Fishing Lake In Ban Pong?

[rich1uk]

Can anyone help me find this lake

I have the name of "IT Lake monsters" and its in Ban pong,Ratchaburi province

all the links I have followed lead to tour sites which Id rather avoid

but it looks like some fantastic fishing there, preditors and redtail catfish

any help appreciated been searching for hours!

rich

[rufanuf]

Hi,

Why would you rather avoid the tour companies? Being one I can tell you that even if you find the website for IT Lake Monsters the manager (Mr Tawan) will simply refer you to one of the tour companies anyway. Why? You may ask.

Because like so many Thai Fishing Venues they are not exactly geared up for satisfying the needs of a farang angler, and they certainly wouldnt want to lose face by messing up your day! For example, lets say you know exactly where Lake Monsters is, can get in your car and travel the 110km from Bangkok (for example) but you take inappropriate tackle for your day. How will you overcome the problem? Believe me when I tell you your better of going with a tour company (certainly at least once anyway) even as an expat.

Also I can tell you that there are as with so many Thai fisheries specific ways in which to get the the best results out of Lake Monsters, which at up to 7000BHT a day just for the day ticket you would want to know! Otherwise you might find it hard to understand how the venue can charge so much.

The fish handlers on Lake Monsters may try and help you, but they are not in the strictest sense there to guide you, they handle the fish on behalf of the owner to try and ensure their well being.

Good Luck in your searching.

Siam Fishing Tours

[rich1uk]

Sorry for the delay ,I was expecting an email notification on reply but didn't get one .

Yes I agree with you going unprepared and being a novice without the correct gear would be a mistake,and bad for the fish.

to explain we have family in Bkk who come along / take us fishing ,

We fish a few lakes with them which all are different ,and its all great sport.

Ill take another look at your site ,

thanks for your response

Rich

[robee]

Hi,

Why would you rather avoid the tour companies? Being one I can tell you that even if you find the website for IT Lake Monsters the manager (Mr Tawan) will simply refer you to one of the tour companies anyway. Why? You may ask.

Because like so many Thai Fishing Venues they are not exactly geared up for satisfying the needs of a farang angler, and they certainly wouldnt want to lose face by messing up your day! For example, lets say you know exactly where Lake Monsters is, can get in your car and travel the 110km from Bangkok (for example) but you take inappropriate tackle for your day. How will you overcome the problem? Believe me when I tell you your better of going with a tour company (certainly at least once anyway) even as an expat.

Also I can tell you that there are as with so many Thai fisheries specific ways in which to get the the best results out of Lake Monsters, which at up to 7000BHT a day just for the day ticket you would want to know! Otherwise you might find it hard to understand how the venue can charge so much.

The fish handlers on Lake Monsters may try and help you, but they are not in the strictest sense there to guide you, they handle the fish on behalf of the owner to try and ensure their well being.

Good Luck in your searching.

Siam Fishing Tours

cool website, thanks for info

[bonzor]

Hi,

Why would you rather avoid the tour companies? Being one I can tell you that even if you find the website for IT Lake Monsters the manager (Mr Tawan) will simply refer you to one of the tour companies anyway. Why? You may ask.

Because like so many Thai Fishing Venues they are not exactly geared up for satisfying the needs of a farang angler, and they certainly wouldnt want to lose face by messing up your day! For example, lets say you know exactly where Lake Monsters is, can get in your car and travel the 110km from Bangkok (for example) but you take inappropriate tackle for your day. How will you overcome the problem? Believe me when I tell you your better of going with a tour company (certainly at least once anyway) even as an expat.

Also I can tell you that there are as with so many Thai fisheries specific ways in which to get the the best results out of Lake Monsters, which at up to 7000BHT a day just for the day ticket you would want to know! Otherwise you might find it hard to understand how the venue can charge so much.

The fish handlers on Lake Monsters may try and help you, but they are not in the strictest sense there to guide you, they handle the fish on behalf of the owner to try and ensure their well being.

Good Luck in your searching.

Siam Fishing Tours

cool website, thanks for info

I too would prefer to avoid tour companies and their lakes. they are the equivalent of carp puddles in the UK. Too many fish, fish often have damaged mouths and prices are through the roof, plus if you catch certain species you have to pay a surcharge on top of the basic fee. There are equally big fish in the lakes thais use, in fact the fishing and the atmosphere is usually better. It's only my opinion but I believe such lakes as you list are more about catching angling tourists than fish. There's a lake near banpong with fish over 200 kg for 100 baht a day...why pay more?

[bonzor]

Hi,

Why would you rather avoid the tour companies? Being one I can tell you that even if you find the website for IT Lake Monsters the manager (Mr Tawan) will simply refer you to one of the tour companies anyway. Why? You may ask.

Because like so many Thai Fishing Venues they are not exactly geared up for satisfying the needs of a farang angler, and they certainly wouldnt want to lose face by messing up your day! For example, lets say you know exactly where Lake Monsters is, can get in your car and travel the 110km from Bangkok (for example) but you take inappropriate tackle for your day. How will you overcome the problem? Believe me when I tell you your better of going with a tour company (certainly at least once anyway) even as an expat.

Also I can tell you that there are as with so many Thai fisheries specific ways in which to get the the best results out of Lake Monsters, which at up to 7000BHT a day just for the day ticket you would want to know! Otherwise you might find it hard to understand how the venue can charge so much.

The fish handlers on Lake Monsters may try and help you, but they are not in the strictest sense there to guide you, they handle the fish on behalf of the owner to try and ensure their well being.

Good Luck in your searching.

Siam Fishing Tours

cool website, thanks for info

I too would prefer to avoid tour companies and their lakes. they are the equivalent of carp puddles in the UK. Too many fish, fish often have damaged mouths and prices are through the roof, plus if you catch certain species you have to pay a surcharge on top of the basic fee. There are equally big fish in the lakes thais use, in fact the fishing and the atmosphere is usually better. It's only my opinion but I believe such lakes as you list are more about catching angling tourists than fish. There's a lake near banpong with fish over 200 kg for 100 baht a day...why pay more?

In fact lake monsters, as one poster admits will refer you to a tour company. I wonder why? Could it be the fees? Try seeing how many thais fish the lake, in fact the lake is set up purely to cater for falang anglers, so the idea that the the owners will run a mile at the sight of a falang is hilarious. I'm trying to think if I've ever seen a thai pay to fish there. No, no, I haven't and as it's my local lake you would think I might know about that. There are tackle shops all over the place and you can buy everything you need to tackle anything. All my tackle is bought in thailand and that includes braid, top spec hooks and imported specimen rods from the states. When tour companies hype up the difficulties, it's scare mongering. I can see there's a role for tour companies in fishing the wilds, but not a tame fish pond near banpong that caters exculsively for falangs. The guides will help and assist in anyway they can. They show you how to fish, rig up, cast out and unhook if you want.

