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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...
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...
FREEDIVER VS FISHERMAN

FREEDIVER VS FISHERMAN

Ever wondered who would win if a fisherman took on a freediver in a battle of skill, strength and endurance? Well we did. So we hooked up Paul and battled it out. It all started over a beer with Paul Miller, The Captain’s spearo. Would an angler with rod and reel be...
BATTLE OF THE BIG VEE

BATTLE OF THE BIG VEE

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...
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...
SEARCH FOR SILVER- 550F SIGNATURE

SEARCH FOR SILVER- 550F SIGNATURE

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...
EAST GIPPSLAND ESCAPE

EAST GIPPSLAND ESCAPE

  Every fisho worth his salt has a secret fishing spot where it seems like the fish never stop biting. The sun always sets on glassy waters while pelagics feverishly compete for the evening hatch. The esky is always full and cold, and sleep is only broken by the...
ISLAND POPPING

ISLAND POPPING

The Captain’s crew head north, to the warm waters of the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef. They hunt game fish amidst incredible scenic beauty – and become stranded in a millionaires’ playground.     The water transformed from an olive green to a deep...
RUM REPORT

RUM REPORT

Aaargh, rum. It’s been turning noble sailors into depraved pirates for centuries. The Captain dives behind the bar to uncover the secrets of this sweet seafaring spirit.   Rum lore has it that the first distillation of rum began by accident on Caribbean sugar...
RED DAWN

RED DAWN

With barrels storming the west coast of Victoria, The Captain grabbed a Stabicraft 2050, a tub of soy sauce and hit the high seas.   If you’re looking for a story about ‘the fish of a lifetime’, then look away now. This is not one of those stories. This is a tale...
MARLIN MOJO

MARLIN MOJO

The Captain’s 10 Golden Rules for hooking more marlin. Jeez, I wish someone told us a bit earlier – like 10,000 litres of fuel earlier!   The Captain knows a fisherman who hooked (and lost) nine marlin before finally landing one. Such is the fighting prowess of...
FRENCH CONNECTION

FRENCH CONNECTION

  The Captain flexes the fibers of a family fisher, taking an Arvor 675 Sportsfish to the end of the earth in search of game-fishing gold.   With nothing but the dull glow of the anchor light to guide us, we pushed on into the black nothingness. Our...
SHIP SHAPER

SHIP SHAPER

In a quaint little woodworking shop in the back streets of Wollongong, NSW, you’ll find Elise Cameron-Smith crafting handmade treasures. Not your typical woodworker, Elise is a chirpy young surfie chick. The Captain dropped anchor to check out her fleet of exquisite...
CAPE YORK CHAOS

CAPE YORK CHAOS

Cape York by trailer boat is a must-do for any boat owner. Catching trophy fish is the easy part, but as The Captain knows, getting there, picking a crew, keeping the gear dry, feeding yourself and getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge. In this special...
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...

DOUBLE BARRELS

The Captain’s crew discovers a gamefishing wonderland in a land (and sea) that time forgot. As the plane flew low over Hobart I glanced out the window at the shimmering water beyond that southern city and wondered, is there such thing as gamefishing heaven? In...