We Survived The Barracoutas

[LBT]

If anyone were to ask Edy how did his fishing trip to Lucornia Shoals and Dogtooth Reef goes, I’m pretty sure that he will tell you it was a tiring and heavy trip. Tiring not because he caught many fishes, heavy not because the fishes he caught were big. But because I (his lazy bastard friend) made him hand carry all the fishing reels alone.

I could tell from Edy’s facial expression that carrying a bag filled with eleven fishing reels on transiting flight is no simple task. Lucky for me, the organiser of this fishing trip arranged to have us picked up from the airport and send all our barang barang together with us all the way to the jetty, stopping the vehicle next to Crystal Coral, the fishing boat we call home for the next five days four nights.

Setting off at twelve midnight, our boat captain anchored the boat at the fishing spot known to locals as Besi Sampah, after just four hours after we set sail, on our journey up to Dogtooth Reef to cure the fishing itch of all anglers on board. And we had fun battling with one Kelisi after another, at that spot.

The big one didn’t show up until Day One afternoon, at Merpati. Our fellow Singaporean angler hook up and landed a forty pounds Amberjack, after that, the Amberjacks went into an unusual feeding frenzy mode. And we were hitting Amberjack after Amberjack after Amberjack.

We caught so many Amberjacks, until some of us started praying that we won’t hook up yet another Amberjack each time we drop our lines down into the deep blue sea. Sad to say, our prayers were not answered.

But lucky for us, we kept only those Amberjacks that didn’t survive the fight and released all the rest who made it, back into the sea, or else we’ll have a fishing deck full of Amberjacks.

The Amberjacks we caught and released must had sent SMS to inform their fish friends over at our Day Two fishing spot, commonly known as Friendship Reef, warning them about us, for, the fishes over there avoided us like plague, refusing to take our jigs or anything else we drop down.

But, as the saying goes, ‘even a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work’, so no complains. And we made full use the rest of our free time to drink (beer), snack, and do some male bonding chitchat on the deck, before returning into cabin back onto our bed for a good night rest; to physically and mentally preparing ourselves for Dogtooth Reef.

No surprise, the highlight of the trip happened on Day Three, in no other place but the infamous Dogtooth Reef and during our jigging session; when all anglers on board jigging frantically along to the loud ass dance music pumped through the deck speakers. We sang, screamed, and shouted the lyrics out along with the music as we jig from fishing spot to fishing spot.

And everyone stop whatever they were doing, when our Malaysian counterpart hooks up a forty-two pounds Dogtooth Tuna. Those who were fishing on deck stop jigging, those who brought video cam recorder rushed to grab their equipments, and those who were watching VCD in the TV room ran out to deck, to cheer and watch him battle his Dogtooth. Although, its no monster Dogtooth but still we took turn to congratulate him after he landed that fish.

That Dogtooth Tuna must had brought along his clan of tuna friends along with him, I suspect; for, we had about two hours of happy hour fishing after that.

The fishes whacked our metal jigs like bears see the honey.

We caught everything from Tuna to Snappers on it, before we start losing all our fishing lines (non stop) to the Barracoutas. We were surrounded by Barracoutas until we gave up fishing and spent our time, rest our tired bodies and aching arms; drinking, snacking, and chitchatting up on the boat’s roof instead.

There’s nothing like a can of ice-cold beer after a hard day of fishing, I’m telling you.

Beer is such precious commodity out on open sea, that, I’m not kidding you when I tell you, we start hallucinating about them when our supply of beer ran out on Day Four, one day before we begin our sixteen hours sail from our fishing ground back to port.

We had so badly of a beer craving, that, we had nothing but beer on our mind. With that, we did not hesitate to compliment our seafood lunch with beer, spent our afternoon downing beer in the town centre’s hotel café, and upload more beer into our systems just before we board our flight home on Day Five.

Our trip to Lucornia Shoals and Dogtooth Reef might not be as productive as the one other fisherman experienced, we might land no fifty kg big fish, but we’re happy. We’re happy because of the experience, and the company.

[thunnus]

Fantastic report, Chris....! Very well said !!!

rgds,
Lod.

[physlo]

Chris,

Catches maybe so-so but i do believe you have good fishing companions. Any pictures to share with us?

Regards
physlo

[12345]

Barracoutas, anyone try b4? someone told me sweet n yummy.

[jerk]

where are the fotos???? waiting since last sunday!

[stickbom!]

It takes time for them to censor Cutegirl's face from the photos

[edylie]

some of the pictures

[zikista]

one power trip to remember guys.....nice ...well done bradas

ZUL ZIKO

[stickbom!]

There must be a whole lot more photos Quick post more leh

[jason]

Physlo
Better than our last trip.....
All fish got size one....Two digit ones....
Ours !!!!cannot be compared man!!!!

CUTEGal
VEry nice report......



Cheers
Ason

[sailfish1]

very good report folks
you had great time there
Edy you dont need anymore our Amberjacks you have yours in huge numbers
waiting for more pics
jj

[DaFrogman]

That looks and sounds like a great trip girls and guys....

Nice Catch Report too..... The "hallucinating about beer" part had me in stitches for a while..... Next time better bring along double supply.

Well done, I'm sure there will be more from that area this year.

Regards,

Saimee

Originally Posted by stickbom!

There must be a whole lot more photos Quick post more leh

I think Chris too modest to post his catch ... so I am doing this for him! Sorry bro! Tight lines .....

And another with Edy. Chris, Les and moi!