What Are You Looking For In A Fishing Park?

[aqua]

Hi, I'm currently planning to set up a Fishing Park in Thailand. I will be back in Thailand in around 3 months time and I'm planning to have it open in around 6 to 9 months time. I previously ran a fish and prawn farm in Thailand and also was involved in the food industry in Thailand for quite a few years, so I'm hoping to draw on my experience in these industries and make a success of a Fishing Park

I'm currently in the planning stage and would like to get some feed back on exactly what you would like to see in a Fishing Park and how it should be run and managed

EG

Best location

What fish species

Catch and cook

Restaurant

Drinks

Lush surrounds

Relaxing environment

Friendly and helpful staff

Back ground music

Bar

Bait

Rod and gear requirements

Access

Pricing

Videos and photo service of your catch

Accommodation

Pond side huts

Whats important for you as a fishing person? Looking forward to any suggestions and feedback

[raplahla]

You seem to have covered most things, I'm sure the more experienced forum members would be able to give more advice on species to stock.

One of the thing I would like to see is a easy to navigate "Web page" with decent directions. and an address you can print off in Thai to give to the taxi driver.

Or maybe offer a pick-up service from the hotel.

Decent rods and reels etc, some of the gear I have rented at fishing parks has been of dubious quality.

Good clean on-site toilets.

Location - speaking personally somewhere handy for BKK

Catch and cook is a god idea.

Not sure about the back-ground music though ????

Pricing should be reasonable but in ratio to the quality of the fish stocked. Not Bumsangan prices please!!!!!

Restaurant or snack-bar is a good idea - with plenty of cold Heineken.

The rest seems good to me.

Please let me know or PM me when your web-site is up and running.

I'll be out in Thailand in Nov - I'll come along if your up and running

Best of luck - Raplahla

[robblok]

for me a deep big lake with big fish. I like deep lakes they produce stronger fish. I also like it when the surrounding is lush. Gear wise i got it all myself but it would be good to offer it for the tourists.

[aqua]

Thanks for the feedback so far, some excellent points esp. about water depth and an address you can print off in Thai. The website is currently being set up but will not launch until the park opens. I'm planning to sponsor the folder here on TV and invite everyone down for the opening and BTW there will be plenty of cold Heineken

[JimShortz]

Make sure you have decent shelters from the hot sun, with benches/seats that are relatively comfortable to sit on - not designed by a masochist is all I mean! Ideally with the ability for a few people to sit around a table; not forced to sit in a row on a single bench.

If you want to be really flash a fan in each shelter would make you very popular... They don't cost much; why not! If you can make it a nice place for non-fishing friends/spouses to come along you will do a lot better, and sell lots more food and drinks.

[aqua]

Excellent suggestions, thanks, I was thinking of placing bamboo huts around the pond (like in the images below but better quality) with an intercom back to the office so that you can order drinks and food etc which would then be promptly delivered by friendly staff. That way customers are comfortable but also have privacy from other groups. The fans are a very good idea

The huts could be a mixture of both the seated version and the platform version (Thai's mainly like the platform model). Additional chairs and deck chairs could be provided next to each hut, maybe even umbrellas for additional shade

Edited February 14, 2011 by aqua

[ronz28]

No snakes or turtles.

[aqua]

What about them giant lizards and giant pythons?

[ufishin]

Hello,

I think that everybody who goes to a fishing park is looking for something different. Some people are looking for a challenge, fish to eat, easy catching, big fish, or a nice environment. Either you want to cater to one group or have a place large enough to cater to the different groups. Pricing and what you want to provide is the key. If you have multiple lakes for different difficulties would be ideal. Some people want to catch a fish every cast and some people want to test there skill and see if they can catch a trophy. I have been to many places and the most important thing to me is clean bathrooms, friendly service, good food, and fair pricing. A good example is Cha Am fishing park. I think they would be very busy if closer to Bangkok and many people talk about them. They have lots of fish, cheap, clean, and very friendly.

Hope to check out your fishing park.

Thanh

[ronz28]

What about them giant lizards and giant pythons?

Nope. What you listed in the start sounds good.

[robblok]

I think you will also have to realize that most of your clients will be Thai. Also like an other poster said you can't please everyone. I like my lake to be a bit of a challenge, bungsamran is a bit too easy for me. However it can be a lot of fun for tourists. Even i like it sometimes.

