Video of the Day: Bass Fishing in Taiwan

It is getting to be that time of year when the weather warms up and the largemouth bass in Taiwan get active as they head for the spawning beds.  To get in the spirit, here is a video of some successful local bass anglers showing off their catches. Too bad they don't share the locations of some of these fishing holes.

Target Species: Largemouth Bass

Family: Centrarchidae

Scientific names: Micropterus salmoides

Common names: Largemouth bass, black bass, California bass (in Asia)

Chinese name: 大口黑鱸 (da kou hei lu, “largemouth black bass”)

Habitat: Freshwater lakes, ponds, reservoirs, large and medium rivers, canals

Size range: Up to 75cm, though adults over 40cm range would be considered large in Taiwan.

While considered the king of freshwater game fish in North America, largemouth bass fishing has not been pursued with quite the same level of enthusiasm in Taiwan. The species was introduced to the island through the aquaculture industry. Live bass can often be purchased as some of Taiwan’s larger supermarket chains. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that, whether as fish farm escapees and/or fish planted by anglers themselves, the species eventually established healthy populations in local waters.

Today a growing number of Taiwanese anglers are catching “bass fever,” a fact reflected in the volume of bass-appropriate tackle showing up in local fishing retail chains. Many pay-to-fish ponds are now stocking largemouth bass to meet angler demand.

Taiwan’s (mostly) warm subtropical climate is similar to that of the southern U.S. were this species of bass flourishes, which explains why it has been successful as an invasive species. While many anglers may assume the warmer southern end of the island is the heart of Taiwan’s bass territory, this is not necessarily true. To be sure, there are plenty of bass to be found in the ponds, lakes and reservoirs of Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Chiayi counties, however Hsinchu and Taoyuan counties in the north also support healthy bass populations, as well. In fact, many of the ponds downstream from Shihmen Reservoir in and around the towns of Dasi and Longtan as well as the Taoyuan plain hold bass.

Largemouths are happiest in clean and fairly well-oxygenated water, and are not as tolerant of pollution and stagnation as tilapia or snakehead, with which they often share habitat. They tend to favor water with plenty of cover (aquatic plants) or submerged structures. Largemouth bass are more tolerant to variations in temperature than some other non-native species, tilapia and peacock bass in particular, allowing them to survive sudden winter temperature drops that can claim the aforementioned species.

Most anglers rely on artificial baits to stalk bass—plastic worms, crankbaits, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, etc. Matching lures to the available local forage is always a good idea and largemouth bass have been known to feed voraciously on juvenile tilapia. Bass strike hard and are strong fighters known for their acrobatic leaps.

Adult bass begin to spawn in late winter to early spring as water temperatures reach 15˚ C. Females build concave nests in 1.5 to 2.5 meters of water, which they will guard aggressively.

Taiwan working hard on shark conservation: fishery official

Photo by CNATaipei, Jan. 27 (CNA) Local people's lust for shark-fin soup has again become the target of international criticism as a report issued Thursday listed Taiwan as one of the world's "Top 20" shark catchers, although local officials said the country has done much to protect the fish.

The report, released by the British conservation group TRAFFIC and the U.S. Pew Environment Group, said a United Nations' scheme to preserve the world's sharks has been a resounding failure and pinned the blame on Indonesia, India, Spain, Taiwan and 16 other major catchers of the fish.

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Treated myself to a new reel and rod

A little pre-Lunar New Year gift to myself.

Target Species: Topmouth Culter and Redfin Culter

Family: Cyprinidae (carps)

Redfin Culter

Scientific name: Chanodichthys erythropterus

Synonyms: Culter aokii, Culter brevicauda, Culter erythropterus, Culter ilishaeformis, Culter sieboldii, Culter tientsinensis, Culterichthys erythropterus, Cultrichthys erythropterus, Erythroculter erythropterus, Erythroculter ilishaeformis

Common names: redfin culter, predatory carp, skygazer

Habitat: Lakes, ponds, reservoirs, larger slow-flowing rivers.

Distribution: Map

Size range: Up to 100 cm, but more commonly 30-50 cm.

Topmouth Culter

Scientific name: Culter alburnus

Synonyms: Culter brevicauda, Culter recurviceps, Erythroculter aokii, Erythroculter ilishaeformes

Common names: topmouth culter, president fish, aruzay

Habitat: Lakes, ponds, reservoirs, larger slow-flowing rivers.

Distribution: Map

Size range: Up to 35 cm.

Angling tactics: Casting small spoons, spinners and plugs (minnow and shrimp imitations). Fly fishing with streamers.

Few species have been more challenging to research than the wily culters. This struck me as odd, since both the topmouth and redfin culter warrant mentions on several local fly fishing blogs, but little information is available in the English language literature mentioning them. Thanks to the Google page translation tool, I was able to pull together a bit more information to share here.

