The Big Blues, our fishing destinations around SE Asia

Day and night trip around Phuket

During our day trips around Phuket we usually fish around the Racha Islands and the drop-off nearby Phuket. Overall the area is more indicated for novice anglers but although heavily fished by the local commercial fishing fleet still from time to time can offer some good fishing day. Also every year in November this area hosts the local fishing tournament which always provide good catches and entertainment.

Thailand, Phuket & the Racha Islands

The Racha area consists of two main islands, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi (14 miles and 23 miles respectively from Ao Chalong our departure point) separated by a narrow pass.

The north east corner of Racha Yai offers the best Sailfish action around Phuket especially during the summer season. Often Sailfish here can be seen jumping, tailing on the surface or feeding on balls of bait fish......a really incredible show! Usually the best fishing happens in the afternoon so in the morning you can target Skypjack and Longfin Tuna, King Mackerel, Wahoo and Dorado.

The area is also quite scenic above the water, with several beautiful white-sandy beaches bordered by groves of coconut trees.

Before reaching Racha Noi we will meet the Tan Kram coral reef which, during the right lunar phase, can host spectacular GT action on popper fishing. On the west side of the island again you will have the best chance to get Sailfish as well as Wahoo, Barracuda and GT. Finally the south end of the island with its underwater reef and up swellings can be a good jigging and bottom fishing area.

The Big Blues offers day and muti-day trips to the Racha Islands all year round as well as memorable fishing weekends (see our Latest Offers section). Departure point is Ao Chalong in Phuket or Racha Yai Island.

The fishing time is agreed together according to your requests, fishing conditions as well as moon and tides phases.

Racha Yai and Racha Noi offer also excellent action for night bottom fishing and if you cannot sleep this is for sure an excellent venue to keep you busy all night long!

The Big Blues offers as well night fishing session around Phuket and the Racha Islands all year round providing the weather and sea conditions are suitable.

Thailand, Phuket & the drop-off

The drop-off is the best place to get a Black Marlin off Phuket during the period which goes from October till April. It lays 25 NM west of Phuket and although only 200 m deep you have the chance to target also Wahoo, Dorado and different kinds of tuna (Yellowfin Tuna although no big can be found as well).

The most common technique here is definitely trolling with lures and live bait.

The Big Blues offers day trips and multi-day trips (together with the Racha Islands) to the drop-off area in Phuket all year round as well as memorable fishing weekends (see our Latest Offers section). Departure point is Ao Chalong in Phuket or Racha Yai Island.

All our day/night trips' packages around Phuket are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes and insurance, transport from/to your accommodation in Phuket (if in the area of Rawai, Kata, Karon and Patong), lunch or dinner on board, bottled water, soft drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, baits, lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional guides.

Other day and night trips

Thailand, Koh Samui

Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand after Phuket and is located in the Gulf of Thailand just south of Koh Phang Ngan close to the mainland town of Surat Thani. During a typical day trip the boat will leave from Bophut beach and will cruise around the whole island of Koh Samui, stopping for fishing at the Koh Som area and cruising past Chaweng and Lamai beach onto Koh Tan Island and Koh Madsum, with a choice of beaches, fishing and snorkeling. Lunch will be at a local Thai restaurant (Nikki Beach as a second option). The boat will continue along the West coast passing the forbidden Five Rock Islands (The islands for birds nests) and finishing back in Bophut.

Again this trip is more of a cruising, fishing and snorkeling trip all together, particularly indicated for a family or group of friends keen on spending a full day out at sea while enjoining the scenery of Samui and all the different activities.

The Big Blues offers day trips and multi-day trips around Koh Samui all year round; in order to do that we partner with local professional anglers. Departure point Bophut beach in Koh Samui.

All our day/night trips' packages around Samui are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes and insurance, transport from/to your accommodation in Samui, lunch or dinner on board, bottled water, soft drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, snorkeling & diving equipment, baits, lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional guides.

