by The Captain | Dec 12, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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,...
by The Captain | Dec 12, 2017 | Articles, How to
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....
by The Captain | Nov 28, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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...
by The Captain | Nov 28, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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,...
by The Captain | Nov 28, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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...
by The Captain | Oct 26, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Oct 26, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Oct 26, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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...
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, The craftsman
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...
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 | Adventures, Articles
There’s nothing quite like fly-fishing in Argentina. The itinerary on this trip would make Ernest Hemingway blush. Picture this: quad bike to a jungle-lined river with parrots and toucans flying above, then cast flies as big as mice to fish as big as dogs! Retire at...
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, How to
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...
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 22, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
by The Captain | Mar 22, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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...
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 | Adventures, Articles
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...
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 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 | Adventures, How to
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...
by The Captain | Feb 10, 2017 | Articles, How to
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...
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 | Jan 4, 2017 | Adventures, Articles
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...
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