Papua New Guinea has some of the best fishing territory in the world.  In particular, the mighty Black and Spot Tail Bass, found only in PNG, offer some of the most intense sportfishing on the planet.  Members of the Lutjanid family, the Bass are compact, powerful fish and can grow to incredible size in the rivers of West New Britain.  And kilo for kilo, or pound for pound, these lure crunching thugs have no equals.

WNB's freshwater fishing can lay claim to being the best and most exciting in the world with great opportunities for both lure and fly anglers.   Not only the black and spot tail bass, but mangrove jack, trevally, bream, tarpon and jungle perch.

Of course, the freshwater runs into the salt.  Saltwater flyfishing has become very popular in recent years and world record dogtooth tuna have been caught in PNG waters on fly.  A common feature of PNG waters is the abundance of coral reefs with sheer cliffs and deep undersea trenches.  These play host to a wide variety of game and reef fish.  Black marlin, bluemarlin, sailfish, trevally, mackerel and wahoo are common.  Barracuda, rainbow runners, queenfish, dolphin fish, yellowfin, bluefin, big eye, dog tooth and striped tuna are all usual.

Many game fishing areas around the world are rough.  But the Bismarck Sea rarely gets rough.  Bialla, on the north coast of WNB near the border of West and East New Britain, and about three hours drive from Kimbe, is home to great fishing in the Bismarck Sea.  Tuna, trevally, rainbow runners and barracuda are in abundance off the shores of Baia Sportfishing Lodge.

Lindenhafen Fishing Resort on the south coast of WNB is on the Solomon Sea and its season is opposite to the north coast. The Women's Heavy Tackle World Record Dog Tooth Tuna was caught on the reefs just off the resort.  The strong southerly subsurface currents and the world's ninth deepest underwater trench make for exciting blue water fishing.

Opposite seasons on opposite sides of the island means that fishing can be enjoyed all year round in WNB.  This is unique within the tropics because of the usual effects of the northerly and southerly monsoon seasons.

Reef fishing is always good for emperor, sweetlip, grey snapper, coral trout, maori wrasse and cod.   And fishing offshore also provides plenty of opportunity to admire the marine mammals that abound - dolphins, whales, dugongs and leatherback turtles.

Check out WNB's two specialist fishing resorts and start planning for the catch of your life.  Chartered flights can be arranged through Niugini Helicopters, and regular flights run from Hoskins airport to Gasmata airstrip on the south coast.