27-11 Expedition Papua

Exclusive fishingtrip with Arnout Terlouw for barramundi and papuan bass

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). NOTE! This is the expected itinerary. At the end of December 2026, the final tide tables will be announced and we will plan this trip in detail. Please note that this may change by between 1 and 10 days.

• 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. 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.