My oh my, it has been quite a while since I wrote and man do I miss writing. Well, I have been pretty busy with YouTube videos off late and while more often than not (esepcially for my case) the videos show you that which has already happened, writing on the other hand truly captures the ideas which I would like to bring across. Anyway, this post primarily aims to put into perspective the type of fishing you can do on this little island to hopefully steer you in the right direction. You see, when I came into possession of my first fishing rod(s), they were bought without proper knowledge of the terms, idealogies and purposes and I ended up buying a lot of things I don't quite use anymore. So without futher delay, let me attempt to aid you in your quest for answers regarding the art that is angling. Sorry but this is going to be real wordy.

The Water

The first idea I would like you to comprehend is that water bodies are generally classified under 2 major groups - salt water (SW) and fresh water (FW). The former (saltwater) refers to water that contains high levels of salinity which more often than not includes water found in seas and oceans. This type of water is also know as sea water. In Singapore, this type of water is found at the perimeter on the shorelines, offshore (out in the open sea, on a vessel) and certain pay ponds. Fresh water on the other hand has lower salinity levels than salt water and is usually linked to the many canals, drains and reservoirs on the island. There is also an in-between group know as brackish water which is saltier than fresh water but less salty than sea water, like an eggplant that's having an identity crisis. So let's not make things confusing and stick to just SW and FW for now. This information is highly crucial as the fish that you will be targeting at this 2 different class of water vary quite a bit from one another. To make things simpler, if you see a "no fishing" sign put up by PUB in your vicinity, high chance that is a fresh water body and if you don't, it's salt water and of course, if you know a place that is a fresh water body that contains fish and does not have a signage, you probably didn't need to read this section. :D

The fish

Okay, this is another important section. This will further narrow down the type of fishing you should look into. There is an unsaid rule amongst anglers in Singapore to not take home their catch if it was caught from a fresh water body. This rule is further strengthened by the no poaching laws that surround said water bodies. The idea is that fresh water fish is only meant for sport fishing and since fish are not aplenty for the hoards of anglers on the island that are restricted to using artificial lures at such places, it is for the benefit of the community that catch and release be practiced. That said, a decision has to be made on whether you are aiming to catch a meal or not, selfies with your catch is optional either way. If you are aiming to catch a meal, generally you would be looking to fish at SW bodies that contain an array of species for your picking if you manage to get one to bite. I've added a quick list below to aid you in your target but of course the list is not limited to these species and I've actually left out a whole bunch to keep things simple.

If you noticed, the list contains quite a number of catfish. This is in honor of its resilience and ability to adapt in a variety of water bodies. I read somewhere that 70% of all water bodies all over the globe contain catfish and honestly I am not surprised at all. Do note that certain groups of fish can be found in both freshwater and saltwater like the barramundi (sea bass) for one and also gobies. I know, I know, things can get pretty confusing sometimes with these fish but it can't be helped as there are no black and white with these things unless its a zebra tilapia. :| bad joke. Technically, squids are not fish but they're tasty so I've put them into the list too.

Okay, now that you roughly know what kind of fish you would prefer to land and the purpose of fishing, you can decide on which location is best for you.

BLATANT SELF-ADVERTISING HERE. This is a video showing some common fresh water catches.

Location

If you have decided on embarking on the freshwater path, it is safe to say you would be venturing to the many reservoirs on the island with a setup more suited for luring. Depending on your location, you would bring a slightly different rod. If you are heading to legal FW fishing area, a 6 to 7 foot rod in the light to ultralight range (3-10lbs) would suffice in most cases if you're aiming for the foreign-turned-local species that is the Peacock Bass. These are generally the easiest to land as compared to the other trophy fish - Tomans (aka the Giant Snakehead). If you're heading to the other types of fresh water areas, chances are you already know what to get or have friends that would point you in the right direction but generally you'd go for a slightly heavier setup (10-30lbs probably).

On the salty side, you would generally be travelling to the perimeters of the island. If you reside in the east side of the island then you would be fortunate enough to have Bedok Jetty close to you where casting far out would not be an issue meaning your rod length can go as short as you want or as long as you have to to compensate for any lack of....distance. If you are not so fortunate or would just like to do a little shore casting, venturing to the realms of surf casting should be considered. This art is generally done with a long rod around 10 feet and above to allow casts not easily achieved with shorter rods. 

Example of Surf Casting. Visit the SSCC page if you need help regarding Surf Casting. The guys in there are brilliant.

And if you truly are desperate for a catch and do not mind paying a sum, you could always hire a boat to take you offshore or head to one of the many pay ponds on the island. In both cases, a long rod isn't necessary and the weight range of the rods you would look for would vary depending on where you are headed to.

Baiting and Luring

These 2 techniques of fishing both have their pros and cons and have been the debate of anglers since the beginning of time. Personally, I enjoy both for different reasons but I can safely say that baiting is definitely easier. Baiting refers to using attractants such as pellets, food or live organisms to entice fish to take the hook whilst luring refers to the act of using an artificial bait known as a lure to trick a fish into getting hooked. To make it even simpler, if it tastes like paint, plastic, metal or soft synthetic rubber-like polymers, it probably is a lure. When it comes to baiting, you let the bait do the work but luring on the other hand has a learning curve regarding understanding what kind of lure would work for the species you are targeting and also the way the lure should be worked, moved or retrieved in order to entice a bite. A good analogy (credits to Oz Bangkok Hooker) would be luring is similar to a performance by a marionette whereby a good performance results in tricking a fish. Luring would definitely create a bigger hole in your pocket considering how expensive some lures are but the satisfaction of landing a fish on lure does often feel more like an actual achievement compared to baiting.

With this 2 types of fishing techniques understood, you can further decide how heavy your rod should be as luring typically requires many casts and a heavier rod would erect some discomfort in your arm after multiple casts whereas in baiting you usually make lesser casts and can afford a heavier rod. But of course, these 2 techniques are not exclusive to rods, you can bait or lure with any rod really.

Spinning VS Casting

All right this section is easy. Spinning4life. 

Yes yes, there are advantages of using a casting reel, conventional reel, or baitcasting (BC) reel. The learning curve is pretty steep and so are the prices. Sure, BC advocates would argue about the benefits of mastering using one but I would honestly not recommend it to any sane individual who has a faint interest in fishing. BC reels are nice to look at and let's just keep it at that (I KID I KID NO HATE NO HATE). If you are a beginner who is actually looking for information regarding your first setup, the easier choice would definitely be spinning but if you are really looking for a challenge then head over to the BC corner where backlash will punch you in the gut moments after you enter the arena.

In all seriousness, either setup will catch you fish if you use them right.

Conclusion

This guide is an oversimplified version on the choices you have on fishing rods and the decisions you need to make to narrow down to what you need. I did not go into reels as I believe the reel should fit the rod and the rod should fit the purpose. Hopefully in reading this you have a rough understanding on what kind of fish you are trying to land, where you are going to head to, the length of rod you require and the type of rod you would be looking at. Once you have gathered the answers to the header titles of each section, you should be able to waltz into any tackle shop to get a few recommendations on rods based on your specific needs and also your budget. If you require more assistance in getting a rod for your particular needs, there are avenues you could get answers from including Fishingkaki and Eat Sleep Fish on Facebook, both of which have strong communities of knowledgeable anglers with all sorts of expertise who are always willing to help.

Tight lines and smiley face :)

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