How many times have you been busted off this year? For me, it's been a record of 4 exhilarating incidents and the year is not even over yet!

Now, I guess if you fish for GTs or Black Bass, then getting busted off would be pretty common. However, I think it would be fair to say that your average Singaporean fisherman would be hard pressed to be busted off once a year!

Okay, so three of the four bust offs occured abroad, but I wasn't fishing for GTs or Black Bass!! Just for entertainment, here's a quick account:-

Bait fishing with live prawns off a reef around Ubin. Felt a slight nudge and hooked up easily enough. Then the fish kept trucking. Finally stopped the fish, but couldn't quite get it turned. The tail beats ring out clear enough through shallow water and the braided line. Then disaster! The fish crash dives, the line shudders as it snakes across the reef before shredding.

Trolling a Taildancer around Manado from a local longtail boat. First strike of the trip and line just pours off the reel! In less than a minute, I've lost more than half my spool and the fish hasn't stopped yet. In my pidgin Malay, I finally convince the boatman to give chase; seconds later, the fish finds the edge of the reef wall and it's all over.

Just this weekend past - paddling my inflatable kayak off an island in Malaysia with a Duel minnow in tow. Solid hit as I pass the edge of the dropoff and line melts off the reel. Best hookup of a slowish day and I'm elated! Minutes later, I'm still connected, have the fish turned and headed towards the kayak. But unbeknowst to me, the wind has been conspring with the fish and has pushed me over the edge of the reef. A bouncing rod tip tells all as the line grates across the reef and eventually parts.

10mins later with a new double, trace and identical Duel; this time afloat past the drop off in mush deeper water. Unbelievably, an even bigger hit and this time the line really zings off the reel! With more water under the kayak, and images of shredded line still fresh, I back off the drag as line continues to crackle off the narrowing spool. Then the fish makes an inspired dive for the bottom. I'm guessing it's close to a 100', but almost unbelievably, the fish finds it. Or at least enough of it to snag the line and then there's the sickening feeling of a limp line trailing in the water.

So perhaps I've been jinxed.

© Justin Lee 2003. All Rights Reserved. The right of Justin Lee to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with all applicable laws.