The Rapala Insider

Ultralight Minnow and Ultralight Shad

2011-12-20T15:11:00.002+08:00

Behold the Rapala Ultralight Shad and Ultralight Minnow! Two of the many new products coming our way for 2012, the new ultralight offerings from Rapala are in response to anglers seeking smaller lures for finesse applications. Fished with 6lb tackle or less, the Ultralight lures are an ideal presentation to very delicate or wary fish. Though small in size, they are appropriately weighted to allow maximum casting distance on ultralight tackle and certainly gives an attractive tight, wiggling action. These snack-sized lures also sink slowly when paused on the retrieve.

I recommend getting a moderately-fast action rod around 5 to 6ft of 2-6lb rating. A 1000-sized (Shimano size standard) reel with 4lb braid or less would be ideal with a 4-6lb leader topping. Clips would be optional. They do make changing lures easier but at the same time dampens the lure from achieving its maximum action potential. That said, I still use snap swivels ;)

The Ultralight Minnow comes in two sizes:

ULM04 (4cm, 3grams, runs from 0.6-0.9m)

ULM06 (6cm, 4grams, runs from 0.6-0.9m)

The Ultralight Shad comes in only one size:

ULS04 (4cm, 3grams, runs 1.2-1.5m)

The one thing I really like about the Ultralight Shad and Minnow is the exceptional chrome finish on some of the patterns. The scales and eyes look pretty realistic too!

One of my favourite hot colours - CLN (Clown)

Next in line - SBR (Silver Brown)!

It was an overcast day and the weather was fickle. The big fish were not so hot on the bite though the little ones were pretty active. The good thing about ultralight lures is that the fish are less wary of small offerings compared to bigger lures. The lighter and finer leader is also less obvious in the water too which adds on to the angler's advantage. I've found working the Ultralight Minnow with intermittent twitches of the rod tip gives a fast, darting kind of action just under the surface of the water. On the other hand, the Ultralight Shad emits its tight, wiggling action even just by cranking it flat out. Twitching the rod tip causes it to lunge forwards in a more aggressive manner but still maintaining that tight wiggle.

We caught one...

And another...

And another....

And another!

We landed a lot of juvenile Peacock Bass up to 2 pounds, which were often considered 'pesky' when we were going for big ones but by significantly downsizing one's tackle, these little fellas definitely gave good accounts of themselves and were absolutely fun! It was one of those moments when you are happily engaging the 'norm' when the odd Biggie slams your lure! Fred was the lucky bloke to have a nice sized Temensis slam into an Ultralight Minnow 06. Although it had him worried a little at the beginning, he was confident of his tackle and it was soon taken care of.

As he was releasing the beauty back into the water, he sighted its mate, a significantly bigger specimen patrolling the deep. Instinctively, I cast out my own Ultralight Minnow.... only to be bullied into submission in the blink of an eye. I had no chance. The fellow took me right towards a huge snag 10m to my left before I could even say "HEEEELLLLP!" There was no way the 2-6lb noodlestick I was using could have stopped him (at least I'd like to console myself and think so!).

Baby Tomans were in love with Shads too

This one slurped down a Gold ULM

Limited Edition Skitter Pops

2011-12-07T10:29:00.000+08:00

Just received word that there are some cool Skitter Pop designs coming our way to Singapore and Malaysia in the coming weeks. The highly anticipated Skitter Pops come only in 9cm in the following yummy flavours:

1. Sebarau
2. Cichla Temensis (Peacock Bass)
3. Baby Channa (Toman Baby)

Can't wait!

More little Snackies

2011-12-05T18:40:00.000+08:00

Little peanuts galore! The long awaited Ultralight Shad & Ultralight Minnow have landed! I don't think they have hit the stores yet but these little peanuts have been producing on test trips. I fished them on an ultralight whippy China-made 2-6lb rod with an Okuma Epixor 20 loaded with Sufix 832 6lb line. I'd think the lure action would have been better on 4lb but beggars can't be choosers, ey?

Somehow big fish seem to know when you have the lightest tackle on. I wished I could show you the photos of biggies landed with these little UL treats but due to lack of big-fish-fighting skills, they won't be posing for the camera today. Heck, they gave no chance... it was straight for the nearest thicket. *sob*

Nevertheless, 1-2lbers gave plenty of fun especially on such light tackle.

Still more to come.... :)

Could it be?

2011-11-24T17:59:00.000+08:00

Ultralight series. More to come... :)

Rapala Life Belt

2011-11-16T15:40:00.000+08:00

What a long break from writing! Has it been 2 months already?! Time flies...

There are plenty of inflatable Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) these days and the good news is that it's getting more and more affordable to own one. With good reason too - personal safety on the water is very important. If you drown, the bad news is you can't fish no more! Now that wouldn't be fun since we all love fishing don't we?

Jokes aside, it wasn't too many years ago that inflatable life vests were far out of reach for most anglers due to their expensive price tags. So for those on budget constraints, we would wear those thick, orange-coloured foam vests that double up as pillows on overnight trips offshore. Not the most comfortable and hygienic (they start to grow mildew if your mate borrowed and conveniently forgot to clean them) but they do keep you afloat in case you topple overboard. Not to mention they restrict your movement pretty much.

A new addition to the existing Rapala inflatable life vest family is the Rapala WP-1 Inflatable Life Belt. Worn on the waist like a pouch, the WP-1 automatically inflates when its user enters the water. Being on the waist gives the user free range of movement whether casting or jigging.

The Rapala WP-1 Inflatable Life Belt. Made in Japan.

FG models for the camera (I assure you he's not being rude here!)

The Rapala WP-1 Life Belt fully inflated

Product details (unfortunately I don't read Japanese)

Comes with a whistle for the user to attract attention

If needed, the user can also tug the cord to inflate the belt

D-rings for the user to hang accessories

Auto-inflatable mechanism. I wouldn't go dancing under the rain in case it inflates!

Reflective tape on the sides

FG unrestricted, comfortable and assured of his personal safety on the water

FiSH On! Magazine

2011-09-01T16:20:00.000+08:00

After a long, long wait... the magazine is finally published! Yes folks, there's a new quarterly fishing magazine in town. FiSH On! Magazine is currently sold in Singapore & Malaysia for SGD$5.00 and RM10.00 respectively. Unfortunately you can't get them off most news stands. Find out where you can get your copy at the FiSH On! Magazine Facebook page. (Click on 'Where to buy?"). There's a store locator with Google Map directions to guide you to the store too!

So folks that have been closely following The Rapala Insider would now know why there are so little trip updates on this page. (Or rather, trip updates are not as regular as before). The stories would all be in the magazine :) The whole idea behind the mag is to have one that focuses on capturing memorable fishing moments through photography. It is hoped that fellow anglers would be inspired to take good shots for your own memories too!

So pick up your copy of FiSH On! Magazine today :) I trust you will have an enjoyable read. :)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

2011-08-31T11:33:00.000+08:00

The Rapala Insider wishes our Muslim readers a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

Bungsamran Revisited

2011-08-17T19:16:00.000+08:00

There were many wonderful memories of our first outing to Bungsamran in 2009. Till today, Dad still shows visitors to our family home the photo we took at Bungsamran back then. Dad is not an angler but being the loving father he is, he wants to know what makes this crazy son of his love fishing so much. Nothing better than to try it out first hand. And what a blast we had. So much that we planned for a return to Bungsamran which finally materialized after 2 years....

Back in 2009

This time, I encouraged the ladies (Mum, sister & wife) to come with us but being in Thailand, ladies just can't resist the shopping! So it was Dad & I again. So after a hearty breakfast, we headed off to Bungsamran fishing park, a good 40mins by taxi from the heart of Bangkok. As it was a weekday, we practically had the whole pond to ourselves. Upon entering big cat country, we could see huge rises - a good mix of Patin, Mekong Catfish & Chao Phraya Catfish. We enlisted the services of Pet, a local guide from Bungsamran. Interestingly, the guides now have a uniform too! Very professional!

The view from our Bungalow

Our guide Pet preparing the dough bait

As Pet was preparing the bait, we had the privilege of observing feeding time! And boy did the fish go crazy!

As always, the trusty bottle was the perfect bite indicator. If the bottle fell, it indicates a fish has taken the bait. Time to flip down the bail arm, wind up slack and STRIKE!

The simple rig we used for the Catfish

Trying out the upcoming Rapala Alejandro jigging beefstick

Beefstick!

As it was only two of us, we decided to only have 1 rod to share between us. I also wanted to ensure Dad was looked after when he was hooked on to a fish. While waiting for our first bite, we made friends with a friendly Canadian family that settled down to the Bungalow next to ours. They had flown all the way here to Bangkok to give Bungsamran a try after hearing all the stories about this place.

We didn't wait long for our first strike. Dad took the first fight....

Okuma Salina 2's Dual Force Drag (DFD) doing its job

Meanwhile, our friendly neighbour Mark had already landed his first Pla Buk (Mekong Catfish)!

So did his daughter!

Father & daughter on double hookup

Dad was still going strong. He took it slow and easy, enjoying every moment of the fight

The float appears

Here he comes...

And Dad is extremely pleased with his Cat. *MEOW!*

Pet casts out another baitball

While our friendly neighbour cradles his next catch

So did the missus! She thoroughly enjoyed herself!

We changed rods after a few fish...

Testing out the Okuma Andros 5II.

Over on the other Bungalow, the folks got a 100lb-er! Congrats you guys!

Meanwhile, Dad also continued landing a few more Cats that gave him a heck of a time.

We had fun!

At the end of the day, Dad's smile says it all

After the bait ran out, we called it quits and left the park. We had our good share of fun and not to mention wonderful food which was brought right to our doorstep. Wonderful service... This was another wonderful time spending with Dad... his 2nd time fishing in all his life.

You tend to miss home and family very often when you are living far from home. And it is these little outings with family and spending quality time that makes up for it. Families are a precious gift from God. Parents - you only have one set of them, so cherish, love and honour them. If you have never brought your Dad or Son fishing before, bring them along on a trip. You won't regret spending time together. At trips such as these, it's not the fishing or the size of fish that matters but the in-depth conversations and enjoying each other's company that will last a lifetime.

