Freshwater

Mekong giant catfish

Bagre gigante del Mekong

Pangasianodon gigas

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

Pond fish 50–200 lb.

Depth

10–50 ft in the river; 10–25 ft in fishing lakes.

Best time

All day in fishing lakes; early morning and evening are cooler for you and the fish.

Found in

1 area

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: One of the largest freshwater fish on Earth: a huge, gray, scaleless catfish with a white belly, a broad flat head, small eyes set low, and no barbels at all on adults (only tiny ones on the young) and no teeth. The body is long and shark-like with a deeply forked tail.
Typical size: Pond fish 50–200 lb.
Maximum size: About 10 ft and over 600 lb; a 646 lb fish caught in Thailand in 2005 is one of the biggest freshwater fish ever weighed.
Diet: Algae and plants scraped from the river bottom, plus some plankton; it feeds on bread and pellets in ponds.
Behavior: Migrates long distances up the Mekong to spawn. Wild fish have almost vanished because of overfishing and dams. In Thailand, farm-raised fish are stocked in big commercial fishing lakes, where anglers fight them on heavy tackle.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam). Deep channels and pools of the Mekong in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam (wild, very rare); stocked fishing lakes near Bangkok and in other Thai provinces.
Habitat: Deep channels and pools of the Mekong in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam (wild, very rare); stocked fishing lakes near Bangkok and in other Thai provinces.
Depth: 10–50 ft in the river; 10–25 ft in fishing lakes.
Fishing depth: Mid-water to the bottom, 5–20 ft, in fishing lakes.
Best season: All year in fishing lakes; the hot season (March to May) is very good.
Best time: All day in fishing lakes; early morning and evening are cooler for you and the fish.
Best tides: No tide in fresh water; rising or steady water levels after rain are usually best.
Best weather / conditions: Hot, stable weather; the fish feed well in warm water.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Groundbait (rice bran and fruit mixes) packed around a hook, bread and pellets, fished under a float.
Best artificial lures: Not caught on lures.
Tackle setup: Heavy 7–8 ft rod and a big spinning or conventional reel with a strong drag (fishing lakes usually supply tackle).
Hook size: Strong barbless 4/0–8/0 hooks, as fishing lakes require.
Line: 80–100 lb braid or 50–80 lb monofilament.
Leader: 80–100 lb monofilament.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Hooks Harness

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Deep channels and pools of the Mekong in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam (wild, very rare); stocked fishing lakes near Bangkok and in other Thai provinces.
Rig up: Heavy 7–8 ft rod and a big spinning or conventional reel with a strong drag (fishing lakes usually supply tackle). 80–100 lb monofilament.
Pick your bait: Groundbait (rice bran and fruit mixes) packed around a hook, bread and pellets, fished under a float. Lures: Not caught on lures.
Fish it: Pack a ball of groundbait around the hook and cast it under a big float; when the float slides away, set hard and get ready for a long, slow fight. Guides help land and release the fish.
Time it: All day in fishing lakes; early morning and evening are cooler for you and the fish. No tide in fresh water; rising or steady water levels after rain are usually best.

Fishing techniques: Pack a ball of groundbait around the hook and cast it under a big float; when the float slides away, set hard and get ready for a long, slow fight. Guides help land and release the fish.
BigJoe's tip: Use the lake's own groundbait recipe and keep feeding the swim; these fish come in once the food is there.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Do not keep — protected.
Cooking suggestions: Not to be eaten: wild fish are protected and fishing-lake fish are released.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: A 200 lb fish can pull you into the water — use a harness and listen to the guides. Keep the fish in the water and support its whole body; never lift a big catfish by the jaw or gills.
Regulations: Critically endangered (IUCN). Wild fish are protected in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos and must never be kept; fishing lakes stock farm-raised fish and are strictly catch-and-release. Rules differ by country: many lakes, reservoirs and fishing parks sell day permits, national parks and marine sanctuaries restrict or ban fishing, and some species are protected. Fish with licensed operators and check local rules.
Conservation: Wild Mekong giant catfish may be down to a few hundred fish. Only fish for them in legal fishing lakes and release every one.

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Sources & photo credits