Sea Fishing trip

Sea Fishing trip from Chalong.

Yesterday we tried a sea fishing trip. Two years ago Gary and Bert used one of the top level Game boats costing nearly £1k for the day. This year they used a local 'wooden warrior' costing £200 for the day which did exactly the same sort of day...with the same results.....very little!!



Here's Bert relaxing on the way out to sea....we're just going past Promthep Point which is about the best shore fishing mark we have found. Lots of species there but nothing of any size...





The lads are settled down on the trolling session. Bert had just landed a tuna but the very efficient crew lad had the fish off and in the fish box before I could get a photo.





We had a very good skipper (Captian Ali...only 25 but very good English and good fun) and crewman Marteb. Marteb was a real grafter and worked hard to keep the six trolling sets working properly. As always with trolling, the angler hardly ever touches the gear....just to wind a fish (if lucky) in.




Here's one of the tuna........


The day's programme goes like this....leave about 0900 -ish...head out towards the offshore islands as the trolling sets are played out and go trolling (no success) for a couple of hours. When we reached Racha Yai, the current most 'productive' island, we switched to 3 hook paternoster rigs baited with squid strips and fished with handlines on the drift. Our skipper and crew joined in and they had five little fish between them whilst Bert and Gary managed two. After an hour of this we headed into Racha Yai Bay for a swim whilst the skipper and crew cooked up the fish we'd caught for lunch. Racha Yai Bay has very good viz and many fish could be seen while snorkling.....but mainly all little fish.



The crew had heard about Bert's preferences for Ladyboys and did a nice little dance to attract his attention. But Bert's eyes were fixed on our rugged, pirate like Captain.






After lunch we headed back out to sea for a couple hours more trolling which is when the couple of tuna were caught.

Fishing always turns me to fags (Bert likes that word) die to the excitement of trolling.





We returned to port about 6 ish.




Our skipper explained the lack of fish was due to wind conditions, excessive rain and generally poor fishing for the past three days which, when pressed, extended to the 'past two years'. Whenever I fish abroad, and I admit my experience is VERY limited, I always think how lucky we are back in UK with what we have on offer. Our fishing is infinitely better than Phuket's fishing....but for all that, it's a nice day out.

Next month our planned 3 day Similan Island trips will begin....I do believe that we will have decent fishing there so I am looking forward to that. Also, according to the charts, there is a 100 metre drop off down to 150 metres about 24 miles directly west of Phuket. The boats that make that journey cost in the region of £2k per day!!! Back in UK we think nothing of going 25 miles out....and fuel here in Thailand is capped by the Government and is much cheaper than ours.