Fishing Around Surat Thani

[seajae]

I have been living here now for a few months and I am trying to find out where to go fishing, I like using soft plastics and lures, I have a pretty good range of gear from light game(15kg) to light flick sticks.

It is an eatuary system here but the water just looks pretty dirty and I am not really interested in eating anything I catch in it plus it is industrial and there is a lot of crap in the water.Tried throwing lures from the rocks at koh samui but even though the water looked good there was not even a follow in, seems that a lot of the places around here have been pretty well fished/netted out. Any suggestions on where to go would be appreciated, not interested in fish farms, much prefer wild caught fish. In Australia I mainly chased salt water fish(estuary, rock/beach and boat) but I also chased the occasional freshie, usually bass.

Dennis

[sportsman69]

Likewise, I truly enjoy fresh self caught seafood. The lack of replies seems to confirm your suspicions.

I've not fished that coast for some time, maybe 15 years ago and it was thin on the ground then.

You might like to try a few methods seemingly used with some success by the locals here in the Phuket, Andaman Coast region.

1. Diving with an old fridge compressor, garden hose and a spear.

2. Cyanide

3. Explosives

4. Indiscriminate use of square hooks

5. A bit of pair trawling with your buddy, close inshore.

All of these methods must have been some success at sometime as there's no fish over here either.

Can't wait to get back to OZ to catch a feed. Last time back, Hervey Bay, no bait purchased but live herring caught off the jetty piles with a $1 jig. Returned to the water a couple of 30 cm Bream, 1 hr later walking back with 2 nice 65 cm Tailor. Food for a week or more. Fresh caught Morton Bay prawns at no greater cost than the farm bred shit here with the resultant mangrove destruction. With the conservation methods and rules in place in OZ, there is no reason to expect a change. Here I'm afraid it's just too late.

[seajae]

hahahaha, mate, so true. I am from Ballina, was getting into the mackeral, snapper and trag just before I cam over plus I was getting some great flatties & bream out of the river.The water here looks great, good structure and should be holding fish but there is bugger all. Watching the netters take all the small baitfish to eat doesnt help either, gives you a good isea why there isnt any pelagics/bigger stuff around. A local tackle shop owner said he will take me fishing next time he goes so I am hopeful, he has some magazines at his shop with pics of him with some huge trevally from the islands and snake heads from the big dam thats reasonably close. I only keep what I can eat so I do a bit of catch release so I might give the dams a go and see what I come up with. I have been able to buy the occasional flathead from the market and apparently they get them somewhere not to far away, my wife works at an office on the local waterfront and they are supposed to get some goos ones near there but I am not sure about eating whay comes out of the estuary there, pretty scummy.

Anyway thanks for the reply, maybe as I do some more travelling I will get some, have been led to believe there are some great fish in the andaman waters, hope they are right.

Dennis

[cornishcarlos]

Hi Dennis,

I also live in Surat... Closer to Donsak though. Haven't had a chance to fish the area yet but my wife bought me some gear for my Birthday, bless her. I would be keen to chat with you more and maybe we can head out some time for an explore !!

On the subject of Oz fishing, we are heading to WA when I get back in a week and hitting the coast in a campervan. I also love to fish with lures from the beaches and rocks, what can I expect over that side ??

Cheers

[sportsman69]

A few months ago trolled a pair of flatlines all the way to Langkawi and back with rigged baits and previously proven lures. Saw 2 small flocks of gulls. No surface activity at all. Caught 3, 25 kg White Bagfish ( empty,Thai trawler dumped ) numerous Lotus and other unmarked transparent Bagfish. 1 stick and 2 Weedfish.

Nothing with a scale or otherwise semi edible such as a Bonito. Haven't seen a Spaniard in the local markets for more than 6 months. The last one I did see you could push your finger right through with gills the colour and texture of grey mud, eyes like ball bearings. Vendor said " nice fish, caught yesterday " thought he was offering a bargain at 200 b per Kg whole, guts in.

