Prawning Tactics

[marle]

Saw this article online and want to share with you guys.

Personally i like to go prawning but my hit rate not so good. Best record so far is 1 hour 6 prawn, but sometimes i 1 hour hook zero. Got a pal here in AQ can hit 20 prawn in 1 hour.

Damn..

Come Share Your Tactics Here..

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Source: http://www.fishingnewsroom.com/viewt...11970&p=167484

BASIC INTRODUCTION TO PRAWNING



Foreword and Disclaimer

My first encounter with prawning dated back in 2002. Back then, i hooked up my first prawns at Pasir Ris... There is one chalet(Isit downtown east?) and they are one of the first prawning ponds around. I think back then it was beginners luck. It was so easy i thought. I knew i was wrong when i revisted prawning again!

But slowly, through hardwork and observation, i began to hone my prawning tactics and after today's session of almost 70-80% hookup rate, i proclaim myself graduated from newbie stage to amatuer stage. Therefore, i would like to share with the others here my prawning tactics and experiences.

But a fair warning though... Prawning is addictive and it can only get worst. When you are a newbie, you want to hook your first prawn... You want to get your first 10pcs... When you graduate you want to hit 30 in an hour... Next is 50 in an hour... Im now stuck at the "Beat The Timer" stage. Trying to get around 40 prawns an hour which means 3 prawns per 5mins.


Prawning Equipment
Basically you need a prawn rod, floaters and hooks. Do not get those short rods as you are not able to reach a greater area, there is also less leverage when striking the prawns. Get the hooks with long gape. Those are prawning hooks and they make it easier to hook the prawn.

If you do not have the equipment, do not fret... Most prawning locations provide rod and bait FOC to you so there is no need to worry.

Baits Used
Common baits used in prawning will be cockles(hum), chicken liver, mollies and so on. I have heard of earthworms being used too. Bait will be provided if you go to the prawn ponds but best to check with them what they are providing as it might not be up to standard. Common baits provided are hum and chicken liver. You will need a pen knife for slicing the baits into nice sizes.

How to Hook Up A Prawn- STEP BY STEP

First Step
Here is the most important part of my sticky. Hooking up the prawn. The first and most important step is to make sure your bait touches the bottom of the pond because thats where the prawn is! This is very easy to accomplish. Use your prawn rod and insert it into the pond tip first all the way down. Once you hit the bottom, make a mental mark on your rod on where the water level is. This means the pond is that deep. Using that mark, adjust your float accordingly so that you have a suitable length of leader for reaching the bottom.

Second Step
The second but often neglected step is to hook the bait properly using the prawning hooks. Cut a piece of bait up. Make sure its not too big and hook it on the tip of the prawning hook. Don't worry about the exposed shank. The trick here is to hook the bait until a little tip is exposed. It is more efficient this way when you set the hook. Too big a bait or if the bait or wrongly hooked, hook ups will be less better.

Third Step
Now you are all ready to put your bait into the water. Your float should be floating like a float and not sideways or sinking. Once you feel your float bobbing up and down or something is pulling it, this is the time to get ready. A big prawn will take the bait and it will feel very heavy(Big prawns are like this. They will be very heavy and will not move much). Slowly lift the line and make sure your line is directly below your rod tip. Which means you position your rod on top of the prawn. Once you feel all this is done, raise the end of your rod and the tip should bend lower. Make sure line is still tight and strike upwards deftly with a flick of your wrist. The prawn should be hooked up now.

IF

You lift the line and feel little resistance or the prawn is running with your bait, do not worry. It is likely a small prawn. Small prawns are very hard to hookup as they are spooked easily and normally run with your bait like a fish. In this case, let your line go and offer no resistance to the prawn. Once it has stopped running, lift it up slowly. It should now feel the same as a big prawn but less heavier. Repeat the same steps. Note that small prawns will be harder to hook up and there will be alot of frustration.

For small prawns, it is possible to use another technique which is less successful but also workable. When the small prawn takes off with your bait, strike immediatley. Make sure you do this fast and swiftly. The small prawn may get hooked up at the tip of the Prawn's head area.

If you are fighting a big prawn, always remember to not be so forceful and try to lift the prawn up immediatley. Let it struggle and slowly lift it up. When bringing prawns up of the water, always note, there will be a change in resistance. NO MORE water resistance means the smaller the prawn is when it comes up, the more chance you will have of your rod shooting up to the roof. Ha Ha Ha.

Finding Prawns
Now that you know how to hookup a prawn, the next is finding a prawn. Prawns do not always come to you just like that and most of the time, one must be hardworking. A good way to do this is to drag your float and bait around the pond especially around corners, pumps, deeper regions of the pond. If you encounter a prawn, your float will submerge. Do not continue dragging your float. Instead, let go and try to hook the prawn. Make sure your rod is always directly above your line. Now, prawns stick together and if you encounter one, there is a good chance that many will be around the same area. So try the same area! I noticed big blue mountains love deep regions and the center of the pond. They tend to congregate around each other.

Handling Prawns
You finally have your prawn. Hook the dehook??!?!??!! Easiest way is to get a cloth and wrap the prawn while dehooking it. If the prawn has long pincers, one way is to break them off first and dehook. At first, it can be pretty squeamish but you'll get used to it. Note that pincers of the blue mountain prawns can prick!