The idea of a fan in the shelters could be a good idea. You could even let people pay to open them and make an extra buck this way. I have been thinking about starting my own fishing park. But i kept on thinking as i have no experience and my current business is doing well. I heard of staggering prices for the big mekongs.

[jdhogg]

Good luck with your fishing park mate

And i think it would be great if you insisted and made it a lake rule and supplied unhooking mats,i recently returned from a two week fishing holiday in Thailand and one of the most annoying things that i noticed was the lack of fish care

regards John

[raplahla]

Good luck with your fishing park mate

And i think it would be great if you insisted and made it a lake rule and supplied unhooking mats,i recently returned from a two week fishing holiday in Thailand and one of the most annoying things that i noticed was the lack of fish care

regards John

Good shout JD - the mats are a must.

[robblok]

Good luck with your fishing park mate

And i think it would be great if you insisted and made it a lake rule and supplied unhooking mats,i recently returned from a two week fishing holiday in Thailand and one of the most annoying things that i noticed was the lack of fish care

regards John

Good shout JD - the mats are a must.

Good luck with it. While i have to agree about it it usually is not the foreigners abusing the fish. (there are people who do). But try to get the Thai's to use them is an other thing they (not all) seem to have a different attitude.

[jackinbkk]

if you could make some kind of device so i could visit on friday night and be back in Europe by monday morning without being tired or relieved of all my money that would be great

Remember you will need to get good quality fish. You can't just pull them out of rivers like a lot of people do. They usually find that these fish wont take fishing park baits or have really strange behaviours.

I didn't think the fish were that expensive. I think I remember something like 20 baht per kilo for sawaii? Can't remember if that was right?

Personally I like to fish the lakes with the biggest hardest fighting fish but everyone's different. You need to make sure that you have a strict control over the water entering and leaving your park. When it rains all the baked on oil, dirt and waste from roads etc gets washed into the rivers. It often kills the fish in public parks. Due to the heat oxygen is a big concern. You'll want to aerate the water. From your previous experience i'm sure you know these things.

Documentry's have said that the reason bung samran has so many big fish is because so many people come to fish and they throw in so much bait. You'll get a great natural supply of shrimp etc but you'll have to feed the fish to make them giants. Better for you if like bung samran the fisherman are paying to throw the bait/feed in for you. :jap:

Good luck!

[spud1]

I think you will also have to realize that most of your clients will be Thai. Also like an other poster said you can't please everyone. I like my lake to be a bit of a challenge, bungsamran is a bit too easy for me. However it can be a lot of fun for tourists. Even i like it sometimes.

The idea of a fan in the shelters could be a good idea. You could even let people pay to open them and make an extra buck this way. I have been thinking about starting my own fishing park. But i kept on thinking as i have no experience and my current business is doing well. I heard of staggering prices for the big mekongs.

Hi Rob, I asked one of the guides at Shadow lake the cost of the fish and was told one at 50kg would cost around 25,000baht.Perhaps that was farang price.

[jackinbkk]

I think you will also have to realize that most of your clients will be Thai. Also like an other poster said you can't please everyone. I like my lake to be a bit of a challenge, bungsamran is a bit too easy for me. However it can be a lot of fun for tourists. Even i like it sometimes.

The idea of a fan in the shelters could be a good idea. You could even let people pay to open them and make an extra buck this way. I have been thinking about starting my own fishing park. But i kept on thinking as i have no experience and my current business is doing well. I heard of staggering prices for the big mekongs.

Hi Rob, I asked one of the guides at Shadow lake the cost of the fish and was told one at 50kg would cost around 25,000baht.Perhaps that was farang price.

Yeah that was a farang price alright. I don't remember about the mekongs but the sawaii were only 50 baht per kilo. So a 25kg whopper is like 1250 baht on that math. There's probably a premium for the bigger fish. Thats what I was told.

[aqua]

Thanks for the feedback, suggestions and well wishes so far. I will certainly take them on board and implement them

So far we have

Easy to navigate web page with decent directions

Decent rods and reels

Good clean on site toilets

Somewhere handy for BKK

Catch and cook

Pricing should be reasonable

Cold Heineken

Deep pond

Something different from other parks, multiple lakes for different difficulties

Purchase good quality stocking fish

Big fish

Monitor water entering and leaving the park

Aerate water

No snakes or turtles

Fans in fishing huts

Unhooking mats

Next step is to consider the location. I am currently looking at the following options

1. Bangkok

2. Chon Buri

3. Kanchanaburi

4. Udon Thani

5. Korat

6. Nakon Sawan

7. Chachoengsao

Please see map attached

What location would you suggest as the best location and why?

