thanks to the two gentlemen for the invite.



Day 1, 1st of May, we set off at 4pm and arrived at Hamelin Caravan Park around 3 hours later. Picked the keys to our room and we’re off to the local pub for dinner. After countless pints of beer and tall tales, we resided back into the caravan, looking forward to some very intense fishing the next day.



Day 2, 2nd of May, we’re greeted with a hazy morning, presuming a forest fire had broken out over the night, which would otherwise had been a beautiful morning; weather was calm and the swells were down. By 10am, all 3 of us excluding Jeff were down at the beach ready to launch our kayaks.



Fishing was hot if you consider WRASSE a catch… every notches, crevices and nicks were screaming with wrasses; big and small in every color. After bagging a gazillion of them, we called it quit (by the way, they’re all caught and released). A few bull herrings and skippies were kept for tea.



Highlight of the day was a huge seal which went round Chris’s yak, giving him a good scare and then passed between Herb and myself, all the while throwing an angry stare at Herb.

Back on land, we’re very surprise to see the commercial fishermen rounding up and netting a huge school of salmon, estimating 5 tons, so late in the season. It was my first time seeing how it’s done, a sight to remember and to judge on how wasteful those beautiful pelagic fishes ending up as pet food or crayfish bait, something which I’ll never understand.



Btw, Jeff found himself a patch firing with sand whitings while bait fishing from the shore. The day ended with a delicious servicing of fry fish graciously cooked by Herb. Also had POD, pasta of the day which got washed down beautifully with plenty more beers at the pub.

Day 3, 3rd of May at 6am, I walked out the public washroom just off the beach, a small school of salmon cruising pass the breakers caught my sign. Happened to be a well prepared, I’ve got the gears with me and in goes the popper. The line tightened after a mere slight pop and I strike. BANG!!! Effortlessly it took me to the back of a reef some 20 meters away which ping me off, all within 30 seconds. There goes my lure. Went back and had breakfast. What a start to a gorgeous morning!!!

Again no dramas, by 9am our kayaks got out in between some sandy patches. Burley up and our kayaks was swarm with fishes. It was a case of baiting up the hook, drop the rig down to the bottom, tap, tap and the BANG..ZZzzz!!!! While Herbs and Chris were bagging in on the horses, over 40 centimeters Skippy, I was getting their smaller counterpart with wrasses in the mix.



Amongst the chaos, Chris shouted over my shoulder that he saw a school of what he reckoned salmons in the hundreds swam under his kayak toward Herbs and me. Poppers were casted in random directions.

Highlight of the day, I saw herbs winding his popper just about boat side when SPOOSH, a salmon went for it. All I can say it was big salmon. Too bad it didn’t stay connected. At the speed the school was moving through, it was pointless to chase and the action died down soon after. Those skippys would have shitted their pants when a school of hungry salmons swam through them. Had a safe surf return not long after. Some spear-fisherman found my lure the salmon took in the morning and was given back to me.. thats random.



Oh… I got my hands on some huge abalones. Those green lips make my roe abalones collection child’s play. It’s time to get my scuba gears ready and to prepare myself to brave the element; the GWS aka Great White Shark.



I’m so tired; guess my age is catching up.

Ps. I’ll do a write out on what I can recollect from my pass abalones harvest when I have the time. Stay tune!!!

Cheers,
Josh Tan