West Malaysia, Kuala Rompin

Kuala Rompin is nowadays regarded as one of the "fishing hot spot” worldwide for Sailfish and it is for sure the best in SE Asia.

Kuala Rompin itself is a quite fishing village on the east coast of Malaysia in the state of Pahang just on the border of Johor state. It is about 220 km from Singapore or 3.5 hrs drive and 250 km from Kuala Lumpur or 4 hrs drive.

This small town lies just north of the Endau River and faces the South China Sea.

It was only after a strong El Nino weather pattern during 1997-98 that Sailfish started to show up in school; before then in fact they were caught only occasionally.
Sailfish or "Layaran", as locals know them, are drawn here by the warm waters of the South China Sea which offer them the ideal feeding ground for bait fish; the local reefs and abundance of anchovies in fact make it an ideal resting ground before they migrate towards Australia.

Sailfish hunt in school and feed on the surface or at mid-depths on smaller fishes and squid; average weight is 25-30 kg with peaks in the 40-50 kg range.

Charters start at 8 am and end around 5 pm.

The fishing ground is about 45-60 min. from the jetty (usually no more than 20 NM offshore) and the average depth is 30 mt near FAD or "unjam" (as locals call them), feeding birds, commercial boats or coral structural areas.

The strike rate is unbelievable high and we can confidently say that all our fishing guests have more than 90% chance of catching at least a Sailfish on any given trip during the season with us in K. Rompin.

However there are many more species available at Kuala Rompin like Dorado (Dolphin Fish), Spanish Mackerel and Golden Trevally (from April till May), Cobia, juvenile Black Marlin (usually below the 25 kg range), Barracuda, Giant Trevally and Queen fish making Rompin a very exciting light jigging destination. Squid jigging is also another option from September till October.

The Sailfish here are mainly caught on live-baiting or popping (poppers/stikbait) and are always released. We always support catch and release in fact and Sailfish are only boated for pictures if the guide thinks it will not harm the fish.

On top of that there is a catch limit to 3 Sailfish releases per angler per day based on 4 anglers on board using live bait. Hence since we have a max of 4 anglers on board, you potentially have a cap of 12 Sails releases per day if you chartered the entire trip.

Live baits such as Herring, Yellow-tail, Big Eye Scads, Indian Mackerel etc.. are caught with sabiky at the local FAD and kept in the live bait so to be used later.

So either a live bait is drifted under a balloon or it is free lined if the fishes stay deep. Slow trolling live bait is also very effective. Only circle hooks are used for live baiting.

Lures such as the typical popper could be used once the catch limit has been reached for the particular angler, or perhaps other species could be targeted instead. However the sight of a bill following a popper all the way right to the boat is really something and many anglers especially from Asia come here only for this purpose! However having an initial hook-up is one thing while getting the hook properly set is another. In this case poppers might be used as well only to tease the Sailfish for some bait-switching.

The Big Blues offers day trips to Kuala Rompin in Malaysia from April through October-November; in order to do that we partner local professional anglers. Trips are suggested for a minimum of 2 days/1 nights and are recommended for max 4 persons. Departure point is Singapore or Kuala Lampur.

All our packages to Kuala Rompin in Malaysia are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes, transport from/to Singapore or Kuala Lampur, accommodation in Kuala Rompin in a 3* hotel, packed lunch-boxes, bottled water, baits&lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional crew.

West Malaysia, Tioman Island

Tioman Island (Malay language: Pulau Tioman) is a small island in Pahang; it is a part of Rompin district of Pahang, although it is geographically closer to Johor and is accessed via ferry service from Mersing. It is located 32 km off the east coast of the state and is some 20 km long and 12 km wide. It has eight main villages and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a popular scuba diving spot for Singaporeans. There are also a lot of resorts and chalets around the island which has duty-free status and cozy nightlife with few bars and good seafood restaurants.

