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Snakehead Fishing

Catching the Giant Snakehead: Project Clean Up

Giant Snakehead (Toman), Snakehead Fishing, Video

The clean-up crew was asked to remove as many Tomans (Giant Snakeheads) as we could from the water. We’re talking fishing in a restricted area. There are Tapah and other big fish in some parts but by far the Tomans far outnumber the other.

Fierce clouds above lake
We’d much prefer a windless bright sunny sky. A light breeze every now and then would be welcomed.

Being top dog, errr… top predatory fish, they are apparently starting to be a nuisance and are affecting the population of other fishes. “No catch and release please!” we were told. That goes against my usual practice but what the heck. With the circumstances being extra ordinary this is like a fisherman’s wet dream come true. Surely. [Read more…] about Catching the Giant Snakehead: Project Clean Up

Catch More Fish by Improving Casting Accuracy

Snakehead Fishing

Snakehead on Rapala lure
Hooked on Rapala. This snakehead has been previously caught before. After the photography session, it is released again to grow some more! This time it bit a suspending lure when retrieved after a long pause.

Casting accuracy is not just an integral part of successful lure fishing but also fishing in general. Being able to cast accurately and quickly increases our chances of catching fish by being able to present our bait where the fish is. [Read more…] about Catch More Fish by Improving Casting Accuracy

Toman and Haruan Fishing at Batang Berjuntai

Catch Report, Giant Snakehead (Toman), Snakehead Fishing

Thursday, 2nd October 2008

This is quite an old post that I found among the archive and decided to give it some daylight again.

The day was hot that’s for sure. The foursome including Yap, Richard and Wai Meng left for the former tin mining town of Batang Berjuntai at 6 a.m. The drive there was pleasant with few vehicles on the road. We reached our destination 45 minutes later and proceeded to have a small-town-noodle-breakfast. Nice and cheap. There were others in the shop that look set for fishing, with car topper and some were going hunting, with dogs in the truck.

Promising looking

Our target fish was the infamous local snakeheads; Toman or Giant Snakehead and Haruan or Striped Snakehead.

We must have fished 10 ponds big and small in that one morning alone. Some if not most of these ponds looked great. [Read more…] about Toman and Haruan Fishing at Batang Berjuntai

Haruan 101: Is Haruan territorial and can you catch a few from a single spot?

Snakehead Fishing

Snakehead fishing
Frogfish pulled 3 good-sized haruan from a single spot in the span of 30 minutes

Though territorial by nature, the no-go zone of a Haruan (Channa Striata) aka Striped Snakehead does not cover a large area and adult fish are in closer proximity from one another than many would fathom. The territorial space of the younger fish are even lesser. Like most other fish, juveniles will stay closer together for protection in numbers.

As haruans are ambush hunters they tend to camouflage themselves in snags or where there is structure underwater. These can be weeds, sandbars, car tires or any other form of structures. As long as an adult haruan does not come within striking distance of another they will happily stay out of the another’s way. [Read more…] about Haruan 101: Is Haruan territorial and can you catch a few from a single spot?

Fishing with the Wellingtons

Blog, Snakehead Fishing, Video

The last visit to the ex-mining town of Batang Berjuntai was last February, thats 8 months ago, for me. There are endless lakes, ponds and rivers to fish at here but they are also heavily fished. As they’ve been for decades. That’s OK really except for the fact that most fish, Haruan or Toman, big or small are mostly bagged and so getting fish can be a challenge especially decent sized ones.

Video above shows two striped snakehead or haruan (C.Striata) caught with the ever effective Mazzy Frog lure. Too bad I lost that lure a bit later at the exact same spot.

The fish that attracts me back to this place has to be the Toman or Giant Snakehead. The biggest, meanest of the snakeheads. And where we find them in numbers, they are very lock-jawed. There’s this pond which we might as well name the University. The Toman that swims its waters have become smart to our ways and baits. Getting them to take our offerings is a huge challenge but a rewarding one when you succeed in fooling them to take our lure. [Read more…] about Fishing with the Wellingtons