I'm already looking forward to another outing - hopefully this time the ladies will join us too.

Lost my Parrot! :(

2011-08-13T15:04:00.000+08:00

I lost my beloved Parrot yesterday! :(

Well, not the actual colourful and talkative bird but the Risto Rap in Parrot (PRT) colour. I was hoping to get a nice Toman but got it snagged to some underwater structure before any snakehead did. To make it worse, I lost 2 Clackin' Minnows in the process too. Drats and double drats!!

The only consolation was the remaining hot colours of the Risto Rap available in my stable. Hopefully I don't lose any more of them...

BTW, the Risto Rap casts extremely well with good distance despite the deep diving bib. Also, the narrower lip makes it less tiring to retrieve yet without sacrificing the ability to deep dive.

(top to bottom) OCW, CLN, GF, HT

Gold is a precious commodity these days - good investment! ;)

Thailand Sebarau Adventure

2011-08-02T12:40:00.000+08:00

Here's the long awaited report back from a certain Dam in central Thailand... unfortunately I cannot write too much here or it will be a spoiler - do look out for full story and photos in an upcoming local fishing magazine (more details later on!)

This was an extremely short trip and although the season was still dry, the Sebarau (Pla Krasoob in Thai) were still around in fair numbers.

We arrived at our guest house at almost midnight and tucked into bed after arranging the logistics for the following day. And as dawn approached, we set off in search for the mighty Pla Krasoob.

This feisty Krasoob was caught right next to our houseboat before we set off

Who let the dawgs out?

A sight for Toman hunters!

Upon hitting the river, we were greeted with Krasoob action. Not big, but still fun!

Taildancer Deep in the OCW colour was the lure of the day

But so was the TailDancer Deep 07 in Clown (CLN) colour!

One of the lady pro anglers from Thailand, Ms Suwanna

Som, another lady pro-angler. She can outcast some guys I know!

Som showed her prowess in catching Krasoob, this time with Skitter Pop (Photo by Boyd)

And then this 2kg fatboy came along.

Som was working a Skitter Walk when a nice Sebarau hit! (Photo by Boyd)

More action...

Boyd works the edges with a Skitter Walk

Walking the dog...

Soon, it was time to go home and we bade each other goodbye

Photo by Boyd

I'd like to say a special thank you to Jack & Aey of Rapala Thailand, Ms. Suwanna K., Boyd, Som and the rest of the Rapala Thailand team for your warm Thai hospitality. Looking forward to fish with you all again soon...

Thailand! Thailand!

2011-07-20T21:15:00.000+08:00

Just touched back from the Land of Smiles. Unfortunately the Risto Raps didn't have a chance to swim much - we couldn't find the Tommys... but the Sebbies were around though. Here's just one of em.. a fatboy courtesy of Rapala Taildancer TDD07 in OCW pattern.

Risto Rap in 7 Wonders

2011-07-15T13:57:00.000+08:00

Named after founder Lauri Rapala's eldest son, Risto Rapala, the Risto Rap was a very popular lure for Toman hunters in Malaysia & Thailand apart from the Fat Rap. They were great casting, deep diving and oooh... that sexy balsa wood action! Sadly, they were discontinued some years ago and finding one in the popular Fire Tiger colour in tackle shops was like striking a lottery - not impossible, but you get my point.

Recognizing the feedback from local anglers for the need of these lures, Rapala Southeast Asia brought back a limited number of Fat Raps in 2009. This week, Rapala Southeast Asia officially announced via their Facebook page a limited re-run of the legendary 8cm Risto Rap. Though I haven't seen the actual 7 colours, it seems to be the same range as the 7 wonders colours that appeared some time ago on the Tail Dancer Deep range.

I'll be heading up to Thailand this weekend for some Toman action. Now that there are more Risto Raps available, it's safe to bring out the 'older generation' Ristos for a swim.

Risto Rap in the older colours - GFR, FT & PRT

Fitted with VMC 3X Spark Points of course! :)

More Risto Rap Rumours...

2011-07-12T14:20:00.000+08:00

OOoooo......!!

Risto Rap Rumours...

2011-07-08T17:29:00.000+08:00

Apart from the discontinued Fat Raps, Risto Raps have been a deadly lure for Toman / Pla Shado / Chado hunters in Malaysia and Thailand. There's just something about the action and buoyancy of Balsa wood that makes it stand out from plastic lures.

There are rumours of a re-run of Risto Raps with special colours that we may be seeing soon! If that's indeed true, anglers that have missed out on the Fat Rap re-run will now have a chance to get the next best thing soon - the ~~Risotto~~ ... uhh... I mean Risto Rap!

The best thing is.... I heard there'll be some exciting freebies thrown in too! Stay tuned!

Clackin' On...

2011-07-04T10:33:00.000+08:00

With all the news of heart-related diseases linked with obesity and lack of physical exercise these days, I reminded myself to engage in a more routine exercise regime to work off all the KFC and fried stuff I've been indulging in lately. Sitting around after meals does not help much either. So I was very happy when I learnt we'll be going trekking again. The walking should help burn up some calories.

Weather forecast was supposed to be horrid. It had been raining for the past week and despite the forecast, we still went ahead with our plan. We MUST burn up some calories, remember? Of course, not before we walloped some big bowls of noodles and eggs washed down with coffee. Ahhh.... where were we? Oh yes! Physical exercise! BURP!

After walking what seemed to be thousands of steps later, we reached our first spot. T-shirts were still not soaked through. Not sweating enough! A few casting swings should get some blood flowing through the upper body.

One for the morning! On Clackin' Minnow again

Then another! Clackin' Minnow was on fire!

The fish and the lure that fooled him... or her (!?)

A blackie Toman that also found Clackin' Minnow yummy

Close-up mugshot

Fred topping it off for the day

By the end of the exercise session, I was sure our garments were wet enough for us to qualify in any 'Wet T-Shirt' contest. It was a good workout session. Actually fishing is a good form of exercise. So if next time the better half complains that you fish too much, explain the health benefits of fishing! ;) Oh, and don't forget to justify the expenses of getting some Rapala Clackin' Raps for the exercise sessions too.

Okuma Salina II High Speed

2011-06-29T20:59:00.005+08:00

Some info on the new Okuma Salina II High Speed reels that should be out in the retail stores in the next few weeks. A pretty robust and solid reel with impressive stopping power (features Okuma's Dual Force Drag system). The difference between the high speed (6.2:1 ratio) model and the standard Salina II is quickly evident in the rounded power knob. The standard model has a 'wheel' type of power knob. The rounded knob and high speed ratio is good news for popper casters, ergonomically and speed-wise to get that popper or pencil bait running for its life (quite literally!). All in all it's a great value for money reel if you want a powerful, robust and reliable popping reel without having to break the piggy bank for one.

Specs below are courtesy of Rapala Southeast Asia's Facebook page.

Model: SASII-5000
Max Drag: 13.0kg
Bearings: 8BB + 1RB
Ratio: 6.2:1
Line Cap: 350m/5kg 260m/6kg 180m/8kg
RRP: RM660

Model: SASII-10000
Max Drag: 20.0kg
Bearings: 8BB + 1RB
Ratio: 6.2:1
Line Cap: 450m/6kg 300m/8kg 270m/10kg
RRP: RM770

Model: SASII-16000
Max Drag: 20.0kg
Bearings: 8BB + 1RB
Ratio: 6.2:1
Line Cap: 440m/7kg 337m/10kg 275/12kg
RRP: RM840

The production model for Southeast Asia

Red coloured prototype on the right alongside the Okuma Cedros. Notice the different power knobs

Testing in progress...

The 5000 was a bit of an 'overkill' for this GT. This reel is one serious machine

Candid snap of the production model in a recent Sailfish popping trip

HOT: New 2012 Rapala Lures

2011-06-20T09:46:00.004+08:00

Previewed some exciting stuff coming our way in 2012 last week. And I'm as excited as a kindergarten schoolboy on his first day to school. Some pictures have already emerged from around the Web of the new lures but due to certain reasons I'm not able to show you guys actual product pictures yet. But I promise the actual product pics (sticking out of fishes' mouths, hopefully!) will be posted here in the coming months. :)

I'm particularly excited about a range of ultralight lures. I forsee these will be great for finicky fish. So to you ultralight fans - keep a lookout for the 2011 lures. More info coming soon...

Sailfish luring with VMC Spark Point 3X Trebles

2011-06-10T09:34:00.011+08:00

We got hold of some Spark Point trebles last year to try out when we went for our Borneo Black Bass trip. We thought they stood up pretty well as what good trebles should be: strong, tough and sticky sharp.

Not too long ago, the production samples arrived - 6 sizes altogether.

Sizes 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 and 1/0

All the sizes were 3x grade with the exception of size 8.

According to VMC's website, the point of the Spark Point hook is hardened by first forming then followed by chemical sharpening to ensure permanent hook sharpness. Front and back reinforcement ribs guarantee the point’s rigidity. Energy channels increase the speed of penetration and the point’s driving force upon striking. This results in a treble with excellent strength and yet incredibly sharp to drive hooks through.

Check out those points

6 sizes - 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 and 1/0

We had a trip coming up so we thought we'd rig up some lures with VMC Spark Points in case we encountered Sailfish. These would be the perfect fish to test the hooks since we all know its quite difficult to keep Sailfish hooked up on trebles.

X-Walk 13s were the selected choice

Armed with 1/0 3X VMC Spark Points

And soon...

Fred triumphs!

The Spark Points latched on very well onto the Sailfish mouths

And another one connects...

Airborne!

This time, Yu Hock is smiling ear to ear

The trebles did their job well

The VMC 3X Spark Points on X-Rap also found a victim

And a big Barracuda decided to pounce on a little MaxRap 13 (also fitted with Spark Points)

In the midst we got Tenggiri too...

Oh shucks... on baitcasting outfit!?

Oh yea!

Pretty good stuff actually. I was very impressed by the sharpness and strength of these hooks. You'll be seeing more of these trebles replacing the stock trebles on my lures moving ahead :)

New Shad Rap Size - 8cm!

