For whatever reason, Khram Marina Fishing Lodge has not been able to supply live bait to fish for the big guy out there, so Dene and I decided to try another boat. Dene talked with the local fish and tackle shop. They recommended a skipper –Ting- who runs out of Bang Saray. Dene did a little recon and found the boat. Although a little small, it was well kept and in good condition and we decided to give it a go.
We limited the trip to four people because of the boat size and were glad we did. Jeff, Khammoon, Dene and I boarded the boat from the first large pier in Bang Saray, stowed our gear and left under nice weather and flat seas.
The ‘Pladang King’ – Dene Mundy.
On the way out to the fishing grounds we trolled with Jeff’s 1,000 baht Rapela lures and, believe it or not, we hooked up. After a little pulling and tugging I managed to land a mackerel about two feet long. I never saw a mackerel except in a Japanese restaurant and was surprised at the size, but happy to finally catch a fish over a foot long.
We continued our trip and soon sailed into a pretty good squall, with thunder, rain and wind. We did our best to shelter ourselves, but on a small boat the space is limited. So there we were, four – actually three and a half as Khammoon was with us – large fisherman jammed into the captain’s cabin trying to stay dry – we were cozy but cramped.
When we anchored to start fishing, the storm was still with us. I can’t speak for everyone but I was quite happy to let the captain rig the rods and set them for fishing. We fished for about an hour, or should I say the captain fished and we watched from the cabin. When the weather started to clear, we emerged from our cocoon and began fishing. The captain was soaked to the bone and took that opportunity to change to dry clothes. I was very impressed with the amount of effort he put into the business of fishing.
After a bit Dene hooked-up and he fought the fish for quite a while, but the fish was cagy and slipped the hook and escaped the mighty pladang king. Later I managed to hook and land a barracuda about three feet long. Man that’s an evil looking fish; wouldn’t want to meet him when you’re snorkeling. We fished for a couple of more hours with not much action so we decided to drift-fish for the smaller and more plentiful jacks and pladang.
Fishing for the larger fish is demanding. The currents offshore around the islands are strong and require large weights to get the bait down to the bottom. When a fish is hooked you fight the fish and the weight. This type of fishing is not for everyone. I think most of our group prefer fishing for the smaller species which is physically easier and there is a lot more action. We drift-fished the afternoon and all came back with generous bags of jacks, pladang etc.
This was a trial trip I will summarize like this:
Pros: The boat is clean and neat and mechanically sound. It is well equipped with a half dozen good quality large fishing poles, clean and well maintained; weights and rigs were all provided by the captain.
The boat was well supplied with good quality life vests stowed above the fishing area for easy access. There are sun-rain shades both front and rear, very important for a days fishing. The toilet facility, although small, was clean and useable.
Even though the boat is smaller than the Khram Marine boat it is adequate for four fishermen to fish comfortably. Most important, the skipper is pleasant and a tireless worker and it appeared he truly wanted to catch fish. He never stopped checking rods for bait and depth; it wore me out watching him.
Cons: The boat is smaller than the Khram boat and considerably less comfortable. Seating is limited and there is little room to walk around. The railings were a little low and made it difficult fishing for the small fish. If the swell or chop were large that boat might be a little scary. Also, the captain seems to be a big fish guy and most of his focus is on trying to catch the big ones.
Conclusion: The trip was a success, with an assortment of both large and small fish – bags three to five kilo. So, if you want to try for large quality fish and don’t mind a little loss of creature comfort give Ting a try you won’t be disappointed.
If you have a group of 2 – 4 people who would like to try this boat contact Dene on 081 862 6279 to make arrangements. The boat plus tip costs Baht 6,000 and fishing equipment and live bait is supplied.
