Special thanks to bro Ichang for this articleWHAT IS A POLE FISHING?The popularity of pole fishing has grown immensely in the last few years and continues to grown. The pole gives you total control of your tackle whilst float fishing, allowing you to use much lighter rigs, and thus fooling many more fish into taking your bait. Telescopic casting poles are flexible and quite easy to cast with. They are Very light and have a soft action that is perfect for casting light float rigs. They are very long rods, with no eyes and no reel. The line is attached to the pole via a connector or to a length of elastic with a connector attached to it. The elastic is placed inside the pole and acts as a shock absorber. And because of the elastic, you can use it for fish of all sizes.
The real beauty of the Pole comes into play when fishing Matches. You are able to concentrate ground baits in very small areas of water and be able to fish the outside of your feed area, over your feed area, above your feed area etc. with the utmost accuracy. If you will be just ones introduced to Pole fishing you will be hooked forever and will never fished any other way since. Pole Fishing is an art form, it's more productive in Match fishing and more fun. You can’t even imagine the fun you got when gently move the pole against the fish to strike, to ship the pole behind you, to swing the fish to hand, unhook, re-bait and place the pole back in the water ready for the next fish. Just once you try pole fishing, you'll ask yourself why it wasn't sooner.
Poles provide a level of precision that a rod and reel just can't produce. They allow you to hone your rigs, presentation and skills down to a fine edge. Poles can be used to fish shallow or fast rivers, to small ponds or large lakes. They can be used to 'bag-up' on small fish like Roach, or to tame the hard fighting Carp or Salmon. Poles allow you to fish with a great level of precision and sensitivity. It is a very popular technique with match fishermen, and can result in a huge weight of fish.
Simple things you need to know about fishing rabbitfish.
May be edited many times as I hv might forget something.
I. IntroductionSiganus or rabbitfish can be found in the tropical water from Indo-Pacific through eastern Mediterranean.
They are Herbivorous and feeds mostly on Algae. They live among shallow coral reefs and jetties.
There are many species and some of the species commonly found on Indonesian waters are:
1. Siganus Guttatus or Orange Spotted Spinefoot, or in Indonesian Baronang Tompel.
2. Siganus Javus or Streaked Spinefoot, or in Indonesian Baronang Angin.
3. Siganus Canaliculatus or White Spotted Spinefoot, or in Indonesian Baronang Susu / Lingkis.
4. Siganus Virgatus or Barehead Spinefoot, or in Indonesian Baronang Kea2 / Kalung.
5. Siganus Stellatus or Brown Spotted Spinefoot, or in Indonesian Baronang Lada.
6. Siganus Vermiculatus or Vermiculated Spinefoot, or in Indonesian Baronang Batik.
II. Equipments.Though there are a couple of methods used to catch this fish, I will only discuss the method we locally called "Negek".
1. Pole rod: A telescopic, antenna like rod, with no ring guides and real seat. Preferable length from 4.5 - 6.3 meters. With a medium to hard
action.
2. Line: 6 - 14lbs mono depending on the target size.
3. Float: A ball, diamond or UFO shape with a hole in the center that goes from top to bottom, is used to detect fishbite.
4. Hooks: A 6points or more multi hooks. Size varies from # 5-9.
5. Stopper: Made from lead (0.1 x 1 cm) or rubber. In some cases, (depending on the bait used), is needed to hold your bait.
6. How to rig:
- A line is attached to the tip of the pole rod with a length depends on the water depth +1meter. This could varies from 2m to max of rod length.
If the line is longer than the rod length, it will be more difficult to land the fish.
- Insert the float. Leave a space about 1metre from the tip of the rod to the float. And insert a toothpick as thick as the hole in the float to hold
maintain the position of the float.
- Tie up the hook. You need a double line as long as 10cm at the hook's side to tie the hook if you are using baits other than pulverized rice.
The function of the double line is to pinch the bait between it.
- Wrap a lead stopper (sized 0.1 x 1cm) above the hook. Again, this is only needed when you used baits other than pulverized rice.The function
is to tighten the pinched bait on the double line.
III. Baits.- Since rabbitfish is a Herbivorous, the favourite baits are Algae, depending on the location, colour varies from green to red. Algae can be find
on the rocks or stones near the water, and on the jetties.
- Pulverized rice. Made from plain white rice or yellow rice. Put some warm rice on a thick plastic bag, and squeeze/pulverize until they stick
together.
- Sliced of fish meat or prawns can also be use to replace Algae.
IV. Location. Favourable depth is ranging from 2-6 metres.
- Under/near jetties
- Marina's wave breakers
- and rocky bottomed seas.
V. Fishing steps.Once you have all the equipments needed, and you have prepare the bait, you are ready to fish. Go to a fishing ground, a jetty perhaps. Chum the spot you want to fish with a handfull of regular, unpulvericed rice, to gather the fish. Study the depth and set your rig.
Adjust your rig and your float so that the float will remain about 25cm above the surface while your bait is about 25cm from the bottom.
Put the bait on. If you are using Algae, or sliced fish, put some of it between the double line, not on the hooks, but above the hooks, and tighten the stopper.
If you are using pulvericed rice, take some, and cover the whole hooks with a ballshaped pulvericed rice.
Now you wait, try not to move your hand holding the rod, and concentrate on the float. Winds will blow your float left and right, but, fishbites will vibrate your float up and down in a very fast movement like neddle of sewing machines. Watch carefull as this vibrates are sometimes very unnoticable, depending on the size of the fish. And when it vibrates , strike hard with a sudden jolt movement. Do not be late. And you will feel the strong fight of a Rabbitfish.
Be extra carefull when you are trying to release the fish from the hooks as the spines contains poison. Not seriously danger but very painful which will cure itself in an hour or so.
Yamashita Natural Color series
Yozuri Neo