2011-06-03T16:26:00.011+08:00

This should interest Sebarau hunters...

TU - Part 2

2011-05-27T09:27:00.004+08:00

More pictures from the trip :)

Nice surprise!

Fish'R'Us fighting a foul hooked Queenie that fought real hard

There were many cases of foul hooked Queenies. Must have been overly enthusiastic while chasing down the jigs

Great fun with 4-10lb rod

Ultimate fun!

Many thanks to our Captain Loong

TU - (The Ultimate) Light Jigging Experience - Part 1

2011-05-19T10:15:00.009+08:00

There's more great products coming out from Storm this season! Following the recent introduction of the Japanese-designed Basho Frog, we now have the Storm Thunder Jigs! Personally, I love the new Storm products as they are getting to look more like their JDM counterparts but at a more affordable price tag. It is not surprising since the Asia Edition lures are designed by a team of Japanese lure designers. Cool!

To try out these jigs without having to venture too far.... we headed for TU, just off Desaru, Johor. TU stands for Tompok Utara, a beacon that warns mariners of a shallow shoal in the busy shipping lane. And for the past couple of years, this spot has been synonymous with Queenfish. Big ones. And MANY of them!

But as years passed on, the fishes became smaller and though the big ones above 6-8kg are still around, they are less of an average size to encounter there.

We didnt have to wait long as the Queenfish were eagerly waiting below for the Thunder Jigs

Ever obliging...

Fish'R'Us pinning down a Queenie on Rapala Cruz PE1-3

The Fish'R'Us stylo trademark pose

Is that a Rapala Predator 10-20lb with a Daiwa Z2020 I see??

Oh yea!

Casting Skarpsilda prototypes. Ugly to the eyes but crazily effective to pelagics! Coming soon...

Give em' the stick!! 4-10lb exerted

This bruiser found the Thunder Jig yummy!

To be continued....

Basho Frogs snag some Toman

2011-05-16T19:09:00.003+08:00

Basho Frogs saw some action as Fred & YH went on a short stint - nothing mega but loads of youthful Toman that were so ever receptive to the Basho Froggies... here's 3 shots courtesy of YH's Pentax K-7:

We love Clackin' Minnow & Jigging Rap

2011-05-07T12:45:00.004+08:00

There's no doubt about it. We love Clackin' Minnow! And so do the fish. This trip was the usual walk in the jungle but with only 3 lures: Jigging Rap, Clackin' Minnow and for insurance, X-Rap. As what our friend Fish'R'Us says... using X-Rap is almost like using live-bait. Haha!

But the Clackin' Minnow was unique in a sense that it swims slightly deeper and sinks slowly when paused (we swapped out the stock hooks with new VMC 3X Spark Points) which are good for the deeper holding fish.

Prototype Rapala Snow 4-10lb rod in action

And a nice Temensis results!

They love small snacks like the Jigging Rap

Say Ahhhhh!

Beautifully coloured Paca

This one's ready to mate

One from the pack that ambushed the lure

Aint the patterns beautiful?

This one seems to have a bit more weight

Whoopee!

Jigging Rap catches anything from big to small. Pic courtesy of YH's Pentax K-7

Ready... get set...

JUMP!

Storm Basho Frogs Have Arrived

2011-05-06T09:23:00.005+08:00

UPDATE:

Rapala Southeast Asia has announced via Facebook that the long awaited Storm Basho frogs have arrived on our shores

There's currently a promotion too... buy 2 Froggies and get 1 limited edition Storm foldable ruler free (while stocks last).

2011-04-04T09:12:00.005+08:00

Remember some time back I posted on the Rapala Insider that Storm had some 'Asian edition' lures coming our way and previewed some frog lure prototype? (see here)

The good news is that I've managed to get some actual production samples of the 'Basho Frog'; the first few lures in Storm's 'Asia Edition' series. Insider information is that it should hit the retail stores end May'11.

There's some artistic nuance to this lure than just catching fish. The 'Basho Frog' name was actually inspired by the 17th century Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, who wrote a poem about a frog in 'The Old Pond'.

The poem goes something like this:

Pond, there, still and old!
A frog has jumped from the shore.
The splash can be heard

(Translation by Eli Siegel)

Splashy froggy it is! Should be a great lure for Haruan & Toman in weedy water. I'm already thinking about field tests at Sepayang Reservoir ;)

Froggy-licious!

2 sizes

Storm "ASIA EDITION!" Woohoo!

Reflective spoon on the lure's rear for added attraction

The larger 65mm (14.5g) beside the smaller 52mm (9.5g) frog.

Popper face design

(somehow I feel there's a slight resemblance to Kermit the Frog here)

Weighted at the rear end to cast longer distances

Rubber body texture hides the extra sharp VMC double hooks, making it weedless

More Walk In the Forest Pics

2011-04-01T09:48:00.005+08:00

More pics of our forest walk :)

Little ones started the morning

Many loved the noisy Clackin' Minnow

Of course, the ever reliable X-Rap 10 works well too

And Huat lands his dream fish on Twitchin' Rap

7lber!

Then they came in plague proportions

FG having fun and lovin' it!

I love the look and feel of the Rapala Granite prototype rods in testing...

(Rapala Insider news is that it will hit stores in a couple of months' time)

Not to mention also the upmarket Rapala Predator series coming our way.

Looks cool, feels light and powerful yet sensitive!

A Walk in the Forest

2011-03-31T16:05:00.002+08:00

The Rapaleros took a walk in the forest and had good fun, good laughter and great fellowship (even danced to Bee Gees and Michael Jackson hits too!).

Pics courtesy of YH's Motorola Defy :)

Yes you see it correctly... those are Rapala Jigging Raps! Deadly stuff on Peacock Bass that have been used to conventional lures

Cancelled trip :(

2011-03-29T09:26:00.002+08:00

We received a call after a 2hr drive that due to stormy and windy conditions at the east coast that it was not advisable to head out to sea. The boat captain had advised us sea conditions were not favourable and as such, we had to cancel our much anticipated trip.

Well, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Light Jig Reel - Okuma Cedros CJ-40S

2011-03-24T14:29:00.005+08:00

In anticipation for next week's outing to Pahang for light jigging, my grubby hands got hold of a unit of Okuma Cedros CJ-40S as a test unit. Woohoo!

First impressions of the little reel is how the spool resembles a familiar Daiwa reel ;) But definitely no way near that price I'm sure. Jumping into the specs, the box says:

DURABLE CONSTRUCTION:

AlumLite: Aluminum body construction

Patented EOS: Elliptical oscillation system

Quick set anti reverse bearing

4HPB+1 Stainless steel bearing

Machined aluminum anodized spool

DFD: Dual force drag system

Hydro Block water tight drag seal

HDG: Super strong High Density Gearing

Gear Ratio: 6.2:1

Line cap: 190yds of 10lb line

Weight: 343g

Max Drag: 5.5kg

Rigid forged aluminum screw-in handle with power knob

Saltwater OK with all the anodizing

Drilled holes for a lighter spool

Okuma's thin blade design - unique and makes the reel look overall sleeker

Anodized spool for corrosion resistance

Power knob!

Check out the water seals on the front drag

The other drag washer sits behind the spool - Okuma's DFD design that churns out impressive stopping power

5 bearings

Hopefully I'll have some good shots of nice fish with the reel and will be able to let you readers know how it measures up after next weeks' trip.

Storm Asia Edition lures coming our way!

2011-03-21T21:42:00.002+08:00

Hot Rapala Insider news!

I had a sneak peek into the product roadmap for Storm lures and seems like we southeast Asian anglers will get to have a Storm range of lures specific for our type of fishing and for our tropical fish species hitting the retail store shelves very soon!

For one, there's the upcoming Basho Frog - a rubber amphibian with a cupped mouth to push water like a popper while remaining weedless. Perfect for Haruan or Toman fishing at weedy places.

Not too sure about the price or specs at this point but here's some sneak shots into this lure. Brought to you by RapalaInsider ;)

Sg Bintuka Black Bass - Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

2011-03-16T11:59:00.022+08:00

I had the opportunity to join Fred Goh and gang at the Lure Fishing Seminar @ Kota Kinabalu, Sabah over the weekend organized by KBS Tackle Sdn Bhd (a notable tackle retailer in Sabah). Since we were already at East Malaysia, Mr Kok of KBS Tackle extended the invitation to us to sample the mangrove fishing at Sg Bintuka - a nice river system approximately 1.5 hours away from the city center. How could we say no?

We checked out of the hotel 3.30am in the morning and headed towards the direction of Beaufort. Some good 10-20km before the town, we took a turn down a nicely tarred 'kampung' road which led us up to a little kampung house by the river. There were easily more than 10 boats parked neatly at the jetty. There we were greeted by Din a.k.a Black Bass Hunter. He had been fishing the Sg Bintuka for a while and was very experienced in hunting down Mangrove Jacks and the prized Black Bass, hence his name.

BLACK BASS! Nice! Prior to this, I had only thought Black Bass could only be found in Tawau. What an ignoramus I was! The very friendly Din was to be our guide (guiding 3 boat loads of hopeful anglers!) for the day. Off we went in the early morning at the first streaks of dawn...

Early morning sunset. Special thanks to Sony A33's "Twilight Mode". No tripod needed!

Breathtaking...

Check out the clouds

The fastest boat and fastest driver

Off we go!

Plenty of herons in the mangrove

"Gaya mesti ada"

Rapala Clackin' Minnows

After a long boat ride, we reached the spots where Mangrove Jacks & Black Bass were known to hang out. It didn't take too long for Din to help Dominic connect to a nice fish. From the opposite bank, we noticed Dominic's Rapalero rod bounce up and down, signaling a nice fish struggling under the load. After a good 3-4 minutes and no fish boated, we figured we should head over to check out the catch. MJ? MJ?? MJ???

BLACK BASS!

Dominic raised his hands in triumph as Din lipped the fish! The mighty Black Bass fell to a Storm Thundercrank Blue Steel Shad 8cm! Woohoo!

Caught on Storm Thundercrank Madflash TCM08

Check out the muscular structure of the fish... and the teeth!

