Fishing in Thailand at the Ban Pakong River for Giant freshwater stingray's (Himantura Chaophraya) is possibly one of the last frontiers of truly pioneering freshwater fishing in the world.
Specialist anglers and sport fishermen from around the world are drawn to these freshwater monster fish which are found in the wildest and largest tidal rivers of Thailand.
The prehistoric Giant freshwater stingray has widely been described as the world's largest freshwater fish and is a fish shrouded in many myths and legends.
The Fishsiam team in Thailand has pioneered modern catch and release fishing methods for Giant freshwater stingrays in the rivers of Thailand and has successfully captured in the excess of two hundred different Giant freshwater stingrays to a world record breaking estimated 265-350 kg's from several tidal rivers in Thailand.
Anglers fishing for stingrays at the mighty Ban Pakong River in Thailand will be fishing against a stunning back drop of ancient gold encrusted Buddhist temples and rustic local riverside markets with vendors supplying every sort of food imaginable in addition to local textiles and various other weird and wonderful items.
The sleepy riverside town of Chachoengsao which nestles on the banks of the mighty Ban Pakong River is the starting point for all of our Giant freshwater stingray fishing tours on the Ban Pakong River.
Chachoengsao town is situated a short distance from the city of Bangkok and the town is visited by tourists in relatively small numbers allowing it to retain its charming rustic appeal as a perfect example of an urban riverside fishing community in Thailand.
Old weathered shop fronts and makeshift road side restaurants line the labyrinth of interconnecting streets which are littered with a myriad of food stalls selling a wide variety of exotic local delicacies which fill the air with a spicy and pungent mix of aromatic smells and flavours.
The town of Chachoengsao is an extremely old riverside community built along the banks of the Ban Pakong River dating back to ancient times and still has the decaying remnants of an old fortress wall dating back to the opium wars.
Commercial fishing is a massive local industry in Chachoengsao with both small scale and larger sized industrial fishing operations based in the area which contribute greatly to the local economy and community.
The Ban Pakong River in Chachoengsao is bordered on one of its banks by the town of Chachoengsao with the riverside lined with a mixture of floating restaurants and stilted wooden huts which serve as dwellings for the local fishermen and their families.
The opposite bank is bordered by rich and fertile fruit plantations and a much more rural and scenic landscape of lush paddy fields.
Stingray fishing in Thailand at the Ban Pakong River will see anglers fishing from the riverside in certain locations or alternatively from boats crewed by our highly experienced stingray fishing guides in their search for the largest freshwater fish in the world.
When fishing at the Ban Pakong River in Thailand for Giant stingrays anglers will be transported to various areas of the massive tidal river which have previously produced monster stingrays to our clients to well over 200kg's.
Anglers fishing at the Ban Pakong River in Thailand will be fishing in the same record breaking stretch of tidal river which produced several Giant freshwater stingrays to an estimated 200 kg's whilst recently filming with Dr.Zeb Hogan from the National Geographic Society.
Battles with the awesome Giant freshwater stingrays are generally measured in hours not minutes sometimes requiring several anglers to take turns to fight the monster stingrays.
The Fishsiam team and our clients have experienced numerous epic battles with Giant freshwater stingrays on the Ban Pakong River in the past with some battles lasting in the excess of an arm aching six hours!
When choosing one of our Ban Pakong River Stingray fishing packages clients will be assisted by a highly experienced 4-5 man fishing team fishing from a large fishing boat in addition to having an additional smaller boat for bait placement and support.
Only the strongest big game fishing equipment can be used whilst stingray fishing in Thailand with 80-120 lb class stand up rods (Okuma) fitted with roller guides coupled with two speed multipliers and heavy braided mainlines and 9/0-10/0 Owner circle hooks.
Stingray fishing at the Ban Pakong River in Thailand is seasonally dictated by weather and water conditions causing the Ban Pakong River to become unfishable at certain times of the year.
Giant freshwater stingrays can be caught regularily whilst fishing at the Ban Pakong River in Thailand during a large part of the year with the months between November and April generally being the most productive season for catching large stingrays on the Ban Pakong River.
During our many stingray fishing expeditions we have found full moon lunar phases to be the most productive times to fish for Giant stingrays generally allowing the best water conditions and longest tides in which to target the monster stingrays.
Due to the lack of scientific information and the huge amount of scientific interest surrounding the Giant freshwater stingray we are regularily joined by official veterinary scientists who regularily examine the freshwater stingrays before release after being caught by our clients.
The aquatic scientists may perform DNA sampling, tissue sampling, toxicology tests in addition to a variety of other fascinating scientific procedures concerned with the study of Giant freshwater stingrays in the rivers of Thailand.
The daily itinerary for our stingray fishing tours in Thailand at the Ban Pakong River is listed below.
Watch a video of Giant freshwater stingray fishing at the Ban Pakong River in Thailand
