My original plan was to stop the EMB™ fishing until next spring due to the colder weather in the mornings but like a lot of my plans, this one also went by the wayside and I headed on out to Idong lake this morning to catch me one more EMB™ bass or two. This plan, unfortunately, also fell by the wayside. For some reason (fall turnover?), the water in Idong is pretty murky – at least in the area where I was fishing so I opted to go with a spinner bait.
Shortly after it got light, I felt a fish hit and I set the hook and started reeling in. I could feel a weight on the line, but there was absolutely no fight whatsoever. “Dink? Weeds? WTF!”, I thought to myself. Even a dink will put up some kind of fight so I thought for sure I had missed the bass and was reeling in some weeds.
Well, it wasn’t weeds, and it wasn’t a bass, either. I’m not even 100% sure what kind of fish this is – a freshwater tarpon? If anyone knows, feel free to enlighten me…and does anyone know how common they are over here, and how big they can get?
By the way, isn’t all fishing FUN? 
Those things (I believe) are very common in Korea and can get quite big. As far as I know the mainly live in rivers. I have seen them on FTV a few times. I don’t know the real name of them but the English translation is “sky gazer”.
The main thing is…..it’s a fish
Well, this one was certainly gazing at the sky at the time this picture was taken
Nomad,
I saw a Korean guy standing on the dam behind Osan AB here a couple of years ago who was casting a long rod and reel and then just jerking it back in as hard as he could jerk. I watched for a long time and he finally caught one that looked very much like that fish. I went over to check out his operation and found that he was just blind snatch hooking. No bait, just a huge treble hook. It looked crazy, but he caught one. I can’t help you out on identifying it by name though.
Have no idea what that is Nomad, but like Steve said, it’s a fish.
The Anglerstowners should be able to indentify it for you Nomad !!!
Steve,
They did:
Nomad,
It’s a Korean river tarpon, also called a skygazer since their eyes have an upward-looking angle. You’re right about them not putting up much of a fight, at least for the little ones, however they get up to two feet long and one of those will put some bend to the rod. If you notice their mouths, they fold and extend very much like a crappie as if they are designed to inhale minnows on the move. All around its a cool native fish, a kind of bonus to your bass fishing.
Thanks for the info, James.