The marine area around Tioman Island and eight other nearby islands have been declared marine national park thus there is a no fishing zone 2 miles around.

Juvenile Black Marlin and much larger Sails compared to Rompin are the main catches here as they show up from June through September along with Dorado and King Mackerel.

For Tioman Island the best time for juvenile Black Marlin is from March thru April and from June till the beginning of November along with Sails and Dorado.

The waters around Tioman are deeper than around Rompin; on top of that the volcanic origin of the island together with the presence of several Fads in its waters placed by the local commercial fishing boats attracts a wider variety of pelagic species and bigger Sails compared to Rompin although slightly less in number.

At the end of the day then if you wish you can end up snorkeling amongst colorful coral reefs or just relaxing on a white sandy beach.

The Big Blues offers day trips around Tioman Island (minimum 3 days/2 nights) from March thru April and from June till the beginning of November; in order to do that we partner with local professional anglers. Departure point is either Singapore or Kuala Lampur where our private taxi will pick you up and bring to Kuala Rompin.

All our trips usually start and end in Kuala Rompin with overnight stays on Tioman Island but if you like to make your own way to Tioman, our trips start and end at Tioman marina.

For guests staying at our 2 recommended resorts (Panuba Inn & Berjaya Tioman Resort) direct pick-up & drop-off for the day's fishing and evening outings to Salang Village can be arranged from the resorts jetties.

West Malaysia, Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang Islands

The two islands Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang sit in the South China Sea separated by the Dayang channel which is about 400 meters (1,300 ft.) width at the narrowest point.

The Aur and Dayang Islands (Malay language: Pulau Aur) are part of the Mersing district of Johor, Malaysia. They lie about 76 kilometers (47 mi) east of Mersing Town and are part of the Johor Marine National Park.

These islands have been for many years a frequent stopover point for commercial fishermen and they were quite well-known already in the 80s and 90s by the local sport fishing community for Black Marlin before Rompin was made famous in late 90s for Sails. They were traditionally targeted by slow - moving wooden boats from Mersing but now you can fish them in comfort using Pulau Tioman as a base camp; Tioman Island is in fact only about 36 nm from these islands.

Untouched and virtually unknown outside of Singapore and Malaysia, the Aur and Dayang Islands boasts crystal clear blue waters, healthy corals with regular encounters with large pelagic species which makes them quite popular among the Singaporean diving community.

Together with Pulau Lang, Pulau Pinang and Pulau Pemanggil, they all belong to the Johor Marine National Park. Most of the rocky islands are well forested and have isolated coconut plantations.

The Big Blues offers day trips around the two islands of Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang (minimum 4 days/3 nights) targeting mainly Black Marlin up to 150 kg from June thru October. Departure point is either Singapore or Kuala Lampur where our private taxi will pick you up and bring to Kuala Rompin.

All our trips usually start and end in Kuala Rompin with overnight stays on Tioman Island but if you like to make your own way to Tioman, our trips start and end at Tioman marina.

Multi-day trip

Thailand, Similan Islands

Located 60 miles north west of Phuket the Similan Islands National Marine Park is a chain of 9 relatively small uninhabited islands, surrounded by some of Thailand's healthiest and most diverse reefs.

Widely recognized as one of the world top scuba diving destination, fishing is banned within 3 NM of the shoreline, making the Similan Islands the perfect nursery for all the marine species.

Most of the islands have Thai names but fishermen refer to them by numbers starting with 1 in the south and ending up to 9 in the north. Stretching for 10 miles this lush, granite islands' chain provides a beautiful backdrop for a day of snorkeling, diving or just sunbathing on some of the wonderful beaches.

The waters surrounding the Similan Islands also offer some of the best saltwater fishing opportunities in the region. All of the blue water game species of the Andaman can be found here with exceptional number of Wahoo and Dorado.

