by The Captain | Oct 26, 2017 | Captain's ships
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...
by The Captain | Jun 20, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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...
by The Captain | Jun 20, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
Hold onto your beer: This insane custom console built by Australian Master Marine might change a few perceptions among the glass-lovin’ platey haters. The Captain used to toss and turn all night thinking about the perfect rig to tackle Spaniards, blacks and...
by The Captain | Jun 20, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 20, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 14, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
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....
by The Captain | Jun 14, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
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...
by The Captain | Jun 14, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
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...
by The Captain | Jun 14, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 13, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 13, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
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...
by The Captain | Jun 13, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships, Uncategorized
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...
by The Captain | Mar 21, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
Snapper slayer Tony McLeod is contemplating his next 6m rig. A call from the captain to test a Tournament 2000 Bluewater came at just the right time. CREW CALL Mick and I are your typical southern fishermen. We work in semi-important blue-collar jobs, drive Land...
by The Captain | Mar 14, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
The Captain storms Port Phillip Bay in a Stabicraft 2400 Supecab. The Target: King George Whiting. The rain was pissing down sideways, the wind was well over 20 knots and thick cloud cover cloaked the night sky. We were almost ready to call it quits, but then a rod...
by The Captain | Mar 14, 2017 | Articles, How to
The Captain’s “Seven Ways to Drop a Plop” guide – for when you’re far, far out at sea. You won’t read about this slippery subject in any coxswain course. Not even Al McGlashan has covered the “brown business” in any of his 736,586 useful fishing and boating articles....
by The Captain | Mar 14, 2017 | Articles, The craftsman
The Seafarer Vagabond 6.2 was launched in 1996 following the success of the twin-rigged Seafarer Victory 5.9 (in production 1992-97). The early 6.2m hulls were initially put out in a centre-console configuration and granted the tough-guy moniker Venom 6.2....
by The Captain | Mar 14, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
Six-metre twin outboard rigs are The Captain’s kryptonite. So when we heard Mark Stav from JV Marine had bought himself a Seafarer Vagabond with twin 140 Suzukis, we almost lost our superpowers. Bluefin tuna fishing was the goal – and The Captain’s crew tried various...
by The Captain | Feb 28, 2017 | Adventures, Articles, Captain's ships
Why we do it. This is the test the public demanded. More so than the manufacturers, anyway. Which is why we never told them about it. Any of them. To prove our point, when the first Facebook post dropped, The Captain’s mobile lit up with phone calls with a Victorian...
by The Captain | Feb 10, 2017 | Articles, How to
LURE TALK WITH PETER PAKULA “Not having the ultimate fish attracting boat and engine combination is not a disadvantage. With the aid of teasers, you can match all-comers in a competitive atmosphere.” Anything you tow behind your boat will do the job of attracting...
by The Captain | Feb 10, 2017 | Articles, How to
Unfortunately, that blow-up lilo the kids bought you last Xmas just won’t do. Your diving rig needs to be as stable as a landing barge, turn like a tank, be waterproof as a submarine, fly like a fighter and transport you and your gear like a troop carrier. Paul Miller...
by The Captain | Feb 10, 2017 | Articles, Captain's ships
Carves her own path on a hunt for monster king george whiting When The Captain’s crew first laid eyes on this neatly decked-out destroyer, we decided a little fishing mission was in order. Instead of following the herds of snapper slayers to the concrete ramps, we...
by The Captain | Dec 8, 2016 | Articles, Tried and tested
Deciding between alloy and steel is the biggest consideration for new trailer buyers. The Captain’s crew donned welding masks and went undercover in the Easytow factory to uncover the pros and cons. THE CASE FOR ALMIGHTY ALLOY Pound for pound,...
by The Captain | Dec 8, 2016 | Articles, Captain's ships
From the wilds of the Southern Ocean comes a new design that harks back to the classics. As we loaded a variety of rods onto the shiny new Stabicraft 2500 Ultracab, dirty grey clouds descended from the hills surrounding the local boat ramp. Cold, damp and...
by The Captain | Nov 28, 2016 | Articles, Captain's ships
The Captain goes north in search of silver scales and soft riding battleships. Trying to fish a new location is tough at the best of times. Trying to catch a mulloway in one day at a new location is a serious Hail Mary shit. Still, we had the gear and...
by The Captain | Nov 28, 2016 | Articles, Captain's ships
Moda means “style” in Italian, but don’t let the gorgeous lines fool you, this Express model is full of function too, with a 600km range, the ability to sleep five adults and almost $80K of electronic equipment. The Captain: Ahoy Shane, we’ve seen...
by The Captain | Nov 16, 2016 | Articles, Captain's ships
Mitchell Burge and his Bad Boy were made for each other… He’s an outspoken lad from Mt Colah with a reputation as a wrecking ball on the sea, having split five boats that The Captain knows of. Now he’s riding in his new Cootacraft – a name synonymous with boats built...
by The Captain | Nov 16, 2016 | Articles, How to
When to slack off with Justin Duggan Don’t believe everything you hear; sometimes there’s nothing wrong with being soft, limp or flaccid, other times you need to be tight as a clam. Knowing when to be slack will often prove crucial to scoring the fish. I watch...
by The Captain | Nov 16, 2016 | Articles, How to
LURE TALK WITH PETER PAKULA “In solo game-fishing, there are no points, no trophies and no public acclaim.” It’s normal in my business to dart out and test lures as soon as the prototypes are ready. On April 1st, 1992, the new Mosquito was ready to rock....
by The Captain | Nov 16, 2016 | Articles, Captain's ships
The Captain finds the sweet spot in an entry level Sea Fox. The Captain has found a new ham-and-pineapple boat. Loved by all and fit for almost any occasion, the Sea Fox 186 Commander is the perfect Cape York crusader or perch predator. Sea Fox...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | Articles, Tried and tested
Outboards. Some like them big and fast, others like ’em compact, efficient and quiet. The Captain spends more time driving them than he does his LandRover. So here are some of The Captain’s favourite outboard engines – all recently tested on tour. ENGINE: Yamaha...
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