Fishing On Cheow Lan Lake

[mrkrabs]

Hi

Me and my 9 year old son will be heading to Cheow Lan Lake in three days or so. Our plan is staying some days at the lake, mainly for fishing purposes. Snakeheads, Jungle Perchs, or Catfish would be our favorite target.

We would love to stay at some nice rafthouse on the lake. I was reading quite a lot about those, and people say mainly, they are not very much comfortable. Well we would just like as nice as possible and should not pass 1000baht per night pp.

And the most important we would appreciate a lot all suggestions about fishing tours. Day or night does not matter, are always ready. I guess this would be done best by a boat, whch hopefully we can rent with a guide.

Please let us know about any experience you have ,made there and maybe have some contact data, or price details or general details about all this.

Thanks

[robblok]

Please let me know how you did, i am planning fishing trips in November when my dad comes over. And we are going to the south of Thailand with the car. So im interested.

[mrkrabs]

Will surely do!

[robblok]

Will surely do!

I saw some websites with crazy prices 26k for 2 people for 2 or 3 days. I prefer spending my money on gear not making fishing guides rich.

[mrkrabs]

Yea I saw the same and absolutelky aggree. Will for sure not book anything like that, so I guess we just go there and do everything ourselves

[rufanuf]

Will surely do!

I saw some websites with crazy prices 26k for 2 people for 2 or 3 days. I prefer spending my money on gear not making fishing guides rich.

When you meet a rich fishing guide let me know, I'd love to know where he got his money from!

[robblok]

Will surely do!

I saw some websites with crazy prices 26k for 2 people for 2 or 3 days. I prefer spending my money on gear not making fishing guides rich.

When you meet a rich fishing guide let me know, I'd love to know where he got his money from!

From overcharging his clients of course.

Its quite simple go to the locals and cut out the middle men. I dont see why you would use a farang guide in for instance BSR.

As long as you speak English and have gear.

Different of course for tourists.

Edited July 22, 2011 by robblok

[Galong]

Cheow Lan is heavily fished by the commercial fishermen who are allowed to live in the park. There are dozens of fishing villages on the huge lake. Even the areas that are supposed to off limits to the fishermen are regularly fished by them. They all use big nets, trot lines and traps.

I've almost given up on fishing there. It used to be pretty darn good. Now it's mediocre at best.

I don't think a two or three day trip is worth 26K Baht, but the entire lake looks 'fishy'. Without a fishing guide, not just some longtail skipper, you could spend all of you time practice casting.

[robblok]

Cheow Lan is heavily fished by the commercial fishermen who are allowed to live in the park. There are dozens of fishing villages on the huge lake. Even the areas that are supposed to off limits to the fishermen are regularly fished by them. They all use big nets, trot lines and traps.

I've almost given up on fishing there. It used to be pretty darn good. Now it's mediocre at best.

I don't think a two or three day trip is worth 26K Baht, but the entire lake looks 'fishy'. Without a fishing guide, not just some longtail skipper, you could spend all of you time practice casting.

Thanks for the info, i would of course use my sounder to check it there. But now that you told me about it being heavily fished im not that interested in it anymore.

[robblok]

Will surely do!

I saw some websites with crazy prices 26k for 2 people for 2 or 3 days. I prefer spending my money on gear not making fishing guides rich.

When you meet a rich fishing guide let me know, I'd love to know where he got his money from!

You are probably right because I make more money on a day then that amount divided by 3. But then again i work for foreign companies. Its a lot of money for Thai standards.

The only way a fishing guide could get rich is by having employees working for him at lower wages and being fully booked. Its just that I am used to Thai prices and doing things myself cutting out the middle man. I don't mind spending some money on fishing but here the prices looked a bit over the top. 9k a day is quite a lot for fishing on natural water where the fishing guide himself does not have to pay for his client fishing at a spot. Unlike lake IT monster or Bungsamran.

Other cost come into play here like a boat and a bungalow but those are not that high. Anyway for tourists this might be good. We already had this discussion and i agreed with you that for tourist fishing guides are a blessing. Expats are a totally different story especially fishing crazy ones like me.

[rufanuf]

Will surely do!

I saw some websites with crazy prices 26k for 2 people for 2 or 3 days. I prefer spending my money on gear not making fishing guides rich.

When you meet a rich fishing guide let me know, I'd love to know where he got his money from!

From overcharging his clients of course.

Its quite simple go to the locals and cut out the middle men. I dont see why you would use a farang guide in for instance BSR.

As long as you speak English and have gear.

Different of course for tourists.

I thought the OP is a tourist? I suppose then that's how an accountant makes his money too then? Better off doing it yourself (or in my case let the wife keep the books)

Edited July 25, 2011 by rufanuf

[rufanuf]

Cheow Lan is heavily fished by the commercial fishermen who are allowed to live in the park. There are dozens of fishing villages on the huge lake. Even the areas that are supposed to off limits to the fishermen are regularly fished by them. They all use big nets, trot lines and traps.

I've almost given up on fishing there. It used to be pretty darn good. Now it's mediocre at best.

I don't think a two or three day trip is worth 26K Baht, but the entire lake looks 'fishy'. Without a fishing guide, not just some longtail skipper, you could spend all of you time practice casting.

I know some Thai guides who seem to do OK down there, its been more popular with Thai guides from other parts of Thailand in the last season or so, which suggests to me the fishing is improving if anything.

As usual I think expats confuse tourist services with their own experiences. Thailand can be a great place to explore alone and that includes the fishing if thats your inclination, but for those that have the money and that don't have the time I am sure they are happy to be shown about. Wild fishing expeditions done properly generally incur more costs than trips to commercial fisheries actually. The round trip in and out of Khao Sok NP alone is a few quid in a decent vehicle as I understand it, is that right?

[robblok]

I saw some websites with crazy prices 26k for 2 people for 2 or 3 days. I prefer spending my money on gear not making fishing guides rich.

When you meet a rich fishing guide let me know, I'd love to know where he got his money from!

From overcharging his clients of course.

Its quite simple go to the locals and cut out the middle men. I dont see why you would use a farang guide in for instance BSR.

As long as you speak English and have gear.

Different of course for tourists.

I thought the OP is a tourist? I suppose then that's how an accountant makes his money too then? Better off doing it yourself (or in my case let the wife keep the books)

If you got the skills sure you can do accounting. Same with fishing. No need to make an accountant or a fishing guide. For tourists or people who cant do accounting hire a pro.

The guy is not a tourist but an expat living here. Anyway nothing wrong with finding a cheaper way then an overpriced fishing guide. Similar with accountants many charge too much just have to find the right one.

[robblok]

@rufanuf

Kinda depends but 25k for 1 person 2 days.. bit over priced. I am pretty sure if you cut out the farang guide and just go with a Thai guide you can do it for half. Usually the farang guides use Thai guides anyway and they are just the middle man.

But you have to be able to speak Thai then. So for tourist im pretty sure a farang guide is a good thing. But not for expats.

[robblok]

After thinking about it it all boils down to one thing. Expat or tourist.

For an expat who has the time the gear and the language skills its too expensive to hire a guide. For a tourist its not that much because they are making good money. That being said i still find it a lot of money for fishing but that is probably because i know better.

For a tourist its all ok, for an expat living here maybe ok if its his style. But he could certainly do it with local guides.