Check the date on yer mates magazines. Hope he's not taking you along to light the fuses, that's the risky bit. Jokes aside I hope it works out good for you both. When I owned a restaurant in Cairns trevally was what we used for namis. Raw fish with lemon juice and coconut cream, top seller. Got Snakehead in our own dam check, www.phuketsport.com but have been in captivity since fingerling's and not on a natural diet. A couple of reasons not to chew them. Elusive buggers to catch too.

Tight lines, oh shit, snagged again.

[seajae]

mate, fishing in WA is good, right along the coast. Good selection of pelagics, salmon(big buggars), snapper, trevally etc. The further north you go the more fish you get into, you will not be dissapointed at all. I live at Phokhuntale, it the airport side of surat, we mifght have to see if we cant organize something.

I will be back in oz on the 22nd Oct for a week, hopefully will get out in the boat if its good weather.

Dennis

[sportsman69]

Hi Dennis,

I also live in Surat... Closer to Donsak though. Haven't had a chance to fish the area yet but my wife bought me some gear for my Birthday, bless her. I would be keen to chat with you more and maybe we can head out some time for an explore !!

On the subject of Oz fishing, we are heading to WA when I get back in a week and hitting the coast in a campervan. I also love to fish with lures from the beaches and rocks, what can I expect over that side ??

Cheers

G'day Cornishcarlos.

Appears that both Dennis and I are east coasters but there's a few sand gropers who might be able to give advice, seems beach or pier is what you'll be doing unless you hire a boat. A couple of guys are BM's and active in the Phuket forum. the 2 that come to mind are Old Croc and petercallen. They might be able to advise what to do from a local perspective.

Could try a post in the Phuket forum or if the mods flick it give them a PM direct.

Regards, Stafford

[seajae]

Somehow I think you really need to get away from the locals or where they go to get anything. Trawling for that distance should have raised something other than your frustration. Magazines were last years, so it isnt hat long ago, he reckons he does a lot of travelling to get his fish. Probably found the spaniard floating by the sound of it, cant beat them when they are fresh, beautiful, same with trevally, especially the golds.

Dennis

[ThailandBert]

If ever you fancy a weekend away I have a friend who has a fishing lake up in Chumphon which has some decent fish in it. Drop me a PM for his details. catch and release or eat what you catch. up to you as they say. There is always top cats here on Samui as well if you are into big fishing and there is some very good big game fishing to had from here as well.

[seajae]

I have fished a lot of oz, spent time in WA around Perth and then around Carnarvon, fishing was pretty dam_n good but locals would be able to give more details. I just copped a lot of info from the locals that had fished the coast and took it all in, still want to get to the northern tip of WA and fish the rocks, heard it is phenominal with lures and the huge tide change.

Dennis

[seajae]

thanks mate, might have to look at something like that if everything else fails. I dont mind game fishing, brought my 15 kg set up, sold the 24kg to a mate but have my big trolling rigs, gymbal and harness, you never know when you will need it. I actually have a big selection of gear here, 8 & 10 kg flick sticks and lighter plus my bottom bashing gear, all my lures(hard and soft), leaders and rigging material so I am able to cater to most types of fishing.

Dennis

[jackinbkk]

Never been to WA guys but it is definitely on my list to do soon. I've wanted to try the fishing in Australia for a long time. Bull sharks in QLD and game fish in WA. There's lots of info on the net and a great forum called fishwrecked by the WA locals. Lots of pics, lots of posts.

I actually came across it when reading about a lad from Ireland called Liam O'Connor who joined the forum and absolutely loved the fishing but tragically drowned a few months later. Search for 'Fishwrecked member tragedy'.

This was him. You can see the fishing was incredible, bluefin Tuna from the rocks! Massive sharks for fun at your feet.:

His videos show how amazing the fishing is. The GT, Marlin, Rays and Shark fishing is just amazing to see. It's like the Southern Guinea Bissau.

[seajae]

Thats it, the more remote the area the better the fishing, you can throw in an a bare silver hook and get a hook up, it is incredible. Just make sure you are not caught out by the tides, they are huge and come and go very fast. Sorry to hear about your mate but he must have enjoyed his fishing.

