by The Captain | Aug 2, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Andrew Westlake caught a barrel on his first mission, using military-like planning and skill – not to mention endurance – in his seven-hour fight. His talents are matched by his great attitude and generous nature. Andrew Westlake is a thinking man’s fisherman....
by The Captain | Jul 28, 2016 | All Stories, The craftsman
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...
by The Captain | Jul 28, 2016 | All Stories, How to
THE BIRO Place your tuna on its nib, as if you’re signing your John Hancock on the deck of the boat. A popular – if a little overused – composition for big barrels. Also related to: Hang time GET A HOTEL ROOM Your wife or girlfriend will...
by The Captain | Jul 28, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
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...
by The Captain | Jul 19, 2016 | All Stories, How to
Paul Miller is a natural in the water, but it wasn’t always that way. It took years to build up the confidence to jump in, then hours and hours to hone his craft. Paul shares the knowledge he wished he had when he started. 1) Learn from local fishermen I...
by The Captain | Jul 8, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories, Destinations
The English conceived fly-fishing as a gentlemanly pursuit to be undertaken dressed in a tweed jacket while possibly smoking a pipe, a sophisticated sport, with delicate flies finessed to rising trout. However, as Joshua Hutchins discovers flying into the wilds of...
by The Captain | Jul 8, 2016 | All Stories, How to
NATHAN BAJADA, CENTRAL COAST, NSW STYLE: I’m mad-keen on game-fishing with my wife, Amanda, and daughter, Chloe. Don’t be fooled, they’re a formidable crew! We also dabble on the snapper and kingfish grounds, and don’t mind a deep drop from time to time. The wife...
by The Captain | Jul 8, 2016 | All Stories, How to
DEAN SILVESTER, BRISBANE, QLD STYLE: I love all sorts of fishing. Over the years I’ve entered in bass, bream and barramundi tournaments. My main focus of late has been Australian bass – I’d probably say I’m a good bass-buster. BOAT My boat is an SX 180 Skeeter, an...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Justin Duggan goes undercover to investigate the weed epidemic that is rocking the fishing world I usually meet The Captain at a local bar to collect my editorial assignment. But this time was different. We met in a dark alley and he was wearing a fake beard...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | All Stories, How to
LEE RAYNER, MELBOURNE, VIC STYLE : Any sort of fishing – bait, lure, fly, just so long as I’m catching fish. I do love chasing marlin and tuna, while at the other end of the scale there is something great about freezing your bum off chasing trout, especially big ones....
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | All Stories, The craftsman
Captain Blackbeard goes behind the lens with YouTube sensations Youngbloods Spearfishing The Youngbloods have brought a new kinda cool to freediving. Sharing their underwater exploits in seductive GoPro clips they call “liquid cinema”. Captain...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
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...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | All Stories, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories, Destinations
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...
by The Captain | Jul 2, 2016 | All Stories, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | All Stories, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | All Stories, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | All Stories, How to
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...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | All Stories, How to
Peter Pakula shares a simple trick to make your lures more visible and increase your hook-up rate, and it’ll take less than 10 seconds When you set a spread, you’re creating an environment you can control. You can adjust lure head styles, colours, positions,...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
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....
by The Captain | Jun 16, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
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...
by The Captain | Mar 18, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories, Captain's ships
The Captain’s crew explore their softer side aboard the new Whittley FF2100, but the leisurely Sunday sail is rudely interrupted by a school of marauding snapper. It’s late afternoon in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Snapper season is just kicking into gear...
by The Captain | Mar 18, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories, Captain's ships
Harry Foullas spent seven years rebuilding a 1977 Haines Formula 233. He gave up several times, but now he’s finished, he’ll never sell her. The Captain knows this because we offered the neighbour’s house for it. THE CAPTAIN: WOW, WHAT A REBUILD. WHY A...
by The Captain | Mar 18, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
The 233 Formula is a blue-water brumby with panache. The Captain takes a ride in the hull that has become a cult hero on the fishing grounds. There is no boat more majestic than a Formula 233 thundering to the fishing grounds. Behind the wall of white water...
by The Captain | Mar 17, 2016 | All Stories, Tried and tested
The Captain has only ever used a paper sounder. So it came as a surprise that the new StructureScan 3D was able to show him a three-dimensional underwater view of the ocean floor – mind blown. For as long as I can remember, anytime I’ve taken a non-boatie friend out...
by The Captain | Oct 21, 2015 | All Stories, Captain's ships
There’s a rumour doing the rounds. It’s about an aluminium hull that has the big boys looking over their shoulder. They say it rides like a glass boat, looks like a glass boat, but can take punishment like a tinnie. It doesn’t have a name like...
by The Captain | Oct 20, 2015 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Legendary Aussie boat maker, Cruisecraft, introduces the new baby of its hardtop range. A proud, third generation Australian boat manufacturer, CruiseCraft, is at it again, having just unveiled its new hardtop fishing machine – this time in the sub-6m category....
by The Captain | Oct 20, 2015 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger No doubt one of the most forward thinking designs in the trailer boat market today, is the Stabicraft 1600 Project Carbon Series. If it hadn’t already, it has now certainly quashed all preconceptions about Stabi’s being “ugly...
by The Captain | Oct 20, 2015 | All Stories, Captain's ships
The all-new Malibu Wakesetter 22 VLX hits Aussie shores. If you’re in the boating world and don’t know Malibu Boats, it’s safe to say you’ve been living under a rock, or you’re just a fisherman – the latter is probably more likely. Either way, Malibu is one of...
by The Captain | Oct 19, 2015 | All Stories, Destinations
Surrounded by water on three sides, Williamstown was Melbourne’s first working seaport. Today it’s a fashionable bayside village, but thankfully it hasn’t lost its maritime roots with old piers, slipways and docks dotting the foreshore. Moor your boat at Anchorage...
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