How to Catch Fish in Udon Thani
First of all I would like to give you a little background on my fishing exploits back in the UK. I started way back in 1973 when we moved to just outside Norwich, the home of the Norfolk Broads. I was young and did not have much in the way of tackle or guidance and must confess I was pretty ignorant about how to go about fishing effectively until about 1985 when I bought my first car and had the means to travel to enjoy my sport. At this time I was living in Cambridgeshire and there were many excellent opportunities with some great lakes and the Fenland Drains. I soon became involved with a local angling team and this is where I really started to learn, from my new found team-mates. Within a year I was winning sections of matches and eventually winning matches outright (not often but a few times). I was finally becoming quite adept, especially on the Grand Union Canal, where my company held an annual match and most of the field could not get anywhere near me. So, to sum it - I was a decent angler back home.
Now on to fishing in Udon Thani.
The first thing I have to say is - the methods used are all so different and incredibly basic. Most people use short fishing rods, anywhere between 6ft and 10ft, and to be honest it is hard to find anything longer in the local shops. Main line is anywhere from 10lb up and just about any colour can be used as most of the lakes are very well coloured all year round, and if the truth be known the fish are either just do greedy or hungry that they simply do not care.
Now on to fishing in Udon Thani.
The first thing I have to say is - the methods used are all so different and incredibly basic. Most people use short fishing rods, anywhere between 6ft and 10ft, and to be honest it is hard to find anything longer in the local shops. Main line is anywhere from 10lb up and just about any colour can be used as most of the lakes are very well coloured all year round, and if the truth be known the fish are either just do greedy or hungry that they simply do not care.
Feeder Fishing - Method Fishing
The set up is a simple 'method' or 'bolt rig' style but with a bit of a twist, these guys usually use 3 hooks at the same time. Groundbait is mixed and moulded on to the feeder, then the hooks with the bait are wrapped inside the groundbait.
The hooks are attached using braid, as monofiliment line is not flexible enough for the job, and the braid is normally of 10lb+ breaking strain. Hooks sizes vary on the fish you are after but a UK size 10 or 12 is used for the smaller species with UK size 2, 4 or 6 for the larger beasts. The Gamakatsu 17211 Iseama Twist with Eye hooks are an excellent choice for all sizes as they are a bit stronger than the cheaper makes but still do not be surprised if they bend out sometimes. All the hooks I have seen so far are barbed as conservation or fish preservation is a low priority here.
Bite detection could not be easier, the rod tip swings rounds and the line is stripped from the reel. Bare this in mind and do not set the clutch too tight or your rod will go for a swim!
The rig used for bigger fish is slightly different, with only 1 large hook, and stepped up breaking strains on line and braid.
The hooks are attached using braid, as monofiliment line is not flexible enough for the job, and the braid is normally of 10lb+ breaking strain. Hooks sizes vary on the fish you are after but a UK size 10 or 12 is used for the smaller species with UK size 2, 4 or 6 for the larger beasts. The Gamakatsu 17211 Iseama Twist with Eye hooks are an excellent choice for all sizes as they are a bit stronger than the cheaper makes but still do not be surprised if they bend out sometimes. All the hooks I have seen so far are barbed as conservation or fish preservation is a low priority here.
Bite detection could not be easier, the rod tip swings rounds and the line is stripped from the reel. Bare this in mind and do not set the clutch too tight or your rod will go for a swim!
The rig used for bigger fish is slightly different, with only 1 large hook, and stepped up breaking strains on line and braid.
When fishing for catfish, you really do need to scale up the tackle as these things fight like tigers. 20lb mainline is recommended, as are the large hooks with 40lb+ braid. If you are looking for large Pacu though (2kg+), it is wise to use a wire trace between the swivel just under the weight, with one hook and whatever hook bait you are using.
Float Fishing
There are two different types of float fishing I have seen, both methods are very basic and the main one used is also pretty crude, although effective. A method style feeder is used, as outline above, which is suspended under a large buoyant polystyrene float, with a float stop above so you see the bites properly. With the float stop, you can of course, adjust the depth where you want your hooks to be and fish seem to feed in nearly all layers of the water. I would suggest a minimum tail of about 2 feet from the float to hooks to begin with.
Using a small float (similar to a pole float) as a bite indicator is something I have not seen too often but those who use it do catch quite well. To date I have not paid much attention to the float fishing but I am pretty sure these guys are using worms on the hook in most cases, and they attract smaller fish more often than not.
I have tried float fishing as I did in the UK but have not had much joy, however over the next year I am going to adjust the approach a little and have a days UK fishing on a Thai lake, with balls of groundbait and laying on the bottom with a large hook hidden with a large hook bait.
I have tried float fishing as I did in the UK but have not had much joy, however over the next year I am going to adjust the approach a little and have a days UK fishing on a Thai lake, with balls of groundbait and laying on the bottom with a large hook hidden with a large hook bait.
Spinning
Walk in to any fishing tackle shop and you will see an array of spinning lures, yet I have never seen anyone catch a fish using them. Suffice to say I have not tried this method yet, and am unlikely to unless I can see some evidence that it actually works.
What Bait to Use?
This varies from lake to lake, species to species but bread is a good starting point for the Catfish, either standard white bread or the range of flavoured breads bits you can buy. Pineapple can work for the large Pacu on some lakes but not on others, as can sticky rice but the most common bait I have seen used on the hook is small polystyrene balls which the Pannine just go crazy for. All sorts of baits can be tried for big fish, chicken hearts, or fresh shrimps (never use frozen one's - even defrosted) for example.
Groundbait effectiveness can also vary from lake to lake and is very much a case of trial and error. Unfortunately I cannot give you the names of the bait as they are all in Thai of course, but sweet baits seem to work well in general, although Catfish love the bread that is soaked in something that smells a bit like vinegar.
Groundbait effectiveness can also vary from lake to lake and is very much a case of trial and error. Unfortunately I cannot give you the names of the bait as they are all in Thai of course, but sweet baits seem to work well in general, although Catfish love the bread that is soaked in something that smells a bit like vinegar.