The end of June

I wanted to go fishing a few times more during this month, but it's already the last day of June. I had no intention to bully small fish, but all I caught (maybe 6-7) were very tiny ones as pictured. School of these bass were very active and they chased my lure very often, especially when I cast prop lures.

Today's tackle:

ABU Record Ambassadeur 5000, Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear), Heddon Lucky 13, Wounded Spook, Meadow Mouse, Shakespeare Swimming Mouse, Smithwick King Snipe, etc.  

BF=7/13

offshore fishing

I went offshore fishing in the Sea of Japan yesterday. After the typhoon passed through Japan last week, the atmosphere around here was totally changed. It was very cold on the sea, but the air was very clean and transparent. I guess that's why the sunset was so beautiful.

I spent almost a whole day, tossed about by mild waves. The result of fishing was not as good as I expected, but I could catch seven different species. I cleaned and cooked them by myself today, and they're all very good too eat.

 

Red sea bream, Pagrus major

Horsehead tilefish, Branchiostegus japonicus 

This fish was most delicious among the 7 species.

Black scraper, Thamnaconus modestus

Whitefin trevally, Carangoides equula

Japanese jack mackerel, Trachurus japonicus

plus, 

Yellowback seabream, Dentex tumifrons, 

and a wrasse, Pseudolobrus japonicus.

Meadow Mouse again

It's been raining since last evening. I almost gave up going out for fishing today, but the weather forecast said it would be light drizzle early in  the morning, so I decided to go.

When I started fishing (04:15 AM), the rain became heavy at times. I first fished with a Jitterstick (a noisy lure with a prop in the tail), but the rain got so harder that I changed it to a Heddon Big Hedd. It makes a big rattle sound inside the body, and the color, CDF, is very visible even in the hard rain. I started my stop & go retrieve of it, and I suddenly got a hit. I thought the fish may be a catfish (I've caught many catfish with this lure), but was a largemouth bass. I caught it (about 3 or 3-1/2 lb), but it went away before I took my camera out from the pocket of my waders. 

About 30 minutes later, another 3lb class bass bit my mouse weaving on the water. This fish was also a good fighter. 

On rainy days, graphite rods are better to give your lures snappy actions. Today, I used a Fenwick Iron Hawk (HMG) Graphite rod.This 5-power rod is a little heavy for my usual fishing, but can be dependable in the clutch under rough conditions. 

Today's tackle:

ABU Ambassadeur 5500CA, Fenwick HMG Iron Hawk Graphite (HFC-555), Daiwa #5 line (Clear, equivalent to 20lb in IGFA class, 16lb in US standard), Fred Arbogast Jitterstick, Heddon Hedd Plug, 210, Lucky 13, Meadow Mouse, etc.

BF=6/12

Meadow Mouse

After I caught a couple of very small bass (as large as my lure), I decided to fish the other side of the pond again.

To tell the truth, this nice bass bit my lure just when I started to retrieve it. I thought "a tiny fish again", but as soon as I set a hook, I noticed it was different. She was a very good fighter and I had a very hard time to catch her. I used a Phillipson 3M casting rod for the first time this fishing season, and all in all it is a super good rod for me.

Oops, water droplets were on the lens!

Today's tackle:

ABU Record Ambassadeur 5000, Phillipson 3M (F562), Stren 14lb (Clear Blue), Heddon Meadow Mouse, Lucky 13, Zara II, Chugger Spook, etc.

BF=5/11

Tuna fishing trip 31 May - 3 June

I enjoyed beach running before dawn.

 This is the biggest bigeye tuna I caught.

  

I also caught a Wahoo.

On the last day, it was so stormy that we couldn't enjoy fishing.

Sightseeing is also good to kill time.