Haruan 101 – Sneaking Up on a Fish

Haruan fish or Striped Snakehead (Channa Striata)

This is the first of our Haruan 101 series. This will hopefully be a useful fishing reference guide to you for this ubiquitous snakehead fish.

Like a opportunistic mugger hidden from view awaiting it’s next unsuspecting victim to stroll by, the haruan often lies in very shallow waters usually in-between snags and aquatic vegetation at the edges of ponds.

Oops, I Did It Again!
I have personally spooked many haruan while approaching a swim. So many times that I have lost count of it. It happened again yesterday. Eagerly approaching a swim eyeing the activities on the open waters, sudden swirls and a huge splash occurred just to my left where the grassy area was flooded in barely 30 cm of water.

I just managed to eyeball the culprits, yup, it wasn’t just one but two dark shaped fish befitting the profile of the snakehead, as they torpedoed away in separated directions kicking up mud from the bottom and leaving a wake on the water’s surface.

Haruan is a very visual fish. They react to sudden movement such as changes in light caused by our shadows. Sometime they stay very still to avoid detection but they would have already been spooked.

Approach a swim slowly. Even cast a weedless lure to the shallows before going in. That one fish can make a big difference to that day’s fishing!

Have you ever gotten a jolt before by a fish that was literally at your feet? (I have) Share your experience!

4 thoughts on “Haruan 101 – Sneaking Up on a Fish”

    1. Bong, thanks for leaving a comment.
      You are right, haruans are very receptive to artificial lures and they are more fun caught this way than using real baits.

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