Expedition Papua oct 26

Exclusive fishingtrip with Arnout Terlouw for barramundi and papuan bass

Expedition Papua oct 26

Exclusive fishingtrip with Arnout Terlouw for barramundi and papuan bass

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Join Arnout Terlouw on this adventurous expedition to Papua. This is a combined fishing trip where you go fishing for barramundi in combination with Papuan black bass and/or spottail bass. All fish that appeal to the imagination of the adventurous fisherman. And this is sure to be an adventure.

Itinerary (14-day trip)

Oct 28 - Arrival in Nabire, one night in hotel, shopping, making preparations, etc.
Oct 29 - Early morning transfer (by car and boat, about 3 hours with a stop at the local police station) to the ‘wooden house’ and directly to the base camp on the Spottail bass river or camp/house at the lakes*). Upstream journey of about 3 hours. Half-day fishing in the afternoon.
Oct 30 , 31 and 1 Nov - Three full days of fishing on Papuan bass and/or Spottail bass.
Nov 2 - Morning fishing (half-day fishing), early afternoon back to the wooden house and possibly another 1-2 hours of trolling fishing near the wooden house on barracudu and Spanish mackerel, overnight.
Nov 3 - Return to Nabire in the morning, transfer to the airport for short flight (1 hour) to Timika. Transfer hotel Timika, overnight stay + shopping etc.
Nov 4 - Early in the morning, transfer to the port (1.5 hours), boat trip to the islands (4 hours), set up camp and start fishing for barramundi, half day fishing in the afternoon.
Nov 5 to 8 - Four full days of fishing (from the shore and from the boat)
Nov 9 – Return to Timika early in the morning, transfer to hotel, buy souvenirs, overnight stay.
Nov 10 – Transfer to the airport, flight back home.

*) It is either the Spottail bass river - with a fairly large lake that is connected to the river where mainly Papuan bass is caught, but sometimes also (large) Spottail bass) – OR the Papuan bass lakes where there is also no chance of Spottail bass. Depending on the conditions on the spot...

Group of minimum and maximum 5 fishermen (plus Arnout as guide/host). Fly fishermen can also join, but for that we book you per duo due to the boat layout.

The cost for this amazing fishing trip is € 3.995,- per person excluding flights, visa, tips and meals during travel days.

Read HERE Arnout's article about his trip to Papua at the end of 2024, including the fishing for Papuan bass on the lakes, which has been published in Fishing & Travel.

Are you interested in joining this fishing trip? Please contact us for a non-binding quotation.

Papuan black bass (Lutjanus goldiei) is widely known as the strongest and most aggressive fighter on this planet. It is actually a ‘freshwater’ snapper that lives in (tidal)rivers, lakes and estuaries in New Guinea, Papua and other parts of Indonesia. They can weigh up to more than 20 kg, but even a fish of 8-10 kg will be hard to stop. The ultimate challenge for adventurous fishermen!

River fishing usually focuses on spots with many obstacles, most branches/trees that are (partly) underwater. A hooked crocheted Papuan bass, big or small, will want to get right back to those obstacles. This requires heavy material with virtually closed drags in order not to give the fish an inch or more space. On the stretches of rivers with tidal impact, the hours around the turn of the tide are often best. The fishing can be quite tough, especially when the water is murky due to rainfall. But then again, you can also just get several takes in just a few hours of fishing.

On the lakes you have a very different fishing and different conditions. There is no tidal impact and hardly any obstacles in the form of branches/trees or thick algae beds and other aquatic plants that lie in between. The lakes are quite shallow, around 2 meters with sections up to 4 meters deep. The water on the lakes is often a lot clearer than on the rivers. Mornings and afternoons are often best with a chance of explosive (topwater) bites.

But even here, fishing can sometimes be tough and you have to do it with a single hookup on a morning/afternoon. On the lakes, you can fish a little ‘lighter’, without completely closing the drag. If a Papuan bass gets stuck in a thick weedbed, you can usually get it out of there.

Spottail bass (Lutjanus fuscescens) is a lesser-known cousin of the Papuan bass that can only be found on fresh water, usually on stretches of river upstream where the water is clearer. Here, too, an (sometimes extreme) obstacle fishery that requires heavy equipment. Especially since you have a chnace of hooking 15 kg+ Spottails here! The rivers are usually narrow (10-20 meters) and quite shallow with lots of dead wood and accurate casting is a must. Spottail bass doesn't like a lot of light, so the morning hours and afternoon are usually best, just like cloudy days. The takes are often explosive, especially on surface lures!

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) can be found in both saltwater and freshwater environments, including shallow coastal waters, rivers, deltas and estuaries. For many fishermen, catching a 100cm barramundi + is a dream fish. They prey mainly on fish and shrimp. The name barramundi is derived from the Aboriginal word 'burra-mundi', which means' large river fish with scales'.

The area where we fish for barramundi is located on the south coast of Papua and is characterized by shallow water (1 to 4 meters) with sandbars and islands with sometimes quite a bit of current (depending on the tide). Fishing is mainly done from shore, wading in shallow water, around the island where we camp or other sandbars and islands. Oddly enough, saltwater crocodiles do not occur in this area. Because you can fish from the island, you can grab your fishing rod and go fishing before breakfast is ready (if the tide is good at least). The two boats that are used for transport are also used for fishing as barramundi, but certainly queenfish that are often a little further out from shore.

When conditions are right (not too much current and reasonably clear water) you can hook 10 barramundi per day. Because you will be fishing in virtually obstacle-free water, you can fish quite light. Call it heavy seabass material. Not too light because you have to take into account that you can hook a 100 cm+ barramundi of 10-12 kg+! They are already caught here up to 115 cm.

