Although I only had a single rod with me, I wanted to maximise my chances, so I tied a hand line with a spool of mono which I dropped straight down the pylons and casted my rod out as far as I could with the drag set really low using the fighting drag setting on my reel. As I was chatting to some british tourists, the line starts to run and after a brief tussle, I had a Croaker in my hand. I quickly realised that it was a different species than the one I had caught a few days earlier as this one had a little barbel on its chin. It was a Goatee Croaker [#125]. As well as the barb on its chin, it also as two dark stripes seperated by a light one on its nape, just visible on my photos.
Goatee Croaker - Dendrophysa russelii #125
Goatee Croaker - Dendrophysa russelii
Goatee Croaker - Dendrophysa russelii
Goatee Croaker - Dendrophysa russelii
While catching several croakers in the same way, I noticed that my handline was taut, so I brought the line in. Although I could feel that it was a small fish, it did put up quite a good fight and when I brought it in, I was quite impressed with what it was even though it was a tiddler. I had seen these in fish markets in Hong Kong, it was a Javelin Grunter [#126].
Javelin Grunter - Pomadasys kaakan #126
Javelin Grunter - Pomadasys kaakan
Well, to make up for the small size of the first Grunter, the next fish I caught on the handline was another grunter, but this one was a better size. Not of bragging or even of eating size, It was good enough for me.
Javelin Grunter - Pomadasys kaakan
Javelin Grunter - Pomadasys kaakan
Javelin Grunter - Pomadasys kaakan
I did catch a few more Croakers but nothing else except or another Puffer.
Green Rough-backed Pufferfish - Lagocephalus lunaris
Every now and again, I noticed a small shoal of Gars (Needlefish) and tried to catch them by dropping my bait near them. Towards the end of the day, I realised that instead of going for my bait, they would chase my lead as the came down. This sounded ideal for feathering, so I packed up my handline and the rest of my gear and decided to chase them up and down the jetty. I used a chrome slice/pirk as a sinker with 6 feathers about it. I did have a few good takes and a single good hookup which broke a feather of the line, but wasn't able to land any. I think if I had another hour, I would have been able to get them, but it was time to go home.
Spot-tailed Needlefish - Strongylura strongylura
Spot-tailed Needlefish - Strongylura strongylura
Spot-tailed Needlefish - Strongylura strongylura
Gurney Drive
I did have another small fishing trip on my final day in Penang. I had seen fishermen at Gurney Drive on previous trips there but wondered if I could catch something. There were a lot of hermit crabs about but I wanted fish. I casted a handline out and waited. As I waited I saw a school of tiny black fish that I had seen several times on this trip and I really wanted to catch one to see what they where. Well I grabbed my little aquarium net and scooped one out. To my surprise, it was a Spotted Scat, I fish that I had seen many times in Aquariums but didn't know they looked like this when they were young.
Spotted Scat - Scatophagus argus
I did catch my final fish for the trip, it was a tiny puffer.
Green Rough-backed Pufferfish - Lagocephalus lunaris
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