WHEN Bruce Moore needs a break from the boating business, he gets out on the water himself.
The 63-year-old Cleveland diesel repair mechanic, who runs Moore Marine at Cleveland, says fishing is the perfect way to switch off – even if it means spending more time around boats.
“The irony is not lost on me,” Mr Moore said.
“But being on the water is how I get away and enjoy something I love.”
Rather than fishing close to home, Mr Moore heads to his holiday house on the central Queensland coast, where he takes his six-metre aluminium centre-console boat about 60 miles offshore.
There, he targets coral trout, barramundi and Spanish mackerel, recently returning with his quota of mackerel after landing fish up to 30kg.
It was just short of his personal best of about 40kg.
“I like catching mackerel. They take off and that’s the fun part,” he said.
“You watch your rod snap over and your reel scream, and it’s on.”
Mr Moore trolls for the prized fish using ribbon fish or bonito as bait, saying Spanish mackerel were as enjoyable on the plate as they were on the end of a line.
“Some people don’t like mackerel, but I think they are great to catch and great to eat,” he said.
“We use them in curries or batter the smaller pieces.
“When we get back from a trip, we fillet the fish, cryovac and freeze them. We keep the family well supplied.”
Fishing trips are often a family affair, with Mr Moore joined by wife Lena and son Sam, 30.
While Sam enjoys fishing, Mr Moore said his son’s main passion was boating and skiing.
When offshore conditions are unsuitable, the family turns its attention to the estuaries, where mud crabbing provides another reason to get on the water.
“The estuaries are prolific with big crabs,” Mr Moore said.
Mr Moore’s love of boating began as a child, fostered by his father, a bank manager whose work meant regular family moves.
One move took them to Biggera Creek, where a 12-year-old Bruce would come home from school and head out on the Broadwater in a tinnie.
“It set me up for life and gave me an interest in boats,” he said.
That interest became a career – and informs his advice to fellow boat owners.
“People forget that boats need to be inspected and have their water and oil checked,” he said.
“If something goes wrong, you can’t get out and walk home.”
