Indo-Pacific Tarpon or Ikan Bulan Caught at Woodland Jetty

Indo-Pacific Tarpon also know as Hai Leng 大眼海鲢 or Ikan Bulan Caught at Woodland Jetty

Indo-Pacific Tarpon [Megalops cyprinoides] also known as Hai Leng 大眼海鲢[chinese] or Ikan Bulan [malay] has large eyes and a long compact body. It has a deeply forked and powerful tail and large scales. It has a long trailing filament at the rear of it’s single dorsal fin. Indo-pacific Tarpon are found mainly in the rivers, lagoons, estuaries and mangrove swamps and along coast lines. As they are andromous fish they can be found quite far up the drain system in the brackish and freshwater. They can be often seen schooling in a group, rising to take air with dorsal fin and tail breaking the surface as they dive down. Then they leave a bubble trail, expelling the air taken in. Tarpon often school in this manner in the current of the deep or next to the snags of the estuary river, especially when the current is flowing. When this behaviour is observed, they are normally in a feeding mood. Young tarpons will not miss some chances of feeding on small fish as well as shrimp, crab and other small crustaceans.

Indo-Pacific Tarpon [Megalops cyprinoides] also known as Hai Leng 大眼海鲢[chinese] or Ikan Bulan [malay] are usually caught weighing 0.5kg to 3.5kg. Tarpon are very bony and considered to be poor eating but they do put up a fight far beyond their size. They often throw the hook from their bony mouths and very strong, sharp hook should be used. Once hooked, the fish at times will go berserk with some acrobatics into the air but will kick some drags but they fight just above all cleanly.

In the open water Indo-pacific Tarpon [Megalops cyprinoides] also known as Hai Leng 大眼海鲢[chinese] or Ikan Bulan [malay] can be seen rising shoals when the current slows to a stand still during the change of tide. At other times they can be seen rising at random, scattered around the place, especially in the open waters of the lagoons. When they use their tails to smack the surface, it has been observed that they normally do not take lures.

Indo-Pacific Tarpon also know as Hai Leng 大眼海鲢 or Ikan Bulan Caught by Ah Seng weighing 1kg at Woodland Jetty
-

Indo-Pacific Tarpon also know as Hai Leng 大眼海鲢 or Ikan Bulan Caught by Ah Lim weighing 2kg at Woodland Jetty

Barramundi or Siakap weighing 5kg plus Caught At Woodland Jetty

Barramundi [Lates Calcarifer] also know as Kim Bak Lor 金目鲈[Chinese] or Siakap[Malay] weighing 5kg plus Caught At Woodland Jetty by Mr Rashid using live prawn or tamban.

Barramundi also know as Kim Bak Lor 金目鲈 or Siakap weighing 5kg plus Caught by Rashid At Woodland Jetty

This fish gave Rashid a real big fight on his 9' daiwa phantom snapper, paired with shimano Alivio 10000, fitted with 30lbs braided line and tightened to 90lbs flouro carbon leader with 12" of invisiable red 90lbs wire and 4/0 circle hook to hold the prawn...pheew! To pulled it up, he borrowed a long poled net from a fellow angler (which he later broke it to 3 pieces, and payed $22 for it), and finally it landed on the jetty at 1.20am.

Tips: At any time, don't let your catch find refuge under the jetty, you'll have to pump it hard and make sure in remain in the open, maintain your drag to the max of you line weight, so that the fish will not pull your line under the jetty and then break it by cutting it on the sharp edges of the growth of mussels at the pillars.

Grey Shark or Yu Garang Caught at Woodland Jetty

Grey Shark also know as Sua Heur 鲨鱼 or Yu garang Caught at Woodland Jetty

Grey Shark [Chiloscyllium griseum] also know as Sua Heur 鲨鱼 [Chinese] or Yu garang [Malay] can be caught in rocky reef and jetty throughout the island. This carnivorous fish's eat greedy on wide range of diet and prefer live Five-spot Herring or Assam fish (local), Selangat (malay) even live Tamban.

Grey Shark also know as Sua Heur 鲨鱼 or Yu garang Caught by Ah Lee weighing 5kg plus at Woodland Jetty

Malabar Grouper or Kerapu Caught at Woodland Jetty

Malabar Grouper also know as Gao Heurr 石班鱼 or Kerapu Caught at Woodland Jetty

Malabar Grouper [Epinephelus Malabaricus] also know as Gao Heurr 石班鱼[Chinese] or Kerapu [Malay] is common in rocky shorelines throughout the island. Its habitat is less widespread than the orange-spotted grouper, prefers shallow reefs and rocky banks such as breakwaters. They can adapt well to brackish water as well.

This carnivorous fish's wide range of diet and greedy behavoir makes it easy to catch. They typically take prawns, fishes, squids, worms or any form of meat. They aren't afraid to take down relatively big preys, infact using a bigger bait is actually more effective in catch them as opposed to using a smaller one (ie. small pieces of prawn meat). This is particularly true when aiming for larger groupers. Deep diving artificial lures work very well on them too.

Malabar Grouper [Epinephelus Malabaricus] also know as Gao Heurr 石班鱼[Chinese] or Kerapu [Malay] usually have a hiding place, usually among rocks to ambush prey. They will snipe the prey within range and will quickly dash back into its hiding place. Anglers must be anticipate for a grouper strike when fishing in rocky area. Response to a grouper hit must be swift and a little harsh initially to pull the grouper away from its hiding spot. If the grouper is given a chance to dive back into the rocks, it will erect its gill covers and use them to anchor itself firmly between rocks.

It is advised to use high abrasion resistant lines/thicker leaders when fishing for groupers. The rocky habitat and the grouper's sharp teeth are often causes of line snaps when fighting a grouper.

Malabar Grouper also know as Gao Heurr 石班鱼 or Kerapu Caught by Ah Goh weighing 600gm plus at Woodland Jetty