DESTINATION: PAPUA NEW GUINEA
40 fishingworld.com.au | September 2019Ultimate One is more than a mothership. The
spacious back deck makes a great fishing
platform and there are loads of rod holders for
trolling and there’s always a helpful deck nearby
to help land a fish. There’s even a game chair!
Having a fishable mothership makes for a great
option for travelling between spots.
Again, using Halco Laser Pros and large 190
MAX lures, we were able to effectively troll at a fast
speed while reaching our destination. It was a great
way to catch several more Spaniards, wahoo and
dogtooth – not to mention a few unstoppable critters- most likely big dogtooth tuna. We were using
Shimano Stella 18000 reels, 80lb Power Pro braid
and Grappler rods – a great combo for a heavy
handed approach.
ISLAND CULTURE
The wind increased and Ultimate One found an
anchorage nearby a local village. The villagers
organised a “Sing Sing” for us, a local custom well
worth taking time out to experience. Baia
Sportfishing has a great relationship with the people
of these villages; a great thing and a bonus for the
longevity of sport fishing and tourism in the area.BACK TO BASS
Being onboard a large mothership with an
experienced crew is a huge advantage. It meansFACT BOX
GEAR
For the PNG bass I used the combination of a Shimano Tranx 300, Grappler Type J
rod and 50lb braid. Leader was 60lb. It pays to carry some heavier leader and spare
braid. It was a nice lightweight combo for casting and trolling and handled the
tough fighting crit ters with a problem. We mostly used Halco RMG Poltergeist
80mm and Scorpian lures in 90 and 125mm size. Bring both bright and natural
colours with plenty of contrast. Swap them around depending on water clarity.
In the salt, we brought along a range of mid-weight to heavy spin gear. A lighter
5000 Shimano Stella and matching rod, a 14 000 Twin power and 18000 Stella was
more than enough to handle the tough sport fish encountered on a trip like this.
Take a good assortment of trolling lure such as Laser pros and MA X lures and
poppers and stickbaits for the bommies.
We also did well at night chasing fish off the back deck with Gomoku micro jigs
from Storm and Zman plastics.
Again, take plenty of extra terminal tackle, leader material and wire.
Baia will have some onboard if you fall short, but for a trip like this it always pays
to be self sufficient and understand the gear you're using.