[ThailandFishingBangkok]

hi there Rich 1UK

not all companies are bad,read this post and you may well be supprised !!!!

ok now with all this information hang on a moment I think people are leading, some up the jungle path!!!

It Lake monsters is open to the public!

it is well known to the Thais as it has been around for years, it was a lure lake before it was fished with bait.

here is Mr Tawan's Phone number 08599 99646 just had a word with him and it is fine that I post his number.

in fact he was very thankful that I called and asked.

now his english is limited so if you have problems you can give me a PM and I can sort things out for you

here are the costs from memory

full day live baiting 7,000 baht

half day live baiting 3,500 Baht

lure and fly full day 3,500 Baht

ok when live baiting they allow you 2 rods for that price.

they will supply you the bait (or you can take your own)

they DO NOT want you to un-hook yourself they will do that for you!

when it comes to gear then you do have to supply your own, the main rule is that you have to use barbless hooks.

ok now if you want to bookwith them direct then drop me a line and I will help sort it for you.

as for the address sorry to say that I dont know how to describe it as the wife sorts that end for me but if you are there then the local taxi drivers of the local hotels will give you the directions it is only a few km from town easy to find, but to be honest I am normaly asleep.

when there the lake guides will help you with gear, they will recomend where and how to fish, also if you show them your tackle box then they will point out the best to use.

the main one is dont use light gear, make sure that you have a good strong line (like 50 lbs braid) a good selection of hooks, around 3/0 4/0 and good swivels ohhh and some floats if you want to float fish.

yes there are a few tricks to the place if you are targeting the big fish, but you can still have a stunning days fishing without a guide and I should know as I am a professional fishing guide here in Thailand.

I have a Fishing Company that has been rated as the best by some companies, so you amy well as why I have taken a different line and given away the "secrets" like how to get in contact with the lake?

the answer to this is easy, we sell our skills as a fishing guides, we also land some of the bigest fish out there, that takes a special skill and experience. we dont need to hide lakes, we like to be honest with the information and let people decide.

if you want any other information lakes or places to fish in Thailand then just drop me a PM and I will do my best to help you out

kiwi

[ThailandFishingBangkok]

as for the price it is the same for tour companies as it is if you go direct ! there is no discount and no comission !

it is not cheap but hey the fish that you land are not cheap !

Arapaima at 1 meter can cost as much as 10,000 baht and this species is very easy to kill, they take special handing and still you get a high death rate so when looking at the costs of staff, investment into stock and replacement stock dont expect to be fishing for Arapaima for cheap! hey if you dont like It Lake Monster prices you could always try fishing the Arapaima at Bung Sam Ran for 20,000 baht a day, and that is not tour company rates that is going direct!

Quality fishing costs money, you also need quality gear, and unless you are lucky then experience does pay off. This is why people book with guides even if it is just for the one trip.

for a further contact number for booking at It Lake Monsters if you have problems, you can call Kag on 08920 98219 she speaks both Thai and English so can translate for your booking with the lake.

just so that you are not put off, Kag is also a fishing guide so can give you some good information as well on the fishing, plus directions :-)

if calling Kag please make it clear that you want to make a direct booking with the lake and not take a guide dont worry she wont be offended.

these postings are not advertising, I have not stated my company nor have I stated my company phone number. they are for free information for going direct to IT Lake Monsters, we get no comission and we dont get any kick backs from helping to book there, but I must say that we do get a good reputation.

there is a lot of statements on this forum about Fishing Tour Companies and a lot of it is not good, But a lot of it is the truth.

but please dont tar us all with the same brush some are honest and would like to help.

so get the rods out and have some fun! if you would like any further info post a question and we will do our best to answer it.

[robblok]

I dont agree here with those fishing tours. They are real expensive in general.

For predator fishing i might use them but for normal fishing you could do it yourself.

I have fished at bung sam ran and at ngau nam and many other lakes, its so much more fun to fish yourself.

One person stated what if you don't have the right tackle your day is ruined.. but you can just buy some almost all fishing ponds big and small sell tackle.

But in the end its up to yourself do you like it if everything is done for you or do you like to try some things for yourself.If not fishing for aripaima i would try yourself first many thais are willing to help they are quite nice ppl. I have taken many angles from my home country on some fishing trips to bung sam ran just for free (just the ones i clicked with of course). Why because i like fishing with ppl and i met those ppl on the dutch fora.

I have seen others pay up to 6000 bath for fishing at bungsamran while a normal day fishing would normaly cost 1000 + 300 bait = 1300. Ok then you dont have a bungalow or a fishguide. If you hire those too you would pay around 3000 in total.

If they want to make a buck that their business but they should not act like fishing in Thailand (on catfish) is that hard.

Predator fish might be a different story i have never fished for those yet. And if the price is that high of going in then take someone who knows what he is doing.

I am talking here about ppl who live here ppl who are on a holiday and dont have the time to find things out themselves would be better off with a fishing guide.

[rich1uk]

lots of help there thanks all..

We had a good trip ..

did BSR and ngau nam and a few others lakes maybe next visit I can make it to IT lakes nxt year .. I can understand the loss rates on the predator fish must be higher and as such so is the price to fish..plus the unhooking guys wages ect

which kind of put me off going there ..7000 baht plus transport ect is a big chunk out of my budjet..

had a great time didnt catch anything really big but to be fair I didnt put the time in..best fish I had was a big mouth carp ... had about 5 days fishing in total..

got some new lakes to fish next visit

Tight lines all and thanks again

Rich

[robblok]

lots of help there thanks all..

We had a good trip ..

did BSR and ngau nam and a few others lakes maybe next visit I can make it to IT lakes nxt year .. I can understand the loss rates on the predator fish must be higher and as such so is the price to fish..plus the unhooking guys wages ect

which kind of put me off going there ..7000 baht plus transport ect is a big chunk out of my budjet..

had a great time didnt catch anything really big but to be fair I didnt put the time in..best fish I had was a big mouth carp ... had about 5 days fishing in total..

got some new lakes to fish next visit

Tight lines all and thanks again

Rich

If next year you want to fish and it is not in one of my busy periods (work wise) we could fish together if it suits you. I might bring an other english lad with me. I like meeting new ppl and fishing so if your up to it just let me know. Im fish crazy when im not working too much i try to go to ngau nam or bungsamran 1 or 2 times a week. (currently i prefer ngau nam because its closer to my home)

[rufanuf]

Sorry i haven't made a further contribution to this thread until now, I got no E-mail notification of some of the daft comments posted here.