Dennis

[UKJASE]

i was in my local fishing shop in hua hin the other day and the guy from the shop, a thai guy, had loads of pics of himself up on the wall, holding some impressive fish

i asked him where he caught them all..... i said was it in hua hin..... he said no, all from the andaman side

not sure what fish they were, there must have been 10 different species i all his photos, and they ranged from 5 - 40 kg i would say

he was definately getting into some good fish....... i think on this east coast though the going is a lot harder

[jackinbkk]

i was in my local fishing shop in hua hin the other day and the guy from the shop, a thai guy, had loads of pics of himself up on the wall, holding some impressive fish

i asked him where he caught them all..... i said was it in hua hin..... he said no, all from the andaman side

not sure what fish they were, there must have been 10 different species i all his photos, and they ranged from 5 - 40 kg i would say

he was definately getting into some good fish....... i think on this east coast though the going is a lot harder

There is a reserve around Similan Island where I think most good fish are caught. Be it from just on the edge of the reserve or just inside when nobody's looking. It's only protected areas and areas free from man that thrive.

[oldsailor35]

And i thought that i was the only farang looking for somewhere to fish. I live on Samui and have just about given up. We have got a town house at Wat Pradu ( Suratthani) so if anyone knows of anywhere to fish around the coast in that area, please tell me. My partner comes from Ban Na Dom so we get over to Surat from Samui quite often.

[jackinbkk]

If you have a boat you will probably want to try trolling around any islands or sunken structures, reefs etc. Looking for drop offs from deep to shallow water, any obvious mixing of fresh and saltwater in estuarys and thermal meeting points. You can usually see these as a line through the water. I forget the term, thermoclines maybe? You'll often get flotsam gathering at the current lines. Get yourself some maritime charts to find any sea mounts or trenches where upwelling of currents can occur providing bait to big predators. Also look for birds, they are the best fishermen of all.

[sportsman69]

If you have a boat you will probably want to try trolling around any islands or sunken structures, reefs etc. Looking for drop offs from deep to shallow water, any obvious mixing of fresh and saltwater in estuarys and thermal meeting points. You can usually see these as a line through the water. I forget the term, thermoclines maybe? You'll often get flotsam gathering at the current lines. Get yourself some maritime charts to find any sea mounts or trenches where upwelling of currents can occur providing bait to big predators. Also look for birds, they are the best fishermen of all.

With due respects Jack, all your points are valid. Fishing 101. I think the op knows to fish, judging by his posts. I think his direct question is where to fish in his local area. I jokingly agreed with his assumption that they had been fished out and gave the reasons. Unfortunately this is an Asian phenomenon, there has been absolutely no thought given to the sustainability of the oceans resources. Very sad and very true.

[jackinbkk]

If you have a boat you will probably want to try trolling around any islands or sunken structures, reefs etc. Looking for drop offs from deep to shallow water, any obvious mixing of fresh and saltwater in estuarys and thermal meeting points. You can usually see these as a line through the water. I forget the term, thermoclines maybe? You'll often get flotsam gathering at the current lines. Get yourself some maritime charts to find any sea mounts or trenches where upwelling of currents can occur providing bait to big predators. Also look for birds, they are the best fishermen of all.

With due respects Jack, all your points are valid. Fishing 101. I think the op knows to fish, judging by his posts. I think his direct question is where to fish in his local area. I jokingly agreed with his assumption that they had been fished out and gave the reasons. Unfortunately this is an Asian phenomenon, there has been absolutely no thought given to the sustainability of the oceans resources. Very sad and very true.

I know sportsman69, 2 years in Phuket showed me the lack of thought for sustainable fishing. In hard fished waters nobody is going to give out prime marks. They wont be able to get on them themselves or they'll get fished out. So you might want to go back to basics and find your own, follow other boats or take a gps on a trip with an operator. That's the reality.

Plus thermoclines can change from day to day and often produce the best pelagic species. Like floating debris. Here today gone tomorrow.

[Mousehound]

I have fished a lot of oz, spent time in WA around Perth and then around Carnarvon, fishing was pretty dam_n good but locals would be able to give more details. I just copped a lot of info from the locals that had fished the coast and took it all in, still want to get to the northern tip of WA and fish the rocks, heard it is phenominal with lures and the huge tide change.

