Epic fish porn [Picture X-Heavy]

[MuskieBait]

Well, the pictures of Mekong Giant Catfish, Giant Barb (aka Siamese Carp) and Redtail Catfish were caught from a pay venue. These are very popular in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia. Normally, I would not like to fish in an artificial environment (ie, stocked ponds, rivers, lakes...etc). However, since the Mekong Giant Catfish and Giant Barb are critically endangered in the wild, I made the exception. This was a more ecologically sound option than to fish for a wild population that is already struggling. There is no need for extra angling pressure to place on the wild fish.

I'll keep this brief. I'm actually compiling a travel log for that trip. I usually write my trip reports quite quickly, but that one had taken a long time due to various reasons.

I started fishing this pond at 8am in the morning and within 15 minutes, I had already caught the Giant Barb. This fish was estimated to be 25lbs. The Giant Barb was one of the more difficult fish to catch since it prefers quiet settings and they usually feed at dawn and dusk, which meant the prime hours are limited.

The next fish was the Giant Mekong Catfish. It was the most numerous fish in the pond and the easiest to catch. However, for one reason or another, I didn't catch this fish until around 1pm. It was a pretty strong fish going about 70lbs. I think I brought it in under 10 minutes only...pretty short for such a large fish. About a hour later, I landed another Mekong Catfish that was about 60lbs. During the day, the catfish were very active. All you need to do was to cast a method bait ball into the vicinity of the fish, and the fish will respond to the bait ball hitting the water (and exploding into a cloud of chum), come in and gulp down the bread dough ball we use on the hook. It's very simple...and it really only take a few casts to hook up. After catching the two Mekong Catfish, I told my "guide" that I don't want to catch them anymore. I wanted to focus on other fish that are in the pond but I haven't caught yet. These included Alligator Gar, Suribim Catfish, Redtail Catfish and Arapaima.

I was using both rods to soak method mix and dead sardines for the predators I listed above. I could see Redtail Catfish surfacing once in a while but they just wouldn't eat. Once dusk fell, the activity began. I had positioned two dead sardines along the margins of the water plants near the shore. These are places where Arapaima and Redtail Catfish would hunt. I got about 3-4 light pick ups. One of them is likely an Arapaima based on the way it was picked up. None of them held the bait long enough to set the hook though. Finally, with about 10 minutes left of my day (the trip finishes at 8pm), I had a fish picked up the bait and made a long run. This Redtail Catfish was about 40kg according to two separate guides and it took me about 10 minutes to land. They don't look as heavy as they actually weight...but these fish have large bony heads where most of the weight was allocated. You couldn't tell in the picture, but I was really straining to hold the fish up for the picture.

The reason why all the pictures were taken in the water is to protect the fish. Since these fish were privately stocked into the pond and these ponds are ran as businesses, these fish are the most important investment. The guides take all precautions to protect the investment. The fish were netted in large cradle nets (they were fashioned by hula hoops and netting) and kept in the water the whole time. Picture sessions were limited to no more than a minute in total, and the fish was allowed to rest in the water between each shot. The guides also apply iodine to the hook would to prevent infection. Special fish such as the Giant Barb and Redtail Catfish were placed into a recovery pen where they would rest for 24 hours before being released back into the pond.

I actually appreciate the extend of care these operations put into their fish. The fish that are stocked by these private operators came from hatcheries. It is encouraging that at least a population of these endangered fish (albeit a "tamed" husbandry population) are maintained so that perhaps one day they can be reestablished in the wild.

If you are ever in Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore, look up these fishing venues and try them out! Bung Sam Ran is internationally acclaimed as the best venue for Giant Mekong Catfish. It's scary that the average weight of fish at BSR is between 20-30kg and a decent full day session is between 20-30 Mekong Catfish per person. There are many fish landed that are in the 80-100lb range, and I've read about sessions where people quit fishing after a half day when their bodies gave out after landing 20+ catfish.