An anglers fishing at one of the ‘secret’ locations for toman.
TASIK Kenyir, the largest man-made lake in South-East Asia, is one of the hotspots among local anglers seeking an adrenaline rush.
Located in the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, some 40km from Kuala Berang, Terengganu, this pristine location is home to the sebarau, toman and haruan.
While there are many other smaller freshwater species found in this lake, toman and sebarau are the two top species sought by anglers because they are aggressive and put up a tough fight when caught on the rod and line.
Over the years, the number of huge toman and sebarau caught in this lake had dwindled, but the big fishes can still be found in secluded and rarely explored areas around the 38,000 hectares of water catchment area.
However, these places are kept secret and those who have visited the locations often decline to disclose the whereabouts, fearing it would be exploited by other anglers, thus killing the big species found there.
An angler casting to catch toman in Kenyir Lake. Aside from this species, there are also plenty of Sebarau. Bigger fishes are found in secluded areas which are rarely explored by anglers.
Those who fish in these secret locations carry out the catch-and- release method whereby they only take what they need and release the bigger fish back into the water, to preserve the wild fishing ground.
Fishing for toman and sebarau is not difficult but it requires a bit of endurance and skill as one needs to use some strength to cast the line out and retrieve it back, emulating a fast fish’s swimming to lure the prey.
This action has to be done repeatedly, over hundreds of times in a day, and can be tiring for the arms and legs as one has to stand long hours to carry out the action.
But once the lure is taken, the first initial surge with a hard tug or jerk, as the fish tries to free the hook lodged in its mouth, would definitely give any angler an adrenaline rush.
There are many fishing boats that offer to take anglers out on to the Lake Kenyir for fishing trips. These rakit house boats, as they are popularly referred to, can accommodate about 10 anglers per boat.
Depending on the size of the fish, toman and sebarau would fight between five and 15 minutes in a tug of war.
While these two species can be caught all year round, the best time to catch toman is during the hot season, where it frequently surfaces, giving away its whereabouts.
Using the ripples as an indicator, an angler has to cast the lure near its hideaway, in an attempt to lure the fish out.
Repeated castings could result in a successful catch if the fish is still lurking in the area.
The many lures that you can use to catch toman and sebarau.
For sebarau, the best time to catch them is during the rainy season, when it would come out to look for food.
Similarly, the sebarau also plays close to the surface, indicating its presence in the area.
The best way to catch these two species is by casting with different types of lures.
While poppers, deep and shallow runners and even jumping frog are used for toman, sebarau is best caught with a spoon lure.
An angler with a big toman caught with a lure on rod and line.
For easy fishing and exchanging of the lures, either to hunt for the toman or sebarau, my recommendation is a long medium or fast- action rod fitted to a small spinning reel spooled with a 15lb to 20lb line.
My preference is the braided line which is much stronger and lighter compared to the monofilament, making the casting much easier with a further throwing distance.
Of course, one also needs a good guide to take them to the secret locations.
Remember to adopt the catch- and-release practice, especially with the bigger fish and during its spawning period, to ensure the fish continues to breed.
Preserving the place from public knowledge can also help to prevent meat hunters from harvesting the big fish found there.
Happy fishing!
