To be honest, during this Lombok expedition, my rod never truly bent for the target fish—GT, groupers, or amberjacks. All that remained on the boat was a magnificent bigfin reef squid caught by a fellow guest, and a few lizardfish that stubbornly attacked my jig. Looking purely at the numbers, it was a complete failure.

However, after many expeditions, you come to understand something. When exploring an undeveloped area for the first time, it's actually more unsettling if you immediately catch your target fish. Accidental good fortune can lead you to misjudge the true nature of the fishing grounds. What's truly valuable is being able to understand "why aren't I catching anything?" and "what's missing?" when you don't catch anything. This time, the expedition truly yielded powerful, real-world data that will directly contribute to an overwhelmingly successful catch rate next time.

Prologue / Carrying The Gear & Transit

Overseas offshore expeditions begin even before you reach the check-in counter at the airport. On May 18th, I departed Miyazaki at 7:35 AM, heading to Jakarta via Haneda. Thanks to my ANA SFC (Super Flyers Card) benefits, I was able to check in up to 40kg for free. This allowed me to consolidate three large items (a suitcase, a bucket, and a rod case) to just under 30kg total, passing check-in smoothly without worrying about excess weight.

All the elite gear I brought for this expedition. The three sacred treasures: suitcase, bucket, and rod case.

For carry-on, I had a small suitcase (7kg) and a backpack (4kg) safely packed with three main reels. My absolute rule for expeditions is to always carry expensive, precision-engineered reels with me in the cabin to completely prevent any risk of damage from lost luggage or rough handling.

After a comfortable flight of about 8 hours, I arrived at Terminal 3 of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 4 PM local time. Thanks to having completed the new "All Indonesia" online procedures and the "e-VOA" electronic arrival visa beforehand, entering Indonesia was seamless. I simply scanned my passport at the automated gate, picked up my luggage, and scanned the QR code again at the customs lane exit. I was amazed by the smooth process.

At 'Putu Made', a Balinese restaurant at Jakarta Airport. Washing down spicy Nasi Campur with a cold Bintang beer.

After immigration, I checked into 'd'primahotel Airport T3', which is directly connected to the terminal. After checking in, I headed to 'Putu Made', the only Balinese restaurant in the domestic terminal area that serves beer, located in the connected restaurant street. I enjoyed their famous spicy satay and nasi campur with a familiar Bintang beer, then quickly went to bed. The next morning, I woke up at 5 AM and headed to the Garuda Indonesia domestic counter.

Here's a tip for expedition anglers: I had correctly pre-paid for 10kg of excess baggage (overcharge) online with my card, as domestic economy flights (purchased for about 30,000 JPY) have a 20kg baggage limit. However, the counter on the day was incredibly crowded. I spent over 30 minutes on the procedure, barely making it to the gate two minutes before boarding time. It's advisable to allow at least 2.5 hours for transit.

Departing Jakarta at 7:30 AM, I finally landed on Lombok Island after a two-hour flight! ASKA-san, the reliable representative of 'Ceria Surf', who always takes care of me, picked me up and took me to the homestay (accommodation) that he runs. It features a king-size bed, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a gas stove, a flush toilet, and a hot shower, all for 350,000 Rupiah (approx. 3,500 JPY) per night. Round-trip airport transfer costs 400,000 Rupiah (4,000 JPY). Full-service surf and fishing guiding for one person is 800,000 Rupiah (8,000 JPY) per day, and the price decreases with more people.

The clean and comfortable room at Ceria Surf where I stayed this time. The relief of seeing my fishing rods lined up next to the bed, confirming their safety, was exceptional.

Day 1 / Waves Came First

For the planning of this research fishing trip, I fully enlisted the cooperation of Wynn, Indonesia's No.1 surf guide, who knows everything about the sea. The key point of the tide chart he provided was the "new moon spring tide" on May 20th. This is when the tide moves the most, creating the strongest currents, which is the golden time when the feeding switch of large migratory fish like GT (Giant Trevally) is forcibly turned on.

However, trips dealing with nature are always full of unexpected developments. Just before heading out to fish, an exceptional swell, unusual for the dry season, hit "Air Guling Point." Information came in that the best waves would be present from the 20th to the 23rd, so we abruptly switched the first half of the schedule to surfing!

Clean, overhead waves from early morning, perfectly mellow and beautiful faces to ride, far more so than in the rainy season—it was pure bliss. On the 22nd, in my excitement, I even managed to snap my precious surfboard in half, but after enjoying such wonderful waves that more than made up for it, our main fishing session was completely compressed into the latter half of the schedule.

Day 2 / The Hidden Wall at Outer Reef

GT Casting Survey — The biggest infrastructure barrier: "a boat capable of casting"

With great anticipation, we chartered a local boat operated by the veteran captain of Air Guling, the top surf break in the Kuta area, to target giant GTs. We launched an exciting exploration plan, aggressively running and gunning along the drop-offs around the fiercely breaking outer reef.

