Monthly Archives: June 2012
Marcelo Fernan Bridge (Mactan Side)
Here is an easily accessible spot located on Mactan Island:
PROS:
Well lit Public Park with police outpost
Sizable fishing area
Shade from the bridge
Places to buy drinks and snacks
Free Parking
May species can be caught
Safe place to fish at night
CONS:
Lots of people
Water often has garbage floating in it that is carried past the bridge by the current
Lots of snags in certain areas ( I lost a lot of gear to those while bait fishing)
Strong currents make bait fishing difficult
Some times marching bands practice in the park 😀 and it is LOUD!
DESCRIPTION:
This is a small public park located along the water underneath the Marcelo Fernan Bridge which is one of the two bridges connecting Mactan Island to mainland Cebu. This park is known as the Philippine Seafarers Memorial Park. It is located on the Mactan Island side. It is a decent public fishing spot that costs nothing to enter or fish. There are often a lot of people here which makes fishing difficult sometimes. The best time to fish is high tide as the water can be quite shallow along the shoreline during low tide. Big fish have been caught here. Try bait fishing at night with live shrimp, cut bait or squid and cast out towards the bridge supports in the middle of the channel. Lure fishing also works well at high tide closer in to shore.
FISH SPECIES:
Grouper, Snapper, Eels, Emperors, Trevally, Barracuda, and many more species.
RATING:
( 6/10 ) See the “cons” above for why my rating is not higher.
REMINDERS:
Be friendly and teach some of the many kids that stand watching you to fish:-)
Bring water
Bring a cooler for bait and drinks
Release anything that is too small
Clean up after yourself even if the area already has garbage.
PHOTOS:
A Barracuda I caught on a lure
Mon’s Barracuda caught on a spoon
One of the many eel or Ubod that can be caught at the bridge
Cuda On The High
Rumpi
Went out this morning early after my morning devos. Spent an hour casting my little pins over near the Carbon Market during high tide. I hooked this nice barracuda not long after I started to the delight of my self and Gilbert (a tag along from the market). I learned from Gilbert that barracuda are called Rumpi down here in Cebu. He told me this one was a “baby” and that fishermen sometimes bring in massive Rumpi when they come back from fishing in the Laud (open ocean). This one was a fun fish to catch and I donated it to Gilbert because he rescued my little pins from a snag 🙂
Juvenile Barracuda
Mackerel Tuna ( Euthynnus affinis )
A good sized Mackerel Tuna caught in Siquijor
Common Name: Tuna, Kawa Kawa, Bullseye
Local Name: Tulingan (Tagalog); Barilis, Hasa Hasa (Cebuano)
Max Size: 100 cm
Biodiversity: Marine, Pelagic, Oceanodromous
Depth: 0 – 200 m
Fishing Season: All Year Long
Minimum Size Limit: 12 inches
Recommended Bait/Lures: Tuna flies, small fish and crustaceans
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (NE)
This species of fish is common in large schools off the coast all over the Philippines. It is usually found quite close to shore where the school feeds on baitfish. It is quite a popular fish for local fishermen to target as it is quite abundant, easily caught and fetches a good price in the market. It has dark flesh that is quite tasty.
Fishermen most often go after this fish with long lines of multiple hooks (sometimes up to 30 or more hooks per line). Their hooks are relatively small long shank hooks dressed with striped feathers, tinsel, crystallite, or various other materials to create a small pin fish lure. For those who are familiar fly fishing their dressed hooks look very much like Clouser Minnows.
Siquijor Tuna Photo courtesy of Eric Mark E. Opaon
Small Tulingan caught off Puerto Galera Mindoro
Fishing The Philippines 