Calumpit, Bulacan Haruan

Just north of Manila is Bulacan a province filled with fishponds, ricefields and waterways. In other words Haruan heaven. Acting on a tip by one of the storekeepers of SEVENSEAS tackleshop, I drove to one of the northernmost towns, Calumpit. As it was an afternoon trip my forays were limited to roadside spots.



Fat Haruan of Calumpit. Had four strikes but only one landed.


I only got to fish the flooded plots near the roads. Locals told me that i should hit the fishponds which were loaded with big haruan. Next time....

Heavy Duty Spinnerbaits

Made some new designs with stronger wire, bigger hooks and slightly heavier heads. After a friend, Mikko fought and landed a 7 kilo Pacu on my regular spinner i felt the need for beefier construction.


Not only Haruans!

Knifefish by Miks Solon

Mikko's Pacu



Alex caught this 5 kilo Barra on my reinforced spinnerbait too!

Big Tilapia are predators too!

My Action Pack

When Haruan Hunting it's important to pack light. Carrying a minimum amount of tackle allows you to range further and explore more. I designed and made a fanny pack that carries two boxes of lures and all other essentials like pliers, line cutters, hook file, leaders etc. along with the all important water bottle. More packs and bottle carriers can be added for extended trips.



A variety of lures allows me to work the water from top to bottom.

Metro Haruan

Just south of Metro Manila in Paranaque is an area filled with fishponds. The area is soon to be filled up to make way for a mall extension so i trekked the area and checked out the fishing while I had a chance.




All caught on SPRO frogs! I usually release fish i catch immediately but for a photo's sake i kept them and released them after.

This is the ONE that catches dalag. It has gone through more than two decades of design evolution. The right balance of bouyancy at a specific retrieve speed allows it to scoot near the bottom at a dalag attracting pace. You cannot find spinnerbaits of this size or design anywhere in the world. It's somewhere between a crappie and bass size with my own unique wire frame. Those that have used it for dalag hunting have realized what i mean by it being the ultimate haruan lure. I'll sell these to people who swear to release most and only keep a few.

Light colors for bright days/ clear water



































There is a choice of either: ( please specify)
Single blade- clear water
Double blade- off color

Blade size/ color will be my choice but rest assured what I make is exactly what i use.
Wire frame is silver.
I will only make when you order so give me some lead time.

Price:

Single Blade lure Php 150

Double Blade lure Php 170

ForSale

1/4 ounce spinnerbaits

by BONG on Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:26 pm

For sale:

1/4

ounce spinnerbaits available in three colors.

BCR - Black/Copper/red
WYR - White/Yellow/Red
Firetiger

Components:
-The 1/4 ounce jig has a 1/0 ultrasharp tempered hook.
-Durable, extremely reflective synthetic fibers make up the skirt material.
- Stainless steel hardwire frame can handle big fish.
- Ken craft #5 colorado hologram blade produces strong, fish attracting vibration and flash plus gives the skirt lifelike appeal.
- Smooth turning crane swivel and micro splitring( less snagging).

This is the size i use in Subic to catch pargo, groupers, snappers and other reef fish. I've also caught threadfins (manila bay) and apahap (island cove) with this lure.
Great for casting over shallow reefs, mangroves and river mouths.
Made for largemouth bass both shallow and deep.
It's a great lure for Island Cove predators and other bathtubs.
Good for large (1 kilo+) dalag when they're deep and not hugging the shallows.

I make each spinnerbait by hand and test their swim in my fishtank. These lures are designed to catch fish not fishermen.

You can trim the skirt and add a trailer or tail.

Php 140 each

Please specify color.
Txt me at 09272610702

frogged!

Angono, Rizal Wawa Park

East of Manila about 40 minutes drive from QC is Angono. They have a nice park on the shore of Laguna de bay where you can do a little casting.

The place has a couple spots to cast to...

Dalag are present though i only caught one. You can also catch Tilapia, kanduli (catfish), knifefish and other freshwater fish. Plecosthumus (armoured catfish) are abundant and considered a pest.




Renting a boat would be a good option to get to other spots.

Other Catches...

My all time saltwater fave would probably be jacks. Nothing beats a jack when it comes to attacking topwaters then there's the fight...

I lost all my good pictures of GT's caught while trolling and casting so this will have to do.
Casting topwaters over a shallow reef brings on nice surprises


I caught this grab bag in subic while shorecasting .

When it comes to eating, kings are king! The guy holding the fish is Fernando, my buddy boatman from Iba, Zambales.

My Other Fishes

Aside from Haruans, I also love trolling, casting topwaters, jigging and most other forms of lurefishing.



These are threadfin salmons commonly known as Mamali. I use topwaters especially walk the dogs and spoons to catch them. Nothing beats topwaters when it comes to excitement! These mamali are real fighters making long runs punctuated by wild jumps. I use 20lb. braid on my abus with a 6.5ft. rod which is the most comfortable setup for the walk the dog technique.

Paranaque Dalag

Went south of the metropolis to Paranaque to visit a subcontractor and this gave me the opportunity to visit some old haunts.


Had several strikes in the short time i was there, only one hooked up! What looks like solid ground is actually all floating vegetation.


Used a heavy (5/8's ounce) Sumo frog to get through the duckweed.
Had a big one slam the frog, dive then jump up three feet before spitting out the lure. Left me paralyzed in surprise!!!

Custom Spinnerbaits

I'm always trying to improve my spinnerbaits. This batch comes with scrambled egg finish indiana blades and longer hair which the haruan seem to find attractive.
I've also reduced the size of thesafety pin lock to prevent accidental openings.

Ateneo Dalag

A new hotspot found by Bien. Owned and maintained by a Koi breeder. I worked the place for a few hours for four days before landing a dalag.

La Mesa Dam Dalag

La mesa dam has always been my dream trip since I was a kid. Finally last week, I had the opportunity to fulfill this dream. The place was as beautiful as I had imagined. The fish as big and aggressive as in my dreams.



The fish weren't biting that day except for this guy who blasted my SPRO frog as it was passing a tree trunk. The fight was surprisingly long for a dalag and at one point I actually thought it might be something else.