Trip Tioman 2 - 2010

Mukut is a small fishing village at the southernmost tip of Pulau Tioman. It is also one of the most secluded and quiet villages, owing to its inaccessibility and remoteness. The beach over here is rocky at most parts, though there are clear patches good for swimming. Kampung Mukut's appeal to visitors and tourists lies in nature - This place is covered in lush rainforest that hides majestic waterfalls, along with the majestic Twin Peaks Mountain.

Every time me and my fishing friends will rent a boat from the skipper Mukut, namely Mr Raman.

Stinger Butterfly Drift

Description

The Stinger Drift is a more specialized jig that often used when an extremely erratic and exaggerated action is needed to induce a strike. This jig offers a fish atttracting side to side "drift" action when the jig is dropped or on the upstroke when the actual jigging is done. Upon jigging, the jig actually sits vertically momentarily in the water column making it especially attractive to fish that attack from the below and allowing the jig to stay in the strike zone for a longer period of time. This jig is ideal for targeting large bottom wreck fish such as Groupers, Flame Snappers and Escolars, that will only feed in a specific strike zone in the water column.

The True Gulf Red Snapper - Part #1

Because of the many points of interest, history and arguments about Gulf Red Snapper, this will be the first part of a series of blogs on the subject.

There is little doubt that the most important offshore finfish species in the Gulf is the American Red Snapper; few fish are as popular, controversial and plentiful off the coast of Texas. I know that most of my year is spent gearing up for those scant few days in which the season opens up in Federal waters.

The most amazing thing about American Red Snapper is that our understanding of the state of this resource is so incredibly inconsistent and incomplete. Red Snapper are second only to shrimp in economic importance in the Gulf of Mexico. And, like shrimp, Red Snapper is also one of the most argued about resources. This fish’s history, peculiar habits and habitat (which is heavily debated), the span of its proliferation, its beneficial relationship with the energy industry and immense fan club of recreational fishermen and restaurateurs nationwide make the Red Snapper a perfect example of a much larger issue: how to balance the Gulf as a sustainable fishery and resource for both commercial and recreational fishermen. The arguments, which I will explore in this blog series, over the Red Snapper’s condition, resemble age-old religious conflicts: scientists, fisherman and conservationists alike split down the middle and the only thing that both sides can agree on is that it is unlikely that either point will ever be proven. All of this aside, the most important thing is that the Red Snapper are mounting a comeback, proving that well thought-out and scientific-based conservation programs do work.

As I was writing this, all I could think about was Sunday morning. Saturday night’s busy service, the second week’s airing of The Next Iron Chef on Sunday night…none of this mattered. Since NOAA announced in mid-September the re-opening of snapper season for the next two months (on weekends only), I’ve been planning this two-day outing. It has been almost five years since recreational fishermen have been able to snapper fish during the fall. The re-opening was announced in order for the recreational guys to catch the quota they did not reach due to the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill.

The re-opening will be a huge boost to the captains and guides of the charter industry as well as the recreational fishing industry in general. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the immense economical impact the recreational fishery has, here are a few numbers: 300,000 jobs in the Gulf Coast Region are linked to the industry and their hard work translates into $41 billion a year. That’s $8.6 million a day. And that shit ain’t peanuts.

Seas were like blue glass

On Saturday night, winds were 5 knots and seas 1 foot at 5.4 second intervals, with 8 second dominant wave intervals. What does that mean, you ask? It means an ocean of glass and it means that I was 50 to 60 miles offshore by the time you were making your morning coffee and busy catching Mahi, Cobia, Kingfish...

Big Kingfish cut down to size by an even bigger Bull Shark

Mike with a big Mangrove Snapper

and a fat limit of these ruby red beauties:

The day's total catch

In addition to the day’s catch it was a magical day on the water with multiple Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle sightings and acrobatic dolphin drafting off our head wake.

