Burma Banks Situation?

[edylie]

I am wondering if anyone went to fish in Burma recently (last 2 months)

We are going there next month (Dec 2007) and would like to know the current situations (fishing or politic)

Regards,
Edy

[MarkR]

I'm wondering too edy...

Anyone cancelled their BB trips in view of the political situation?

[mark]

understanded that a group went out a couple of weeks ago and everything seems ok!! another group should be departing 3rd week of this month with a couple of FO.com's members in the gang.

Cheers
Mark

[Raj]

hi,

I am heading to Burma Bank on the 13th of november. I also am looking at the political situation there, i realy hope there's not gona be any situation on my trip, i have been planing the trip for a year now.

the thing is i am flying into phuket and heading out to BB, would there be any issue?

raj

[edylie]

Hi Raj,

We will be heading using the same route too ... Flying to Phuket and heading to BB. So far I have not received anything negative from the organizer so i assumed all is good

Please remember to share your Catch Report with us here!!!

-e

[Raj]

Thank you,

Definately i will send some pic when i get home.

raj

[ken_W]

Hi All,
No worries abt the political situation there. Just got to know from Ocean One operator that they've landed good size doggies and yellowfin (avg 20kg+).
A friend of mine is heading there next week and they are using Polaris. Heard from Polaris they've also landed lotsa yellowfin (was told by a Polaris regular that Nov suppose to be good for yellowfin).
Both charter also landed lotsa grouper.
Do share some pic....

Cheers,
Kenneth.

[shark07]

Hi Guys,
My friends were there last week for business trip. Only 1 riot was spotted and lasted for an hr.

Good luck and tight line

Cheers,
Adrian

[Jordan72]

Hi all,

Good news -
my fren's thai contact said dat the myanmar issue are being resolved. the captain has went out for a test run last weekend, though wave is still
quite strong, but according to them, its normal and will be ok by the time
my team arrives. They went out for a few days, total catch nearly 1tonne.
The usual are there, grouper, ruby, amberjack, snapper etc etc..... but
they did not want to disturb the YellowFin Tuna school now...

Bad news -
1) Diesel price shot up, so naturally boat and transport price went up!
2) Visa price has gone up

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Jordan72

Hi all,

Good news -
my fren's thai contact said dat the myanmar issue are being resolved. the captain has went out for a test run last weekend, though wave is still
quite strong, but according to them, its normal and will be ok by the time
my team arrives. They went out for a few days, total catch nearly 1tonne.
The usual are there, grouper, ruby, amberjack, snapper etc etc..... but
they did not want to disturb the YellowFin Tuna school now...

Bad news -
1) Diesel price shot up, so naturally boat and transport price went up!
2) Visa price has gone up

Visa price went up from USD100 per application to USD120 per application but we are slightly lucky due to weak USD recently

[edylie]

Great to hear all the good feedbacks!!! Thank you guys.

Eeyore, could you write a catch report to share with us please?

Regards,
Edy

[sunburned]

Originally Posted by eeyore

Visa price went up from USD100 per application to USD120 per application but we are slightly lucky due to weak USD recently

Is this US$120 correct? I recall visas to Myanmar cost US$25 per person, so that's a hefty premium.

Rgds,
SB

[Jordan72]

Originally Posted by sunburned

Is this US$120 correct? I recall visas to Myanmar cost US$25 per person, so that's a hefty premium.

Rgds,
SB

Visa price will be 4800 THB = 220 SGD

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by sunburned

Is this US$120 correct? I recall visas to Myanmar cost US$25 per person, so that's a hefty premium.

Rgds,
SB

SB,

I think you mistaken Burma social visit pass as burma bank fishing permit. I am not too sure how much is the Burma Social Visit Pass appilcation fees may be just like what you have quoted USD25 per application

Bye

[jigjigjig]

Just got back from BB yesterday... no problems whatsoever... weather was abit rough but bearable, fishing was okay too...

[alvindiana]

weather rough in that it was raining or there was strong winds and boat was rocking? How high are the waves? A little worried as I'm leaving this Sunday for BB. thanks

[zeck]

Originally Posted by jigjigjig

Just got back from BB yesterday... no problems whatsoever... weather was abit rough but bearable, fishing was okay too...

what was the average size of catch? can you post pics? our trip is in jan, and i am very excited!

