Rompin - 8th to 9th May 2004

[LBT]

In the early hour of 8th May 2004, Edy and myself embarked on our virgin journey trip to east coast of West Malaysia – Rompin. Although tired from the lack of sleep, but the adrenaline from the thought of remote possibility that one or maybe even both of us might get to ‘wrestle’ with those elusive Rompin sailfish kept us awake and excited.

The 3 hours plus journey to the jetty, gave us the chance to get to know a little bit about company for this trip, as well as exchanging fishing experience among the group. Upon arrival, we eagerly loaded all our fishing equipments and belongings to the fishing boat, which we will call it ‘home’ for the next 27 hours. Our ‘home’ was nothing more but a simple wooden fishing boat with no proper sanitary and lodging facilities.

The 1 hours plus boat ride out to our first fishing spot gave us plenty of time to set up our fishing tackle and also enjoy the cool sea breeze and island view along the way. Upon reaching the man made fishing attaching device known as ‘unjam’, created by the charter operator, we noticed that the water surrounding the boat were ‘boiling’ with bait fishes.

The first fish of the day was a Dorado, brought in by Michael. Soon after that everyone on board was reeling in Dorado after Dorado, and on one occasional there was a triple hook up with Dorado on our tiny boat. Three anglers on board were struggling hard to steer clear of each other’s path to avoid tangling into each other’s line. Dorado provided the much-needed entertainment for us for the next 30 minutes, transforming the water surrounding us into an aerospace show ground. With each hook up, these Dorado impressed us with their aerial acrobatic display.

Evening hours gave Edy the opportunity to ‘wrestle’ his first Tengirri. But his powerful tackle set up gave the 2kg plus Tengirri no chance to showcase its dashing ability to him. Meanwhile I was in the other corner of the boat, trying my luck with my newly acquired jigging skills.

The setting of the sun was signalled by the disappearance of all the baitfishes. Night fishing in Rompin was a total disaster for us. Apart from tiny fishes and suspected squid, nothing even came close to take a sniff at our bait. As disastrous as the night fishing there was our dinner, we were served with fried rice that tasted like plain rice on super oily plates with no spoon. The sight of the fried rice turn Edy totally off, while I consumed just a tiny serving in attempt to keep my tummy remotely filled.

The lack of sleep, the long travelling distance, top with fishless night soon took toll on each and every one of us. Edy and I scramble around and finally found a place at the bow of the boat to be our temporally sleeping quarter. Both of us curse and swear about the lack of proper meals and resting facilities until we fell asleep under the starry Malaysia sky.

Our fishing action was re-activated once again when the dawn break. Anglers on board brought in Chermin between 5kg to 8kg. Edy was among the star performer, for this round as he was quick to bring in two Chermin weighing in at 5kg and 6kg.

Not long after the Chermin stop feeding, Edy’s rod bended and his reel scream with a multiple series of short notes. He was quick to respond to his rod, but he only succeed pulling his rod out of the rod holder only after several attempt. All eyes were on him as he ‘wrestles’ that unknown creature. Edy patient begin to run out after a good ten-minute struggle with the fish and beginning to bring in that fellow using his brutally hasty method. All the anglers on board were surrounding Edy to witness him bringing in the 20kg shovelnose shark to the side of the boat.

45 minutes later, as we sat beside each other still trying to digest the adrenaline rush from Edy’s encounter with his shovelnose shark. My rod bends into a U shape all of a sudden, with my line going out in an unbelievable fast rate. For that moment I stood there like a complete idiot just holding onto my rod. When the line stop going out, I do want an angler got to do, pump and start to retrieve some line back. This signalled the beginning of my tag of war session with the fish. Every 3 meters of line I regain back, the fish retaliate by pulling back 2 meters, and this goes on for a quite some time, before we saw the fish surfacing some 20 meters away from the boat. From that distance, the fish appear to be big, and the boat captain was quick to recognize that as a cobia. I managed to bring the cobia to about 10 meters to the boat, before she makes a dive into the water. I used my remaining strength obtained from the 2 slices of chilli tuna bread I had for breakfast, to continue to pump the cobia in whenever she gave me the opportunity to do so. Finally, after one hell of a struggle, I managed to bring her next to the boat. That cobia is at least a meter in length, and everyone on board was estimating it to be around the 30kg mark.

Before we head back to shore to end this trip, we were given our final chance at one more ‘unjam’. And this final chance proves to be fruitful to Edy and me, as we got a tengirri each before we end the trip.

[LBT]

Edy will post the stand by fish picture later this evening.

We are scheduled to return to Mapur from 21st to 23rd May 2004, please stay tune to our next catch report.

[edylie]

Here is the picture

Nice catch

[LBT]

In respond to Michael’s post on http://www.fishingkaki.com/forum/vie...t=16026#139226,

Michael,

You might have misunderstood my catch report. First and foremost, I would like to clarify that the only reason for me to do catch report is to leave a record of the events that happened for every fishing trip I did with my close friends, so in time to come, we can all read these catch reports and refresh our memories on these trips.

If you noticed every of my catch report are written in descriptive style covering the highlights of the trip. Therefore I tend to add other details into my catch report, so as to spur and refresh our memories should we read these reports in future. My intention was not to utilize these catch report as a platform for complains.

In my own opinion, you have been a good and responsible organiser. Edy and me went on a worry free well planned trip with you this time round, everything had been pre-arranged by you.

I believed I speak for Edy too, if I should say it was most certainly a pleasure for both of us to have this opportunity to fish with you. Both of us not only enjoyed ourselves tremendously, but we also benefited from your generosity for sharing your fishing knowledge and skill with us.