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BACK TO BASICS

BACK TO BASICS

  Two mates leave the bright lights of Brisvegas to follow a dream of adventure.        The Captain: A’hoy fellas. Tell us a little bit about Back to Basics Adventures. Who’s in the crew and what do you do? Jack Strickland (Strick): Ahoy Captain,...
HOW TO PICK UP GIRLS! (WITH A BOAT)

HOW TO PICK UP GIRLS! (WITH A BOAT)

Just how much sex appeal do boats have? We laid down the challenge to Jack Murphy, recently single and ready to mingle. With nothing more than his bristling beard, a cup of charm and a Whittley SL25 hard top, We set him loose among a flock of amorous young females....
PART 3: KIMBERLEY BY LAND

PART 3: KIMBERLEY BY LAND

TROPICAL CYCLONE Having conquered the Kimberley by sea and by sky, it’s time to test our mettle like most tourists do in these parts – by 4X4. We have a bit of a problem, though. The Gibb River Road, that iconic stretch of dirt road that runs between Kununurra and...
PART 2: KIMBERLEY BY AIR

PART 2: KIMBERLEY BY AIR

NICK’S TRICKS Having conquered the Kimberley by sea, it was time to take to the skies again. We head down to Kununurra and meet up with the guys from HeliSpirit. They specialise in scenic flights and heli-fishing, which involves spotting the best fishing grounds,...
PART 1: KIMBERLEY BY SEA

PART 1: KIMBERLEY BY SEA

The north-western tip of Australia is remote, wild and beautiful. Well, that’s what Malcolm Douglas had me believing after watching his many videos. He traversed the Kimberley with his dog Boondie, a cameraman and his trusty ol’ alloy Trailcraft. The legend of the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
TOURNAMENT 2000 BLUEWATER

TOURNAMENT 2000 BLUEWATER

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...
STABICRAFT 2400

STABICRAFT 2400

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...
EXMOUTH WATERING ADVENTURE

EXMOUTH WATERING ADVENTURE

In the past five to 10 years, Australian saltwater fly fishing has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance. More and more, trout-only fly guys like me, as well as conventional anglers, are exploring the country’s many saltwater options. I was a slow starter in saltwater fly...
SEAFARER VAGABOND X-SERIES

SEAFARER VAGABOND X-SERIES

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...
THE BIG TEASE

THE BIG TEASE

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...
WHERE THE PROS GO WITH JUSTIN DUGGAN

WHERE THE PROS GO WITH JUSTIN DUGGAN

Because I can flick a fly more than 100 feet, some people think I was born a saltwater samurai. Not true. Catching fish does take some natural talents (like patience, awareness and keen eyesight) but largely it’s because I’m an information vacuum cleaner, trawling...
THE FISHING GRIEF CYCLE

THE FISHING GRIEF CYCLE

PHASE ONE- STABILITY Losing a huge fish near the side of the boat is a feeling no angler can ever really forget. Rods – and friendships – have been broken because of it. The Captain’s crew is no exception – once dropping not one but two ‘fish of a lifetime’ on the...
YELLOW 6700

YELLOW 6700

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...
BUSTING A NUT IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

BUSTING A NUT IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Andy McKinstray goes for a wild ride in PNG, bagging barra, bass and betel nut Words and images by Andy McKinstray   Stepping off the plane at Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, the first thing that hits you in the face is a wave of humidity followed by...