Restarting, need some help

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sjl36
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Restarting, need some help

Post by sjl36 »

ive decided to pick up fishing as a hobby again after doing it for about 3 months back in 2016. I mainly used to do jigging for tamban at bedok jetty then use as live bait but no success. I have a few questions:

1) Is 5-9am a good time to fish at bedok jetty in general? Im planning on going down every week at that time
2) Are tamban actl effective as live bait and how do you use them well?
3) Can I use lures and cast from the beach area next to the jetty? Have seen some ppl fishing there and wondering what kind of gear they use?
4) Im planning to go on a camping trip to pulau hantu around december with a few ppl, ive heard fishing is decent there, what kind of gear should i get for that? (preferably targeting edible fish to try fishing for meals for fun)
5) anything else i should get/know before fishing at bedok jetty/pulau hantu? (precautions tips etc)

lol i know im damn clueless sry but i dun want to go down and waste time fishing seaweed :sweatdrop:

tks

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Peace
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Re: Restarting, need some help

Post by Peace »

Hi sjl36, welcome to HLF and back into fishing. If you're interested in surf fishing particularly at BJT, you can have a look at this website . It's done by an experienced surf angler; lots of know-how and tips on fishing at that jetty.
1) Is 5-9am a good time to fish at bedok jetty in general? Im planning on going down every week at that time
You have to check the tide table for the daily water level changes. If you have the time to fish, you can try from the time when the tide just starting to rise until 2 hrs after the water level peaks. Spring tides are generally better to fish at bjt.
2) Are tamban actl effective as live bait and how do you use them well?
They're very effective especially when used live. You can refer to the website in the above-mentioned for effective rigs for live baiting.
3) Can I use lures and cast from the beach area next to the jetty? Have seen some ppl fishing there and wondering what kind of gear they use?
You can but do actively look out for other beach goers when casting. Common fishes you can get from the beach are stingrays, catfish, sand whiting, barracudas, sicklefish and trevallies. You can also try luring at the breakwaters further down for better chance of getting groupers and snappers.
4) Im planning to go on a camping trip to pulau hantu around december with a few ppl, ive heard fishing is decent there, what kind of gear should i get for that? (preferably targeting edible fish to try fishing for meals for fun)
You can do all sorts of fishing at Hantu but take note that there's Hantu besar and Hantu kechil, which are separated by a shallow channel. There's a jetty on each side, so decide beforehand which side you want to camp or fish.

The smaller Hantu is more sheltered compared to the bigger one facing the south. If you like surf fishing, you can try fishing at th bigger island. If you like luring, the breakwaters and it's lagoon is a good place to fish. You can get barramundis and cudas there.

You can also try for squids along the jetty and breakwaters where there are seaweeds.
5) anything else i should get/know before fishing at bedok jetty/pulau hantu? (precautions tips etc)
Don't attempt to cross the channel when there's water, especially if you can't swim. Make everyone lookout for each other, have a buddy system at all times. Everyone should have the contact for the ferry operator on their phones too.

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Re: Restarting, need some help

Post by sjl36 »

Thanks for the help! Also where can I buy fishing gear in Singapore, and what is a good setup for saltwater luring around hantu besar and bedok jetty? Thinking of trying for fish to eat like grouper and barramundi at hantu

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Re: Restarting, need some help

Post by Peace »

May I ask what tackles do you currently have? What's your budget like?

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sjl36
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Re: Restarting, need some help

Post by sjl36 »

so i have a 6ft rod, small spinning reel, small weights and tamban hooks for jigging then a 12 ft surfcasting rod with a larger spinning reel and size 1 hooks for live bait. any suggestions for soft plastics etc?

separately, i went bedok jetty around 5.30 tdy, no tamban even. are there specific timings for tamban, larger fish etc?

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Re: Restarting, need some help

Post by Peace »

Your current setup should be fine for surf fishing. For live tamban baiting, I personally think size 1 hook is a little small. In terms of strength, it is okay if you're using live baiting hooks but I prefer a bigger hook for its wider mouth gap. For surf fishing I use size 2/0-3/0 for live prawns, 4/0 - 5/0 for bait fishes.

Tambans fishing are usually better during spring tides when the current is strong. You can refer to any tidetable to roughly know when the current will be strong; look for days with very high peaks or lows e.g >2.8m high or <0.5m lows. Another way is to look at the moonphase or lunar calendar, lunar 1st or 15th are usually the fastest.

If you're the active type, you can squeeze in a luring routine between checking of baits on your surf. Getting a set of luring tackles can also further diverse your interest in fishing and places to fish. Rubber baits are versatile, easy to use and works great for a variety of species of fish. I personally don't see the need to get very expensive ones, but you do have to pay attention to its hook quality if you're buying those that have hooks embedded.

For Hantu trip, you can try Zerek Live prawn in the lagoon to target for barramundis. There's a lot of sand whitings in there too, you can catch them as bait but I personally love eating them. Catch a bunch and BBQ them on the spot! :D

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