CANDAT SOTONG - JIGGING SQUIDS

Candat Sotong-Jigging Squids - Part 2

Jigging squids had became a very popular activities in our region lately. It had been promoted to be the best annual event in the Terengganu state's tourism calendar. Suddenly, jigging becomes more attracted to visitors, locally and abroad. Those who had  experience about jigging will remember the adventure forever and will not hesitate to enjoy the same again whenever they have opportunity to do so.

Here is my story about the adventure you may get in jigging squids.

We are going to the open sea of the South China Sea with a 7 meter long fiber speedboat belongs to a local fisherman named Abu. The tide should be reasonably high, which means that Abu's speedboat may get out of the Ibai River's estuary easily and safely.

We are going out to the open sea for about 3km from the shore and try to anchor there. Remember, that the boat will move by itself in accordance with the sea waves, the moment we have anchored. Some people couldn't stand with this situation and can vomit easily. 

When you start vomit, you just can't stop it anymore...and it is very very painful. You can't do anything except vomit until you have nothing to vomit....You will become very tired, weak and soft....just like your  towel. Your first candat session will become a nightmare, and trust me....it will be your first and the last forever.  To avoid this from happening, you may take traveling pills about 1/2 hour before we depart. The pills might help you from vomiting. But there are cases where people still vomit even after they took traveling pills.

 normal mata candat or jigging devices

If you are not vomiting, then the night will be the most beautiful and unforgettable adventure for you. The boat has anchored. Abu has started the small movable generator to turn on the lights for the lamps. Soon the lights will attract the cuttlefishes from the distance to gather themselves underneath the boat. Just wait for 1/2 hour and get ready with your mata candat or jigging device. Fix it with some fish meat as the bait. Be careful, the hook is quite sharp, don't hook your fingers and hurt them.

plenty of jigging devices design for use

Be patient now....just wait for the moment until Abu gives to us his signal to throw in our mata candat....He just want to ensure that the place is suitable for jigging.

In the meantime take a look around you...See, you are not the only one having activities of candat sotong tonight. There are plenty of fisherman doing the same thing like you. There will be a lot more people coming tonight. Sometimes hundreds of boats are available when they are having some sort of championship for candat sotong normally organized by the state's authority or the Tourism Board of Malaysia. You may join them next year if you come again. They will count and accept the longest and biggest squid for the champ.

The technique for jigging is simple. Just trow the jigging device into the sea and let it sink to the seabed. You may know this after you feel the string has stopped from moving down.

Next, pull it up slowly with rhythmical movements, up and down until you feel something is holding and pulling your jigging device. Pull it up to the sea surface and use your strength to lift the squids from the water immediately. Otherwise, the squid will squirt the black ink into your face and your shirt might be smudged .

There is no special skill for jigging. To me it is just a matter of fun and luck. Some fishermen will act as if they are very experience in jigging. Some swaggered over just to show how many squids are captured in one hour. It will be a disgusting moment if you are to sit next to him on the boat. The only way to stop this type of bad attitude is to get a stunning catch for you. If you have captured a one meter long squid, you may have put that person in depress.

I have once caught a squid with more than a meter long. It was the most fierce fight in jigging with squid I've ever had in my life. It was really amazing and a stunning adventure for me.

dead giant squid on shore