Lets make one thing clear, everyone is entitled to organise their fishing anyway they choose. The reason there is a market for the services of fishing tour companies is becuase some people (plenty in fact) recognise the value of the research and experience that these services provide, regardless of the venue in question. Those that don't will make their own way, many then realise after the fact they ended up spending more money time and effort learning about both the locations of venues and how to get the best results whilst fishing them, than they would of done if they simply used a tour/guide service the once to cut down on all the wasted time.

We have fished many expats at all the venues we promote and many have gone on to fish the venues themselves and been gratful for the little extra money they initially spent to save them the hassle of trying to locate the venues in question, and more importantly identifying the correct tackle and techniques to get the best results, if this were not true there wouldnt be a fishing guide or tour service on the planet!! Then how would you guys get to know about all the wonderful fishing opportunities out there??? An interesting question eh? I wonder if the person who started this thread would even be interested in Lake Monsters if he hadnt found a website with some pictures of some fantastic fish captured there. And whose websites are they? Tour companies!! Its easy to say you know what to do or where to go when someone else has already shown you the way. So you see tour companies are not just about providing a service to anglers, but also venues and thier owners too.

Bonzor,

Your post is very misleading, trying to put words in our mouths. I never stated that "the owners will run a mile at the sight of a falang..." They would love to see you, but to say the venue is geared up for farangs is a falsehood. They are geared up for tour companies. They do not provide the necessary tackle to fish the venue, and even if they did it wouldnt be what most European anglers want to use, and you wont find anything that European anglers want to use in a local tackle shop in Ban Pong! Thai's have a very different idea of what is appropriate tackle for various different fishing styles, which is why they spend countless years snapping up on all the best specimens. As a matter of interest whats your biggest Arapaima??? Ours is 185kg for one of our customers on their first ever experience fishing in Thailand, can you boast such an accomplishment? We also currently hold the IGFA world record for the Arapaima which was captured by our client fair and square within the rules and weighed in at 86.28kg...at IT Lake Monsters! Both these fish where captured on tackle sets that cost in excess of 20,000BHT, add that to the cost of your days fishing on IT then see how much a day sets you back in total before deciding whether tour companies are expensive or not. Our best Mekong from Bungsamran is 101kg...and you? Our best Giant Siamese Carp 55kg....you see some people value that experience, if you dont of course you wont want to pay for it, which I undertsand entirely, but dont then try and make out that others are wrong for offering their experience as a service, or that their clients are wrong for buying it.

Siam Fishing Tours

[robblok]

Sorry i haven't made a further contribution to this thread until now, I got no E-mail notification of some of the daft comments posted here.

Lets make one thing clear, everyone is entitled to organise their fishing anyway they choose. The reason there is a market for the services of fishing tour companies is becuase some people (plenty in fact) recognise the value of the research and experience that these services provide, regardless of the venue in question. Those that don't will make their own way, many then realise after the fact they ended up spending more money time and effort learning about both the locations of venues and how to get the best results whilst fishing them, than they would of done if they simply used a tour/guide service the once to cut down on all the wasted time.

We have fished many expats at all the venues we promote and many have gone on to fish the venues themselves and been gratful for the little extra money they initially spent to save them the hassle of trying to locate the venues in question, and more importantly identifying the correct tackle and techniques to get the best results, if this were not true there wouldnt be a fishing guide or tour service on the planet!! Then how would you guys get to know about all the wonderful fishing opportunities out there??? An interesting question eh? I wonder if the person who started this thread would even be interested in Lake Monsters if he hadnt found a website with some pictures of some fantastic fish captured there. And whose websites are they? Tour companies!! Its easy to say you know what to do or where to go when someone else has already shown you the way. So you see tour companies are not just about providing a service to anglers, but also venues and thier owners too.

Bonzor,

Your post is very misleading, trying to put words in our mouths. I never stated that "the owners will run a mile at the sight of a falang..." They would love to see you, but to say the venue is geared up for farangs is a falsehood. They are geared up for tour companies. They do not provide the necessary tackle to fish the venue, and even if they did it wouldnt be what most European anglers want to use, and you wont find anything that European anglers want to use in a local tackle shop in Ban Pong! Thai's have a very different idea of what is appropriate tackle for various different fishing styles, which is why they spend countless years snapping up on all the best specimens. As a matter of interest whats your biggest Arapaima??? Ours is 185kg for one of our customers on their first ever experience fishing in Thailand, can you boast such an accomplishment? We also currently hold the IGFA world record for the Arapaima which was captured by our client fair and square within the rules and weighed in at 86.28kg...at IT Lake Monsters! Both these fish where captured on tackle sets that cost in excess of 20,000BHT, add that to the cost of your days fishing on IT then see how much a day sets you back in total before deciding whether tour companies are expensive or not. Our best Mekong from Bungsamran is 101kg...and you? Our best Giant Siamese Carp 55kg....you see some people value that experience, if you dont of course you wont want to pay for it, which I undertsand entirely, but dont then try and make out that others are wrong for offering their experience as a service, or that their clients are wrong for buying it.

Siam Fishing Tours

You try to make a buck that is nice but i believe expats don't have to use fishing companies its more fun to do it yourself. Also you do save a lot of money. You cant tell me it would cost only 1000 bath more. I have seen fishing companies cash in over 3000 bath for going to Bungsamran, its just not necessary you can save that.

I understand your need to make money but you dont see that others want to save money. I say live and let live, Thais are usualy pretty helpfull and if you got a Thai gf or speak Thai yourself you learn a lot at a lot lower cost.

If i were a tourist id use a fishing company if i were an expat i would not because expats have more time and can invest in tackle. Last time i was fishing and caught a lot more then the fishing tour.. they intact caught nothing while i had five this was in ngau nam. Must have been hard for them that Thais were catching the big pla bug's and they were not.

A fishing company is not a grantee for results, i have days that i catch good and others that i dont. I enjoy exploring a lake and finding out what works and what doesn't work. Not all ppl like that and if you dont and want to have everything done for you then go with a fishing company. If your a bit more of an angler yourself try to figure it out with the help of some Thais.

[rufanuf]

You try to make a buck that is nice but i believe expats don't have (isn't that what I just said in the previous post? People can organise their trips anyway they choose)to use fishing companies its more fun to do it yourself (if thats your view then that is what you will do). Also you do save a lot of money. (If you plan to fish regularly, and want to invest in decenbt fishing tackle for all styles, I agree, but to get a return on your investment you will likely need to fish at least one or twice a month) You cant tell me it would cost only 1000 bath more (No I cant becuase it doesnt unless your fishing in a group, how much do you work for for a day?). I have seen fishing companies cash in over 3000 bath for going to Bungsamran, its just not necessary you can save that. (If I could cash in 3000BHT for a day taking people to Bungsamran I would be a happy man...sounds like your confusing gross margins as opposed to net profits?)

