Predator & Carp Fishing Thailand Safari
Thailand resident and regular angler to Bungsamran - Steve, invited his friend Ian to join him on a Thailand fishing holiday with The Fish Thailand Team.
The first day's fishing was at the famous predator fishing lake called IT Lake Monsters, offering the most prolific and diverse predator fishing in Thailand. With any Amazon & Thai mixed predator fishing lake the sport can vary considerably. Today however the sport was extreme fishing from the minute the baits were dropped into the margins of this exotic lake. At no point in the first hour of fishing were all of the four livebait rods all fishing as the action was just too fast. Steve's very first fish was a cracking 15lb giant snakehead followed shortly by a good size arapaima for Ian estimated at 60lb. From this point the Amazon redtail catfish got their head's down and gave non-stop action throughout the morning. With a short two hour slack period around early afternoon it was calculated that ten different fish species had been caught. Several times have anglers caught ten different amazon & Thai fish species with Fish Thailand but as of yet never more. Towards the end of the day with plenty more repeat species already landed, Steve caught the first redtail/tiger catfish hybrid totaling eleven fish species in a day's fishing.
Day two found Steve & Ian casting lures on light tackle for the barramundi at the well known Boon Mar Ponds. Fishing in Thailand for barramundi has become increasingly popular over the years as Steve & Ian found out why. Superb sport and even more exhilarating fights had Steve & Ian locked into a competition with Steve leading for most of the day; however Ian caught up with a succession of big barramundi to level the score at a draw. Barramundi to 24lb were caught making for a great light hearted day before they entered into the jungle on their carp fishing safari.
The first day of any jungle carp fishing safari is spent traveling the long way to Khao Laem Dam, echo-sounding the pre-baited swim and tackling up. The next two days were for fishing and taking a look at the above pictures anyone will agree that there are not many carp heavens like this. Indian carp fishing in Thailand typically is at it's best from September through to December, however Steve & Ian were keen on just being in such a beautiful fishing environment so accepted that the fishing may not be so easy. As it happens the fishing was terrific for the given time of year with Indian carp (rohu) to 18lb being landed and huge black carp to 12lb, regretfully there were a couple of snagged fish that got away but it's not often there are not!
