Thanks to Discovery Channel, we recently had the chance to catch up with Oz Chanarat who’s also known as the Bangkok Hooker to talk about… fishing. No, really. The REAL sorta fishing. Calm down, punters.

And if anyone were to give Rojak Daily advice on fishing, we’d take it from this guy – from daringly diving into murky waters to catch 30KG monsters, to flipping the finger at rapids that would’ve potentially swallowed his fishing gear, Oz is what some refer to as a fanatical angler. He ditched his old creative consultant job, started a fishing blog in 2009 and hasn’t looked back since. We reeled him in (heh…) to give us a basic guide to fishing. 

BUT FIRST, WHY SHOULD YOU EVEN TAKE UP FISHING? 

“Why would I want to spend my time standing under the sun, holding a rod and waiting for a fish that may or may not take the bait?” Then there’s the mosquitos, lines that may get tangled up, the high chance of getting sun burn, that icky fishy stench, getting sea sick and a whole long list of other potential drawbacks including the low chances of catching a mermaid, one might say. And by “one”, we’re referring to someone who most probably also does not enjoy camping, hitting the beach, playing any form of sport (no, those console games don’t count) or generally going outdoors in any way. But Oz full heartedly disagrees. 


Why should people take up fishing? Because it's an activity that is an amazing collection of fun things to do that somehow all work together to create extreme value for your life experiences. When I plan a fishing trip believe me, it never is only about the fish. I've learned that in the end the fish is just the excuse used to go on an adventure, to disappear from the mundane interchangeable days of fluorescent-lit offices (Yeah, rub it in why don’tcha Oz?). 

Why take up fishing? Because it's a damn good excuse to go on an adventure, meet new people, eat new foods, see the world, appreciate and understand nature, see how similar we all actually are and of course, catch the fish!
 

OKAY. HOW DO I PICK THE RIGHT ROD?

Is it like in Harry Potter, where the rod chooses its rightful owner? 

Picking the right rod is a combination of two things. First, you need to figure out for what usage that rod is for. Fly fishing? Lure fishing? Lure fishing from a boat? Bait fishing for small fish? Jigging for goliath grouper? For almost every scenario there is an appropriate rod style to use. Secondly, once you've narrowed down what style of fishing you're doing, it's up to how the rod feels in your hands. I guess at this point it's very much a Harry Potter scenario. Oh yeah, one more thing, there's budget to consider too. Some of these rods are PRICEY.
 

WHAT SHOULD ONE’S BASIC FISHING GEAR CONSIST OF? 

 Aside from the basic rod/reel/lure/bait that you have selected for the specific type of fishing, some universal gear that a fisherman should always have include: 

•    Sunglasses
•    Sunscreen 
•    Hats
•    Enough water/food
•    Proper footwear
•    A pair of pliers
•    Insect repellent 
•    And if you want, a camera. 

There's probably a lot more stuff you should bring along but these are the essentials. Go with any of those missing and you're in a for a tough time from mother nature and her insect friends.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC TYPE OF KNOTS ONE SHOULD LEARN?

 
1.    The Improved clinch knot – it’s a basic knot for securing the line onto a hook, swivel, lure, etc.
2.    Albright knot – a basic knot for joining braided line with light leader material. 


For a more advanced knot for heavier leaders, try the FG Knot:  

WHAT ARE BOBBERS AND WHAT ARE SINKERS, AND WHEN DO YOU USE THEM?

Bobbers are also known as floats. They’re fishing equipment that are on the water's surface with the fishing line going through it to indicate the position of the bait as well as the bite of the fish. Sinkers on the other hand are usually made with lead and are used to add weight to the fishing line to sink them to the deeper depths.
 

SHOULD I START OFF WITH THE SEA OR A RIVER? OR JUST ONE OF THOSE MAN-MADE LAKES MAYBE?

This depends entirely on what part of the world you are in. Start with the easiest and most available option first. Fishing can be a tough sport/hobby to get into and there's little reason to jump into the deep end. Take your time, go with someone who knows the sport and learn to make friends.
 

