Fishing in Bang Saphan

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Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by migrant »

A couple guys I have gotten to know invited me to go fishing yesterday. They had one of their wive's (Thai) call Suchart boat tours down where the fishing boats are. Included in the ~7 hour trip was fishing, a little snorkeling at the end if we wanted, rods, bait, lures, lunch, snorkel gear (no fins) and water/soda, we brought our own adult beverage. The initial quote for the three of us was 5,000 bt which, very quickly, came down to 3,000 bt to which we agreed.

We met at their pier side office at 7, and left maybe 7:45 on a beautiful, calm Tuesday.

The boat was about 40-45 feet long, seats along the sides and a full canopy top, no head. First stop was up against this side of Koh Thalu. The captain said we were going to get bait fish, then go for the larger ones further out. He had a standard rod rigged with 5 small jigs and proceeded to cast and pull. We all did some of that and ended up with only about 8 of the 6-8 inch fish.

We went to the backside of the island and did the same thing, getting another 8, or so. "Go for big fish" Khun Supchart said

We went out further from Koh Thalu than the distance from the mainland to the island (make sense?) and the fishing began.

The Captain said we would Thai fish, like many of the commercial fisherman. This consisted of a styrofoam float painted orange on one end, and the other attached to about 30-40 feet fishing line. The captain attached a ~2 inch cubed piece of styrofoam about 8 inches from the bottom of the float. The idea being the little piece will cause the float to lay down on the water, but any fish strike would crush the little piece of styro and cause the float to stand up. No wonder there is so much styrofoam on the beaches!
Laying flat
Laying flat
photo (3).JPG (26.25 KiB) Viewed 7574 times
Excited after a strike
Excited after a strike
photo (2).JPG (26.94 KiB) Viewed 7574 times

He put out 6 floats and we then waited about an hour (beverage time!). We got visited by a couple friends of the captains showing off the large fish they caught using the same technique and they gave us some more bait fish. It was a dead calm day at that point
Calm, not the distance from Koh Thalu, we were out there!
Calm, not the distance from Koh Thalu, we were out there!
photo (4).JPG (17.44 KiB) Viewed 7574 times
No luck here so we pulled up the lines and moved closer to the island. We dropped in about 8 lines and after 10 minutes one of the styrofoam floats was standing up like, well never mind you get the idea. We went over and pulled up a good size fish, called a King Fish by the captain. It looked like a bonito to me and was around 5 kilo
Nice fish
Nice fish
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Next to my size 13 foot
Next to my size 13 foot
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After another hour, no more luck so we went to another spot fishing traditionally with lures, and the jigs. Some small bait fish, but nothing of size. BTW I got yelled at for not bringing home some of the bait fish, Mrs m and MIL both love to eat them, but too small for me.

Finally packed it in and we cruised to the back side of Koh Thalu following the coastline around to the front. The trash on the backside was piled up deep, would take a month of Mondays for our Trash Heroes to clean!

At the front the Capt offered us 10-20 minutes snorkel time but at that point we declined. I love snorkeling, and diving, but realized I did not bring my prescription mask so any dive would probably have me reaching my hand into a moray thinking it a clownfish!

Back to the dock at around 3:00.

Some comments - This was not the fishing i expected, but it was very interesting (and relaxing!) (didn;t interfere with the adult beverages either). I would do again, but probably spend the float waiting time doing more traditional fishing.

The Captain, Khun Suchart himself, was great, good natured and, even without much English, able to communicate.

So for the 3 of us the total was 3,000 bt for the entire boat, 1,000 each.

The fish was excellent! We filleted it up back at home and got 4 large bags of meat, one of bones, scraps for soup, and a bag with the head, tail that no one used.

We took one bag of the meat (pretty much equal so 1/4 of the meat) and cooked it up for dinner, fantastic! Enough for 3 with about the same amount left over.

Will repeat as I mentioned.
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by Big Boy »

I've often considered it from Hua Hin, but I look at the boats, and as in your 'nice fish' photo, the sides of the boat look too shallow to be safe for a land lubber like me. I just fear I'd topple over and become bait.

You were out on a calm day. How would it have been if the sea was a little bit choppy?
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by migrant »

It would have been fine, I believe. The boat was pretty broad, and good freeboard on it. Bumby, sure, but I believe fine.

The friends were going to go out their last time here, about a month ago, and the tour company said no it was too rough, so they do monitor it.

I know you have transport, but they can also arrange to pick up in HH I read on tripadvisor
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by migrant »

Just relooked at my photos BB and can see your concern. It really wasn't a small boat, I could not reach the water sitting by the side of the boat. Perhaps if I leaned way over, but a lot of distance!
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

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No, my concern is deck to the top of the boat's side does not even reach knee height. I fear it could be more of a trip hazard than a safety feature in a lumpy sea.
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by Nereus »

Big Boy wrote:No, my concern is deck to the top of the boat's side does not even reach knee height. I fear it could be more of a trip hazard than a safety feature in a lumpy sea.
I think that you will find that the section of deck in the photo is just a small raised foredeck, not the main deck.
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by Big Boy »

Nereus wrote:the section of deck in the photo is just a small raised foredeck
Can you confirm that please migrant?

Many of the boats I've seen up in Hua Hin the deck runs throughout at that height. I was watching a documentary just before Christmas where it said it was a design feature on smaller boats to prevent them being swamped.
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by migrant »

BB, Nereus is correct. The photo is just the front bow of the boat. The rest has seats along the sides and the walls are more than a meter high, not much chance there. The awning is also secured by very steady iron about every meter, or so.

Your biggest problem is the canopy, I'm 6 foot and my head was inches from it! Low bridge!!
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by migrant »

The Captain was also very careful. At one time the three of us sat on one side. He asked for one of us to switch to the other side for balance.

I've had many boats and, while I can't argue with his thinking, I wouldn't have been so concerned, there was not much in the way of the boat leaning with the three of us on one side, but hey, he's the expert!
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by kendo »

Did the vessel have any safety equipment like life jackets life raft etc.
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Re: Fishing in Bang Saphan

Post by migrant »

kendo wrote:Did the vessel have any safety equipment like life jackets life raft etc.
Yes they required us to take lifejackets with us (but we didn't have to wear them). The boat also had a few of the throw rings attached to a line.
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