Squid Jigging Carnival In Terengganu, Malaysia

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Squid Jigging Carnival In Terengganu



By Noor Shamsiah Mohamad

May 29, 2006 10:49 AM

Malaysian National News Agency :: BERNAMA



KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- The nocturnal hours at the waters along the Terengganu coast, usually very quiet and at times bordering that of the eerie feeling, suddenly came alive during the months of April to August.



It is the time for the annual "squid jigging" season where the fluorescent lamps from a flotilla of fishing boats light up the sea, giving onlookers the impression of a floating carnival.



And this "carnival" can be spotted at the waters off Pulau Redang, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Perhentian, Kemaman, Merchang, Marang, Kuala Terengganu, Batu Rakit and Penarik.



The fiesta begins just after sunset and continues until when the sun is about to rise where the "revellers", who are local fishermen and tourists, frequently hooked up generous kilogrammes of squid.



TRADITIONAL WAY



Jigging is the traditional way of catching squids without the need to use baits, only a tool named the "candat".



The candat or "jigger" is fashioned to appear like a bait and is made from either tin or plastic, which when dip in seawater, appears luminous easily attracting the squids.



The candat is usually fastened with eight to 10 hooks made from steel wires.



There are several types of candat which differs in shape like the buntal, twist, udang, umpan, siam and several others designed to hook different types of squids like the "torok, cumit-cumit, ketupat and jarum".



The tin or plastic-made twist and udang jiggers are fixed with fish hooks that are used to ensnare the squids. These jiggers are wrapped with colourful cloth to lure the squids.



As for the umpan jigger, it is shaped like a long rod where a bait like a small fish is attached to the rod.......



Link to full article - [url="http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=200350"]http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=200350[/url]