LET’S TALK ABOUT BAITS. WHEN WOULD ONE USE WORMS, OR FISH, OR CHICKEN LIVER? 

Fishing is generally divided into two main categories: bait or artificial. When fishing with bait, you are using food that the fish can actually eat. As for artificial fishing, you are using a toy that mimics nature, whether it be a wooden lure meant to look like a frog, or a dry fly imitating a drowning dragon fly, the aim of the game is to mimic nature to the point where a fish commits to bite. 

With that being said, deciding what to catch the fish with depends on what the particular species you are going after prefers to eat. Take for example, the gourami is a fish that likes eating plants so in Thailand morning glory can be used as bait to catch them. On the other hand, a bass will strike on a soft plastic lizard lure that mimics the predators that like to eat their young. 

To catch the fish, you must know them. 

WHAT ARE SOME COMMONLY USED FISHING TERMS?

Gugen is the fishing equivalent of "noob". But some terms that have a higher chance of being used include: 

Hook set or Setting the hook - when the fish has the lure or bait in its mouth, the hook has yet to pierce into the mouth of the fish. Once that is done, the angler needs to tighten the line, then yank the rod back quickly to create enough force and tension in the line to "set the hook".

Landing net - a device used for bringing the fish out of the water once the fight is done. 

Bow - as in down, now. Some species of fish like to jump into the air during the fight to throw the hook, like tarpon and barramundi. To counter this, the angler needs to "bow" down his rod tip to slack the line each time it jumps. 

Cast - to throw your bait/lure/fly out into the water where the fish are.

ANYTHING ELSE COMPLETE NEWBIES SHOULD KNOW?

When people say things like "fishing takes patience", it isn't that you need to be patient with the fish.  On the contrary, you need to be patient with yourself. To have the patience to want to learn new skills, new lessons and to always be humble and open. Fishing isn't a d*ck measuring contest where people need to show off how big their catch is or how many people they can feed with one catch. Fishing is about having fun with your friends and filling your life up with epic adventures to talk about around the campfire.



And one more thing, CATCH AND RELEASE if you can. The world's current wild fish supply is quickly diminishing. Having the attitude that you must eat what you catch all the time is damaging to the environment. Just being able to catch a magnificent fish and returning it to the wild is enough gratification for a true fisherman.
 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE FISHING SPOTS IN MALAYSIA?

I like Kuala Rompin for the sailfish, and the tin mines nearby are great for toman (snakehead). Clear Water Sanctuary (CWS) for peacock bass and Royal Belum for wild jungle toman. I would say the Belum trip was my favourite, it was so fun to be with other people who love fishing for toman in the ancient 14 million year old rainforest that is Belum. 

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR CHEEKILY NAMED SHOW. WHY SHOULD PEOPLE WATCH IT? 

Why should people watch Bangkok Hooker? I think that the answer is that there is a need for a fishing show that focuses more on the fun and techniques of fishing. We don't take ourselves too seriously but at the same time we keep true to the techniques of fishing so that both our non-fishing and fishing audiences can enjoy/learn from our show.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE CATCH THUS FAR?

A fish that has always captured my attention is the giant snakehead or what is known in Malaysia as the ikan toman. I was fishing in Thailand using soft plastic frogs to imitate real frogs swimming along the banks of a reservoir in Thailand. I had earlier jumped into the water to fight a fish and lost (It's a long story, better just watch the video on my YouTube channel called "Humungous Snakehead destroys rod - Bite Send Hook Part 2").

Long story short, I hooked on to the giant snakehead of a lifetime that had more strength than any snakehead I've ever fought, she broke my rod, I landed her with an annoyingly small landing net, and released her safely to her nest.  

OZ CHANARAT’S 5 MUST DO’S OF FISHING

1. Enjoy
2. Make friends
3. Travel
4. Remember sun protection
5. Always be happy for others


Bangkok Hooker premieres on Monday, 3 July 2017 at 9pm on Discovery Channel, Astro Channel 551.