2016年12月12日月曜日

Fishing Trip to Jeju, Korea


This is Keito here. I went to Jeju island in Korea for fishing mainly amberjack.

The member this time was Yoshi, Yuko and me from team Momoi, and Minami from HOTS, member of JGFA together.

The target was amberjack weight over 30kgs by casting.

The ocean around Jeju Island is rich place that the average of the amberjack is about 20kgs and smaller than 10kgs are only called “mackerel”.



After meeting up at the Jeju airport, we headed to hotel immediately.



As you can see from photo, the exodus of tackle by a number of people was quite significant






After we arrived to the hotel and prepared the fishing tomorrow, we went to have Korean dishes to the market.

Jeju is famous for orange and there were lots of orange in the market.




We wanted to have enough sleep earlier soon after Jeju sake and dishes but it did not come true as we had to make all the line system and prepare everything for fishing tomorrow.










On next morning at almost the same time as the sunrise, we prepared for departure at 6:30am and headed to the point.



My favorite time on the boat is being attracted by my big fishing result and feel like I am really good angler thinking “Wow how nice my fantastic fishing skills are… ” lol, the second loving thing is to enjoy the time of being on the boat with sunrise. 



This was actually my first fishing trip abroad.

I felt the sunrise was different from the one in Seto inland Sea or Wajima, which were both in Japan and where I went for fishing mostly.







My tackle for this time is the reel borrowed from my senior colleague (named: doomed reel, never caught any fish) and the never-win belt with “being released” curved letter on, borrowed from Ken who is my superior.

Everyone speaks about this reel never going to catch any in the future as well.

I am also responsible at releasing doom from the reel during fishing trip this time.



And this Harada’s never-win “released” belt is almost new fighting belt as you can imagine from this name.



For the line for jigging, I used Momoi Jigline MX8 Japanese No. 6 which is the PE line of our company and knotted with Momoi Shock Leader 80lb.

This shock leader has the same abrasion resistance as Fluorocarbon but much softer so that it is so much easier to tightening the knots and line system and important elements even for the people who are not good at making good knots like me.



After running the boat for some time, Yuko got amberjack right after we arrived at the point.



For the jig was of course HOTS’s Otoko Jig 280gr which is just suitable for amberjack in Jeju.

The character for jigging in this area is that the sea depth is not so deep but there too many rocky places under there. The key is how soon you can end one fight.

Otherwise, the line break immediately as amberjacks got run into the bottom.







On that day, the captain recommended us to do jigging instead of casting as there were calm tide and fish did not come up on the surface of ocean.



As I sensed today which has less activities for the fish, so I tried to jerk the jig rather slowly.

In my mind actually, I was really so inpatient and was like “I want to catch soonest I can! Come on massive amberjack!!! During the morning!!!” loosing and loosing my head as if my body and mind would fell into apart, and next the thinking like “it is not going to be very cool if I never catch anything after coming all the way from Japan” is coming up and started to blame on this reel like “Oh yes, the reason why I am not catching any is because of this doomed reel”.

When I almost fell into the dark side completely like this, I got !! HIT !!!!!!



And at the next moment, I got the amberjack perfectly on my line!!

I start going “Oh YES, see, my super fantastic fishing skills” lol but not allowing me to think like that, the amberjack pulled out my line strongly all the way.



I felt a great fear by the strong power of amberjack that might break the line by scratching on the rocks but I encouraged myself “I could say that one was surely over 30kgs if the line breaks and ran out” to keep going.

And finally I landed the amberjack.



Most of the time on the 1st day, I was shooting with one camera and 2 video recorders for people, so there is no photo of this moment.

The below photo was taken by Minami of HOTS for us when I got fish together with Yuko when double hit.




About half year has passed since my fishing trip when I got the amberjack first time in my life, I finally got the amberjack again in Korean sea.

It was quite impressive moment and touching just like I felt when JAXA staff caught signs of artificial satellite, Hayabusa, many times, so I feel like in nearest future this scene may be made in to a movie, titled “Welcome back, Amberjack!”



Such exiting moments and hits were continued but after noon past, gradually the result got decreased. And finally we went back to the port around 17:00.





On that day, we enjoyed the time very much although we could not really catch the one with 10kgs over.