I understand your need to make money but you dont see that others want to save money(really..."I dont see" For an expat with no transport and no tackle, of which thier are plenty, many of our trips work out cheaper). I say live and let live (so why this post trying to disuade others of the merits of tour companies?) Thais are usualy pretty helpfull and if you got a Thai gf or speak Thai yourself (Yes IF) you learn a lot at a lot lower cost. (Thais are helpful, and we like to pay them for it, not take it for free)

If i were a tourist id use a fishing company if i were an expat i would not because expats have more time and can invest in tackle.(of course) Last time i was fishing and caught a lot more then the fishing tour. they intact caught nothing while i had five this was in ngau nam.(well done) Must have been hard for them that Thais were catching the big pla bug's and they were not. (Yes it would be hard since they care if their customers catch or not)

A fishing company is not a grantee for results, (you would make a good customer!) i have days that i catch good and others that i dont.(as does everyone) I enjoy exploring a lake and finding out what works and what doesn't work. Not all ppl like that and if you dont and want to have everything done for you then go with a fishing company. If your a bit more of an angler yourself try to figure it out with the help of some Thais.(If you have time)

Robblok,

Thank you for arguing for the same points

[robblok]

(isn't that what I just said in the previous post? People can organise their trips anyway they choose)[/i]to use fishing companies its more fun to do it yourself (if thats your view then that is what you will do). Also you do save a lot of money. (If you plan to fish regularly, and want to invest in decenbt fishing tackle for all styles, I agree, but to get a return on your investment you will likely need to fish at least one or twice a month) You cant tell me it would cost only 1000 bath more (No I cant becuase it doesnt unless your fishing in a group, how much do you work for for a day?). I have seen fishing companies cash in over 3000 bath for going to Bungsamran, its just not necessary you can save that. (If I could cash in 3000BHT for a day taking people to Bungsamran I would be a happy man...sounds like your confusing gross margins as opposed to net profits?)

Ok here we agree, im talking about people who fish regularly and like fishing. I don't care how much you make i just point out the difference between going alone or going with a tour company i will be talking about people who live here and intent to fish on a regular basis.

I never confuse net profits with gross margin im a accountant, it is groos margin that counts for the angler because that is what he is paying extra.

I understand your need to make money but you dont see that others want to save money(really..."I dont see" For an expat with no transport and no tackle, of which thier are plenty, many of our trips work out cheaper). I say live and let live (so why this post trying to disuade others of the merits of tour companies?) Thais are usualy pretty helpfull and if you got a Thai gf or speak Thai yourself (Yes IF) you learn a lot at a lot lower cost. (Thais are helpful, and we like to pay them for it, not take it for free)

lThere are a lot of friendly Thais who will help you for free, everywhere in the world fellow fisherman help other fishermen for free. (this is how i met my Thai friends) They are willing to do that they are not employees the fish there too and give you some pointers. Im not telling people not to use a fishing tour company im telling them that it is a lot cheaper if you do it yourself. In economic times like this people like to save some money. (again im talking expats here not tourists)

If i were a tourist id use a fishing company if i were an expat i would not because expats have more time and can invest in tackle.(of course) Last time i was fishing and caught a lot more then the fishing tour. they intact caught nothing while i had five this was in ngau nam.(well done) Must have been hard for them that Thais were catching the big pla bug's and they were not. (Yes it would be hard since they care if their customers catch or not)

Only thing what i was trying to counter here was your argument you always catch beter with a fishingcompany. That is just not true i seen them blank out too, and of course they dont like seeing their clients catch nothing its bad for business and if they are true fishermen (what im sure they are) they feel bad for their clients.

A fishing company is not a grantee for results, (you would make a good customer!) i have days that i catch good and others that i dont.(as does everyone) I enjoy exploring a lake and finding out what works and what doesn't work. Not all ppl like that and if you dont and want to have everything done for you then go with a fishing company. If your a bit more of an angler yourself try to figure it out with the help of some Thais.(If you have time)

That is why im talking about expats and not tourists, tourists are on a shedual they dont have the time expats who live here and love fishing do.

For the big pla bug you can get a GT1 rod (used a lot here its about 2600 baht in rangsit) Buy a shimano 6500b with baitrunner and buy a braid or buy an extra spool and have nylon too. The shimano goes for around 4500 a braid 1000 bath. That gives you decent tackle for 10.000 baht. I myself have 13 rods or so here in Thailand so i agree one rod isnt enough if you want to fish for other species or have more fun. I have even imported some carp rods and feeder rods from shimano. But for the big fish 10.000 bath gives you decent tackle.

Im not one of casting reels but others are if you have a nice AVET reel for 5500 baht and a GT1 rod your also set to go.

The difference is you own the rod and if your going to fish for 3 years you can write it off in 3 years (good gear should last that long) Then it is not expensive at all.

But live and let live you provide service for tourists and that is what your good at, this is an expat board and i was talking about expats. Im pretty sure i would like you for real because i like fishing. Im not out here to destroy your business, im here to let other expat anglers fish cheaply and provide them with tips.

[rufanuf]

OK,

We provide a service to anyone who wants to book not just tourists, and like I say there are plenty of expats who are not in the same situation as you. We should know, we take them fishing.

Your advice on tackle is good, its clear you have plenty of experience on the Thai fishing scene, and like you say true fishermen are always willing to try and help other fishermen. The difficulties we have as a tour business is that when we spend time and money finding venues and reasearching them (by locating them and paying to fish them) , and then marketing them, we have to then try and get it back somehow, and I am sure you understand that being an accountant. So when we get enquiries about for example the whereabouts of venues from expats who dont want to contribute anything to our organisation financially its a tough call whether to help out or not. Especially if you then consider that its highly likely the only reason that person is interested in that venue is becuase it has been widely touted by tour companies! So they want the information without making a contribution to the person or organistaion who informed them about the opportunity.

In most cases we do help expats, however there are certain venues and circumstances where it simply isnt in our interests to offer free advice. For example if its a tiny venue, with only a few swims and we let all and sundry know about its location, it wont be long before we cannot even take our own customers there, this is tantamount to commercial sucide. Its a dilemma that isnt easy to to deal with at times, so we have to take each situation on its merits. This is nearly always true when we get enquiries from expats. We have on numerous occassions told expats they do not need our services, (becuase we would rather not take them, becuase we know they are going to share details that has cost us money to learn about, with all their mates and the next time we need a venue for a paying client it wont be free) their response is interesting, becuase you see there opinion is that they do need us! What would you say to them?

I started our business becuase like you I enjoy learning for myself researching venues, techniques etc is fun most of the time, and I love spending time with people fishing, I dont care about their residential status. But not everyone has either the time or inclination to do that, and some are happy to pay a little bit to get advice or assitance thankfully...just as an analogy, what if everybody had both the skill and the motivation to do their own accounts? Fortunately most havent, which is why your able to make a living out of it, on that note, you dont know a good accountant for Thai businesses do you? We are currently looking. Then you can see how much money we make/lose each year doing what we love to do!LOL

Edited March 15, 2009 by rufanuf

[robblok]

OK,

We provide a service to anyone who wants to book not just tourists, and like I say there are plenty of expats who are not in the same situation as you. We should know, we take them fishing.