Released

The little Barracudas were everywhere!

The Black Bass was still elusive to the folks on our boat and after a good hour of solid casting, we decided to explore the main river (with Din's expert guiding of course!). The question was, where do we start? All along the river the terrain was the same. Everywhere looked like a fishy spot. Reluctantly, we trolled with some deep divers such as the Taildancer TDD11. Soon enough, a nice Black Bass grabbed the Taildancer TDD11 Bleeding Tiger.

Our stomachs were growling by noon and in the distance, we noticed some chalet-style huts at the river bank with some tables and chairs. As we came closer, we realized it was a little restaurant!

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!!! Curry Maggi Noodles with Egg never tasted so good!

And while the others relaxed after the wonderful meal. I went around snapping some pictures. There were some kids fishing with a cane rod and some line tied off the tip. No need for expensive rods and reels. At such times, I'm reminded of how simple life is for kids. No need for the complexities of 'modern' fishing tackle.

DAY 2 Field Notes:

We still had not caught fish that were photograph worthy at this point so we had to work extra hard casting on the following day. One observation we noted on Day 2 was that fish were hitting the bright-coloured lures (Fire Tiger / Chartreuse patterns) when the water was a little cloudy on the rising tide. However when the rising tide brought in clearer water, the fish stopped hitting the lures. A quick exchange of notes and we unanimously agreed to change to natural patterns such as Crawdad (CW), Silver or Bone and soon the fish were confidently hitting the lures. Although the MJs remained absent, the Groupers were consolation.

on Minnow Rap FT

Taildancer Deep CLF

Natural colours such as the Crawdad (CW) worked in clearer water

This one was on the new Rapala Crankin' Rap 08

Double hookup on Taildancer Deep

On a natural coloured Storm Thundercrank Madflash

Taildancer CW finds another victim

Sg Bintuka is such a beautiful and almost pristine mangrove system. The sight of many juvenile barracuda and previous captures of MJs, Threadfin, GT and Black Bass can only prove that this is a river system that is a lure angler's haven in the waiting. My only plea to anglers visiting Bintuka is to continue to keep the place as pristine and clean, void of pollution and rubbish. There are not many unspoilt spots like these so lets do our best effort to preserve its beauty.

And of course... where possible, practice catch and release and don't take back anything more than what you can possibly consume.

SOME RANDOM SHOTS (thanks to Sony Alpha A33!):

On our last day at KK, we paid a visit to KBS Tackle Sdn Bhd's retail shop

For folks who wish to drop by, they are at:

KBS Tackle Sdn. Bhd

Lot 10, Tingkat Bawah Millennium Centre,

Jalan Lintas Kepayan,

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Special thanks goes to Mr Kok of KBS Tackle Sdn Bhd for organizing the trip, logistics and extending a very warm East Malaysian hospitality to us. We truly had a wonderful time and hope to visit you again! Thanks also goes to Din (Black Bass Hunter) & Cikgu Karim for being our guides and sharing the local knowledge with us. You guys rock!

Storm FlutterStick: The Peacock Bass' Fav Snack

2011-02-14T11:01:00.009+08:00

After this trip to Air Kuning, I am very much convinced that the Storm FlutterStick is the favourite snack of AK's Peacock Bass.

KH & I met up with Uncle Benny, a well-renowned guide of Air Kuning waters to check out the fishing and also test out some upcoming Rapala rods in the pipeline (more of that in a later posting). Weather was not on our side though, as it had been raining for the past week and knowing these PBs, they are much more active when the weather is super duper hot. Folks who are regulars to Air Kuning will tell you its extremely hot like an oven on a typical day but for us, it was not to be so. True enough, it was cloudy and overcast while we were there which affected the bite rate but nevertheless we didn't go home empty handed.

Top lures? The Storm FlutterStick in the new Hot Perch colour followed by Rapala Flat Rap. I reckon it was the bright orange, chrome coloured finishing of the FlutterStick that attracted the attention of otherwise inactive PBs on the dull, overcast day. Do work the lure on a rapid retrieve with twitches thrown in. This is where a reel with high-speed retrieve comes in handy. As for the Flat Rap, we noted that slow retrieves with the occasional twitch produced strikes especially retrieved alongside the bush-line.

Unloading the car-topper from Uncle Benny's vehicle

Juvenile Toman: "I loooove you!" *Hug hug hug*

Two fish on one lure!

Now what are the chances of that? On Rapala Flat Rap

Another one on Flat Rap Yellow Perch

This group of plants itself produced several nice specimens

Another on Flat Rap!

This time X-Rap was unmolested

The biggies had a liking for Storm FlutterStick

Some even over-enthusiastically engulfed the entire lure

KH testing out Rapala's upcoming SAND 6-12lb rod (more news coming!)

FlutterStick finds another victim

And another one bites the dust...

And another...

2011-02-01T12:18:00.005+08:00

Rapala South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand & Indonesia) now has its very own official Facebook page. Click HERE to check it out. Be a fan and get updated on the latest products and happenings in the region.

2-Hour Quickies

2011-01-17T17:30:00.003+08:00

What would you do if you only had 2-hours to squeeze in a quick fishing fix when you one's desperate to wet a line? Well.. the only obvious places to fish would be 'large-bodies-of-water-that-is-most-conveniently-accessible' (I think you readers know what I mean!)

Which is what Kenny & I did when my mate came back a-visiting from Australia. We had good fun with the Peacock Bass which responded very well to Storm Fluttersticks. They ignored our crankbaits, divers, minnows and poppers but when the Fluttersticks came, they took it without much hesitation.

And then there was the 'light' bashing bit before the heavy downpour came. Water level was high and so that made casting from the shoreline a bit difficult. That's when some casting tricks taught by FG & KH previously became very handy. Thanks to my casting teachers!

Not much happening here except for some small tiddlers until this beautiful specimen came along to whack the X-Rap 8 in Tropical Colour. Not at all a biggie but nevertheless a beautiful fish in its splendour.

Kenny got also some juniors - though small, they put up a fair bit of fight on 4lb line.

No big fish this time but no complaints since we only had time for short fishing quickie....

Happy New Year 2011!!

2011-01-02T17:15:00.003+08:00

The Rapala Insider wishes you dear readers a Happy New Year 2011! May this year be a year of good fishing with big catches to show and great stories to tell! Do drive safely on the roads and on the waters. Stay safe and be safe!

Bullied in Bali

2010-12-27T10:59:00.008+08:00

Blessed Christmas & Happy New Year everyone! Updates to the blog have been slow of late due to year end work backlog clearance and, the much needed holiday travels.

On a recent short getaway to Bali, my dear wife and I sneaked in a few hours of fishing to sample out the much talked-about waters of Nusa Penida that have produced huge amberjacks, GTs & dogtooth tunas. We had been warned - fast currents also meant using jigs up to 500g in weight.

We enlisted the services of Xplore-Charters, a professionally-run charter service in Bali famous for connecting their clients to some nice fish. I must say that it's really one of the most professional services I've been on so far. Our twin 200hp powered catamaran, Jig-A-Boo, was exceptionally stable in the midst of the big swells on our way out to the fishing grounds.

Our helpful and jovial deckie Risal setting up the gear

Weather was perfect. Currents favourable. Fishing season was at its peak. We also received news that GTs up to 30+kgs had been landed on the last trip out. It felt real good and I was all too eager to pop my heart out and land some nice GTs.

And pop my heart out I did... quite literally

Somehow the fish were unresponsive. No surface explosions behind chugged poppers, no ripping lines and whizzing spools. Silent.

Both Captain & Deckie were scratching their heads wondering what could be the reason for the uncooperative fish. Both were very hardworking in positioning the boat, shifting positions around spots and trying all sort of lures but still - nothing. After 2+ hours of non-stop popping, Capt Gade suggested we try some jigging.

"Depth 80m, fish at 50m!" sounded Capt Gade.

Down went the pearl Williamson Benthos 400g jig. Halfway through the first drift, the rod buckled over and the 65lb Sufix 832 whizzed out uncontrollably. After what seemed like a good 12 seconds and much less line on the spool, I humbly admit I panicked and tightened the drag a little. Wrong move. CRACK!! The main line burst and so did my hope for what might have been a beautiful dogtooth according to Capt Gade.

With not much time left for our short trip, we did a few more drifts got us more bite-offs, unsuccessful hookups and misses - sadly, without even landing one! We headed back to the docks, adding to the statistic of only 4 fishless trips in 2010 for the charter. (Sorry guys!)

It goes to show that there will be some days where fishing will be darn good while others, you may end up just sucking thumbs with zero fish. All in all, it's still better than a day in the office ey?

Special thanks to Capt Gade, Risal, Natalie & Fay from Xplore Charters that provided us with a wonderful professional charter experience for both my wife and I. Kudos goes to the Captain Gade & Risal who have put in all their best efforts to get us connected to fish. Do check out their website Xplore-Charters.com for Bali popping & jigging options.

Bali... we'll be back!

The Final Installment at Borneo

2010-11-20T09:45:00.006+08:00

River conditions had not improved and water was still as murky. Noting that the fish would probably be holding deep, YH put on a Taildancer CLF (Clown Flash) during the evening trolling session. He didn't venture far before a really huge Lutjanid pounced on the bright, flashy lure dredging the bottom. It was to be the biggest Black Bass of our trip!

On our final day, we decided not to waste time and shoot directly to the rivermouth again as the water clarity would be better and likewise our chances of casting out the Black Bass. However, like all estuary fishing, the bites come within the change of tides and this tiny window of opportunity was extremely short for our last day.

KH had a mighty miss! He had cast his Clackin' Minnow between some nipah palms and mangrove roots when a huge dark shadow came chasing after his lure only to U-turn with a huge splash when it sighted the boat. We estimated it would have probably been in excess of 10kgs given the big bulk of its body!

Taildancer bleeding copper flash (BCF) looked fairly enticing in the water given its dark silhouette yet flashy sides. And not long after the bites came amidst the MJs, Archerfish & groupers, a nice Black Bass pounced on the Taildancer. It was ironically during this time I had equally the same frenzy bites on my feet from the merciless and relentless sandflies (agas)! ARGGH!!