Dennis

If you are in the SW of WA then easter is the time for Salmon - but it can be very hard work. Summer you can go in a boat for Samson fish and winter fishijng for Black bream in the Swan River can be OK. best of all get up to Exmouth in january and work the flats.

Generally fishing in WA is not that great in the SW and even up north it can be hard work. Interestingly my son and I come to Thailand for the fishing - it is cheaper and we have had some great times in the fishing parks - prefer the river and lake fishimng for Snakehead, Jungle Perch and our dream is working the northern Thai rivers for Mahseer.

[seajae]

And i thought that i was the only farang looking for somewhere to fish. I live on Samui and have just about given up. We have got a town house at Wat Pradu ( Suratthani) so if anyone knows of anywhere to fish around the coast in that area, please tell me. My partner comes from Ban Na Dom so we get over to Surat from Samui quite often.

Hi mate, I live at Phokhuntale, not too far from there but I am still looking for some where to fish myself. Hopefully I will be able to get more involved once I finish all the work on our garden.

[oldsailor35]

And i thought that i was the only farang looking for somewhere to fish. I live on Samui and have just about given up. We have got a town house at Wat Pradu ( Suratthani) so if anyone knows of anywhere to fish around the coast in that area, please tell me. My partner comes from Ban Na Dom so we get over to Surat from Samui quite often.

Hi mate, I live at Phokhuntale, not too far from there but I am still looking for some where to fish myself. Hopefully I will be able to get more involved once I finish all the work on our garden.

When you find it please let me know.

[seajae]

And i thought that i was the only farang looking for somewhere to fish. I live on Samui and have just about given up. We have got a town house at Wat Pradu ( Suratthani) so if anyone knows of anywhere to fish around the coast in that area, please tell me. My partner comes from Ban Na Dom so we get over to Surat from Samui quite often.

Hi mate, I live at Phokhuntale, not too far from there but I am still looking for some where to fish myself. Hopefully I will be able to get more involved once I finish all the work on our garden.

When you find it please let me know.

No worries mate, will do. Actually wet a line yesterday at the port, a friend got some nice flathead in their net there a few weeks ago. I was using soft plastics as flatties like them but all I got were snags, there is just so much crap in the water, everyone uses it as a tip. Watched the locals on the pier catching 2" herring on jigs, no wonder there is bugger all around, they remove all the baitfish so that there is nothing for the bigger fish.

Dennis

[oldsailor35]

And i thought that i was the only farang looking for somewhere to fish. I live on Samui and have just about given up. We have got a town house at Wat Pradu ( Suratthani) so if anyone knows of anywhere to fish around the coast in that area, please tell me. My partner comes from Ban Na Dom so we get over to Surat from Samui quite often.

Hi mate, I live at Phokhuntale, not too far from there but I am still looking for some where to fish myself. Hopefully I will be able to get more involved once I finish all the work on our garden.

When you find it please let me know.

No worries mate, will do. Actually wet a line yesterday at the port, a friend got some nice flathead in their net there a few weeks ago. I was using soft plastics as flatties like them but all I got were snags, there is just so much crap in the water, everyone uses it as a tip. Watched the locals on the pier catching 2" herring on jigs, no wonder there is bugger all around, they remove all the baitfish so that there is nothing for the bigger fish.

Dennis

WOW! Flathead, did'nt know that there were any in Thailand, a really nice eating fish. You are right about the locals taking everything ! How are they going to breed if the little ones are taken before they get a chance to mature. I was watching some Thai's looking for fish along Mae Nam beach. They had little finger nail sized things in their bucket. Make good soup they said !

[oldsailor35]

G'day CornishCarlos, i was thinking that there might be a likely spot to fish somewhere in the Donsak area. If you get any luck please don't forget to give me a call.

Dave.

