Thailand is one of the most extraordinary freshwater fishing destinations on earth — and the species list is the reason why. Nowhere else in the world can you walk up to a lake and realistically target an Arapaima the size of a man, a Giant Mekong Catfish that could fill a bathtub, a hard-charging Amazon Redtail Catfish, and a surface-smashing Giant Snakehead all in the same day. Bangkok's fishing parks and wild reservoirs hold an incredible mix of native Thai giants and exotic imported species that draw serious anglers from every corner of the globe. Whether you have one day or one week, a target species in mind or just an appetite for something extraordinary — Thailand will deliver. Here's what's waiting for you.
Amazon BKK is one of the most exciting and challenging fishing lakes near Bangkok — a densely stocked venue holding Arapaima, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Alligator Gar, and Chaopraya Catfish among others. In this report we take our first proper session at the lake to see what it's really like to fish for Arapaima on lures near Bangkok. Here's an honest account of the challenge, the tactics, and the results.
"Testing out the Amazon Pond" - May 28 2013
I truly beleive that we are very fortunate to have Amazonian species for angling in Thailand. It may seem somewhat odd but odd beats flying all the way to the Amazon basin. It was a tough day overall with few bites in between. The weather was extremely hot which certainly did not help the fishing. Any doubts that this pond lacks fish density is completely unwarranted the moment you approach the pond. There are fish breaking the surface at all times. Another interesting fact about this pond is that there is actually more than 30 species of fish in the pond and every catch is almost guaranteed to be a different type of fish. To increase the chance of landing a fish, Amzonian species requires an extra early departure. We would prefer to be there at sunrise and maybe we might just get a topwater bite from the different species in there. I managed to hook on to a few fish on a 1/O Zonker fly but only to lose the fish a few seconds later.