Rapalero 6-12lb does it again

This lure survived the bite

At the end of our Borneo trip, KH, FG, YH & I exchanged notes and we all agreed how interestingly Black Bass responded during the initial strike. They seemed oblivious that they had been hooked, from the way they moved sluggishly upon hookup but only to power away when they felt resistance on the other end. Could it be possible that their lips and mouths had become so accustomed to crushing shellfish, crabs & other crustaceans that the piercing of 3X VMC trebles was nothing at all? All the fish we landed (and released!) exhibited extreme crushing power in their jaws as they repeatedly chomped down on the lures or boga grip in their mouths as an instinctive attempt to remove the foreign object. It was easy to see why the shells of crabs & mussels were not a problem for these guys.

We also noted how they seemed to be easier to control where water clarity was murky compared to clearer water where they fought harder. Perhaps the sight of nearby snags gave them more inspiration to dash for the freedom break.

Whatever it is, Borneo is truly one place the Rapaleros will be back to explore again in the not too distant future.

Gear Used on the Trip:

Rods: Rapalero 6-12lb, 8-14lb, 10-17lb, 15-30lb

Reels: Okuma Citrix 273V, Okuma Andros 5, Shimano Curado 200E, Shimano Torium 14, Speedmaster 200, Daiwa Zillion Hyper, Daiwa Z2020

Line: Sufix Gore 832 39lb, 50lb, Sufix Performance Fuse 18lb, 20lb, 23lb

Leader: Sufix Superior Leader 40lb, 50lb & Sufix Invisiline Fluorocarbon 30lb, 40lb, 50lb

Most of our lures had trebles replaced with VMC's new 7556 Spark Point 3X trebles. Happy to mention they were strong enough and held up to the mean Black Bass.

More Black Bass.. (Part 3)

2010-11-17T11:38:00.004+08:00

Almost immediately after releasing the Black Bass, KH sighted a slight swirl in the shallows and immediately cast towards the location. Solid hookup on the new Clackin' Minnow!

Nice bend on the 8-14lb'er!

The Clackin' Minnow that fooled this Black Bass

Rockin' my baby!

As soon as we released the fish, all was quiet again. No more MJs or even Bass. After a few hours of inactivity from casting, we decided to troll among the nipah palms again. The water level by then had risen significantly and water clarity again turned murky.

The mangrove waters were surprisingly deep, perhaps close to 12-15m even between tight spots of nipah palms. In order to get the fish holding down deep, we resorted to the X-Rap Magnum 20s.

The result...

Happy angler with not-so-happy Black Bass on the X-Rap Mag 20

Check out those teeth!

In Pursuit of Borneo Black Bass (Part 2)

2010-11-12T22:25:00.006+08:00

photos by YH & D1

Did I mention we almost got eaten alive by sandflies? Perhaps not everyone got 'eaten' but I certainly had a sickening ability to attract mozzies & sandflies (agas) that they attacked anywhere (and I mean ANYWHERE!) there were places they could squeeze in to grab a bite off my skin. Can you imagine they even managed to squeeze into the little crevices of my shoe and began their buffet spree on my feet! Not funny if you're standing and casting from a Coleman Scanoe.

Enough bickering like a grumpy old man... on with the story!

Looking up in the sky, I pointed out to KH a black estuary eagle soaring above. It kind of gave us hope that it would be a good day for us.

We headed downstream towards the rivermouth and worked our way casting back towards upstream. The water clarity here was much better with the rising tide pushing the saltwater into the river system. All around us were Nipah palms every crook and bend. Everywhere looked like a fishy spot - cast and cast we did but we managed only a handful of Mangrove Jacks

It was one of those routine casts, no different from any other after a quadruple dozen casts that I happened to place the Tail Dancer in front of the jaws of what we travelled all the way here for:

BERRACK BASSU!! (you gotta say it with a Japanese accent for effect)

It was a firm hookup from the take but the fish didn't bulldoze its way to the nearest snag. In fact, it took out only a little line without much urgency. Obviously it didn't even realize it was hooked until I gave it a few more yanks of the Rapalero 6-12lb. Only then it must have realized the morsel it had on its gob wasn't exactly food and began to show some resistance.

And show resistance it did - like a Toman, with short, powerful bursts of speed and stubbornly not coming next to the boat to be lip gripped.

It went to the right... (Rapalero Rod 6-12lb protesting)

Then to the left....

Deep down inside I was hoping that the 30lb Sufix Superior mono leader, hooks and clip would hold up after a series of dogged, sudden bursts. It was crazy! Simply refused to give in. Good thing there weren't any snags around the area and I wasn't too concerned about it getting snagged.

After a few more rod bending moments, it finally broke water and quietly came boatside to be Boga lipped. Once gripped, the jaws slammed down several times, as if to crush the foreign object that had entered its mouth. It is no wonder when it first got hooked it seemed oblivious to danger. Those jaws have crushed the hard shells of crustaceans and crabs with ease that a little piercing of trebles didn't feel at all foreign to the fish until it felt resistance. This was one mean fish!

Check out what it did to the Taildancer!

More to come...

In Pursuit of Borneo Black Bass

2010-11-06T01:41:00.005+08:00

Photos by YH & D1

Early morning sunrise. We heard the village cocks crowing signalling time for us to rise and shine. Today, we would be in pursuit of one of the meanest, toughest and most brutal species to roam the estuaries of Borneo.

Black Bass (Lutjanus goldiei), also known as Papuan Black Snapper seemed to get a lot of world attention in Papua New Guinea but in recent years, Borneo has also began to share some of the limelight as a popular location to target the species.

The rain seemed to have followed us to Borneo and water clarity was still murky with all the silt washed down from the mountains. Today, we would head out to the rivermouth, hoping that the rising tide would bring better water clarity to the otherwise milk-coffee stained water.

Our arsenal - Rapalero Reds ready for battle

We would primarily be casting but would also troll when shifting between spots. Hence, a good spread of lures was vital to cover all options. We picked mostly Taildancers, X-Raps, Deep Shad Raps, Minnow Raps for casting on 6-12lb / 8-14lb outfits. Pretty confident that the tough built Rapalero rods would tame the fish if not easily. For trolling, deep diving X-Rap Magnums & Storm Deep Thunders were dragged along by 15-30lb outfits - no sweat against the resistance put up by the deep bibs.

We didn't move too far off from the village when KH got a nice bump on the Deep Thunder. Surprisingly, the fish didn't offer too much resistance and swam calmly against the pull of the 15-30lb outfit. Only when it sighted the boat, it took off with short powerful bursts of dogged tugs. Shortly after, it came in willingly to be lip gripped by a happy KH - his first ever Black Bass!

Over on the other boat, FG & YH were also trolling their way out towards the rivermouth when a nice fish struck FG's setup. We noticed some commotion on our end and motored over to have a closer look. By the time we approached, FG had triumphantly boga'ed the fish for pics and shouts of "YES!!!" were echoing to the air. You should have seen the look on his face!

Honestly, my first thoughts as we approached their boat was that FG had landed a huge barramundi, since it had a white body with yellow fins & tail. As we got closer to their boat, we realised it was actually a Black Bass. Nevertheless, FG was mighty pleased with his capture!

To be continued...

Rapala Clackin' Crank

2010-10-19T23:27:00.004+08:00

What do you get when you cross a Clackin' Rap with a bib? Correcto! Put your hands together ladies & gentlemen for the 2011 "Rapala Clackin' Crank!"

*Applause!*

(D1: somehow I have this feeling the folks at Rapala have run out of creative names for their lures :P)

Jokes aside, this is one of the new 2011 lures hitting our Asian shores sometime towards the end of the year, and from the lucky field testers, the first hand reports coming in indicate these are great for the groupers and estuary dwellers.

You find the first thing that stands out is the metal disc right in the middle of the lure - a similar feature found in the Clackin' Rap. A single stainless steel ball bearing inside the metal chamber gives it a 'clacking' sound as it wiggles through the water when cranked in (hence its name).

If you are a seasoned grouper lure angler, you would know that they love round and fat lures.

MJ loved it too

This bugga swallowed it whole!

MJ vs Taildancer

2010-09-30T22:45:00.005+08:00

MJ love Taildancers.

No I'm not referring to the King of Pop who does his cool moonwalk but I'm talking about Mangrove Jacks - those dirty fighters that love to dash to the nearest snag when their dracula-like teeth sink into your lures.

My beloved Zillion Coastal high speed 7.3:1 ratio baby coupled to the Rapalero 6-12lb was the most used combo of the trip. Worked the lures into a panick-stricken wiggle all the way back to the boat. I was confident the Rapalero red was definitely more than beefy enough to handle any mean fish running into any snag. And of course, with the bright fluoro orange Sufix Performance Fuse. Oh la la!

All hail the Rapalero Zillionaire combo!

No association to the fishing whatsoever - but my camera lens found it interesting nevertheless

Small GT were the first to hit the trolled lures

When trolling yielded nothing more, casting Taildancers reproduced the goods. All of a sudden, it was MJ fiesta. Clown redheads worked well.

This little MJ found the FLP irresistible

Even catfish (otek) found Taildancers

MJ love Taildancers - dont believe me? Ask little Jack here..

KH beams in delight

Oh.. and GT too!

Mangrove Adventures (cont')

2010-09-16T19:13:00.010+08:00

Let's hop on over to the other boat where FG & YH are...

They were on the same estuary but covered a different side so that both boats could cover a wider expanse of area while casting. They too lamented the colour of the water. That's when lure colours come into play.

I don't want to get sucked into the debate if fish can see colours or not or if bright colours are for stained colours & natural colours for clear waters. Each angler will swear by either extremes and in such instances I'd say to each his own. What matters most is that it catches fish for you! :) That's what matters!

In our case & instance, most of the fish caught seemed to favour the brighter, high contrast colours. We also had fair number of catches on natural colours but particularly on the days when the waters were murky (and I mean really milk-tea with extra milk colour!) we managed to catch some fish on the chartreuse & 'orange'y colours.

F-Gee: This lil' bugga went for a lure almost 3/4 of his size

... and this lil' bugga was aggresive! Crikey mate! BTW, where are the biggies?