Ideally I will be looking for land with existing ponds to reduce development costs or even an existing fishing park that can be re-developed. If you have any suggestions please let me know

Edited February 20, 2011 by aqua

[robblok]

Thanks for the feedback, suggestions and well wishes so far. I will certainly take them on board and implement them

So far we have

Easy to navigate web page with decent directions

Decent rods and reels

Good clean on site toilets

Somewhere handy for BKK

Catch and cook

Pricing should be reasonable

Cold Heineken

Deep pond

Something different from other parks, multiple lakes for different difficulties

Purchase good quality stocking fish

Big fish

Monitor water entering and leaving the park

Aerate water

No snakes or turtles

Fans in fishing huts

Unhooking mats

Next step is to consider the location. I am currently looking at the following options

1. Bangkok

2. Chon Buri

3. Kanchanaburi

4. Udon Thani

5. Korat

6. Nakon Sawan

7. Chachoengsao

Please see map attached

What location would you suggest as the best location and why?

Ideally I will be looking for land with existing ponds to reduce development costs or even an existing fishing park that can be re-developed. If you have any suggestions please let me know

Bankok is best as there are more people there then anywhere else. However its also more expensive i guess.

[aqua]

I agree that Bangkok is the best option. Pattaya is already saturated with fishing parks. Do you think that some where close to Bangkok is an option, like Kanchanaburi. Would you travel there for a days fishing? Also what about Isarn, is there a market up there for a fishing park, say Udon Thani?

[robblok]

I am not sure Pattaya is saturated with fishing parks. The parks with the bigger fish are in BKK. So if you set it up in Pattaya and have big fish then it unique there. I think you need big fish to make a difference if you put your lake further out of range.

Yesterday i traveled to palm tree lagoon and paid a lot but there were real big fish there(too bad i did not catch them). Bigger fish that are easily caught can help you raise your prices. However people will frequent less because of the price. So you should really know what kind of customers you want before setting it up.

I have been thinking of getting my own fishing park but its just not affordable for me. I did some calculations and decided a major investment has to made first (buying loads of land (minimum 40-45 rai) Then getting big fish.

THe problem is if you have big fish but you are too expensive you wont be fully booked all the time. But if your prices are too low you might not make enough money. I am an accountant and an avid fisherman so i do know a bit what i am talking about. Besides the money the main problem for me would be controlling water quality and making sure my fish would not get sick. I have no knowledge of that.

[quiksilva]

I would suggest different lakes, each with a different theme. One each suited for lure/fly fishing, live baiting, giants, exotics. Perhaps a family pond with plenty of smaller species for the kids starting out.

As for location, then its really no contest for Bangkok, due to the population that's here, however land costs will be quite prohibitive for a new lake in an inner city locale like BSR. Look to aeas on the outskirts like Minburi, Nonthaburi, Rangsit where land values are much more affordable yet are still within an hour's drive (most people dislike travelling much further).

Kanchanaburi is too far for a day's fishing, besides, if I go there I'd rather go to Srinakarin Dam and pay nothing for excellent fishing. Keep it close and a convenient, people pay for convenience.

Good luck and keep us informed on your project's progress.

Edited February 22, 2011 by quiksilva

[bkkjames]

I was thinking of setting up an Ice Fishing thing but using plexiglass instead of ice.

We could even paint the plexiglass white for greater realism.

Any investors out there?

[robblok]

I was thinking of setting up an Ice Fishing thing but using plexiglass instead of ice.

We could even paint the plexiglass white for greater realism.

Any investors out there?

James i figured you were smarter then this your jokes wont work here we take our fishing really serious

[jackinbkk]

Don't make the water too deep. When I read a scientific research papers about the vertical movement of mekong catfish in reservoirs it was found that most stay no more than 4 metres down.

Below that level the O2 saturation was so low that it was lethal for more than a few minutes. 3 metres was the mean depth in the study, changing day and night. Fish would stay in the depest parts of the reservoir during the day and come into the shallows during the night. They are very habitual fish. Following regular routines.

It's quite funny really because a lot of the time at fishing parks you'll see a fish break someone off. Then you see their float travelling back and fourth along the same routes again and again. Often diving down and surfacing in the same locations.

