fbpx
THE BIG CHILL

THE BIG CHILL

Are iceboxes all they’re cut out to be? To find out, we kicked them out of the ute and them through their paces.    We’re simple men with simple needs. There are fish in the ocean, we catch the fish. Warm fish makes us crook, we keep the fish cold....
MINI FLYBRIDGE CRUISER

MINI FLYBRIDGE CRUISER

Julian McGarry couldn’t afford to buy a flybridge cruiser, so he built his own mini version.   When Julian McGarry’s mate sold his flybridge cruiser, Julian lost his regular ride. Heartbroken, he couldn’t see the value in owning his own moored boat, so he took...
10 PLACES TO FLY (FISH) BEFORE YOU DIE

10 PLACES TO FLY (FISH) BEFORE YOU DIE

I’ve always been a frequent flyer. Working for a large multinational company, I’ve made the most of every opportunity by tagging a fly-fishing trip on the end of every business trip. I’ve fly fished 25 countries in less than five years. Not every trip was a...
SEAKEEPER 2 GYRO FITTED TO SIGNATURE 788SF

SEAKEEPER 2 GYRO FITTED TO SIGNATURE 788SF

The Captain’s crew hitches a ride on a slick Haines 788SF fitted with a Seakeeper 2 gyro stabiliser. It’s the coolest technology to hit the trailer boat market since 12-volt pie warmers.  Trailer boat owners prone to seasickness can finally rejoice because...
BRILLIANT TRAILERBOAT HACKS

BRILLIANT TRAILERBOAT HACKS

Joel Ryan brings big game-boat know-how to his Edencraft 6M Offshore. Here’s a typical game-fishing scenario. See on Facebook that the hot bite is on during the week. Chuck a sickie. Drive all night and get a flat tyre. Eat salt and vinegar chips for dinner before...
BOATS OF THE FUTURE

BOATS OF THE FUTURE

The Captain catches up with respected boat designer Paul Bury, the man behind the computer behind many of the boats you drool over at the ramp. WHO IS PAUL BURY? Paul is the principal of Bury Design and has worked in the industry for over 20 years. Before starting...
EPIC SWORDFISH BATTLES IN BASS STRAIT

EPIC SWORDFISH BATTLES IN BASS STRAIT

The Captain’s crew are on the hunt for the enigmatic swordfish — charging out past the fire-breathing oil rigs of Bass Strait aboard a Bass Strait Offshore 30, which has a certain synchronicity to it if you give a rat’s about such things. This rig has a huge...
PART 5) THE NUB TUB GETS A NEW FLOOR

PART 5) THE NUB TUB GETS A NEW FLOOR

The Nub Tub gets a flash new glass-encrusted Thermo-Lite floor.  The Captain has a declaration to make to all future Whitepointer owners. The 445F project boat known as Nub Tub , sitting in the Whitepointer factory in Cann River among the eucalypts is not the reason...
MARKER’S MARK: EDENCRAFT

MARKER’S MARK: EDENCRAFT

    There’s been a fair bit going on at Edencraft — what’s the drum, Josie? Well, we moved to Moolap, Victoria, a little over 12 months ago. The new 2ha property is divided into four workspaces — the office, the lay-up shed/moulding shop, the joining shed...
GO PRO BRO! EXPERT PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

GO PRO BRO! EXPERT PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

Hopefully by now, you’ve figured out the basics of photographing a fish. Keep the eye in focus, use the rule of thirds, don’t cut off the angler’s head and use the available light to your advantage. Got it? Good. Now it’s time to go expert. Time to tell a real story....
DONKEY KING

DONKEY KING

Big kings are the hoodlums of the sea – and a prized catch on spear. Here are a few spearfishing tips Kiwi Luke Potts has learned while hunting them in Australian and New Zealand waters. Most beginner spearos swim directly at big kings then take a pot shot. That’s...
THE ABALONE MEN OF MALLACOOTA

THE ABALONE MEN OF MALLACOOTA

Abalone — most people wouldn’t know what it was if they stubbed their toe on it at the beach. Underneath an iridescent mother-of-pearl shell is a muscly piece of meat about the size of a teenager’s fist. This magnificent mollusc is so prized in Asia that most of these...

