Daily Archives: June 9, 2011
Striped Snakehead ( Channa striata )
Common Name: Snakehead, Mudfish
Local Name: Dalag, Haruan (Tagalog); Haluan, Haruan (Cebuano)
Max Size: 100 cm (3 kgs)
Biodiversity: Freshwater
Depth: 0 – 10 m
Fishing Season: All Year Long
Minimum Size Limit: 10 inches
Recommended Bait/Lures: Shrimp, Minnows, Frog lures, Spinnerbaits, and more
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC)
Sonny’s Snakehead (1.7 kgs) caught in Caliraya Reservoir
This is one of the more prevelent gamefish in the Philippines. I have caught them in lakes Caliraya and Sampaloc, but I have seen them in almost every lake, river and pond I have been to. Fish for them as you would bass. I have caught them on bass worms, live minnows. I have seen them caught on crankbaits, spinners, spinnerbaits, frogs, and more. In Tagalog they are called Dalag. The one in the picture above was caught by Sonny on a Spinnerbait in Lake Caliraya and weighed 1.7kgs.
Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Largemouth Bass can be found in the Philippines in a few lakes, rivers and ponds. The three main lakes or reservoirs where they can be found Lumot and Caliraya (in the province of Laguna), and Pantabangan (in the province of Nueva Ecija). From my understanding these bass were shipped over here to the Philippines many years ago by the Americans and were seeded in these three man-made lakes. Since then the bass have successfully spawned and reproduced and now thrive in these waters. They have also been released into some ponds and rivers in the areas around the three lakes mentioned above.
Bass here in the Philippines have been taken on pretty much all of the same lures as in other countries, including; spinners, crank baits, jigs, soft plastics, live bait and more. Topwater bait prove less effective for most of the year due to the heat. The Bass tend to stay in deeper cooler water and rarely venture to the surface to fed.
Favorite months for Bass fishing include November, December, January and February (though bass can be caught all year around). I am not currently aware of when the bass here spawn, as I have seen bass fry present in the lakes most of the year.
Bass remain unknown to most people here in the country with the exception of anglers and the locals living around the lakes. They are often referred to as; Black Mass, Black Mask, or Black Bass.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Bass fishing in the Philippines and I will help as I can.
Here is a link to a google map that shows spots in the Philippines where Bass can be caught:
Soft Shelled Turtle
I was bottom fishing in the Mabacan River in Laguna and caught this soft shelled turtle. The river is full of these turtles which stay along the bottom of the river and periodically come to the surface for air. I have unintentionally caught them on worms, chicken liver, chicken skin, and doughballs. These turtles take a variety of bait and have a tendency to swallow the hook. They can be difficult to unhook, but pliers help. I am not sure what species these are.
Fishing The Philippines 