Freshwater Baiters

They're usually in their 40's or older. 

In recent years, more and more Chinese nationals started appearing as well. 

So far, I've never witnessed or heard any freshwater baiter practicing 'Catch and Release'.
Not a single one.

Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury. 

Not that it's wrong... but the amount they bring back is simply too much. 

Ah Ping witnessed me cutting baiter's line that I tangled with my lure right in front of the baiter's face at Lower Seletar on 2 occasions. I don't even bother to untangle. Just whipped out my pliers and severed their line. 

There was also once when I kicked a pail full of small struggling Peacock basses belonging to a baiter back into the water. 

Shawn saw me intentionally hooking back baiters' line causing them to recast their live catfish again and again at Kent Ridge.

Reason for my unruly behavior is because of the way they parked their rods, laying line in the water at an angle which is perpendicular to others' casting direction.

How do those fucking baiters expect others to fish?
Not to mention baiting is against the law in our local reservoirs as well.

First of all, I'm not a 'C&R' fanatic. 

Yes, I do release all my catches regardless of size or species but it's not for noble reasons like 'preserving fish population for future generations of anglers', 'for the greater good of all mankind' or whatever nonsense those self proclaimed angler saints out there can think of. 

Here's why:

1) My dad and I don't cook. 

2) Troublesome to lug fishes home after a tired morning of fishing. 

3) Lazy to descale and gut fishes.

4) Preserve the fish population of my fishing holes for my own fishing fun.

5) Fishes from supermarkets are still affordable. 

Earlier generation anglers have a different way of thinking. 

They see it as a terrible waste to release any fish, akin to throwing money into the water. 

I don't blame them. 

My dad was one of these baiters when he was young and still actively fishing back then.

In fact, one of my current fishing holes was introduced by him.
He was the one who had told me about the areas around Mozzy.

He has since then stopped fishing.

Met a group of baiters at Spot Mozzy recently and sort of got acquainted with them after a few sessions of fishing together, none planned.

They do their baiting while I mind my own luring. 

Chatted a fair bit, assisted each other, laughed together.

There's even a couple of times I witnessed them hauling up softshell turtles, which they claimed could fetch them SGD 10 per kilogram at a particular hawker stall which sells turtle soup.

During my past 2 trips there, they caught over 7 snakeheads of various sizes at Spot Mozzy per session.

Raw chicken meat were used as bait, with two J hooks on a steel wire trace. 

They will just simply lob their rig over to the area right at the corner of the mouth of the tributary beside some vegetation. 

I will then walk around the area, casting between their rods. Sometimes even accidentally hooking up their lines. 

They're actually a nice bunch of local chinese hokkien speaking folks, with the usual healthy dose of vulgarities mixed in. 

Just because of the different way we fish and how we choose to process our catches, doesn't mean that we must murder each other.

By far, this bunch are the only baiters that I'm comfortable being around with.

Sure, they're bagging more than they can consume, going to Mozzy almost every weekend but the thing is, I don't own Mozzy. 

No one else does. 

None except the Stinkapore government.

Besides, they do housekeeping at Mozzy too.

Using a machete, they will clear the area of overgrown grasses, creating a more comfortable area to fish in. 

Not to mention their landing nets which makes it much more easier to land fishes compared to my puny boga.





And also, we share a common hatred.
Hatred for those Thai nationals who lay nets in the water at Mozzy...