[jigjigjig]

alvindiana, seas were a bit choppy and the winds were constant but bearable. We probably got hit by the after effects of that northern cyclone few days earlier. My friends on another boat (Polaris Gold) 2 days earlier probably got worst and had a dreadful time with no fish taken jigging, consolation was bottom fishing which produced.

zeck, catches were okay, typical of any BB trip. Overall i think 2 tons is a safe estimate of the total haul for 3 nites. The grounds are relatively untouched so you won't expect anything less than a good trip fish-wise. We encountered plenty (i mean PLENTY) of GTs. Many above 20kgs and a few above 30, surprisingly we encountered packs after packs while jigging at night, apart from the usual popping which was pure magic. YellowFin Tuna were fewer than usual, smaller too (none above 20), but we still had some fun, same with doggies and mack tunas.

Jigging produced a myriad of species apart from the GTs which were being a pest. We had red bass, mangrove jack, jobfishes, maori seaperches, long-nosed emperors and various grouper species amongst the usual tunas and trevs. Surprisingly no wahoo, but did encounter scaley macks, rainbow runners and a big lone bull dorado which swiped and missed my lure. No impressive photos to show as i left my heavy popping outfit at home so had to skip that and lost all my big fish on jigs to crossed lines etc etc.

Don't forget the lighter outfits, cos big fish doesn't always equate maximum fun. I had a ball casting and jigging for tunas and reefies with PE2 outfits, to make the most of what there was to offer. But if its the trophies u are after, make sure u have the biggest jigs/poppers and the fastest cranking hands.

Good luck

[stickbom!]

Hi JJJ, mind telling us what type of topwater plugs were effective on the GT at BB? Pencils? Chuggers? Stickbaits? My jigs alone is about 10kgs so I'm trying to cut down on poppers. Would probably just bring a couple that would work.Thanks a whole bunch!

[edylie]

Hi JJJ,

Thank you for the valuable information. Could you let me know a combo of PE2/3 popping gear for Burma Banks and also the weight + type of popper?

Regards,
Edy

[zeck]

thanks for the info. ditto the question about effective topwater plugs. am now torn in between bringing a "proper" GT outfit, or a Tuna casting set.

I would not consider >20kg GTs a pest. Bring them on!

[jigjigjig]

Mikey, forget the stickbaits and sissy skipping or spitting poppers, the GTs at BB seem like they've never seen a popper before. The louder the bigger the better! So if i were u i'd be bringing only the big chuggers. My jigs were over 14kgs hahaha, welcome to the club!

Zeck, go for a heavy GT outfit AND a lighter tuna casting one. The GTs there are of respectable size, the 'pests' i was refering to were the smaller ones under 10kgs. Generally the reefs are very forgiving, and sometimes the GTs were whacking poppers in the bluewater of depths above 100m. No fishes were lost to cut offs, but the heavy outfits are needed cos of the size of fish u'll encounter.

Edy, the PE2/3 outfit won't cut it for popping. We are talking about big bloopers - 140gm above, as big as possible, for the GTs. U'll need PE6 above. The guys were using Carpenter SPs and DJs in the heavier ratings. Most of our smaller poppers and stickbaits were ignored, or at best only attracted the kindergarten GTs.

Disclaimer : I've come to realise just how vast the whole "BB" area is, and that what most of us consider to be "BB" really isn't BB at all. There are other reef complexes which the captains (and different boats) visit as well. There is a very real chance u won't even encounter any GT at all in your trips there. Even for the locals whom we were fishing with, every trip is different, sometimes its YellowFin Tuna galore, just this time it was GT madness. Best advice is to go prepared to take all comers - u just don't know what areas u'll be fishing and what u'll be targetting.



My 'tuna' outfit is actually a Branzino 3k matched to a custom built PE1-2 7'9 rod made for my M'sian offshore casting forays. It's good for lures up to 50gm and has the typical parabolic qualities of an offshore stick, made to double as a long sweep lite jig rod too. Fun for tunas, macks and GTs to 10kgs, above that and u're hanging one for dear life. hehe

[stickbom!]

Thanks Bro~ By the way which boat were you on?

[alvindiana]

thanks jjj

What were the weight of the jigs that you used for the trip? did you use those mainly in the weight range of 150-250 or 250 - 350 or 350 - 500? Trying to work out if I need to bring more of the jigs in the heavier range or lighter range. thanks

[jigjigjig]

Originally Posted by alvindiana

thanks jjj

What were the weight of the jigs that you used for the trip? did you use those mainly in the weight range of 150-250 or 250 - 350 or 350 - 500? Trying to work out if I need to bring more of the jigs in the heavier range or lighter range. thanks

Depends on your style bro, i like to fish light and thinner lines so i can get away with lighter jigs, which in turn means less fatigue. BB reefs vary from 40-120m in general, so i used mainly 80-150gm jigs on PE2-3 outfits. When needed i'll upsize to 220gm and PE5 but generally that's max but u are advised to bring a couple of bigger 300+gm ones just in case u are going for the mama groupers.

Gd Luck