All the fishing is done outside the national park borders. Approximately 12 NM west of Number 1 Island lays the Ton Mai sea mount where on a good tide you can have amazing trolling action with Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Dorado, GT and Rainbow Runner.

But most of all here and the drop off 6 NM west of number 1 island is the most productive area for Black Marlin around Phuket. Rising from 250 meters to 75 meters Ton Mai area is rich in fish life and usually large shoals of Skypjack Tuna can be found here.

Usually the days immediately before or after either the full moon or new moon are the best period. Also jigging can be very productive as well as night bottom fishing for Giant Trevally, Grouper, Snapper, Jobfish and a variety of bottom dwellers; unless you want to spend the evening just relaxing in one of the many bays.

Also during the years many FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices, rafts of bamboo which provide shelter for all sorts of species) have been placed on top of the sea mount and all around the islands and represent excellent spots usually both for trolling as well as for jigging.

The Big Blues offers multi-day trips to the Similan Islands from October-November through April (weather permitting even from September). Trips are suggested for a minimum of 2 days/2 nights and are recommended for max 6 persons. Departure point is Ao Chalong in Phuket or Tapla Mu (1.5 hrs drive from Phuket).

All our packages to the Similan Islands in Thailand are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes and insurance, transport to/from your accommodation in Phuket (if in the area of Rawai, Kata, Karon and Patong), all meals on board, bottled water, soft drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, baits&lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional crew.

Thailand, Koh Rok and Koh Ha Islands

Koh Rok Noi and Koh Rok Yai are astonishing uninhabited islands located 60 miles south east of Phuket. Crystal clear blue waters, white beaches, a beautiful reef with excellent snorkeling and diving are just part of the recipe.

The landscape is dominated on the west side by limestone cliffs and on the east side by a luxurious tropical forest ending on white sandy beaches.

This is a strictly Sailfish playground with he best action starting in the afternoon and often resulting in multiple hook-ups. The most common technique used is trolling with "tuna belly strips” or live bait.

Fly fishermen will have some real fun here as well; in this case usually after having attracted the Sailfish with a teaser the fly is cast and then is up to the angler!

In the morning anglers usually target Wahoo, King Mackerel and Rainbow Runners around the Hin Deang reef 12 miles west of Rok Noi Island while on the way to/back usually Dorado, Skypjack Tuna and Barracuda show off.

The Big Blues offers multi-day trips to Koh Rok Islands from October-November through April. Trips are suggested for a minimum of 2 days/2 nights and are recommended for max 6 persons. Departure point is Ao Chalong in Phuket, Phi Phi Islands or Krabi.

On the way to/back from Koh Rok we usually fish also Koh Ha which is a small group of 5 islands about 30 km south of Phi Phi separated by channels over 50 meters deep; on request we can make a stop also to the famous tourist destinations of Phi Phi Island.

All our packages to Kok Rok and Koh Ha in Thailand are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes and insurance, transport to/from your accommodation in Phuket (if in the area of Rawai, Kata, Karon and Patong), all meals on board, bottled water, soft drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, baits&lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional crew.

Thailand, Surin Islands

Some 200 km north west of Phuket (and 50 km off the west coast of Phang-Nga province) lie the Surin islands consisting of five jungle cropped granite islands and their fringing coral reefs which offer excellent diving and snorkeling. They are famous for their gorgeous, diverse and prolific shallow-water corals, and are popular with live-aboard diving tours. The coral colonies surrounding the islands are the most well developed and beautiful in Thailand and slope relatively gently to the seabed thus providing excellent snorkeling.

Outside the boundaries of the National Marine Park this area is good for popper casting for Giant Trevally, and the area between the Surin and the Similan Islands is well a known "hot spot" for Wahoo, Dorado, Tuna and from time to time Black Marlin.

It's worth a try also the area west of the Surin Islands which often produces multiple hook ups on Sailfish.

