A total of 370 participants took part in the fishing competition held as part of the 76th Anniversary of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) on Sunday (Dec. 7) at the UGM Wisdom Park Pond. The event was attended by members of the UGM academic community as well as residents living around the campus.
The fish-catching competition was officially opened with the release of three catfish mascots, each weighing approximately 1.2 kilograms. The release was carried out directly by the Chair of UGM’s 76th Anniversary Committee, Professor Suryono.
Moments later, participants simultaneously cast their fishing lines, marking the start of the much-anticipated strike fest.
“Happy fishing, enjoy the hunt, and most importantly, fish with joy,” Professor Suryono called out, encouraging participants to remain cheerful throughout the competition.
To further enliven the atmosphere, Professor Suryono announced a prize challenge for participants who landed the first catch.
“I have a challenge. Whoever catches a fish first will receive IDR 100,000, while anyone who catches a mascot fish will be rewarded with IDR 500,000,” he added.
Wardo, a resident living near UGM, became the first angler to land a fish after successfully catching a pomfret.
His achievement was immediately acknowledged by Professor Suryono; however, until the end of the three-hour fishing session, which ran from 7 to 10 a.m. Western Indonesian Time, none of the participants managed to catch any of the three mascot fish that had been released.
Despite the sunny weather and attractive prizes, several participants admitted that the fishing location presented its own unique challenges. Untung, one of the anglers, shared his less fortunate experience.
“This eastern side of the pond is known to be a bit wingit (mystical). People across the pond kept catching fish, while I only got five. That’s despite using anaconda worms,” he complained while preparing his bait.
Untung’s view was echoed by Fairul, another participant seated nearby. According to him, their chosen spot was comfortable for anglers but less appealing to fish.
“This is a spot that favors fishermen because it’s shady and not hot. But it seems the fish don’t like places like this,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Puji, a member of the UGM academic community stationed on the western side of the pond, shared a different experience.
“This spot is quite productive. My child and I caught around ten fish, including tilapia and catfish. It is rather hot, though, and quite crowded with anglers,” he said.
The lively fishing event concluded with a weighing session of the participants’ catches. Winners were determined based on the total weight of fish collected. The participants’ enthusiasm was supported by the large number of fish released into the pond.
The chair of the fishing competition committee for UGM’s academic community and surrounding residents explained that a total of nine quintals of fish had been released the day before the event.
Sulistiyo, who emerged as the first-place winner of the competition, expressed his joy at taking part. After participating in the competition for three consecutive years, he finally secured the top position this time.
“I didn’t expect to become the angler with the highest total catch. Earlier, I used the bomb technique. With this method, fish gather in one area, and one of them is bound to take the bait,” he concluded, explaining his strategy for catching a large number of fish.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: UGM Strategic Management Bureau