Green Sea Turtle

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle

The American Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) is also known as Genuine Red Snapper, which pretty much says it all. The most common snapper in the Gulf, the American Red makes its home mainly from the northern Gulf to the Bay of Campeche. Their habitat is mainly between the depths of 50 to 300 feet mostly around reefs, rocks, ledges, wrecks, and offshore oil and gas platforms as they are strongly attracted to any sort of relief or obstruction. Previously thought to be more of a territorial species (one in which adults don’t move around much), recent studies show that only 26% of tagged fish are found in the same place one year later, moving an average of 19 miles before recapture. After a hurricane, tagged fish have been found up to 220 miles from their original location.

Red Snapper spawn over twenty times a year at four to six day intervals between late May and early October. Maturing at the size of around one foot, the smaller fish will produce roughly 500 eggs while the larger ones will belt out around 2 million. Although they are considered reef fish, very little of their diet consists of reef dwellers; instead they dine on mostly sea robins, pinfish, striped anchovies, cusk eels and pigfish. Their next favorite food is Stromapods (king shrimp or sea lice). Because of the Red Snapper’s popularity and successful marketing, there have been quite a few scandals of restaurateurs attempting to pass off other fish – like sheep’s head, black drum and other snappers -- as Red Snapper filet, not because of the quality, but because of the name.

The finished product: Crispy Skin Snapper, Sweet & Sour Swiss Chard, Tomato Brown Butter.

To Be Continued…

Daiwa® Fat Flat Crank

Daiwa Lures

An internal weight-shift system means longer casts for more water coverage. Flatter shape and higher buoyancy gives rapid-flash action—floats easily over obstacles for fewer hang ups.

Choice Of Diving Depth

3 distinct lip designs give choice of diving depths.

Dead or Alive
Side Swimming Baitfish

Action of the double-jointed wooden body imitates a mortally injured, side-swimming baitfish, an easy target for large predatory gamefish. Also features spinner buzz blade tail for extra vibration and splash, heavy-duty super sharp hooks and realistic 3-D eyes

Daiwa Spinnerbait
With Detailed Head and 3-D Eyes

Highly detailed fish head design with 3-D eyes. Re-inforcement brace at anchor point and welded blade loop for durability. Features red Mustad® hook and ball bearing swivel. Available in two blade styles, Double Willow (DW) or Combination (CB).

Crystal Red Shrimp

Second Aquarium in my home.This is small planted tank only for shrimp.

The crystal red shrimp is a red color variation of the bee shrimp from China and Hong Kong. It was selectively bred from the bee shrimp (and NOT from the bumblebee shrimp as some erroneously claim) in Japan. It gained huge popularity in Japan and Germany due to its nice colors and excellent algae eating habits. Their colors stay red and white permanently and even young crystal red shrimp (even hatchlings) already show this beautiful coloration. There are several color variations of this shrimp in Japan. There are shrimp with mostly red bodies and thin white stripes (most common), shrimp with wider white stripes, and shrimp with very wide solid white stripes (most sought after). Recently a Japanese breeder has been producing shrimp that are almost solid white from tail to mid-body and show some red in the front. Quite a bit of variation can even occur among siblings as the photos above show.

This shrimp will readily cross with the bee shrimp (crystal black shrimp), chinese zebra shrimp, and the tiger shrimp. The bumblebee shrimp might also cross with this shrimp, but it is less likely to do so since it seems to be a completely different species.

Planted Freshwater Fish Aquarium-Final

My final planted freshwater aquarium.

Planted Freshwater Fish Aquarium

This is my new hobbies.I try setting up a large tropical freshwater aquarium in my home.

As much as you want to have a nice, big, attractive freshwater aquarium, you only have a small budget with which to set it up. So it's time to settle for the alternative and go the least expensive route. You can try having a fish bowl, a round-shaped, small fish tank which is far cheaper than a standard-sized fish tank. The important thing that you should bear in mind is not to include too many fish in the fish bowl as this may tend to cause an imbalance in the environment for other fish species. The ideal number of fish pets is one or two per normal-sized fish bowl.