The difficulty in tracking down comprehensive information is compounded by confusing classification and naming that can lead one to wonder if the names “redfin” and “topmouth” refer to one or two different species. The scientific name Erythroculter ilishaeformis has been applied to both in various sources. They look similar, with upturned mouths not usually associated with members of the carp family. In fact they bear a slight resemblance to herring or a relative of the tarpon. The redfin culter can be distinguished by its slightly more pronounced dorsal “hump” behind the head. It has also been known to grow considerably larger than its cousin the topmouth culter.

Hang on to your hats, fellow fish nerds. A little digging revealed that these fish are not as closely related as one might think. The redfin is not really a true culter, belonging instead to the genus chanodichthys. Both are members of the subfamily Cultrinae. Culter, by the way, is Latin for “knife.”

Both species are found throughout east Asia, primarily in subtropical China and Taiwan. Of the two, the topmouth is probably the more famous of the two in Taiwan owing to its place in local political lore. It is said that the topmouth became a favorite dish of former ROC president Chiang Kai-shek after he sampled it on an early visit to Sun Moon Lake. Since that visit, the topmouth earned the nickname “president fish” and has become a staple for the Sun Moon Lake tourism industry. The lake still supports a healthy population, which is fished both commercially and for sport.

Both the topmouth and redfin are known to be voracious predators, sometimes at the expense of other carp species whose fry they often feed upon. Freshwater crustaceans and insects round out their diet. They feed most actively at dawn and dusk, often in large schools, before moving to deeper water by midday. Culters are ambush predators, preferring to attack their prey from below rather than pursue it for great distances.

Professor Publishes Book on Plight of Fomosan Landlocked Salmon

Photo by CNAThe Formosan salmon is probably one of the most endangered species on the island. Though it is not a game fish as it is protected in Taiwan, it is worth noting that is a subspecies of the cherry salmon, a popular sport fishing species in Japan and Korea. The following story highlights many of the problems of overdevelopment and human encroachment affecting all native fish species on the island, including game fish.

Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) A university professor who has spent nearly half of his career researching the endangered Formosan landlocked salmon recently published a book to raise awareness in Taiwan of how the species should be better protected.

James Wang, a professor with National Taiwan Normal University's Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, said Taiwan should try to save the species not simply because it is rare, but because there exists a direct relationship between its population distribution and the environment.

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Kinmen Coastguard Clashes with Mainland Poachers

It seems that the Japanese have not cornered the market on run-ins with Chinese fishing vessels.

5 injured in clash between China fishing boats, Kinmen coastguard

Kinmen, Jan. 14 (CNA) Two Taiwan coastguard officers and three fishermen from Xiamen in China were injured in a clash Friday when a coastguard patrol tried to stop a Chinese fishing boat from poaching in Taiwan's territorial waters off the outlying islet of Little Kinmen.

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Is the Cold Weather Putting the Chill on Taiwan Fish Stocks?

If you are an angler in Taiwan, you are probably counting the days until the Lunar New Year holiday for a chance at some uninterrupted fishing. Cold wet weather has no doubt put a damper on the angling plans of some this winter. So, if you’re like me, you are hoping for a slightly warmer, somewhat sunnier holiday week. You may also be wondering just what to expect when you do finally arrive at water’s edge.Unusually cold weather in Florida was blamed for killing large numbers of Tilapia and Peacock bass. Can Taiwan expect the same? Photo by Scott Wheeler, The Ledger.

Unusually cold temperatures prevailed throughout the northern hemisphere this winter and subtropical Taiwan hasn’t been spared. Even on the southern end of the island, usually immune to the seasonal chill, has seen temperatures drop into the single digits (Celsius). What impact the falling mercury will have on local fish stocks has yet to be determined, but everyone from anglers to fish farmers are getting nervous.

Not all local game fish and aquaculture species are sensitive to sharp fluctuations in temperature. Most native fish as well as some imports from temperate regions (largemouth bass and rainbow trout) should do OK. However, those species introduced from warmer climes could face mass die-offs. Tilapia, an important food fish and the backbone of the local aquaculture industry is probably the most at risk. The species stops feeding and reproducing as temperatures near 10˚ Celsius and begins dieing after that point. Mass weather-related kills of tilapia have already been reported in the U.S. state of Florida and in Haiti this month.

Another cichlid, the peacock bass, is also at risk. The prized South American game fish was introduced to Taiwan through exotic aquarium market and has become established several southern Taiwan ponds and lakes. Like its cousin the Tilapia, it is also extremely sensitive to drops in water temperature.

Freshwater fish are not the only one’s potentially affected. Milkfish, another important aquaculture species, is farmed in cement ponds filled with seawater. A mass kill could be economically devastating for farmers because domesticated milkfish take eight to ten years to reach sexual maturity.

For now, there is not much to do but wait and see. As of today, the mercury was up a bit, rising as high as 19˚ C during the day. However, it is expected to dip down to 7˚ C at night this weekend in Taoyuan, the heart of north Taiwan’s fish farming industry.