Deep Sea Fishing
by
If you fancy a go at catching some fish or just want a day out, then a fishing trip might be for you. We went on one in November 2004. Unfortunately the people who organised ours no longer operate fishing trips, but this will give you an idea of what a typical trip is like.
We left the Bali Hai pier, South Pattaya, at 6.30 am (prompt!) and spent the day onboard the 60-foot boat, which has two comfortable decks. Deckchairs are provided on the covered upper deck, ideal for those who want to snooze or read in the shade, whilst all the action is downstairs.
On the lower deck, the boat is equipped with all the tackle and bait you'll need - there are rods all round the boat and plenty of handlines. There's a large communal table flanked by bench seating, as well as a semi-enclosed padded area which is good for a kip if you need to recover from the early start. (Not that I would know anything about that!) There's also a Western-style toilet on board if you need it.
There's no need to take anything except yourself as everything is supplied for you. Sandwiches are provided in the morning and a delicious Thai lunch is served later on. Drinks (beer, soft drinks, and water) are also available at very reasonable prices.
Tuk is a great cook and she and her team of Thai staff are friendly and willing to do anything to help you: from baiting your hooks, to helping you land the fish, and they'll even clean your fish before you take them home. I can't speak highly enough of the level of hospitality and courtesy with which we were treated.
We went to Bamboo Island and other islands just off the coast, and anchored in different places several times during the day. We landed quite a few of the bigger fish early in the day and meanwhile were catching smaller ones on handlines.
Some of the fish were unfamiliar to us and we've still not yet managed to figure out what they all were. There were queenfish, jackfish, something called a commodore which looked like a John Dory without the spots, a red snapper (yum!), and various other things. And someone caught a plastic bag which caused a bit of jollity. The trip was a good laugh with a little bit of friendly rivalry and ribbing. Not least because one poor chap had let his big fish get away.
Eventually we set off homeward and arrived back at the pier at about 6pm. It was a long day, sunrise to sunset. That said, everything was done to ensure our comfort and we felt we were in good hands. I would definitely be keen to go on another trip but next time I'd organise my own group and we would leave at a more civilised time. This would suit us better as the early start was not to my liking at all!
If you want to call the shots and have a trip arranged to suit you, the minimum number is eight people, although this large boat could comfortably accommodate many more than that.
The price was very reasonable too at THB 1,000 per man, with accompanying ladies free. (Yeah, well it is Pattaya and I'm not going to complain because I was given something for nothing.)
Have fun!
PS This is what happened to the fish!