Your advice on tackle is good, its clear you have plenty of experience on the Thai fishing scene, and like you say true fishermen are always willing to try and help other fishermen. The difficulties we have as a tour business is that when we spend time and money finding venues and reasearching them (by locating them and paying to fish them) , and then marketing them, we have to then try and get it back somehow, and I am sure you understand that being an accountant. So when we get enquiries about for example the whereabouts of venues from expats who dont want to contribute anything to our organisation financially its a tough call whether to help out or not. Especially if you then consider that its highly likely the only reason that person is interested in that venue is becuase it has been widely touted by tour companies! So they want the information without making a contribution to the person or organistaion who informed them about the opportunity.

In most cases we do help expats, however there are certain venues and circumstances where it simply isnt in our interests to offer free advice. For example if its a tiny venue, with only a few swims and we let all and sundry know about its location, it wont be long before we cannot even take our own customers there, this is tantamount to commercial sucide. Its a dilemma that isnt easy to to deal with at times, so we have to take each situation on its merits. This is nearly always true when we get enquiries from expats. We have on numerous occassions told expats they do not need our services, (becuase we would rather not take them, becuase we know they are going to share details that has cost us money to learn about, with all their mates and the next time we need a venue for a paying client it wont be free) their response is interesting, becuase you see there opinion is that they do need us! What would you say to them?

I started our business becuase like you I enjoy learning for myself researching venues, techniques etc is fun most of the time, and I love spending time with people fishing, I dont care about their residential status. But not everyone has either the time or inclination to do that, and some are happy to pay a little bit to get advice or assitance thankfully...just as an analogy, what if everybody had both the skill and the motivation to do their own accounts? Fortunately most havent, which is why your able to make a living out of it, on that note, you dont know a good accountant for Thai businesses do you? We are currently looking. Then you can see how much money we make/lose each year doing what we love to do!LOL

First and foremost about Thai accountants .. they are a rip off. I had to go to a few and got quoted prices that were unbelievable. I cant do the accounting myself because im a Dutch one. So i cant help you with accounting im not doing Thai accounting just Dutch. I did get one in the end that wasnt that expensive but only because he is not catering only to farang's so you need a Thai interpreter.

I don't see why you would tell your spots where you fish, your a business you should keep your secrets. That doesn't mean that others cant discuss it. I don't see why you should give out free information to expats and destroy your business. When i was going on about fishing companies i found them not necessary for expats that doesn't mean that the ones that are here should give away their secrets for free.

If i wanted to fish at a lake like that i would find out where it was by other means and not bother you with it. I don't like people who pretend to be customers only to get information.

You are true that people find those fishing lakes because fishing companies advertise with them (so you do the marketing and should get some rewards too).

I find my lakes with my Thai friends, im going to an other one soon near my home but i don't really like it its too small and has no tree's or anything around it. But im going just the same to please my friends and this is how i find new lakes. For now i prefer Ngau nam, because its close and i fish around 2 times a week.

I quit bungsamran for the dual pricing, i can afford (if i become a member for sure) but i just don't like the concept. I have been a member there and that does save money but it just doesn't feel right. That doesn't mean i will never go there if some friends come that are new to fishing and i have to produce fish its still the sure thing.

Happy fishing, different views don't mean there should be hostility

[rufanuf]

We have changed accountants twice already and still have some problems. If it not language its costs etc etc, thats why I asked.

Your Dutch? I think i may have chatted to you briefly last time I was at GnauNam with customers. Dual pricing is pretty harsh, and like you I have a high degree of appreciation for the fact we dont get that at Gnau nam but we do just about everywhere else (and for the earlier post about Lake Monsters, saying Thais dont fish the venue...Oh yes they do!!! And at up to 1 14th of the price a farang would pay!) .

Unfortunately as you have observed now nam can be quite challenging when fishing in daylight hours for Mekongs, otherwise I think I would be there a lot more, as I like the owner we have been looking for a good local guide to help us with our customers on Nownam for a long while...so if you know any locals that would like to earn a few baht whilst fishing let me know!

Your right hostility shouldnt be any part of fishing, its just a shame not all expats agree. We get a lot of enquiries asking us about where various venues are, and its well we are kind of damned if we do and damned if we dont provide the details! If we dont provide it, it manifests itself later in the form of hostility in public places like forums or on the lake itself(once they finally find it), if we do provide it, we see sometimes a dramatic increase in the number of expats at that venue, and the next thing that happens is the prices go up, to the point where they are far less appealing places to take our guests. Nownam is a case in point. In the two and half years since it was first placed on one of our competitors websites and then ours theres been a dramatic increase in the number of expats fishing it. Ultmately I am happy about that becuase the way i see it is that this is good for the venue owner, and it puts money in the pockets of the venue owners and thier staff but it does at times leave a bitter sweet taste, becuase we simply have to keep reinventing our itineries etc to find decent places to fish that are not either too expensive or too busy.

I think the bottom line is that there will always be a difference between fishing for fun and recreation, and fishing for business, and there is a direct conflict of interests between the two different states of play. I mean friends want to share their knowledge free, but a guiding service is trying to profit from that same experience as a chosen profession or vocation, so some local (in this case expats) recreational anglers dont "get" our position or attitudes on certain things, they can only see it through the eyes of a recreational angler. I have sat both sides of that argument, and i guess I get a little frustrated that some cannot see the obvious (ie those that Email us constantly asking about how to get to such and such a venue, and then state in that same E-mail "We dont need a tour service") So if you don;t need a tour service why, do you need to ask me where a location is? Go and have fun trying to find it your own way!!! Invariably they do, but spend a good few thousand bath looking and then learning about the place...and that was really always my point about the fact that some expats do value what we do, and HAVE saved money using us. I took one expat fishing for 3 days last month to Lake Monsters and Palm Tree Lagoon, the only margin I made was a few beers the guy was happy to buy me for our assistance, and less than a 3000 baht gross margin for 3 days work(and that dosnt mean it cost him 3000BHT more than doing it all himself, in fact it cost him around 10,000 BHT less!!). To do that trip the angler in question would have spent many thousands of baht more than he gave us tackling up for the expedition,(numerous different rods and reels used) and since he had know transport he would had to have spent some 6,000 to 10,000 on that too,(depending on how he tried to arrange it) before he even wetted a line! This is why I stated earlier that I dont think it is true to say that Lake Monsters for example is geared for farangs, perhaps it seems that way if you live in Ban Pong! But that leaves out the vast majority of expat anglers! Otherwise heading up there unarmed with any knowledge or the appropriate tackle could be the biggest waste of a fuel and 7000BHt your ever likely to experience. OK its an opinion, i accept that, but it also fact becuase we have seen it happen on more than one occassion. Theres a few little tricks on Lake monsters that can mean the difference between 30 fish in a day, and none. Some are a happy to get assistance, and pay a little for the chance of getting right first time.