After arrival back at the port, we went to Japanese style restaurant and had a great diner with the amberjack and yellowtail which we caught on that day.
We enjoyed special chain of tastes, Jeju sake and amberjack and then more sake and yellowtail and one more sake.



End of 1st day.



On the 2nd day, we departed with the forecast that it would be rain in the afternoon.

As I got amberjack and yellowtail yesterday, my safety nettings was created in my mind which makes me feel much easier today.

I felt like I could catch the amberjack even with the “doomed reel” which I did not use yesterday. And then I dropped the jig from the doomed reel without any complicated thoughts, I felt a hit on my line! And sparingly, I got the amberjack by that 1st drop!!

Oops, I was about to scream “How spectacular my greatest fishing skill is!! lol” but be patient not to until I get, because if I loose this hook up, no doubts it is going to be most uncool result. But I couldn’t hide my foppish smile

The hit jig was HOTS’ Keitan jig.
Oops, I was about to scream “How spectacular my greatest fishing skill is!! lol” but be patient not to until I get, because if I loose this hook up, no doubts it is going to be most uncool result. But I couldn’t hide my foppish smile
The hit jig was HOTS’ Keitan jig.

Everyone thought that it showed the good feelings ahead as I got the amberjack for the first cast so easily with doomed reel but unexpectedly the situation was not good than yesterday.
Different from the first day, the tide was big and Yuko as usual started to throw up, jerking while throwing up and got amberjacks but during moving to the points she completely shut down and got up after reaching at the points.
Repeating this routine activity all the way through.
Any smile vanished from her face, I was just aside jerking but looking at her made me so unmotivated.
I was trying not to drop myself to the dark side and encouraged myself and piled the results up.
Sometimes the line had stuck on the bottom of the ocean but it is Momoi line!
It recovered from such situation. That made also captain surprised by the strength of the line.
 

Let’s see if I collect the questioners from anglers all over the world, I guess that “make up line system on the boat during fishing” would be ranked within top 3 of what is the most of the anglers dislike? column.
So this recovery happened would mean a lot.
I ended up without making up line system on the boat during this fishing session.

At the time when we already went back to the port if yesterday, the weather got worse when we changed the point.
The boat was jolted strongly and the ocean looked very different from yesterday.
At that moment, everyone on the boat started to get many hits.

Yoshi got the good size of yellowtail by casting and also everyone who was doing jigging on one side of the boat got the hit one after another.
Everyone got pleased to the situation and it was hubbub, “Catpain, please hurry up here”, “Wowww this is massive!!”, “Give the nets to that side”, “Help me Minami san (that is my word)”.







During this hit, I got Spanish mackerel by casting for the first time.
Actually, I had carefully checked the casting line very carefully whether there was any scratch on the line which I used little on the first day.
The casting tackle was STELLA 18000HG, Momoi Ryujin No. 8 and Momoi Shock leader 100lb + 150lb.

As Ryujin is for the line mainly for casting, it was quite easy to cast for like me as beginner.
Also, it has the reputation from the market that it is easy to use and very strong. For plug, I equipped HOTS’ Keiko Ocean 26cm Japanese Abalone.
It might be efficient for Spanish mackerel.  

At the time I got Spanish mackerel, the captain adjusted the position of my fighting belt by the pre information that the big targets were on the top area.
But I was almost ending to wind up when Captain attached the fighting belt on me….
Any way this happened during hit fever, I did not have any photos but only like below lol

For this time’s fishing trip in Korea, I could not get the amberjack with over 30kgs but the total result was really good and I satisfied.
I feel like I experienced the atmosphere that good one will be there that professional anglers says firsthand.

As I have never got the fish more than 30kgs, I definitely want to catch the one for next fishing trip.

<Main Tackle>

For Casting
Reel:Shimano STELLA 18000HG
Rod:HOTS Wei World 76XH
Plug:HOTS KEIKO OCEAN 260 Japanese Abalone / Aluminium model
Hook:Owner STINGER TREBLE ST-66 5/0
Line :Momoi PE Ryujin Japanese No. 8 + Momoi Shock Leader 100lb, 150lb
For Jigging
Reel:Shimano SCORPION OCEA 3000P / PENN BATTLE 8000 / OCEA JIGGER 2000
Rod:HOTS SLOW STYLE (3G) 64M / One Pitch Slider SOS-56H 
Jig:HOTS OTOKO JIG 280gr/ DEBUTAN 150gr / KEITAN 200gr 
        SeaFalcon Long Slider 210gr
Hook:VANFOOK JIGEN 5/0
Line:Momoi PE MX8 Japanese No. 6, No. 5, No. 4.5 + Momoi Shock Leader 80lb



Thank you!