Another possibility while on a 5 day/4 night trip or longer to this destination, is the 1000 2000 meter drop-off west of the islands. This area is an overnight trip from the Surin Islands, but well worth trying. We have had some very big Black and Blue Marlin hitting our lures in this area whilst doing the crossing to the Andaman Islands, and deep jigging and trolling here has produced very big Dogtooth Tuna during the last season.

The Big Blues offers multi-day trips to the Surin Islands from October-November through April. Trips are suggested for a minimum of 3 days/2 nights and are recommended for max 6 persons. Departure point is Tapla Mu (1.5 hrs drive from Phuket).

All our packages to the Surin Islands in Thailand are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes and insurance, transport to/from your accommodation in Phuket (if in the area of Rawai, Kata, Karon and Patong), all meals on board, bottled water, soft drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, baits&lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional crew.

India, Andaman Islands

This is really what Big Game fishing is all about and we suggest to every keen blue water angler to give it a try at least once to make a lifetime dreamed fishing adventure to become finally true.

Midway between Thailand and India, the peaks of a submerged mountain range rise up out of the Andaman Sea. The hundreds of resulting islands constitute the Andaman and Nicobar islands' chain, which consists of a 1,000 km long arc (over 620 miles long) from Sumatra in the south extending northward to the Bay of Bengal. The 572 islands are part of the Indian territory (a part from the Coco Islands separated from the North Andaman Island by the 20 kilometers wide Coco Channel and politically administered by Burma) and are located approximately 450 NM west of Phuket.

The Andaman Islands are made by more than 372 islands, extending over 750 km north to south and many of them still unexplored today. There is more virgin beach here, all of it spectacular, than anyone could possibly enjoy in a lifetime. Marco Polo visited these Islands in the 13th century and in the 19th century the British took control of the islands to use them as a penal colony. While only 36 of these islands are inhabited, most of the population reside in Port Blair, the capital as well as the main port. There are even pockets of extremely primitive tribes on some of the islands like in North Sentinel: in here visitors are forbidden to go ashore as well as to get too close. Also the Nicobar Islands in the south are mostly not accessible to tourists and they are separated from the Andaman Islands by the Ten Degree Channel.

So at the very end the Andaman Islands represent today one of "the last paradise left on earth" as once was quoted by Jacques Cousteau who visited the islands during one of his famous trips.

Only in fact since 1993 India has allowed limited tourism development in the Andaman, opening up to sportfishing and scuba diving on a restricted basis.

All the boats have to check in at Port Blair before going anywhere in the region and its small airport receives flights from Delhi, Chennai and Kolkatta in India.

The long trip is worth it as the volcanic topography, sea mountains and canyons provide the best playground you can imagine for many Bill fish and pelagic species.

The Andaman Islands in fact are nicely positioned to receive a continuous current to the south/south west which brings with it plenty of bait fish as well as Black and Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo and all the Andaman game fish species. Among these GT, Dogtooth Tuna and Grouper are particularly abundant making this area one of the most famous and well known worldwide by the popping and jigging anglers' community.

But most of all the total absence of commercial trawlers and long liners, banned by the Indian Government and enforced by the presence of the Coast Guard which continually patrols the area, guarantees an incredible experience to the adventurous angler.

The area is so vast (8,249 sq. Km) that part of it is still unexplored while the potential is enormous which makes it one of the world's new hot spot for the Big Game as well as popping and jigging!

During our safari you will have the opportunity to explore the most remote and secluded islands of the archipelago otherwise not reachable during a day trip and where you'll be alone most of the time!

Over here anglers can pursue virtually every method of blue water fishing with exceptional results: deep blue water trolling on the 1000-2000 m drop-offs on the east and west coast of the islands for Black and Blue Marlin and all the other pelagic species, inshore popper fishing for Giant Trevally, Bluefin Trevally and Coral Trout, jigging for Dogtooth tuna, Albacore, Jobfish and Jacks, fly fishing for Sailfish and Yellowfin tuna, bottom fishing in the night time for massive Groupers as well as shark fishing.