Edited March 17, 2009 by rufanuf

[robblok]

We have changed accountants twice already and still have some problems. If it not language its costs etc etc, thats why I asked.

Your Dutch? I think i may have chatted to you briefly last time I was at GnauNam with customers. Dual pricing is pretty harsh, and like you I have a high degree of appreciation for the fact we dont get that at Gnau nam but we do just about everywhere else (and for the earlier post about Lake Monsters, saying Thais dont fish the venue...Oh yes they do!!! And at up to 1 14th of the price a farang would pay!) .

Unfortunately as you have observed now nam can be quite challenging when fishing in daylight hours for Mekongs, otherwise I think I would be there a lot more, as I like the owner we have been looking for a good local guide to help us with our customers on Nownam for a long while...so if you know any locals that would like to earn a few baht whilst fishing let me know!

Your right hostility shouldnt be any part of fishing, its just a shame not all expats agree. We get a lot of enquiries asking us about where various venues are, and its well we are kind of damned if we do and damned if we dont provide the details! If we dont provide it, it manifests itself later in the form of hostility in public places like forums or on the lake itself(once they finally find it), if we do provide it, we see sometimes a dramatic increase in the number of expats at that venue, and the next thing that happens is the prices go up, to the point where they are far less appealing places to take our guests. Nownam is a case in point. In the two and half years since it was first placed on one of our competitors websites and then ours theres been a dramatic increase in the number of expats fishing it. Ultmately I am happy about that becuase the way i see it is that this is good for the venue owner, and it puts money in the pockets of the venue owners and thier staff but it does at times leave a bitter sweet taste, becuase we simply have to keep reinventing our itineries etc to find decent places to fish that are not either too expensive or too busy.

I think the bottom line is that there will always be a difference between fishing for fun and recreation, and fishing for business, and there is a direct conflict of interests between the two different states of play. I mean friends want to share their knowledge free, but a guiding service is trying to profit from that same experience as a chosen profession or vocation, so some local (in this case expats) recreational anglers dont "get" our position or attitudes on certain things, they can only see it through the eyes of a recreational angler. I have sat both sides of that argument, and i guess I get a little frustrated that some cannot see the obvious (ie those that Email us constantly asking about how to get to such and such a venue, and then state in that same E-mail "We dont need a tour service") So if you don;t need a tour service why, do you need to ask me where a location is? Go and have fun trying to find it your own way!!! Invariably they do, but spend a good few thousand bath looking and then learning about the place...and that was really always my point about the fact that some expats do value what we do, and HAVE saved money using us. I took one expat fishing for 3 days last month to Lake Monsters and Palm Tree Lagoon, the only margin I made was a few beers the guy was happy to buy me for our assistance, and less than a 3000 baht gross margin for 3 days work(and that dosnt mean it cost him 3000BHT more than doing it all himself, in fact it cost him around 10,000 BHT less!!). To do that trip the angler in question would have spent many thousands of baht more than he gave us tackling up for the expedition,(numerous different rods and reels used) and since he had know transport he would had to have spent some 6,000 to 10,000 on that too,(depending on how he tried to arrange it) before he even wetted a line! This is why I stated earlier that I dont think it is true to say that Lake Monsters for example is geared for farangs, perhaps it seems that way if you live in Ban Pong! But that leaves out the vast majority of expat anglers! Otherwise heading up there unarmed with any knowledge or the appropriate tackle could be the biggest waste of a fuel and 7000BHt your ever likely to experience. OK its an opinion, i accept that, but it also fact becuase we have seen it happen on more than one occassion. Theres a few little tricks on Lake monsters that can mean the difference between 30 fish in a day, and none. Some are a happy to get assistance, and pay a little for the chance of getting right first time.

I get your point completely about free information and i would consider hiring a tour if i go to unknown far away places. I also understand you should not give out free information and sink your own boat. I sometimes give a bit of free advise to non clients but i limit that of course. Sometimes it gives me a good name but i think in your case that doesn't work well.

I know some guys who are good at fishing, the problem is everyone has his bad days and sometimes you just cant explain things. Like your fishing from the same tank of bait casting out close to each other and have the same kind of setup but still the other gets runs while you don't. That is fun and frustration fun because it keeps the challenge.

Yesterday i went to a small bung on Sai Noi, the fish were pla bug up to 15-20 kg but we only caught small fish and 3 pla bug up to 10 kg in a real short time. I went home early the lake was too small (cant even call it a lake) and the fish did not fight much they were fat but not strong. So i know it cost time to explore new sites.

I might have met you i was the guy with the rod pod, and yes Ngau Nam is challenging, currently i just fish with 2 rods one for the pla bug and the do stuff and the other my feeder rod with a small spiral far out for the pla saway and baby bug. Because the feeder rod is so light its great sport to catch the pla saway. It takes time and skill to get it in because of the rod and the thin line.

I hate fishing at night, i seldom do it because i like to see what im doing and i hate the muskito's. You wont see me fishing at lake monster, no way that im going to pay 7000 just to fish. Then ill spend it on a diving trip and see some fish.

About accountants i do know a few but they are expensive and i know a Thai one who is cheaper but then you got the problems with language. The Thai guy actually did it for half the price of the ones who cater to farangs. The accountants seem to calculate their price not on bases of work but bases off your turnover. (find that real strange)

I hope to see you fish around and i can agree that there might be some situations where you can save an expat some money but usually in the long run they are cheaper off on their own.

[buffaloe]

hi there Rich 1UK

not all companies are bad,read this post and you may well be supprised !!!!

ok now with all this information hang on a moment I think people are leading, some up the jungle path!!!

It Lake monsters is open to the public!

it is well known to the Thais as it has been around for years, it was a lure lake before it was fished with bait.

here is Mr Tawan's Phone number 08599 99646 just had a word with him and it is fine that I post his number.

in fact he was very thankful that I called and asked.

now his english is limited so if you have problems you can give me a PM and I can sort things out for you

here are the costs from memory

full day live baiting 7,000 baht

half day live baiting 3,500 Baht

lure and fly full day 3,500 Baht

ok when live baiting they allow you 2 rods for that price.

they will supply you the bait (or you can take your own)

they DO NOT want you to un-hook yourself they will do that for you!

when it comes to gear then you do have to supply your own, the main rule is that you have to use barbless hooks.

ok now if you want to bookwith them direct then drop me a line and I will help sort it for you.

as for the address sorry to say that I dont know how to describe it as the wife sorts that end for me but if you are there then the local taxi drivers of the local hotels will give you the directions it is only a few km from town easy to find, but to be honest I am normaly asleep.

when there the lake guides will help you with gear, they will recomend where and how to fish, also if you show them your tackle box then they will point out the best to use.

the main one is dont use light gear, make sure that you have a good strong line (like 50 lbs braid) a good selection of hooks, around 3/0 4/0 and good swivels ohhh and some floats if you want to float fish.

yes there are a few tricks to the place if you are targeting the big fish, but you can still have a stunning days fishing without a guide and I should know as I am a professional fishing guide here in Thailand.