Building your own freshwater fish bowl is as easy as 1, 2, 3. You do not need lots of expensive equipment - you just need clean water, a small guppy and some pieces of ornamentation. You can utilize aquatic plants that live in freshwater aquariums to provide a balance in your tank. As long as you remember a few of the basics, you can set up your favorite fish bowl without the help of professionals. The first thing you need to do is decide where to position your fish bowl. In terms of positioning simply place it on the top of a small table or stand. There is certainly no need for a customized stand. Also, you can save on your home's monthly water costs as a fish bowl only uses approximately a gallon (or less) of clean water. You can also save on electricity costs since you do not need water filters.

If you are the type who prefers to have a medium size fish bowl, you can choose to buy low cost lighting equipment for your tank. Again, this is not expensive. However, if you are not the type of person to settle for a small fish bowl, you can set up a mini aquarium to further accentuate your living room. You just need to have a small water filter that helps maintain your tank's water, certain types of fish species such as Bloodfin Tetra and Guppy, live aquatic plants, decorative rocks and sand, and other ornamentations that you may include based on personal preference.

You also need to choose the type of material for your mini freshwater aquarium. Basically, manufacturers offer glass and acrylic aquariums, but you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Since you are working with a small budget, you may opt for glass which is less expensive than acrylic. Generally, acrylic is lighter than glass and more readily fashioned into your own unique shape, but it is more expensive and somewhat more easily scratched than glass. However, some acrylic scratches can be polished out, while scratched glass is all but impossible to fix.

No matter how big or small your freshwater aquarium, it does not matter as long as you keep your tank looking good. It is also important that you keep your fish healthy - the main reason to maintain your freshwater aquarium. Sit back, relax and enjoy the company of your fish, regardless of what size of aquarium you choose.

Live aquatic plants can also be a big help in a tropical freshwater aquarium because plants also help utilize the ammonia and reduce waste levels in the tank. Plants also provide shy or frightened fish with hiding places reducing the amount of stress the fish experience which keeps them healthier. Planted tropical freshwater aquariums are often more stable and contain healthier, happier fish than non-planted aquariums.

As for the stand of your mini aquarium, you can personalize it by using some basic carpentry skills or seeking the help of a friend when building it. This way, you can save a significant amount of money compared to buying a custom-made stand from the manufacturer. Determine how high you want the stand to be - high enough for comfortable viewing, but not so high that the aquarium dominates the room.

Paul the octopus has made his final selections

As the international tug-of-war between Germans wanting to eat him and Spaniards wanting to protect him to the death does something less than rage on, Paul the Oracle Octopus has continued with his charlatan ways and picked winners of both the third-place match and the World Cup final. Given Paul's perfect record in picking his food out of the box covered with the flag of the team that goes on to win the World Cup match, these choices have now reached gospel status. Television networks in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands interrupted their programming to broadcast their octopus overlord's decisions live on Friday. And then they waited, eager and nervous. For an octopus to eat a piece of food.

First up was the Uruguay vs. Germany third-place match. And according to Reuters, Paul is becoming a bit of a showman:

On Friday Paul first settled on top of the Germany container but after a few minutes shifted to the Uruguay container. Then after about 15 minutes he went back to Germany container, quickly opened the lid and ate the morsel of food inside.

Fifteen minutes to make a pick? Come on, Paul. Don't be like LeBron.

Picking Germany was probably a smart decision, though. Maybe it will quell the death threats and allow Paul to finally get back to a normal life. Yet, we do know that Paul didn't make his pick under duress because, well, he's an octopus and doesn't know what these people are doing to him.

Anyway, which box would Paul select when humbly asked to make a special non-German match second selection? Who will win it all, Paul — Spain or the Netherlands? Tell us so we can bask in your tentacled glory! Spanish television personalities awaited his decision with mild interest...



Spain! Pulpo Paul is attempting to cement his bid to become the new king of Spain — the first step in his deliberate plot to seize absolute power over the entire universe — by picking them to win their first World Cup. And so it is foretold, and so it is written.
Also featured in that Reuters video report at the top is that prognosticating parakeet threat to Paul's crown, and Paul's captor speaking casually about the octopus' rapidly impending death. Assuming, of course, that Paul is like every other mortal octopus and not, in fact, the Highlander.