2016年12月8日木曜日

済州島ヒラマサ釣行


韓国の済州島にヒラマサ釣りに行ってまいりました!
今回は、チームMomoiから、中納、高見、加藤(私)の3人。
そしてHOTSの南さん、そしてJGFAの方々です。
キャスティングで30KG超えのヒラマサを釣り上げる事が目標です!
(平均20KGと言われ、10KG以下は、ただのサバと言われる非常にリッチな場所です)

 

韓国の済州空港で集合し、早速ホテルへと向かいました!

大人数のタックル移動は、まさに壮観でした・・・


ホテル到着後は、明日の釣行準備をしてから、市場へ韓国料理を食べに行きました!
済州島は、オレンジの名産地らしく市場の右も左もオレンジで溢れかえっていました。



済州島の焼酎と韓国料理で、明日への英気を養って、就寝!
としたかった所ですが、ギリギリまでラインシステムを組むために、ヒィヒィ言っておりました!



翌日の朝の630分頃に出船準備、日の出と共に港を出発しました。

私は船上にいる時間の中で好きな時間は、爆釣している自分に酔いしれ、
「あぁ、俺の釣りスキルって最強にして最高だな」
と自画自賛している時ですが(笑)、その次に日の出と共に海を走る
この時間が好きです。

今回初めての海外釣行だったのですが、瀬戸内の日の出とも、輪島の
日の出とも違う趣がありました。

今回の私のタックルは、先輩社員から借りたリール(別名:呪われたリール)、そして直属の先輩である原田の不戦勝解放ベルトです。
先輩のリールは呪われていて、このリールに巻かれた全てのラインは、生涯魚に出会う事がないという曰くつきの恐ろしいリールです。
今回の釣行では、この呪われたリールの呪いを解く目的もあります。
そして、原田の不戦勝解放ベルトは、その名の通り、ほぼ新品のファイティングベルトです。
ジギング用ラインは、当社PEラインのMOMOI JigLine MX86号に、これも当社商品のMOMOI SHOCK LEADER 80LBでシステムを組みました。
SHOCK LEADERは、フロロ並みの耐摩耗性がありながら、とても柔らかいので、最後の締め込みがとても上手くいきます。
手先が不器用な私にとって、扱いやすさは重要な要素です。

しばらく船を走らせ、ポイントに到着後、高見が早速ヒラマサを上げました!

ジグは済州のヒラマサには必須である、HOTSの男ジグ280grです。

今回のポイントの特徴は、あまり深さが無く、尚且つデコボコの岩場が多いため、潜られて長期戦になると、糸が擦れて破断してしまうので、素早く勝負を決めないといけない所でした。


この日は、ほとんどベタ凪の為、魚が表層まで上がってこなかったため、船長はキャスティングではなくジギングを勧めます。
「魚が上まで上がってこないということは、活性は高くないのでは。」
という見解でしたので、私もそれに従おうとゆっくりした動きを心掛けたのですが、心の中は
「早く自分も釣りたい!早く大きいヒラマサを!!朝の間に!!」
と乱れに乱れて、心と身体がバラバラになりそうになり、
「あぁ、韓国まで来て坊主だったらカッコ悪いな。」とか
「俺が釣れないのは、きっとこのベルトのせいだ」とか、
完全にダークサイドに落ちかけていたその時!
ヒットがきました!

そして、その次の瞬間、完全にヒラマサをライン上に捕えました!
「あぁ、俺の釣りスキル最強にして最高(笑)」
とか余韻に浸る暇もなく、ヒラマサがグングン引いてきます。
ヒラマサの引きと、糸が擦られて破断してしまう恐怖に駆られましたが、このまま
もし逃げられたら
「絶対にあのヒラマサは30キロオーバーだった」
と断言して、日本に帰国したら良いだけじゃないかと気持ちを奮い立たせ、ヒラマサを釣り上げる事が出来ました!!!
今回の釣行では、ビデオカメラ2台とカメラ1台を駆使して私が撮影側に回っていた事もあり、この瞬間のものはなく、写真は高見とダブルヒットした時にHOTSの南さんが撮影して下さったものです。


