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HAINES SIGNATURE 543SF

HAINES SIGNATURE 543SF

Within the next couple of months, The Captain is planning a trip to Seventeen Seventy, a fishing mecca six hours north of Brisbane. He put out the call for a ride and surface slayer Mathew Scholz answered. Armed with a sparkling new Haines Signature 543SF, Matt’s rig...
FATAL ATTRACTION

FATAL ATTRACTION

This hit list of “bad shit to watch out for on the water and how to deal with it if it happens” (compiled by The Captain’s favourite seagoing sawbones, who has more letters after his name than the alphabet) should keep you safe and sound while you’re on the hunt....
SKIRTING THE ISSUE WITH PETER PAKULA

SKIRTING THE ISSUE WITH PETER PAKULA

If your lure is on its last legs, Peter Pakula explains how to re-skirt in seven simple steps. All skirted lures will need a re-skirting eventually. They get chopped up by toothy critters and become old and brittle without a regular lube (see issue #3 Skirt Dirt on...
BOAT REG. WITH NATHAN NICHOLS

BOAT REG. WITH NATHAN NICHOLS

Boating fails  – Nathan Nichols, director of Cruise Craft, on the inconvenient truth of boating regulations. The rumours are true. I took the opportunity to launch into a very passionate discussion at a recent product launch. In my view, The Captain – which...
NATURE’S SUSHI TRAIN WITH JUSTIN DUGGAN

NATURE’S SUSHI TRAIN WITH JUSTIN DUGGAN

Most of us have heard the old saying “no run, no fun” a million times. This reference to a moving tide bringing the best fishing bite is more often than not true, but why? Try sitting beside the conveyor belt at a sushi train and see how well you do stuffing your face...
HAINES SIGNATURE 495F

HAINES SIGNATURE 495F

You may have noticed a secret new project stashed between the pages of the Builders’ Survey in the previous issue of The Captain. It was the fourth generation of the Haines Signature 495F hull – and it’s just been released to the public. The new hull features an extra...
SPEARFISHING BLACK MARLINS IN FNQ

SPEARFISHING BLACK MARLINS IN FNQ

Travis Hogan dreams big in a small trailer boat, hunting for black marlin in a Haines Hunter V19   We may live in Far North Queensland, but that doesn’t mean the gamefishing is at our doorstep. In fact, it’s further away than you’d think – it’s about 40 nautical...
HAINES SIGNATURE 550RF

HAINES SIGNATURE 550RF

Surface feeding longtail tuna. A tackle box full of stickbaits. The new Haines Signature 550RF. ‘nuf said.  Not long ago The Captain tested the Signature 550F off Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island. We had a crack at a mulloway, but the mysterious beasts...
STABICRAFT 2750

STABICRAFT 2750

The Captain tackles northern NSW in one of the first Stabicraft 2750 centrecabs to hit Aussie shores.    Stabicraft recently put together a fully decked-out, custom 2750 Centrecab for gun Kiwi fisherman Matt Watson – you know, the crazy bloke that catches marlin...
MORNINGTIDE FISHING

MORNINGTIDE FISHING

The Captain goes rock hopping with Adam Cabangh from Morningtide fishing.  The Captain: Fellas, we love your rock-hopping form. But seriously, can’t you even afford a little tinnie – or do you all get seasick? Adam Cavanagh: Ha ha, nice one. Well, you could hook us up...
INSANE INSTALLS

INSANE INSTALLS

In this installment of Insane Installs, we caress the helm of Jason Wilhelm’s Edgewater 245CC and pop our eyeballs on his insane Simrad fit-out. And it would be rude not to have a crack at a blue marlin while we’re at it. Back in the day, Jason Wilhelm was a renowned...
CRAPPY CAPTAINS

CRAPPY CAPTAINS

You wouldn’t leave them in charge of a barge. Full-steam ahead with eyes closed, what could possibly go wrong? These just might be the world’s worst ever sea captains. Captain William Bligh No contest, top of the list yet such a confusion of a man – so competent in...
IF THE SHOE FITS

IF THE SHOE FITS

The Captain’s step-by-step guide to finding your perfect boat, one you can just slide on like an old Sea boot and it feels like you’ve worn it forever. Buying a boat is like buying a new pair of shoes. There are thousands of brands, shapes, sizes and colours to choose...
Haines Hunter V19 CC

Haines Hunter V19 CC

The Captain jumps aboard the toughest, meanest V19 he’s ever seen. The Captain has skippered everything from a 3.8m Polycraft to a 50ft flybridge, and has come to the conclusion that his ideal all-purpose rig is around the 19ft mark, or just shy of 6m....