I have a Fishing Company that has been rated as the best by some companies, so you amy well as why I have taken a different line and given away the "secrets" like how to get in contact with the lake?

the answer to this is easy, we sell our skills as a fishing guides, we also land some of the bigest fish out there, that takes a special skill and experience. we dont need to hide lakes, we like to be honest with the information and let people decide.

if you want any other information lakes or places to fish in Thailand then just drop me a PM and I will do my best to help you out

kiwi

hello kiwi,do you know of any fishing areas around khon kaen,thanks bill

[geronimo]

We have changed accountants twice already and still have some problems. If it not language its costs etc etc, thats why I asked.

Your Dutch? I think i may have chatted to you briefly last time I was at GnauNam with customers. Dual pricing is pretty harsh, and like you I have a high degree of appreciation for the fact we dont get that at Gnau nam but we do just about everywhere else (and for the earlier post about Lake Monsters, saying Thais dont fish the venue...Oh yes they do!!! And at up to 1 14th of the price a farang would pay!) .

Unfortunately as you have observed now nam can be quite challenging when fishing in daylight hours for Mekongs, otherwise I think I would be there a lot more, as I like the owner we have been looking for a good local guide to help us with our customers on Nownam for a long while...so if you know any locals that would like to earn a few baht whilst fishing let me know!

Your right hostility shouldnt be any part of fishing, its just a shame not all expats agree. We get a lot of enquiries asking us about where various venues are, and its well we are kind of damned if we do and damned if we dont provide the details! If we dont provide it, it manifests itself later in the form of hostility in public places like forums or on the lake itself(once they finally find it), if we do provide it, we see sometimes a dramatic increase in the number of expats at that venue, and the next thing that happens is the prices go up, to the point where they are far less appealing places to take our guests. Nownam is a case in point. In the two and half years since it was first placed on one of our competitors websites and then ours theres been a dramatic increase in the number of expats fishing it. Ultmately I am happy about that becuase the way i see it is that this is good for the venue owner, and it puts money in the pockets of the venue owners and thier staff but it does at times leave a bitter sweet taste, becuase we simply have to keep reinventing our itineries etc to find decent places to fish that are not either too expensive or too busy.

I think the bottom line is that there will always be a difference between fishing for fun and recreation, and fishing for business, and there is a direct conflict of interests between the two different states of play. I mean friends want to share their knowledge free, but a guiding service is trying to profit from that same experience as a chosen profession or vocation, so some local (in this case expats) recreational anglers dont "get" our position or attitudes on certain things, they can only see it through the eyes of a recreational angler. I have sat both sides of that argument, and i guess I get a little frustrated that some cannot see the obvious (ie those that Email us constantly asking about how to get to such and such a venue, and then state in that same E-mail "We dont need a tour service") So if you don;t need a tour service why, do you need to ask me where a location is? Go and have fun trying to find it your own way!!! Invariably they do, but spend a good few thousand bath looking and then learning about the place...and that was really always my point about the fact that some expats do value what we do, and HAVE saved money using us. I took one expat fishing for 3 days last month to Lake Monsters and Palm Tree Lagoon, the only margin I made was a few beers the guy was happy to buy me for our assistance, and less than a 3000 baht gross margin for 3 days work(and that dosnt mean it cost him 3000BHT more than doing it all himself, in fact it cost him around 10,000 BHT less!!). To do that trip the angler in question would have spent many thousands of baht more than he gave us tackling up for the expedition,(numerous different rods and reels used) and since he had know transport he would had to have spent some 6,000 to 10,000 on that too,(depending on how he tried to arrange it) before he even wetted a line! This is why I stated earlier that I dont think it is true to say that Lake Monsters for example is geared for farangs, perhaps it seems that way if you live in Ban Pong! But that leaves out the vast majority of expat anglers! Otherwise heading up there unarmed with any knowledge or the appropriate tackle could be the biggest waste of a fuel and 7000BHt your ever likely to experience. OK its an opinion, i accept that, but it also fact becuase we have seen it happen on more than one occassion. Theres a few little tricks on Lake monsters that can mean the difference between 30 fish in a day, and none. Some are a happy to get assistance, and pay a little for the chance of getting right first time.

I had no idea that Ngao Nam was fished by so many foreigners!!! I fished it for a year (2 years ago) and had 7 Giant cats, biggest being 58 kgs. Great place to fish!

[robblok]

I had no idea that Ngao Nam was fished by so many foreigners!!! I fished it for a year (2 years ago) and had 7 Giant cats, biggest being 58 kgs. Great place to fish!

At the moment it isnt fishing that well anymore. From what i have heard sakuna is better at this time.

[Mousehound]

I had no idea that Ngao Nam was fished by so many foreigners!!! I fished it for a year (2 years ago) and had 7 Giant cats, biggest being 58 kgs. Great place to fish!

At the moment it isnt fishing that well anymore. From what i have heard sakuna is better at this time.

How do you get to Sakuna please?

[daveman]

I have read this trend with some interest, as I am traveling to thailand soon, and would love to do some fishing. I do however find the cost a bit crazy for one days fishing, as I will be travelling alone. I am going to have to use a tour company as I am only in Thailand for a short time and I do need the service a tour company provides, as regards tackle and transport. is there a cheaper tour operator which maybe fishes different lakes/rivers. I am planning on traveling form Bangkok to Nong Khai, so anywhere in between or around Bangkok.

Maybe I could join with others on the same tour, Keeping the cost down for me and them. I am going to be traveling around 10Th November.

I have looked at websites Siam fishing and Kiwi Fishing, I even sent email to kiwi fishing for some more info, but no reply yet 3 days later. are they still operating?

I also found the website of a fishing park in Udon Thani listed here, but it has little or no information on what kind of fish it stocks, prices or whether they supply tackle or bait.

[IanForbes]

Virtually every reservoir in Thailand contains fish. The only problem is getting there and hiring a boat. That is why tourists hire tour companies and expats do it on their own. Then, there are the private pay for play ponds that were built expressly for fishing. Those ponds have been stocked with exotic species from other countries and will probably include a few native species suitable for fishing. Virtually every stream and river in Thailand has been dammed at some point. That creates a fishery for the locals who use any method possible to kill the fish. They use gill nets and long lines. The lakes are covered in old net debris spread through every shallow area where fish hang out. All the bigger reservoirs have local inhabitants living on floating lodges. The problem for the tourist at the big reservoirs is finding a local with a boat for hire.