You'll be best to buy an existing lake in Bangkok if you can for the volume of business you'll get. Somewhere like Krabi is nice. I would suggest Phuket which is desperate for a good fishing park and full of tourists but its overrun with rip off taxis/tuk tuks and all kinds of other bad sorts that makes me now want to stay away from the place. Land's also probably too expensive as they try to jam in another bar or hotel somewhere.

The lakes that people own (not fishing parks) can sustain a couple of very large fish naturally. It would be better to stock fewer quality fish. So many places are overrun by many small catfish that it's hard to catch the big ones.

[zoso]

Fundamentally the most important attraction for all anglers is the fish. What species and size. And at present a lot are into luring and fly fishing. So it's a matter of what is your niche market. What method of fishing and for whom you wish to cater for? For Thais,expats,tourist anglers or for all.

For example most fishing for mekongs will make it a point to fish at Bungsamran at leaset once. Like it or hate it !! They have big mekongs and Siamese Carps. The customers are a mix of Thais,expats and tourists.

Ideal location will be Bangkok or as close proximity as possible. But anglers will travel distance if the fishing potential is attractive. Know of many anglers that do this.

The most famous pond in Thailand is Bungsamran. Then it will IT Lake Monster. Every big or small city/town have a well known fishing pond. For example:

Bangkok or close proximity - Bungsamran, IT Lake Monster,Shadow Lake and upcoming Amazon BKK fishing park.

Krabi - Gillhams

Cha Am - Cha Am fishing Park

Hua Hin - Hua Hin Fishing Lodge & Greenfield Fishing Resort

Koh Samui - Topcats Fishing Resort

Changmai - Dream Lake and Teak Tree

Phuket - Phuket Fishing Pond or Sawai

There are so many fishing ponds/parks/resorts in Thailand. And most pond now are stocking on predator fishes and also ponds exclusively for carps. IT Lake Monster will open the new pond for carp fishing sometime end of this year which I look forward to.

Purchasing of fishes is not an easy task. Arapaimais are being sold by the inch. Mekongs and Carps are sold by the weight and I know a number of ponds have agents scouting for big fishes around Thailand. Gillhams have their own arapaimais breeding facilities. For example a fair size Tambarqui can command a very, very good price. It's rare. There is only one licensed seller of mekongs in Thailand but then this is Thailand where the lines are blurred. The baht can do wonders.

It's a very good idea to have a comprehensive fishing facilities. All discipline of fishing-luring,baiting or flyfishing. The problem in Thailand is there is no standard pricing-bar a few good managed parks-they charge more if they can get away with it. For example I fished at Amazon Bkk fishing last month and I paid 500baht but last week my friends from UK were charged 1500baht a few days ago my Singaporean friends were charged 500baht. Another example my UK friends fished at Hua Hin Fishing Lodge a few days ago were charged 2500baht fishing lower and upper ponds which entitle you all the free food and drinks-bar alcohol-and bait for the day. I fished there a year ago and paid 500baht for lower and upper ponds but no free food,drinks or bait. So which market to cater for?

Know a few ponds/parks are willing sellers if the price is right. Was told Phuket Fishing Park-the only freshwater pond in Phuket-is for sale if price was right. Perhaps you could talk to the French man or his wife but it is very small. To make it attractive much work will be needed and quantity and quality have to improved

I was very keen to have my own pond too but gave up the idea as it's best to buy an existing entity but the owners asked for very high price.

I wish you luck and hope you succed in your plan of owning a fishing park. My advice is to visit as many ponds/parks to do a market research.

Edited March 2, 2011 by zoso

[jackinbkk]

I think the Phuket fishing park is far too small for a reasonable number of big fish. You'd be better converting the shrimp farms next to it or some of the lakes they use for diving. Phuket is full of water holes. There's also a massive electricity pylon running straight over the top. The first time I saw someone wrap their line around it I expected to see them zapped. I wouldnt want to see someone with line containing wire hook that!

Fundamentally the most important attraction for all anglers is the fish. What species and size. And at present a lot are into luring and fly fishing. So it's a matter of what is your niche market. What method of fishing and for whom you wish to cater for? For Thais,expats,tourist anglers or for all.

For example most fishing for mekongs will make it a point to fish at Bungsamran at leaset once. Like it or hate it !! They have big mekongs and Siamese Carps. The customers are a mix of Thais,expats and tourists.