[seajae]

I know, I saw some at the morning market(around 1.5kg) so I grabbed them and then tried to find out where they came from, was told Nakon Si Tammarat but then my wife spoke to her friend that said they get them locally too and every one I have seen has been over a kilo. I think they are great eating so I was rapt but I will have to hunt around to catch them I think. Wife wants us to stay out in the estuary just down the coast(huts are over the water at high tide and mud at low tide, get to them by boat), it should be a reasonable area to search for them as there are channels all over the place. Went to her work with her for a bit today and the same lady hade a bucket full of the little buggers, wife said they fry them and eat them whole, I think they make better bait.

Dennis

[oldsailor35]

I know, I saw some at the morning market(around 1.5kg) so I grabbed them and then tried to find out where they came from, was told Nakon Si Tammarat but then my wife spoke to her friend that said they get them locally too and every one I have seen has been over a kilo. I think they are great eating so I was rapt but I will have to hunt around to catch them I think. Wife wants us to stay out in the estuary just down the coast(huts are over the water at high tide and mud at low tide, get to them by boat), it should be a reasonable area to search for them as there are channels all over the place. Went to her work with her for a bit today and the same lady hade a bucket full of the little buggers, wife said they fry them and eat them whole, I think they make better bait.

Dennis

What fish are you referring to Dennis ?

[seajae]

I know, I saw some at the morning market(around 1.5kg) so I grabbed them and then tried to find out where they came from, was told Nakon Si Tammarat but then my wife spoke to her friend that said they get them locally too and every one I have seen has been over a kilo. I think they are great eating so I was rapt but I will have to hunt around to catch them I think. Wife wants us to stay out in the estuary just down the coast(huts are over the water at high tide and mud at low tide, get to them by boat), it should be a reasonable area to search for them as there are channels all over the place. Went to her work with her for a bit today and the same lady hade a bucket full of the little buggers, wife said they fry them and eat them whole, I think they make better bait.

Dennis

What fish are you referring to Dennis ?

sorry mate, flat head, I thought I had attached your reply but I didnt. I would really like to get onto them as they are just great fun to catch with soft plastics and really good eating. I will be back in oz next week till the end of the month then hopefully I can do some looking when I get back, I will keep you informed if I find any good spots. Just had an email from a mate in Darwin, reckons he has killed the barra this year, lucky bastard, told me to call in on my way but I have already booked my flights, bugger.

Dennis

[oldsailor35]

I know, I saw some at the morning market(around 1.5kg) so I grabbed them and then tried to find out where they came from, was told Nakon Si Tammarat but then my wife spoke to her friend that said they get them locally too and every one I have seen has been over a kilo. I think they are great eating so I was rapt but I will have to hunt around to catch them I think. Wife wants us to stay out in the estuary just down the coast(huts are over the water at high tide and mud at low tide, get to them by boat), it should be a reasonable area to search for them as there are channels all over the place. Went to her work with her for a bit today and the same lady hade a bucket full of the little buggers, wife said they fry them and eat them whole, I think they make better bait.

Dennis

What fish are you referring to Dennis ?

sorry mate, flat head, I thought I had attached your reply but I didnt. I would really like to get onto them as they are just great fun to catch with soft plastics and really good eating. I will be back in oz next week till the end of the month then hopefully I can do some looking when I get back, I will keep you informed if I find any good spots. Just had an email from a mate in Darwin, reckons he has killed the barra this year, lucky bastard, told me to call in on my way but I have already booked my flights, bugger.

Dennis

OK mate, thought you were having a "senior" moment. I am back in SE Qld at the moment, but hope to return shortly, have a few things to sort out here, caught some nice Whiting in the Bribie Passage last week, then got too excited and fell in with my bloody mobile phone in my pocket...........bugger !

[seajae]

hahahahaha, mate I near wet myself with that one, what a bugger but at least you caught fish. I fly into Brisbane on the 22nd(a week away) and will go straight to the thai consulate to apply for a 12 month multi visa, already emailed them and they say it should be fine. I then head back to DEEDI to pick up some plants that have been in quarantine for several months with some mates then head back down to Ballina for the week, Will head back to Brissy on the friday to pick up my passport/visa then stay the night and fly out early the next morning to come back here. Hopefully I will get out on the mates boat while I am there.

Dennis