CATCH REPORT - LURING AT FP
Angler Andriel ventures out of his saltwater territory and goes to the largest freshwater pond in Singapore, Fishing Paradise@ORTO to hook on to some Barra/KBL/Kim/Siakap at the new luring pond. Here's what he has to say about it.
I have been searching for another good spot besides Pulau Ubin that held Barramudi and I thought of FP. There was a new luring pond that had been set up at FP and it was stocked with Toman and Barra. Since I was a student, there was a $35 for 6h promotion for me and I decided to have a go at it.
A view of the luring pond. Not a large area and pretty shallow but you can clearly tell that there is a lot of surface action from the ripples.
I brought a few lures to test out, mostly vibes and soft plastics.
Below are the lures I brought:
1. ima Koume 70 (Vibe)
2. Storm SX Soft Vib (Soft plastic and vibe hybrid)
3. Trigger X Grubs (Soft plastics)
4. Zman DieZel MinnowZ (Soft plastics)
(Jigheads used were VMC Barbarian Jigheads)
I started out with the Storm SX Soft Vib and got a hit after 15 minutes on slow straight retrieve. However, the hook was not set properly and the fish escaped. The Zman DieZel MinnowZ could not be used this time as I had forgotten to bring larger jigheads, so I stuck with the Trigger X grubs.
Hits: 1 Hookups: 0 Landed: 0
I took a break and went to the main pond to lure. I swapped to a Trigger X grub and cast the lure out and let the lure sink to the bottom. I did a slow retrieve with pauses in between and got a strong hit. The drag on my Daiwa Crossfire 2500 screamed as line was pulled out rapidly from the reel. I set the hook and the fight was on! SNAP! My 8lb line snapped. My drag was a tad too high. What a waste, that felt like a really big fish!
Hits: 2 Hookups: 1 Landed: 0
I swapped to the ima Koume next. Again, I casted the lure out and I retrieve it slowly at the bottom. The rod suddenly curved and the drag started screaming, but just as I was about to set the hook, the line snapped again! I was dejected. I had already set the drag low. Was this my unlucky day?
Hits: 3 Hookups: 1 Landed: 0
The 3rd hour was approaching. I had not successfully landed any fish. I casted my Trigger X grub to the other end of the luring pond.Suddenly, I got a hit 1m infront of me! This time, I set the hook quick and FISH ON! The Barra at the end of the line sped to the middle of the pond and did its signature jump, shaking its head and trying to throw the hook. I played with it for about a minute and it was exhausted after a few jumps. I scooped it up with a net easily and landed the first fish of the day!
Hits: 4 Hookups: 2 Landed: 1
Barra just scooped up...
The first fish of the day on a Trigger X grub, my target fish - the Barramundi!
With the first Barra landed, I was pumped for another round of sparring with the Barra. I casted my soft plastic around the pond for an hour but I did not a get a hit. Maybe the other fishes were spooked after the first battle? Fishes tend to be like that at highly pressure pay ponds.
The 5th hour approached and my 2nd Barra was not to be seen. I casted my Trigger X grub at the corner of the pond and got a hit instantly. I set the hook and steered the fish away from the nets to avoid getting my line tangled there. It leapt out of the water and I knew for sure it was another Barra. This one was stronger but it only jumped once. I brought it near the edge of the water and scooped it up. 2nd fish of the day landed!
Hits: 5 Hooked: 3 Landed: 2
A decent-sized Barra, the 2nd and last fish of the day!
See? Nicely hooked at the side of the mouth - the best hookup for CNR!
The 2nd Barra was also the last fish of the day and I did not get any hits after that. However, I was pretty happy with catching 2 Barras that cured me of the itch!
Conclusion:
FP is truly a cheap but challenging place to fish! If you are a beginner to pond fishing, check out FP to learn a thing or two there. The staff are really friendly and they are able to land your dream fish. Just watch and learn! If you are into Barra fishing just like me, go to FP's luring pond! Although they do not fight as well as those in the wild, they still offer an exciting fight on light tackle. The Barras at FP are CNK, but we still encourage you to practise CNR. Take what you need and release what you don't!