Shimano Butterfly Jigging System

Shimano Butterfly Jigging System video Part 1.



Shimano Butterfly Jigging System video Part 2.



Shimano Butterfly Jigging System video Part 3.



Troubled by being able to see the fish on the fish finder but can't get them to bite? Looking for an exciting new way to catch more fish?

The Shimano Butterfly Jigging System could be the answer to your fishing woes. Developed in Japan in the early 1990's to catch Bluefin tuna in depths of up to 500 feet, the Shimano Butterfly Jigging System has been proven to out fish bait in many instances when the fish are finicky and won't bite.

The System is based on four components:

1. A Lure called the Shimano Butterfly Jig, which has a very unique action both on the fall and retrieve.


2. A sensitive, lightweight, very durable rod series named the Trevala.


3. The new generation of super lines.


4. Our high speed, high power reels like Torsa, Trinidad and Stella.


The combination of these products makes catching fish easier, more productive and flat out fun!

To learn more about this new fish catching phenomenon, download the Butterfly Jigging Catalog to see how you can catch more fish when the fishing is tough.

Discover the exciting way to catch more fish!

Jigging Technique

Jigging Technique from a Drifting Boat

The Butterfly Jigging System uses tackle designed to attract and detect bites from even the most finicky of fish. It's an action/reaction system designed to allow you to savor the invigorating feel of every movement while retrieving the lure. The feel of the bite is similar to the feeling of electricity flowing through the rod with every movement of the fish exaggerated, due to the sensitivity of the tackle.

Follow These Steps

1.Cast the Butterfly Jig down the current, wind, or drift direction.

2.Let the jig sink to the bottom.

3.Begin retrieving with jigging technique motion.

4.Retrieve the jig several yards from the bottom.

5.Let the jig sink to the bottom (Repeat steps 4&5 several times with each cast).

6.Once line is even, or under the boat, retrieve the jig and cast down the current or wind to start process over.

Butterfly - Regular/Flat-Side

Jigging Action: The Butterfly technique requires a precise motion to impart the right fish catching action to the jig. This technique works for both conventional and spinning tackle with the same results.

After the jig is dropped to the desired depth, the rod tip is facing down. With an upward circular motion, the rod tip will be lifted up on the upswing on the reel handle and lowered on the downstroke of the rotation. The reel retrieve is a tight circular motion that is close to the body with the rod butt held loosely under your left armpit. The distance in which the rod tip moves from top to bottom is approximately 10 to 20 inches depending on the desired lure action and retrieval speed. This technique will work on a fast or slow retrieve depending on how the fish are reacting.

Butterfly - Long

Jigging Action: The Butterfly Long Jig is a very productive lure and works well with the standard jigging technique outlined previously, as well as the following Long jig technique explained below.

The Long model jigging technique works with both spinning and conventional tackle. This technique requires the rod butt held loosely under your armpit depending on what type of tackle (spinning or conventional). After the jig reaches its desired depth, the rod tip is facing down. With an upward jerking motion, bring the rod tip up to the 11 o'clock position. Once up there, wind down taking up the slack in the line until it comes tight, which will lower the rod into the starting position then repeat as previously described. You can adjust the speed of retrieve depending on how the fish react.

Bigs Fish Picture

Some big fish photographs taken by me


Jemuduk


Jemuduk


Pari


Ketarap


Siakap and Kerapu

Asian carp

CHICAGO – An Asian carp was found for the first time beyond electric barriers meant to keep the voracious invasive species out of the Great Lakes, state and federal officials said Wednesday, prompting renewed calls for swift action to block their advance.

Commercial fishermen landed the 3-foot-long, 20-pound bighead carp in Lake Calumet on Chicago's South Side, about six miles from Lake Michigan, according to the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.

Officials said they need more information to determine the significance of the find.

"The threat to the Great Lakes depends on how many have access to the lakes, which depends on how many are in the Chicago waterway right now," said John Rogner, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

But environmental groups said the discovery leaves no doubt that other Asian carp have breached barriers designed to prevent them from migrating from the Mississippi River system to the Great Lakes and proves the government needs to act faster.

