From sea to table

Into the steam wok

After steaming

Deshelling was a breaze

Great as salad!

Best present :)

Didn't come to the beach with a hopeful heart because it is one day after full-moon and usually not a good day for fishing. But the day started with my catching my largest grouper so far (above). But still not big enough for the table. So released it to the sea.

But the surprise come much later after I caught my only whiting and used it as bait. This foot-long mantis schrimp was foul hooked near the tail - most likely savouring the whiting and getting itself hooked as it swam around the hook.
The line shaked, though not violently. So i decided to retrieve it. When retrieving the line, it felt like dead weight of a branch. So I was a little disappointed. But when the prized catch appears, I was overjoyed.

Didn't know we have such huge creatures on our shores :)

Biddy Biddy Biddy...

No picture of my catch to show.
But just to testify that I caught a good-sized silver biddy again today using the short 1 hour beach break I had with my 3 kids.
They are starting to enjoy fishing with me. I'm glad. :)
Also, tried out my new 7' telescopic rod which cost me $26. Stiff and give good distance to my throw. But feel that it is a little too "skinny". Well, still my best rod so far...

Pesky catfish!

The kids tried fishing again. And this time, all catfishes! Gave them all to the 2 Malay boys fishing there, who happily accepted our gifts. Nonetheless, Jie Xin caught 3 more whitings which grandma fried for dinner. They loved it.

This time, it is proven possible to bring them to the beach and fish at the same time. Just need to set up tent for them at the beach and give them a walkie talkie. They'll play on the beach and periodically visit me at the jetty or call me on the walkie talkie to talk.

Stormy morning

Day started quiet. Caught 2 small fishes and put in the keeper's basket. Later a great storm attacked. So went to hide at Old Town.
After the storm, I returned to discover that a big lobang has developed at the bottom of the keeper's basket and both fishes were gone. No problem, small fishes anyway.
These 3 fishes were caught after the storm. The flounder was caught with live prawn. :)

My kids caught fish - first time!

Suddenly got an idea to let them try fishing again - since I now know this place which consistently yield small (edible) fishes and I've figured out the way to catch them :)

Indeed, the 2 older kids had a great time! Each caught a whiting and a juvenile grunter. Grunter returned to sea but whiting to home!

I guess they'll be asking me to bring them for more trips after this experience.

Prediction quite true

Got 2 bites on my live-prawns today!
But each time I retrieve my lines, I only retrieve sunken weights... Ok, so now I got 3 free weights.
But that means got fish!
But God is nice to me. He gave me the biggest silver biddy I've ever caught. This one is caught just near to the jetty structure. Consistently, medium sized fish feeds there - regardless of tide situation.

Buy a boat?

Saw this one man boat at Toys-R-Us. Only $36! I think it can help me catch big fish!
I can pump it up at home and tie it to the top of my car and transport to the beach! Good idea!

Strange day

Yesterday could be one of my strangest day fishing experience. Caught 4 catfishes, 1 sea snake and 1 moray eel (see video) all in the day time. I thought these guys are more active at night.
Fortunately, I also caught 2 silver biddy. Otherwise, would have been a very miserable trip.

Doing my predictions...

According to my tide-table, the conditions that result in my catching the big javelin grunter is returning again! I'll have my chance this Friday late-morning!
Praying for good weather conditions and of course, a space at the jetty...
Will be back to report on the results. Wish me all the best. And may God bless me with another big fish.

Lost a Scat!

Fished the whole morning at Carl's Jr (yesterday) without much substantial results. Finally, decided to try the "favorite corner" of the jetty. A medium sized scat and small grouper bit at the same time! Thought I'll not go home empty-handed this time.
In order to keep the scat alive, I put it in my keeper's basket and returned it into the waters. Alas! The scat escaped through the top hole in the basket because it cannot be secured properly. (So got to use this photo from the internet to show you how my beauty looked like).
Later in the afternoon, went back to the jetty to expend all my live prawns. Nothing again.
But I saw a huge squid floating right next to the jetty. First time saw such a huge one...

My First Hotlips! (the sea is full of surprises)

Went fishing at Carl's Jr jetty yesterday afternoon about 3pm after a productive time of work at East Coast McDonalds (free internet access there).
Because it is nearly full moon, the tide was strong and the fishes just did not bite.
Started off by catching a sea-snake which wasted one of my hooks. Then it was barrenness all the way after.
But I had a great time reading Edmund Chan's "Growing Deep in God" while waiting for the fish to bite. Was tearing like a cry-baby when I read a testimony about how God answered a prayer of a little girl at an orphanage.
Nearing 5pm, I was getting ready to go home.
But a sudden idea came to me, why not fish near one corner of the jetty? The water there is muddy and shallow but it was sheltered from the beating waves.
Just seconds after I lowered a simple drifting rig into the water, something bit and dragged the line all over! I quickly retrieved it and it was my first hotlips!
After that I went home satisfied.

Another sunrise picture

Taken with "sunrise" setting in my handphone camera.

Awesome. 7 whitings 1 silver biddy 1 grunter with 7 prawns!

Started at 9am at Carl's Junior jetty. At the lowest tide for today - 0.4m.

Using 2 telescopic - 1 of which is operating on a faulty tip.

1 self-tied "taman"-rig with 4 size-4 hooks; 1 appollo rig with 2 hooks.

All the above were caught with the taman rig!

Also caught 2 of the above tripod fish (both together), 3 small snappers and 1 small grunter. Some returned to sea and some used as bait. Btw snapper meat is bad bait. No fish wants to bite. Finally, even hooked up a crab! (see video) This one was returned to sea too.

PS: Consistently, javelin grunters are caught at low tide at Carl's Junior jetty during day time (morning segment) with either dead or live prawns.