Big Game Fishing In Phuket Thailand

PHUKET BIG GAME FISHING
No matter where you are in the world, it will not be cheap to charter a boat, and Phuket is no exception. The cost of chartering a boat can be anywhere from 10,000-50,000THB for a day trip. Now I would recommend spending a little more than 10,000THB, because the boats in this price range are not nearly as nice and can make for an uncomfortable day. The last thing you want is to be under the heat of the beating sun with little to no protection and the smell of diesel fuel in the air.Most companies will negotiate from their listed price if you contact them directly rather than booking through an agent or online.


THE BOATS

MV Gecko - The Gecko is not a boat, it is a yacht! Unfortunately the one time I did get a chance to fishing on the Gecko, we only caught a few smaller Tuna. Well as any avid fisherman knows, you don't always catch the big ones. I was very impressed with the boat, it was very comfortable and the cabin was luxurious with a full teak wood interior. The captain and crew were very accommodating and professional.

MV Thai 2 on - I actually went on a day trip on the company's older boat, the Thaioneon, and the boat itself was not so comfortable. There were no fans or air conditioning in the Cabin and the heat was unbearable. Fortunately we had a lot of beer and that certainly helped. The captain and crew were quite friendly and after a long day of catching nothing but minnows, we were ready to pack it in. Just as we were thinking of pulling up the gear and heading in, we got a strike. We reeled in a 17 kg wahoo. If you are booking a charter with these guys, make sure you go on their newer boat, the Thai 2 on, it is much more comfortable that their older boat.

MV Reel Hooker - The Reel Hooker is a beautiful boat, and the captain and crew have an excellent reputation. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to go out on the Reel Hooker, possibly because they were asking a lot more money that some of the other charter companies.

MV Hooker - The Hooker is a popular charter boat with German tourists. The Owner is a legend (Uwe Schittek) and he seems to always be one of the guys catching the fish. The boat itself is new, launched in 2007, it is very comfortable and spacious. The Hooker is known for trips to the Andaman Islands where the fishing is phenomenal. If it is the big game fish you are after, chances are that you will find them in the Anadaman Islands. I would not recommend using anyone other than Andaman Fishing Charters if you are planning a trip to the Andamans.

THE FISH

Tuna - Most of the tuna you will catch in local phuket waters will not be very big, but they are great to eat. If you get lucky you could land a big blue fin or dog toothed tuna.

Sailfish - At certain times of the year it is common to catch sailfish off the waters off Phuket, unfortunately I have never been lucky enough to get one, but I will certainly be giving it another try.

Marlin - Once in a while somebody catches a big marlin, but this is very rare, you have to be really lucky to catch one of these monsters. This is the one that everyone wants to catch.

Dolphin Fish - Now these things are funny looking bright colored fish that look like their brains are spilling out of their heads. They are also known as Mahi Mahi and they are rated as one of the best tasting fish in the world.

Shark - Yes you can go fishing for sharks in Phuket, but in this day and age it is not advised to be killing sharks! If you go fishing for sharks you better not be killing them!

Dorado - This is another name for dolphin fish or mahi mahi.

Giant Trevally - There are a lot of trevally caught in Phuket waters. Nobody is disappointed when they land a good sized trevally.

Barracuda - There are big schools of barracuda in local waters, they are a big attraction for scuba divers and well as anglers.

Wahoo - As you can see in the photos I was fortunate enough to land a good sized wahoo, and I remember that fish was great on the BBQ.