"If the capture of this live fish doesn't confirm the urgency of this problem, nothing will," said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office.

Scientists and fishermen fear that if the carp become established in the lakes, they could starve out popular sport species and ruin the region's $7 billion fishing industry. Asian Carp can grow to 4 feet and 100 pounds and eat up to 40 percent of their body weight daily.

Rogner, from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, estimated that the male carp was about 3 to 4 years old. It was caught live but has since been killed and will be sent to the University of Illinois to determine if it was artificially raised or naturally bred.

The fish was sexually mature, but Lake Calumet's conditions aren't conducive to reproduction because the water is too still, Rogner said. Even so, the lake is the ideal living environment for the fish because it's quiet and near a river system, he added.

"It fits the model to a T," he said. "They may be concentrated in that area."

Officials said they'll use electrofishing and netting to remove any Asian carp from the lake.

They have been migrating up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers toward the Great Lakes for decades.

There are no natural connections between the lakes and the Mississippi basin. More than a century ago, engineers linked them with a network of canals and existing rivers to reverse the flow of the Chicago River and keep waste from flowing into Lake Michigan, which Chicago uses for drinking water.

Two electric barriers, which emit pulses to scare the carp away or give a jolt if they proceed, are a last line of defense. The Army corps plans to complete another one this year.

"Is it disturbing? Extraordinarily. Is it surprising? No," Joel Brammeier, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, said of the carp's discovery beyond the barriers.

He said the capture highlights the need to permanently sever the link between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. The Army Corps is studying alternatives, but says the analysis will take years.

"Invaders will stop at nothing short of bricks and mortar, and time is running short to get that protection in place," Brammeier said.

In Michigan, officials renewed their demand to shut down two shipping locks on the Chicago waterways that could provide a path to Lake Michigan. The U.S. Supreme Court has twice rejected the state's request to order the locks closed, but state Attorney General Mike Cox said he was considering more legal action.

"Responsibility for this potential economic and ecological disaster rests solely with President Obama," Cox said. "He must take action immediately by ordering the locks closed and producing an emergency plan to stop Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan."

A Chicago-based industry coalition called Unlock Our Jobs said the discovery of a single carp did not justify closing the locks. Doing so would damage the region's economy and kill jobs without guaranteeing that carp would be unable to reach the lakes, spokesman Mark Biel said.

"A few isolated incidents of Asian carp in this small section of the Illinois Waterway does not mean existing barriers have failed," said Biel, also executive director of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois. "Additional regulatory controls and river barriers should be explored before permanent lock closure is even considered."

___

Flesher reported from New Orleans.

$1-million prize is the one that got away

If a person gets caught fishing without a license, in most cases, it results in a fine of perhaps a few hundred dollars.

For those aboard Citation, however, the infraction represents a setback of nearly $1 million.

The vessel's anglers had been participating in the 52nd annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, June 11-19 off North Carolina. Andy Thomossan landed what was by far the biggest fish: an 883-pound marlin, a tournament record.

The team on Saturday was declared winner of the prestigious competition, and there was plenty of celebration.

However, there also was a post-event lie-detector test, after which it was revealed that one of the hired crew did not possess a valid fishing license, available in North Carolina for only $15, or $30 for non-residents.

That was a violation of tournament rules and after lengthy deliberation, according to Evans Kistler of the Carteret County News-Times, tournament officials late Tuesday disqualified the catch and and denied the Citation team the winning purse.

End of celebration.

"No record. No money. No fish. No nothing. Yep, it's a nice ending to the story isn't it?" Thomossan told the Jacksonville Daily News. "He failed to get a fishing license, but we didn't know it. He told us he had it. He didn't. So you take a man at his word, you know?"

That man is Peter Wann. According to the state's fisheries division, he went out and bought a license after the catch of the monster marlin, bringing more shame to his team. He'll be fined $35 and ordered to pay court costs totaling $125.

The new winners are those who fished aboard the vessel Carnivore and caught the second-largest marlin, weighing 528.3 pounds. They net a grand total of $999,453.

