Filipino-Australian Fishing Vlogger: Jim Agbisit
Interview by Roselle Tenefrancia
Some people vlog for legacy – capturing moments on video to show future grandchildren the life they have lived. One such person is Jim Agbisit who produces OzPinoy Fishing Adventures on YouTube, and owns the Facebook page of the same title. (OzPinoy is a contraction for the term Australian-Filipino, with Pinoy being an informal self-reference term used by Filipinos for citizens of the Philippines and their culture, as well as for overseas Filipinos in diaspora.)
When Jim arrived in Australia in 2013 to live in Rockhampton, he had to leave his family behind in the Philippines. To keep his mind off his homesickness and missing his family, he joined a group of Filipinos who encouraged him to try out fishing. “Basic fishing lang para maaliw [I only did basic fishing just to keep myself entertained],” he reminisces. At this time, he only used the “bait-and-wait” technique.
When Jim’s family joined him the year after, they all became involved in fishing, and it became their regular family picnic adventure. They would have their fishing gear but were not really targeting specific fish, as they were just happy doing things together at At that time, and Jim was content with basic gear and simple fishing activities.
Things changed when they moved to Brisbane in 2015. “I was watching people on jetties. I saw them using lures, so I learned by copying them,” he shares. “I really became interested in lure fishing and using jig heads, so I started watching videos on YouTube and social media to learn more. That’s when I started lure fishing.”
In 2018, he joined local fishing groups, and followed accounts on social media. He was really keen to learn more about fishing and taught himself for the most part. He also created his own YouTube channel and Facebook page, OzPinoy Fishing Adventures.
The idea came to him as he wanted to record himself (and sometimes his family) as he went about his fishing adventures. At that time, he really just wanted a platform to document his activities. However, things changed again, when the COVID lockdown started.
“During the pandemic, work time was cut down,” he says. “I had more time for fishing, and also increased my posts on YouTube and Facebook. That’s when my channel picked up with followers too. Because of social distancing rules, I would fish mostly by myself along the North Pine River. I was using bait-and-wait, as well as lure casting at the same time. I would catch bream and flathead, and sometimes even trevally.”
So, in 2020, his YouTube channel became really active. Many fellow Filipinos started to follow him and reach out to him. It is through his channel and social media platform that he met other Filipinos from the Gold Coast through the Sunshine Coast who are also avid fishers. “As a Filipino, I believe in the kababayan [fellow countryman] spirit. I share my knowledge in the videos I post. I also share the places where I go – no secrets,” he states.
Through his YouTube channel, other Filipino fishers have been inviting him to go on the boats with them. He has recently been involved in fishing for sport. He has joined the 2023 King of the Pin competition, and has gone fishing several times offshore from Surfers Paradise and on the Broadwater.
Jim has also reached many other followers, not only Filipinos. He appreciates other people’s suggestions and advice. “Sometimes, I post questions, and people share their answers.
This is how I learn about things I do not know about,” he says. “But I also get criticized by some people online. Many of those who post negative comments are just being cynical or offensive even if I have not done anything wrong. Some are even racial slurs against Asians. I just brush them off as I know I have not done anything illegal.”
“Some people think that all Asians just catch whatever fish, regardless of size and kind, to eat. What they don’t acknowledge is that we respect and follow the rules. So it is unfair for people to judge us just because of how we look.”
Growing up in a nation of islands, Jim knew fishing mainly as a means of livelihood. “Recreational fishing is not a popular activity in the Philippines. Fishing is a means of livelihood for many coastal dwellers there,” he shares. When he became involved in recreational fishing in Australia, he discovered a new aspect of fishing, and he knew he had to follow the rules. “Of course, some of the rules are interesting and I don’t understand the reason for them. For example, it is illegal to take tilapia here, but in the Philippines, tilapia is a common fish in our cuisine, like in other Asian countries. However, I know to follow the rules here, and I kill and dispose of them as required.”
Jim has also witnessed some fishers catching undersized fish while out on the boat. He would tell them off, and convince them not to conduct illegal fishing. He would warn them of the hefty fines too and remind them of the rules, when called for. “The Filipino mindset of ‘pwede na yan’ [you can get away with it] cannot work,” he often reminds others.
Jim usually catches fish to consume, such as tailor, mackerel, bream, trevally, cod and whiting. He does not usually engage in catch-and- release, unless it is a fish he is not familiar with. As a Filipino family, fish is part of their staple diet. He shares how he likes the fish served – mostly cooked the Filipino way. “We like making tempura with whiting. Then with bream, we usually fry it or make sarciadong isda [a Filipino dish of fish simmered in tomatoes and onions]. For trevally and cod, we make sinigang, Filipino sour soup.”
Jim fishes every weekend with friends and family, or sometimes by himself as a way to relieve stress. His family is very supportive and encourage him to keep fishing and to continue his vlog on YouTube. Jim is very particular about teaching his young son the value of an activity like fishing. He believes that it introduces kids to nature and the outdoors. “It teaches them motor skills. And they will also learn to decide when to cast, when to let go, when to reel in. It helps increase their confidence and make them more independent.” He also says that through his boating and fishing adventures, he is able to explore and discover the wonderful waterways of Southeast Queensland from the Broadwater to Moreton Bay, and offshore. By living his passion and by sharing this with others through his YouTube channel and Facebook page, he has gained many good friends, and even landed a dream job. All he really wanted was a platform for him to document his own adventures, as a legacy to his children and future grandchildren and their children. But by keeping true to his calling, he was able to accomplish more than what he ever dreamed of.
Check out Jim’s adventures on his YouTube channel and Facebook page: OzPinoy Fishing Adventures
Published in print October-December 2023
