Last info received from Thailand fishing guide Jean Francois Helias:
"Just a few words and pics today to talk about the new lake just opened last month on June 1, 2012. That lake, located only a few meters from the Ratchaburi predators lake (same owner), has been stocked for 4 years with mainly carp and barb species. My boys Kik, Noi, and I know each part of that lake and its bottom like the back of our hand, as we saw it dugged for months before it got filled with water.
That lake is inhabited by around 15 various species including Mekong catfish up to 180 kg, Siamese carp up to 60 kg, Catla carp (Catla catla) up to 35.00 kg, Rohu (labeo rohita) up to 22 kg, Jullien's golden carp up to 20 kg, bighead carp up to 12.00 kg, giant goramy up to 12 kg, Small scale mud carp or mrigal (Cirrhinus cirrhosus) up to 12.00 kg, Chinese common carp ((Cyprinus carpio) up to 10.00 kg, Black sharkminnow (Morulius chrysophekadion) up to 6.00 kg, labeo barbatulus up to 5.00 kg, bangana behri up to 5.00 kg, soldier river barb (Cyclocheilichthys enoplos) up to 5.00 kg, mad barb ((Leptobarbus hoeveni), greater bony lipped barb (Osteochilus melanopleurus) up to 5.00 kg, java barb ((Barbonymus gonionotus), thai mahseer (Tor tambroides) up to 3.00 kg, stracheyi mahseer up to 2.00 kg, etc.
It is obvious that such a large variety of species, especially rare ones, are going to offer visiting anglers, in the coming months, lots of opportunities to earn new IGFA All Tackle world records.
We had the chance to fish that lake twice since its opening. It was awesome on both days. My clients had a large string of catches of various species. Including our very first IGFA world record set there, on June 16, by our Malaysian friend Tung Beng Lee, with the catch of a 4.10 kg Labeo Barbatulus (see below pic) - breaking the 2.10 kg current record held by yours truly.
We got close to set a second world record very recently when I caught a lovely 5.20 kg giant gourami, my personal best to date. My catch was short of 200 grams only to tie the the 5.20 Kg record held for many years by my team guide Nat. With the biggest gourami in that lake weighing in the 12.00 kg mark, I'm confident sooner or later someone should retire Nat's record.
If you are interested to give a good shot at the carp and barb species of that new lake, at the monster Mekong catfish, or at a IGFA world record (a good option as well is to mix both predators fishing at Ratchaburi and carp fishing at Theerasart, both lakes being located in the very same area), please contact me :