Oh no! Not another lil' bugga?! Now where's yer daddy??

Ahhh.... that's a lil' more like it! Rapala Taildancer worked!

Taildancer produced another MJ (Mangrove Jack, not Michael Jackson)

Beautiful colouration on this MJ. On 'Bleeding' Copper pattern Taildancer

Now that's a fish! Silver Barramundi on new 2011 lure - Rapala Clackin' Minnow! Woohoo! Hats off to YH!

After a tiring day, we headed back to our cosy village house by the riverside looking forward for a nice cool bath. But hang on...where's the bathroom?

Village Man: *points to the river*

Rapaleros: Then where's the toilet?

Village Man: *points to the river*

Rapaleros: Then WHERE DO WE GET OUR DRINKING WATER?!?!

Village Man: *points to the river*

Rapaleros: !?!?!!

Relax... its not that bad... the water's treated and filtered before consumption. Phew!

It may seem quite disturbing to bathe from the same source where your neighbour's poop just dropped in with a 'plop' up-river. One way is to trick your mind to think nothing of it. If the fish didn't mind, it shouldn't affect you. Furthermore, the village maidens had silky smooth hair and skin. No need for SK-II or L'Oreal here.

Oh yeah... it also helped that you couldnt see the colour of the water or what you scooped out of the water when darkness falls.

That's the 'poop box' in the middle there. And yup, that's Mr Macho having his evening bath

Giving thanks for the food. Our prayer was quite literally... Dear God, thank you for the food. Please protect our tummies! (and btw, our tummies were good throughout the trip! )

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

2010-09-10T14:55:00.002+08:00

To all Muslim friends celebrating the end of Ramadhan, wishing you "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!"

Mangrove Adventures

2010-09-06T23:14:00.007+08:00

I got my 1 week leave approved from work to join the Rapaleros on this long-awaited trip. For obvious reasons, unfortunately I'm not allowed to divulge the exact location of our exploits this time around.

One cloudy afternoon saw us stranded at a small, stuffy airport terminal for 6 hours. Our connecting flight was delayed and so we made do with counting the number of planes taking off and landing, observing irritated mothers spanking their wailing children and trying unsuccessfully to catch some much-needed shuteye.

After what seemed like eternity, the plane finally landed, picked all the passengers up and headed for our final destination. After a quick bite, we all hit the sack and prepared ourselves for a long journey ahead...

It was to be a long drive. A loooong drive indeed....

We kept drivin'...

And drivin'....

....and drivin'

Our sore buns were in much need of a break from all the bumps on the road and you could imagine our glee when we stopped by a public rest area with nice clean toilets and... MEE BAKSO! (Meatball Noodles).

Heavenly (meat) balls!!

So we went on our way and late afternoon, we reached our destination: a village located by the edges of a milk-coffee-stained river that looked more like a drain. The incessant rain for the past week had brought the silt and dirt from upstream. Immediately, our hearts sank....

Getting fish to 'see', yet alone bite our lures in such water conditions was going to be extremely difficult! We had to work doubly hard if we wanted to entice some bites. When life throws you lemons, you can either throw them away or make lemonade! So were we Rapaleros going to be discouraged by some stained water? No way! Any poor day fishing was way better than a day at the office! (I'm secretly hoping my boss doesn't read this!)

KH cuts a discouraged look but nevertheless hopeful we will get something by end of the trip

And cast and cast we did! Almost till our arms felt like dropping off! But Providence was kind to us by keeping us entertained with aggresive Archer Fish. What they lacked in size, they made up in aggression. Sometimes hunting in packs, they were not shy to whack a lure 3/4 of their size.

Lil' Bugga took a liking for the Tail Dancer

And they also loved the X-Rap 8 snacks.

Later on, we decided to try a bit of trolling at a deeper section of the river. So out went the deep diving lures like the Storm Deep Thunders mounted on 15-30lb Rapalero red-rods. No monsters reared their heads at our offerings though KH had a huge take that failed to hookup.

But not too bad though as later on, a feisty Mangrove Jack took a liking for the blue chrome Storm Deep Thunder that was dredging the bottom. No match of course, against the 15-30lb. As always, it was released unharmed - well, perhaps with a minor toothache. And in case you were wondering what reel KH is using there - it was the prototype of the new mini Okuma Andros hitting our Asian shores soon (more of that later!).

Dinner time! Canned food & cup noodles never tasted so good. I wonder if it's really the food that was tasty or if we were too hungry to bother. Thank God for glorious tucker! We gave thanks and tucked in...

To be continued..

Sneak Preview...

2010-08-25T22:34:00.004+08:00

What on earth could have caused this?!?!

A sneak preview into the latest fishing adventures of the Rapaleros... check back soon to the RapalaInsider for exciting stories from the Rapalero's latest exploits.

Coming soon!

Sneak Peek: Sufix Gore 832

2010-08-04T22:25:00.006+08:00

Here's hot off the racks....

At least for the Asia Pac folks it is... :)

Sufix's new 832 superline is out of the bag and expected to hit the stores by end of 2010.

This new superline is a combination of Dyneema Fibers & GORE® Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) with Sufix's R8 precision braiding process to produce a line with high abrasion resistance, noise & vibration reduction and higher knot strength.

The nickname '832' comes from its construction of 8 fibers at 32 weaves per inch - giving it the boasting rights of being the strongest, most durable small diameter braid in the market. This was based on tests comparing a 20lb competitor braid at 1000 cycles which resulted in 40% reduction in breaking strength, with 832 of 20lb breaking strain put through 1000 cycles with breaking strength retention of 95%. Interestingly, the former also showed significant visible abraision compared to 832 which showed no signs of abraision wear.

So what's up with using GORE® anyway? Most of us consumers would be more familiar with GORE-TEX® fabrics, a unique material that is waterproof and breathable. At the very heart of these innovative products is the versatile polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). According to the GORE® Websit e, founder Bob Gore discovered that rapidly stretching PTFE (expanded PTFE or ePTFE) under right conditions created a very strong, microporous material that has amazing properties of:

High strength to weight ratio

Chemical inertness (not degrading or losing strength after exposure to saltwater, solvents, lubricants, etc)

High thermal & chemical resistance

Low flammability

Low coefficient of friction (good news for those looking for a smooth, slippery feel line - good castability here!)

Low water absorption

And even immune to UV radiation!

Available in Neon Lime & Low-Vis Green

Eyes opened wide yet? Stay tuned for field test feedback from the Rapaleros!

The composition of Dyneema (green) fibers & GORE® ePTFE (white) creates the strongest, most abrasion resistant, fastest sinking, UV protected, roundest braided line on the market today

Redheads

2010-07-31T01:53:00.002+08:00

Redhead patterns are fondly called 'Ultraman' colours in our local waters for obvious reasons. Many salties swear by it, saying it resembles a fish bleeding from the head. Now of course we know that in reality, that would not be possible since a fish that bled enough to cover its entire head would probably already be dead instead of swimming in an enticing manner (and isn't blood supposed to disperse in water? Hmm...)

Whether natural or not, it is indeed a popular colour with anglers all over the world. And on a recent weekend with YH, both of us unknowingly were fishing with Redheads with some measure of success - he with the new Storm Thunderblade lipless lure and yours truly with the old' faithful X-Rap in the new Redhead pattern.

Red tail, Redhead Storm Thunderblade and Red Zillion 50th Anniversary reel - matching ey?

This lipless baby is heavy enough to cast a mile, holds steady on blazing retrieve (cranked flat out on the 50th Anniversary Zillion that boasts a ratio of 7.3:1 without skipping on the surface) and gives tons of vibration. And did I mention the life-like eyes?

The X-Rap Redhead fared well with a juvie Toman as well

And of course, this baby also found the redhead lollipop of an X-Rap too enticing to resist

Peacock Bass Galore

2010-07-28T21:47:00.002+08:00

And there's more...

FG got to enjoy the fun and lost a biggie in the process! And did you notice the red, sexy Rapalero rods?

FG admiring KH's clean shaven legs

Time to get serious

Rapala Flat Rap got the finicky fish to bite

This one was close to 50cm

Peacock Bass Galore

2010-07-23T14:23:00.002+08:00

Looks like someone's been having fun.... :)

Photos courtesy of fellow Rapalero, Tan Kian Huat.

MaxRap rulez!

Nothing is too big for Peacock Bass

X-Rap in Clown color. The fish ain't laughing though

Ahh... Storm Flutterstick. An irresistible snack!

X-Rap Tropical Colours!

2010-07-16T22:40:00.007+08:00

Look what landed on my doorstep....

4 cute little X-Rap 8cm minnows in the Tropical Colours! Woohoo!

XR08 TYBR (Tropical Yellow Barb)

XR08 TRCN (Tropical Red Channa)

XR08 TGCL (Tropical Green Cichla)

XR08 TBRB (Tropical Blue Rasbora)

Folks who attended the Rapala Seminar in Kuala Lumpur in May'10 would have seen the creative designs of Ming. J. Liu (affectionately known as Mingmon in local forums), an industrial designer with a big passion for luring.

Ming was the grand prize winner of the Rapala Lure Design contest some time back where his eye-catching designs were selected to be imprinted on some limited number of X-Rap 8cms produced specially for the Asia Pacific region only.

The Ming man himself with a handsome Peacock Bass on XR08 TGCL (Photo source: Facebook)

Ming's designs depicted species of fish commonly found in Malaysian waters (perhaps with the exception of the Peacock Bass, which is an introduced specie) and are limited to sell only in South-east Asia as I understand from the folks at Rapala VMC Asia Pacific.

So for anglers living outside Singapore & Malaysia, if you want one of these, you better make some new buddies here over this side of the world to get them to buy one for you. ;)

Of course, you could also borrow, beg or pinch one if you see them in your mate's tacklebox. Happy fishing!

Archer fish couldn't resist the Yellow Barb

Williamson Jet Popper

2010-06-26T11:00:00.010+08:00

Some time back, I posted on the blog about the Williamson Jet Popper (see post) which came in 7inch & 5inch models.

