Galchi (Hairtail) Fishing Trip to Jinhae: A Tale of Tactics and Tenacity
Fishing is just my thing.
Woke up early on Saturday and set off for Jinhae at 6 AM for some hairtail (galchi) fishing!
Heard nothing but good news about the hairtail lately – both the size and the quantity are great! My reservation date has finally arrived!
Let's dive into the fishing journal!
First, I arrived in Jinhae nice and early at 12 PM!
After checking the boat's location, I had a meal and boarded at 3 PM!
Today's charter is with Jinhae Haewon Fishing! I've been meaning to try them out, and finally I am. Departure is at 3:30 PM; the seat is chosen by random draw.
Jinhae in the middle of the day... I can't fish like this. Haven't done any daytime fishing since August. It's too hot...
Even the nights are hot; I can't handle the daytime heat...
Today's tide...
Looks a bit off... ㅜㅜ I'm a little worried, but what can I do?
Who keeps saying hairtail don't care about the tide? I swear... Hairtail can't swim well and move vertically, so I've never caught them well on days with strong currents. Of course, my skills are lacking, haha.
Our seats are on the port side, right behind the stern, one spot in front and next to it.
The spot with the tent in the picture – a shaded area when moving.
The boat seemed old but experienced.
They have instant ramen, but no other snacks.
Drinks are coffee, apple juice, and water.
The three-hour journey begins! I'm preparing my tackle during the ride.
Seats in the cabin are assigned according to your number.
The hook I'm using today is Manager Park's Arasu Hook No. 2.
No. 1 was sold out, and I'm also using a spreader rig (it's no secret that I also have Yamashita).
Arasu No. 1 is okay, but it feels a bit big.
A salamander fish grip to devour the hairtail!
It's a very fierce fellow, haha.
Here's the gear I'm using:
Rod #Roguman #KalaMLMT
Reel #Doyo #UranoDLC
Line #HaeWoo #TaedoUh #Taikan #Black Braid No. 1
My second setup also features the Roguman Kala.
Reel: #Shimano #OceaConquest200mg
Braid: #Killshark 12-strand, which I recently got from the #OutletFishing store.
The tapered line is supposedly the pride of Korean lines...
But why is it so stiff?? I probably won't use it again.
So, preparations are complete.
After a long journey, we arrive at the fishing spot and start exploring from 50 meters.
The sun gradually sets...
While it's still bright, they start coming up one or two at a time, raising my expectations.
My rig keeps getting taps and short bites. I think, 'Ah... the activity level...' Let's try chumming first!
The rig is diligently flying around, haha!
After it starts getting dark, they come up here and there, but it's not easy.
There are almost no bites where they take it all at once.
I'm trying to figure out if they're sensitive or can't bite due to the current. Still, they come up bit by bit.
They tap several times and then take it after waiting a long time.
If I react without knowing it to the ambiguous takes and set the hook...
It's gone. You have to play the push-and-pull game well.
It seemed like it was taken pretty well on the first short take, but it falls off after reeling a few turns. If you don't distinguish it well and set the hook, your cooler will be empty.
Small actions worked half a turn at a time, but now they don't work. The pattern has changed.
Change the rig.
I don't think my current rig is working. Currently, I'm using a 45-degree Tenbin with a 1.2-meter dropper line and an electronic Chemi light.
Changed rig:
Yamashita Omori-type active Tenbin with an eye Chemi light on the sinker position and a dropper line.
Changed to 1 meter.
As soon as I changed, I got a cool bite at 45 meters! At this time, I changed the action.
Three big actions, stay. If they don't bite, half a turn, stay, and repeat.
I jerked it hard, but the bite got lighter.
Just think that they're spitting it out. Reel in firmly and set the hook as much as you lifted it.
The size is not bad, with 3-4 finger lengths coming up.
From this point on, I had a solo feeding frenzy for a while, catching 7 in a row at 43 meters.
The salamander is viciously biting the hairtail.
Here, this charter doesn't have any interference or orders from the captain. But this is the problem: he only shares the depth with his regulars, haha. I’m so annoyed!
I asked a fisherman next to me for the depth he was fishing, but he ignored me, haha. I won't share either. I'm petty, haha. I told Gulhee to use a big action at 43 meters and give it a long stay, and Gulhee and I had a brief feeding frenzy.
We even had a double hit and had fun for about thirty minutes. I realized now that the two people next to Gulhee were hearing impaired. They used Tenya, Tenbin, and various strange rigs, but they didn't catch anything. It was a time when nothing was coming out towards the bow.
I shared the depth with them using gestures and winks. Sharing the depth is necessary for everyone to catch well.
The pattern changed again.
There's a bite, but they don't take it.
It stopped like that, and then the bites stopped. The action doesn't work.
A big action with a long stay, they take it without hesitation.
It's really tough. The depth keeps changing, and the pattern keeps changing.
The lights I see in front are charter boats spread in all directions, roughly 60 or more. It feels like it's a chumming battle, but the chumming isn't working well.
If the depth is shared, the bait will be shared at a certain level, and chumming will work, but that didn't happen. There's not even one mahi-mahi in front of the boat.
It's difficult, and around 12 AM, the current gets faster.
It feels like there are no hairtail in any layer. Gulhee gave up due to a leg injury, and I was DMing with a friend and immediately got a hit.
At this time, they were coming out bit by bit at the bow and stern. I hadn't gotten a bite for about an hour and a half.
I found the depth and landed 8 mackerel in a row, and then it became quiet again, so I finished early.
After organizing, I put it in front of the cooler and went to sleep in the cabin.
We each caught and put it in our own coolers. That way, we can know how many each person caught, haha.
I took pictures in the car and threw in ice because I had to go home for four and a half hours.
After the ice melted and drained the water, the cooler was 2/3 full.
Gulhee gave up early, so she caught about 20.
On the way home, I stopped by my wife's parents' house and put a few more hairtail in her cooler, and then I prepared the rest at home!
I brought about 30 hairtail and prepared them.
Two Norwegian-grade mackerel, haha. The one with the bloodshot eyes was thrashing around so much that I hit him with the salamander before putting him in the cooler, haha. You can see the marks, haha.
The marks from hitting him, haha. There's blood on it, haha. If I don't knock him out, he'll mess up all the hairtail inside. I had no choice, haha.
I prepared it neatly and also took care of the precious eggs.
I never throw away the eggs. I feel guilty just killing so many living creatures for my hobby, so I always eat them. That makes me feel less sorry, haha!
I marinated them for an hour and grilled them, but they still haven't lost all the moisture.
Hairtail is good for both taste and feel. It's fun to do it again after a long time, haha.
This time, I'm using the excuse that I couldn't catch much because of the spring tide to stock up a little more.
I'm going on an illegal fishing trip to Jinhae Double Fishing this coming Thursday.
Overall, it wasn't great, but some of the regulars who fish often caught a full load.
I only fish for hairtail two or three times a year, so my skills are lacking.
I'll be back with my next fishing journal!
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I'm lacking in skill because I only do it once or twice a year.
I'll be back with my next fishing journal!
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