Giant stingray birth while fishing Thailand – 27 05 2009
A visit from German Lure fishing ace Reiner and Andreas Kabas from Austria saw the Fishsiam team moored up on a wide section of the Maeklong River fishing for Giant freshwater stingrays.
Fishing a series of baits out in the main flow saw the anglers patiently waiting for action.
With water conditions looking perfect for the capture of Giant freshwater stingray the anglers waited with anticipation for a take!
After stingray fishing for an hour or so the anglers were alerted to a powerful take as the mainline began to be pulled from the big Okuma reel.
After winding down into the fish the anglers soon realized that the Giant freshwater stingray was a particularily large specimen.
The stingray embarked on a series of short powerful runs each time stopping and characteristically clamping onto the bottom creating an unmovable force.
Andreas expertly battled the fish for over forty minutes before seeing the gigantic river monster.
On the first sighting of the Giant freshwater stingray the anglers breath was taken away as a monster stingray of well over two metres in width languished beneath the boat.
After one last surge towards the bottom the freshwater leviathan was finally brought alongside the boat where it was quickly secured in the net.
After quickly transporting the fish to the riverside the Giant freshwater stingray was observed to be extremely bloated indicating the possibility of pregnancy.
The large female Giant freshwater stingray was quickly photographed at the riverside where it proceeded to give birth to a live newborn ‘not so giant’ freshwater stingray.
With the fish clearly heavily pregnant and the possibility that more stingray babies could soon arrive the anglers promptly released the fish and infant.
The monster Giant freshwater stingray with a width of well over 210cm’s was estimated to weigh 210-220kg’s.
The monster stingray being the Austrian angler’s first encounter with the mighty Himantura Chaophraya or Giant freshwater stingray and a fish that we are sure he will remember for a long time to come
