Fishing is the primary livelyhood of the locals in Pundaquit. With their ocean facing the waters of the china sea, pelagic and migratory fish are attracted to the structures and reef of the Philippine waters. Locals will hangout at the shores at around 4:30 in the morning while eating their breakfast and drinking coffee, just waiting for any sign that the sun is about to shine. Once they are set, the shores of Pundaquit will look like a barren beach in less than 15 minutes.

Fishermen don’t need to travel that far. Yellowfin Tuna, Skipjack tuna, Wahoo and even their first class (to them it is) King Mackerels will be around less than 20miles out to sea. These predators frequent the waters and are caught by locals to be sold in the market.

Just this year (2008) I was lucky enough to try getting my feet wet around the waters in Pundaquit. I have always love fishing and it is my primary past time since I was a kid. I caught my first Yellowfin Tuna just 2 miles out of Pundaquit shores behind Camara Island. Earlier that day, I caught a King Mackerel which I gave to my boatman.

Recently, my friends from the FilipinoAngers.Org has been having luck landing a few good ones. I am quite sure they will be going back and bring their friends with them for some fishing and time off their busy lifestyle.

Pundaquit boatmen have a keen eye on their work and would surely love to have you as a client in their boats for a fishing adventure. It is advised that you buy shrimps in Olongapo’s wet market around 6AM if you plan to go bottom fishing. For trolling, I suggest you leave the shores around 4:30AM in the morning and move around the structures behind Capones Island with the hopes of hooking up with a good size Wahoo or King Mack.

For some serious fishing, going straight to the FADs will be your main goal. That is where most adult YFT, Billfish and other pelagic species love to hangout move about. So better be ready with your best gear and tackle. There won’t be any catch and release once you hook up with a big one. It’ll make you pay with every line that you have and all the tugging action that will haunt you in your dreams that’ll make you ask for more.

But we all need to know that not every fishing trip holds the promise of catching fish. There will be days when you get skunked and there will be days or should I say, mere few hours and your coolers are already full to the brim.

So good luck, tight lines and see you at the FADs.