However, just tens of minutes after starting to cast plugs into the turbulence of the break line, I was confronted with a critical obstacle inherent to the field, even before encountering any GTs. It wasn't about the presence or absence of fish, but rather "the structure of the boat itself."

Attacking the reef edge of Air Guling. A utility boat, also used for transporting surfers, demands an extremely high sense of balance for casting. The photo shows Wynn from CERIA SURF, who always helps me. He is very friendly and kind, and I always feel that a fulfilling Lombok life would be impossible without him.

The local boat we used this time is an excellent utility vessel, perfect for safely shuttling surfers to points or for relaxed bait fishing (bottom fishing while seated). However, for "modern GT fishing," which involves full-day casting of heavy plugs weighing over 100g and continuous popping under intense strain, a completely different set of requirements (stability and a high casting platform) is demanded of the boat.

When powerful swells from the open sea hit from the side, a slender boat without a casting deck rolls relentlessly. At the reef edge, where the tide moves the most and waves are highest, there was no stable footing to brace against. It became an extreme situation where "I could barely maintain my balance by grabbing onto something with one hand and rigidly tensing my core." Even I struggled to maintain my casting position, making it utterly impossible for multiple people to cast plugs simultaneously.

No matter how attractive the terrain, it's nearly impossible to fish effectively without a safe standing platform.

The veteran captain desperately pieced together fragments of memories from decades ago when he had taken GT anglers out, and he navigated the boat honestly and bravely. However, modern casting games typically involve analyzing the precise contours of reefs and tidal currents down to the millimeter using the latest charts (digital maps), with anglers actively directing the captain to specific GPS coordinates to cast.

In this case, both the point data and the physical infrastructure of "a boat that can safely hold position" were completely lacking. Judging that we had gained significant insight, we made the difficult decision to withdraw from GT casting after just one day, rather than risking further danger. However, judging by the topography, the potential is undoubtedly real.

Day 3 / Deep Jigging Without fish finder

Gerupuk Bay Jigging — Excellent boat handling, but still needing the final piece: a "fish finder"

We changed our mindset and chartered a boat from Rodem-san, a friendly captain in the Gerupuk area and a skilled angler with experience working on Japanese tuna fishing boats. At 6 AM, we set sail from the calm Gerupuk Bay for slow jigging.

The boat this time was an Indonesian-style outrigger longboat, with log stabilizers on both sides. Unlike the casting boat from the previous day, it boasted incredible stability against rolling. With Wynn, the surf guide, and Yasu-san, an angler staying in Lombok, we approached a deep area around 100 meters deep.

I was amazed by Captain Rodem's incredible skill in "maintaining the line." He deftly mixed the outboard motor (finely adjusting forward and reverse) to perfectly counteract the wind and current, allowing the line to drop vertically into the sea. When using a 200g slow jig (such as Takami Technos Arrow) on PE line #2, bottom contact was exceptionally clear. Slow pitch jerking, on par with top-tier Japanese charter boats, was perfectly executed on this undeveloped, old boat in a foreign land.

What aggressively attacked my jig was a lizardfish. There was a sense of fish activity, but the frustration of not being able to pinpoint the target depth continued.

However, here again, a characteristic specific to undeveloped areas presented a challenge. Despite this excellent boat handling environment, the boat was not equipped with electronic devices such as a "fish finder." The captain used traditional "mountain sighting," determining his position by looking at mountains on land, to position the boat precisely over a specific reef. While this allowed him to pinpoint "undulating terrain," it couldn't visualize "which depth range bait or amberjacks were schooling at in that exact moment."

Wynn, who was deep eging, regrettably lost a good-sized bigfin reef squid at the boat's edge. While lizardfish, predators of sandy bottoms, relentlessly attacked my jig, time passed without any contact from target amberjacks or large amberjacks. But at 9 AM, Yasu-san's rod (Arrow 230g), who was jigging for the very first time, bent into a beautiful arc and stopped!

Shouting "It's heavy, so heavy!", Yasu-san carefully reeled in, and at the end of his line appeared a colossal bigfin reef squid, firmly hooked onto the jig! It was a perfect drama where the enchanting fall action unique to slow-pitch jigging directly triggered the predatory instincts of a giant squid lurking in the deep.

Ultimately, we added two more lizardfish, and due to the frustration of not being able to accurately target the fish's depth, we decided to retreat just after 11 AM. However, this fishing trip left us with tremendous potential. Captain Rodem himself is a true veteran who has caught monster groupers and amberjacks over 30kg multiple times in this area. The fish are definitely there. While respecting the traditional mountain-sighting method, I am confident that simply bringing one "portable fish finder" as an angler would dramatically increase the success rate of this game.

