I took a day leave today so that my friend Ty and I could take my boat out on her maiden voyage and I spent last night packing up the car with everything; boat, boat bag, battery, trolling motor, fish finder, seat, tackle bag, rods – you get the idea.
Above are a couple of pics of the car with everything piled in – it’s not as bad as I thought it would be and I still had plenty of room for more stuff (not that I want to lug more stuff around 
).
Now, let’s get to the boat itself. It didn’t take long at all for Ty and myself to get everything set up; I think we were totally ready to launch about 15 minutes after we arrived at the river. Here she is, the S.S. Netcutter:
I put the seat up front for Ty, since I was going to be manning the trolling motor and fish finder in the back. I’ll have to say, there was plenty of room for the two of us, we were both comfortable with being able to cast when and how we wanted and neither one of us ever felt crowded one bit. Of course, we did keep an eye out when making casts so that the other person wasn’t directly behind us but other than that, no problems. And I’m glad I bought the 55 pound thrust trolling motor; we were scooting around pretty nice and at a good clip and I had the motor on full throttle quite a bit and the battery is still over 50% charged. I know, I know, you’re thinking “that’s all real nice, but did you guys catch any fish?” I’m glad you asked!
Today, Ty and I targeted shallow water and one type of structure only, and that was anywhere we could find reeds extending from shore out into the water (see the 2nd and 11th pics). We would throw our lures up into the reeds or right at the edge of them, and slowly bring the lure back through the reeds where the bass were hiding. Early on, it was a bit slow and the fish would only hit wacky-rigged Senkos but between 11 and 1, the action really picked up and the bass started hitting Texas-rigged Senkos (5-inch), in dark colors; black and black with blue, purple or green flakes, . Then after 1, the action slowed again but we still caught the odd fish here and there. On and off, I tried spinnerbaits all day long but once again, not a single bite. We ended up with 19 bass brought to the boat, ranging from dinks to one close to 3 pounds and we also missed at least 5. The water temperatures were between 52 and 58 degrees, and every fish was caught in less than 5 feet of water. We had a really great day out there; the weather was perfect (i.e. no or little wind), we caught plenty of fish, aggravated some carp fishermen who yelled at us because they felt we were too close to them (we were a good 25 feet or more away from where they were fishing), we both got sunburned and I got to take care of a few ropes/nets that were in the wrong place at the wrong time 
. I’m just sorry I waited so long to buy a boat – what a difference it makes to be able to get away from shore and the carp fishermen.
By the way, isn’t all fishing FUN? 
Nomad, what a day.. Thanks so much for the invite. Man, we sure did have blast. I’m ready to go again when ever you are. The temps are only going to get hotter from here on out I’m afraid, so we need to go again real soon.
Ty,
My pleasure and any time, my friend, any time at all
Great going guys, and the boat looks nice Nomad!!!!
The water is a lot warmer than I thought it would be too!!! Nice!! I also noticed in the boat pics that there’s a net being staged for “deployment” on the bank. Were there a lot of them on the bank? Again, nice going and the boat looks great!
The netters were out in force yesterday, putting their nets out – everywhere. And if could just be me, but it looks like there are even more nets out there this year than last, with still piles of them on the shores to be put out.
I can’t help but wonder how good the fishing would be if those nets weren’t out there. Wow!
Without the nets, it would be a lot easier on those with boats, that’s for sure, and it would surely help the bass population as well, especially since the netters have started keeping bass in the last few years. And get this; Ty and I took a bathroom break and after we pulled to shore, we saw a bass flopping around in the dirt…a bass fisherman who had just fished there had caught it and thrown it on shore instead of back in the water. I really don’t get it
Good going you guys, looks like you had a great day. The S.S. Netcutter looks great, glad it worked well on the water for you. Fishing from a boat gives you much more options.
And as Rob said, I was quiter surprised to hear that the water temps were so high, I can’t wait until the 25th now
Steve,
Thanks, and yeah, it was a blast out there yesterday. I was pretty happy to see those water temperatures as well, the last few days of nice weather and plenty of sunshine have warmed the water up some. Those bass should be all ready for you when you get here
Yea Steve, you guys should be hitting this area at just the right time. Whoever picked that date knew what they were doing, or got lucky. LOL
Way to go , Nomad. Good stuff.
Hey Nomad, is that my old anchor in the back of your vehicle in the pics above? LOL
Thats an awesome session fellas…
Rig looks great and heaps of fish caught.
How much would a boat like that set you back mate?
Looks like you guys had a ball, congrats =)
Wilsong,
Thanks, it was definitely a good day, hopefully the first of more to come.
