Rompin #1 - First day Rompin

I was messaging Merv just the other day on his weekend kayak fishing plans when he mentioned that he was going on a 3D2N trip to Rompin with Ian to catch Sailfish on kayak. I checked my own calendar and found out that I was free. So asked if I could tag along and he said, "No problem".

Woo hoo! First time going fishing offshore in Malaysia. As a newbie, I told them I don't mind just fishing from the boat while they go on their kayaks. I can be their deckhand too for loading and unloading their kayaks.

Merv picked me up from Tiong Bahru MRT and off we went to fetch Ian from MBS. After a 2hr plus drive, we arrived at Rompin and proceeded to check-in at our accommodation. Had dinner and some shopping for drinks/snacks for the next days trip.

Next morning, we launched from the wooden jetty with boatman Ah Ken. The seas were pretty rough. Luckily, I had taken my seasick pills. We started out at an unjam (Fish Aggregating Device, FAD) looking for baitfish. Used sabiki rigs to catch Selar or Kembung. Managed to fill the live well pretty quickly and off we went to the Sailfish grounds.

The seas calmed down somewhat and both Merv & Ian launched their kayaks. I was pretty happy just to fish from the boat. The boatman set up 2 rods at the back and sent out 2 live baits rigged under balloons to target the Sailfish.

While drifting, I continued to use my sabiki rig to catch baitfish around the area. Just before noon, the drag on one of the rods started to scream! Under the instruction of the boatman, I just held the rod until the line stopped peeling out and just lifted the rod. As soon as the fish felt the hook, it went on another screeching run! When it finally stopped, I went about pumping and reeling. The boatman called it for a Tenggiri (Spanish Mackerel) because there weren't any acrobatic jumps as expected from Sailfish. Soon enough, we got the fish boat-side and it was indeed a Spanish Mackerel. Quite a large one as well! He gaffed it up and its picture time! Woo hoo, my first Spanish Mackerel!

Later, when Ian paddled back to the boat to refill on baitfish and water, he told us he kept getting hooked up on GT. GT?? Giant Todaks!! (Needlefish) Before the live bait can be presented for Sailfish, the Needlefish would get them first.

                                            Ian, fishing from his Advanced Elements kayak.

Merv on the other hand, managed to land a Spanish Mackerel from the kayak and later in the afternoon, he managed to hookup and land a Sailfish. It was quite a spectacle to watch him going toe to toe with the Sailfish. In the end, he managed to bring the Sailfish boat-side to unhook and release after taking some photos.

The Sailfish was handed to the deckhand to revive and finally releasing the fish to fight another day!

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day of fishing. Hoping the next day would be better!

Gear used:
Rod - 1pc rod borrowed from Merv
Reel - Shimano Stella 20000
Line- 80lb braid
Hook - 4/0 circle hook
Bait - live Selar

Fish ID - Spanish Mackeral aka Tenggiri (Scomberomorus commerson)
             - Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)