In order to reach the Andaman Islands you can either depart from Phuket with us and flying back to Thailand or wherever you want (the crossing takes about 2 days and 2 nights and offers a chance from time to time for very big Black and Blue Marlin) or better you can fly directly to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands and join us there for this incredible experience (see our "Getting there" page).

So if you are really after "the big blues” and looking for non-stop fishing action, day and night, in one of the last pristine and most remote environment on earth, this is the right trip for you!

At the same time we organize specific "Popping & Jigging Expeditions" in this waters aimed exclusively at the famous GT and Dogtooth Tuna of the Andaman Islands.

The Big Blues offers live aboard safari to the Andaman Islands in India from the end of January through beginning of April. Trips are suggested for a minimum of 5 days/4 nights and are recommended for max 6 persons. Departure point is Port Blair.

All our packages to the Andaman Islands in India are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes, transport from/to your hotel in Port Blair, all meals on board, bottled water, soft-drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, baits&lures, the use of first class fishing gear and the assistance of our professional crew.

We recommend to make a reservation quite in advance because of the relatively short season and high demand for this kind of trips.

Myanmar, Burma Banks

The Burma Banks are a series of large underwater flat-topped sea-mounts located approximately around 100 NM northwest of the Similan Islands in the open ocean.

They lie within the exclusive economic zone of Burma or Myanmar, as it is known nowadays, which is situated between India and Thailand.

The Burma Banks are located 110 NM from the mainland coast of Myanmar and about 250 NM from the island of Phuket in Thailand. The nearest island, part of the Mergui Archipelago, is in fact about 55-60 NM far away.

These offshore banks are a cluster of 20 sea-mounts mostly uncharted, rising from 400 meters of depth to just 10-30 meters below the surface; the bottom is mainly a mix of coral, rock and sand while they lye just 10 NM from the 1000 m continental drop-off.

Only a handful of live aboard fishing boats have the permission to operate in Myanmar - over here in fact you can enjoy peaceful, remote and pristine fishing sites away from the crowds...

Waters surrounding the Banks d are considered one of the best places in the world to dive with sharks and in particular with Silvertip, Whitetip and Nurse sharks.

Currents here can be quite strong and variable, sometimes changing in direction 90 to 180 degree very quickly; for the same reason the area is rich of nutrients and marine life. In particular Gt, Dogtooth Tuna, Yellowfin, Amberjack, Grouper and Ruby Snapper will be the most likely species you will encounter on the bottom.

In this regards jigging and bottom fishing will be the main techniques used; in particular as far as jigging is concerned fishing depth will varies between 40 and 180 mt so usually mainly 150-200 gr jigs on PE3-4 outfits will be used while when needed 250 gr and PE5 or 300 gr and PE6 will come handy.

Trolling for Wahoo, Yellowfin, Barracuda, King Mackerel and Dorado can be productive as well and Back Marlin are present quite in good number around the banks.

The Big Blues organizes live aboard fishing safari to the Burma Banks each year between the beginning of November and April; in order to do that we partner with local professional anglers. Trips are suggested for a minimum of 5 days/4 nights and are recommended for max 10 persons. Departure point is Ranong in Thailand.

All our packages to the Burma Banks in Myanmar are quoted on a "Whole Boat, Private Charter" basis, not per person and include: local taxes and visas, transport from/to Phuket and the hotel in Ranong, 2 nights accommodation in a 3 star hotel in Ranong (one at the arrival and one before the departure from/to Phuket), all meals on board, bottled water, soft drinks, coffee&tea, snacks, tropical fruit, baits and the assistance of our professional guides.

We recommend to make a reservation quite in advance because of the relatively short season and high demand for this kind of trips.

*For all the above trips should you wish to have more fishing days or make other changes please let us know, and we will do our best to arrange the perfect trip for you.