Culvert 10 area a hotspot for fishing in Kelantan

Hoping for a good catch: Shamsul casting his net from a ‘gere’ at Culvert 10 in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan. — Bernama

PASIR MAS: The receding water level of Sungai Lachang after the third wave of floods has blessed freshwater fish enthusiasts around Rantau Panjang with easy access to various fish species.

It is even more interesting to watch these freshwater fish hunters casting their nets while standing on a “gere” (a square-shaped platform) built by the locals in the middle of the river.

Among them were Shamsul Yusof, 49, and his 36-year-old wife, Suraya Hamid, from Kampung Tasek Gondang, who came to an area known to locals as Culvert 10 in Pengkalan Teluk.

“Since the water level has receded, casting nets has become easier. The ‘gere’ was built so that people do not have to stand in the water to cast their nets,” Shamsul told Bernama here yesterday.

“Although casting nets may seem easy, it requires proper technique to achieve satisfactory results.”

Since the first wave of floods, the Culvert 10 area has become a focal point for many freshwater fish enthusiasts, and locals can be seen fishing almost every evening.

“There are various species here, such as ikan tenggalan (crossbanded barb), toman (giant snakehead), patin (silver catfish), tembakang (kissing gourami), and baung (a type of catfish). If you’re lucky, you can even get udang galah (giant freshwater prawns),” Shamsul said.