THE UNOFFICIAL BOAT BUILDERS’ SURVEY

Dear Boat Builder, Put that chopper gun or TIG welder down. This is serious business – it’s The Captain’s first (un)official Boat Builders’ Survey. The Captain trusts you will promptly divulge all company secrets. So c’mon guys, what have you got to lose? The...
SCIENCE UNDER THE SOUTHERN SEA

SCIENCE UNDER THE SOUTHERN SEA

Science under the Southern Sea Deakin University marine biologist Associate Prof Daniel Ierodiaconou – aka “the fish hypnotist” – spends a lot of time on, in and under the sea. He and his team of sea scientists have been putting together 3-D maps and video of the...
SEA CRUISERS IN THE SOUTH WEST

SEA CRUISERS IN THE SOUTH WEST

Other boat brands couldn’t bear the brunt of Bass Strait, so Ed Richardson built his own battle-ready Sea Cruisers. The Captain has become well acquainted with Bass Strait’s rolling seas and windswept coastline. He’s clocked up countless hours and servo sangas...
SCOTTY GRAY’S SOUTHERN SPECIES HIT LIST

SCOTTY GRAY’S SOUTHERN SPECIES HIT LIST

The South-West Victorian coastline, aka the Shipwreck Coast, is home to a diverse range of habitats, which provide a plethora of fishing opportunities. This unforgiving coastline is renowned for being wild and rugged. During winter, icy gale-force winds manage to...
TRAILER BOAT TACTICS WITH PETER PAKULA

TRAILER BOAT TACTICS WITH PETER PAKULA

Handling your trailer boat when you’re hooked up to a gamefish is like getting jiggy with it – get too flustered and excited and it’ll be over in a flash! Be calm and composed, and you’ll get the job done. You’ve finally hooked a marlin in your trailer boat and the...
WEATHER OR NOT TO GO FISHING

WEATHER OR NOT TO GO FISHING

Every bit of weather information you gain is a step closer to fishing and boating Valhalla. OK, so most of us have heard the old saying, “Wind from the north fish from the wharf, wind from the east fish bite least, wind from the south fish close their mouth and wind...
POINT & SHOOT PROS

POINT & SHOOT PROS

When Adam Krajc pulls the trigger on his Cootacraft Gun Shot he’s pretty confident of hitting the target. Adam Krajc fits the description of most Cootacraft owners. He works hard, plays hard and shoots straight. His day job is building houses around Sydney, but on...
FEEL THE PULSE

FEEL THE PULSE

The Captain puts prehistoric prejudices aside to check out the high-tech wonder that is the Whittley Pulse digital wizardry. The Whittley SL22 is one of The Captain’s favourite boats. They’re a bit of an offshore sleeper with 23 degrees at the bum, fine entry point...
Yamaha F90

Yamaha F90

“The F90 gripped like a Remora on a Marlin, even trimmed out.” Yamaha recently invited The Captain’s crew to Couran Cove, near the Gold Coast, to catch up over a rum and test drive their brand-spanking-new F90. Although the responsible chaps at Yammie wouldn’t hand us...
DEADLY OCEANS

DEADLY OCEANS

The world’s oceans are filled with an array of venomous and toxic marine critters, not to mention a whole host of apex carnivores. Join photographers Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown as they tour the world in search of the deadliest sea creatures. Extract taken from...
INSANE INSTALLS : MIKE BONNICI

INSANE INSTALLS : MIKE BONNICI

Mike Bonnici is a glazier by trade, but on weekends he cruises the high seas in pursuit of marlin, tuna and topwater kings. His saltwater sled is a Sea Devil 620 and its reputation is almost as lofty as Mike’s you’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a fisho in Sydney...
EYE-EYE CAPTAIN

EYE-EYE CAPTAIN

We’ve all got that mate. The one with the twin-rig boat who ties all his own wind-ons and rigs his own lures; the one who always seems to know where the fish are going to pop up, then catches and fillets them better than anyone else on the boat. Sean Foley ticks all...
DELIVERY DIARY

DELIVERY DIARY

If you were cruising the Pacific, you’d be mad not to pack a few rods, right? Ben Keys jumps aboard a plush yacht and proves you don’t need a game boat to catch marlin. You just need to sail over the top of them. On the day we hooked a 70kg blue marlin, we weren’t...