Tiger 5 Saltwater Game Fishing Pond – 29 NOV 2014
Tiger 5 Saltwater Game Fishing Pond, one of the best saltwater game fishing pond in Malaysia. Last year I had a blast visiting this pond with the Tackle Source crew, this year I am heading my own team and I hope this year I can repeat what I achieve last year. Coordination and planning takes place a month ago. It all begin after my successful trip with AG, Shamin and Nash to Thye Fishing Village. Well I think maybe we can give it a go to Tiger 5 since I have a pool of angler that might be interested to join us.
I made all the bookings and manage to group 10 anglers for this trip. We begin our journey a day early and stayed at Evergreen Hotel. Its a good hotel and affordable, definitely will become my choice of hotel if I were to go to Tiger 5. Prepare all my battle gear early and pretty much a basic setup of 50lb shock-leader and barb-less single hook. Jig, Soft Plastic Lure or Ratttin lure works well to deceive Tiger 5 Queensland Grouper.
Mission accomplish! Now its time to ensure all team member land at least one grouper.
Morning session did not turn out to be a grouper-less session. I am the only person who manage to land one Queensland Grouper after countless tries on Rattlin and Crankbait. My one and only Grouper fallen for the Storm Bayonet Micro Jig. It was tough and arm breaking battle before the grouper submit itself 12 minutes later. Volkey BLC paired with Daiwa Luvias 2508 was able to pull it off but definitely feels bit tougher now compare to last year.
Last years average was 5-6 minute per battle. Now 12 minutes? wow I am having second thought to continue with my casting rod. Nevertheless, it was a huge one, they claimed it to weigh around 15-18kg. Last time average size was 7-8kg but know those grouper has grown larger with an average size of 15kg. Badrul was the first one to battle to grouper but his J-Dream was no match for this Goliath. AG also has 4 short battle but somehow the hook doesn’t stay long and his foe slip free. It was hot and sunny day, my face was burnin and bit worried because tense heat is an anglers worse enemy. Luckily we manage to stock lots of water and a cooler to keep things cool. After 3 hours at the first pond, we make our move to the second pond and hopefully our luck will change there.
Conditions though however did not improve in Pond 2. Groupers don’t seem to be interested with any lure or jig we throw at them. Tension arises as we have traveled 248km from KL and land only one Grouper was not an ideal trip. Things changed when Hanson starting to chum the water with dead fish and all the sudden we are getting one strike after another. Barramundi, loads of them started to to go frenzy and we caught them easily with soft plastic and rattling lures.
To see my friends smiling was a huge relief. Manage to land only Barramundi and lost dozens of Siakap strikes. They are strong, with one jump they easily release the hook and not to mention some of them manage to break the line. Average size was definitely more than 5kg and their agility and strength amazes me.
A Siakap fiercly strike Badruls lure! Game on!
Salihin with his first catch of the day!
AG with this nice Barramundi, definitely bigger than Bedong Barramundi
Birthday Boy enjoying his birthday treat!
Doug landed his first Barramundi and his first fish in Malaysia!
Ceri’s first ever Barramundi
Abdullah worked hard today, I’ll bet soon he will land one Queensland Grouper
Badrul and Salihin. Simply enjoy our moment with Barramundi who went bonkers for soft plastik
Barramundi is still around but then I notice Eddie hooked a Grouper and it broke the line. I decided to cast slightly further from the siakap frenzy and let at sink deeper, it was not long when my bait was taken by a Grouper but it manage to break my fishing line. Switched to my light jigging rod Solpara paired with Daiwa Exceler 3000 the newest version 2014. It was not long when Eddie and AG both of them was battling the Queensland Grouper.
You are not getting away this time 🙂 I guess I controlled it beautifully and land this one 🙂
Mission accomplish for Eddie! Congratz!
Mission accomplish for AG! Congratz!
My second for today 🙂
After a long session in Pond 2, Hanson decided to take us to Pond 1 again and see if those Giant Grouper opens its mouth to lure. In fact it did. Finally we manage to land a couple more Grouper and Siakap. To my surprise, they take on poppers! I lost mine with just one strike from the Barramundi here. I was not expecting a grouper frenzy. Land my third and AG a few more.
From a slow start, we end up high today. Probably not as many as I caught last time, but the Grouper now become bigger and with 3 in the bag definitely has made my day. To bad Shamin, Nash and Jon could not make it but we still have time to go next year and its you guys turn to take on this Queensland Grouper. 😀
