I have been busy since being back home, but Tuesday I finally got out to the water for a few hours. I was a little windy but still very warm when the sun was shining. I only used 2 rigs, a spinnerbait and a wacky rigged GY Senko. The score was even with 2 bass on each rig. 3 of them were true dinks, and the biggest was about 10 inches.
But is was great to be fishing again. As soon as these 20mph+ winds drop I will be taking my boat out a few times.
Nice to see you back and fishing again Steve!!
No matter what, it’s always great to get out there to see what’s going to happen, right? You had better luck than I did today – I got to the river around 7, and the wind was blowing so hard right into my face that it was almost impossible to cast in any direction. I ended up catching one dink and I cried “Uncle” after 2 hours due to the wind and cold.
Lovely fish. Simply beautiful bass.
I had part of the day off on Tuesday and worked every rock or structure I could find on the Han river over about a one mile stretch of the north bank. And the wind was whipping. Nary a bite. Maybe I will work the South bank next time.
Wilsong,
Which part of the Han river do you fish? Have you caught bass out of there?
I think it’s stupid to fish the Han River anyway. I mean, everybody knows that the chemicals that the U.S. Army so arrogantly released into it over the years has killed off everything. Well, everything except The Host anyway.
When we lived up in Seoul, my wife and I took walks along the river all the time and we saw plenty of people fishing but never once did I see anyone catch anything. Maybe one has to go out, away from Seoul a ways?
Thanks fellas.
The wind has been blowing really hard down this way all week, and it’s forecast to keep blowing hard over the weekend. I hope it clears up next week so I can get my boat out!!
Rob, are you still fishing that tournament this weekend?
Nomad
I have no std place. I just had a desire to fish. So grabbed a couple of rods, a tackle bag and took off. Didn’t have the time to drive down your way and back so I went where I could. If I strike gold I will be sure to let you know.
No I have not caught bass there. I have seen people pull carp, keuri, gangmuchi(?)and one time a mullet. Am told east of Seoul near the Paldong reservoir, there are alot of good spots for bass but haven’t seen it for myself.
Rob
No, you got it wrong, the chemicals made everything mutate and get bigger and stronger. Come on the New World record largemouth.
Anybody know where I can get some fishing dynamite?
I will say that the landscape, to include the river, gets really nice east of Seoul. I went up there for the first time this past summer and found it to be remarkably beautiful, and there were a ton of bass boats running around too.
That’s really the best way to do it, IMO…you never know what awaits
Steve,
Same up here…cold and windy
Sorry Steve, didn’t see your question earlier. As far as I know the tournament is still a go, but no, I won’t be fishing it.
Rob – in that case I’ll drive up there and fish from your boat for you. Joking
Come on up Steve!!!
Nomad
I enjoyed it.
Rob
Agreed about the area to the east but it takes just as much time with the traffic around here to get there and back as the Pyongtaek area unless you have a really good day. Planning on hitting that area next spring hard, job willing.
On a side note, I have a friend that wants to start learning to fish. Thought I would take them to the trout ponds to try make sure they catch something first time out (Berkley Gulp bait!) before trying to introduce them to my lovely dinks.
Anybody know if the trout ponds around Pyongtaek are open yet?
“Come on up Steve!!!
”
I’ve left it too long to get the wife’s permission now
plus I am planning on going to Andong next weekend (21st & 22nd) for the 2 day Master Classic.
Good thing you didn’t come up Steve. It snowed last night and is in the 30′s this morning. Bbbbrrrrrrr….
And Wilsong, yes the trout ponds are open. Dokbong opened yesterday, and the others in the area opened last week, from what I’m told anyway.
hey guys, i went to a trout farm last week. somewhere near everland. we caught some good ones. they bit the shimano mini spoon in the darker camo colors reeled very slow, but the week before they were on the bright colors. the pegged bobber/ spitshot rig with the fly worked well for me, some substituted with a power worm and got bit. also went sea shore fishing this passed weekend in tean. it sucked. my friend went fishing in the han around 50 times last year, he caught one bass. i met a guy 2 years ago when first fishing Korea, he had pictures of some .5-1 lbers that he caught. he didn’t catch one every time but they are there if you have persistence. that’s my 200 won. stay warm guys.
Steve,
If you can find them, I had some really good luck at the trout ponds with these Fox inline spinners in this color:
I haven’t gone to the trout ponds in a few years, but the fish loved those lures. One day, my two friends and I caught over 50 fish in a few hours.
Blue Fox lures can be gotten on Ebay. I did OK at the ponds previously using a 1/8oz Mepps spinner with a fur dressed hook. Don’t go to the ponds often but I think it might be a good place for a learning fisherman to just start learning basics (casting as an example) and maybe have a better chance of catching a fish than my normal expeditions.
Rob – I was cold down this way also, not as cold as up North and there was no snow, but it was cold. I ended up fishing a tournament with my Bass Club yesterday and managed a few bass.
One of these day I will try and fish one of those trout pay ponds. I used to do a lot of fly fishing for trout when I lived in the UK, I might have to try it again this year
Nomad,
You are on the money about that Blue Fox spinner. It is the best and it catches fish everywhere to include Iraq. That was the only thing I used in Iraq and man did I catch all kinds of strange things out there to include mangar and a large fish that looked like a freshwater snook. I now use them here in Colorado and kill them here also. The color you show is also the best one that they sell. Guaranteed they will catch stock trout at the Korean swimming pools.
I will agree with the blue fox spinners. We have already caught several trout on them this year. A close second would be the original No. 1 Mepps Aglia spinner.
For some reason, they are biting Gulp very slowly. The VFW guys were having the same results with it. Probably works better later in the winter (Feb-Mar).
The last time I went trout fishing, which was a few years ago, I used a Blue Fox and caught a few. The Mepps Agila spinners are also pretty good for bass, have caught a few on them over here as well.
Rob
I have only caught trout on inline spinners (Mepps, Panther Martin, Rooster Tail and Hildbrandt flicker). What conditions, and size/type Mepps Aglia worked for you on bass?
Wilsong, the one I’ve had the best luck with over here has been a light brown / red tipped Mepps Aglia, and I like the bigger ones, 4 or 5.
Minus Andong, one of the biggest bass I’ve ever caught over here (small lake on highway 82), I caught on one of those, and have also caught several out of the river on the same thing, and again, one of them was a really nice fish, probably 3.5 pounds or so. As far as conditions go, I don’t really remember, but I fish it really slow, just enough to get the blades moving, and usually parallel to rocky banks or across points.
A few years ago I was out fishing with a buddy of mine, and when I tied one of those on he said “you’re never going to catch anything on that,” and I think it may have taken two casts to catch a bass on it after he said that. LOL Seriously, they work.
Thanks Rob
I will add a couple to my box and give them a try. Maybe catch a few of Nomad’s dinks on them.
Wilsong,
I would have been dancing had I caught a dink this morning.
Them spinners work I tell you. I told you all before on a previous post how my brother-in law caught several bass on an old (and I mean old) rooster tail with a rusted treble hook and my youngest son’s crusty old Zebco 33 reel combo while fishing the Pyongtaek river. I used a $200.00 spinning outfit with expensive ass flourocarbon line and every type of plastic I had to include senkos and got skunked.
The two morals of this true story; “You don’t need expensive equipment to catch them” and “Spinners work”.