Rob,
Why yes it is and it came in very handy and worked great.
tri,
Thanks…here are two sites for ordering/buying boats and accessories:
http://www.eveboat.co.kr
http://www.codam.co.kr/shop/main/index.php
Where can one find those Senkos?
you guys were on the fish for sure. i went out in pyeonktaek lake on a boat saturday we fished similar weeds and shoreline but the weather was snot. we only saw one person from shore catch a fish for 7 hours of fishing. glad atleast someone got some fish this week!
John,
You can find Senkos at most of the local bass tackle/bait stores or, you can order them from the states (Bass Pro, Cabelas, etc).
Steve,
My upstairs neighbor went out Saturday and told me the same thing; that the fishing was tough out there. This weather has been terrible, and even this week the forecast is for colder temps and very windy conditions which will drive everything back another week or so. It’ll be spring one of these days! Like, the day before it hits 90
Gentlemen, I was just reading your posts and was curious where are you guys fising? I don’t mean “your specific spots” but the general area so I can give it a try once the weather warms up. I’m up in Seoul. Can you recommend any locations, with a landmark, along the Han?
Also, can you recommend any East or West Sea locations as I prefer saltwater fishing; cliffs are okay but I prefer fishing from shore/surf fishing (it’s a comfort level thing).
Thanks for the earlier posts and pics, I’m anxious to get out of the house!
Terry
Terry,
Honestly; just about any decent-sized body of freshwater, be it a lake or river, has an excellent chance of having bass and or bluegill. Bass were introduced in Korea back in the 70′s and they have found their way into many local bodies of water since then. There are also many other species of fish to be had; from carp to Sogari to freshwater tarpon to trout, just to name a few. I fish mainly down near the Pyeongtaek area simply because that’s where I live and I don’t like fighting the traffic or having to drive several hours to catch fish. The best advice I can give you for freshwater locations is what I tell most people (and this is what my friends and I did); check out Google Earth to find water near you, then go give it a try. As for the Han river, I’ve never fished it, maybe someone who lives up in Seoul can give you a better idea. Same goes for saltwater fishing, I’ve never done it over here, I’ve only watched it on FTV.
Nomad,
Nice catch. Looks like you are back in the saddle again and doing what you did last year. You may have to open a guide service soon as you are catching as many as a guide normally has his clients catch
I’m lookintg at trying to see if I can get a two seater dolphin bass buggy in one of the transportation wooden containers. If I can make it fit, I will definetely ship one so I can use down in your neck of the woods when I get there next year. Heck, even a small buggy can get you to some good spots in Andong. Again good job and keep them coming.
Tex Mex,
Friday was one of “those” days that come along every now and then, and Ty and I were lucky to be out there on a day that the bass were biting like that. From what I’m hearing, the very next day sucked and people were only catching the odd bass.
So you’re definitely coming back over this way? Any idea when and where? It’d be the shizznit if you could finaggle a stint at the Hump, eh?
Terry
I’ve live in Seoul also, but the only place I have heard of bass caught is somewhere called Yeoido bay. I know where Yeoido is but can’t find the bay. If you go east of Seoul the river is supposed to be more accomodating but then you are almost to Paldang reservoir where fishing is barred, (tho Ihave known several guys to sneak into back bays or at night to fish).
Ocean fishing can be had anywhere on west coast just about but don’t know seasons for the fish being there. I have fished several times for flounder, rockfish and goby in Asan bay on an island and on the Taean penisuala near Amyeondo. All of the trips were in the fall. I have also made several unsuccessful trips on the west coast for Japanese Sea Bass.
Depending on where you live in Seoul fishing for bass and bluegill is at least 30minutes to an hour away depending on traffic, with the closest place I know of being the eastern stretches of the Han, Singal pond near Suwon and the canals on Kangwhado.
Good luck.
Tex Mex,
You might want to try a SeaEagle FoldCat instead. Plus, they ship to South Korea.
SeaEagle FoldCat
Nomad,
I have the luck of being friends with our newly assigned assignments officer so he has promised the top honcho position for all our Korea offices next year. Being that our HQ is at Yongsan, I get the the great privilige of working from there
That means nothing though as getting to the Hump during early hours from Yongsan is less than an hour away. 
I’m pretty hyped about this move as is the wife of course.
John from Daegeon:
I am currently in the states so I have the luxury of getting something down here at a cheaper price and having it shipped with my unacompanied goods, if I can fit it in the storage containers.
Terry,
They do have the amberjack boat trips in about Sepetember thru November, when the fish are running thorugh the Pusan waters. There are several folks on this blog who I passed that infromation to which I’m sure they will provide to you if you are interested.
Tex Mex,
I just looked at those bass buggies and if this is what you’re talking about, they look pretty nice for around here http://www.boatownersworld.com/kli/pro_120.htm. I would have loved to get something more permanent that I could have ready to go on a trailer, but living in an apartment negates that. For what I plan on doing, the boat I have now is perfect; I only plan on fishing the river, and spots that the big bass boats or shore fishermen can’t or won’t go to.
Nomad,
Nice looking vessel!
