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SOUNDER HOUNDS: NATHAN BAJADA

SOUNDER HOUNDS: NATHAN BAJADA

NATHAN BAJADA, CENTRAL COAST, NSW STYLE: I’m mad-keen on game-fishing with my wife, Amanda, and daughter, Chloe. Don’t be fooled, they’re a formidable crew! We also dabble on the snapper and kingfish grounds, and don’t mind a deep drop from time to time. The wife...
SOUNDER HOUNDS: DEAN SILVESTER

SOUNDER HOUNDS: DEAN SILVESTER

DEAN SILVESTER, BRISBANE, QLD STYLE: I love all sorts of fishing. Over the years I’ve entered in bass, bream and barramundi tournaments. My main focus of late has been Australian bass – I’d probably say I’m a good bass-buster. BOAT My boat is an SX 180 Skeeter, an...
WEED ADDICTS

WEED ADDICTS

Justin Duggan goes undercover to investigate the weed epidemic that is rocking the fishing world     I usually meet The Captain at a local bar to collect my editorial assignment. But this time was different. We met in a dark alley and he was wearing a fake beard...
SOUNDER HOUNDS: LEE RAYNER

SOUNDER HOUNDS: LEE RAYNER

LEE RAYNER, MELBOURNE, VIC STYLE : Any sort of fishing – bait, lure, fly, just so long as I’m catching fish. I do love chasing marlin and tuna, while at the other end of the scale there is something great about freezing your bum off chasing trout, especially big ones....
THE SUBLIME SEAFOX VIPER 220

THE SUBLIME SEAFOX VIPER 220

The Seafox left the other boats in its wake; on the water- and on the fishing scoreboard    A snotty 25-knot wind blew straight into Urangan Harbour, on the eastern side of Hervey Bay. We stuck the nose of the Sea Fox Viper out into the bay, glanced at each...
TOP FIVE TIPS FOR FISHING FRASER ISLAND

TOP FIVE TIPS FOR FISHING FRASER ISLAND

Andrew Chorley from Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing knows a thing or two about Fraser Island – he’s been fishing it since he was five! Read his top tips for fishing Fraser Island before you launch your boat.   1. LOOK CLOSER TO HOME Newcomers always head straight...
FROTHING ON FRASER

FROTHING ON FRASER

Fraser Island is full of salty drama. It was named after Eliza Fraser, who was shipwrecked off the coast in 1836. She took refuge on the island and, as the story goes, was captured by local Aborigines and made to work for scraps before eventually being rescued. The...
SOUNDER HOUNDS: MIKE BONNICI

SOUNDER HOUNDS: MIKE BONNICI

Ever wondered why the gun fishermen treat their sounder like the Ark of the Covenant? It’s because it holds secrets that make the difference between a good day’s fishing and a great one. The Captain takes a peek inside, and discovers the top commandments practised...
SHOOT LIKE A BOSS

SHOOT LIKE A BOSS

The Captain “lens” a few tips for taking the perfect pic on your next on-water adventure. You’ve just landed the fish of a lifetime. There’s only one thing left to do: take a photo that does the big girl justice. But it’s not as easy as it looks. You don’t...
DUGGAN’S DOWNPIPE

DUGGAN’S DOWNPIPE

You wont find a more genteel charter operator on the water than Justin Duggan, but break one of his unwritten rules and you’ll feel his wrath. For the uninitiated, here are some fishing moves to avoid when fishing around Justin’s local hole.   THE GRASS CUTTER...
WHICH BOATS CATCH MORE FISH

WHICH BOATS CATCH MORE FISH

The Captain has always wondered: does size matter or is it all about the motion of the ocean? Peter Pakula has an opinion on this.   The Captain: Does the size of your boat have any bearing on raising fish? Peter Pakula: More than likely. It’s pretty logical that...
PAUL’S SPEARFISHING GEAR GUIDE

PAUL’S SPEARFISHING GEAR GUIDE

When Paul Miller got invited on his first free-diving trip, he grabbed his 4mm surfing wetsuit, a pair of snorkelling flippers and mask, and hit the blue water with the anticipation of a big mahi mahi. He lasted about 15 minutes before returning to the boat...
STABICRAFT 2100 SUPERCAB

