Moving To Thailand, What Rods To Bring?

[gray42]

I'm moving to Thailand in September and I'm wondering what types of rods I should take. I currently live in the United States and I have everything from super lightweight rods for panfish and trout, to medium rods for smaller types of bass, to bigger rods for medium sized catfish, and then my big saltwater rods for ocean fishing and large sized catfish.

I have a few questions:

• In Thailand do people sportfish for very small fish (less than 0.5kg)? Will my crappie and trout rods work for these types of fish?
• Are there fish comparable to largemouth bass, and are they in most of the lakes?
• What about surf fishing? In the USA I wear my waders and go into the waves and cast lures into the waves. I catch halibut, perch, sharks, etc. Think I would have any luck surf fishing in Thailand?

I'm limited on the number of rods I can take with me, but if I can use all of my rods maybe I will pay the airline the extra fee and take more rods with me.

Thanks for any information.

[quiksilva]

Your lightweight rods will be okay for Jungle Perch and Tilapia.

Your bass rods are probably OK for lure fishing for Baramundi, perhaps even bait fishing for Pacu. Giant Snakeheads will probably be Ok too, but you'll need a bit of power if they head into the weeds.

There's not much surf fishing that I'm aware of, but that's not to say it doesn't exist, its just that not many people do it.

For the big catfish at places like BSR the trend for tackle is towards high end, jigging rods, the type usually reserved for offshore deepwater use. Think Jigging Masters etc which have rod lengths of less than 6ft with a fast heavy to extra heavy action providing good lift power, as that's just about the only thing that'll turn a Giant Mehkong Cat heading under the jetties/bungalows.

Another rod that is proving popular is the Ugly Stik Tiger Lite which has a 100-200lb line model, which is strong enough but it has a slow action (bends to the but tip) so the lifting power is not that great.

Reels should be spooled for at least PE 5 (50lb mono) so make sure the rod than can handle at least PE6 (rather your line break than your rod... BSR kills rods.

I also use most of heavy this stuff on my saltwater trips. For inshore Gulf of Thailand (i.e. not more than 4 hours out) think tackle from 20-30lbs, for snapper, pompano, small dorado, king mackerel, and cobia but step it up for trips out to the rigs and of course the Andaman sea, where all sorts of goodies (marlin, GT's, Tuna, sailfish etc) await.

Edited June 6, 2011 by quiksilva

[gray42]

Your lightweight rods will be okay for Jungle Perch and Tilapia.

Your bass rods are probably OK for lure fishing for Baramundi, perhaps even bait fishing for Pacu. Giant Snakeheads will probably be Ok too, but you'll need a bit of power if they head into the weeds.

There's not much surf fishing that I'm aware of, but that's not to say it doesn't exist, its just that not many people do it.

For the big catfish at places like BSR the trend for tackle is towards high end, jigging rods, the type usually reserved for offshore deepwater use. Think Jigging Masters etc which have rod lengths of less than 6ft with a fast heavy to extra heavy action providing good lift power, as that's just about the only thing that'll turn a Giant Mehkong Cat heading under the jetties/bungalows.

Another rod that is proving popular is the Ugly Stik Tiger Lite which has a 100-200lb line model, which is strong enough but it has a slow action (bends to the but tip) so the lifting power is not that great.

Reels should be spooled for at least PE 5 (50lb mono) so make sure the rod than can handle at least PE6 (rather your line break than your rod... BSR kills rods.

I also use most of heavy this stuff on my saltwater trips. For inshore Gulf of Thailand (i.e. not more than 4 hours out) think tackle from 20-30lbs, for snapper, pompano, small dorado, king mackerel, and cobia but step it up for trips out to the rigs and of course the Andaman sea, where all sorts of goodies (marlin, GT's, Tuna, sailfish etc) await.

Couldn't have asked for a better response to my questions. Thanks! It sounds like there's opportunities to catch all shapes and sizes. I've never seen line ratings such as PE5, PE6, etc. It that just 50 lb., 60 lb.? I typically use 65 lb. or 80 lb. braided backing and switch out my topshot or leader accordingly.

I'm actually moving to Samui at first, so I'll be doing lots of inshore and hopefully offshore fishing. There's also a TopCats catfish "pay lake" on Samui that's a bit expensive, but I want to check it out. My saltwater rods are all fast action rods, so maybe I'll need to pick up an Ugly Stick Tiger Light or two for the cats?

Thanks again, really appreciate it.

[quiksilva]

The Japanese PE line rating system is a little weird, as the actual breaking strain of different PE (polyethylene) lines (aka superbraid, varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. YGK maybe different to Powerpro for example, but for most purposes we can say PE 5 = 50lb , just be sure to check each breaking strain. I also use 65lb braid so that should be fine.

Your fast action rods should be ok, just be aware that BSR kills rods.

The Ugly Stik Tiger Lites are actually pretty cheap (THB 1600 each ish) so whilst they are man enough to do the job, they are also just about as disposable as heavy rods get.

The problem as I said is that they dont have much lifting power, and because they have a slower action than what Im used to (some describe it as medium) they require large arching strikes to set the hook, and when using my friends I found the fish to be harder to control with them. However, he's had it for years, its never failed him and he's landed some monsters at BSR using that rod paired with a Calcutta.

I think a lot of it is a case of what you get used to, but I have heard of more fast action rods breaking off near the tip at BSR, so if you do bring one, make sure its as strong as you can find, as there are true monsters in there.

Here's a pic of my mate using the Ugly Stik at BSR, note how the rod curves all the way back to the butt.

Edited June 7, 2011 by quiksilva

[gray42]

Man, you weren't kidding about the slow action of that rod. Thanks again for the info.

I'm headed to the Sierra Nevadas this weekend for some trout fishing... Definitely going to miss trout fishing while I'm in Thailand!

[samuisteve]

Gray 42,

When are you getting into Samui. My offshore boat should be there about August 1, shipping over from the US. Would like to catch up with you sooner rather than later.

My interest is primarily in offhsore fishing. I do not think there is much in the way of inshore fishing, once you head out of Samui, you are in blue water. Even the pass between the mainland is said to hold a lot of cuda and kings.

Check out the posts in the SE Thailand forum wher I just put up some pics of my last trip in the states and the boat that is coming in.

Samui Steve

[gray42]

Gray 42,

When are you getting into Samui. My offshore boat should be there about August 1, shipping over from the US. Would like to catch up with you sooner rather than later.

My interest is primarily in offhsore fishing. I do not think there is much in the way of inshore fishing, once you head out of Samui, you are in blue water. Even the pass between the mainland is said to hold a lot of cuda and kings.

Check out the posts in the SE Thailand forum wher I just put up some pics of my last trip in the states and the boat that is coming in.

Samui Steve

Steve, sending you a PM. Thanks

[tingtongfarang]

i broke an Ugly Stik 100-200lb some weeks ago at bsr ...i had a shimano jigger 4000ld spooled with 65lb braid on it,

Short rods intended for japanese style speed jigging seem to be the fashion of late....at the moment i use an ozone fc monsters 5.2ft paired with an accurate bx500-65lb braid and till now its holding out ok, Also short rods make the fight which goes on under your nose so to speak much easier,

Yes bungsamran does kill rods....seen many thais walking past with the face hanging down by their flipflops and a broken rod in the hand