A LIFELONG love of fishing has evolved into a full-time career for Mount Cotton angler Greg Lamprecht – even if it now means he gets out on the water far less than he used to.
Mr Lamprecht, 47, said it was ironic that the hobby that shaped his life had slipped to “less than monthly” as he juggles the demands of running a booming marine and fishing enterprise.
“Fishing is what I do,” he said.
“As a sideline I run Wicked Fishing. I used to write for magazines. Now I follow the YouTube route.”
Most recently, he expanded his enterprise by opening Wicked Marine Electronics at Cleveland, supplying high-tech navigation and sonar gear that has become essential for modern fishers – even if installing it has temporarily cut into his own time on the water.
“Navigational and sonar equipment makes finding fish easier and most fishermen have this down pat,” he said.
“It’s great the business is doing well, and I know I will get back to fishing often again soon.”
Mr Lamprecht has spent decades exploring the Queensland coastline, from Moreton Bay to the offshore waters of Fraser, Stradbroke and Moreton islands.
He fishes offshore in a seven-metre custom plate Rip Tide or a five-metre custom plate boat, each designed to suit his preferred style and destinations.
“I fish for everything – squid, flathead, snapper, red emperor and marlin,” he said.
“I also like deep dropping for deep-water fish.
“That’s when you get bar cod, flame tail snapper, bass groper and blue-eye trevalla.”
He said he generally kept deep-water species because they rarely survived release, but regularly returned fish caught in the bay.
His passion began in childhood, fishing with his father, Terry, who still joins him on trips at age 80.
Growing up in Thornlands and attending Thornlands and Cleveland High schools, he said weekends and afternoons were often spent chasing fish.
“It’s the element of challenge and wanting to succeed,” he said.
“For me, it’s about trial and error and then showing people the result.”
Now fishing with both his father and his own adult children, Mr Lamprecht has countless stories from the water – but one stands out – catching an 18.1kg red emperor off Double Island Point, he said, remained “a spectacular moment”.
