Snakehead Murrel, Channa Striata AKA Haruan

"The snakehead murrel, Channa striata, is a species of snakehead fish. It is also known as the common snakehead, chevron snakehead, and striped snakehead. It is native to South and Southeast Asia. It grows up to 1 m in length, though because of fishing, this size is rarely found in the wild.

Adults are dark brown in colour with faint black bands visible across its entire body. Males and females both help to construct a nest out of water vegetation during breeding time. Eggs are guarded by both parents. Fry are reddish orange and are guarded by both parents until they turn greenish brown at around 5–6 cm.

It is common in freshwater plains, where it migrates from rivers and lakes into flooded fields, returning to the permanent water bodies in the dry season, where it survives by burrowing in the mud. It preys on frogs, water bugs, smaller fish, and it will attack anything moving when breeding." Extracted from Wikipedia.

We are called Snakehead for a damn good reason..

This post is dedicated to our beloved Haruan, whom gave us happy fishing times but secretly, we thought of your big ass cousin, the Giant Snakeheads.. ;P WAH PIANG EH.. Thought of resting today but got an unexpected off day so went fishing again and again and again.. Reached spot already afternoon, sun glaring but water calm.. Hit first pot at PeeBee... Wah, this one mouth very loose fly cannot set hook easily. Change lure and HOOK SET!!! FISH ON!!! Nice fight on 4lb setup. Mood went up 30%..

Mouth damn loose~~~

30cm over handsome shiny PeeBee landed! Quickly snapped photos and release back. Next, found another pot but decidedly very spooky but think Banhock bro haven't ka ciao today so HOOK SET!!! FISH ON!!! DIY RIG DID IT! LOL Nice fight on my blue rod but not as powerful as Banhock's.. Mood add 60%+30%=90%!

First time use STORM tape so abit off, 37+7=44 cm Mama Haruan! ^^

 

Look like scary slug with pointed eyes... WEIRD

Fishy gave me a nice splashing upon releasing.. Handphone wet wet.. ZZZzzz.. Finally my last 10% mood up goes to this last pot, the Mayan Cichlid, who kept staring at me the whole goddamn time.. Okay 100% mood up feeling great but weather not so great. RAIN CAME and so that's the end of this catch report. Body and mind now exhausted.. Not going fishing so soon I guess~~~ Cya Fishos~~~

'Nobody nobody but jiu~~~'

Haruan One Night Stand

Wah piang eh... Think I kenna poisoned deep deep.. Went training fishing again this morning for 3 consecutive days liao. Slowly beginning to understand more and more of our fishy friends behavior.. Although no PeeBees are landed I had fun with a super spooky Mama Haruan which I disturbed for most of my 2hrs session, experimenting several lures until it pek cek and do a dolphin leap! I was like 'WTF!!! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!!!' LOL

Night time and after work I popped over a waterhole near my workplace for a 1hr quickie session with some new rigs.. My intention is to work the rigs over shallow waters and see if they can be weedless. Cast, retrieve and pause. Fishing is pleasure. Then BOOM! I was like what happened? Some funny tilapias again? Nice pull so I whacked and cos the area is shallow I quickly landed with my 4lb setup..

 

Me and my itchy mouth~~~

Caught this 30cm over Haruan! Didn't know they work night shift! No wonder whole afternoon all go under weeds ZZZ... Hur hur... Tried to unhook the bugger for quite some time cos the thin hook very deep inside. Fishy is caught and released and after experimenting with other rigs I was satisfied with the answer.. I sibei noob still need to learn more! Cya Fishos~~~

PS: NOW I KNOW WHY MORNING NO GET!!! NICE ONE BANHOCK BRO!!

'heeheehee.. early bird catches the hee..'

First Fish For 2012!!! Yay!!!

Hey Fishos, long long time no fish blog liao. Too many events happened plus a crazy rainy season hampered my mood to fish. Anyway, been itching to try out my latest toy, a telescopic Shimano Holiday Pack bought by my wife. I like the cool blue rod very much. Thanks Dear =) My older telescopic Daiwa Liberty Club now become tool for ultralight fishing because the repaired tip don't look sturdy.

Went down my usual haunt today which after these months looks quite dead to me. Still the same story with the tapaoers and baiters. ZZZzzz. Anyway just wanna relax abit and try out my new rod. Reece around the area and I could tell the Peacock Bass have moved on. Only a few smallies still stayed and not tempted by my lures. LOL Only snakeheads give face. Told Banhock bro I kachiao the haruan don't bite never mind must make them angry.  Disturb some more and HOOKSET! FISH ON! Felt the weight of the fish tangled with the weeds damn heavy, went down pull my line and the Mama Haruan shook off all the weeds for me. Hehe!

