Malaysia is only six hours away from Seoul. I decided to take a quick three day fishing trip. What drew my attention originally was the prospect of catching peacock bass. The internet is full of peacock bass hero shots and I wanted to see what the buzz was about. I contacted some local guides and easily set up my trip.
Day 1 was Tasik Prima. This is a medium-sized lake that is very deep. I expected peacock fishing to be structure oriented with topwater and fast streamers. This was not the case. The fish hold deep, 20-25 feet in some cases. Tasik Prima is an old gravel pit and was dug out with sharp drop-offs 15 feet from shore. The drop-offs are usually where the fish hold. There are some reeds and vegetation you can fish, but those places only hold the juvenile peacocks. Your best bet is to work deep with a fast sinking line. I found that the fast sinking line paired with a baitfish pattern in chartreuse was effective. If you are lucky, you can experience the famous “Prima Frenzy.” During the frenzy the bass school and feed on the surface. But you have to be quick and accurate with your casts because you will only have two chances before the fish retreat to the depths. There are plenty of guides that work Tasik Prima. I went with Teo who works with Jefri at Prima Fishing. They can be found on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Day 2 was the saltwater ponds, about a 45-minute drive outside Kuala Lampur. I changed guides. Joe and Aliff were gracious enough to take me fishing. The ponds hold a variety of fish. I had my eyes on barramundi. I missed the first few strikes because I kept raising or sweeping my rod to set the hook. This is a no-no and I was chastised by my guide. When I finally got my strip set down- it was no problem- five fish in a row. We tried for some other species such as red drum and grouper, but they were not in the biting mood. After our midday break, we went to a local lake to try for peacock bass. I caught one just when Joe called last cast. I was fishing deep again. It was a memorable catch as I got to see the fish follow and hit near the bank.
Day 3 was pacu day. This is a serious Malaysian fish. The locals refer to it as a fresh water GT. Having never caught a GT, I didn’t know what to expect. I scheduled the trip from lightest to heaviest- in terms of seriousness of fishing. The peacock bass are fun, the barramundi aggressive, but I was told the pacu fight dirty. Challenge accepted. We arrived at Empangan Air Kuning, a very cool fishing site tucked away in a park. It felt like we were in the middle of the jungle. Don’t leave food out or the monkeys will take it. The weather forecast called for rain, which is like most days. I knew my window was limited and the morning fishing session was my best bet. I tied on a flashy size 6 stonefly nymph and got to work. The pacu will give you a target as they leave a mud trail when they search for food. Two casts in and BAM! Fish on. The fish went on an impressive run, but I managed to stay buttoned up. After the run, because of their dinner plate-like shape, they create a lot of resistance when being pulled in. Be careful where you steer them, because if they see cover, they will immediately run towards it. I got a few more fish and felt great. As expected, the rain started and we sat and waited it out. One of Aliff’s friends, who was also guiding, brought out some roti and curry and we tore and dipped in the rain. After the rain let up, we got a couple more hours of fishing in and I managed to catch a jelawat or sultan fish on a bushy stimulator. That was the cherry on top. I could go home a happy fisherman. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and I think most enjoy fishing alongside their clients. In my opinion, this helped as it gave me a point of reference and we helped each other eliminate patterns that were not working.
Malaysia fishing and travel tips-
6wt-8wt rods are the standard. If you want to target giant snakeheads then a 10wt is a must. 15 to 20-pound mono works as a leader.
Pants, long sleeves, a buff, hat, and sunglasses should be worn at all times. Every day has a chance to hit 90 degrees.
Leave your light wire hooks at home. Pacu have human-like teeth that destroy flies. Almost everything that swims has teeth.
Very few local businesses accept credit cards. Prepare a sufficient amount of cash.
Keep an open mind. I came excited about peacock bass, but will come back for pacu- a fish I knew nothing about.