Recreational Fishing?

[DaveB]

OK...this is completely off the wall, but I have a question:  anyone have any experience with simple recreation fishing in the Philippines?  I'm not an avid fisherman, per se (I'm more an avid hunter), but I enjoy doing some now and then.  In all my trips back and forth to the Philippines, I can not recall a single time I saw anyone just goofing around fishing and I've never seen any sign of tourist related fishing like you see all over Mexico, for example.  Seems all the fishing I've seen in PI is subsistence related: either fishing for something to eat, or fishing to get something to sell to get something to eat.  I've done a moderate amount of snorkeling, and there's never any shortage of fish around.  But I don't remember ever seeing a rod and reel - it's all net or hand line fishing.  And I'm really, really in the dark if there are any regulations/licenses involved if you decided to be the crazy foreigner and just go out to wet a line in a banca.

So...anyone ever give this topic much attention?

[soupeod]

There are a few of us around Ormoc, Leyte that go fishing in the ocean, and I have seen Pinoys with fishing poles and children with a plastic bottles with line and a hook w/worms.  I've found you need a boat or rent a boat, because of all the fishermen using nets around shore.  

I know there is a Brit on Siargao Island that has a fishing charter for deep sea fishing.  There are no organized fishing stores or events I have seen in Leyte.

 

[Joey G]

Eastern Samar.... casting lures (or live bait) off the piers or even wading... definitely good... if the area you're in is "fished out" or polluted, then don't bother. Rec fishing is not that common, but more so than in the past.  Now if you can get a boat and go out... sky's the limit... 

[GeoffH]

Try and avoid the areas that the locals fish at on a regular basis, they can get a bit posessive.  

A boat would avoid that issue of course.

[roddavis]

34 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

Try and avoid the areas that the locals fish at on a regular basis, they can get a bit posessive.  

A boat would avoid that issue of course.

Have done it here in Cebu with my own boat. Dragging lures to catch King Mackerel (tinigue), fun to catch. Bottom fishing for LapuLapu. Even done some squid fishing at night with lighted lures! Now fishing equipment(rods and reels and lures) are hard to find. Some sporting goods stores in the mall sometimes has some. If you cannot find it, do as the locals do. Get heavy monoline with several hooks, Lay a long line out away from shore on the bottom with weight at end and floating buoy on the other end. use little minnows or chicken pieces on the hooks, set out on bottom and wait a few hours, come back and pull in. Sometimes get a cornucopia of different fish! Even tried making a crab trap so sent on the bottom. Didn't work out so well. Eventually someone stole my crab gear!       

[graham59]

A friend of mine goes fishing here.... (in North Luzon) :

.

 

 

[jimeve]

5 hours ago, roddavis said:

Dragging lures to catch King Mackerel (tinigue)

Is that Tanigue? if it is it's my favorite fish. Had some last week expensive but lami.

[manofthecoldland]

41 minutes ago, jimeve said:

Is that Tanigue? if it is it's my favorite fish. Had some last week expensive but lami.

Tangigue/tanggingi or Spanish Mackerel is our first choice. The wife serves up two or three crosscuts for diner twice every week when available at the market. The skin is very thin and edible... when breaded you barely even detect it (unlike fish with a thick skin and fat layer..... some eat and I don't). 

[Jollygoodfellow]

12 hours ago, DaveB said:

anyone have any experience with simple recreation fishing in the Philippines?

I might be wrong but I dont think foreigners are allowed to use dynamite so fishing is out 

[roddavis]

27 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

I might be wrong but I dont think foreigners are allowed to use dynamite so fishing is out 

Thats what I was told a few years ago(2003) when we went to Moal Boal. I asked before I went cuz I was going to bring my fishing gear - I asked and they said no fishing! So when I got there and was at Pescadero island, the owner of the banka was catching fish and was cooking the fish on the engine of the boat. I asked I thought I was told no fishing! The boat captain motioned with his hands- no fishing with dynamite! Back then, Pescadero underwater was beautiful. Many colors of coral and fish. Went back a few years later in 2017, and sea-life colors were just shades of grey. Very sad, few fish!