By the way, if you specialize in deep eging for bigfin reef squid in the local flat areas, I'm told they can be caught abundantly year-round. Since I had several strong contacts with squid on my jig, it's now confirmed that for my next expedition, I will be stashing light eging tackle and a large quantity of droppers for eging in my bucket.

Field Map / Indonesia Offshore Fishing Guide

Here, beyond my personal experiences, I have systematically compiled the "Four Major Area Characteristics around Lombok Island" and "Offshore Frontline Data for All of Indonesia," based on thorough research, which are what all anglers considering an expedition would most want to know. Correctly matching your purpose with the season is an absolute prerequisite for a successful expedition.

Lombok Island, with its vast untouched nature. Understanding the characteristics of each area reveals a world-class fishing ground.

Area 01 / West Lombok

SEKOTONG

Prime hub for GT casting and jigging

Considered the "greatest answer" for serious big game and migratory fish pursuit in Lombok. Numerous "secret Gili" islands, including Gili Gede, create prime GT ambush zones with complex currents. With minimal tourism, fishing pressure is very low, offering opportunities for GT, dogtooth tuna, amberjack, and large groupers. A strong point is the availability of specialized operators who can communicate in English via web and WhatsApp.
【Best Season】May - November (Dry Season)

Lombok Fishing Trip

Area 02 / North Lombok

SENGGIGI & MALIMBU

Easy tropical light game

A tourist area in the west and north with luxury resorts and developed infrastructure. The main fishing grounds are around the three Gili Islands and off Malimbu, popular for trolling and light bottom fishing, which are accessible even for beginners. Beautiful catches of mahi-mahi (dorado), Spanish mackerel, and wahoo are expected. Many all-inclusive tours are available for around 350 USD per boat for 4 people.
【Best Season】April - October (Days with light winds)

Adi Trekker

Area 03 / South Lombok

KUTA & GERUPUK

Where surfing and unexplored offshore fishing coexist

The south coast where we conducted our survey. This area is home to world-class surf spots like Air Guling and Mawi. While surf culture is strong, there are currently no major operators specializing in fishing. This allows for the unique, rugged charm of directly attacking untouched frontiers at an exceptionally low cost by chartering a private boat through local networks like Wynn and Captain Rodem (approximately 20,000 yen for half a day).
【Best Season】GT: April-June, September-November / Jigging: November-March (Rainy Season)

Ceria Surf

Beyond / East Indonesia

SUMBAWA EXPEDITION

Mega game for serious expedition anglers

Sumbawa Island, located east of Lombok, is a serious fishing ground where mega-fights with giant amberjacks, monster GTs, and super large yellowfin tuna unfold. Extreme tours can be arranged to attack seamounts several hours away by speedboat from Lombok Island. The area around Labuan Bajo in southern Sumbawa is an unexplored monster area highly praised by professional anglers worldwide.
【Best Season】May-June / September (Ultra-calm seas during seasonal transitions)

Lombok Fishing Adventure

As you can see, the seas of Indonesia have clear rules: "Rainy season = calm winds on the south side (Kuta, Gerupuk), jigging reaches its peak" and "Dry season = GTs explode in the leeward reefs on the west side (Sekotong)." Simply keeping these characteristics in mind and adjusting your packing will dramatically increase your success rate.

Current Status / Cost vs Strategy

While there are some very expensive packages (such as tropical fishing camps) targeting Westerners in the offshore hub of southern Lombok, they are not easily affordable, costing several hundred thousand yen. However, the method we pioneered, "personally chartering excellent captains through local networks," costs approximately 20,000 yen (about 130 USD) for half a day. This overwhelmingly high cost-performance ratio makes it an extremely exciting option for anglers who want to test their gear and skills.

However, a low booking cost is intrinsically linked to the fact that all responsibility for safety equipment and game planning rests entirely on the angler's shoulders. Since a perfect, all-inclusive boat isn't available with just a click on a booking site, a hands-on approach is required to gradually find captains through reliable local guides (like Wynn). But isn't that precisely the true pleasure of an authentic expedition, where "travel and fishing" are highly integrated?

Epilogue / The Search Never Stops

During this survey, my rod failed to land any big fish. But the overwhelming ocean potential hidden in this island, the precision of bringing just one portable fish finder to accurately pinpoint depths, and the deep eging rig to secure souvenirs. The fact that the missing pieces became so clear means that next time, "I can win."

On Lombok's south coast, Kuta, Wynn has already established a legendary status in the surfing world as a local guide. Powerful reef breaks offer numerous surf spots. Just a few miles offshore from this same beautiful sea, a vast, untapped offshore wonderland quietly slumbers. On my next expedition, based on this data, I will build a perfect system (fish finder, nautical charts, specialized eging and Tairaba gear, etc.) and I will definitely bend my rod and show you a monster on this blog. To etch the first perfect footprints in an unexplored frontier with my own hands—that is the most luxurious privilege granted to us expedition anglers. A re-challenge is confirmed, whether this year or next.