[daveman]

Virtually every reservoir in Thailand contains fish. The only problem is getting there and hiring a boat. That is why tourists hire tour companies and expats do it on their own. Then, there are the private pay for play ponds that were built expressly for fishing. Those ponds have been stocked with exotic species from other countries and will probably include a few native species suitable for fishing. Virtually every stream and river in Thailand has been dammed at some point. That creates a fishery for the locals who use any method possible to kill the fish. They use gill nets and long lines. The lakes are covered in old net debris spread through every shallow area where fish hang out. All the bigger reservoirs have local inhabitants living on floating lodges. The problem for the tourist at the big reservoirs is finding a local with a boat for hire.

I guess I am going to have to fork out the cash for a tour company, at least I will be a bit wiser on my next visit.

Can anyone recomend a good Company fishing in or around bangkok or it monster lake

[Mousehound]

Virtually every reservoir in Thailand contains fish. The only problem is getting there and hiring a boat. That is why tourists hire tour companies and expats do it on their own. Then, there are the private pay for play ponds that were built expressly for fishing. Those ponds have been stocked with exotic species from other countries and will probably include a few native species suitable for fishing. Virtually every stream and river in Thailand has been dammed at some point. That creates a fishery for the locals who use any method possible to kill the fish. They use gill nets and long lines. The lakes are covered in old net debris spread through every shallow area where fish hang out. All the bigger reservoirs have local inhabitants living on floating lodges. The problem for the tourist at the big reservoirs is finding a local with a boat for hire.

I guess I am going to have to fork out the cash for a tour company, at least I will be a bit wiser on my next visit.

Can anyone recomend a good Company fishing in or around bangkok or it monster lake

I have used Jean Francois Helias, he is world class but there are other very good guides. I have done a lot of fishing over the last fifty years and in many countries. If you want top action and you are limited for time then you are best to pay - and top dollar is worth it. If you have a lot of time then I would still get a guide for the odd trip and then go it alone.

[bangkokumpalumpa]

ahh the old fight of take a guide or not.

well you can relate this to working on your car, do you do the work yourself or take it to an engineer??

many people dont see Fishing Guides as Professional workers, but lets give them some credit, they put in the work to find the places and to work out how to land the species, this costs money and time.

then look at what they make here in Thailand, I note that one person has said that they can fish bung sam ran for 3,000 baht, that didnt include transport, and it didnt include tackle and it didnt include a landing net, and it didnt include rod rental if you havent got one.

so if you walk in off the street (after taking your taxi, that might have taken the long way) then you are looking at closer to 5,000 baht for a days fishing. hmmmm how much for a tour company???

now I have seen thailand tour companies taking a lot of heat over the years, but lets look at this another way, what does a fishing guide get paid in the USA?? a cheap one is $250 an expensive one it $600 so one must ask from the prices that are listed on this thread how much is a western guide making in Thailand???

just some food for thought

[Mousehound]

ahh the old fight of take a guide or not.

well you can relate this to working on your car, do you do the work yourself or take it to an engineer??

many people dont see Fishing Guides as Professional workers, but lets give them some credit, they put in the work to find the places and to work out how to land the species, this costs money and time.

then look at what they make here in Thailand, I note that one person has said that they can fish bung sam ran for 3,000 baht, that didnt include transport, and it didnt include tackle and it didnt include a landing net, and it didnt include rod rental if you havent got one.

so if you walk in off the street (after taking your taxi, that might have taken the long way) then you are looking at closer to 5,000 baht for a days fishing. hmmmm how much for a tour company???

now I have seen thailand tour companies taking a lot of heat over the years, but lets look at this another way, what does a fishing guide get paid in the USA?? a cheap one is $250 an expensive one it $600 so one must ask from the prices that are listed on this thread how much is a western guide making in Thailand???

just some food for thought

I agree - last time I took a group out we did the whole thing for about 10k Bht and it would have cost double for a top guide run show. However, we would have had better gear and caught twice the number of fish and bigger fish as well going on past experience. If you can afford it then go with the guide. After all back in OZ I pay 6K Bht to bounce about on a boat with 20 guys and you are lucky to catch anything other than crossed lines and sea sick! If you want the good stuff here you are looking at a week long trip and an outlay of at least 60K Bht and even then you may not get much.

[robblok]

ahh the old fight of take a guide or not.

well you can relate this to working on your car, do you do the work yourself or take it to an engineer??

many people dont see Fishing Guides as Professional workers, but lets give them some credit, they put in the work to find the places and to work out how to land the species, this costs money and time.

then look at what they make here in Thailand, I note that one person has said that they can fish bung sam ran for 3,000 baht, that didnt include transport, and it didnt include tackle and it didnt include a landing net, and it didnt include rod rental if you havent got one.

so if you walk in off the street (after taking your taxi, that might have taken the long way) then you are looking at closer to 5,000 baht for a days fishing. hmmmm how much for a tour company???

now I have seen thailand tour companies taking a lot of heat over the years, but lets look at this another way, what does a fishing guide get paid in the USA?? a cheap one is $250 an expensive one it $600 so one must ask from the prices that are listed on this thread how much is a western guide making in Thailand???

just some food for thought

I prefer to go without a guide, my equipment is better then that of the companies. I get it from europe alll shimano rods and reels. I don't think a guide is necessary if you live here however if you dont take one.

This year when my parents come i will take a guide at bung sam ran. But i will hire him there. That will also save a lot of money. I take a guide because they always seem to catch better and I want my brother to enjoy. If i was going alone i would not have taken a guide because in a way it takes the fun out of fishing.

Its not like you accomplish anything someone else does all the work. Your example of a mechanic doesn't fly here. Its fun and something you accomplish yourself not something that has to be done good like fixing a car. I would think more in the line of hiring someone to play golf for you while you take the cup and act like you did it while in fact you did not do it you are just holding the cup while someone else did all the work.

Its different if you hire a real guide who shows you how to do the work teaches you and makes you better. But guides here do everything without explaining. Mostly what i have seen at bung sam ran is that the white guide even has a Thai helper who does all the work. So you don't even need the white guide.

Anyway next time im in bung sam ran ill be looking more closely what makes the guides (Thai's) catch better. So far i havent found that out. It might be the lam and how tight they squeeze it (too tight and the fish wont take it). Or how far the cast (im not sure because i cast as far myself with less results) The depth isn't the reason either because you can see that.

I fish a lot at ngau nam (shadow lake) and there i am pretty consistent and even outfish guides at times. But its a harder lake (but caught bigger fish there but fewer)