10 WAYS TO JUSTIFY A NEW BOAT TO THE MISSUS…

You need a new boat more than world peace — but not at the cost of war breaking out on the domestic front. Never fear the Captain is here… ATTENTION DADS: So you want a new 20ft (6m) fishing rig, but the missus says no. There are only two options: a. Divorce, or...
FRASER ISLAND PWC

FRASER ISLAND PWC

Chasing black marlin off the coast of Fraser Island on his trusty Yamaha Waverunner by day and night dodging dingoes and marauding mozzies by night, Ben Bylett discovered the blokes from Fishski Australia were even crazier fishos than him.   When I tell people I fish...
GRADY-WHITE CANYON 376

GRADY-WHITE CANYON 376

The biggest, baddest console The Captain has ever tested in Australia! The Grady-White Canyon 376 is a bona fide heavyweight of centre consoles. It’s the biggest hull in the Grady-White range, tipping the scales at almost six tonne (without engines). The beam is wider...
HAINES SIGNATURE 788SF

HAINES SIGNATURE 788SF

The Captain puffs out his chest and steps aboard the biggest console the Signature factory has ever built, powered by the largest motor Suzuki has ever built; two, in fact.    We’re still not sure why John Haines built the 788SF. It’s the biggest console ever...
NUTTY PROFESSOR

NUTTY PROFESSOR

For Justin Duggan, predicting which colour of lure will be on the hook-up money on any given fishing day will never be an exact science.   We all have a “nutty professor” angling mate. His laboratory is the deck of a boat. Bunsen burners and flasks are replaced...
DAVEY’S BIG DAY OUT

DAVEY’S BIG DAY OUT

Davey Marine go the extra mile (about 50 miles, in fact)   Davey Marine just went next-level with its customer service. Their blue-chip customers were invited down to Refuge Cove for a fully catered weekend of swell jumping and horsepower thumping. The rigs that...
TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL

TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL

Are you a bit confused about the catch-and-release code these days? What species are socially acceptable to fillet? What species should be set free? It’s enough to leave you holding your limp gaff in hand on the back deck, paralysed with uncertainty. Never fear, The...
PORN IN THE USA

PORN IN THE USA

The Captain’s phone rang earlier this year. It was John Haines Junior, boss man of Suzuki Australia and heir to the Haines Signature fortune. In his polite but matter-of-fact manner he asked, “what are you guys doing in June?” “Let me check my calendar, John,” I...
TUG OFF

TUG OFF

The Captain tugs hard over his tow machines. Here are his top 10 adventure rigs.   Did you just drop more than $200K for your deep-vee machine built with 37 layers of ‘glass in the transom and fitted with hardtop, commercial-grade sounder, radar, pie warmer,...
THE DNA OF A KIWI WHITE POINTER

THE DNA OF A KIWI WHITE POINTER

The Captain discovers why the White Pointer from New Zealand is considered the apex predator of plate boats.  If you call your boat a White Pointer, you better have the chops to back it up. After building them for more than 24 years, Rex Briant, top of the food chain...
EYE FOR CURRENT

EYE FOR CURRENT

Rule one: keep your eyes open. Peter Pakula shares his wisdom on reading the signs and finding the fish. Electronic aids (sounder, GPS, temp gauge) certainly help you find fish, but they’re not the most important tool in your belt. They don’t tell you where you should...
ALLOY SHOOTOUT

ALLOY SHOOTOUT

Four pumping plate rigs fight it out bow to bow in the captain’s alloy shootout at Jervis bay.  The only good thing that comes in tin is beer, right? Some among the glass-lovin’ class still beat that drum on Facebook forums. Their opinion is probably based on...
COD CULTURE

COD CULTURE

A canny old cod hunter reminisces about golden days on the mighty Murray and rejoices at the resurgence of cod fishing, sport of champions. Growing up on the Goulburn and Murray rivers, it was inevitable that Murray cod, VB beer and sunburn would be a big part of my...
PART 3) FUEL TANK FOR THE PROJECT BOAT

PART 3) FUEL TANK FOR THE PROJECT BOAT

The Captain goes in search of a fuel tank for the Nub Tub, their custom Haines Hunter 445F project boat. In the backblocks of Williamstown they find a man of steel, Kane McQuarrie from McQuarrie Fabrications. Picking a fuel tank is harder than picking a good rum. For...
STABICRAFT 1550 FISHER

STABICRAFT 1550 FISHER

Ever since the Battle of the Big Vee, Matt Webb, owner of the Edencraft 233 Formula, has been nagging The Captain because he wants a 15ft boat for his 17-yearold son, Tom. Tom loves his diving and fishing, so Matt wanted something safe and indestructible, but also...