Recently, I found these to be extremely effective for night/low-light popping. The chugging action, splashes and loud "pop"s attracted the GT attention quite well.

Youtube video courtesy of RapalaVMC

Good thing the last GM (Green Mackerel) in the tacklebox converted a strike after busting of a NS (Natural Silver) earlier

Jiggin' Jarak... Again (Part 3)

2010-06-23T22:29:00.005+08:00

We also did try jigging for the supposedly ever plentiful Golden Snappers (Angcho) but they were elusive this time. Strangely enough in fact, all the bottom dwellers seemed passive though the current was ideal.

This lone ranger was the only Goldie that turned up. And it sure did look bruised up badly, as if it survived a fishy gangfight in the depths below. Either way, it gave a good account of itself on its way up. Caught on the ever faithful 150g Bluefox Herring

The casting game begins...

The stern roof was pushed back, allowing ample space for our elongated wands to propel our lures towards the reefline and drop-offs.

The fish seemed to wisen up to the surface lures. So the ever witty KH rigged up a Bluefox Reflect Pirk and began casting with the new upcoming Okuma Nemesis 6-12lb rod coupled to a leftie Curado E7 (a speedy oh la la reel!)... and was soon in business!

"Aye Mama mia! You love me, no?"

KH cradling his beloved

(D1: Shouldn't you be biting a rose??)

When dusk approached, we landed a nice Spotted Mackerel and all the hungry anglers smacked their lips. SASHIMI!!!!! Sensei Frodo-san the master sashimi chef brandished his beloved Rapala fillet knife and skillfully cut up some nice ite sized morsels of Mackerel. With wasabi & shoyu - WALLA!

Sashimi wiped out less than 2mins after photo taken *BURP*

As the sashimi was being wallopped, there were huge splashes near the front of the boat. Several Skitter Pops & X-Walks landed in the midst of the surface commotion but were bust off almost immediately.

Joey however connected and was soon battling it out painfully with GeeTee Jr. The Majorcraft Offblow handled the fish very nicely coupled with Okuma Trio 55. BTW, did I mention the sound whizzing out of that graphite/aluminum crossover spool is simply music to one's ears? Hint: it's very different from how an aluminum spool would sing when line fizzes out at high speed!

Joey to GT: "No, I'm not going to give you my Trio 55!"

Rod: Majorcraft Offblow PE1.5-3 Casting Spec

Reel: Okuma Trio 55

Line: Sufix Performance Braid 30lb

Leader: Sufix Superior Leader 50lb

Lure: Rapala X-Walk13 CLN

Little girl can catch big fish! Way to go Sister Joey!

Jiggin' Jarak... Again (Part 2)

2010-06-16T23:26:00.003+08:00

Andy & Joey were taking it easy throughout the session. They were catching the more edible fish such as the groupers which ended up nicely steamed for dinner that night.

Relax-'lah' brudder!

Andy was catching them groupers one by one. Majorcraft Offblow PE1.5-3 helping to lift the goods from the bottom

What produced the goods? Williamson Vortex 150gm of course!

Close up of the Vortex Jig

Okuma Cedros also got to showcase its capabilities though we wished the bigger fishes would hit the setup to allow us to test its limits. Nevertheless, it was one smooth and strong baby

Who says real men don't use pink? KH beaming away with another GT landed on pinky Williamson Vortex 200gm jig.

Vortex jig was one of the top GT producers

And of course, our brother Ron C was equally happy with several more school GT under his belt

Jiggin' Jarak... Again

2010-06-12T21:06:00.009+08:00

We fulfilled our second pilgrimage to Pulau Jarak again for 2010.

This time the catch unfortunately, was not as happening as our previous trips due to unfavourable tides (ain't we all love to blame our poor catch on something else ey?). But nevertheless, fellowship and great food all made up for it.

So before we set off, it was our usual stocktake on our battle inventory...

Williamson Vortex, Gyro, Bluefox Herring & Jigging Skarpsilda - CHECK!

New Bluefox Reflect Pirk patterns - CHECK!

Williamson Abyss & Benthos - don't leave home without them!

And new uniforms - CHECK!

Of course we brought along the new Okuma Cedros jigging reels that worked like a charm

Smooth, sexy yet tough

The honour of landing the first fish went to Ron C who hooked up a massive 6kg Mangrove Jack.

Biggie MJ

We were also bullied with many snapped lines and lost jigs. Apparently we had drifted over a playground of little kiddie Barracudas that were so eager to have new jewellery hanging out of their gobs. Too bad for us, as more jigs lost meant more $$ flying away. Still, we did land a few.

Of course, there were in between hits of good fish. Evergreen Poseidon bending over

Walla! Finally a GeeTee on Williamson Abyss 250g...

To be continued...

Lady & Her Cedros

2010-06-03T21:29:00.002+08:00

One wonders if she is happy she's hooked onto a shark or grimacing in pain?!

Okuma Cedros in Action

2010-06-02T22:15:00.007+08:00

Visitors to the recent Rapala seminar would have noticed the silverish-blue eggbeaters on display. One of the recent releases from Okuma, the spinning Cedros boasts some no- nonsense saltwater features targeted for serious jiggers & lure-chucking anglers. Lets take a look at the specs...

High-Speed gear ratio (5.7:1 to 6.2:1)
DFD: Precision Dual Force Drag system (up to 15kgs of drag)
Multi-disk, Japanese-oiled felt drag washers
4 HPB corrosion resistant stainless steel ball bearings
1 Quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing
Precision machine cut brass pinion gear
CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process
HDGII: Corrosion resistant, High density gearing
ALC: Rigid, diecast aluminum frame
Corrosion resistant graphite side plate and rotor
EOS: Patented Elliptical Oscillation System
Machined aluminum, 2-tone anodized, port spool
Rigid, forged aluminum screw-in handle design
Custom blue anodized, machined aluminum handle knob
Hydro Block water tight drag seal
Heavy Duty, solid aluminum, gold anodized bail wire
RESII: Computer balanced rotor equalizing system

Paparazzi shot

Check out the Jap-style power knob

Heavy duty anodized aluminum bail wire

Rather than test the eggbeaters on the local bakery dough mix, the Rapaleros took the reels out for an outing to target some schoolie Blacktip sharks.

After several bust offs, Joey finally connected to one

I was pretty sure it wanted Joey in the water by looking at how the rod bent through

Finally some colour

Proudly captured on Williamson Abyss jig and promptly released

KH testing out the cute little Cedros 40 with the new Okuma Ergosense PE1 rod on another school-going shark

Kids... don't try what KH is doing. It's very very dangerous... and yes, Sharkie was released unharmed

Verdict:

Stylo mylo looks and solid cranking power. If you're looking for a quality saltwater spinning reel without busting your pocket senseless on those high-end Stellas & Saltigas, this reel is worth checking out.

Okuma Cedros

2010-05-15T15:05:00.002+08:00

Okuma has gone one notch up the conventional saltwater reel "cool"ness scale with their next generation line up of jigging & lever drag reels. I have fished with the older generation Okumas and though they were value for money, the X-factor was not exactly there, if in comparison with the bigger boys such as Daiwa or Shimano in terms of features, cranking power, smoothness & overall design.

Not anymore.

Taking a closer look at the Cedros series at the Rapala Seminar in KL 2 weeks back, I found these were serious cranking machines. Not to mention the eye-catching electric blue anodizing that seemed to beg for attention when I layed my eyes on it from afar.

Eye candy! Eye candy!

Cedros Star Drag (bottom) & the Cedros Lever Drag (top)

Side profile

Cedros Star Drag features:

A6061-T6 extruded aluminum, blue anodized frame

Frame cross bars are ported to reduce weight

Machined aluminum, blue anodized side plates

Machined aluminum, gun smoke anodized spool

Multi-disc Carbonite caged drag system

Ratcheting drag star for precise drag settings

5BB+1RB Japanese stainless steel bearings

Quick-Set anti-reverse roller bearing

Dual anti-reverse system. (Mechanical & roller bearing)

Oversized machine cut brass gearing

XL gearing: Drop down gear box for increased power

Self lubricating gear system, all models

MSS: Mechanical Stabilizing System for increased durability

Ergo grip handle knobs featured on all models

High Speed 6.2:1 gear ratios for increased line pickup

Cedros Star Drag CSD10S weighing in at 535grams

Narrow spool. Perfect for jigging

A 6.1:1 ratio retrieves up to 101.6cm per crank. No wonder the oversized gearbox.

Cedros Lever Drag CLD10S

Front view

Lever Drag model features Okuma's Dual Force Drag system

Cedros Lever Drag features:
6061-T6 Machined aluminum frame with forged side plates
17-4 grade precision helical cut stainless steel gearing
Cedros reels all feature single speed, High-speed gearing systems
Type-III hard anodized spool for maximum corrosion resistance
CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process
Carbonite Dual Force drag system featuring Cal’s universal drag grease
Custom designed thrust bearing: Alleviates side load on heavy drag settings
4-pcs ABEC-5 precision Sapporo stainless steel rubber sealed ball bearings
Double dog, proprietary silent anti-reverse system
Ratcheting drag lever and drag cam for precise drag setting
Ergo grip handle knob: Perfect for jigging and live baiting
Heavy duty stainless steel ratcheting clicker system CE-20S
Low-profile clicker system with stainless wishbone CE-10S, 15S
Heavy duty, precision stainless steel drive and spool shafts
Type-II blue anodized frame, side plates, drag lever and handle
Lug and plug system on all models for use with or without harness lugs
Forged aluminum Type-III hard anodized reel foot and reel clamp
Special screw ports around side plate screws reduces water/corrosion buildup

More details & specs from Okuma's website

Trio: Okuma's "Crossover" Reel

2010-05-08T11:33:00.009+08:00

Okuma showcased its innovative side when it developed the Trio range of spinning reels. Don't take this reel for your ordinary eggbeater. It was designed as a radical concept of combining aluminum & graphite to offer strength in construction and shedding unnecessary weight.

What's unique about this design is that Okuma places aluminum where strength integrity is needed. For example, the reel rotor consists of a 'hybrid' aluminum frame connecting to the side of the bail arm. This gives stability and strength under heavy pressure, ensuring perfect alignments and eliminating spool wobble.