Michael Topp, one of Citation's owners, figured the tournament board would not rule in Citation's favor.

"I think the Big Rock committee is doing what they have to do," he said. "I understand that. I'm a retired colonel. I know about rules."

-- Photo: Angler Andy Thomossan (left) and Capt. Eric Holmes stand alongside 883-pound blue marlin caught during the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament off North Carolina. Credit: Evans Kistler / Carteret County News-Times

Redfish on the Half-Shell: Technique over Talent

After opening and finishing a year at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Dune in the Bahamas, I asked Jean-Georges to send me on a stage (a stage is a series of stints in other restaurants that your chef/mentor sets up for you as a learning opportunity). I started spitting out names of big name chefs like Alain Passard, Alain Ducasse and Marc Veyrat; when I was done, he softly said, “OK.” Whoa, I thought. “But Chef,” I said, “where would you have me go?” I wanted his input, his advice. That’s when his eyes lit up and he began to talk about technique. “You’ve already worked in Europe,” he said, “and the last five years you’ve studied at school and trained with me all things based in French technique. Go to Asia and every day a new and foreign technique will reveal itself.” After five months in Hong Kong and Bangkok, I completely understood what Jean-Georges meant.

I’ve never put much stock in talent. It seems to me it’s always used when people talk of missed opportunities. I believe that hard work, tenacity, not being afraid of failure and a dedication to perfecting technique can surpass talent in any field of play.

Unique techniques that are specific to a region and micro-culture are hard to come by. In the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast region, Redfish on the Half-Shell surely fits that bill.

My first introduction to fish cookery was given to me by my grandfather, Olin “Swede” Caswell, with his technique for cooking Redfish.

Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), Channel Bass, Red Fish, Spottail Seabass -- or just Reds -- are cousins to the Black Drum and have been known to interbreed. The coloring of Redfish changes due to its surroundings, ranging from bright copper to silver gray. Most have one spot on the upper quarter of the tail but multi-spotted fish are not uncommon.

Redfish range from the mid-Atlantic coast to the Yucatan and, although they predominately occupy the lowland marshes and estuaries in the summer months, they can be found in depths of up to 75 feet. Their main diet is crab and shrimp but they also have an appetite for menhaden, mullet and pigfish. Redfish are a Diadromous species.

Redfish have tremendous spawning potential with up to 1.5 million eggs per spawn which, on average, is every two days during their two month spawning period, from mid-August to mid-October. Their 20-40 million eggs per season coupled with their high growth rate and tolerance to fresh water is why Redfish are such a good candidate for aquaculture. Currently, Texas has three Redfish farms totaling 458 acres with a yearly production of about 3 million pounds. During the spawn, male Redfish start to congregate. If you’ve ever come up on a Redfish boil, then you know what I mean. Thousands of Reds stack on top of each other, kicking up mud and making the water “boil.”

Redfish have also played a large part in politics. In 1977, fourteen concerned anglers got together and started the “Save the Redfish” campaign. The Redfish population was in need of help because of heavy commercial pressure, gill-netting and inadequate limits and enforcement of recreational fisherman. These anglers formed the Gulf Coast Conservation Association (GCCA) and, by 1985, their membership had spread to Florida; by the 1990’s their reach went beyond the Gulf and they became the Coastal Conservation Alliance (CCA). Today, the CCA is a legislative force on local, state and national levels in protecting our Coasts.

Now, back to technique. Redfish on the Half-Shell has been a camp house staple up and down the coast all of my life and one that is very unique to this region. Redfish are a very hardy species with a very thick skin and scale structure.

The fish is filleted without skinning or scaling, then oiled and seasoned heavily on the flesh side. It is then placed on a hot grill - scales down - and that’s where it stays. The scales provide the perfect protection for the harsh flames.

The flesh side is basted frequently and covered during the process. This creates the perfect smoked/grilled/baked combination that results in one of the most distinguishable, and flavorful, fish techniques of all.

Redfish on the Half-Shell, Sauteed Gai Lan, Fried Mac & Cheese