初めての釣行でヒラマサを釣ってから早半年が過ぎ、そして韓国の海でまたヒラマサに再会する事が出来ました!
JAXAの職員の方が、人工衛星ハヤブサの信号を再度キャッチした時と同じぐらい感動的な出来事だったので、近いうちに映画化されるかもしれません。
「おかえり!ヒラマサ」

その後も良好な釣果は続きましたが、お昼を過ぎた頃からポツポツとしか釣れなくなり、17時頃に帰港となりました。


この日は10キロオーバーもなかなか釣れませんでしたが、とても楽しめた1日でした。
港に到着後は、日本食レストランで今日釣ったヒラマサとブリを美味しく頂きました!

済州島の焼酎→ヒラマサ→焼酎→ブリ→焼酎という史上最高の連鎖を味わい、釣行1日目は終了しました。

2日目の釣行は、夕方頃から天気が崩れるだろうという予報のもとに出船しました。
昨日でヒラマサとブリを釣ったので、私には心のセーフティネットが出来ていました。
この調子であれば呪いのリールでも、ヒラマサは釣れるのではないかと思い、そのリールのセットされたタックルを取り何気なく落とした、その一投目でまさかのヒラマサヒット!
またしても、「俺の釣りスキル最強にして最高(笑)」という本音を叫んでしまいそうになりました。
しかし、ここでバラしたら飛んでもなくカッコ悪い結果になるので、何とか口には出しませんでしたが、ニヤケ顔を隠すことは出来ませんでした。
ジグはHOTSのケイタンジグ!











本日の第一投目でヒラマサが釣れたので、今日は魚の活性が良く、幸先良さそうと思っていましたが、予想に反して昨日よりも渋い展開が続きました。

1日目と違って波があり、開始してすぐに高見は吐きまくっておりました。
彼女は吐きながらしゃくり、ヒラマサをゲットしてポイント移動中はダウン。
ポイントに着けば起き上がりしゃくってヒラマサをゲットしてダウンするという行為を繰り返しておりました。
釣っているのに顔からは笑顔が消滅し、隣でしゃくっているだけで私もテンションが下がっていきます・・・。
しかし、何とか精神をダークサイドに落とさぬようにし、釣果を重ねていきました。

時折、根掛かりしてしまう事もありましたが、そこはMomoiライン!
根掛かりからの復活劇を量産し、船長もその糸の強さに驚かれていました!
全世界の釣り人にアンケートを取ったら、船上で起こったら嫌な事ランキング三位以内には、「釣行中にシステムを組みなおす」が入ってくると思うので、この“復活劇”が行える事も大切な要素です。
私は今回の釣行で、システムを船上で組み直す事無く、終える事が出来ました。


昨日であれば港に帰港していた時刻、ポイントを変更したタイミングで天気が急に崩れてきました。
船は大きく揺れ、海が昨日の釣行とは全く違った顔を覗かせた時、爆釣フィーバーが船上を覆いました!!!

キャスティングでは、中納が大型のブリを釣り上げ、船の片面でジギングをしていた全員がトリプルヒット!
船上の全員がヒットし、「船長はやくこっちに来て!」「おぉぉぉ!これでかい!!!」「そっちにタモを回して!」「南さん助けて!(私)」と歓喜に船上が湧きました。



このフィーバー中のドサクサで、私も初キャスティングで初サワラを釣り上げる事も出来ました!
実は昨夜、1日目は少ししか使用しなかったキャスティングラインに傷等がないか念のため入念にチェックして臨んでいました。
キャスティングタックルは、STELLA 18000HGにMomoi龍神 8号。
そしてリーダーはMomoi Shock Leader 100lb + 150lb!
龍神は特にキャスティングをメインに作ったラインなので、私の様な初心者でも非常に投げやすく、また市場からは扱いやすくて強いと評価を頂いているラインです。
プラグはHOTS KEIKO OCEAN 26CMの日本アワビ装飾タイプを装着。
これがサワラに効いたようです

サワラを掛けた瞬間、大物は今回トップにいるという事前情報から、素早く船長さんがファイティングベルトの位置を調整して下さったのですが、先輩から借りた不戦勝の解放ファイティングベルトをロッドに装着した頃には、既にリーダー部分を巻き取るだけでしたが・・・
フィーバー中での出来事だったので、サワラの写真はこういう写真しかありません。笑↓