STABICRAFT 2100 SUPERCAB

Stabicraft take their R&D testing very seriously.   The Captain reckons Stabicraft boats are some of the sweetest-looking rides on the water. The 2100 Supercab model sits slap-bang in the middle of the range – and showcases some of their best fishie features....
6-METRE SHOOT-OUT

6-METRE SHOOT-OUT

Bass Strait Ocean Pro 600 VS Cootacraft 20ft Coldfront VS Edencraft 6M Offshore   LET THE BATTLE BEGIN! You won’t find any cup holders in these six-metre sledgehammers. The builders are too busy adding another layer of chop strand to their stringers or bolting...
JET PILOT

JET PILOT

Ben Bylett is an adrenaline junkie who loves adventure and fishing. The only logical decision was to buy a Yamaha jet ski and customise it into a fishing machine.   I love the feeling of adventure. I’m always telling people that getting there is half the fun. I...
10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT TONGA

10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT TONGA

The Captain’s crayfish wrangler Paul Miller, recently returned from Tonga. He found a cave where he reckons old free divers go to die (or, at least, he wants to). Paul shares the 10 best things he found on his trip.   LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES  Tonga reminds you...
SQUID INC.

SQUID INC.

Damian ‘Dooma’ Oswald is never far from the water. He works in surf and diving camps in Micronesia – and as a deckie on big game-fishing boats around the world. At the end of the day, when other deckies are cleaning the fish, you’ll find Dooma laying the catch down on...
SNAPPER SLEEPOVER

SNAPPER SLEEPOVER

The Captain’s crew explore their softer side aboard the new Whittley FF2100, but the leisurely Sunday sail is rudely interrupted by a school of marauding snapper.   It’s late afternoon in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Snapper season is just kicking into gear...
BLAST FROM THE PAST

BLAST FROM THE PAST

“Tubbs 1 is a tribute to the craftsmen of the time” 60 years ago, most Australian boats were built of bond-wood, just like this gorgeous old Whittley 5.4, called Tubbs 1. The lines are stunning and the timberwork is soft and warm. As we discovered, it’s also...
CIGARETTE ADDICTION 

CIGARETTE ADDICTION 

The 233 Formula is a blue-water brumby with panache. The Captain takes a ride in the hull that has become a cult hero on the fishing grounds.   There is no boat more majestic than a Formula 233 thundering to the fishing grounds. Behind the wall of white water...
MAD MEN OF THE SEA

MAD MEN OF THE SEA

The Mad Hueys have a cult-like following with a massive social media audience, their own beer label and burgeoning clothing range. The Gold Coast madmen’s stunts include jumping in shark-infested water with birdcages on their heads and drinking beer underwater....
WHICH FISHERMAN ARE YOU?

WHICH FISHERMAN ARE YOU?

There’s plenty of fishing tribes out there. The Captain has even dipped in and out of a few. Do they remind you  of anyone?   THE TRADIE  The Tradie never buys new boats, all because he can make his 37-year-old Haines go faster than a 300hp jet boat with...
HOW’S YOUR CAST?

HOW’S YOUR CAST?

Casting a light-spinning outfit might seem simple, but here are a few easy-to-master tips from Justin Duggan that will improve your distance and accuracy. Hand the average person a spinning outfit and they usually have a vague idea of what to do with it. Hell, they...
GAMEFISH YOGA

GAMEFISH YOGA

Joel Ryan shows THE CAPTAIN how an open mind and flexible plan can improve your chances of landing on the fish. Public holiday. Tick. Brilliant weather forecast. Tick. Tuna biting. Tick Our plan is perfect. Except for one thing. The tuna are biting all along the...
SURF OR FISH?

SURF OR FISH?

Has fishing become the new surfing? Captain Blackbeard ponders while stroking his lush facial woodland. “Not everyone can surf but anyone can fish”   Only a fisherman knows the feeling: man against the elements and creatures of the deep; the anticipation and the...
BUSTING BLUEFIN

BUSTING BLUEFIN

Peter Pakula discusses how important hook size is, when gearing up to tackle barrel-sized bluefin. This year, in south-western Victoria, we had one of the best, if not the best runs of big southern bluefin tuna ever. Lots of fish were caught, lots more were dropped....
ANGLAPRO 484 PRO

ANGLAPRO 484 PRO

The new Anglapro Sniper 484 PRO is a highly versatile weapon. Snipers are known for their ability to hit a target, their precision, their stealth and their ability to apply their skills to any environment. That’s what the team at Anglapro have channelled with the...