Note the underside of the rotor which features the aluminum construction, giving it strength and stability.

One key feature of the Trio is in its spool construction, where multi-disk Japanese-oiled felt drag washers are housed in an aluminum drag chamber and enclosed in a cool, lightweight carbon-fibre design graphite spool on the outer side. The idea is, again, to shed extra unecessary weight from the spool yet maintaining strength and stability.

Carbon-fibre design on the spool encased in an anodized aluminum styling frame

Okuma also prides itself in its patented Elliptical Oscillation System, a design that uses an oval shaped gear working pretty much like a train's gears to provide exceptionally even line lay on the spool. This is also thrown into the Trio.

Probably the first thing when one picks up the reel is to notice a one-piece anodized aluminum reel stem that connects the reel foot to the body. Despite being eye-candy for design, it is also to keep the gears in alignment, according to Okuma.

The Trio also features Okuma's DFD (Dual Force Drag) system, a unique way of maximizing drag efficiency by applying pressure on both sides of the spool. This feature that was initially seen in high-end reels such as Shimano's Stella are now available on the Trio. Apart from the multi-disc felt drag in front of the spool, another drag washer sits below the spool to apply even and efficient braking. As such, squeezing up a crazy 8kg of max drag pressure on the little Trio-20 is now possible. (The Trio 55's max drag is up to 12kg!)

Trio's Features:

Multi-disc, Japanese-oiled felt drag washers
DFD: Dual Force Drag system
9BB + 1RB stainless steel bearings
Quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing
Precision machine cut brass pinion gear
CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process
HDGII: Corrosion resistant, High density gearing
Crossover aluminum and graphite hybrid body design
Crossover aluminum and graphite hybrid rotor design
EOS: Patented Elliptical Oscillation System
Hybrid spool design with graphite arbor and aluminum lip
ADC: Aluminum Drag Chamber precision spool system
Rigid, forged aluminum handle design
Hydro Block water tight drag seal
Heavy duty, solid aluminum, anodized bail wire
RESII: Computer balanced Rotor Equalizing System

Model	Bearings	Capacity	Gear Ratio	Line Retrieve	Max Drag	Weight
Trio-20	9BB + 1RB	190/4, 110/6, 90/8	5.0:1	22"	18-lbs	8.8 oz
Trio-30	9BB + 1RB	200/6, 160/8, 110/10	5.0:1	25"	18-lbs	10.3 oz
Trio-40	9BB + 1RB	270/8, 190/10, 170/12	5.0:1	28"	20-lbs	11.0 oz
Trio-55	9BB + 1RB	380/10, 340/12, 240/15	4.5:1	30"	24-lbs	15.3 oz

Rapalero Rods

2010-05-05T23:25:00.005+08:00

As promised here's a post of the much awaited Rapalero rods. You saw the red sticks on some of the Rapalero trip photos as used by FG and gang. Now is a chance to own them. Was informed they will reach retail stores as early as this month! I checked out the 6-12lb and 8-14lb rods. Quite strong and beefy. Not your usual noodle stick but definitely one that will yank those Toman from heading towards the snags.

Ratings:
6-12lb
8-14lb
10-17lb
12-20lb

Casting sticks are 6ft and Spin sticks are 6"6ft respectively

Red sticks - Rapalero

Fuji reel seats

Carbon Fibre - sexy

Nice butt

Report: Rapala Asia Pacific 2010 Seminar

2010-05-03T11:44:00.012+08:00

The inaugural Rapala VMC Asia Pacific seminar held at Cititel Hotel, Mid-Valley Kuala Lumpur over the weekend drew both avid anglers & retailers to a showcase of its tackle portfolio. Noticeably eye-catching was the new inclusion of Okuma into one of the power brands under its belt, which displayed 3 of its latest reels and range of jigging and casting rods.

The event also saw overseas speakers from Rapala (Aku Valta), Storm (Hiroshi Takashi), Sufix (Miriam Lee), John Bretza (Okuma) & VMC (represented by Mr Loke Swee Leong). Each of the speakers gave insightful information about their respective companies & the product offering/manufacturing processes & features, with the exception of Mr Hiroshi Takashi who elaborated more on the finer tips of lure fishing.

For those who do not know Hiroshi-san, he is a very accomplished lure angler & designer in Japan. Prior to joining Storm Lures, Hiroshi-san was working with a very-well known Japanese lure company as their lure designer. With him in the product development & design for Storm, asian anglers can be assured of more exciting & innovative lure offerings in the future.

10 lucky seminar participants also walked away with a giant Rapala lure replica each for their winning numbers from the lucky draw.

For those who missed the seminar, here's some snaps from the event:

The Rapala booth featuring the range of lures, apparel & the much awaited Rapalero rods

Storm Lures

Williamson metal jigs & skirts

New Okuma sticks - jigging & casting

Plano tackle

Portable tackle storage solutions

VMC booth

Fred & the Rapala VMC Asia Pacific boys (L to R) Chin, Wong & Tan

Latest Okuma reels to hit the market

Big game reels - Makaira

Single, high speed star & lever drag Cedros - sexy!

The Spin Machines - Cedros Spin (Jig) & cutting-edge Trio

These are rugged, strong jig reels

Rapalero rods

Hiroshi-san checking out the sticks - powerful

Seminar participants

Fred Goh opening the event

Hiroshi-san giving the finer points of lure-fishing

Ming J. Liu (Mingmon) was hailed as the winner of the Rapala lure design contest. The prize - a fishing trip to Australia! Well done Ming! Also, his designs have become reality as they will appear on X-Rap 8cm hitting the retail stores very soon. Check out his creations at his Facebook page.

One of the 10 lucky draw winner receiving his giant Rapala lure from Mr Loke Swee Leong - Managing Director of Rapala VMC Asia Pacific

Lucky Draw Winners from Session 1

Hiroshi-san giving a demo cum talk outside the foyer

Retailers checking out the reels

Retailers session on Sun

Tan S.G. who is no stranger to the Malaysian fishing fraternity, was also one of the lucky draw winners. Congrats!

Next posting:

Closeup of the Okuma reels & Rapalero rods

Rapala Seminar - 3 More Days to Go

2010-04-28T21:22:00.002+08:00

3 more days to go....

Date: Saturday 1st May 2010

Venue: Cititel Hotel, Mid-Valley (Bintang Ballroom) Kuala Lumpur

Time: 9am - 6pm

Admission is free

Dont forget to bring along any old non-Rapala brand lure to exchange for a Storm lure

Long and Slim

2010-04-11T14:37:00.005+08:00

I like long profile, minnow-style lures with short bibs. They have a unique darting & rolling action when twitched on a high-speed retrieve. Short bibs keep the lure shallow running near the surface so its perfect for low-level water fishing.

Rapala MaxRap is such a lure. And since its proven effectiveness in the previous trip, I brought out a similar long, slim minnow in the form of Storm's Slim Thunderstick for a weekend morning 'outing'.

First cast of the day and the Storm Slim Thunderstick got its first quarry, a nice Peacock Bass with a bump on its head. Don't blame me. I was 100% sure I didn't whack it in the head with the lure to result in a swollen head.

FG was swoffing his magic fly wand when suddenly... lo and behold - a striped cichlid which gave an excellent account of itself on 3-weight outfit.

MaxRap did it's magic again... in the form of 2 teenage Temensis which gave good aerial displays and furious initial runs

An over-enthusiastic Toman baby trying to 'smoke' an X-Rap. Sorry dude, its not for smoking...

Fly swoffer YH also yielded his magic in producing several nice sized Temensis too!

A Weekend with MaxRap, Flat Rap & X-Rap

2010-04-03T17:57:00.006+08:00

We hit our first spot early 7am.

The bites came lightning fast and strikes aggressive. One particular snag produced 5 fish and countless hookups that did not convert. It was almost pandemonium!

We had brought MaxRaps, Flat-Raps & X-Raps (new Redhead colour) to try out. Although the fishes were not huge, they made up for the quantity in action and visual displays of acrobatic jumps and blazing runs on light tackle.

Double hookup on MaxRap. This was one lure with a really sexy darting/rolling action that made the fishes go crazy!

Poor dude had a Flat Rap hooked onto its gills.

A haruan (snakehead) couldn't resist the X-Rap snack

Check out the beautiful blueish tinge on the tail and fins

MaxRap does it again

While the 'Ultraman' worked his wonders too

Oh yes, and we did hit a few prized trophies too

The natural colour MaxRap AYU worked very well

And at spot 2, we encountered a hungry pack of juveniles who willingly ambushed X-Raps..

... & Flat Raps

MaxRap has landed!

2010-03-31T23:19:00.004+08:00

My grubby hands have gotten a hold of a couple of MaxRaps.....

Let's see what they produce this weekend...

Malaysian Rapala Fans - this is for YOU!

2010-03-26T12:48:00.008+08:00

Of course, if you want you want to fly into Kuala Lumpur, you are most welcome too!

Rapala VMC Asia Pacific will be hosting a Rapala Fishing Seminar on Saturday, May 1st 2010. Now this is a significant milestone for Rapala Asia Pacific, where they will be showcasing a wide range of products and brands under their umbrella, namely Storm, Williamson, Plano, Sufix and the latest addition to their family - Okuma!

RapalaInsider has picked up some insider info that the Rapala boys will be showcasing some cool new jigging reels from Okuma, apparel & tackles. But probably the biggest crowd attractor will be the "Mystery Lucky Draw" prizes that can be won at each session. Die-hard Rapala fans will not want to miss out on the lucky draw!

HINT: It's BIIIGG!!!

Freebies will also be given out on first-come first-serve basis for all visitors but wait - there's more... visitors also get to exchange any old non-Rapala brand family lure for a brand new Storm Thundercrank Madflash lure!

(note: Storm, Rapala, Williamson, Bluefox, etc. are considered Rapala-brand lures)

Lock the dates down on your calendars folks - Saturday 1st May 2010 at the Cititel Hotel, Mid-Valley (Bintang Ballroom) Kuala Lumpur from 9am - 6pm.