Pulau Tenggol, Terengganu – 13 FEB 2016
Our circle of anglers have been thinking about paying a visit to Tenggol waters since last year. Around September last year we planned to have a trip early this year after the monsoon is over, so the date was set to March 2016. It was about 3 weeks remaining before the trip that we were made aware that the dates were actually 13-14 February, not March. Lucky enough all of us could commit, problem is will the monsoon be over by then? A break in the weather would be good, I’ve always heard that these kinda breaks in the monsoon season is the heavenly time to fish!
Most of us remembered there was a break in the monsoon in January this year, a couple days of clear skies then the monsoon was back. We were hoping for similar condition for our trip. Two weeks prior to the trip, our little WhatsApp group sort of turned into a weather worshipping cult where every day every time we would update the group on weather forecast from www.windyty.com to look at the wind forecast. The one week forecast prior to our weekend was showing 15-18 knots wind and our trip started looking shaky.
Then about 3 days prior, there was a glimpse of hope where the conditions may improve during the weekend. Friday, the morning was full of debate. Mentions of Port Dickson, Mersing, Jarak all flying around in the discussion until at 11.30 am, Skipper Azmil told us ‘Come over’, we decided to shoot straight to Kuala Dungun. So all five of us Din, Octo, Azrul, Mawi and myself loaded up the cars and off we go!
Area and Detail Forecast at the sea, courtesy of Windyty website. Check this out next time you’re heading out to sea!
Lock and load for the rodeo ride!
We waved goodbye to the dark skies lurking and head out to sea. The journey, saying rough would be an understatement. It was all rodeo from Kuala Dungun until Pulau Tenggol waters as we confronted the waves head on. It took us about 1 hour to get to the first spot, almost twice the time usually taken on calmer days.
No time wasted, we dipped our jigs straightaway and it wasn’t long before I scored a baby Queenie from the pinnacle reef. Moments later Octo and Din each scored some sizable Cencaru (hard tail scads). The condition was perfect for our jigs ranging from 60-80 grams and bites were coming in. Moments later I scored a baby GT. Followed by a huge Bonito by Octo.
Din and his hard tail scad!
Octo and his hard tail scad!
Myself with a baby GT caught nibbling his jig
While freeing a jig from a snag, I broke my rod into three pieces. Mysteriously the jig was freed after the rod snapped
The action slowed down after Din scored a normal size Big Eye Trevally so we decided to head to Tokong Talang, a rocky outcrop marked by a white pole to cast some baits, a small section of island formation around Pulau Tenggol. On the second drift, Din hooked up a hard fighting fish and after struggling for 10 minutes, he landed a giant size Big Eye Trevally!
Azrul with a scad and Din with an enviable Sagai
Octo with a pretty large Bonito
Din and his giant size Big Eye Trevally @ Cupak
That was great news and we lined up the boat for more drifts, casting jigs of 60-80 grams to the outcrop followed by fast and steady retrieve. I’m sure there were plenty of fish at this outcrop but nothing was biting on everyone else’s jig, except for Din! On the coming drifts he had caught a sizable GT, one Gerong Pulau and also a Rainbow Runner. It’s not that we weren’t trying but somehow the fishes favored Din the Panglima Ghaib’s aura today. No wonder he wanted us to go to Pulau Tenggol…some hidden agenda was unveiling itself! Meanwhile the choppy condition has taken a toll on Mawi which after scoring a few small queenies had to lie down and just watch the actions on the boat.
Din again with a GT, connection islands to the main Pulau Tenggol shows great potential 🙂
A great fighting Rainbow Runner caught by Din
When the fish stopped biting in the afternoon we move spots around Pulau Nyireh but nothing was biting around the island so after meals and rests we headed back to outcrop before we head home. As the current has calmed nothing was biting at the island except for a few scads.
While the rest of us were trying hard to find out trophies, time passed by and by then it was getting late. We could only bury our envy with the fishes Din had caught on what I would call Din’s Glory Day. There were plenty of fish around but it just wasn’t our day… No to worry, we still have another one more day to go.. Hopefully things will get better for us 🙂
Not much action from Azrul but at least he gets the final shot of the day. Posing with our total catch in Day 1
Great blog & nice info about jigging. Dungun was my hometown. Can i join u guys for next trip jigging at Dungun. Im never try dis kind of fishing.but love to learn bout it.
Roslan ( 013-3562315 )