How well does it handle the breeze?
TexMex,
I would look into bringing the largest rigid hull you can legally slip into your household goods. An 8-10 foot bass buggy or plastic v-hull, etc. I have seen a few guys here cartopping some around on their SUV.
Dave
Nomad,
I should be able to get housing with some form of a backyard where I can store the buggy.
Dave,
That is what I like about them. They are not that heavy and can be tied down to the top of a vehicle. I saw a real nice deluxe two seater for a little over $500.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods Store here in Colorado Springs but it looked like it was longer than the ones I had seen before. Unfortunately I don’t think that will fit in a storage container. I got some time and will look at buying one when it starts getting cold here as this is when the prices drop a little. We also have a Bass pro Shop in Devnver that I need to go and check out to see what kind of buggies they have. Only problem with going to the Bass Pro Shop is I just about sepnd all my paycheck in there all the time. They do handle pretty good in a breeze but I would not put it out on a lake or river if there are major winds and white caps.
Dave,
The wind blows that boat all over the place, but the anchor that Rob gave me works quite well so no problem there.
Tex Mex,
You’ll be all set then! Hope it all works out for you.
Nomad,
Very nice looking boat you got there. Are there any requirements for licensing? Also have you heard what conditions are like out at Ildong lake? a.k.a. Songjeon lake…I’ve been wanting to go check it out but haven’t had the chance yet. Just cleaned and lubed all my gear, once I put new line on I’ll be ready to head out.
Charles,
As far as I know, for inflatable/non-trailer boats, there’s no license requirement. I haven’t fished Idong since last year and have pretty much given up on it. About 5 years ago or so, I could go out there and catch 10-20 bass and as many bluegill as I had time for, they were everywhere. But times have changed; not sure if there was a fish kill, or if Idong just has too much pressure these days. There are still fish in there but the lake is nothing like it was.
Nomad,
Thanks for that info. I haven’t fished Idong in over 2 years. I’m thinking about doing some recon this weekend at some other local lakes. Now that I finally got a navigation system for the car I’m looking forward to doing some exploring. I’m gonna take my gear just in case I come across a nice-looking fishin’ hole.
Charles,
Of course, it could just be me; that I have bad luck with Idong now
But seriously, I used to walk the shore with an ultralight rig and a white, 1/16oz rooster tail and catch slab-sized bluegill…one day I caught over 60 just walking back and forth. The last few years though, I’ve had trouble even locating ANY bluegill at all. I still hear of people catching some nice bass out of there so the lake isn’t bare by any means, it just isn’t what it once was. There are several other decent lakes nearby; Gosam (they also rent boats), Singal near Suwon, and I forget the name of the lake but it’s near some religious retreat…Miremei or something like that, it’s close to Gosam. The river that runs behind Osan AB has bass in it as well, we caught some nice ones out of there last year. Then, of course, you can’t beat my favorite place, the Pyeongtaek river.
Nomad,
I don’t think it’s just you. I actually bought an ultralight rig and 1/16oz white rooster tails several years ago for the specific purpose of catching bluegill at Idong. I went out there a couple of times with no luck at all. The main reason I liked Idong was because it has lots of walkable shoreline. But that seemed to be all I ever did…”walk”. I’ve fished Gosam before too, might try checking it out this weekend. But I’m like you, Pyeongtaek river/lake is right out my back door and I’ve caught plenty there. Just the darn nets and other junk out there that’s aggravating. I’ve lost tons of tackle there! Then when the tall grass starts to grow it’s all but impossible to fish. There’s another small lake/reservoir near Yongin Mountain out in Asan. I found it a couple of years ago while I was mountain biking. I’ve never fished it but have seen plenty of guys out there. It’s also very accessible. I’ve found a few other nice-looking spots while out on my bike but have never really explored them. Oh well, it’ll give me something to do over the next couple of weeks. Just need to park the bike and jump in the car for a while.
Charles,
LOL on the lost tackle! If they ever lower the water level in that river, maybe I’ll be able to get back all those spinnerbaits, jigs, wacky hooks and other assorted stuff I’ve gotten hung up on the nets and rocks over the years. Speaking of nets…that is my number one pet peeve over here with fishing. I understand that’s how they make their living but do they REALLY need to put a net every 10 feet? And then they don’t take care of some of the nets and let them sink or sit there unattended…that, and the other grabage floating around is terrible. That river could and should be such a beautiful place and a great fishery but it’s being ruined by the netters and the trash.
When the tall grass starts to grow I head for the rocky areas, but unfortunately, the carp fishermen seem to be multiplying these days so it’s getting harder and harder to find a decent place to fish. That’s why I do most of my fishing early morning, before work. I’m (usually) the only one out there at that time of day; it’s nice, quiet and peaceful, and I get to watch the sun rise and do an hour or two of fishing. Can’t think of a better way to start the day