Banhock bro guessed it to be 2kg but he's wrong. Hehe, a kilo plus 53cm marks a nice day for me! I wan my Giant Snakehead trophy! Hopefully this coming Dragon Year can usher me good luck. Hohoho!

Deja Vu!! We met yet again!! =)

Been itching to catch some fishys.. But missus down with fever so never go for my fishing trip loh.. Need take care of her.. Anyway, wakey up extra early this morning and went down to my fish hole.. Water was very calm.. Got many wakes so I tried popping for Tomans.. Keke.. No takes.. Haiz.. Can see some fishos at the goal mouth, maybe there better ya.. Tried casting further away where the sun can shine and.. HOOK SET!! FISH ON!! Whacked a few times to make sure dun lose fish and landed this cute 27cm smallie.. Itch cured.. =)

Wanted to catch another Peacock but instead, Plan B started early loh.. Kekeke.. Tried a few experimental lures but doesn't seem to entice the Haruan too much.. Kept following and following, cast and cast then.. HOOK SET!! FISH ON!! Same here, whacked a few times to make sure hook set nicely.. Nice tug and pull.. But this time it never dived under so I landed it quickly.. Wah my single hook bent loh.. Taking a closer look.. Eh, how come look like the same one caught recenly.. So I compared the bars and YES!! SAME FISH!! LOL

  

This time quite tame loh, never struggled alot like last time.. Quickly took some photos and measurements.. Hmm.. Lost weight now only 1kg.. LOL Fish released for next meeting!! Wanted to catch some more but then my reel went beehoon and lost quite alot of  lines.. Early work today!! =)

Toman wannabe.. =]

Thought of catching a National Day fish but busy yesterday so I try my luck today instead.. And what a bright and hot day it was.. Hmm.. Seems like some little Tomans and giant gouramis were swimming together.. WTF! So i crossed my fingers and tried a few new rigs, including a BH rig imitator for haruans.. LOL Hmm.. Not biting at all.. So proceed Plan B loh.. Kekeke

Saw a few rises here and there after trolling in the area a while.. Some spooked splashes were good indicators of some bloody chao tortoises.. LOL Finally spotted a King idling around.. Damn bloody clever.. Siam almost 90% of the lures I threw at it.. Finally tried a trick shot retrieve and HOOK SET!! FISH ON!! Good thrashing under the surface, can see mud spewing around but my light Daiwa telescopic rod hit a snag as the fish dun wan to come up.. Zzzz I tug tug tug, he hug hug hug.. Like 30secs later, woohoo, fish came out for a breathe then quickly pull it out.. Nice.. Wah really like Toman turn colors liao.. Got bars loh..

Finally my persistence was rewarded.. Really took some time into my 3hrs session getting this kilo plus half meter long Haruan to bite.. Promptly took my victory photo and released it back to the water.. Then it started thrashing again making me wet! LOL Yay!!

Exodus of Toman

Seems like my fave haunt keep changing its ecology. What's seems to be an infestation of Toman has been a past. Now more friendly creatures arrived and take charge.. LOL

Caught this hungry fella chasing my spinner.. But too big for it's mouth and I asked a recce baiter Fisho with small dead frog to catch it! FIshy then release back! LOL

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Plan B

Went over my usual haunt this nice morning, and was surprised the water level had dipped down and quite a chunk of water weeds were cleared.. Saw several Tomans swimming happily but did not manage to hook one up. Seems like the fishes were not biting this week.. Proceed Plan B and aptly caught up a nice Haruan around 3lb and measured 50cm which cured my fishing itch.. LOL!!!

Thanks for the nice fisho for taking my pic! Hope to see your catch report soon! Cheers! Fish is released safely back for next meeting.. :)

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Mama Haruan Caught! :)

Honestly, I'm trying to break my retired Crossbeat on a Mama Toman so I can upgrade to a wicked rod.. In the end, I got half of what I bargained for, LOL.. Thought the red spawnlings are the Toman babies I casted my lure nearby and BOOM! Quickly set multiple hooksets cos I missed a few to know the importance of a good hooksetting. Due to the low water levels, i dragged the head smacking fishy to the shallow bank. Wah, so happy see Haruan I grabbed it up. Sad to see its lips were cracked up sia.. Anyway weighted the 2kg 生鱼 and snapped photos then before I can CNR it moved slippery down the bank and jumped to the waters... Zzzz, I not going to eat u lah! WTF ;)

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