今回の韓国釣行は、目標としていたヒラマサ30KGをキャスティングで釣るという事は叶いませんでしたが、全体としてとても良い釣果となりました!
今まで海の変化と魚の活性が自分の中で一つに結びついていなかったのですが、今回の釣行で釣りが上手な人達が言う「なんか釣れそうな雰囲気」を、ほんの少しですが肌で感じ取れたように感じました。
自分はまだ10KG超えの魚を釣ったことがないので、次の釣行では必ず釣りたいと思います!!!

<メイン使用タックル>
キャスティング
リール:Shimano STELLA 18000HG
ロッド:HOTS Wei World 76XH
プラグ:HOTS KEIKO OCEAN 260 アワビモデル・アルミモデル
フック:Owner STINGER TREBLE ST-66 5/0
ライン:Momoi PE 龍神 8号 + Momoi Shock Leader 100lb, 150lb

ジギング
リール:Shimano SCORPION OCEA 3000P / PENN BATTLE 8000 / OCEA JIGGER 2000
ロッド:HOTS SLOW STYLE (3G) 64M / One Pitch Slider SOS-56H 
ジグ:HOTS OTOKO JIG 280gr/ DEBUTAN 150gr / KEITAN 200gr 
        SeaFalcon Long Slider 210gr
フック:VANFOOK JIGEN 5/0
ライン:Momoi PE MX8 6号/5号/4.5号 + Momoi Shock Leader 80lb





2016年8月25日木曜日

Genkainada (North of Kyusyu) Fishing trip for Jigging

We went fishing to Genkai nada (North of Kyushu Island) on August 20th, 2016.
Our fishing friend who lives in Fukuoka asked us to come and went fishing together.
3 people from Momoi went there, Yoshi, Yuko and Ken.

We were planning to go on 21st but changed to 20th 9:00 in the morning due to the forecast of bad stormy weather on 21st.
So, we departed at 2:00 in the early morning after our work on 19th and having short nap.
And we arrived the destination at 8:30 in the morning after almost 7hours drive.
The boat we took was “Kaisho maru” which main port is Nata, Fukuoka.
Our target was Hiramasa (King Fish) by jigging.
As soon as we arrive there, we start fishing in the off shore targeted the King fish and Yellow tail.


The main line was Momoi’s Jigline MX8 0.28mm and the leader line was Momoi’s shock leader 60lb.
For the jig, we equipped Fast Flip of Gearlab. This item allures the targets by just retrieving action and Ken hit the small lizardfish. We released it soon. After that Ken changed the jig to Inchiku of Assist Kobo. He retrieved slowly and tried to attract the fish to the Inchiku. Soon Ken got the target. It was red spotted grouper and Ken got excited by this target.

Later we transferred to the jigging point near Iki island, but the wind and the wave was so strong and the bolt jolts very bad.
Due to the lack of sleep, Both Yuko and Ken felt sea sick.
Especially Yuko felts nausea but she repeated the jerking again and again.
She is the iron woman.

After all we could not catch King fish or Yellow tail because of the slow tide and strong wind.
We returned to the shallow point with nausea.



We challenged the “micro jigging” with Ultra light tackle, which is lighter than the light tackle.
The PE was Momoi Ryujin (Japanese No.0.6) and the Leader was Momoi Hi-catch
Fluorocarbon Neo pink.
Also we used the microflip 35g from Gear-lab.
With the slow jigging feeling the sea bottom, Yoshi hit the target.
It was big red spotted grouper.



After that Yuko felt a bite. She lifted the fish to the sea with bending the rod but the fish escaped without landing net. She was shocked by releasing the good Sea bass.
But she hit again and got the small red sea bream. No matter how big the fish is, all of us got the souvenir.
Later, Yoshi got red sea bream and Ken got Sea bass, puffer fish, rock fish and red sea bream. Although we could not get the big ones but we played with many kinds of fish.

Our fishing friend got and gave us the flounder.
It was very interesting to play with the fish by microjigging using fine size PE.
We are sure it will be the new trend of fishing.

We finished this trip by eating roasted local chicken.



We thank for the fun fishing day and the rich sea.