Tightlines Sportfishing Custom Rod

I was looking around for a suitable rod to match with my Tica Team ST 568 G Big Game Fishing Reel when my eyes feel upon this particular rod. This rod is a custom built rod, made by Kok Ming from Tightlines Sportfishing in Bandar Sunway.

This rod is rated 20lb - 50lb. The length is about 6 feet. About the same height as me. The guides are spiral wrapped. According to Kok Ming, the guides used are Fuji Sic guides. The grip for the rod is EVA and the reel seat is from Fuji.

Here are some picture of the rod..

:::... Custom Built Tightlines Sportfishing Rod ...:::

:::... Spiral wrap guides ...:::

:::... Fuji Sic guides ...:::

:::... Handcrafted by Tightlines Sportfishing ...:::

:::... Fuji Reel seat ...:::

:::...Fuji Gimbal ...:::

:::... Fuji Gimbal ...:::

:::... Spiral wrap ...:::

:::... EVA handle ...:::

Tica Team ST 568 G Big Game Fishing Reel

I have an upcoming trip to Hutan Melintang on 31 August - 2 September 2007. This would be my first deep sea trip and my longest trip on a boat. I usually go on a 2 Day 1 Night trip. This would be my first 3 Day 2 Night trip. I don't have any suitable reel for deep sea. Most of the people that I asked told me that a multiplier would be a more suitable reel compared to a spinning set. With that in mind, I decided to get a Tica Team ST 568 G Big Game Fishing Reel. Cheap and reliable.

Here are some features of the reel.

• Drag lever provides you from "Free" to "Full" 144° of drag setting.
• Warning click (outline click).
• Adjustable power handle for saving power
• Auto handle knob gives you quicker handle gripping.
• Stainless steel drive gear and pinion.
• 6 sealed stainless steel ball bearings.
• Twin one way clutch roller bearings doubly ensure the anti-reverse mechanism.
• Forged aluminum alloy spool.
• Waterproofing system.
• One piece aluminum alloy body.

Here are the specifications of the reel.

• Model : ST 568
• Line Retrieved/ Handle Turn : 31.1 in
• Ball Bearings : 6BB + 2 RB
• Gear Ratio: 3.7 : 1
• Weight (oz) : 29.6
• Line Capacity (lb/yard) : 25/580 30/480 40/345 50/260
  

I have loaded the reel with 500 yards of 50lb Fins PRT Braided line. Even after loading with 50 lb line, the spool still looks kinda empty. I guess the capacity is quite big. Maybe next time when I decided to change the lines, I will load it with more line.

:::... Tica Team ...... Lets enjoy fishing ...:::

:::... Specs of the reel printed on the box ...:::

:::... Tica Team ST 568 G Big Game Fishing Reel ...:::

:::.. Beautiful looking ...:::

:::... Lever drag system ...:::

:::... My biggest reel to date ...:::

:::... Loaded with 500 yards of 50 lb Fins PRT Braids ...:::

:::... Comes with a cover for reel protection ...:::

:::... Comes with the part list, schematic drawing instruction manual and tools ...:::

:::... Some of the tools that are given with the reel ...:::

:::... 500 yards of 50 lb Fins PRT Braids ...:::

Okuma Epix EF65

This reel was purchased quite some time ago. About two years ago. Sadly, I have not really used this reel to its full potential. It was an impulse buy for my first trip to One Fathom Bank. I am not sure why I bought this. Until today, this reel has not been tested to its maximum capacity. Hopefully this reel will be put to better use in the near future.

Here are some features of this reels.

• Machined aluminum spool with TI coated stainless steel spool lip.
• Nine SUS sealed ball bearings plus one-way roller bearing
• EDSTM Extra Drag System. oil soaked felt and stainless steel drag.
• Quick Set anti-reverse
• Touch folding handle arm.
• Spare aluminum spool included
  

The specs of the reel are:

• Model : EF-65
• Gear Ratio : 4.5:1
• Weight (oz.) : 24.3
• Bearings : 9+1
• Line Capacity : 450/12 340/15 260/20
  

:::... Okuma Epix EF65 ...:::

:::... The spool of the reel ...:::

:::... Drag knob of the Okuma Epix EF65 ...:::

Jigs... Jigs... Jigs...

Couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to do a stock check on my jigs. I am kinda new to this whole jigging stuff and so far I have accumulated quite a number of jigs. Not all of them have been used before, especially the heavier weights. The lighter ones has been used before during my last trip to Pulau Sembilan.

I have an upcoming trip to Hutan Melintang on 31 August 2007 and according to some friends who has fished there before, heavy jigs between 200g - 400g is recommended. Long jigs works better there compared to the shorter jigs. I hope my jigs in stock is sufficient enough for the Hutan Melintang trip. I don't plan to add to this as the jigs are quite pricey. Hopefully my loss rate is not high. So far I have lost one jigs, a 60g Sabpolo jig which I lost to the underwater structures during my last trip to Pulau Sembilan.

:::... All my jigs; various shapes, size and weight ...:::

:::... 30 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 40 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 50 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 60 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 75 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 80 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 100 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 120 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 150 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 200 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 220 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 240 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 270 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 280 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 300 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 350 gram jigs ...:::

:::... 370 gram jigs ...:::

Fishy Tips

1. For coastal fishing, get a tide chart and learn how to use it.
2. Always try and get fresh bait. Catching it yourself can be fun too.
3. Use the lightest sinker you need for the job. Sometimes this will only be a very small one.
4. Become good at tying important knots. Get a good knot book, learn to tie the Locked Half Blood Knot and practice it.
5. Read as much as you can in magazines like Fishing World, Rod & Line, Modern Fishing, Sirip, Pancing. There are heaps of really useful things as well as heaps of good pictures.
6. Never touch or handle a fish or creature that you can't identify. It might bite or sting.
7. Get a good fish identification book and study it.
8. Always wash salt off your fishing gear, including hooks and lures, after you've finished fishing at the coast.
9. Try and have a freshwater tackle box and a saltwater tackle box. This will protect your freshwater stuff from rust at the coast.
10. When you are not using your reels, keep them in a dark place, like a draw or cloth bag. Sunlight damages fishing line very quickly.
    

TOMMAN Seagame SGJ Single Speed Reel Failure

For the last trip to Pulau Sembilan, May had bought a new reel for jigging purpose. The reel that the bought was a TOMMAN Seagame SGJ Single Speel jigging reel.

Below are some information that I managed to get from TOMMAN website.

These reels are specifically designed for medium to heavy Sea Game Fishing with sizes ranging from 12 to 130. Smooth effortless free spool combined with smooth, strong drags will enhance your deepsea fishing pleasure and experience. Blending Chinese manufacturing prowess and American design and technology, the TOMMAN Sea Game series of fishing reels has finally been released into the fishing world. Made of almost entirely high quality machined aluminium and stainless steel, we are happy that TOMMAN developed a product you can confidently use for a lifetime.

SEAGAME SGJ Features :

• One-piece aluminium frame, spool and side plate.
• Multi anti-reverse mechanism for better durability.
• Sealed stainless steel ball bearings.
• Stainless steel gears / shaft.
• Micro-adjustment design, easy to use for flexible line winding.
• Drag materials are of aircraft grade which features anti high temperature, anti-friction, anti-corrosive, providing a strong and smooth drag power.
• Easy refilling design, you can refill the oil any time for better smoothness.
• Two-speed shifting system for easy switching the gear ratio.

All the above features sounds good eh. Strong reel, high capacity spool, stainless steel, anti this, anti that, bla..bla..bla...

May had just started to use the reel for some light apollo jigging. Not the heavy jigging stuff. Just some light jigging using apollo rig. Halfway jigging something totally unexpected happen to her reel. The handle from her reel just came out. It did not break. It just popped out from the socket. Initially, we all thought that she might have accidentally loosen the handle, thus enabling the handle to be removed from the socket. We all tried to put it back but the effort seems fruitless. Finally the boatman took the reel and inspected it.

According to the boatman, the reel did not break. What happened was, there was a screw in the reel which was not tightened properly. Classic example of POOR WORKMANSHIP and POOR QUALITY CONTROL. May paid more than RM400.00 for this particular reel, and to be confronted with kind of problem early in the trip is such a damper. Luckily the boatman had some spare rods and reels with him. May was able to continue fishing using those tackle.

May had requested me to publish the photo and do a short write-up on the incident in my blog. Here is a word of advise for all the fishos out there, be careful when buying your tackle.

EXPENSIVE DOES NOT EQUALS TO QUALITY.