Prawning Ethics
Prawning ethics are important in prawning especially in a crowded pond. Dont leave your bait lying around. Dont discard broken pincers all over the place and most importantly, stick to your area. When someone is fighting a big prawn, you might want to shift your line away from that guy as big prawns can run around the pond alot.

When to Prawn?
When to prawn is also a very good question in prawning. In general, prawns tend to bite less when the water is not clean or they are not used to it(e.g cleaning of pond, new chemicals introduced into pond).

If they are just released into the pond, it will take some time for them to adapt to the pond and start biting. There are also timings when the prawns do not even bite. For me, i use a timing scale. If people near me and me do not hook a prawn up within 5-10minutes, i will leave and come again another day. Certain prawn ponds like Tua Tao Hei allow you to leave and come again another day to claim your remaining time. Better to come at a time when the prawns are biting then to prawn there like an idiot.

Conclusion
That's all folks! This is almost all i've got to share and although the tips here may not prove useful to a pro, i am sure it will be informative for the newbies. Having said this, always try out your own techniques and use my guide only as a reference. Different folks, different strokes!

[Mr.Oink]

I use to prawn at Taman Jurong. Many of the angler there use earth worm too. They claim it's good and I even saw some of the regulars hitting 20 over per hr!! But according to them, skill also matter. Many of us wait for the prawn to bite on the bait. But good angler try to feel the line if the prawn is near the bait. Once the feel it, they "shoot" the prawns. "gotcha"

[marle]

I use to prawn at Taman Jurong. Many of the angler there use earth worm too. They claim it's good and I even saw some of the regulars hitting 20 over per hr!! But according to them, skill also matter. Many of us wait for the prawn to bite on the bait. But good angler try to feel the line if the prawn is near the bait. Once the feel it, they "shoot" the prawns. "gotcha"

Earthworm as in live ones? But they are quite thin right? Pierce through them?

[blue33]

i think i read it some where also. nice write up from the author. there's one time i had few hook up but my son keep going over to see until the net drop back into the pond again, all released back.

[eviltrain]

i usually prawn at bishan park.

always pay 2 dollar extra for the earthworm( look more like bristle worm to me ).

my tactic is when ever there's "feeling", i will move the other end of the rod
directly above the float and straighten the line by tilting the rod up.

just tuck upwards and when you feel the bite, keep the tension there till you get the prawn up.

don't ever loss the tension, once the tension weaken, the prawn will just escape with the bait.

my best record there is 45 prawns in 3 hours.

[marle]

i think i read it some where also. nice write up from the author. there's one time i had few hook up but my son keep going over to see until the net drop back into the pond again, all released back.

yea yea, for me i don't cook the prawns, after prawning i just give the prawns to others to cook. Can use this tactic to know girls haha.

i usually prawn at bishan park.

always pay 2 dollar extra for the earthworm( look more like bristle worm to me ).

my tactic is when ever there's "feeling", i will move the other end of the rod
directly above the float and straighten the line by tilting the rod up.

just tuck upwards and when you feel the bite, keep the tension there till you get the prawn up.

don't ever loss the tension, once the tension weaken, the prawn will just escape with the bait.

my best record there is 45 prawns in 3 hours.

45 prawns 3 hours is POWER.

[eviltrain]

lol, i always goes in the group, end up i never eat the prawns, all pass to the rest.

[Cardinals_Pride]

Wow.. Didn't know that we can actually use strike technique on prawning. Very informative. Shall find a day to do some prawning.

[eviltrain]

haha, just don't get addicted. i rather spent the 30 dollar on a CRS then spent 3 hours prawning. ( i'm addicted to CRS )

[marle]

once when i had zero hits in over 45mins, got abit pissed and just move my rod swiftly in a motion of a horizontal 8. Managed to hook one up. That prawn unlucky.

[eviltrain]

but hor, i think the size of the bait makes alot of difference. too small, no bite. too big, escape easily.

[marle]

have u tried catfish as bait? tips from big bro jojoe

[eviltrain]

i think you mean "tor sat" right? my friend tried before and said its quite good as a bait.

[fotoudavid]

Looks fun, should try. Where to buy the rods etc????

[illumnae]

I'm going prawning next sunday with friends...but i've never gone before...thanks for the tips, will try them out...I suspect I'll end up with 0 prawns haha

[marle]

I'm going prawning next sunday with friends...but i've never gone before...thanks for the tips, will try them out...I suspect I'll end up with 0 prawns haha

It's actually not that hard, as long as there's sufficient prawns in the pond and if 1hr you can get at least 8 bites sure can hook one up!

[Mr.Oink]

I always get my gears at the tackle shop near beach road. A good prawning rod will cost around SGD60. They are more flexible and sensitive to vibration(bites)

Looks fun, should try. Where to buy the rods etc????

[felix_fx2]

have u tried catfish as bait? tips from big bro jojoe

i think you mean "tor sat" right? my friend tried before and said its quite good as a bait.

Looks fun, should try. Where to buy the rods etc????

So does this mean i can date you guys out to bishan for some prawning?

alan: You pro at prawning? my top only 34 bites.

P.S: I know a "Pro", she hooked one up from its shell from the side. (1st timer luck i say)

[Lucrado]

Hey there,i do like prawning too haha!
You can try beef heart,prawns love them alot! My catch rate increases when i use them instead of cockles or worms.

[illumnae]

Where can I go to buy worms aside from the prawning place itself?