Check this video for a good impression of the fishing for barramundi from Arnout's trip last November:

This is an adventurous fishing trip where we offer basic accommodation. But don't worry, you don't have to cook yourself, you'll be taken care of! Accommodation for the first part of the trip – Papuan bass & Spottail bass – are simple wooden houses on stilts and/or the base camp at the Spottail bass river with a wooden deck, canopy etc. There we sleep in 1-person tents or on stretchers/camp beds with mosquito netting (less warm and takes up less space...). A camp will be set up on the ‘barramundi island’, with separate dining and cooking tent and spacious 2-person tents and/or 1-person tents.

Furthermore, coolers with ice will be brought along to keep food and drinks (beer) cold, especially for the first three days. Drinking water comes in bottles and jerry cans. Washing/showering is basically done in the sea or river, but the intention is that a hanging shower is made. For some comfort, there is also a sitting toilet as well as a generator.

It is advisable to bring a good power bank, an inflatable thin matress, a sheet bag (and possibly a pillow) and a headlamp (+spare).

The boats we use for transport and fishing are traditional wooden ‘long boats’ of 7-8 meters long. Stable and with more than enough space for three people to fish from. Each boat is driven by a local captain/guide plus a helper. Depending on the destination for fishing Papuan bass and Spottail bass – lakes and/or rivers – there will be a third boat (a small polyester boat). If there are fly fishermen in the group, a 3rd boat will go with them anyway.

For river fishing on Papuan bass & Spottail bass, it is best to use an XH or XXH baitcaster of 6.6-7 ft with a powerful reel 300 size, filled with 80-100 lb braid, with a leader of 80-130 lb FC/nylon to keep a large fish out of the obstacles. Accurate casting is the key to succes.The river mouths are often a bit deeper and better suited for fishing with crank baits (from 2-6 meters).

Recommended lures: surface lures – medium size poppers, stickbaits and propeller baits, shallow/medium swimbaits/jerkbaits and deep diving crankbaits of 8-12 cm.

For fishing on the lakes, you can also use a 7-8 ft spinning rod with a casting weight of 40-110 grams and a 4000-5000 model spinning reel with 60-70 lb braid and 50-70 lb FC/nylon leader. Lures: Surface lures – medium size poppers, stickbaits, propellor baits, weedless frogs, etc - , and shallow/medium swimbaits/jerkbaits of 12 -15 cm.

For light fishing for barramundi, a 9-10 ft spinning rod (with a sensitive tip) with a casting weight of 20-70 grams is ideal. Reel 4000 SW with 30-40 lb braid and 50-70 lb FC leader. In addition, a slightly heavier (spinning)rod of 40-110 grams of 8-9 ft, just in case. Lures: shallow running ‘long cast’ lures (twitchbaits or jerkbaits - floating/suspending) of 12-17 cm and also surface lures (medium size poppers and stickbaits).

As soon as we have reached the number of 5 participants, we will make the flight tickets in order. We're going for the best offer of the moment. In addition, KLM, Emirates or Qatar airways are good options for flying in the direction of Papua. We will discuss this in detail with the group. Keep in mind that we might have to leave up to two or three days before arrival in Nabire. Please allow around € 1750,- per person for all flights together. We will ultimately book the flights at the applicable internet rate of that moment where we charge € 40,- ticketing fee for all flights together.

Itinerary (14-day trip)

Oct 28 - Arrival in Nabire, one night in hotel, shopping, making preparations, etc.
Oct 29 - Early morning transfer (by car and boat, about 3 hours with a stop at the local police station) to the ‘wooden house’ and directly to the base camp on the Spottail bass river or camp/house at the lakes*). Upstream journey of about 3 hours. Half-day fishing in the afternoon.
Oct 30 , 31 and 1 Nov - Three full days of fishing on Papuan bass and/or Spottail bass.
Nov 2 - morning fishing (half-day fishing), early afternoon back to the wooden house and possibly another 1-2 hours of trolling fishing near the wooden house on barracudu and Spanish mackerel, overnight.
Nov 3 - Return to Nabire in the morning, transfer to the airport for short flight (1 hour) to Timika. Transfer hotel Timika, overnight stay + shopping etc.
Nov 4 - Early in the morning, transfer to the port (1.5 hours), boat trip to the islands (4 hours), set up camp and start fishing for barramundi, half day fishing in the afternoon.
Nov 5 to 8 - Four full days of fishing (from the shore and from the boat)
Nov 9 – Return to Timika early in the morning, transfer to hotel, buy souvenirs, overnight stay.
Nov 10 – Transfer to the airport, flight back home.

Included:

One hotel night in Nabire and two in Timika in a shared twin room
All meals and drinks (water, coffee, tea, soft drinks) during the fishing days
Dutch- English language guidance by Arnout Terlouw
8+ days of fishing
On-site transfers
Fishing boats with petrol and captain
Central (online) meeting to discuss all the details of the trip
Photo book of the fishing trip as a lasting memory
Worldsbestfishingtrips long sleeve t-shirt

Not included:

International and domestic flights. We book these as soon as the group is fully booked. Take into account an amount around € 1.750,- per person for all flights together
Visa, travel insurance, extra hotel nights, meals and drinks on travel days
Additional baggage charges for domestic flights. As standard, 15 or 20 kilos are provided here.
Tips for guides and staff
Fishing rod material: rods, reels, lures and jigs

The cost of this amazing fishing trip is € 3.995,- per person excluding flights, visa, tips and meals during travel days.

Are you interested in participating in this fishing trip? Please contact us for a non binding quotation.

Consult your GP for recommended vaccinations and / or prophylactic measures.

Here you can see the two locations where Nabire is the airport for bass fishing and Timika the airport for barramundi fishing. From these airports, you will travel to the fishing spots in accordance with the program.

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