Ideal location will be Bangkok or as close proximity as possible. But anglers will travel distance if the fishing potential is attractive. Know of many anglers that do this.

The most famous pond in Thailand is Bungsamran. Then it will IT Lake Monster. Every big or small city/town have a well known fishing pond. For example:

Bangkok or close proximity - Bungsamran, IT Lake Monster,Shadow Lake and upcoming Amazon BKK fishing park.

Krabi - Gillhams

Cha Am - Cha Am fishing Park

Hua Hin - Hua Hin Fishing Lodge & Greenfield Fishing Resort

Koh Samui - Topcats Fishing Resort

Changmai - Dream Lake and Teak Tree

Phuket - Phuket Fishing Pond or Sawai

There are so many fishing ponds/parks/resorts in Thailand. And most pond now are stocking on predator fishes and also ponds exclusively for carps. IT Lake Monster will open the new pond for carp fishing sometime end of this year which I look forward to.

Purchasing of fishes is not an easy task. Arapaimais are being sold by the inch. Mekongs and Carps are sold by the weight and I know a number of ponds have agents scouting for big fishes around Thailand. Gillhams have their own arapaimais breeding facilities. For example a fair size Tambarqui can command a very, very good price. It's rare. There is only one licensed seller of mekongs in Thailand but then this is Thailand where the lines are blurred. The baht can do wonders.

It's a very good idea to have a comprehensive fishing facilities. All discipline of fishing-luring,baiting or flyfishing. The problem in Thailand is there is no standard pricing-bar a few good managed parks-they charge more if they can get away with it. For example I fished at Amazon Bkk fishing last month and I paid 500baht but last week my friends from UK were charged 1500baht a few days ago my Singaporean friends were charged 500baht. Another example my UK friends fished at Hua Hin Fishing Lodge a few days ago were charged 2500baht fishing lower and upper ponds which entitle you all the free food and drinks-bar alcohol-and bait for the day. I fished there a year ago and paid 500baht for lower and upper ponds but no free food,drinks or bait. So which market to cater for?

Know a few ponds/parks are willing sellers if the price is right. Was told Phuket Fishing Park-the only freshwater pond in Phuket-is for sale if price was right. Perhaps you could talk to the French man or his wife but it is very small. To make it attractive much work will be needed and quantity and quality have to improved

I was very keen to have my own pond too but gave up the idea as it's best to buy an existing entity but the owners asked for very high price.

I wish you luck and hope you succed in your plan of owning a fishing park. My advice is to visit as many ponds/parks to do a market research.

[aqua]

Thanks for the excellent suggestions

My plan is to have 3 ponds. One will be a predator pond (catch and release), another with carp and tilapia (catch and eat). Tilapia is a great fish to eat and can be cooked in many ways so will be a good income earner for the park restaurant. The third will be for the grow out of Giant Freshwater Prawns which will be sold live to local restaurants, park visitors can also take a kilo or two home with them. This will provide an additional income stream for the park

The location will really determine as to who the park will be marketed towards but Ideally for expats, tourists and Thais combined. I would rather focus on providing great fishing and an enjoyable and rememberable day out for all visitors than having a huge amount of visitors everyday. A place where visitors can recommend their visit to others and build up a regular customers and visitors from there. The focus will be on providing relaxing surrounds, quality fishing, friendly service and quality food and drinks. Prices will not be expensive but be middle range. The park will be operated by a registered Thai company

Ideally we will be looking for land with existing ponds to reduce development costs or even an existing fishing park that can be re-developed

From what has been suggested, possible locations include

Pattaya

Phuket

Close to Bangkok

I still believe that Isarn could be a possibility if structured and located correctly as there are not many fishing parks in Isarn, they love fishing and going on outings and there are quite a few expats who could become regulars, however it could be quite seasonal, being very busy on holidays

Edited March 3, 2011 by aqua

[aqua]

I once visited a park in Ayutthaya at around 3pm, there were just a few people there. Suddenly at around 4.30pm, the number had increased to 10 and by 5.30pm that number had increased to around 20 and everyone was wearing work uniforms. They were visiting and working in the province as sales reps, managers etc and had to stay over night and visited the park after work for some relaxation and to catch a feed to eat

[aqua]

The website has been launched but a lot of info will need to be updated once we have specific details. Updates on the parks development and roll out will be posted on the website

Im not sure if I can post the link here on TV, maybe a mod can advise if its ok to do so?