Huge Cats on Rod and Reel

by Dale Rothstein

The catch and release only lake was stocked with Mekong cats and a host of other exotic fish many years ago and it appears the survival rate for the cats is very good, however, I do believe they supplement it occasionally with fish from their own hatchery. I don't believe the Mekong reproduce in the lake at all. If I'm not mistaken, they even sell fish from their hatchery to other fish farms, and may even put some Mekong catfish back into the Mekong river, as native wild fish are all but gone, due to commercial over fishing.

?I fished Bung Sam Lan Lake, just outside of Bangkok, Thailand. It's a twenty-acre private lake, in a lush tropical setting adorned with bungalows around its perimeter. The bungalows are basically thatched huts perched on docks that offer an angler a fishing platform and a place to get out of the afternoon sun. Giant Mekong catfish abound as well as scores of other finned denizens like the pacu, barramundi, striped catfish, armor-plated cats, and other exotics. While the Mekong is probably the most sought specie; many pursue the arapaima and giant Siamese carp. Picture a fish hatchery, only the fish average 30 lbs, and many exceed the triple digit mark.

While there are many record size Mekong cats in the lake, they are seldom landed. All the docks and bridges on the lake afford the virtually unstoppable cats the upper hand. Many of the guides there have mastered the technique of jumping in, unwrapping, or splicing lines to allow the angler to continue the battle, sometimes successfully, but always against IGFA rules, negating any possibility of a record catch.

The bait of choice for the Mekong is specially prepared dough bait. The terminal rig consists of a football shaped spring with a dropper line and small stout hook at the end. A dough ball that's literally the size of a baseball is molded into and around the spring, and the trailer hook is embedded into the outside of the bait, concealed in a piece of bread crust. It amazes me how well the rig works.

The cat pictured was one of three triple digit cats I caught the same day. I was using a Shimano 6500 Baitrunner reel spooled with 80 lb. Power Pro. She nearly spooled me and made several attempts to sever our ties by heading for pilings. It took all the skill and luck I could muster to land it. I knew trying to net her, or pull her up onto the dock was a disaster waiting to happen, so I ended up jumping in with rod and reel in hand, in order to persuade her into shallow water and my outfitter's (Fran?ois Helias) waiting arms. After a little hand-to-fin combat, Francois and I put the huge catfish in a sling to weigh her, as it was very close to the all tackle record, at the time. I think she missed by a little more than a pound, and weighed between 137 and 138 pounds. After a little revival swim (for both of us), I enjoyed seeing her regain her strength and freedom.

Our outfitter and guide Fran?ois, is energetic, enthusiastic, and very entertaining. He is a wealth of information on any fishing in Thailand and is a pleasure to fish with. Contact Jean-Francois Helias at fishasia@ksc.th.com

Dale is a big-fish enthusiast. Multi-species outings such as fishing the waters of Thailand or plying rivers of the Amazon rain forest going after huge cats, and bullish peacock bass are tops on his list. If it gets big and fights hard, Rothstein will fish for it.