Thailand Monster Arapaima fishing in Bangkok – 03 02 2006
Singaporean angler and returning client Andrew visited Bungsamran Lake in Bangkok. Joined by Boy the anglers fished small livebaits in a quiet marginal area frequented by one of the lakes largest Arapaima. It wasnt long before the goldfish livebait was picked up by a gigantic Amazonian predator! With line streaming from the reel the hook was set and an epic battle began! The battle was a long and protracted struggle with the mighty predator entering the snags on various occasions with the battle nearing forty minutes the fish was finally netted. Instantly the fish was observed to be in distress with an obvious loss of colour an uncharacteristic lack of aggression whilst in the net!
Despite continued attempts to revive the ancient warrior the fish sadly died in Boys arms! The mood now changed from a feeling of elation concerning the capture of such a massive fish to a solemn silence as the ancient predator?s massive body was removed from the lake. The fish was weighed at 180kg?s and buried at the edge of the lake. The death of this mighty fish was in no way attributed to bad angling on anyone concerned in this tragic story. This mighty predator had lived for over twenty years and had been caught previously on many occasions. The protracted nature of the battle had also contributed to the creature?s tragic demise. The Arapaima Gigas being an air breathing fish can become starved of oxygen if it does not surface at regular intervals. The long periods during the battle that the fish had remained underwater, coupled with the giant predators old age had finally taken their toll on this mighty ancient warrior!
